North State Journal Vol. 8, Issue 48

VOLUME 8 ISSUE 48

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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2024

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BRIEF this week

Cooper proclaims 2024 ‘The Year of Public Schools’ Raleigh Gov. Roy Cooper proclaimed 2024 as “The Year of Public Schools” in North Carolina at an event Tuesday in Nash County.

At the event, Cooper called for K-12 education and early childhood funding as well as “meaningful investments in greater teacher pay” in the upcoming legislative session.

He also called for a stop to state spending on the state’s popular Opportunity Scholarship program until the state’s public schools are “fully funded.”

“The legislature must fully fund public education in North Carolina, including meaningful investments in early childhood education and paying our teachers like the professionals they are,” said the governor in a statement.

Cooper’s announcement came in the middle of National School Choice Week, an event which he previous issued a proclamation supporting.

NSJ STAFF

AP PHOTO

Efrat Machikawa, whose uncle, Gadi Moses is in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip since his capture from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, as families of hostages call out to their loved ones on loudspeakers in hopes that the hostages will hear, at the Gaza border in Kibbutz Nirim, southern Israel, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024.

US union membership rates fall to all-time low Detroit, Mich.

Unions commanded big headlines last year, but that didn’t translate into higher membership rates, according to government data released Tuesday.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said 10% of hourly and salaried workers were members of unions in 2023, or around 14.4 million people. That is an alltime low, down from 10.1% of workers in 2022.

The number of unionized workers in the private sector increased by 191,000 to 7.4 million last year. But the percent of unionized workers in the private sector – 6% -- remained unchanged from the previous year, as unionization rates didn’t keep pace with overall hiring.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hunter Biden agrees to private deposition with Republicans after months of defiance Washington, D.C. Hunter Biden has agreed to appear before House Republicans for a private deposition on Feb. 28, ending months of defiance from the president’s son, who had insisted on testifying publicly.

“The president’s son is a key witness in this investigation and he’s gonna be able to come in now and sit down and answer questions in a substantive, orderly manner,” Rep. James Comer, chair of the Oversight Committee, told reporters.

The impeachment inquiry into the president, which began in September, has focused heavily on Hunter Biden and his international business affairs, questioning whether the president profited from that work.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bring them home: NC families of Hamas hostages speak out

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

The 411: Billions in federal EV school bus grants 15 NC schools and districts to receive grants, but no money for infrastructure

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

grants spanning 652 school districts with over 5,100 buses replaced.

According to the White House press release, the program will benefit 7 million students and their families while promoting “environmental justice,” and generating “well-paying jobs.”

“As part of our work to tackle the climate crisis, the historic funding we are announcing today is an investment in our children, their health, and their education,” Harris said. “It also strengthens our economy by investing in American manufacturing and America’s workforce.”

The funding announced is the second round of such grants that also include a rebate program. The total awarded for the CSB is nearly $2 billion and funds around 5,000 electric and low-emission school buses nationwide.

Overall, the EPA’s CSB Program is expected to provide $5 billion for EV school buses over a five-year period.

In April 2023, the EPA announced the CBS grants pro-

RALEIGH — Earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the White House announced the selection of 67 recipients that will receive almost $1 billion in grants through the Clean School Bus Program (CSB).

“Every school day, 25 million children ride our nation’s largest form of mass transit: the school bus. The vast majority of those buses run on diesel, exposing students, teachers, and bus drivers to toxic air pollution,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in the announcement. “Today, we are announcing nearly $1 billion to fund clean school buses across the nation.”

The initiative, part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, aims to enhance air quality and protect children. The program’s current awards summary shows over $1.84 billion in the form of 439 See BUS, page A3

NC Attorney General wants cash apps regulated by CFPB Policy expert says the move is a “solution in search of a problem.”

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — North Carolina Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, along with other Attorneys General, supports proposed federal protections for digital payment and

wallet services such as Venmo, CashApp, PayPal, and Zelle.

“More and more North Carolinians are conducting business on Venmo and other digital payment platforms, and they need to be able to trust that their money is going where they want to spend it,” Stein said in a press release.

“These digital payment platforms need to be playing by See STEIN, page A8

RALEIGH — On Jan.16, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum and N.C. House Republicans held a press conference calling for the immediate release of Jewish and American hostages still held captive by Hamas following the terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a 501(c)3 nonprofit registered in the U.S., was formed less than 24 hours after the attack with the singular goal of bringing the hostages home.

“Today is not about geopolitics or anything like that,” House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) said at the start of the press conference. “This is about really getting the word out about these families and about these hostages who need to be released.”

Moore also said Anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) legislation was being worked on and acknowledged efforts by Rep. Steve Ross (R-Alamance) and by Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake), who was also involved in a resolution in support of Israel last fall.

In addition to the families and lawmakers present, Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States Anat Sultan-Dadon also made some remarks.

Sultan-Dadon thanked everyone in the room for their support for Israel and in calling for release of the hostages.

“It has been 102 days since babies, children, toddlers, women, men and the elderly were brutally dragged into captivity in Gaza,” Sultan-Dadon said. “We still have over 130 hostages remaining in captivity today, and the call to bring them home now should be heard everywhere, not just in Israel, but by anyone and everyone around the world who values life and freedom.”

Family members Moshe Levi and Yair Moses shared their stories of their loved ones still being held by Hamas.

Levi’s brother-in-law Omri Miran and Moses’ father Gadi Moses are both still hostages.

Levi described the horror and chaos that occurred on Oct. 7, including Hamas terrorists pointing an RPG

at a two-and-a-half-year-old girl and the execution of an 18-year-old girl.

“They attacked humanity on Oct. 7 and they’re committed to attack humanity over and over again unless they’ll be stopped,” Levi said of Hamas. “But what concerns us is that our loved ones, our family members, our neighbors, our friends, our country people will return to our families alive. And for that reason, we here sharing our stories.”

“On Oct.7, his world and all our world, like, almost collapsed because they [Hamas] brutally entered the kibbutz after a brutal attack of missiles,” Moses said after describing his father’s agricultural work at the kibbutz and how his father “loves to help people.”

Moses went on to describe the attack and the murder of friends and neighbors whose bodies were found in the fields nearby.

Near the end of December 2023, the terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video depicting two Israeli hostages. One of them was Moses’ 79-year-old father and the other was 47-year-old Elad Katzir. Both were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7.

Moses’ wife was murdered by Hamas terrorists that day. Katzir’s father was also murdered by the terrorists and his mother was kidnapped but later released in November.

“We don’t know when it was taken,” Moses said of the terrorist-released video while holding a picture up of his father. “He looks very thin. He looks like 10 years older than what he looked in this picture that was taken this summer.”

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum press conference follows Sen. Ted Budd’s (R-NC) trip to the region. He joined a congressional delegation led by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) on a trip to the Middle See HAMAS, page A8

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North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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IN MEMORY

1.24.24 #421

“One of One” Visit us online nsjonline.com North State Journal (USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365) Neal Robbins Publisher Matt Mercer Editor in Chief Cory Lavalette Managing/Sports Editor Frank Hill Senior Opinion Editor Griffin Daughtry Business/Features Editor Jordan Golson Locals Editor Lauren Rose Design Editor Published each Wednesday

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Sarah Lindh Glad

March 31, 1988 - January 19, 2024 SARAH LINDH GLAD, age 35 passed away on January 19, 2024. She was born on March 31, 1988, in Columbia, South Carolina to Thomas Matthew and Ellen Hawke Lindh.

Sarah is survived by her husband, Robert P. Glad, Jr. of 7 years and her sweet 18 month old son, Haywood Paul Glad.

She is preceded in death by her maternal grandfathers, Donald Loren Hawke and Robert Paul Glad, Sr. We have lost a beautiful soul, Sarah Lindh Glad, who bravely fought metastatic triple negative breast cancer for the past 2 years.

A woman whose love, smile, tenacity and work ethic made an indelible imprint on those who had the pleasure to know her, and it is with heavy hearts that we say good-bye.

Sarah received her Bachelor of Arts Degree and Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from N.C. State University where she attended from 2007-2013. During this time Sarah joined, and was a leader within, the Delta Zeta sorority.

Sarah devoted her career to serving the people of North Carolina. In 2013, she joined the Administration of Governor Pat McCory, working for the Department of Environmental Quality (formally DENR). She went on to work for the North Carolina Office of State Treasurer and as a Legislative and Policy Assistant in the North Carolina General Assembly to Representative Chuck Edwards (NC 11), who previously served in the North Carolina Senate. She was characterized as a person who was always there for them and a genuine team player, who handled the complexity of the political scene with elegance and dedication.

In 2015, Sarah helped launch North Carolina’s only statewide newspaper, The North State Journal as the Communications Director.

At the end of her career, Sarah served as a Program Officer for Raleigh based John W. Pope Foundation and was involved in their grants and giving initiatives, including public interest law and legal studies, higher education and human services.

She received the N.C. State Panhellenic Outstanding Servant Leader Award in 2009 and was recognized as a 2020-2021 E.A. Morris Fellow for Emerging Leaders at the John Locke Foundation.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to her GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/.d5a98301 All donations will be going to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, TNBC Foundation.org in memory of Sarah.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, January 25, 2024, at 7pm at Cross Point Community Church in Knightdale.

Per Sarah’s request, the family is planning a Celebration of Life at the end of March-details to follow.

THE WORD: THE SECOND COMMANDMENT “The Adoration of the Golden Calf” by Nicolas Poussin (circa 1634) is a painting in the collection of the National Gallery, London.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

This series explores the Ten Commandments through the words and admonishments of Arthur Pink.

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them,” is the second Commandment in Exodus 3.

God explains the reason for this commandment in Exodus 3:4-5, saying, “for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”

Although the second Commandment is closely related to the first, there are distinctions between the two. While the first Commandment deals with choosing the true God, the second Commandment guides us on how to properly worship Him. The first Commandment establishes who God is, and the second Commandment specifies how we should practice our religious worship. Just as the first Commandment declared Jehovah as the true God, the second Commandment reveals His nature and the appropriate way to honor Him. “ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image...

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.” This commandment strikes against a desire to bring in some aids to the worship of God, which can be perceived by the senses. The reason is obvious: God is incorporeal, invisible, and can be realized only by a spiritual principle, and since that principle is dead in fallen man, he naturally seeks that which accords with his carnality. No one who truly knows God as a living reality needs any images to aid his devotions.

It is a manifest straining of this precept to make it condemn all statuary and paintings: it is not the ingenuity of making but the stupidity in the worshiping of them which is condemned, as is clear from the words “you shall not bow down yourself to them,” and from the fact that God Himself shortly afterwards ordered Israel to “make two cherubim of gold of beaten work” for the mercy seat (Exodus 25:18) and later the serpent of brass. Since God is a spiritual, invisible, and omnipotent Being, to represent Him as being of a material and limited form is a falsehood and an insult to His majesty. Under this most extreme corruption of mode-image worship-all erroneous modes of Divine homage are here forbidden.

This second Commandment is but the negative way of saying “God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” John 4:24.

In prohibiting images, God also rules out any other forms of worship that He hasn’t specifically established. This includes all ways of worshiping, even of the true God, that differ from what God has instructed in His Word. Such practices are referred to as “will worship” (as mentioned in Colossians 2:23) and include any distortion of true worship and any tendency towards superstitious practices in serving God. This Commandment does not allow for any human creativity in worship. For example, Christ criticized the ritual of washing hands because it was a human addition to God’s laws.

The Bible sets clear limits for worship, and we shouldn’t add to or take away from these. When applying this rule, it’s important to differentiate between the essential and non-essential aspects of worship. Any practice that people try to enforce as

a part of Divine worship should be rejected if it’s not explicitly required in the Scriptures. However, certain non-essential practices and modifications followed by the group that don’t have direct scriptural backing but promote decency and order without detracting from the solemnity and focus of spiritual worship, should be accepted. Ambrose gave a wise advice: “If you will neither give offense nor take offense, conform yourself to all the lawful customs of the churches where you come.”

This Commandment is enforced by three reasons.

Firstly, it’s underlined by the authority of God, who is depicted as a “jealous God”, powerful and ready to punish unfaithfulness, much like a betrayed spouse would. Secondly, it warns of severe consequences, extending the repercussions of idolatry and sin across generations, impacting not just the individual but their descendants as well, reflecting the notion that parental sins can influence and shape the behavior of their children. Finally, it offers a positive incentive for obedience, promising mercy to thousands of generations of those who love and obey God. This highlights the idea that love for God is shown through obedience, and this love results in blessings, not only for the individual but also for their descendants, reinforcing the impact of one’s actions and beliefs on future generations.

Arthur W. Pink, born in Nottingham, England, in 1886, pastored churches in Colorado, California, Kentucky, and South Carolina. He moved to Sydney, Australia, and then returned to England in 1934. Pink relocated to Lewis, Scotland, in 1940 and remained there until his death in 1952 at the age of 66.

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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Audit finds NCDOT maintaining spending plan for second year in a row

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — A recent audit released by the N.C. Office of the State Auditor (OSA) found that the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) did not exceed its spending plan for Fiscal Year 2023.

The NCDOT had planned to spend around $7.88 billion but only spent $7.37 billion. The NCDOT’s cash balance was $2.4 billion as of June 30, 2023, per the audit report.

Monitoring and enforcement of each of the NCDOT’s divisions was credited with the agency staying within its spending plan. Additionally, spending estimates for construction and operations used specific statistical modeling to comply with the spending plan.

The NCDOT agreed with the findings of the report.

“We will continue to improve spend plan development

and execution to ensure plan compliance and optimal performance in the future,” wrote NCDOT Secretary J.R. Hopkins in the agency’s response letter. “I appreciate the engagement staff’s hard work and professionalism and believe the positive outcome of this audit is based in part to their guidance and direction during the development of the spend plan process. Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions.”

This is the second year in a row the NCDOT has received good audit news.

Last year, the OSA’s audit of the NCDOT showed the agency did not exceed its spending plan for 2022. During 2022, the NCDOT had planned to spend approximately $6.86 billion, and actually only spent $6.34 billion.

The findings of the 2022 NCDOT spending plan were an improvement over the FY 2021

audit which found the NCDOT was still at risk of exceedingly its spending plan.

In a 2020 review of the NCDOT, it was discovered that overspending amounted to $742 million, primarily attributed to insufficient planning and monitoring by the chief engineer’s office. Additionally, the agency’s spending plan did not rely on actual cost estimates for operations and projects. This financial mismanagement led to a reduction of $2 billion in construction contracts that year, along with the implementation of rolling employee furloughs.

Following the audit, a legislative hearing took place, during which then-State Auditor Beth Wood testified that cash mismanagement was a significant contributing factor.

A subsequent 2020 audit by the OSA revealed improper salary raises and adjustments within the NCDOT, totaling around $39 million.

COURTESY PHOTO

In October 2023, Joey Hopkins became the secretary of the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Local Government Commission approves financing requests of over $300 million

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The Local Government Commission (LGC) approved several requests for bonds and other financing at its monthly meeting.

The town of Holly Springs in southwestern Wake County has received approval for $100 million in general obligation bonds from the LGC to fund an expansion of its parks and recre-

ation offerings.

The population of Holly Springs has doubled since 2010, prompting a public referendum in November 2023 where voters approved the funding with 63.37% support. The bond proceeds will be used to build a 56acre park, including a variety of recreational facilities.

Other approved projects by the LGC include an $85 million bond for Fuquay-Varina to expand wastewater treat-

ment facilities due to significant customer growth, $58 million for Huntersville to enhance streets, paths, and recreation facilities, $15 million for Beech Mountain to improve its water system, and $50 million for Wendell to fund parks, greenways, and transportation improvements.

Additionally, North Topsail Beach received approval for a $5.6 million installment purchase to replace a fire station,

The population of Holly Springs has doubled since 2010.

Waynesville secured a nearly $4.9 million increase in a State Revolving Fund Loan for wastewater treatment plant improvements, and Liberty got approval for a $214,122 installment purchase for public safety radios.

The LGC also heard plans for $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds for school projects in Mecklenburg County, with a vote scheduled for the February meeting.

BUS from page A1

gram’s initial allocation of at least $400 million for that year. According to the White House press release, significant response from applicants prompted the EPA to nearly double the funding to approximately $965 million. The increase follows over $875 million distributed through 2022 rebates.

Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statement on the new round of grants, which totals $26.7 million for 16 North Carolina districts and schools to purchase 114 electric school buses.

“New funding for electric school buses means protecting the health of children from harmful diesel fumes, cutting carbon emissions, saving money on bus maintenance for tight public school budgets, and creating good jobs in North Carolina,” Cooper said in his statement.

Per Cooper, “Over 98% of the buses will be deployed in prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities,” yet most of the buses seem to be headed to urban areas.

Durham Public Schools has the highest number of EV buses at 38, followed by Charlotte-Mecklenburg with 27.

Cherokee Central Schools will get 15 and Kannapolis City Schools will be getting eight.

Bertie County and Maureen Joy Charter School in Durham will each get four.

KIPP Durham Prep and Emereau Bladen Charter School are getting three each.

Five schools will get two buses; Cumberland County Schools, Granville, County Schools, KIPP Halifax Prep, Madison County Schools, and Richmond County Schools.

Schools that will get a single bus each include Johnston County Schools and Reaching All Minds Academy in Durham.

According to the EPA’s CSB Grants Interactive Map and Data Table, when sorted for North Carolina, 2023 project totals came in at $57,355,692 for 23 schools and districts and a total of 173 buses.

In the current round of awards to North Carolina schools and districts, Greensboro company

AP PHOTO

A Lion electric school bus is seen on display in Austin, Texas, Feb. 22, 2023.

Carolina Thomas is providing the majority of the buses.

Infrastructure such as charging stations is not part of the CSB program, leaving rural districts on the hook to cover maintenance issues and make sure charging stations are installed. However, a provision of the Clean School Bus Rebate Program says grant recipients may be eligible for “Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits” for bus and infrastructure purchases.

The provision specifically mentions the “Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit” as providing “up to $40,000 for qualified commercial clean vehicles” and the “Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit” that can supply “up to $100,000 for qualified charging and refueling infrastructure.”

EPA will still be accepting applications for the 2023 Rebate Program through Jan. 31.

North State Journal reached out to some of the districts that will receive grants to see if infrastructure and charging stations

were part of the funding.

Greg Owle, the general manager of the Cherokee Boys Club, responded to our inquiry placed with Cherokee Central Schools.

“The infrastructure, charging stations, were not part of the government funding,” Owle wrote in an email response. “We will have to provide the money for the charging stations, installation and setup. The money provided was only to cover the buses.”

A spokesperson for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also confirmed that funding does not cover “charging ports.”

Bertie County Public Schools’ public relations office indicated they currently do not have any charging stations and that a meeting to address the matter will be held Feb. 15.

In 2022, five North Carolina districts and schools replaced a total of 31 buses through combined EPA awards of $12,245,000. The districts included Columbus, Bladen, and Halifax, along with Mina Charter School of Lee County and Discov-

ery Charter School of Durham.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has also awarded grants for 49 EV buses to school districts funded by a $30-million settlement with Volkswagen over Clean Air Act violations.

Depending on the model, an EV bus can have a driving range between 75 to 210 miles. Of the two charging options, DCFC fast chargers take 1 to 4.5 hours for a full charge whereas Level 2 chargers can take between 5.5 and 13 hours.

The cost of an EV school bus can range anywhere from $195,000 to over $521,000, according to price tracking information maintained by the Electric School Bus Initiative (ESBI).

The group’s data shows EV buses in North Carolina can cost between $335,481 and $388,859.

An EV bus has the potential to reduce operational costs by approximately $6,000 annually, depending on several factors, in comparison to a diesel bus, according to the ESBI, which also

claims lifetime savings could exceed $100,000 in fuel and maintenance expenses compared to an equivalent diesel bus.

A diesel bus, which comes in four different types (A-D), is far lighter than an EV bus. The most commonly used is Type C, which can weigh between 14,000 and 19,500 depending on passengers and other loads on board.

In comparison, EV buses typically weigh between 33,000 and 35,000 pounds.

Since EV school buses are relatively new, not a lot of data exists on battery failure rates or replacement costs. A typical EV battery replacement for an EV car can cost an estimated $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the condition of the battery.

EV vehicle range has also encountered issues with cold temperatures. Some EV vehicles that typically have a 200-220 mile range could drop to a 150-175 range in cold weather. EV buses also suffer from cold weather, possibly diminishing their range by up to 33%.

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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OPINION Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Universities and colleges should help pay for public education

Universities and colleges don’t pay any property tax at all. They are tax-exempt.

WHEN PEOPLE TALK about public education in the state of North Carolina, the first thing they discuss is teacher pay.

College administrators and faculty say a lot of their problems regarding diversity and inclusion could be solved if high school students of all races were better prepared academically.

Liberal faculty members are always first in line to “demand” the Republican-controlled legislature pay elementary and secondary education teachers much higher salaries and provide better books, high-speed internet access and science labs.

The Leandro decision “directed” the legislature ― unconstitutionally and a violation of the separation of judicial powers from legislative responsibilities ― to spend well over $1 billion around the state in installments to bring all schools up to par in terms of delivering highquality public education to every student.

However, in a curious and almost hypocritical manner, there is one major impediment to local governments having the financial resources to improve public schools today: institutions of higher education such as Duke, Wake Forest, UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State.

Property taxes are the primary way local governments pay for municipal or county responsibilities. Local governments pay a large share of public education expenses including teacher salaries.

Universities and colleges don’t pay any property tax at all. They are tax-exempt. Out of the 171 public and private colleges and universities in North Carolina ― not one of them

pays a single dime in local property taxes to support public education and pay teacher salaries.

Many of these institutions own hotels and golf courses which should be subject to property taxation just like any other commercial enterprise in the county. Duke University owns over 7,000 acres of prime real estate in Duke Forest, none of which is subject to city or county property taxation.

Duke University owns 172 parcels of property in Durham County, all of which is exempted from taxation by the city or county. One property, 1500 West Main St., is valued at $29,471,700.

If taxable, this property would generate $331,000 annually to Durham city and county governments which could then be spent on higher teacher salaries and better student educational resources.

According to the publicly-disclosed 990 tax form for 2022, Duke University owns over $7 billion of property based on conservative estimates.

For conversational purposes only, assume all of Duke’s property is in Durham County and its real value is an even $10 billion to make it easy for computational purposes.

The combined property tax rate for Durham city and county is $1.31 per hundred dollars of valuation. $10 billion of property taxed at $1.31/ hundred would yield $131 million annually in revenue to Durham County.

Care to guess what Durham County’s share of public education expenses are each year? $131 million. The state pays the other 65% of public

education costs.

If Duke University was not tax-exempt solely for the purposes of local property taxation, their annual payment alone based on a $10 billion property valuation would cover the entire local cost share of public education in Durham County. Conversely, every teacher in Durham County could be paid 30% more annually ― immediately.

Before anyone pleads poverty on the part of any institution of higher education and says they “can’t afford” to pay property taxes, consider this ― Duke University has a $12 billion endowment to draw upon at their disposal and whim. UNCCH is sitting on a $5B+ endowment; Wake Forest has a $1.8B endowment and Davidson has a $1.3B endowment.

All endowment income to the university is taxfree as well.

There is no shortage of wealth or assets when it comes to big-time higher education today. They are big businesses paying administrators millions of dollars and coaches multi-million-dollar contracts and deserve to be treated as such.

There might be over $100 billion of untaxed property value on college campuses across the state of North Carolina.

Leandro called for $1B+ in total to be spent to improve public education. $1B+ in new tax revenue could be generated per year in perpetuity if the tax-exempt status for universities was removed solely for property tax purposes. North Carolina’s public schools would skyrocket to the top of our nation’s public education systems in terms of providing the resources necessary to teach every child how to participate in advanced 21st century world in which they will live and hopefully, prosper.

It is time for higher education to start paying their “fair share” of educating our public school students in North Carolina. The debate about not having enough money to pay teachers would end overnight.

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

Failure of ‘Bidenomics’ seen in Biden’s visit to NC

A Cook Out tray costs 28% more than it did three years ago when Biden had his previous photo op.

THERE IS AN OLD SAYING about how a picture is worth a thousand words.

Unfortunately for President Joe Biden, that was exactly the case during a visit he made to North Carolina last Thursday.

Biden visited the Abbott’s Creek Community Center in Raleigh to tout “Bidenomics.” He bragged about the millions of dollars in high-speed Internet investments that he claims will “connect 16,000 additional homes and businesses, bringing high-speed Internet all across the state of North Carolina.”

Though the speech was a little embarrassing at certain points ― like when he said he’d “created 440 new jobs” in North Carolina since elected and when he called out for Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross, claiming he’d taken a photo with her earlier in the day even though she was in Washington, D.C. ― it was something else that happened during his visit that caught the attention of his conservative critics.

Biden and his entourage of handlers went to a local Cook Out location, where he proceeded to order a milkshake along with what appeared to be one of Cook Out’s combo trays.

The burning question of what Biden ordered in addition to the milkshake was answered by local media outlets, which noted that he got a bacon cheeseburger and fries and that he paid for Gov. Roy Cooper’s tray as well as the customers who were also there waiting to order.

Unbeknownst to Biden, however, the prices of the combo trays were visible in one of the photos he took with customers while there, which was posted by a member of his staff on Twitter.

The price of the Jr. tray was listed as $6.59. The price of their standardsized tray was $7.69.

Back in October 2020, though, during Biden’s first visit to what appears to be the same Cook Out location just a few weeks before Election Day, another photo was taken, also with the menu prices clearly visible in the background.

The Jr. tray was $4.99. The standard-sized tray was $5.99.

The press shop for North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) took to the Twitter machine and posted both pictures side by side to demonstrate the folly of Bidenomics.

“Thanks to #Bidenomics, a Cook Out tray costs 28% more than it did three

AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden speaks outside Cook Out, in Raleigh. years ago when Biden had his previous photo op,” they wrote.

Oops!

The tweet went viral, and the contrast between what the prices were before he took office versus what they are now a full three years into his presidency was also noted in several news reports including the Raleigh News & Observer as well as Fox News.

Despite his spin to the contrary, Biden’s poll numbers on his handling of the economy have been consistently terrible for him. Photo ops that are designed to make him look like an average American could end up backfiring on him if Republicans are smart and use these photos in future campaign ads, especially here in NC. As I’ve said before, politicians often use a lot of words, videos, and charts to try and get their points across to voters. Joe Biden is no exception to that rule.

But this is one of those instances where two photos that were taken a little over three years apart do all the talking necessary, speaking volumes and saying it all about what “Bidenomics” has done to the United States and what it will continue to do to this country unless Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are given their walking papers in November.

North Carolina native Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah and is a media analyst and regular contributor to RedState and Legal Insurrection.

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

COLUMN

COLUMN | RUSS BARRINGER

North Carolina’s “Glory” regiment in World War I MANY PEOPLE VIVIDLY remember Denzel Washington’s riveting performance in the movie “Glory” about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first African-American regiments in the Civil War. Not many people realize the segregation which still existed fifty years later when America entered World War I in Europe to help the Allies defeat the Kaiser and Germany.

There were three black combat regiments in WW1. The 369th, nicknamed the Harlem Fighters; the 370th, nicknamed by the Germans as the Black Devil, and the 371st which had no nickname but was led by my grandfather, Hubert Teer of Durham.

The 371st was comprised of black draftees from South Carolina and others from Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina. The white officers were mainly from the south.

They trained at Camp Jackson in Columbia SC, which is always hot as hades in the summer. The 371st was widely considered to be the best drilled and trained unit ready for combat.

The 371st was sent to the Western Front in April of 1918 nine months before the armistice was signed. It placed under command of the French Army for two reasons: the French needed men and it was felt the French would accept the black soldiers and work better with them on the battlefield.

In June, the 371st was sent to the forward trenches in Verdun and stayed there until September before they were called up to assist in the offensive in Champagne. During the next three months, 1065 men of the 371st were either killed or wounded out of a total of 2384 soldiers.

The percentage of both dead and wounded among the white officers was greater than the black men. The wounded officers continued to fight until exhaustion, as did the black soldiers under their command.

The regiment was awarded numerous Distinguished Service Crosses, Croix da Guerre and Purple Hearts. In 1991, the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to Corporal Freddy Stowers of Anderson SC. My father made the trip

to Anderson to meet with his widow to give her the news and spent the good part of an afternoon reminiscing about how her husband and his father had served our nation together three quarters of a century prior.

Grandpa Teer won the Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart and the French Croix among others. He never talked much about this time in France, much like most veterans from any war who have seen and experienced the horrors of war. However, the records I have seen said he was wounded by shrapnel from a German shell but continued to lead his men and lost a lot of blood until ordered to seek medical help.

He did say he often would be in the trenches next to the African-American soldiers and they all would just look up in the sky to watch the aerial dogfights involving biplanes from both sides, hoping the Allies would win soon so they could all go home in one piece to their loved ones.

My mother and father were in France in the early nineties and took a side trip to the battle site where the 371st fought and my grandfather was wounded. They had a guide and they spent hours looking for it to no avail. They were heading back to Paris when my mother suddenly told the driver to turn down an old road she caught out of the side of her eye.

The road took them to a monument dedicated to the 371st far away from the heavily-traveled thoroughfares. The monument had a chunk of it taken out from a mortar shell during World War II twenty-five years later. World War I, then known solely as “The Great War”, obviously was not “the war to end all wars” as many believed it would be at the time.

The people in the local village took great pride in maintaining it so people would never forget what the 371st did to save their forebears.

Mom believed her dad guided her to turn on that road. Corporal Freedy Stowers and the brave American patriots of the 371st no doubt had a hand in it as well.

Russ Barringer lives in Durham

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

Speaker Johnson is right: stop the fake border bill Speaker Mike Johnson just sent out an email which captures exactly what is going on in the U.S. Senate today.

He wrote: “They want you to believe that the deal they’re offering to the American people is a ‘compromise.’ “[Sen. Chuck] Schumer wants you to sign off on: “- 150,000 illegal immigrants entering the country uninhibited per month. (That’s nearly the population of my hometown in Louisiana) “Work permits for EVERY illegal alien who’s been released into the country.

And they want YOU to pay for their legal fees.

“My answer is NO. Absolutely not.”

I am proud of Speaker Johnson’s firm position, but he is going to need a lot of grassroots support to convince Senate Republicans not to go along with this border sell out.

Americans want a clean, simple bill that controls the border and stops illegal immigrants from entering the United States.

Americans strongly favor legal immigration, but they are worried about the enormous f lood of illegal immigrants from more than 160 countries — including people on the terrorist watch list and criminals from dangerous cartels.

Closing Brooklyn’s James Madison High School so American students had to learn from home while illegal immigrants stayed in the school became a symbol of misplaced values and destructive Biden administration policies.

In fact, the American people strongly support another bill, the Secure the Border Act of 2023 — which House Republicans passed last year.

At America’s New Majority Project, we found enormous support for key provisions in that bill which address the amnesty and parole systems that are currently being abused.

The American people are increasingly concerned about Joe Biden’s illegal immigration crisis. The issue was the No. 1 concern for Republican caucus goers in Iowa — surpassing even the economy.

Further, in a brand-new poll by America’s New Majority Project, we found 77 percent of Americans reject non-citizens voting. In fact, 60 percent strongly oppose non-citizens voting.

The voting issue is a real election game changer.

A Republican who is against non-citizens voting defeats a Democrat who favors non-citizens voting 56 percent to 29 percent (15 percent were undecided).

Finally, Americans do not want to open up the welfare system to illegal immigrants. In yet another America’s New Majority Project poll, we found only 29 percent support letting illegal immigrants receive “Medicaid, food stamps, and other help meant for people with low incomes.”

Sixty-four percent oppose this (and 47 percent oppose it strongly).

These most recent findings by America’s New Majority Project reaffirm the results of other polls

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on immigration and border security.

Consider that according to Scott Rasmussen 73 percent of Americans believe illegal immigration is bad for America (similarly, 71 percent believe legal immigration is good for our country).

In a poll by the Trafalger Group, only 14 percent favor amnesty and citizenship for people who entered the country illegally or are seeking asylum (among Hispanics that drops to 3 percent).

The confusion among Senate Republicans is painful.

Many Senate Republicans start out seeking an agreement with Schumer and the Democrats. Such an agreement will be opposed by the vast majority of Americans.

Both President Biden and the congressional Democrats are committed to accepting illegal immigrants, finding a way to give them work permits, and ultimately letting them vote — even if they are not citizens. Some Democratic controlled cities are already doing this.

The Democrats’ goal is to make the admission of illegal immigrants a routine event. That will require paying their big city allies billions of dollars for taking care of the millions of Biden’s illegal immigrants coming to their neighborhoods.

Then they will need extra money to provide health care for illegal immigrants (as California Gov. Gavin Newsom has already promised to do).

Then they will have to provide work permits because otherwise we will have millions of people entering an underground economy with no legal means of earning a living. Finally, we will have to pay to educate millions of young people who have no knowledge of American culture.

The Democrat plan is designed to make illegality routine in an effort to get political power. But it will ultimately extend the reach of dangerous cartels, expand drug distribution, and increase local crime.

The American people want illegal immigration stopped — not made routine. They want the border controlled — not opened.

The left ultimately wants no borders, with no requirements for citizenship or expectations of work (note the disastrous proposal Congress is working on to reduce work requirements for the child tax credit).

It is impossible for House Republicans to compromise in good faith with values and goals that are directly opposed to the wishes of the American people.

Let Speaker Johnson and House Republicans know that you stand with them in opposing a phony border bill.

Let Republican Senators know that the details matter, and a bill that regularizes illegal immigration is unacceptable.

This could be a decisive turning point in the crisis at the border — and the crises in our cities.

The question is who will win — the American people or the politicians.

You can help win this fight.

MICHAEL BARONE

No Gary Hart bounce for DeSantis or Haley FORTY YEARS AGO, when Walter Mondale won 49% in Iowa’s Democratic caucuses, far ahead of Gary Hart’s 16%, the media spotlight nonetheless immediately focused. With the help of a brilliant spot by consultant Ray Strother showing him tossing a hatchet into a tree, Hart went on to win the New Hampshire primary eight days later, 37% to 28%, and he suddenly became the favorite.

At the time, I thought Mondale’s performance was a more significant story than Hart’s. But only when Mondale, in debate, lampooned Hart’s platform as flimsy by echoing a Wendy’s “where’s the beef?” ad did the former vice president turn the race around, and he cinched the nomination only in the last primaries that June.

If the Hart precedent held this year, Ron DeSantis, with 21% of the vote, and Nikki Haley, with 19%, should have been the focus of media attention in the seven days before the New Hampshire primary and the several weeks until the Nevada caucuses and South Carolina primary. Each trailed Donald Trump by slightly smaller margins than Hart trailed Mondale.

But unlike Hart, neither outpolled the polls.

This cycle’s final iteration of Ann Selzer’s Des Moines Register/NBC News poll showed Trump leading with 48% to 16% for DeSantis and 20% for Haley.

Taking into account the data showing Haley voters with low levels of commitment and the weather forecast of subzero blizzards, Selzer got the numbers and order of finish right: “If turnout is low, it seems to me that a disproportionate share of [Haley’s] supporters might stay at home.” In retrospect, the Associated Press and the networks who were so eager to call the contest early could have done so on the release of Selzer’s poll.

One reason is that Democratic voters’ ties to Mondale then were not nearly so strong or emotional as Republican voters’ ties to Trump today. As Jimmy Carter’s in-theloop vice president, Mondale was universally recognized as experienced (Reagan’s debate line promising not to exploit his “youth and inexperience” wouldn’t have worked otherwise). His impeccable loyalty to Carter impressed moderate Democrats, and his background as a Hubert Humphrey acolyte impressed liberals.

Contemporary Republicans’ responses to Trump are more visceral and emotional.

Supporters praise him for keeping all his promises, though he failed to build his big and beautiful wall, and for upholding traditional values that he has famously flouted in his personal life.

They see him as a protector of traditional American values against aggressive liberal assaults, against Black Lives Matter followers who would defund police, against transgender advocates who would allow men in women’s bathrooms, against Biden policies that amount to an open southern border.

The record is clear that Trump’s support among Republicans skyrocketed when Democratic prosecutors brought flimsy criminal actions against him. His lead over DeSantis in national polls rose from 15 points when Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg last March 30 brought a charge of fraud (on which no one was defrauded) to 32 points three weeks later, Trump’s exact margin over DeSantis in Iowa this week.

Trump has been criminally charged for contesting the 2020 election results, something not usually considered criminal, and the Mar-a-Lago prosecution for illegally retaining presidential records in Mar-aLago stands in contrast with Democratic prosecutors’ non-indictment of Hillary Clinton for acts far more likely to have exposed American secrets to enemies.

It should not be hard to understand, even for those who find Trump’s persona distasteful, his varying stands on issues mistaken, and his conduct on Jan. 6, 2021, indefensible, why many of his co-partisans believe he is being unfairly treated.

Haley’s prospects don’t look much better.

Her appeal in Iowa was limited to upscale college graduates — the “wine track” Republicans that just barely eked out primary victories for John McCain and Mitt Romney in 2008 and 2012.

But the party is now dominated by “beer track” Republicans, as pollster Patrick Ruffini argues persuasively in his 2023 book “Party of the People: Inside the Multiracial Populist Coalition Remaking the GOP.” And no one back in 1984 paid much attention to the candidate who finished third in Iowa. (I had to look it up: It was George McGovern.)

In 1984, Democrats were vying for the nomination to face Ronald Reagan, who turned 73 two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, whose chief vulnerability seemed to be his unprecedentedly advanced age. Now we have a 77-year-old Republican former president apparently on the way to face the 81-year-old Democratic incumbent.

Nineteen days into the new year, the vicissitudes of age seem the only serious threat to the two presidents’ renominations.

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Murphy to Manteo

Jones & Blount

Rollout of eCourts continues across the state The North Carolina Office of the Courts (NCAOC) has announced additional go-live plans for counties transitioning from paper files to Enterprise Justice (Odyssey), the state’s cloud-hosted digital case management system, which currently serves Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Mecklenburg and Wake counties.

As announced November 1, 2023, twelve northeastern counties that comprise Track 3 of the statewide upgrade to Enterprise Justice will go-live on February 5, 2024, and Track 4 will include Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Guilford, Orange, Person, Vance and Warren counties.

The NCAOC announced that Track 4 will go-live on April 29, 2024, and provided county groupings for Track 5 and Track 6, which will go-live in the Summer and Fall of 2024, respectively, with the latest updates represented in this map.

NC Department of Public Instruction releases ‘AI Guidebook’

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

Feb. 13, 2023 Oct. 9, 2023 Feb. 5, 2024 April 29, 2024 Summer 2024 Fall 2024

WEST

EAST

PIEDMONT Former church to be turned into affordable housing

Man arrested for evading, dragging deputy with car Iredell County According to Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell, when a deputy stopped a car Saturday afternoon in Mooresville, he was dragged by the suspect’s car as the suspect attempted to evade detainment.

Officials told local outlets that the driver, Corey Leazer, 33, tried to escape the deputy by getting back into his car. The deputy tried to pull Leazer out of the car, but Leazer put the car in drive and dragged the deputy for about 15-20 feet.

Sheriff Campbell said the deputy fired his weapon, but did not appear to hit Leazer.

The deputy returned to his patrol car and chased the suspect until speed and public safety became a factor. Leazer’s car was subsequently found in Mecklenburg County, and the suspect was found hours later suffering from weather exposure.

The deputy involved in the dragging was not seriously injured.

Buncombe County A project to turn a former church into affordable housing is in the works near downtown Asheville, local officials say.

The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County stepped in two years ago and bought the building in the East End Valley Street neighborhood with the goal of creating a three-unit affordable apartment building. “We believe that preservation’s an awesome tool for affordable housing. We have these structures that already exist that have gone out of use, the congregation stopped using this space in 2013, but it’s still here and it’s important to the community,” Preservation Society Executive Director Jessie Landle told local outlets. The housing project is currently in the design and planning phase with construction is expected to begin in 2025.

Beer truck becomes stuck on railroad tracks Gaston County According Ranlo Fire and Rescue officials, fire crews were able to remove a buckled tractor-trailer hauling a load of Busch Light from a Gaston County intersection on Monday morning.

The truck got stuck just after crossing the railroad tracks on Cox Road near Highway 7, emergency workers told local outlets. Firefighters said the trailer began to buckle after the driver crossed the tracks. Photos showed it in a “V-shape” with the middle of the trailer nearly on the ground. The beer-buckling incident of course garnered some humorous responses on social media, with one Facebook user concurring that perhaps “light beer is not so light” after all.

WBTV

High school in dire need of water mitigation repairs

House fire reveals murdersuicide

Alamance County Alamance-Burlington School System staff presented information about a proposed water intrusion project for 70-year-old Williams High School at Monday night’s meeting. “We’ve had some water intrusion issues for quite some time here at Williams High School.

It was really brought to light back in the summer during our mold crisis, and we’ve just been working on a plan,” ABSS Public Information Officer Les Atkins said. The nearly $4 million plan would include exterior wall and below grade waterproofing repair to address cracks in the school’s exterior walls and stairs that allow water inside when there is heavy rain. The next goal is get it on the county’s agenda for funding.

Yadkin County Two people were found last week dead in a house fire in Yadkin County, and a mother told local outlets that officials told her it was deemed a murdersuicide. Michelle Cave says Yadkin County deputies told her that her daughter 12-year-old Kaylinn Cave, who attended Starmount Middle School, was killed by her father, John Cave. “They found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound … He ended up shooting my daughter and killing her, too,” Michelle said Minimal damage was visible on the outside. But on the inside, the living room was destroyed by the flames. “I’ve been praying a lot for understanding,” Michelle reporters. She said her daughter loved to play trumpet and was a cheerleader.

WGHP

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WLOS

NSJ

Changes to deer and bear hunting seasons under proposal Haywood County The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is proposing changes to deer and bear hunting season. Gun hunting for deer currently starts the Monday before Thanksgiving and runs through the third Saturday after Thanksgiving week. The proposed change would run deer hunting the Saturday after Thanksgiving through Jan. 1. Currently, bear hunting is allowed from mid-October to the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and then again from December to Jan. 1. The Wildlife Commission wants to add nine days to the bear hunting season. Officials say the two proposals have two goals. “To allow a mature buck harvest, to save our immature bucks, and then to keep our bear numbers at a leveling rate,” explains N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Captain Andrew Helton.

NSJ

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HPPD teams up with neighbors to reduce crime

Flight attendant arrested for recording children on flights

Guilford County The High Point Police Department and High Point Community Against Violence are teaming up to pound the pavement in a nuisance area of the city, specifically focusing on drug activity.

“Any time you have a house, business other location that is a center of crime, it festers,” said Lt. Matt Blackman with the High Point Police Department said in a press statement. “Drug dealing is not victimless. It does drive violent crime.”

High Point police believe they have identified the home at the center of the problem. “Since the beginning of 2023, we’ve had around 140 calls for service here,” Blackman said. “Since 2000, we’ve had over 300.” The canvassing effort is meant to empower neighbors to speak out. High Point police say they are hoping to plan more canvassing events to empower neighbors.

Mecklenburg County In an FBI statement this week, officials say Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, of Charlotte, has been charged with attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor. The flight attendant was arrested for secretly recording children on plane bathrooms, including a flight from Charlotte to Boston last year. In that incident, the former American Airlines flight attendant is accused of “surreptitiously recording, or attempting to record, a minor female passenger using a lavatory aboard an aircraft he was working in September 2023.” The FBI believes that Thompson secretly recorded passengers on at least five flights, with additional victims aged 7, 9, 11 and 14 years old at the time. That search also found hundreds of AI-generated child pornography images, according to the FBI statement.

NSJ

QUEEN CITY NEWS

Massage therapist at chiropractor office accused of sexual assault

Rex Hospital placed briefly on lockdown after ‘accidental’ shooting Wake County Morrisville Police Department spokeswoman Rox Cruz told local news crews Saturday that officers were dispatched to a Raleigh hospital that evening after receiving reports of a “friendly fire” shooting that had allegedly occurred earlier in the day. “(The) victim shared with officers that he saw a friend in the Sheetz (Morrisville Parkway) parking lot,” Cruz said in a short statement to local outlets. “When they exchanged pleasantries, his friend’s gun accidentally discharged.” The man who was shot did not appear to suffer lifethreatening injuries, Raleigh police said, but instead made his way to Rex Hospital for treatment. Alan Wolf, spokesman for Rex Hospital, told reporters when the gunshot victim showed up at the hospital the facility went on lockdown briefly as a precaution.

NSJ

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse undergoes 18-month rehab

Wayne County A Pikeville man accused of assaulting three women at a chiropractor facility in Goldsboro is now facing charges, police say. The Goldsboro Police Department released a statement concerning a report received that of a woman had been sexually assaulted earlier in the month at the Goldsboro Spine Center located at 605 N. Spence Ave. Police say that the day following the initial report, they received another report of an alleged sexual assault at the same facility. Police told local outlets that they conducted an investigation into these allegations and a suspect was developed along with a third victim of sexual assault. Officials say that warrants have been obtained for Daniel James Chase for three counts of second degree forcible sex offense. Police said Chase was an independent contractor massage therapist working with the Goldsboro Spine Center.

WNCN

Dare County Federal officials have announced that the first phase of a project that will rehabilitate the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse will begin later this month.

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore says the lighthouse will undergo a $19.2 million renovation. Officials say this project will last for 18 months and that visitors will encounter some closures.

They said restrooms and the park store are expected to remain open. The goal is to restore the interior and exterior of the lighthouse which will enhance the visitor’s experience, reports the National Seashore. Officials say access to the lighthouse grounds may vary during the 18-month operation. A temporary beacon will be installed during the project.

However, the National Seashore warns the light might go out due to construction.

NSJ

Havelock suffers multiple sewage spills, concerning locals Carteret County The City of Havelock is reporting another sewage spill that happened over the weekend just days after the biggest spill in the town’s history was reported to local outlets. The latest spill happened on Sunday and included an estimated 9,000 gallons in a ditch behind 115 Berkshire Drive, manhole WB40. Officials said in a media release that also goes to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality the wastewater reached the head of Cedar Creek. Officials said last Thursday there was a discharge of 500,000 gallons of untreated wastewater was reported on Jan. 14 at 304 Jackson Drive. The spill originated from a broken underground line that was tied to an effluent line from the first-stage aeration basin, officials said.

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RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) recently released a guidebook on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) for the state’s public schools.

“Generative artificial intelligence is playing a growing and significant role in our society. At NCDPI, we’re committed to preparing our students both to meet the challenges of this rapidly changing technology and become innovators in the field of computer science,” State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in a news release.

“We also believe that, when implemented thoughtfully and responsibly, generative AI has the power to revolutionize student learning and better prepare North Carolina’s students for the jobs of tomorrow.”

The release of the guidebook makes NCDPI the fourth state education department in the country to provide instruction on the implementation of AI in schools.

The guidebook provides initial recommendations for the use of AI in schools, with plans for future expansion and encourages districts to develop specific guidelines for their schools.

The guidebook emphasizes the infusion of AI literacy across all grade levels and curriculum areas, promoting responsible incorporation of AI as a learning tool. Teachers can use AI for administrative tasks, data analysis, and personalized teaching methods, potentially

improving learning outcomes.

Additionally, the guidebook also addresses concerns like cheating and student data protection.

NCDPI collaborated with AI for Education to create the “EVERY” framework, offering ethical guidance for implementing AI in North Carolina public schools.

“EVERY” is an acronym representing the following criteria: EVALUATE the initial output to see if it meets the intended purpose and your needs.

VERIFY facts, figures, quotes, and data using reliable sources to ensure there are no hallucinations or bias.

EDIT your prompt and ask follow up questions to have the AI improve its output.

REVISE the results to reflect your unique needs, style, and/or tone. AI output is a great starting point, but shouldn’t be a final product.

YOU are ultimately responsible for everything you create with AI. Always be transparent about if and how you used AI. “Familiarizing students with using AI is key for preparing them for the workforce. The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report 2023” found that AI and machine learning specialists will be the fastest-growing occupation in the next five years, with a 40% growth trajectory and the creation of one million new jobs,” NCDPI’s press release says.

“Furthermore, the report found that 75% of companies plan to implement generative AI by 2027.”

A.P. DILLON | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt sits in a conference room during an interview with North State Journal.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

NATION & WORLD

Ron DeSantis ends presidential bid before New Hampshire and endorses Donald Trump The Associated Press MANCHESTER, N.H. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his Republican presidential campaign on Sunday, ending his 2024 White House bid just before the New Hampshire primary while endorsing his bitter rival Donald Trump.

But as some Trump critics cheered, DeSantis nodded toward Trump’s primary dominance — and attacked former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley — in an exit video he posted on social media.

“It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” DeSantis said in the straight-to-camera video, delivered in a cheerful tone.

He continued: “I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.”

DeSantis’ decision, while perhaps not surprising given his 30-point blowout loss last week in Iowa, marks the end of an extraordinary decline for a high-profile governor once thought to be a legitimate threat to Trump’s supremacy in the Republican Party. After months of contentious exchanges, Trump struck a more conciliatory tone late Sunday during a rally in Rochester, New Hampshire, calling DeSantis a “really terrific person.”

“I also look forward to working with Ron” to win the gener-

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the same rules so that people’s hard-earned money is protected.”

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has proposed a rule to include nonbank financial companies in its supervisory examinations, holding them accountable for data privacy, funds transfer, and other consumer protection laws.

The alleged aim is to ensure fair competition and reduce the risk of consumer data misuse.

Stein has joined a letter to the CFPB signed by attorneys general in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

“In short, as more consumers continue to rely on the convenient use of digital payment applications offered by nonbank financial institutions, it is essential that the nonbank financial institutions operating these platforms are held to the same level of accountability as are traditional banks and credit unions,” the attorneys general letter states.

The proposed new regula-

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East that included a stop to the same kibbutz Moses’ father was kidnapped from.

“While in Israel, I was particularly moved by our visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz where Hamas terrorists massacred innocent Israeli civilians and took dozens hostage, including Americans,” Budd said in a statement upon his return to the United States. “To see the results of that barbarism firsthand only reinforces my resolve to do everything I can to secure the unconditional and immediate release of all of the hostages. That is exactly the message we sent to the Qatari Prime Minister: His government must do more.”

AP PHOTO

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters during a caucus night party, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in West Des Moines, Iowa. al election, Trump said.

DeSantis entered the 2024 presidential contest with major advantages in his quest to take on Trump, and early primary polls suggested DeSantis was in a strong position to do just that. He and his allies amassed a political fortune well in excess of $130 million, and he boasted a significant legislative record on issues important to many conservatives, like abortion and the teaching of race and gender issues in schools.

Such advantages did not survive the reality of presidential politics in 2024. From a high-profile announcement that was plagued by technical glitches to constant upheavals to his staff and campaign strategy, DeSantis struggled to find his footing in the primary. He lost the Iowa caucuses — which

he had vowed to win — by 30 percentage points to Trump.

DeSantis’ allies said that private discussions began shortly after Iowa to decide how to bow out of the race gracefully.

The Florida governor notified top donors and supporters of his decision through a series of phone conversations and text messages between senior campaign officials to top donors and supporters on Sunday afternoon, according to two people who received such communications. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose the private conversations.

He ultimately decided that he needed to endorse Trump given his popularity in the party despite the deeply personal feud between them.

“While I’ve had disagreements with Donald Trump,

such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent, Joe Biden. That is clear,” said DeSantis, who is in his second and final term as Florida’s governor, which ends in January 2027.

For Trump, whose team includes many former DeSantis staffers, the attacks have often felt more like sport than political strategy. Trump and his aides have blasted the governor as disloyal for running in the first place, mocked his eating habits and his personality, and accused him of wearing high heels to boost his height.

DeSantis’ team joined Trump in attacking Haley as news of his departure rippled across the political landscape.

Some doubt Haley, who was seen as splitting Republican votes and preventing a headto-head matchup between Trump, would benefit from DeSantis’ decision.

Trump himself addressed DeSantis’ departure shortly after it was announced during a stop at Manchester campaign headquarters, according to a video shared by his staff.

“We just got some word that one of our opponents, very capable person, is dropping out of the race — Ron DeSantis.

And Ron is dropping out and, in doing so, he endorsed us,” Trump said to cheers, before a “Trump!” chant broke out in the room of volunteers.

Asked if he would be using the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious”: “I said that name is officially retired,” he said to loud cheers.

tions on third-party payment apps would be in addition to the IRS’ new rules and reporting requirements for average citizens who use such apps. The rules were delayed twice to allow payment apps to adapt.

The change involves the apps reporting income for an account bringing in over $600 to the IRS, replacing the previous threshold of $20,000 in commercial payments. This year, a phased rollout will begin, requiring reporting for freelancer and business owner earnings of over $5,000. A major issue that delayed previous rollouts was distinguishing between taxable and nontaxable transactions, such as the sale of merchandise versus loaning a family member money.

John Berlau, senior fellow and Director of Finance Policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, sees major problems with the move.

“This is a solution in search of a problem that will lead to many other problems including possible jawboning of an industry with a political agenda,” Berlau told North State Journal.

“It’s not needed and could cause many, many problems including the problem of politicalization.”

Berlau said such rules are not needed because financial tech-

nology apps, sometimes referred to as Fintech, already have a regulatory framework in banking.

“The banks - that are more like Chime and Day - the bank that they’re connected follow the laws for regulation and deposit and deposit Insurance like any other bank,” said Berlau. “And then there’s also money transmitting, which was around when the FDIC was created in the 1930s and [has] been around for more than 100 years.”

Berlau also says he’s not seeing complaints in the attorneys general letter to the CFPB. “The attorney generals aren’t really citing any consumer complaints about fintech specifically and if there were specific consumer complaints, the CFPB would already have authority just to investigate and to discipline for those complaints,” Berlau said.

“We don’t want to give the CFPB that kind of power and it’s not clear from the from the law [that] they have that kind of power,” he added.

The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a case involving the CFPB’s authority this coming session.

The CFPB was created by the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010 as a response to the 2007-08 financial crisis. It operates independently

within the Federal Reserve, and its status has faced continued legal challenges.

In 2018, the Community Financial Services Association of America sued the CFPB over a 2017 rule prohibiting lenders from making attempts to collect funds from borrowers’ accounts after two consecutive failures unless the borrower had given consent.

The lawsuit argued that the CFPB’s funding structure was unconstitutional and the Fifth Circuit agreed, holding that the CFPB’s operations were illegal because it was “no longer accountable to Congress” for its annual budget. The Fifth Circuit’s decision has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and awaits a ruling.

Last June, the Eleventh Circuit upheld sanctions imposed by a U.S. District Court against the CFPB in a case involving alleged fraudulent debt collection.

The CFPB faced consequences for obstructive behavior during discovery, where it opposed depositions and evaded questions using work product objections and filibuster-style tactics.

That same month, the Supreme Court ruled its single-director structure unconstitutional but allowed the agency to continue operating.

In the days that followed the press conference at the legislature, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper issued a post on X that he met with “Palestinian and Muslim North Carolinians” who had lost a family member in Gaza.

“I urge all parties involved to do what it takes to get badly needed humanitarian aid delivered safely to the people who need it,” Cooper wrote in part.

“As a person of faith, I pray for an end to the loss of innocent lives and the ongoing violence.

In the midst of darkness, there must be hope for a meaningful and lasting peace in the Middle East so that all families can feel safe and secure.”

Cooper also wrote he has heard from citizens about

“fears of anti-Muslim/Arab hatred and antisemitism here at home.”

“Racism, bigotry and religious hate will not be tolerated in North Carolina, and I have ordered our Department of Public Safety to work with local law enforcement to protect houses of worship in our state.

We must stand together to ensure all North Carolinians feel safe,” Cooper wrote.

In a shorter follow up post, Cooper wrote about meeting some of the same Jewish families that spoke at the legislature on Jan. 16 and posted pictures of himself with those individuals.

“Yesterday I met families of Israeli hostages & a teenager who was a hostage. Their sto-

ries are harrowing,” wrote Cooper in the second X post. “They agonize not only for the release of their families kidnapped 103 days ago, but at the devastating feeling they’ve been forgotten.

I haven’t forgotten. Bring them home.”

Neither of the statements posted to X by Cooper have yet to appear on the governor’s official website, nor does his Oct. 8 post on X condemning the initial Hamas terror attacks the day before.

Last year, Democrats in both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly faced backlash for failing to support a resolution and statement supporting Israel after the unprovoked and brutal Oct. 7 terror attacks.

Caravan of migrants from Honduras headed north toward the US dissolves in Guatemala Mexico City A caravan of some 500 migrants that departed northern Honduras in hopes of reaching the United States dissolved Sunday after crossing the border into Guatemala, the Guatemalan Migration Institute reported.

Authorities had been monitoring three border crossings and said part of the caravan advanced a few miles into Guatemalan territory, before the migrants were stopped by migration officials who processed them, prioritizing the minors.

According to the immigration agency, no force was used and dialogue prevailed. Those who had documents were able to continue on as Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador have free transit between them. Those who did not have the necessary documents returned to Honduras.

In 2023, there were record numbers of migrants all over the hemisphere. Arrests for illegal crossings into the U.S. from Mexico intensified by the end of year, when U.S. authorities registered up to 10,000 illegal crossings over several days in December. The number dropped to 2,500 in the first days of January.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Former Sinn Fein leader Adams faces lawsuit in London over bombings during the ‘Troubles’ London Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams faces a lawsuit by three people who were wounded in bombings attributed to the Irish Republican Army that date back more than 50 years, a judge said Friday.

Adams is one of the most influential figures of Northern Ireland’s decades of conflict and led the IRA-linked party Sinn Fein between 1983 and 2018. He has always denied being an IRA member, though former colleagues have said he was one of its leaders.

The three claimants are seeking to prove Adams was responsible for bombings in England during “the Troubles,” referring to three decades of violence involving Irish republican and British loyalist militants and U.K. soldiers. Some 3,600 people were killed — most in Northern Ireland, though the IRA also set off bombs in England.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

US reshuffles its warships in the Mediterranean On board the USS Bataan The U.S. Navy is reshuffling its warship deployment in the Middle East to maintain dominance in the region – now eyeing the longer haul as concerns mount that Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza could set off a regional conflict.

An amphibious warship, the Bataan is a multi-deck assault vessel jammed full of armored vehicles and military hardware with a lower bay that can take on water to release landing craft directly into the sea.

The ship is now leading the United States’ task force in the eastern Mediterranean, following the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, which was sent home at the New Year.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A7

normal

WITH MOST STATES under either shelter-in-place or stay-at-h hina lied about the origin of the ONE THING IS CERTAIN; after thisthanks COVID-19 virus cavalierofmanner in orders to local ordissipates state governments,The a majority America WEEK, virus, according to members ied to tell the world there were only “THIS ISof around the globe and in the United will to pay forTHIS this covered up its spre areStates, havingChina to adjust what is being called the “new normal.” and state and local governments, America rldwide panic, economic collapse and (Psalm catastrophe one way or another.

3,341 related has Some of these orders extend at least through the endindeaths ofit”this mon ce or stay-at-home fallen into place. I understand the seriousness of the virus and the need the curve in the novel coronavirus outbrea being thrown out of work.

I know In order to put the crisis causedVirginia’s

by Chinastay-at-home in perspective, zero go into June. millions of Americans th ne orders ty of at Americans to take precautions, but I’m uneasy with how people who simply ask — after all, trends canhas easily ayer least $2.4 trillion in added working from worldwide pandemics can trace their source to theCarolina, Unitedmuted States over costrever the Here in North Democratic Gov.The Roycrisis Cooper stated dur normal.” questions back tohistory. At least four in the 20th century alone have abided by recommendations and ord Reserve backup liquidity to the about the data, and when things can start getting be glad” t our 231-year be that debt plus trillions more a recent coronavirus press can briefing “we just don’t know yet”asifin nd of this month. are treated in some circles with contempt. to stay at home; they’ve practiced social d he U.S. dollar were notnormal the reserve and dad, the directly traced to China: flu,” 1968 “Hong orders Kong flu,” markets state’s stay-at-home will 1977 extend into May. and financial ou Since when1957 did “Asian They’re treated as though we as a society simply must accept flu” without they’ve donned masks. fund any of these emergency have tonot beth th “Russian and the 2002 SARS outbreak.

There is evidence that the currency, would b Perhaps If he does decide to extend it, questions should bewe asked as to We need WALTER E. WILLIAMS questioning per stated during question what the government tells us about when it’s massive safe to begin the The result: a reduction in expected hosp Lenten and of rampant inflation and currency pandemic.

1918 “Spanish flu” pandemic also had its origins in China. measures without immed justification for it.

And the answers should not be vague ones like “ COVID-19 t know yet” if the process of returning back to normalcy.

According to theseasons University of Washingto For me, m government There is 100% agreement, outside oftransparency China, thatofCOVID-19 depreciation. must do this out an abundance Easter of caution.” is China’s No. The government works for us, and we have the right to askin those Metrics and Evaluation model most oftAs ci ant ways and decisions through and honesty originated Wuhan Province probably from the has to pay for th provide a China at all levels It will need tocompletely be explained in detail to the people ofmaking. this state w asked as to the And the longer stay-at-home orders are in place all over the Trump administration, the expected need plomacy has obviouslyquestions. not worked Corinthians Chernobyl. unregulated and unsanitary wet markets.

Some believe it came out of a economic and financial m from our are being told to remain jobless and at home for an undetermined message of become a gue likecentury “we health, country, and the stricter some of them get in states, such as Michigan, peak outbreak was revised down by over 1 orldones of 21st hygiene affliction, so biowarfare lab run by the communist Chinese army. to bring China into the ci scientific experts amount of time why models predicting hundreds of thousands of c hope that we13,000 will and bad thing? thethe more people, sitting at home feeling isolated and/or anxious about ventilators by nearly the num unist regimes never take blame affliction, wi Until China adopts rigorous verifiable policing and regulation of and fair trade. Totalitaria are reliable.

— we need to again enjoy sincere of this state who when will demand August byonce nearly 12,000. orse, because that is not whatthey can get back to providing for their families,their God.” That is what food safety and health protocols, American business has nowhat other or express To know date, what I’ve gone along with the state has asked andregret then they answers.

Here’s the problem: We still don’t know sporting events, yndetermined take advantage of every weakness If you are choice than tofree build redundant manufacturing totalitarian citizens mandated thatplants we do,elsewhere but alongpurely the way I’ve also had governments questions abo housands of cases at the local and state levels should be as forthcoming as they know, what they questions that will allow the economy tothar pushing until they win orLeaders the reflect on concerts, family for national security and safety reasons as well as supply and delivery they find in adversaries the data.

State Republican leaders have, too. living in a free can be with those answers — and again, not vague answers, but concerns. answer First, what is the true coronavirus fatal God’sback. examp don’t and when reliability adversaries gatherings, Unfortunately, when certain types of questions get push asked, there AMERICA’S COLLEGES are rife with society were kedhappens and then with details that give their statements believability. important because it determines whether ent such as the Chernobyl this difficult The most direct way to make China “pay”hope for this is to offer That is, unless an exog they to disaster corruption. The financial squeeze resulting sometimes a disturbing tendency among people to treat thos church some services questions about We should families, be open or closed,meltdown whether we oughtSome to we pu believe that event, not the Star Warsall continue confident supposed from COVID-19 offers opportunities for a to do what we can to keep our U.S. tax credits to companies whosimply willknow source at least halfdata of their in 1986. what they questioning the and asking when we can start getting and many more that presumes Sponsored

by Union and our communities safe. But we still continue more liberalized society wi Sponsored by should also o the dissolution of theourselves, Soviet In this sam bit of remediation.

Let’s first examine what production back in the States.

There is though approximately programor of are Reagan, led d to do, lastUnited I to normal they are$120 conspiracy theorists people wh don’t.as afterdown our own asked, there to of ask questions about the data, because while reasonable stay-at-home ought to lock further. neighbors he mightisbe the root academic corruption, billion worth checked. of American direct investment in plants and equipment inor1989. otherwise don’t care if they get themselves others sick. title of a recent study, ehernobyl. to treatsuggested those by the measures are understandable, they should also have an date. direct investment in the U.S. is about $65We’ve seen rates — Concor the num temporary In inexpiration China. Chinese billion by case fatality Perhaps COVID-19 C Since when did questioning government at all levels become aisba “Academic Grievance Studies and theAmericans, and it is not normal. Not in any way, North State Journal for Wednesday, April 15, 2 starttalking gettingabout back the possibility This is all new to the number of identified COVID-19 cases eady money to bu sacrifices are comparison.

Senators in Washingto thing?

That is what free citizens living in a free society were suppo Corruption of Scholarship.”

The study was are people who shape, safe, at and in theChina denominator are likely wrong.

We debt we owe them as one wayor toform. get So while we should remain vigilant and stay health care An investment tax credit of 30% U.S. investment forgiving $1.2 trw over. of China toon do,half lastof I checked.

Charlotte done

by Areo, to an host opinion and analysis sick. the same time we shouldn’t get comfortable with this so-called “new people have actually died of coronavirus. y have caused the US. Don’t hold your today, or $60 billion, applied to repatriated China to “pay”isfor dam digital magazine. By the way, Areo is short My first American concern asmanufacturing we go along in all this, of course, mythe famil Purpose Summit 2024 ls become badbut ask normal.” number beenbreath overestimated, given th lee” to happen your elected foraAreopagitica, a speech delivered by investment to the U.S. would costworried the U.S.about Treasury billion in has waiting Ifor a Chin them$18 catching the virus, and I’m worried will.

Afte ty were supposed Not one little bit. of death, particularly among elderly patie ountable in tangible financial ways for John Milton in defense of free speech. this spring tax revenue spread over a few years. $18 billion lost revenue hold C suffering fromin the H1N1 virusis(swine flu) representatives during the 2009topandem Authors Helen Pluckrose, James A. sources suggest the number is dramatical decimal dust compared to the $6 I’ve trillion+ Marshall Plan extra we areprecautions, now this disaster. been trying to take because all of this brings Lindsay and Peter Boghossian say that e, to is my family.

Stacey Matthews Sister Toldjah manyas people are dying home. ed operate as I’m responsible citizens The Purpose Summit is set to of has also written under the pseudonym undertaking to save our own economy, notmany of defeated enemies in the It is at about timenot they way too memories of a painful experience I’ d prefer to ar re something gone is drastically wrong ied I will.

After itshas a regular contributor to RedState and Legal Insurrection.

Even more importantly, we have no clue ation. celebrate 5thand Anniversary in past. the world like any other But what also makes me lose sleep is how easily most everyone hm in academia, especially within certain 2009 pandemic, actually have coronavirus. Some scientist Charlotte from April 29 to May China has been cheating, stealing, pirating and pillaging American fields within the humanities. They call l of this brings up “grievance of identified 1. Thisfields three-day leadership business now for the past 30 years. They have made no secret that theycases could be an order of ma these studies,” where Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill,coronavir senior conference bring refer notscholarship to repeat. will number of people who have had is not so hundreds much based upon intend to replace the U.S. as the premier superpower in the world and of global leaders together to ost everyone hastruth but upon attending to finding replace the dollar as the reserve currency with their renminbi.

business & economy Fixingn.c. college corruption FAST

FACTS

A6

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discuss creating great workplaces social grievances.

Grievance scholars and helping individuals and bully students, administrators and other organizationsinto thrive.

Generalto their departments adhering sessions willThe be held at The they promote is worldview. worldview Jason Revelryscientific in Camp North End, neither nor rigorous.

Grievance EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS along with breakout sessions such as studies consist of disciplines sociology, anthropology, gender studies, and workshops at the NASCAR COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON queer sexuality andat critical race Hall ofstudies, Fame and the Terrace studies.

Cedar Hill. The agenda for The In 2017Summit, and 2018, authorstoPluckrose, Purpose according a Lindsay and Boghossian started press release, includes “a variety submitting academic papers to of insightfulbogus and inspirational academic journals queer, sessions for leadersin ofcultural, both race, gender, fat and sexuality studies public and private companies, to if theysessions would pass peer asdetermine well as dedicated “THIS IS THEfallen DAYinto theAPlord has made seriousness of the virus and the PHOTO review and be accepted for need publication.

WITH MOST STATES under either shelter-in-place or stay-at-home place.

I unders for non-profit and faith-driven Acceptance of dubious research that in it” (Psalm 118:24). y with how people who simply ask orders at thanks toconference local or state governments, a majority of5779, Americans to take precautions, but I Rep. Jodey Arrington , R-Texas, speaks a news following the markup of H.R. the Fiscal Commission Act leaders, all who share a common editors found sympathetic to their this challenging tim n thingsjournal can start getting back to of 2023, on Capitol Hill Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Washington, D.C. called the “new normal.”I know that during are having to adjust to what is being questions about the data, mission of building better intersectional or postmodern leftist vision working from home or losing a job, it may with contempt. leaders and better organizations, Some of these orders extend at least through the end of this month. normal are treated in som of the world would prove the problem of be glad” as the Bible tells us to do. as Howev a societylow simply muststandards. without and ultimately, aaccept better world Virginia’s stay-at-home orders go into June.

They’re treated thou academic and dad, the Easter holiday has reminded ls us about when it’s safe to begin the together.”

The capacity for the Here in North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper stated during question what the govern Several of the fake research papers eventaccepted is 1000 attendees, with The Fat and of hopeful for, even alcy. were for publication. a recent coronavirus press briefing that “we just don’t knowhave yet”to if be thethankful process returning back several organizations like Lenten and pandemic. us, and we have local the right to ask those Studies journal published a hoax paper state’s stay-at-home orders will extend into May. No. The government w Since when did Coca-Cola andthe that argued the term was me, my faith is an important part o home orders are inConsolidated place all bodybuilding over Easter seasons If he does decide to extend it, questions should be asked asFor to the questions.

And the longer Ashley licensee Broad River questioning exclusionary and should beRetail replaced making.

As I celebrated Easter with my f hem get in states, such as Michigan, justification for it. And the answers should notabe vague ones like “we country, and the stricter provide sending dozens of their leaders with “fat bodybuilding, as a fat-inclusive government Corinthians 1:4, which reminds us our eeling isolated and/or anxious about must do this out of an abundance of caution.” the more people, sittingLo a message of to attend. Other sponsors and politicized performance.”

One reviewer affliction, so that we may becan able toback comfo ng for their families, will demand at all levels It will need to be explained in detailhope to the people of this state who when they get t said, “I thoroughly enjoyedinreading this organizations participating that we will affliction, with the comfort which we our are being told to remain jobless and at home for an undetermined answers. article and believe has an important the summit includeitThrivent, become a once again enjoy God.” vels should be as forthcoming as they contribution to make to the field and this amount of time why models predicting hundreds of thousands of cases Leaders at the local an Lippert, Diamond C, WD-40 bad thing? sporting events, If you are celebrating the Easter season again, not vague answers, butC12 answer journal.”

Company, TRP, EMCO, are reliable. can be with those answer “Our Struggle My Struggle: That is what reflect on this message and be comforted ents believability. concerts, family Business Forums,IsForCLT, CBMC, Solidarity To date, gone along withcommittee what the state has asked and thenThe hearing with details thata give the chairman, said both improve theI’ve long-term solvenThe Associated Press began with Feminism anfamilies, Intersectional God’s example andled comfort in n hat we can to keep as our Corporate Chaplains, VAUSA, Reply to areI’ve guilty notquestions being cy of Medicare, Security protester being away byall U.S. free citizens mandated thatSocial we do, but alongparties the way alsoofhad about We should allthose continue gatherings, Neoliberal Choice Feminism,” was PurposePoint, Purpose this difficult time.

Through faith and by h afe. But we should and alsoInspired still continue responsible fiscal stewards.

He and other programs paid for Capitol Police while yelling “no WASHINGTON, D.C. — A the data. State Republican leaders have, too. services ourselves, and our comm church living in a free accepted for publication

by The Affilia, a Partners, Beds Forstay-at-home Kids and said the yearly struggles to pass trust funds.

The comcuts to Social Security, no cuts bill to create a bipartisan com- through confident we will emerge out of this pand ecause while reasonable Unfortunately, when certain types ofand questions get asked, there is to ask questions about th feminist journal for social workers. The many more were the mission a broken Intothis would have 16 mem- spending bills Social Some 116to be ins mission that society would tackle Charlotte Business Journal. sameSecurity.” spirit, I continue y shouldpaper also have an expiration sometimes a disturbing tendency among someshow people to treat those measures are understand consisted in part of adate. rewritten process that makes it hard to bers: 12 from Congress, evennation’s soaring debt and make House Democrats wrote a letafter our own supposed neighbors helping neighbors. nd it is not normal.

Not in any way,Two other passage from Mein Kampf. simply questioning the data and asking when we can start getting back This is all new to Amer the country’s financial ter last week to Speaker Mike policy recommendations to ly divided by party, and four address temporary In Concord, a shape, high school senior name d remainhoax vigilant and stay safe, at including papers were published, toapproval do, lastThursI to normal as though theynot are conspiracy who or form.

North Carolina’s challenges.theorists or are peopleJohnson, outside experts who would Congress won R-La., and Demo-So while “Rape and Queer Performativity money to leader buy a Hakeem 3-D printer andwe to mfortable withCulture this so-called “new sacrifices are said otherwise don’t care if they get themselves or others sick.Arthe same time should “We all own this,” have voting power. day from a House committee. cratic Jeffries ofplastic checked. employment figures for subject at Urban Dog Parks.”

This paper’s health care workers out of his own home. rington, R-Texas.

“We’re all in Sens.

Joe Manchin, D-WV, House Republicans are makNew York, opposing the bill and Since when did questioning government normal.” over. at all levels become a bad was dog-on-dogare rape.

But the dog rape December released this boatintogether.

The boat is supposed Mitt Romney, R-Utah, ing the bill a priority, and the and calling it “a direct thing?

That is what free citizens living a free society were Notcircumvenone little bit. paper eventually forced Boghossian, sinking.” sponsored a companion chairman of the House Budget have tion of the process to expedite to do, last I checked.

Pluckrose and Lindsay to prematurely out committee’s top Demo- cuts to Social Security.”

Committee said “everything’s measure in the Senate. under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah The state’s seasonally adjusted My first concern as we go alongThe in all this, of course, is my family. I’m Stacey Matthews has also themselves.

A Wall Street Journal writer crat, Pennsylvania Rep. BrenSimilar commissions have on the table” regarding possiJohnson praised the comdState and Legal Insurrection.

December 2023 unemployment had figured out what they were doing. worried about them catching the virus, and I’mhe worried I will. mittee’s After vote, and is aitregular fears that ble action to slow the federal succeeded in the past, but re- dan Boyle, said calling “a posi- contribu rate waspapers 3.5 percent, unchanged Some accepted for publication suffering H1N1 virus (swine flu) duringwant the 2009 pandemic, some lawmakers to use ones from have the mostly failed government’s increasing level cent tive step towards fiscal sanity.” in academic journals advocated from November’s revised rate. training I’ve to been tryingdivisions. to take extra because of this brings upsaid before the vote he the commission “as a all backdoor partisan Re- precautions, of debt, now at more than $34 due Jeffries men like dogsrate and punishing white male The national remained way to experience force through unpopular blamememories federal spendtrillion. Many Democrats see publicans would evaluate the proposal afway too many of a painful I’ d prefer not to repeat. college students historical slavery by unchanged at 3.7for percent.

North cuts.”

He saideasily Congress needs for the annual deficits while the commission as an attempt ingBut ter has it got out of committee and what also makes me lose sleep is how most everyone asking them to sit in silence Carolina’s unemployment rateon the floortoinforce cuts to Social Security many Democrats cite tax cuts to have the courage to increase that he supported various Demchains during and to be expected to decreased 0.3 class of a percentage enacted under Republican ad- the revenues going into Social ocratic amendments that were and Medicare. learn discomfort. point from from athe year ago. The Other papers The bill, approved by the ministrations. That divide was Security and Medicare, which to be offered to the bill. In the y celebrated obesity as a healthy life number of morbid people employed GOP-majority committee by a again on display during debate would put both programs on end, those Democratic amendchoice and advocated treating decreased 1,622 over the monthprivately22-12 vote, would ask the com- Thursday, raising doubts about firm financial footing for de- ments were rejected. conducted masturbation as a form of to 5,093,994 and increased mission to recommend ways whether a new commission cades ahead.

“If it’s not clear that Social sexual violence against women. Typically, 131,769 over the year. The “We don’t need a commission to balance the budget at the could make any headway. s academic journal editors send submitted Rep. Jodey Arrington, the to do that,” he said. earliest reasonable date and to number of people unemployed See DEBT page A10 papers out to referees for review. In increased 3,085 over the month recommending acceptance for publication, to 185,281 and decreased 12,762 many reviewers gave these papers glowing over the year. Seasonally adjusted praise.

Total Nonfarm employment, as Political scientist Zach Goldberg ran gathered through the monthly certain grievance studies concepts through establishment increased the Lexis/Nexissurvey, database, to see how often 2,100 to 4,951,900 in December. they appeared in our press over the years.

Major industries experiencing He found huge increases in the usages increases were Leisure & of “white privilege,” “unconscious bias,” Hospitality Services, “critical race theory”2,500; and “whiteness.”

All of this is to college Education & being Healthtaught Services, maintenance “and have noted North State Journal students, many of whom become primary 1,500; Professional & Business findings with bolts.” and secondary teachers who then Services, 1,100;school Government, United has about 130 of the UNITED AIRLINES said indoctrinate ourTransportation young people.

800; and Trade, older planes. The airline said Monday it will lose money in the doubt whether theindustries coronavirus& IUtilities, 800. Major Monday inspections on the first three months of this year as caused financial crunch will give college experiencing decreases 900ERs should not interfere it deals with the grounding of its and administrators, who are a wereuniversity Other Services, 2,100; Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after a with its operations. crossbreed between a parrot and jellyfish, Information, 1,000; Financial panel blew out of a Max jetliner The airline’s fourth-quarter the guts and backbone to restore academic Activities, 800; Construction, this month. profit compared with $843 milrespectability.

Far too often, they get much 600; and Mining & Logging, 100.

United said it expects to lose lion a year earlier. The company of their political support from campus between 35 cents and 85 cents said it earned $2 a share after Manufacturing employment grievance people who are members of the per share in the first quarter. adjusting for one-time items, remained unchanged. Since faculty and diversity and multicultural The airline said, however, which beat the $1.69 per share December 2022, Total Nonfarm administrative offices. that it will recover to earn a fullmean forecast of 16 analysts jobs increased 99,400 with the The best hope lies with boards of year profit between $9 and $11 surveyed by FactSet. Total Private sector increasing trustees, though many serve as yes-men AP PHOTO per share.

Analysts were expectRevenue rose 10% to $13.63 by the 82,400 and Government for university president. I think that a ing $9.48 per share, according Two United Airlines Boeing 737s are parked at the gate at the billion, slightly better than anincreasing by 17,000.

Major good start would be to find 1950s or 1960s to FactSet. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort alysts expected. Sales of premiindustriesLook experiencing increases catalogs. at the course offerings at The Chicago-based airline Lauderdale, Fla., on July 7, 2022. um seats and services did even & Health awere timeEducation when college graduates knew how based its forecasts on an asbetter, jumping 16%.

Services, 35,000; to read, write andProfessional compute, and make sumption that the Max 9s will For all of 2023, United & Business 23,100; them today’sServices, curricula.

Another helpful be grounded through the month contract with pilots. panel were missing or broke off. earned $2.62 billion, more than tool would be to giveServices, careful consideration Leisure & Hospitality of January, but not longer. FedUnited and Alaska Airlines United has 79 Max 9s in its tripling its 2022 profit of $737 to eliminating all classes/majors/minors 21,000; Government, 17,000; eral regulators have refused have canceled hundreds of fleet, which numbers around million. containing the word “studies,” Trade, Transportation & Utilities,such as to put a timeline on letting the flights since the Federal Avia- 1,000 planes, not counting Airline officials were schedwomen, Asian, black or queer studies.

11,300; Financial Activities, 2,700; planes fly again, saying it will tion Administration grounded those used by regional affiliates. uled to discuss the results with I’d bet that by restoring theMajor traditional and Mining & Logging, 200. happen only when they believe their Max 9 jets after a panel Concern about door plugs on analysts and reporters on Tuesacademic to colleges, they would industriesmission experiencing decreases the planes are safe. called a door plug blew off the Boeing planes widened Monday, day. put a serious dent into the COVID-19 were Manufacturing, 4,000; United reported that despite side of an Alaska plane 16,000 when the FAA recommended Shares of United Airlines budget shortfall.

Construction, 3,700; Other higher revenue fourth-quarter feet (4,900 meters) above Or- that airlines inspect the same Holdings Inc. fell 1% in regular Services, 2,100; and Information, profit fell 29%, to $600 million. egon on Jan. 5. Investigators panel on Boeing 737-900ERs, trading, but rose 6% after more Walter E. Williams is a professor of 1,100. Unemployment figures for The results were dragged down with the National Transporta- a predecessor to the Max 9. The than two hours of extended economics at George Mason University. by a 28% increase in labor costs, tion Safety Board said they were FAA said some airlines have in- trading following release of the December 2023 are scheduled partly reflecting a new union examining whether bolts on the spected their 900ERs during financial results and forecasts. for Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

VISUAL VOICES

It’s okay to ask questions about when The comfort and ho we begin to get back to normal

The federal debt tops $34 trillion and some in Congress want a commission to find ways to tackle it

United Airlines expects to lose money in the first quarter due to the grounding of Boeing Max 9 jets

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

A10 NCDOT CASH REPORT

FOR THE WEEK ENDING JAN 15

Total Cash & Bond Proceeds

Add Receipts

Less Disbursements

Reserved Cash

Unreserved Cash Balance Total

Loan Balance

$2,087,832,815

$91,196,605

$126,272,462

$125,000,000

$6,051,033,792

$0

Georgia’s governor says more clean energy will be needed to fuel electric vehicle manufacturing The Associated Press ATLANTA — Georgia, a capital for electric vehicle production, needs to increase its supply of electricity produced without burning fossil fuels in order to meet industries’ demand for clean energy, Gov. Brian Kemp told world business leaders last week.

Speaking as part of a panel focused on electric vehicles at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Republican governor highlighted the construction of the Georgia Power’s two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle, near Augusta — the country’s first new reactors in decades.

“We’ve done as much as anybody in the country ... but we’re going to have to have more,” Kemp said, although he did not call for closing any current power plants that burn coal, natural gas or oil.

It’s Kemp’s second year in a row to visit the forum of world business and political leaders.

He told The Associated Press on Thursday in Davos that the trip is aimed at “really just selling the state from an economic development standpoint.”

That includes touting the electricity produced at Plant Vogtle. One of the reactors in the $31 billion project is generating power, while the other is expected to reach commercial operation in coming months.

“We’re letting people know that we got a great airport, great seaport, got a great energy supply with our two nuclear reactors that are online and coming online,” Kemp said.

The fellow members of Kemp’s panel said that electric vehicles need to be made with electricity that isn’t produced by burning coal, oil or natural gas that emits world-warming carbon dioxide. Zeng Yuqun, founder and chairman of Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., or CATL, said a “dirty battery,” or one produced with lots of carbon emissions, is “big trouble.”

“That’s why I’m looking for sustainability in all of this very quickly,” said Zeng, one of Chi-

AP PHOTO

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. na’s richest people.

Kemp, who said Georgia is “well on our way” to achieving his goal of being the “e-mobility capital of the world,” said he hears the need for clean energy from firms such as Hyundai Motor Group and Rivian Automotive.

“Talking to the companies that we’re recruiting, people that are looking to the state, they obviously want to produce with clean energy,” Kemp said.

It’s another instance of how Kemp has shied away from tackling climate change directly, but has welcomed some changes in the name of business recruitment.

The governor said he would look to electric utility Georgia Power Co. and its Atlanta-based parent, Southern Co., to meet those clean energy needs. But environmentalists have panned a current request from Georgia Power to increase its generating

capacity largely using fossil fuels.

Kemp told the AP that he remains confident in his push to recruit electric vehicle makers, despite a slowdown in electric vehicle sales in the United States. He blamed a law backed

by President Joe Biden that included big incentives for buying American-made electric vehicles, saying it “tried to push the market too quick.”

“I think the market’s reset-

Boeing 747 cargo plane makes emergency landing shortly after takeoff at Miami airport MIAMI — A witness saw sparks shooting from a cargo plane as it made an emergency landing at Miami International Airport shortly after takeoff.

The aircraft landed safely Thursday night “after experiencing an engine malfunction soon after departure,” a spokesperson for Atlas Air said in a statement Friday. “The crew followed all standard procedures and safely returned to MIA.” The airplane was “shooting sparks” as it flew overhead, said Melanie Adaros, who was out for a walk with her mother and was about to turn into her home, when she heard and saw an approaching plane.

“There’s always planes flying overhead, but they’re little planes,” she said. “But this didn’t sound like a little plane.

It sounded very low, so I turned ... You always see a plane going up or going down. This one was just at a steady level and it was shooting sparks. It was very surreal.”

She recorded it with her phone, wondering “is it falling?

Is it going to explode?” she said.

“It seemed to do a big, wide, swerving turn” in the direction of Miami International Airport, she said.

The Boeing 747 was on its way to Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico when the crew reported an engine failure, the Federal Aviation Administration said

in a statement Friday. Atlas Air Flight 95 then returned safely to Miami International Airport, the agency said.

Atlas will conduct an inspection to determine the cause, the spokesperson said.

Unverified videos on social media platform X showed flames shooting out of the wing of a plane near the airport while in flight.

Atlas Air hauls everything from machinery to perishable food and pharmaceuticals, and also provides charter services for passengers, according to its website. The company’s parent firm, Atlas Air Worldwide, recently announced that it planned to move its headquarters from Purchase, New York, to White Plains, New York, this month.

Adaros, who lives near Miami Executive Airport about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Miami, said she shared her video with that airport, which confirmed a few minutes later that it had landed safely at Miami International.

rich or poor, you’re going to get cut,” Peters said. “Now, we can pretend that doing nothing is going to solve the problem. We can pretend that regular order is going to take care of it. I choose to offer a different path.”

He said he wants to save the program and not cut benefits, but the longer Congress waits to tackle the problem, “the more

leverage we give to the people who want to cut benefits.”

Rep. Becca Balint, D-VT, said she is concerned when she hears Arrington say “everything is on the table” for the commission.

“There are some things that should absolutely not be on the table, and that’s because the wealth gap in this country is obscene,” she said.

The commission would be required to hold at least six hearings across the country. A final report and recommendations would be due by May 2025, Arrington said. The recommendations would get an expedited vote in Congress if they win the approval of a majority of the commission, including at least two members of each party.

The Associated Press

AP PHOTO

This image taken from video provided by Melanie Adaros shows sparks shooting from a cargo plane before making an emergency landing at Miami International Airport on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Miami.

DEBT from page A9

Security and Medicare are protected, then it will be my expectation that there will be a lukewarm response at best when it hits the floor,” Jeffries said.

Some Democrats do support the establishment of the debt commission. Three committee Democrats voted for it, includ-

ing Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., who worked with Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich. in sponsoring the bill. Peters said cuts to Social Security are already factored into current law and once the program exhaust its reserves in less than a decade, then participants would see their benefits cut by about 24%.

“Whether you’re 72 or 92,

ting a little bit now,” Kemp said.

“But I do not think that’s going to affect the Georgia suppliers — everybody’s still very bullish on what’s going on in Georgia. And I am too.”

Kemp told the panel the biggest challenge in Georgia’s electric vehicle push is making sure manufacturers and their suppliers can hire enough employees.

“That’s the big thing for us, is making sure we have the workforce,” Kemp said.

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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Wayfair and Macy’s are cutting thousands of jobs as retail layoffs deepen The Associated Press NEW YORK — Retail layoffs are hitting especially hard this week.

Online furniture seller Wayfair is cutting about 1,650 jobs, or 13% of its global workforce. Macy’s is laying off about 3.5% of its total headcount, which amounts to roughly 2,350 employees, and the iconic department store is closing five locations.

Wayfair announced its latest job cuts Friday. The restructuring will reduce team sizes across the company and reduce seniority in certain roles with the company planning to “rebuild with modified leveling” this year, CEO and co-founder Niraj Shah said.

“The natural question is to ask ‘Why?’” he wrote in a Friday memo to employees. “I think the reality is that we went overboard in hiring during a strong economic period and veered away AP PHOTO from our core principles, and while we have come quite far A Macy’s department store is in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, on Tuesday, December 12, 2023. back to them, we are not quite there.”

Friday’s job cuts are expected structuring costs, mostly for em- — with the New York company In January of last year, Wayfair laid off about 1,750 employ- to bring annualized cost sav- ployee severance and benefits, saying it made the difficult deees — representing 10% of its ings of more than $280 million, primarily in the first quarter of cision as it prepares “to deploy a new strategy to meet the needs global workforce at the time. Wayfair said. The company an- 2024.

Macy’s confirmed layoffs to of an everchanging consumer It cut 870 jobs in August 2022, ticipates incurring about $70 million to $80 million in re- The Associated Press via email and marketplace.” and 550 jobs in 2020.

The five stores to be closed are located in Arlington, Virginia (Ballston); San Leandro, California (Bay Fair); Lihue, Hawaii (Kukui Grove); Simi Valley, California (Simi Valley Town Center); and Tallahassee, Florida (Governor’s Square), according to a spokesperson for Macy’s Inc. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Macy’s layoffs and planned store closures Thursday, citing an internal memo and people familiar with the situation. The layoffs will occur on Jan. 26, according to the outlet.

Macy’s made significant job cuts in the pandemic’s early days — including the layoffs of 3,900 corporate staffers as COVID-19 took a toll on sales in June 2020.

And in February 2020, just weeks before the virus was declared a pandemic, the company announced 2,000 job cuts in its corporate office and the closure of 125 stores.

Job cuts have taken a toll on workers across various industries — including retail, tech, media and hospitality — over the last few years. In recent months, layoffs have been announced at Google, Amazon, Hasbro, LinkedIn and more.

Macy’s stock fell about 3% Friday. Wayfair shares rose more than 7%.

A sign indicating that a home is under contract is shown on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, in Kennesaw, G.A.

AP PHOTO

2023 was slowest year for US home sales in nearly 30 years as high mortgage rates frustrated buyers The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank in 2023 to a nearly 30-year low, as sharply higher mortgage rates, rising prices and a persistently low level of homes on the market combined to push homeownership out of reach for many Americans.

The National Association of Realtors said Friday that existing U.S. home sales totaled 4.09 million last year, an 18.7% decline from 2022. That is the weakest year for home sales since 1995 and the biggest annual decline since 2007, the start of the housing slump of the late 2000s.

The median national home price for all of last year edged up just under 1% to record high $389,800, the NAR said.

Last year’s home sales slump echoes the nearly 18% annual decline in 2022, when mortgage rates began rising, eventually more than doubling by the end of the year. That trend continued in 2023, driving the average rate on a 30-year mortgage by late Oc-

tober to 7.79%, the highest level since late 2000.

The sharply higher home loan borrowing costs limited home hunters’ buying power on top of years of soaring prices. A dearth of homes for sale also kept many would-be homebuyers and sellers on the sidelines.

Still, a pullback in mortgage rates since late last year, and forecasts calling for a further rate declines this year, is fueling hopes that home sales will begin to bounce back from their dismal showing in 2023.

“The latest month’s sales look to be the bottom before inevitably turning higher in the new year,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist. “Mortgage rates are meaningfully lower compared to just two months ago, and more inventory is expected to appear on the market in upcoming months.”

Mortgage rates have been mostly easing since November, echoing a pullback in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing loans. The yield has largely come down on

hopes that inflation has cooled enough for the Federal Reserve to shift to cutting interest rates this year.

The average rate on a 30-year home loan was 6.6% this week, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. If rates continue to ease, as many economists expect, that should help boost demand heading into the spring homebuying season, which traditionally begins in late February.

Still, the average rate remains sharply higher than just two years ago, when it was 3.56%.

That large gap between rates now and then has helped limit the number of previously occupied homes on the market by discouraging homeowners who locked in rock-bottom rates from selling.

“Prospective homebuyers have been shut out of the market by a lack of inventory,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS. “If there had been more listings on the market in 2023, we would have had more home sales.”

At the end of December, there were just 1 million homes on the

market, the NAR said. While that’s a 4.2% increase from a year earlier, the number of available homes remains well below the monthly historical average of about 2.25 million.

The available inventory at the end of last month amounts to a 3.2-month supply, going by the current sales pace. That’s down 3.5% from the previous month, but up from 2.9% from December 2022. In a more balanced market between buyers and sellers, there is a 4- to 6-month supply.

That means homebuyers are likely to face intense competition for the relatively few homes on the market, which should keep pushing up prices.

“There will still be a demand-supply imbalance in the housing market well into 2024,” Sturtevant said.

Despite easing mortgage rates, home sales in December declined after rising the previous month.

Existing home sales fell 1% from November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.78 million, the slowest sales pace since August 2010, the NAR said.

Sales fell 6.2% from a year earlier. Last month’s sales pace is short of the roughly 3.83 million that economists were expecting, according to FactSet. Home prices rose for the sixth straight month in December. The national median home sales price rose 4.4% from a year earlier to $382,600, the NAR said.

Homebuyers continued to face a competitive market due to the shortage of homes for sale.

Homes sold last month typically within just 29 days after hitting the market, and 56% of properties that sold in December were on the market for less than a month, the NAR said.

First-time homebuyers who don’t have any home equity to put toward their down payment continued to have a tough time getting into the housing market.

They accounted for just 29% of all homes sold last month, down from 31% in November and December 2022. They’ve accounted for 40% of sales historically.

“Renters, potential first-time buyers (are) really struggling to get into the market,” Yun said.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Appeals court reverses judge’s ruling, orders appointment of independent examiner in FTX bankruptcy The Associated Press DOVER, D.E. — A federal appeals court has ordered the appointment of an independent examiner in the bankruptcy case of FTX amid concerns about widespread fraud preceding the collapse of the multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency exchange.

A three-judge panel in Philadelphia issued the ruling Friday in an appeal filed by the U.S. bankruptcy trustee, who serves as a government watchdog in Chapter 11 reorganizations.

Lawyers for the trustee had argued that FTX’s financial affairs and business operations, including allegations of unprecedented fraud leading to its collapse, should be reviewed by a disinterested person, not left to an internal investigation.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John Dorsey denied the trustee’s request last February. He agreed

AP PHOTO

The FTX Arena logo is seen where the Miami Heat basketball team plays, Nov. 12, 2022, in Miami. with FTX and its official committee of unsecured creditors that an examiner’s work would be too costly and would duplicate investigations already under way by FTX’s new lead-

ership, the creditors committee and several federal agencies.

Dorsey also expressed confidence in John Ray III, who was appointed by FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried as the

company’s new CEO on the same day the company sought bankruptcy protection.

Bankman-Fried is awaiting sentencing in March after being convicted in November on wirefraud and conspiracy charges.

Several other former FTX executives have pleaded guilty to similar charges. Prosecutors said Bankman-Fried siphoned billions of dollars from customer accounts at FTX into his cryptocurrency hedge fund, Alameda Research.

The appeals court reversed Dorsey’s ruling, agreeing with the trustee that the bankruptcy code mandates the appointment of an examiner.

“Sometimes highly complex cases give rise to straightforward issues on appeal,” Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo wrote for the panel. “Such is the case here.”

Restrepo also noted that an examiner is required to make his

“The collapse of FTX caused catastrophic losses for its worldwide investors but also raised implications for the evolving and volatile cryptocurrency industry.”

Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo or her findings public, whereas a debtor or creditors committee conducting an internal investigation has no such obligation.

“The collapse of FTX caused catastrophic losses for its worldwide investors but also raised implications for the evolving and volatile cryptocurrency industry,” the judge wrote, noting that further scrutiny of FTX could alert potential investors to undisclosed credit risks in other cryptocurrency companies.

“In addition to providing much-needed elucidation, the investigation and examiner’s report ensure that the bankruptcy court will have the opportunity to consider the greater public interest when approving the FTX Group’s reorganization plan,” he added.

AP PHOTO

Staff of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) watch a live streaming of the pinpoint moon landing operation by the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft at JAXA’s Sagamihara Campus Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, in Sagamihara near Tokyo.

Japan joins an elite club by landing on the moon. What are others doing?

The Associated Press TOKYO — Japan landed a spacecraft on the moon Saturday, an attempt at the world’s first “pinpoint lunar landing.”

The milestone puts Japan in a club previously occupied by only the United States, the Soviet Union, India and China.

A raft of countries and companies are also plotting moon missions. Success means international scientific and diplomatic accolades and potential domestic political gains. Failure means a very expensive, and public, embarrassment.

Here’s a look at high-profile recent and upcoming attempts, and what they might mean.

THE UNITED STATES NASA plans to send astronauts to fly around the moon next year, and to land there in 2026.

Just this week, however, a U.S. company, Astrobotic Technology, said its lunar lander will soon

burn up in Earth’s atmosphere after a failed moonshot.

The lander, named Peregrine, developed a fuel leak that forced Astrobotic to abandon its attempt to make the first U.S. lunar landing in more than 50 years. The company suspects a stuck valve caused a tank to rupture.

NASA is working to commercialize lunar deliveries by private businesses while the U.S. government tries to get astronauts back to the moon.

For now, the United States’ ability to spend large sums and marshal supply chains give it an advantage over China and other moon rivals. Private sector players such as SpaceX and Blue Origin have made crewed space missions a priority.

Another U.S. company, Intuitive Machines, plans to launch its own lunar lander next month.

INDIA Last year, India became the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, where scientists believe that per-

petually darkened craters may hold frozen water that could aid future missions.

In 2019, a software glitch caused an Indian lander to crash on its lunar descent. So the $75 million success in August brought widespread jubilation, with people cheering in the streets and declaring India’s rise as a scientific superpower.

Indian scientists said that the next step is a manned lunar mission.

The success is seen as key to boosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity before a crucial general election this year.

India has been pushing for a space program since the 1960s and aims to visit the International Space Station next year in collaboration with the United States.

New Delhi also sees victory in space as important in its rivalry with nuclear-armed neighbor China. Relations between India and China have plunged since deadly border clashes in 2020.

CHINA China landed on the moon in 2013, and last year launched a three-person crew for its orbiting space station. It hopes to put astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade.

In 2020, a Chinese capsule returned to Earth from the moon with the first fresh lunar rock samples in more than 40 years.

China’s first manned space mission in 2003 made it the third country after the USSR and the United States to put a person into space.

China’s space ambitions are linked to its rivalry with the United States as the world’s two largest economies compete for diplomatic, political and military influence in Asia and beyond.

China built its own space station after it was excluded from the International Space Station, in part because of U.S. objections over the Chinese space program’s intimate ties to the military.

China and the United States are also considering plans for

permanent crewed bases on the moon. That has raised questions about competition and cooperation on the lunar surface.

RUSSIA Also last year, Russia’s Luna25 failed in its attempt to land in the same area of the moon that India reached.

It came 47 years after the Soviets landed on the moon, and Russian scientists blamed that long break, and the accompanying loss of space expertise, for the recent failure.

The Soviets launched the first satellite in space in 1957 and put the first human in space in 1961, but Russia’s program has struggled since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union amid widespread corruption and Western sanctions that have hurt scientific development.

Russia is planning for another moon mission in 2027.

Russia’s failures and the growing role of private companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX have cost Russia its once-sizable niche in the lucrative global space launch market.

Just as India’s success was seen as evidence of its rise to great power status, Russia’s failure has been portrayed by some as casting doubt on its global influence and strength.

NASCAR Hall of Fame adds 4, B3

CHRIS SEWARD | AP PHOTO

Guard Cormac Ryan, left, has been a key addition to a UNC defense that is among the most efficient in the country.

Silent but deadly: UNC’s underrated defense among nation’s best COLLEGE BASKETBALL

UNC men up to No. 3, Duke falls to 12th New York Kansas’ loss was UNC’s gain.

The Tar Heels (16-3, 8-0 ACC), who had double-digit wins at home against Louisville and at Boston College last week and then extended their winning streak to nine with a win Monday over Wake Forest in Chapel Hill, moved up to No. 3 in The Associated Press men’s basketball poll released Monday after the Jayhawks slid four spots following their loss at West Virginia on Saturday. Duke tumbled out of the top 10 to No. 12 after Saturday’s home loss to Pitt.

The Blue Devils (13-4, 4-2 ACC) saw their eight-game winning streak end with the loss to the Panthers. NC State (13-5, 5-2 ACC) received one vote in this week’s poll after a win over Wake Forest last Tuesday was followed by a home loss to Virginia Tech.

UConn and Purdue remained Nos. 1 and 2 in the poll, and Houston and Tennessee rounded out the top five.

NC State women down 3 spots, UNC up 3 in latest AP poll New York After suffering its second loss of the season, NC State dropped three places to No. 7 in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll released Monday. The Wolfpack (16-2, 4-2 ACC) followed up a loss last Thursday at Miami with a convincing home win over Duke on Sunday. UNC moved up three spots to No. 20 after wins at Georgia Tech and home against then-No. 13 Louisville. The Tar Heels (14-5, 6-1 ACC) tied with Syracuse atop the conference.

South Carolina remained the unanimous choice at No. 1 in the poll, receiving all 35 first-place votes. UCLA moved back up to No. 2 after beating Colorado, which is now at No. 3. Kansas State and Iowa rounded out the top five.

The Tar Heels don’t rack up steals or blocks, they just prevent opponents from scoring

By Shawn Krest North State Journal CHAPEL HILL — Unlike just about every other coach in college basketball, UNC’s Hubert Davis does not curse.

Shortly after replacing Roy Williams as head coach of the Tar Heels, he explained that Dean Smith and Bill Gutheridge never swore and were still able

to communicate their feelings to players. So he is continuing that tradition. Like Smith, he also forces the entire team to run sprints when he hears a player use a four-letter word on the court.

“I’ve never heard him curse,” said UNC’s Harrison Ingram.

That doesn’t mean that Davis never loses his temper. He’s been known to yell at his team during timeouts and at halftime, and when he does, he uses language that, while safe for work, is still colorful.

“His go-to word is ‘fart,’” said Ingram.

As in?

“What the fart are you doing?”

Ingram said. “It caught me off guard the first time I was here.”

Halfway through UNC’s game Monday against Wake Forest, Davis was not happy with the Tar Heels’ performance. Despite being heavily favored, they trailed the Demon Deacons at home.

“At halftime, Coach Davis … yeah, he ripped into us,” Ingram said.

And, yes, Davis dropped his own personal f-bomb.

“We got about 10 of them,” Ingram said.

Even though UNC hit half-

time 0 for 8 from 3-point range, and even though RJ Davis responded with a career-high 36 points to lead Carolina to a blowout win, the team’s offensive struggles weren’t the source for the Hubert Davis “fart” storm.

“He didn’t like the way we came out,” Ingram said of the first half. “I mean, we came out. We scored a bunch, but we weren’t getting stops. We were giving up layups.”

“On defense, we were making mistakes that allowed Wake Forest to be able to score,” Hubert See UNC, page B3

Panthers promote Morgan to steer team The former Carolina linebacker was named the team’s new president of football operations and general manager

By Steve Reed The Associated Press CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers promoted Dan Morgan to president of football operations and general manager on Monday, handing the task of turning around the struggling franchise to a former star linebacker with the team.

Morgan, who has spent the past three seasons as the Panthers’ assistant GM, will oversee the personnel operation, the team announced.

The Panthers are 31-68 since David Tepper bought the team in 2018, tied with the New York Jets for the worst record in the league. They have not been to the postseason since 2017 and have been criticized for poor trades and draft picks in recent years.

Morgan replaces Scott Fitterer, who was fired this month after the Panthers went 2-15 with No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young at quarterback.

The Panthers are hoping to tap into Morgan’s football background as well as his relationships with players, coaches and agents.

“Dan has a thorough knowledge of our football personnel

BRIAN WESTERHOLT | AP PHOTO

The Panthers have promoted assistant general manager Dan Morgan to president of football operations/general manager in hopes that the team’s former star linebacker can help turn around the struggling franchise. and a clear vision to take us where we all want to go,” Tepper told the team’s website. “We know he will attack this opportunity with the same intensity he did as a Panthers player.”

Morgan emerged as the leading candidate after multiple interviews with Tepper.

The team had requested interviews with eight candidates: Giants assistant GM Brandon

Brown, Buccaneers assistant GM Mike Greenberg, Chiefs vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis, Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby, Saints assistant GM Khai Harley, Ravens vice president of football administration Nick Matteo, Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds and Raiders interim GM Champ Kelly.

A team spokesman would

not say how many of those candidates received multiple interviews.

Morgan began his post-playing career with the Seattle Seahawks in 2010 as an intern and was later promoted during their Super Bowl run to director of pro personnel. He went on to work as director of player See PANTHERS, page B3

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

B2 WEDNESDAY

1.24.24

TRENDING

Ryan Nielsen: The Falcons defensive coordinator, who was a defensive assistant at NC State from 2013-16, has been hired as the new DC of the Jaguars. Nielsen, 44, is tasked with revamping a unit that was one of the worst in the league late in the season.

He takes over for Mike Caldwell, who was fired along with seven defensive assistants a day after the Jaguars ended the season by losing five of six and missing the playoffs.

Beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

SOCCER

Samantha Mewis —who won two of her three NWSL titles with the North Carolina Courage — announced her retirement Friday due to an ongoing knee injury. The 31-year-old Mewis, right, underwent the first of two knee surgeries shortly after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Mewis played in 83 matches with 24 goals over an eight-year national team career.

ERIC GAY | AP PHOTO

“That’s not who I am!”

NC State guard DJ Horne on X after he was reprimanded by the ACC for making an obscene gesture near the end of last week’s win over Wake Forest.

RICK BOWMER | AP PHOTO

NFL

Udonis Haslem: The Heat retired the Miami native’s No. 40 Friday, honoring the career of an undrafted mainstay who became the sixth player in team history to have his number raised to the rafters. Haslem spent his entire 20-year career with the Heat, was part of three championship teams and served as captain in 16 of his seasons.

Corey Perry: The 38-year-old winger was signed by the Oilers on Monday, nearly two months after the Blackhawks terminated his contract for what they called unacceptable conduct. The veteran winger apologized and said he was seeking help for alcohol abuse.

Perry recently met with commissioner Gary Bettman but was never prohibited by the league to sign with another club.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

FRANK FRANKLIN II | AP PHOTO

“I feel terrible.

This one hurts bad.”

Bills kicker Tyler Bass after he missed a 44-yard field goal wide right that would have tied the game in Buffalo’s playoff loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.

PRIME NUMBER

12 Shots on goal allowed by the Hurricanes in their 4-2 win over the Red Wings on Friday, the second fewest shots allowed by any NHL team this season. The Avalanche gave up just 11 shots to the Sharks in a 3-1 New Year’s Eve win. Carolina has allowed fewer than 20 shots a league-high seven times this season.

MARK SCHIEFELBEIN | AP PHOTO

Former Panthers and Commanders head coach Ron Rivera will interview for the Eagles’ defensive coordinator position, ESPN reported Monday.

Rivera, 62, was fired earlier this month by Washington following a 4-13 season. He was 26-40-1 in four years with the Commanders after going 76-63-1 in nine seasons with Carolina.

MIKE GROLL | AP PHOTO

The University of Buffalo hired South Carolina special teams coordinator and former Elon head coach Pete Lembo to lead the Bulls. Lembo replaces Maurice Linguist, who stepped down last week to become an assistant coach at Alabama under Kalen DeBoer. Lembo went 35-22 from 2006-10 at Elon.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

GODOFREDO A. VÁSQUEZ | AP PHOTO

Stanford women’s coach Tara VanDerveer surpassed former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to become the all-time winningest coach in major college basketball history, claiming her 1,203rd career victory when No. 8 Stanford beat Oregon State on Sunday.

Coach K participated in a video tribute to the 70-year-old, who has been a head coach since age 24.

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

B3

Johnson, Knaus highlight NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees “Alabama Gang” member Donnie Allison and trailblazing Janet Guthrie were also enshrined

By Steve Reed The Associated Press CHARLOTTE — Jimmie Johnson’s dreams first came true when he was given a motorcycle for Christmas at age 4.

That was when he fell in love with racing.

Johnson was honored for his career on Friday night when he and crew chief Chad Knaus, whom he teamed up with to win a record-tying seven Cup championships, were inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

The sport’s dominant duo, both first-ballot inductees, joined Donnie Allison, an original member of the “Alabama Gang,” in a celebration at the Charlotte Convention Center as part of the Class of 2024. Janet Guthrie, the first woman to race in both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500, was inducted as the Landmark Award winner for contributions to NASCAR. “Some Hall of Famers said that the moment is going to get real. I think it just happened,” Johnson said, holding back tears. “This is the highest honor to stand alongside our sport’s greats in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

Johnson won 83 Cup races — tied for sixth most in NASCAR history — in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet, all but two of them with Knaus as crew chief. Knaus, now the vice president of competition for Hendrick, was suspended for two of Johnson’s wins, including one in the Daytona 500.

Their five straight Cup championships from 2006-10 stand as a NASCAR record.

“We clicked right away with similar interests and everything to prove,” Johnson said. “We could read each other’s minds. ... His work ethic and ability to bring the best out in me was most impressive.”

Then he looked over at Knaus and said, “Congrats, brother, I am so happy we are able to go in

NELL REDMOND | AP PHOTO

Jimmie Johnson, who won a record-tying seven Cup Series titles, speaks during his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame last Friday in Charlotte.

HAROLD VALENTINE | AP PHOTO

Janet Guthrie, the first woman to race in both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500, was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame last Friday. on the same ballot.”

Knaus grew up in the Midwest working on cars and had a goal of becoming a crew chief by the time he was 30, living by

the motto of “work hard from morning until night.”

With the help of Hendrick crew chief Ray Evernham, he got that chance at 28.

“My father taught me what it meant to have the best race cars, to have the proper maintenance schedule, to never settle for second, to continuously learn and to always push the rules,” Knaus said, before adding with a laugh, “I kind of stuck with that last one a lot.”

Knaus also thanked Johnson.

“Jimmie helped me find out who I was by believing in me,” Knaus said. “You have taught me there is much more to life than racing — even if it has taken many, many years to understand that.”

Despite their success, there were bumps along the way.

Car owner Rick Hendrick, who re-hired Knaus in 2002 to work with Johnson, said the relationship between the strongwilled, motivated men almost never materialized.

In the months leading up to the 2006 season, Johnson and Knaus were feuding after failing to win a championship in their first four years together. There was talk of the pair pushing for a split, but Hendrick wanted none of it.

He called them both into his office and, upon arrival,

slammed a gallon of milk and some cookies on the table in front of them.

“I said, ‘Guys, it is really a shame that you are so successful and yet you can’t get along, but if you want to act like children then why don’t we sit on the floor and we will have some milk and cookies and have timeout,’” Hendrick said. “And they started laughing.”

Johnson recalled the meeting well, saying, “When we walked in, we didn’t make eye contact.

We didn’t say hello to each other, which only fed Rick’s point that if you are going to act like kids, I’m going to treat you like kids.”

Knaus chuckled at the memory, saying, “For the record, it wasn’t a gentle set down of the milk and cookies. It was like, ‘We are going to eat some milk and cookies.’”

The pair would go on to win the first of five straight titles, and Knaus called it a “critical” moment in their careers.

“We were so frustrated because we felt like we should be in position to win the championship in 2005 and we weren’t able to close the deal,” Knaus said. “It was more about frustration not having the success as opposed to having emotions toward one another. So we just had to get that squared away and understand that.”

Johnson was inducted by his wife, Chandra Janway.

Janway, who wasn’t present when Johnson was selected for the Hall of Fame last August, has kept a low public profile and the couple now lives in London following the deaths of her parents and nephew in what police believe to be a double murder-suicide last June.

Johnson addressed the incident briefly in his speech, thanking everyone for support in what he called an “unbelievable tragedy.”

Allison, who won 10 Cup races, was voted in on the Pioneer ballot. He becomes the final member of the Alabama Gang to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining brother Bobby Allison and Red Farmer.

Allison called it the “ultimate” honor.

“What else is there?” Allison said. “When you start out racing like I did, you dream of getting into the Hall of Fame.”

Guthrie did not attend the event but sent a message via video thanking several drivers for their help with her career, including Allison.

NELL REDMOND | AP PHOTO

Left, Chad Knaus, who crew chiefed Jimmie Johnson to seven Cup Series titles, speaks during his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame last Friday.

Right, Donnie Allison became the final member of the “Alabama Gang” to earn induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

UNC from page B1

Davis said. “I challenged them at half to step it up defensively. And they shot 26% in the second half.

Because of defense. Because of rebounding.”

While RJ Davis’ scoring is likely going to earn him an ACC Player of the Year award at season’s end, and the Tar Heels get headlines from their explosive offense, the key to their success this season has been one of the top defenses in college basketball.

“Second half, you can talk about whatever you want to talk about,” Wake coach Steve Forbes said following the game, “but that’s where the game was decided — was us missing shots and them just getting out in defensive transition and getting easy baskets, then getting confidence, and

the building went crazy.”

The Tar Heels’ defense might get overlooked because UNC doesn’t do the flashy things on defense — the things that show up in the box score. They only force turnovers on about one out of every six opponent possessions, a rate that ranks 283rd in the nation. And in their last two games, their defensive turnover rate was even worse than that — one in every 16 possessions at Boston College, and one in every 12 against Wake.

They also don’t block a ton of shots. Fewer than one in eight opposing shot attempts get swatted, a rate that is 55th in the nation — solid, but not near the best in the country.

Instead, the Tar Heels’ players just guard their man and keep him from making a basket.

“Why did we have problems scoring?” Forbes asked. “They’re an elite defensive team. We just couldn’t get by them. (Seth) Trimble, (RJ) Davis, (Cormac) Ryan, (Elliot) Cadeau, Ingram. Those guys can guard. They’re committed to it. Those guys are elite defenders. They have a better defensive efficiency than offensive efficiency. Credit to Coach Davis to get them to do that.”

The numbers verify Forbes’ claim. UNC is scoring almost 1.2 points per possession, which ranks No. 17 in the country in offensive efficiency. However, they’re allowing just 0.94 points per possession on defense, which ranks No. 7. And in their last 10 games, UNC has been even better, allowing just 0.86 points per possession, second-best in the nation over that span.

Last year, UNC ranked No. 44 in the country in defensive efficiency. It’s no coincidence that three of the five “elite defenders” on Forbes’ list are new to the team this year — the freshman Cadeau and transfers Ryan and Ingram.

A fourth, Trimble, has seen his playing time increase in large part because of his impact on the defensive end.

“Seth is our best and most gifted on-ball, one-on-one defender,” Davis said. “His athleticism, his strength — he can pick up full court and make it hard to get the ball past half court. He can play on ball. He can get through screens off the ball. His defense is something that is needed every game. Even if someone scores, he has the ability to make them work hard to do it.”

His dedication to the defensive

craft has rubbed off on the freshman point guard.

“It’s a good challenge for me,” Cadeau said. “One of the things I have been getting better at throughout the year is my defense.”

“Defensively, Elliot improves every day,” Davis agreed. “I told him, ‘You have to play defense before you play defense.’ At this level, you can’t start playing defense when your guy gets the ball.

You have to know something is coming and be ready. Be in your stance, anticipating.”

It may not be easy or fun, but it’s necessary, and it’s something that this year’s Tar Heels have done as a group. At least, most of the time, they’ve done it. Every once in a while, they might forget.

And that’s when the “farts” start to fly.

B4

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Wolfpack’s recent road losses tighten power rankings How the women’s teams in the state line up

By Shawn Krest North State Journal THE NC STATE women’s basketball team suffered a jarring loss last week in Miami.

The Wolfpack fell behind early and was never able to rally against the unranked Hurricanes, losing by 14 points.

“You’re going to get everybody’s A-game, and you’ve got to be able to respond to that,” coach Wes Moore said in a postgame radio interview. “You’ve got to be tough enough — mentally, physically tough enough — to handle that, and we weren’t. They were stronger than us, they were more aggressive than us and, when things went bad, we didn’t handle that well either.”

Moore also hinted that changes may be in store for the Wolfpack. He was referring to playing time for some of the regulars, but the changes have already started. In addition to falling in the top 25, State dropped out of the top seed line in ESPN’s women’s bracketology, albeit with a month and a half left before the field is actually selected.

The good news for the Wolfpack, aside from a win over Duke that got State back on track, is they were able to hold onto their spot in our North Carolina women’s basketball power rankings.

Here’s a look at all the D-I women’s programs in the state: 19. Gardner Webb: The Runnin’ Bulldogs are 2-16 overall and 1-4 in the Big South, good for a last-place tie. They’re also 1-6 against other teams from the state this season.

18. UNC Wilmington: The second of North Carolina’s six last-place teams, the Seahawks are 3-14 overall and 1-5 in the Colonial. They are 1-3 against other programs in the state, not including an exhibition loss to Division II Mount Olive. Three of their next five games are against A&T, Campbell and Elon, however, so they could move up in the rankings if they get hot.

17. Western Carolina: The Catamounts are 5-14 overall, winless in the Southern Conference

KARL B. DEBLAKER | AP PHOTO

Deja Kelly and the Tar Heels are tied for first in the ACC but still rank behind conference rival NC State in NSJ’s North Carolina power rankings. at 0-4 and have lost four straight.

They are 2-4 against in-state rivals with two left against UNCG. 16. Queens: The Royals are winless in the Atlantic Sun, but at 0-5, 6-12 overall, they are merely tied for the bottom spot in the conference with Bellarmine.

Queens is 1-2 against North Carolina opponents.

15. UNC Asheville: The Bulldogs are tied with Gardner-Webb for last in the Big South with a 1-4 conference record. They are 7-11 overall, however, and are 3-3 within the state.

14. Wake Forest: The Deacs round out the six last-place teams at the bottom of our poll. Wake is 4-15 but winless in the ACC at 0-7. The Demon Deacons have lost seven straight. Rutgers (10) is the only power conference team with a longer skid. They’ve lost to Davidson, A&T and Charlotte and still must play each of the instate ACC foes.

13. Campbell: The Camels

are over .500 on the year, at 9-8, but they’re just 2-4 in the CAA. They are 3-3 against N.C. foes but have lost their last three in-state matchups.

12. Elon: The flip side of Campbell, the Phoenix have a .500 conference record, at 3-3 in the CAA, three spots higher than the Camels, but they’re just 7-12 overall. They are a hard-fought 4-4 in the state with losses to ECU, NC State and UNC. 11. NC Central: The Eagles are two games under .500 at 8-10, but at 2-1 in the MEAC, they are tied for second place, a game out of first. In a one-bid league, a run in the conference tourney could earn Central its first NCAA Tournament appearance as a Division I program.

10. UNC Greensboro: The Spartans have lost two straight to fall to 13-6, 2-2 in the SoCon. They are 3-3 in the state, with a pair against Western Carolina remaining.

9. East Carolina: The Pirates have not been good neighbors, with just one game against instate foes — a season-opening win over Elon. Their schedule, which included games against top-10 Virginia Tech and No. 1 South Carolina, has resulted in a 10-7 mark, 3-3 in the AAC. 8. Appalachian State: The Mountaineers are in the middle of the Sun Belt at 10-8, 4-3. They’re also 1-2 against other teams in the state, with losses at Davidson and Gardner-Webb.

7. Davidson: The Wildcats have an impressive 13-5 record but are below .500 in the A-10 at 3-4. They are 6-1 against other teams in the state with wins over Duke and Wake.

6. High Point: With a 4-1 conference mark and winners of four in a row, the Panthers are in a three-way tie for first in the Big South despite a 9-9 record overall.

5. NC A&T: The Aggies are a

half-game out of first in the CAA at 4-1, 10-6 overall. They have a four-game winning streak and are 2-0 against the state, with wins over Wake and Guilford.

4. Duke: The Blue Devils lost to NC State last time out, snapping a three-game winning streak. At 12-6, 4-3 in the ACC, they are fighting for an at-large tourney berth.

3. Charlotte: The 49ers are 12-7, 5-2 in the AAC and a halfgame out of the top spot. They are 3-2 in the state, including a loss to NC State in the opener.

2. UNC: The Tar Heels are No. 1 in the ACC but No. 2 in the state. A three-game win streak puts them at 14-5 overall and 6-1, good for a tie with Syracuse atop the league.

1. NC State: Despite the recent losses at Miami and Virginia Tech, the Wolfpack are still No. 7 in the country and, at 16-2, 4-2, within striking distance in the league.

Familiar faces, new arrivals make up NFL conference title games

Lombardi Trophy.

Mahomes made several brilliant plays in his first road playoff game — besides three Super Bowls — and outshined Josh Allen in a 27-24 victory at Buffalo that was secured when Bills kicker Tyler Bass missed a 44yard field goal wide right with 1:43 left.

Mahomes, the two-time NFL and Super Bowl MVP, tossed two touchdown passes to Travis Kelce while Swift and Brittany Mahomes hugged in a suite and bare-chested Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce celebrated by chugging beers in the row behind them.

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens (14-4) are waiting on the Chiefs (13-6) after routing the Houston Texans 34-10 Saturday. It’ll be the first AFC championship game played outside Kansas City since 2018.

Mahomes had a big smile on his face after the game as he ran off the field, dodging snowballs without a helmet protecting him.

“I love being in Arrowhead (Stadium) and playing in front of that crowd, but when you’re on the road, it’s you vs. them,” Mahomes said. “It’s you vs. everybody in the stadium and you have to come together as a team

and the guys do that.”

Earlier Sunday, Campbell, Jared Goff and the feisty Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 to earn their second playoff win in the same season for the first time since 1957, the last year Detroit won the NFL title.

The Lions (14-5) took advantage of costly mistakes, including drops, a missed field goal and Baker Mayfield’s game-sealing interception to put away the Buccaneers.

Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and a ferocious 49ers’ defense led by Fred Warner stand in Detroit’s way. The Lions have gone from 3-13-1 in Campbell’s first season in 2021 to the brink of a trip to Las Vegas.

“Here, man, it’s harsh winters, auto industry, blue collar, things aren’t always easy,” Campbell said about giving Detroit’s long-suffering fans hope.

“And I just think that’s what we’re about. You want something the city can be proud of.

You can look at those guys and say, ‘Man, I can back that guy. I can back that team. I can resonate with those group of guys.

They’re kind of salty. They don’t quit. They play hard.’

“And so, I feel like we’ve done

to the New England Patriots on Feb. 1, 2004.

He made the Pro Bowl in 2004.

Tepper can now turn his attention to hiring a head coach, the seventh since he took over.

He fired Frank Reich during the coach’s first season after the Panthers started 1-10.

Tepper also previously fired Matt Rhule and Ron Rivera at midseason, and Chris Tabor, Steve Wilks and Perry Fewell have worked for him as interim

head coaches.

The Panthers have already conducted virtual interviews with 11 candidates for the head coaching job, including offensive coordinators Ben Johnson (Lions), Frank Smith (Dolphins), Bobby Slowik (Texans), Dave Canales (Buccaneers), Brian Callahan (Bengals) and Todd Monken (Ravens), and defensive coordinators Dan Quinn (Cowboys), Raheem Morris (Rams) and Mike Macdonald (Ravens). The team also

interviewed two internal candidates: Tabor, who doubled as the special teams coordinator, and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

It’s expected that Tepper will fill the spot with an offensive-minded coach who can help develop Young, who struggled mightily as a rookie.

Young was 2-14 as a starter and completed less than 60% of his passes, throwing for an average of 179.8 yards per game with 11 touchdown passes and

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will host the Chiefs on Sunday with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line.

The Chiefs and Ravens will decide the AFC’s Super Bowl representative, while the 49ers will try to slow the upstart Lions

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press PATRICK MAHOMES and the Kansas City Chiefs are back in the AFC championship game for a sixth straight season and probably taking Taylor Swift with them along with Travis Kelce’s older, shirtless brother.

Dan Campbell has the Detroit Lions one win away from the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance after securing a spot in the NFC title game three years after his teeth-kicking, kneecap-biting introductory news conference.

The Chiefs and Lions advanced with tough, down-tothe-wire victories on Sunday.

Both teams moved on to face the No. 1 seed in their conference: the AFC’s Baltimore Ravens and the NFC’s San Francisco 49ers.

The NFL’s Final Four teams are set. It’ll be Chiefs-Ravens and Lions-49ers battling for the right to play for the Vince

PANTHERS from page B1 personnel for the Buffalo Bills before returning to the Panthers as assistant GM in 2021.

Morgan was one of the franchise’s best defensive players.

A first-round draft pick in 2001, he helped the Panthers reach their first Super Bowl in 2003, anchoring the middle of the defense. He played seven seasons for Carolina and set an NFL record with 25 tackles in the Panthers’ Super Bowl loss

MATT SLOCUM | AP PHOTO

that. And I think these guys, they have a kinship with this city and this area, and they love it, man, and ultimately, that’s what you want. Now, a year from now, two years, we’ll be getting booed, maybe; that’s a whole other deal, though. But right now life’s good, and I’m glad we could deliver that.”

As Campbell told his players during his postgame speech in the locker room, they have two more wins to go.

Getting the next one won’t be easy against the 49ers.

Purdy led San Francisco to a 24-21 comeback win over seventh-seeded Green Bay on Saturday night, sending the 49ers (13-5) to the NFC title game for the third consecutive season.

The Niners had no chance in hostile Philadelphia last year after Purdy suffered a significant elbow injury in the first quarter. They’ll have a friendly atmosphere at home as coach Kyle Shanahan tries again to take the team back to the Super Bowl following a loss to Mahomes and the Chiefs four years ago.

San Francisco opened as the 7-point favorite while Baltimore is a 3½-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

10 interceptions. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama was sacked 62 times.

Only Washington’s Sam Howell was sacked more (65).

The Panthers failed to score in their final two games, becoming the first team to be shut out in back-to-back games since the 2008 Cleveland Browns. Carolina never led for a single snap in 2023 in the fourth quarter, with its only two wins coming on last-second field goals by Eddy Pineiro.

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

B5

GRAMMYS 2024

From how to watch the music-filled show to who’s nominated, here’s what to know The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — The 2024 Grammy Awards are fast approaching — and it is never too early to plan your viewing experience.

The 66th annual Grammy Awards will take place Sunday, Feb. 4, at the http://Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Most of the awards are handed out before that during the Premiere Ceremony, which the Recording Academy will stream live Feb. 4 ahead of the telecast, which starts at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Here’s what you need to know about watching the 2024 Grammys, including how to stream and where you can see music’s biggest stars walking the red carpet.

WHO’S HOSTING THE GRAMMYS? The Grammy-nominated comedian Trevor Noah will once again host, marking his fourth consecutive year on the job.

Noah is also up for a Grammy this year, receiving his second nomination for best comedy album.

He’s also a newly-minted Emmy winner, with his final season of “The Daily Show” taking home the award for outstanding talk series at Monday’s show.

HOW CAN I WATCH THE GRAMMYS? The main show will air live on CBS and Paramount+ beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern. Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers can also watch live and on demand.

Paramount+ Essential subscribers will be able to stream the Grammy Awards the day after the ceremony.

The Grammys can also be watched through live TV streaming services that include CBS in their lineup, like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and FuboTV. WHO’S NOMINATED THIS YEAR? SZA enters the Grammys with a leading nine nominations. “Kill Bill,” her revenge anthem cloaked in an R&B ballad, earned her nods for record of the year, song of the year, and best R&B performance. “SOS” is also up for album

AP PHOTO

Grammy Awards are displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Oct. 10, 2017. of the year and best progressive R&B album. The 2024 ceremony is the second time SZA has been nominated for record, album, and song in the same year.

Victoria Monét and Phoebe Bridgers have the second-most nominations, with seven. Six of Bridgers’ are with her band boygenius. Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Brandy Clark, Jon Batiste and producer Jack Antonoff also earned six.

Monét is the only leading nominee also up for best new artist, in a category that is rounded out by Gracie Abrams, Fred again.., Ice Spice, Jelly Roll, Coco Jones, Noah Kahan and The War and Treaty.

current nominees Eilish, Rodrigo, and Dua Lipa as well as Burna Boy, Luke Combs, and Travis Scott.

More performers have yet to be announced.

Eilish has seven Grammys and is up for six this year. Lipa and Rodrigo both have three Grammys; Lipa is nominated for two awards and Rodrigo is nominated for six.

Both Scott and Combs may become first-time winners at the 2024 Grammy awards; Scott has ten career nominations to his name; Combs has seven. Burna Boy won the award for best global music album in 2021 for “Twice As Tall”; he also has 10 career nominations.

WHO IS PERFORMING?

HOW CAN I WATCH THE RED CARPET?

The first two rounds of performers announced include Grammy award winners and

E! will host its “Live from the Grammys Carpet” show with its

mix of fashion coverage and celebrity interviews.

The Associated Press will also stream a three-hour red carpet show with interviews and fashion footage. It will be streamed on YouTube, Twitter and http://APNews.com .

WHAT’S NEW WITH THE GRAMMYS IN 2024?

In June, the Recording Academy announced that the Grammys would add three new categories to its 2024 award show: best pop dance recording, best African music performance, and best alternative jazz album.

The new best African music performance category will highlight “regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions,” according to a Recording Academy press release, including genres like

Sports Illustrated employees left in limbo as publisher faces money troubles The Associated Press THE JOBS of people who produce Sports Illustrated were in limbo Friday after the company that paid to maintain the iconic brand’s print and digital products told staff that its license was revoked.

In an email to employees Friday morning, the Arena Group, which operates Sports Illustrated and related properties, said that because of the revocation, “we will be laying off staff that work on the SI brand.”

Authentic Brands Group owns the Sports Illustrated brand and had been licensing it to Arena. Authentic later said in a statement it intends to keep Sports Illustrated going. The company is negotiating with Arena and other publishing entities to determine who will do that, according to a person with knowledge of the talks who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about them.

Until those negotiations are resolved, it’s unclear which journalists would actually do the work of making Sports Illustrated. It was not clear how many jobs were affected.

Sports Illustrated’s employee union said in a statement that the layoffs initially announced

by Arena would be a significant number and possibly all, of the

AP PHOTO

A George Mason University fan holds up the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine at a sendoff for the team, Wednesday, March 29, 2006, in Fairfax, V.A. NewsGuild workers represented.

“We have fought together as a union to maintain the standard of this storied publication that we love, and to make sure our workers are treated fairly for the value they bring to this company. It is a fight we will continue,”

Mitch Goldich, NFL editor and unit chair, said in a statement.

The guild’s statement also called for Authentic to “ensure the continued publication of SI and allow it to serve our audience in the way it has for nearly 70 years.”

Authentic said it would do so, and that “we are confident that going forward the brand will continue to evolve and grow in a way that serves sports news readers, sports fans and consumers. We are committed to ensuring that the traditional

Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro Pop, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz.

Before the addition, those artists would compete in the best global music performance category, first introduced in 2022.

Another notable change: the Academy announced “only human creators” could win the music industry’s highest honor in a decision aimed at the use of artificial intelligence in popular music.

“Here’s the super easy, headline statement: AI, or music that contains AI-created elements is absolutely eligible for entry and for consideration for Grammy nomination. Period,” Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason jr. told AP at the time. “What’s not going to happen is we are not going to give a Grammy or Grammy nomination to the AI portion.”

ad-supported Sports Illustrated media pillar has best in class stewardship to preserve the complete integrity of the brand’s legacy.”

In a statement on Friday, the Arena Group said it was negotiating with Authentic about the license, “with plans to sustain our commitment to delivering quality content throughout the ongoing discussions.”

Arena admitted that it had failed to make a quarterly payment of $3.75 million and Authentic had put it on notice that it intended to end the licensing agreement. As a result, Arena announced Thursday it would make a “significant reduction” in its workforce of more than 100 people.

The Arena Group acquired publishing rights from Authentic in 2019 for at least 10 years. The group’s stewardship of Sports Illustrated has had many hurdles since then. In December, it fired chief executive officer Ross Levinsohn when the magazine’s alleged use of AI-generated stories drew public backlash.

Sports Illustrated has had a rough six years. It was acquired

by Meredith Publishing in 2018 as part of the purchase of Time Inc., which started the magazine in 1954.

Less than a year later, Meredith sold the magazine’s intellectual property to Authentic for $110 million. Authentic owns the intellectual property of many brands and stars, including Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali and Reebok.

Once a weekly publication, Sports Illustrated was reduced to biweekly publishing in 2018 and became a monthly in 2020.

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

B6 TAKE NOTICE

CUMBERLAND

NEW HANOVER

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE NO. 23-E-2017 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Guenther Labann, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 2517 Raeford Road, Fayetteville, NC 28305, on or before April 10, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 10th day of January, 2024.

Brian H. Willson, Executor of the Estate of Guenther Labann NICOLE A. CORLEY MURRAY, CRAVEN & CORLEY, L.L.P. N.C. BAR NO. 56459 2517 RAEFORD ROAD FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28305 – 3007 (910) 483 – 4990 COUNSEL FOR EXECUTOR

CUMBERLAND

Angela Eley-McCalister P.O. BOX 1275 Raeford, North Carolina, 28376 ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE of Claudette L. Eley, Deceased

EXECUTOR’S NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 24E88 State of North Carolina Cumberland County NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having qualified as the Executor of the Estate of Major Elwood Anderson, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at 642 Mosswood Lane, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311, on or before April 24, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 24th day of January, 2024.

Darlene Elizabeth Frisby Executor of the Estate of Major Elwood Anderson, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 1/24/24, 1/31/24, 2/7/24 and 2/14/24

CABARRUS NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23 SP 561 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made

by Ma Edith Soto De Mata and Elizabeth MataSoto (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Elizabeth Mata-Soto and Ma Edith Soto De Mata) to James R. Seely, Trustee(s), dated April 25, 2019, and recorded in Book No. 13475, at Page 0051 in Cabarrus County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Cabarrus County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door

23 SP 587 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CABARRUS COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Maria Goris and Eligio Pena to BB&T Collateral Service Corporation, Trustee(s), which was dated March 28, 2007 and recorded on March 29, 2007 in Book 7425 at Page 352, Cabarrus County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on February 7, 2024 at 01:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, to wit: ONE:

LYING and being in No. 10 Township, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, on the west side of U.S. Highway 601, adjoining the property of Danny Love, and is more particularly described as follows:

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, THERESA MICHAEL CHAFFEE, having qualified as the ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of MICHAEL ANGELO SAVA, Deceased, hereby notifies all persons, firms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said THERESA MICHAEL CHAFFEE, at the address set out below, on or before April 26, 2024, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same. All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below.

This the 16th day of January, 2024.

THERESA MICHAEL CHAFFEE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL ANGELO SAVA c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS Having qualified as Personal Representative of the Estate of Jesse MacLean Moss, deceased, late of New Hanover County, North Carolina, the undersigned hereby notifies all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them, duly verified, to the undersigned, on or before Friday, April 26, 2024, (which date is at least three (3) months from the first publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate settlement with the undersigned.

This the 24th day of January, 2024.

Medrith Moss Nuttle 284 Hunter Lane Zebulon, NC 27597 Please publish 01/24, 01/31, 02/7, 02/14

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as Personal Representative of the Estate of Christina Nicole Jenkins, deceased, late of New Hanover County, North Carolina, the undersigned hereby notifies all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them, duly verified, to the undersigned, care of their attorney, on or before Friday, April 12, 2024 (which date is at least three (3) months from the first publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate settlement with the undersigned, care of their attorney.

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of LISA WILLIAMS KRUMMEL, late of Wake County, North Carolina (24E000161-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 20th day of April 2024 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

Caleb B. Tatum, Administrator of the Estate of Christina Nicole Jenkins c/o Randall S. Hoose, Jr. Atlantic Coast Law 314 Walnut Street, Suite 100 Wilmington, NC 28401-4160

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION Having qualified as Ancillary Administratrix of the estate of Kwanishia Nelson, DOD: 04/13/2023 deceased, late of New Hanover County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them duly verified, to the undersigned at 1901 Lingo Street, Wilmington, NC 28403 on or before the 25th day of April 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in par of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate settlement with the undersigned.

This is the 24th of January 2024, La’Shonta Sketers, Ancillary Administratrix, File # 23E 1408 1901 Lingo Street, Wilmington, NC 28403

RANDOLPH NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as (executor administrator) on the estate of Scotty Craig Pierce Sr. deceased, late of Randolph County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned at 919943-6599 or 8929 Winged Thistle Ct. Raleigh, NC 27617 on or before the 12th day of April, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment.

This 10th day of January 2024.

Hayley Allison Pierce Executor/Administrator of the Estate of Scotty Craig Pierce Sr. 8929 Winged Thistle Ct. Raleigh, NC 27617

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Louis Dale Gullie, late of Wake County, North Carolina (23E005498-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 9th day of March, 2024 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 6th day of December 2023.

Brian Dale Gullie Administrator of the Estate of Louis Dale Gullie c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (For publication: 12/6, 12/13, 12/20, 12/27/2023)

Address: 342 Chestnut Avenue, Kannapolis, NC 28081 Tax parcel 5613-39-8314 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of FortyFive Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

BEGINNING a railroad spike in the center line of U.S. Highway 601, on old corner of Danny Love, and runs thence with his line N. 74-17-25 W. (passing an iron pin on line at 50.30 feet) 343.47 feet to an iron pin, a new corner; thence N. 21-29 E. 637.36 feet to an iron pin; thence S. 74-17-25 E. (Passing an iron pin on line at 293.21 feet) 343.47 feet to a railroad spike in the center line of U.S. Highway 601; thence with the center line of U.S. Highway no. 601 S. 2129 W. 637-36 feet to the point of BEGINNING, containing 5.00 acres according to a survey

by Gregory S. Flowe dated July 8, 1996.

TWO:

LYING and being in No 10 Township, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, on the west side of U.S. Highway No. 601, adjoining the property of Danny Love and R.L. Wallace, and is more particularly described as follows: BGINNING at an iron pin in the line of Danny Love (said iron pin being N. 74-17-25 W. 343.47 feet from a railroad spike in the center line of N.C. Highway No. 71, a corner of Danny Love), and runs thence with the line of Love N. 74-17-25 W. 169.87 feet to an axle, corner of Love; thence with his line N. 72-14-53 W. 426.54 feet to an iron pin in the line of R. L. Wallace; thence with his line N. 27-16-50 E. 1134.60 feet to an iron pin; thence S. 47-35-48 E. 297.25 feet to an iron pin; thence S. 62-08-45 E. 178.10 feet to an iron pin; thence S. 58-38-20 E. 128.59 feet to an iron pin; thence S. 69-15-14 E. (passing an iron pin on line at 190.43 feet) 240.44 feet to a railroad

This the 17th day of January 2024.

Jeffery Allan Krummel Administrator of the Estate of Lisa Williams Krummel c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (For publication: 01/17, 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/2024)

Please publish 01/10, 01/17, 01/24, 01/31

WAKE

in Concord, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on February 5, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Kannapolis in the County of Cabarrus, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 2, of Block I as shown upon the plat of KANNAPOLIS SUBDIVISION, S.W., Section V as recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds in Map Book 20, Page 4.

Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 342 Chestnut Avenue, Kannapolis, North Carolina.

TRACT

WAKE

This the 10th day of January, 2024.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER

The undersigned having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Claudette L. Eley, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 24th day of April, 2024, (which is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 22nd day of January, 2024.

TRACT

This the 3rd day of January 2024.

Jacob Baker, Administrator 4017 Breezewood Dr Apt. 7307 Wilmington, NC 28412

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 2023 E 001795 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Carrie Baker, Deceased, late of New Hanover County, North Carolina, (Estate File No. 23E1776) this is to notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the estate to present such claims to the undersigned at the address set out below, on or before 3rd day of April, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

NEW HANOVER

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Pamela Wells, late of Wake County, North Carolina (23E006074-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 20th day of April 2024 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 17th day of January 2024.

Geoffrey Scott Burnette Administrator of the Estate of Pamela Wells c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (For publication: 01/17, 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/2024)

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, WAKE COUNTY In the Superior Court 23 CVS 016118-910 PIERRE MOORE v. BRIAN BOOZER AND UNIVERSITY AND LUXURY AUTO, LLC TO: BRIAN BOOZER and UNIVERSITY AND LUXURY AUTO, LLC: TAKE NOTICE that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: This is a personal injury action alleging that Mr. Brian Boozer was negligent in the operation of a motor vehicle and caused a collision with plaintiff’s person on July 19, 2020, and that as a result the plaintiff has suffered personal injury and property damage. This personal injury action further imputes Mr. Brian Boozer’s negligence to University and Luxury Auto, LLC as the owner of the vehicle under the legal theory of negligent entrustment. This complaint also claims punitive damages against Brian Boozer and University and Luxury Auto, LLC. The complaint seeks monetary relief from Mr. Brian Boozer and University and Luxury Auto, LLC in an amount in excess of $25,000.00. You are required to make a defense to such pleading no later than the 27 day of February, 2024 said date being 40 days from the first publication of this notice and upon failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.

This the 17 day of January, 2024.

Gregory A. Posch, Esq. Posch Law Firm P.O. Box 99418 Raleigh, NC 27624 Publish Dates: 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 202

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

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of

the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

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

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

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of

sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

spike in the center line of U.S. Highway No. 601; thence with the center line of U.S. Highway No. 601 S. 21-29 W. 267.18 feet to a railroad spike, a corner of Dae Kyu Park; thence with two (2) of his lines as follows: (1) N. 74-17-25 W. (passing an iron pin on line at 50.25 feet) 343.47 feet to an iron pin; and (2) S. 21-29 W. 637.36 feet to the point of BEGINNING, containing 15.00 acres according to a survey by Gregory S. Flowe dated July 8, 1996.

assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Maria Goris and spouse, Eligio Pena.

their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing.

THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 15422 HWY 601, Midland, NC 28107.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 15256 - 68583

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 23-29020-FC01

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

B7

TAKE NOTICE

CUMBERLAND AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23 SP 261 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made

by Patrick B. McMillian (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Patrick B. McMillian) to First American Title Insurance Co., Trustee(s), dated March 7, 2006, and recorded in Book No. 7168, at Page 551 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23 SP 970 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Doris P. Hill (deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Doris P. Hill, Heirs of Doris P. Hill a/k/a Doris Pearl Hill: Michelle Hill, Robert Hill, Denelle Washington, James Hill, Marshall McMillian, Derrick Hill; Heirs of Denelle Washington: Shakeia Washington, Earl Washington, Jr., Demetreous Washington, Tyeshia Washington; Heirs of James Hill: Shuaneika Thompson Waters; Heirs of Marshall McMillian: Michelle Hill, Robert Hill; Heirs of Derrick Hill: Roshunda Hodges, Derrica Worley, Alexis Worley, Ashley Smith) to Citizens Service Corporation, Trustee(s), dated May 5, 1993, and recorded in Book No. 3951, at Page 0226 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23 SP 1000 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made

by Ezra McCon (deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Ezra McCon, Heirs of Ezra McCon: Shannon Nicole McCon, Denzel McCon, Zamya McCon, Titan McCon) to Thorp and Clarke, PA, Trustee(s), dated February 1, 2022, and recorded in Book No. 11383, at Page 0108 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated

23 SP 1141 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY

courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on January 29, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot No. 106 in a subdivision known as Beaver Creek, Section Three, according to a plat of the same duly recorded in Book of Plats 90, Page 139, Cumberland County Registry.

Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 5709 Kingstree Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. 45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of FortyFive Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. 7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for

and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on February 5, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lots 17 and 18 of NANIE L. SMITH PROPERTY, according to a plat of the same duly recorded in Book of Plats 10, Page 65, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1608 Murchinson Road, Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. 45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of FortyFive Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars

for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on February 5, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Hope Mills in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 88, in a subdivision known as Cypress Lakes Village, Phase One, according to a plat of the same duly recorded in Book of Plats 109, Page 51, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1234 Hunters Trail, Hope Mills, North Carolina.

PROPERTY ADDRESS: Hope Mills, NC 28348

1234 Hunters Trail,

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. 45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of FortyFive Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. 7A-308(a)(1).

at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on February 7, 2024 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Christen A Smith to Hutchens, Senter, Kellam & Pettit, P.A., dba Hutchens Law Firm, Trustee(s), which was dated March 15, 2019 and recorded on March 18, 2019 in Book 10465 at Page 0345, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

BEING all of Lot 38, Block “A”, Section Two, in a subdivision known as BORDEN HEIGHTS, according to a plat of the same recorded in Plat Book 26, Page 77 Cumberland County Registry.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location

Said property is commonly known as 830 Dinmont Cir, Fayetteville, NC 28306.

23 SP 196 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Robert D. Carpenter and Nancy Carpenter to Trste Inc., Trustee(s), which was dated February 14, 2007 and recorded on March 12, 2007 in Book 7527 at Page 517, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on February 7, 2024 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland

DAVIDSON 23 SP 458 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, DAVIDSON COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Mary T. Hedrick to BB&T Collateral Services Corporation, Trustee(s), which was dated May 28, 2009 and recorded on June 15, 2009 in Book 1927 at Page 317, Davidson County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location

23 SP 539 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, DAVIDSON COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Michael D Dorman and Sunny N Neouv to NSB Trustee Services, LLC, Trustee(s), which was dated September 21, 2017 and recorded on September 21, 2017 in Book 2285 at Page 1753, Davidson County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing.

County, North Carolina, to wit: ALL THAT REAL PROPERTY SITUATED IN THE COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA: BEING THE SAME PROPERTY CONVEYED TO THE GRANTOR BY DEED RECORDED IN BOOK 2469, PAGE 74 CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY, TO WHICH DEED REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE FOR A MORE PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF THIS PROPERTY. And being more particularly described according to said Deed as follows: BEING all of Lot 80, BREEZEWOOD ACRES, SECTION TWO, according to a plat of same duly recorded in Plat Book 39, Page 56, Cumberland County, North Carolina, Registry.

This property is subject to Restrictive Covenants as appear of record in Book 2339, Page 238, Cumberland County, North Carolina, Registry.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

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

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

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

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

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of

sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. 7A-308(a)(1).

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

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this

property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

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

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

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days,

after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

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

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

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

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

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing

written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Christen A Smith.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the

Said property is commonly known as 808 Acmar Cir, Hope Mills, NC 28348.

the current owner(s) of the property is/are Robert D. Carpenter, Jr. and wife, Nancy Oster Carpenter.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing.

THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned,

at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on January 29, 2024 at 11:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Davidson County, North Carolina, to wit:

LESS ACCORDING TO SURVEY OF DAVID L. CRAVER, RLS L-2857, DATED AUGUST 12, 1983.

ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATED IN THE SILVER HILL TOWNSHIP, DAVIDSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA AND MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

Said property is commonly known as 192 Allred Rd, Lexington, NC 27292.

BEGINNING AT AN EXISTING AXLE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OF ALLRED ROAD, SR NUMBER 2248, BEING THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF DALLAS COBLE; THENCE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OF ALLRED ROAD NORTH 14 DEGREES 47 MINUTES 35 SECONDS EAST 105 FEET TO A NEW IRON IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OF ALLRED ROAD, CORNER TO DONALD TYSINGER; THENCE SOUTH 75 DEGREES 12 MINUTES 25 SECONDS EAST 145 FEET TO A NEW IRON, CORNER TO DONALD TYSINGER; THENCE SOUTH 14 DEGREES 47 MINUTES 35 SECONDS WEST 105 FEET TO A NEW IRON IN THE LINE OF DALLAS COBLE; THENCE WITH COBLE’S LINE NORTH 75 DEGREES 12 MINUTES 25 SECONDS WEST 145 FEET TO THE POINT AND PLACE OF BEGINNING, CONTAINING .35 ACRE, MORE OR

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing.

THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special

sale on January 29, 2024 at 11:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Davidson County, North Carolina, to wit:

amounts are immediately due and owing.

THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

BEING KNOWN AND DESIGNATED as Lot No. 4 on the Map of Deer Run, Plat of which is recorded in Plat Book 18, Page 10, in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Davidson County, North Carolina, reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Michael Dorman and Sunny Neouv.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 108 Deer Run Ln, Lexington, NC 27292.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 1105 - 1719

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 15846 - 72332

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 15953 - 72972

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 22-16102-FC02

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

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 23-02187-FC01

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are ALL LAWFUL HEIRS OF MARY T. HEDRICK. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

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

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 23-19929-FC01

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this

parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale

and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 23-28334-FC01

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

B8 TAKE NOTICE

DAVIDSON 23 SP 421 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, DAVIDSON COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Charlene Nichols and India Nichols to Amy Mandart, Trustee(s), which was dated August 25, 2004 and recorded on August 30, 2004 in Book 1550 at Page 0799, Davidson County Registry, North Carolina.

in Davidson County, North Carolina, to wit: THE REAL

FOLLOWING ESTATE,

DESCRIBED TO-WIT:

ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATED IN THE CITY OF LEXINGTON, COTTON GROVE TOWNSHIP, DAVIDSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA AND MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on February 5, 2024 at 11:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated

BEGINNING AT AN IRON STAKE, CORNER TO THE MARTHA MITCHELL LOT, ON THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF THE WINSTON-SALEM SOUTHBOUND RAILROAD; THENCE SOUTH 4 DEG. 32 MIN. 0 SEC. EAST 220.20 FEET TO AN IRON PIPE, CORNER TO THE BELL ESTATE; THENCE SOUTH 4 DEG. 35 MIN. 3 SEC. EAST TO AN IRON PIPE, CORNER TO WILSON JACKSON, JR.; THENCE SOUTH 86 DEG. 19 MIN. 24 SEC. EAST 85.20 FEET TO A NAIL TO THE CENTER; THENCE NORTH 52 DEG. 51 MIN. 39 SEC. EAST 60.00 FEET TO A STAKE IN THE CENTER OF SMITH GROVE CHURCH ROAD NCSR; THENCE NORTH 06 DEG. 55 MIN. 01 SEC. NORTHWEST 357.69 FEET TO A POINT ON THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF THE WINSTON-SALEM SOUTHBOUND RAILROAD; THENCE WITH A CHORD BEARING IN DISTANCE OF 45.00 FEET NORTH 83 DEG. 57 MIN. 48 SEC. WEST, AN ARCH BEARING IN DISTANCE OF 45.01 FEET, THEN NORTH 84

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23 SP 536

A tract or parcel of land in Thomasville Township, Davidson County, North Carolina, described as follows:

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made

by Freddie B. Coleman and Tony A. Coleman (deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Tony A. Coleman and Freddie B. Coleman) to Hutchens & Senter, Trustee(s), dated February 15, 2006, and recorded in Book No. 1680, at Page 0266 in Davidson County Registry, North Carolina. The Deed of Trust was modified by the following: A Loan Modification recorded on November 1, 2022, in Book No. DE 2574, at Page 1432, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Davidson County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Lexington, Davidson County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:30 AM on February 7, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Thomasville in the County of Davidson, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows:

Beginning at a nail and cap located in the right-ofway at the intersection of Arlington and Church Streets in Thomasville and running thence North 13 degrees 04 minutes West 193.76 feet to an iron pin; thence South 85 degrees 12 minutes East 77.50 feet to an iron pin; thence South 14 degrees 15 minutes East 100.48 feet to an iron pin; thence South 09 degrees 50 minutes 56 seconds East 26.12 feet to an iron pin; thence South 12 degrees 33 minutes East 25.14 feet to an iron pin; thence South 29 degrees 28 minutes 22 seconds West 28.74 feet to an iron pin; thence South 79 degrees 56 minutes West 54.81 feet to an iron pin, the point and place of beginning. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being being located at 16 Arlington Avenue, Thomasville, North Carolina.

DURHAM 23 SP 930 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, DURHAM COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Angela Du Bois a/k/a Angela M DuBois to James P. Bonner (Member/Manager) Brock and Scott, PLC, Trustee(s), which was dated October 20, 2017 and recorded on October 30, 2017 in Book 8298 at Page 916, Durham County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the

22 SP 729 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, DURHAM COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Jamie Rose Ratliff and Remington Cole Rust to Arnette Law Offices, Trustee(s), which was dated December 31, 2019 and recorded on January 2, 2020 in Book 8840 at Page 688, Durham County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on February 8,

23 SP 983 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, DURHAM COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Edward E Cooke to Trste, Inc, Trustee(s), which was dated August 17, 2006 and recorded on September 13, 2006 in Book 5354 at Page 389, Durham County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on February 8, 2024 at 11:30 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Durham County, North Carolina, to wit: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION DURHAM COUNTY 23sp1027 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY VIRGINIA CAROLE IVEY DATED AUGUST 13, 2009 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 6310 AT PAGE 70 IN THE DURHAM COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Durham

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION DURHAM COUNTY 23sp1028 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY DANIEL KAYEE AND JOY ATUFUNWA DATED MARCH 1, 2006 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 5138 AT PAGE 703 IN THE DURHAM COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Durham

Said property is that same property shown by survey entitled “Property of Tony A. Coleman and wife, Freddie B. Coleman” dated 1/11/89 prepared

by E. M. Teer, R.L.S. said property has been known as Lot No. One (1) of Harry Brown Finch Property, a plat of which is recorded in Plat Book 4, at Page 71, in the office of the Register of Deeds for Davison County, NC, but excludes those portions of said lot which extend into the right-of-way for adjoining street and which have been transferred to the Board of Transportation for said right-of-way.

county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on February 8, 2024 at 11:30 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Durham County, North Carolina, to wit: THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY IN DURHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: BEING ALL OF LOT 97 AS PER PLAT AND SURVEY ENTITLED, “REVISION OF LOTS 94 THROUGH 110 OF MAP FOR OAKBROOK SUBDIVISION, PHASE ONE,” PREPARED BY F.T. GREEN & ASSOC., DATED JUNE 7, 1988 AND NOW ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OF DURHAM COUNTY IN PLAT BOOK 118, PAGE 45, TO WHICH PLAT REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE FOR A MORE PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF SAME. ALSO BEING THE SAME PREMISES CONVEYED TO ANGELA M. DUBOIS, UNMARRIED, FROM WEEKLEY HOMES, INC., BY GENERAL WARRANTY DEED DATED 03/20/1989, AND RECORDED ON 04/20/1989 AT DOCUMENT REFERENCE 1519/61 IN DURHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

2024 at 11:30 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Durham County, North Carolina, to wit: Lying and being in the City of Durham, Oak Grove Township, Durham County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows:

DEG. 19 MIN. 19 SEC. WEST 82.27 FEET TO THE PLACE OF BEGINNING CONTAINING 1.2 ACRES.

BY FEE SIMPLE DEED FROM LOUIS L. NICHOLS AS SET FORTH IN BOOK 638, PAGE 563 DATED 09/20/1985 AND RECORDED 09/20/1985, DAVIDSON COUNTY RECORDS, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 364 Jim Bell Road, Lexington, NC 27292.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale.

Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to

For informational purposes only: The APN is shown by the County Assessor as 16 081000 000 37; Source of Title is Book 703, Page 669 (Recorded 02/17/89) Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

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

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 5131 Oakbrook Dr, Durham, NC 27713.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale.

Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and

greater, will be required at the time of the sale.

Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property is commonly known as 1026 Janiskee Road, Durham, NC 27703.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record.

To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Jamie Rose Ratliff and Remington Cole Rust.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in

Durham County, North Carolina in Lebanon F. D. Township, more particularly described as follows:

Register of Deeds of Durham County in Plat Book 41, at page 31, to which plat reference is hereby made for more particular description of same.

All of Lot 117 in Ellis Crossing, Phases 2B & 2D, as shown on the plat recorded in Plat Book 199, Pages 33-40, Durham County Registry, to which plat reference is hereby made for a more particular description. SEE ALSO Easement Dedication recorded in Plat Book 199, Pages 260-263, Durham County Registry.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record.

To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Charlene Nichols and All Lawful Heirs of India Nichols aka India Nichols Monroe aka India N Monroe aka Nichols India.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

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

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 18-24157-FC02

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

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

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

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

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing

written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination.

Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

any other encumbrances or exceptions of record.

To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are ANGELA M. DUBOIS (UNMARRIED).

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

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 4667 - 53918

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 23-25164-FC01

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is

possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 22-11063-FC01

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 5824 Roxboro Rd, Durham, NC 27712.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale.

Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and

any other encumbrances or exceptions of record.

To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Edward E Cooke, single.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing

of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 23-28514-FC01

County courthouse at 10:00AM on February 7, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Durham County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Virginia Carole Ivey, dated August 13, 2009 to secure the original principal amount of $122,550.00, and recorded in Book 6310 at Page 70 of the Durham County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Address of property: 8 0 7 Riverbark Ln, Durham, NC 27703 Tax Parcel ID: 158823 Present Record Owners: T h e Estate of Virginia Carole Ivey The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are

The Estate of Virginia Carole Ivey.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the

form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid.

The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days written notice to the landlord. You may be liable for rent due

under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is January 18, 2024. _________ ____________________________ Jason K. Purser, NCSB# 28031 Aaron Gavin, NCSB# 59503 Attorney for LLG Trustee, LLC, Substitute Trustee LOGS Legal Group LLP 10130 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 | (704) 333-8156 Fax | www.

LOGS.com Posted: By:

County courthouse at 10:00AM on February 7, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Durham County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Daniel Kayee and Joy Atufunwa, dated March 1, 2006 to secure the original principal amount of $118,774.40, and recorded in Book 5138 at Page 703 of the Durham County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Address of property: 9 1 2 Obsidian Way, Durham, NC 27703 Tax Parcel ID: 201424 Present Record Owners: Daniel Kayee and Joy Atufunwa The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Daniel Kayee and Joy Atufunwa.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be

held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid.

The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days written notice to the landlord. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is January 18, 2024.

_________ ____________________________ Jason K. Purser, NCSB# 28031 Aaron Gavin, NCSB# 59503 Attorney for LLG Trustee, LLC, Substitute Trustee LOGS Legal Group LLP 10130 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 | (704) 333-8156 Fax | www.

LOGS.com Posted: By:

TRACT NO. 2: Beginning at an iron stake in the eastern property line of Roxboro Road, which said stake is 500 feet north of the intersection of the east side of Roxboro Road with the north side of Smith Road, as shown on the map hereinafter referred to, and running thence from said beginning point along and with the property line on the east side of Roxboro Road along a curve having a radius of 2293.19 feet, a distance of 260.9 feet to a point; thence continuing along and with the property line on the east side of Roxboro Road North 18 degrees 23 minutes East 39.1 feet to an iron stake; thence South 85 degrees 49 minutes East 268 feet to a stake; thence South 4 degrees 11 minutes West 100 feet to a stake; thence South 85 degrees 49 minutes East 100 feet to a stake; thence South 4 degrees 11 minutes West 257 feet to a stake; thence North 77 degrees 09 minutes West 431.8 feet to the iron stake at the point and place of beginning, containing 2.8 acres, more or less, and being “Part of the J. E. Cole Estate”, Lebanon Township, Durham County, North Carolina, as per plat and survey thereof by J. Watts Copley, L.S., dated July 25, 1960, on file in the office of the

16-087434

23-116719

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

B9

TAKE NOTICE termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of FortyFive Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

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

special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

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

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

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of

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

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

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

at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of FortyFive Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

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

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

February 6, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in New Hanover County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Carl Edward Fare, Jr and Kay C Fare, dated September 9, 2005 to secure the original principal amount of $400,000.00, and recorded in Book 4904 at Page 1937 of the New Hanover County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Address of property: 5 9 1 3 Hunters Mill Ln, Wilmington, NC 28409 Tax Parcel ID: R06218-008-026-000 Present Record Owners: C a r l Edward Fare and Kay C. Fare The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Carl Edward Fare and Kay C. Fare.

The property to be offered pursuant to this

notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period,

all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid.

The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days written notice to the landlord. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is December 6, 2023. _________ ____________________________ Jason K. Purser, NCSB# 28031 Attorney for LLG Trustee, LLC, Substitute Trustee

LOGS Legal Group LLP 10130 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 | (704) 333-8156 Fax | www.

LOGS.com Posted: By:

ONSLOW

All of that certain tract or parcel of land situated in Onslow County, North Carolina, and more particularly described:

and Louis W. Sewell, Jr., dated July 23, 1997.

PARCEL NO. 417-24

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23 SP 540

Being all of Lot 2, as shown on a map entitled, “Recombination Plat, Overbrook Section No. 3, Showing Northwoods Shopping Center dated October 9, 1997 prepared by John L. PierceSurveying and recorded in Map Book 35, Page 136, Slide J-643, Onslow County Registry.

Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 344 Henderson Drive, Jacksonville, North Carolina.

at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

BEING the same property described as Tract I, in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale between PF Properties, LLC., and John L. Pierce

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of FortyFive Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

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

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty

dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

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

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

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

the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Randolph County courthouse at 1:00PM on February 1, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Randolph County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Shirley A. Richardson, dated November 24, 2014 to secure the original principal amount of $102,551.00, and recorded in Book RE2418 at Page 690 of the Randolph County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record.

Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Address of property: 5 8 9 7 Surrie Trl, Pleasant Garden, NC 27313 Tax Parcel ID: 7667783354 Present Record Owners: Shirley

A. Richardson The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Shirley A. Richardson.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the

form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid.

The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days written notice to the landlord. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is November 8, 2023.

_________ ____________________________ Jason K. Purser, NCSB# 28031 Attorney for LLG Trustee, LLC, Substitute Trustee LOGS Legal Group LLP 10130 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 | (704) 333-8156 Fax | www.

LOGS.com Posted: By:

situated in the County of RANDOLPH, State of NC, and is described as follows:

or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing.

THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988

JOHNSTON NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23SP001632-500 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made

by Sheila A. Parker and David Parker (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Sheila A. Parker and David Parker) to Theodore G. Wise, Trustee(s), dated November 1, 2016, and recorded in Book No. 4935, at Page 672 in Johnston County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Johnston County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Smithfield, Johnston County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on February 20, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Four Oaks in the County of Johnston, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Beginning at a pk nail in the center of SR #1162 (60’ r/w), said point being further identified

NEW HANOVER AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23 SP 317 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made

by David L. Brannock (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): David L. Brannock, Heirs of David L. Brannock: Barbara Burton, Kenneth W. Brannock, William Brannock, Jr., Cynthia Brannock; Heirs of William Brannock, Jr.: Joyce Cressman Brannock; Heirs of Cynthia Brannock: Serena Pulliam) to Pamela S. Cox, Trustee(s), dated November 4, 2013, and recorded in Book No. 5781, at Page 301 in New Hanover County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds New Hanover County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION NEW HANOVER COUNTY 23sp265 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY CARL EDWARD FARE, JR AND KAY C FARE DATED SEPTEMBER 9, 2005 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 4904 AT PAGE 1937 IN THE NEW HANOVER COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the New Hanover County courthouse at 12:00PM on

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made

by GFH of Jacksonville, LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): GFH of Jacksonville, LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company) to Ticor Title Insurance Company, Trustee(s), dated June 25, 2007, and recorded in Book No. 2925, at Page 714 in Onslow County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Onslow County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on February 7, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Jacksonville in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows:

RANDOLPH IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION RANDOLPH COUNTY 22sp412 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY SHIRLEY A. RICHARDSON DATED NOVEMBER 24, 2014 AND RECORDED IN BOOK RE2418 AT PAGE 690 RERECORDED ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 IN BOOK 2457, PAGE 475 AND MODIFIED BY AGREEMENT RECORDED MARCH 17, 2020 IN BOOK 2693, PAGE 407 IN THE RANDOLPH COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of

23 SP 301 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, RANDOLPH COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Michael J. Reardon to Inspire Closing Services, Trustee(s), which was dated February 1, 2021 and recorded on February 5, 2021 in Book 2739 at Page 1787, Randolph County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on February 6, 2024 at 01:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Randolph County, North Carolina, to wit: The

Land

referred

to

herein

below

is

as being a common corner with Lot #2 of the Lealand Allen Property; thence running as the line of Lealand Allen North 68 deg. 13 min 53 sec. West 326.85 ft. to an existing iron stake in the run of fort branch; thence running as the run of fort branch the following courses North 8 deg. 31 min. 57 sec. East 70.93 ft. to an existing iron stake; thence running North 58 deg. 00 min. 10 sec. East 167.67 ft. to an existing iron stake; running North 24 deg. 55 min. 00 sec.

East 144.60 ft. to an existing iron stake; thence running north 42 deg. 59 min. 00 sec. East 71.16 ft. to an existing iron stake; thence running North 77 deg. 47 min. 00 sec. East 80 ft. to an existing iron stake; thence running 51 deg. 00 min. 00 sec. East 115.26 ft. to an existing iron stake; thence running North 76 deg. 16 min.

00 sec. East 56.12 ft. to an existing iron stake thence running South 56 deg. 50 min. 00 sec.

East 108.20 ft. to a pk nail located in the center line of SR 1162 (60’ r/w); said point being further identified as being located in the line of Mable L. Hill; thence running as the center line of SR 1162 (60’ r/w) the following courses and distances: South 39 deg. 09 min. 55 sec. West 98.63 ft. to a pk nail; thence running South 31 deg. 35 min. 44 sec. West 100.02 ft to a pk nail; thence running South 28 deg. 30 min. 19 sec. West 99.99 ft. to a pk nail; thence running South 25 deg. 05 min. 20 sec. West 99.99 ft. to a pk nail; thence running South 21 deg. 46 min. 07 sec. West 179.73 ft. to a pk nail; being the point and place of beginning and contains 3.28 acres, more or less, said property being further designated as Lot #1 of the John R. Lee property as referenced in Plat Bk. 35, Pg. 189 according to a survey entitled,

“Property of David Earl Parker and wife, Shelia A. Parker” prepared by W. Stanton Massengill, RLS, dated July 29,1992 and revised 12-21-92.

Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 3608 Hockaday Road, Four Oaks, North Carolina.

said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on January 30, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Wilmington in the County of New Hanover, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lots 99 and 100 of the Subdivision of Arcadia, according to a map thereof duly recorded in Map Book 2, at Page 88, New Hanover County Registry, reference to which is hereby mad for a more particular description.

Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 225 North 26th Street, Wilmington, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

PARCEL I.D.# 417-24.2 Those lots or parcels of land lying and being situated in the Onslow County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lots 3, 4 and 5, as shown on a map entitled, “Recombination Plat, Overbrook Section No. 3, showing Northwoods Shopping Center” dated October 9, 1997, prepared by John L. Pierce-Surveying and recorded in Map Book 35, Page 136, Slide J- 643, of the Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2586 Onslow Drive, Jacksonville, North Carolina.

All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in New Hope Township, Randolph County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: BEING ALL OF Lot No. 1, containing 20.01 acres, more or less, as shown on plat entitled “Recombination Plat Prepared for Rhonda Lee Mitchell”, prepared by Glenn Brown Surveying, Inc., and recorded in Plat Book 141, Page 74, in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Randolph County, North Carolina.

Being the same property as conveyed from Rhonda Lee Mitchell an unmarried woman to Michael J. Reardon, an unmarried man as set forth in Deed Book 2557 Page 156 dated 07/05/2017, recorded 07/31/2017, RANDOLPH County, NORTH CAROLINA. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 6748 Bells Grove Rd, Denton, NC 27239.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price,

More commonly known as: 3608 HOCKADAY RD, FOUR OAKS, NC 27524 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are All Lawful Heirs of Michael J. Reardon.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

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

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 16865 - 79115

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 15498 - 69928

23-116227

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 12609 - 54970

22-115097

File No.: 23-24698-FC01

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

B10 TAKE NOTICE

RANDOLPH OTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23 SP 322 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made

by Cynthia M. Cooper and James P. Cooper (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): James P. Cooper and Cynthia M. Cooper) to Jerone C. Herring, Trustee(s), dated August 15, 2003, and recorded in Book No. 1830, at Page 1631 in Randolph County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Randolph County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in

23 SP 54 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, RANDOLPH COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Jeffrey D. Deaton and Sylvia A. Deaton, Husband and Wife to Allan B. Polunsky, Trustee(s), which was dated October 21, 2011 and recorded on October 26, 2011 in Book 2256 at Page 723, Randolph County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on January 30, 2024 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property

23 SP 17 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, RANDOLPH COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Justin A. Lornson and Jessica Lornson A/K/A Jessica Pappas to Heather Lovier, Trustee(s), which was dated January 22, 2022 and recorded on January 27, 2022 in Book 2790 at Page 1377, Randolph County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on February 6, 2024 at 01:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property

ROBESON IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ROBESON COUNTY 23sp122 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY FRANK LEE MCNEILL AND WILLIE MAE MCNEILL DATED DECEMBER 15, 2006 AND RECORDED IN BOOK D 1576 AT PAGE 630 IN THE ROBESON COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements

UNION OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION UNION COUNTY 23sp636 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY DAVID A. SIMMERS DATED FEBRUARY 19, 2020 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 7591 AT PAGE 393 IN THE UNION COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23 SP 530 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made

by Brian D. Sammons (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Brian D. Sammons) to William T. Morrison and Philip M. Rudisill, Trustee(s), dated April 5, 2018, and recorded in Book No. 07134, at Page 0099 in Union County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Union County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the Judicial Center in Monroe, Union County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:00 PM on February 1, 2024 and will sell to the highest

Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on January 30, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Seagrove in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Tract 6, consisting of 3.225 acres, more or less, as shown on Survey and Division for Heirs of Wes Davis as recorded in Plat Book 32, Page 13, Randolph County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 5496 Bachelor Creek Road, Seagrove, North Carolina.

of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit.

The purchaser will have no further remedy.

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

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided

that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination.

Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale,

transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed.

Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons

situated in Randolph County, North Carolina, to wit:

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

BEGINNING at a pk nail in the centerline of Chapel Wood Road (NCSR No. 1343) the Southwest corner of Jeffrey Dean Deaton’s 1.871 acre tract as shown by plat recorded in Plat Book 37, Page 81, Randolph County Registry; thence from said beginning point North 75 degrees 37 minutes 41 seconds East 99.18 feet; thence South 88 degrees 24 minutes 23 seconds East 85.73 feet to a 5/8 inch existing iron rod; thence South 80 degrees 47 minutes 21 seconds East 232.40 feet; thence along Richard Deaton: South 05 degrees 13 minutes 04 seconds West 268.59 feet to a 1/2 inch new iron rod and South 79 degrees 51 minutes 11 seconds West 462.85 feet to the centerline of Chapel Wood Road; thence along said centerline: North 2 degrees 37 minutes 53 seconds West 97.22 feet, North 5 degrees 41 minutes 03 seconds East 103.37 feet, North 17 degrees 04 minutes 09 seconds East 94.10 feet, North 25 degrees 35 minutes 26 seconds East 82.10 feet to the Beginning, containing 3.432 acres and being designated as Tract B on attached survey by Allen Mize Surveying.

Said property is commonly known as 1819 Chapelwood Road, Denton, NC 27239.

To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Jeffrey D. Deaton and wife, Sylvia A. Deaton.

such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit.

The purchaser will have no further remedy.

situated in Randolph County, North Carolina, to wit:

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Tax

Said property is commonly known as 3438 Old Brower Mill Rd, Franklinville, NC 27248.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Id

Number(s):

7794-58-0081

Land situated in the Township of Franklinville in the County of Randolph in the State of NC BEING ALL OF REVISED TRACT 1, CONTAINING 1.370 ACRES, AS SHOWN ON THAT PLAT ENTITLED “SURVEY FOR JUSTIN LORNSON”, BY SURVEY CAROLINA, PLLC, SAID PLAT BEING RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 166, PAGE 31, IN THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OF RANDOLPH COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, TO WHICH PLAT REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE FOR A MORE PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION. Commonly Mill Rd,

known as: 3438 Franklinville, NC

Old Brower 27248-8301

THE PROPERTY ADDRESS AND TAX PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER LISTED ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 14525 - 64347

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 23-02693-FC01

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of

any other encumbrances or exceptions of record.

To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Justin A. Lornson and wife, Jessica Pappas.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit.

The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 22-21609-FC01

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this

contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Robeson County courthouse at 2:00PM on January 31, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Robeson County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Frank Lee McNeill and Willie Mae McNeill, dated December 15, 2006 to secure the original principal amount of $98,800.00, and recorded in Book D 1576 at Page 630 of the Robeson County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record.

Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Address of property: 406 W 24th St, Lumberton, NC 28358 Tax Parcel ID: 320803064 Present Record Owners: T h e

Estate of Willie McNeil The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are The Estate of Willie McNeil.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and

must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted.

This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days written notice to the landlord. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is January 11, 2024. _________ ________________ ____________ Jason K. Purser, NCSB# 28031 Aaron Gavin, NCSB# 59503 Attorney for LLG Trustee, LLC, Substitute Trustee LOGS Legal Group LLP 10130 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 | (704) 333-8156 Fax | www.

LOGS.com Posted: By:

the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Union County courthouse at 10:00AM on February 1, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Union County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed David A. Simmers, dated February 19, 2020 to secure the original principal amount of $218,952.00, and recorded in Book 7591 at Page 393 of the Union County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Address of property: 2 3 1 5 Silver Run Dr, Monroe, NC 28110 Tax Parcel ID: 09396995 Present Record Owners: David A. Simmers The record owner(s) of the property, according to

the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are David A. Simmers.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted.

This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days written notice to the landlord. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is January 12, 2024. _________ ____________________________

Jason K. Purser, NCSB# 28031 Aaron Gavin, NCSB# 59503 Attorney for LLG Trustee, LLC, Substitute Trustee LOGS Legal Group LLP 10130 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 | (704) 333-8156 Fax | www.

LOGS.com Posted: By:

bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Monroe in the County of Union, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 41, Brook Valley Subdivision, Phase III, as same is shown on a map thereof recorded in Plat Cabinet H, File 736, Union County Registry, to which plat reference is hereby made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 6006 Brook Valley Run, Monroe, North Carolina.

secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed.

Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not

limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit.

The purchaser will have no further remedy.

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

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided

that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination.

Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note

23-115663

22-112956

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 14416 - 63871

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

B11

TAKE NOTICE

UNION 23 SP 522 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, UNION COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Loyd R. Crouch and Frankie C. Stowe to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), which was dated July 31, 2003 and recorded on July 31, 2003 in Book 3161 at Page 227, Union County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located,

WAKE NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 21SP001624-910 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Olivia M. Garland (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Olivia M. Garland, Heirs of Olivia M. Garland a/k/a Olivia Garland: Frederick Garland, Jr.; Heirs of Frederick Garland, Jr.: Karen L. Garland, Frederick M. Garland, Blake M. Garland, Julian M. Garland) to Western Wake Law Group, Trustee(s), dated January 28, 2013, and recorded in Book No. 015127, at Page 02000 in Wake County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Wake County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having

23SP001357-910 AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, WAKE COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Sarah Rojas to Heather Lovier, Trustee(s), which was dated June 10, 2022 and recorded on June 14, 2022 in Book 019058 at Page 00329, Wake County Registry, North Carolina.

or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on February 6, 2024 at 12:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Union County, North Carolina, to wit:

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after

directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on February 7, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Cary in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 67 in Cotswold Subdivision a portion of Phase 1, as shown on a map thereof recorded in Book of Maps 1998, Pages 17581759 of the Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 105 Chasbrier Court, Cary, North Carolina.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit.

The purchaser will have no further remedy.

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

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at

least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination.

Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents

($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

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

Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

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

or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on February 7, 2024 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Wake County, North Carolina, to wit:

sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit.

The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Land situated in the City of Raleigh in the County of Wake in the State of NC

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record.

To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Sarah Rojas.

possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Address: 105 Chasbrier Ct., Cary, NC 27518 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

LOT 57, GREEN VALLEY SUBDIVISION, AS THE SAME IS DULY SHOWN ON THE PLAT RECORDED IN BOOK OF MAPS 1959, PAGE 315, WAKE COUNTY REGISTER OF DEEDS.

OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION WAKE COUNTY 23SP001902-910

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Shirley P. Chen (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Veritas Capital, LLC) to ***Los Angeles*** CTC Real Estate Services, Trustee(s), dated February 25, 2008, and recorded in Book No. 012993, at Page 02355 in Wake County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Wake County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location

OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION WAKE COUNTY 23SP003328-910 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY CARL A. GREENE AND SHANESE D. CREDLE DATED NOVEMBER 22, 2006 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 12282 AT PAGE 158 IN THE WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Wake County courthouse at 11:00AM

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988

Said property is commonly known as 6116 Sunrise Lane, Monroe, NC 28112-7610.

BEING all of Lot 22 of Sunset Ridge, Section II, as shown on plat of survey thereof by Carroll L. Rushing, NCRLS, recorded on January 15, 2002, in Plat Cabinet G, File 800, Union County Registry.

Said plat is incorporated herein by reference for a more complete description.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 19SP000922-910

October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record.

To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are All Lawful Heirs of Frankie Opal Crouch Stowe and All Lawful Heirs of Loyd Ray Crouch.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located,

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY NISHAL PATEL AND SUKRITI PATEL DATED NOVEMBER 1, 2018 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 17283 AT PAGE 1872 IN THE WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Wake County courthouse at 11:00AM on February 8, 2024, the following described real

PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property is commonly known as 2512 Friendly Trl, Raleigh, NC 27610.

File No.: 22-15398-FC02

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit.

The purchaser will have no further remedy.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 4976 - 18850

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 23-01660-FC01

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the

estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Wake County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Nishal Patel and Sukriti Patel, dated November 1, 2018 to secure the original principal amount of $314,280.00, and recorded in Book 17283 at Page 1872 of the Wake County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Address of property: 3 7 2 4 Bellevue Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609 Tax Parcel ID: 0037531 Present Record Owners: Sukriti Patel and Nishal Patelm The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Sukriti Patel and Nishal Patelm.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and

conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted.

This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY

DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days written notice to the landlord. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is December 20, 2023. _________ ____________________________ Jason K. Purser, NCSB# 28031 Attorney for LLG Trustee, LLC, Substitute Trustee

LOGS Legal Group LLP 10130 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 | (704) 333-8156 Fax | www.

LOGS.com Posted: By:

designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on January 29, 2024 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Raleigh in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated near the City of Raleigh, Leesville Township, Wake County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows:Being Lot Number 37, Black Horse Run Subdivision, Section 1, as recorded in Book of Maps 1973, Page 383, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 3412 Hackney Court, Raleigh, North Carolina.Source of Title is Book 3258, Page 493 (recorded 03/26/84)

purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit.

The purchaser will have no further remedy.

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

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the

sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination.

Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant

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

Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the

on February 8, 2024, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Wake County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Carl A. Greene and Shanese D. Credle, dated November 22, 2006 to secure the original principal amount of $166,400.00, and recorded in Book 12282 at Page 158 of the Wake County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Address of property: 2 7 0 0 Orangebrook Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610 Tax Parcel ID: 0344599 Present Record Owners: C a r l e Greene and Shanese D. Credle The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Carle

Greene and Shanese D. Credle.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at

the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted.

This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days written notice to the landlord. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the

termination.

The date of this Notice is December 18, 2023. _________ ____________________________ Jason K. Purser, NCSB# 28031 Attorney for LLG Trustee, LLC, Substitute Trustee LOGS Legal Group LLP 10130 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 | (704) 333-8156 Fax | www.

LOGS.com Posted: By:

A certified check only (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

23-115857

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 1269878 - 9690

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North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

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Getting connected President Joe Biden appeared in Raleigh last Thursday, touting a plan to invest more than $80 million in internet infrastructure to help connect 16,000 new households and businesses in rural NC communities. Turn to page 6 for more.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Colleges to host ‘FAFSA Day’ on Jan. 27 60 universities and community colleges across North Carolina will host free “FAFSA Day” events later this month to assist students and parents with filling out the new financial aid form.

Locally, Central Carolina Community College in Sanford and Richmond Community College in Hamlet will participate on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The FAFSA form allows eligible North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less to access the Next NC Scholarship, a combination of the federal Pell Grant and statefunded financial aid that can fully cover tuition and fees at NC community colleges — or half or more, of the costs to attend any public university in the state.

Students and parents should first fill out an FSA ID application at studentaid.gov, and be sure to bring 2022 tax and asset information to the event.

American Red Cross looking for blood donations and volunteers The Red Cross is urgently requesting donations of blood and platelets to restock supplies in North Carolina. Visit redcrossblood.org to find local blood drives in the area.

The nonprofit is also looking for nurses, health professionals, and regular Americans to volunteer across a number of disciplines. Whether in direct service, leadership, or behindthe-scenes, the Red Cross needs volunteers in Disaster Services, Blood Donor Ambassadors, biomedical services, nursing network, and Armed Forces Hero Care Case Management.

Visit redcross.org/volunteer today to learn more about opportunities in the NC region.

Locust PD recognizes department chaplain as citizen of the year

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal LOCUST — At the Locust City Council meeting earlier this month, the Locust Police Department officially recognized department Chaplain Mario Miller as its selection for the city’s 2023 Citizen of the Year award.

“I knew in January 2023 that Mario Miller was going to be our citizen of the year and all he continued to do throughout the year was solidify that opinion,” Locust Police Chief Jeff Shew said while presenting the award to Miller.

Named as a chaplain in July to work as a motivator, supporter and encourager for Locust’s officers, Miller is a 16-year US Army veteran who served multiple tours in combat areas including Iraq and Somalia.

He is the author of the book, “Poems and Prayers,” that he wrote after his military service and salvation.

Residing in Locust with his family for almost two years, Miller, 60, also participates in regular mission and outreach with the homeless, widows and veterans in several areas of the state including Fayetteville and Charlotte.

“The Locust Police Department congratulates Chaplain Mario Miller for this well-deserved honor, and we thank him so much for all he does in his daily witness, encouragement, and positivity for all those he meets in and around Locust, and for his unwavering support and encouragement for the officers of the Locust Police Department,” the LPD said in a public statement.

In the LPD’s signed 2023 Citizen of the Year award for Miller, the department detailed a story from March 2023 where Locust officers responded to a suicide threat from a homeless military veteran in the parking lot of the city’s Walmart.

Miller spent most of the day

COURTESY PHOTO

with the veteran learning his story while buying him meals and arranging for him to get the help for the issues he was having. The veteran has since found gainful employment and has reconnected with estranged family members. “[Miller’s] boisterous personality and positivity have become well-known around Locust and

Stanfield native announced as Miss North Carolina’s Teen 2023 Annika Schneider will succeed Hanley House as the titleholder

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal STANFIELD — A Stanly County resident has been awarded the Miss North Carolina’s Teen 2023 honor, according to a Jan. 18 announcement by the organization.

Stanfield native and 18-yearold Pfeiffer University Honors College student Annika Schneider — formerly Miss Stanly

County’s Outstanding Teen 2022 and Miss Metrolina’s Teen 2023 — will succeed Hanley House, the former Miss North Carolina’s Teen who was recently crowned Miss America’s Teen at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando on Jan. 13.

“Hello North Carolina! My name is Annika Schneider and I am your new Miss North Carolina’s Teen,” Schneider said in a Miss North Carolina’s Teen press release. “I am extremely excited and humbled to be taking on this incredible role. I cannot wait to serve our amazing state for the next six months. Stay tuned this

week for more information about me. God’s timing is so so perfect.”

“I am extremely humbled and grateful to be accepting the position,” she added. “When I received the call that I could be Miss North Carolina’s Teen, it was surreal. I cannot wait to embrace the role fully and give North Carolina all that I have to offer!”

Set to hold the title until the June 2024 state competition in High Point, Schneider will be crowned as Miss North Carolina’s Teen 2023 during the Miss Queen City and Miss Metrolina Competition on Saturday, Jan.

surrounding areas including his regular visits to numerous Locust businesses, the Locust Government Center, West Stanly Senior Center, Locust VFW post, West Stanly Rotary Club, West Stanly Christian Ministries, and many many more,” the LPD’s statement continued.

“He has also made it a regular practice to visit area law enforcement agencies and fire departments to offer his support, encouragement, and prayer.”

Started in 2021, the third-annual award honors a Locust citizen or citizen associated with the city that “has performed exemplary deeds or services for their city or their fellow citizens, and/or exhibits a strong sense of selflessness, caring, and responsibility.”

Autumn Huneycutt — a thenfirst grade student at Locust Elementary — was given the award in 2021 while Travis McKinney — a loss prevention associate at the city’s Walmart — received it in 2022.

27 at 6:00 p.m. at Cox Mill High School, located at 1355 Cox Mill Road in Concord.

Back in June, Schneider competed as Miss Metrolina’s Teen at Miss North Carolina’s Teen, where she won the preliminary evening gown segment, the wellness scholarship award, and placed third runner-up, totaling an achievement of $2,500 in scholarships from the organization.

See MISS NC TEEN, page 2

$2.00

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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Stanly County Journal ISSN: 2575-2278 Neal Robbins, Publisher Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers Jordan Golson, Local News Editor Shawn Krest, Sports Editor Jesse Deal, Reporter Ryan Henkel, Reporter BUSINESS David Guy, Advertising Manager Published each Wednesday as part of North State Journal 1550 N.C. Hwy 24/27 W, Albemarle, N.C. 28001 TO SUBSCRIBE: 336-283-6305 STANLYJOURNAL.COM Annual Subscription Price: $100.00 Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, N.C. and at additional mailing offices.

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CRIME LOG x Migel Dekinnon Tillman, 33, was booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of larceny, merchant product code fraud, and misdemeanor larceny.

The bond amount set is $115,000.00. x Bradley Harrison Campbell, 32, faces charges of larceny by anti-inventory device, shoplifting concealment of goods, felony possession of Schedule II controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The bond amount set is $16,000.00. x Jermiah Dawayne Lewis, 18, is charged with resisting a public officer, felony possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana up to 1/2 ounce, and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

The bond amount is $50,000.00. x Shymeek Dy’Shaun Chavis, 20, is facing 10 counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, 6 counts of discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling/ moving vehicle, 2 counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, felony possession of cocaine, and possession of marijuana up to 1/2 ounce. The bond amount is $1,125,000.00. x Marqus Heaven Lascott Winston, 31, is charged with felony possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a weapon of mass destruction, and carrying a concealed gun (misdemeanor). The bond amount is $25,000.00. x Johnny Lee Robinson, 30, is charged with driving while impaired, fleeing/ eluding arrest with a motor vehicle (felony), and several traffic infractions. The bond amount is $40,000.00. x Michael Anthony Grambling, 57, faces charges of disorderly conduct, with a bond amount of $1,000.00.

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Finalists named for NC Teacher of the Year

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Nine North Carolina educators have been recognized as regional Teachers of the Year for their outstanding leadership and teaching excellence and are now finalists for North Carolina Teacher of the Year (NCTOY).

The NC Department of Public Instruction, in partnership with the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, has been honoring teachers with this award since 2013.

“These nine educators are just a sampling of the incredible talent we’re lucky to have in North Carolina public schools,” said State Superintendent Catherine Truitt in a press release.

“They represent excellence across disciplines, from core subjects to career and technical education to the arts,” Truitt said. “I commend each of them for their dedication to getting students excited about learning, and I can’t wait to see

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what this cohort accomplishes together on behalf of students in the year ahead.”

The finalists include educators from nine different regions and one from a charter school: Charter School: Lee Haywood, Uwharrie Charter Academy (Randolph County) Northeast: Anita Rubino-Thomas, Currituck County High School (Currituck County) Southeast: Nardi Routten, Creekside Elementary School (Craven County) North Central: Rachel Brackney, Southwest Edgecombe High School (Edgecombe County) Sandhills: Jennifer Blake, Carthage Elementary School (Moore County) Piedmont Triad: Will Marrs, Davie County High School (Davie County) Southwest: Sarah Lefebvre, Health Sciences Academy at Monroe Middle School (Union County) Northwest: Erik Mortensen, Watauga High School (Watauga County) Western: Heather Smith, Waynesville Middle School (Haywood County) The mission of the NCTOY Program is to promote the teaching profession through advocacy and support, recognizing outstanding educators implementing best practices.

The winner will be announced on April 5, 2024, during an awards ceremony.

accolades Fall 2023 App State Chancellor’s List The following Stanly County students received Chancellor’s List awards from App State for the fall 2023 semester. Chancellor’s List is awarded to full-time students with a GPA of 3.85 or higher for the current semester.

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Miss North Carolina’s Teen, Annika Schneider MISS NC TEEN from page 1

She also created her Community Service Initiative (CSI) “Read with Me,” a goal that has promoted reading as an educational and therapeutic opportunity for people of all backgrounds.

“In the next six months, I want to expand my CSI, Read With Me, across North Carolina by making appearances in schools across the state,” Schneider said. “I also want to fully support the local titleholders in their journeys while promoting our competition in High Point. I am excited to make the most of the next six months and serve North Carolina.”

Serving as an official state preliminary associated with the Miss America Organization, the Miss North Carolina Organization (MNCO) promotes an emphasis on academics and communication skills as an opportunity for young women to further their academic and career goals.

Miss North Carolina’s Teen is the specified division of the Miss North Carolina and Miss America programs for young women between the ages of 13 and 18. It includes fitness, interview, evening gown and talent competitions on the state level; participants in the program can also earn educational scholarships at every level of competition.

Founded in 2005, Miss America’s Teen has paid nearly $1.5 million in cash scholarships to 200 colleges and universities across the country.

Congratulations!

Sarah Burden Instrumental Music Education, Senior Aaron Drake Exercise Science, Senior Morgan Kinley Health Care Management, Junior

Jaron Long Computer Science, Senior Tess Mickey Applied Physics, Junior Kelsey Morris Digital Marketing, Senior

Cat Laws Art Education (K-12), Junior

Shannon Pacheco-Lujano Elementary Education, Sophomore

William LeFloch Accounting, Freshman

Madison Smith Nursing, Sophomore

RE-ELECT

PETER ASCIUTTO

YOUR CONSERVATIVE VOICE FOR STANLY COUNTY COMMISSIONER ELECTIONS MATTER. YOUR VOTE COUNTS. Paid for by Asciutto for County Commissioner

Share with your community!

Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@stanlyjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

3

OPINION Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor VISUAL VOICES

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

How not to fix the immigration crisis Biden will pay for it at the polls if it’s not addressed.

NO ONE — or almost no one — can deny that there is an immigration crisis in America. New legislation is needed, including more funding for a fair and effective system for controlling the border and handling the asylum process. In the Senate, key Republicans and Democrats are at least talking together about how to deal with the problem.

Not so in the House.

Last week, the House committee on Homeland Security raced to complete hearings on the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, promising to bring charges against him by the end of the month. They wrapped up the hearings without testimony from the secretary himself, who, when he asked for a more convenient date to testify, was told to submit a written statement. Nor did they hear from anyone else from the Biden administration or from any constitutional experts who might have pointed to any “high crimes and misdemeanors” — the constitutional standard — that might justify impeachment.

According to the committee’s chairman, Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, “The truth is that Secretary Mayorkas has disregarded court orders, laws passed by Congress and has lied to the American people. ... Who wants a secretary that can just disregard the fundamental pillars of the Constitution? We cannot tolerate that, whether they are a Republican or Democrat.”

But neither Green nor any other member of the committee could cite any “high crimes or misdemeanors” committed by Mayorkas, nor could they point to any precedent for using impeachment — an extraordinary remedy — as the tool for resolving what is essentially a policy dispute with the administration.

Impeachment requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate, which will simply not happen. It is a time-consuming process that will solve nothing. As Rep. Bennie Thompson, the ranking Democrat, pointed out, “This isn’t a real impeachment; it’s a predetermined,

pre-planned, partisan political stunt,” one that no one in Congress expects will result in Senate conviction. “You cannot impeach a Cabinet secretary because you don’t like a president’s policies,” Thompson argued.

But you can try, which is what Republicans on the committee are apparently united in doing, not because it will change anything but because it will satisfy their hard-line base and score political points.

It’s a tactic that is no more effective than putting migrants on buses, as the governors of Florida and Texas have done, and shipping them off to New York and Los Angeles and other cities for Democratic mayors to deal with.

No state — and no city — should be expected to deal with what is in truth a national problem. Democrats need to recognize the policy failure at the border, the worsening problems of illegal immigration and drug trafficking at the border. It is a human crisis as well as a political one, and Biden will pay for it at the polls if it’s not addressed. But the Republicans, by resorting to impeachment and holding aid to Ukraine hostage, are playing partisan politics rather than doing anything constructive to address the underlying policy challenges.

As Princeton professor Deborah Pearlstein testified, at the invitation of Democrats on the committee, “Impeachment will have no impact on resources available to the border, and it will have no impact on the policies pursued by this administration at all.”

What Congress needs to do is legislate, not posture. Mayorkas is part of a bipartisan effort by Senate Democrats and Republicans to come up with legislation that will address issues of asylum and detention, as well as funding for border enforcement. Democrats need to acknowledge the failures at the border and deal with them.

Republicans need to stop playing games and do the work that they were elected to do.

Going after the scalp of Mayorkas solves nothing at all.

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

Why Donald Trump won the GOP nomination

He needed Joe Biden to be so terrible at his job, so outright awful, that Trump would suddenly look competitive.

DONALD TRUMP is the presumptive Republican nominee for president after a dominant performance in the Iowa caucuses — a performance in which he earned over 50% of the vote and left his closest competitors in the dust.

Get ready for “Trump vs. Biden II: Electric Boogaloo.”

The big question, of course, is “why?” Why does Trump retain such a grip on the Republican imagination after losing the 2020 election, contributing heavily to the loss of two Republican Senate seats in Georgia in 2021, and contributing heavily to the loss of the Senate in 2022 with his spate of bizarre primary picks? Why should Trump, who spends much of every day fulminating about his upcoming legal cases, have the upper hand against Republicans without such baggage? Why does Trump, who is certainly no conservative ideologue, live so large in the imagination of conservatives?

There are several reasons.

Primarily, Trump is lucky in his enemies.

To be more precise, Trump’s very presence on the political stage — and his victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 — drove his enemies out of their minds. Those enemies determined that any and all means were appropriate for undermining his presidency and his 2020 reelection bid: from Russian collusion nonsense to multiple impeachments, from nodding at historically damaging riots to blaming him for a pandemic, from changing the voting rules to lying about and then shutting down the dissemination of the Hunter Biden laptop story, anything was on the table. So when Trump claimed in the post-2020 election landscape that he had been robbed of victory, that contention rang true, even if his contentions about outright voter fraud remained unproven.

Trump has been the title character of “Trump: The Series” since 2015. In the end, the chances that Americans would allow a recasting before his reelection effort were always low. But those chances shrank to zero the moment Trump’s enemies weaponized the legal system against him.

When Trump’s enemies, in the aftermath of Joe Biden’s election

win, continued to come after Trump using the legal system, Trump argued that he was a stand-in for conservatives everywhere, who feel that they are targeted for destruction by America’s most powerful institutions. That argument had major purchase: by polling data, Trump’s bump to the top of the Republican 2024 heap came not with his reelection announcement, but with the announcement in March 2023 that he would be indicted in Manhattan on specious charges of campaign finance violation. The drumbeat of new legal charges against him, dropped everywhere from Florida to Washington, D.C. to Georgia, simply added fuel to the fire.

Perhaps even that legal news could have been turned against Trump in a primary race. But there was one more factor Trump needed: He needed Joe Biden to be so terrible at his job, so outright awful, that Trump would suddenly look competitive. The electability argument — the argument that Trump’s losing record since 2016 would continue into 2024 — collapsed for Trump’s Republican opponents as Biden’s approval rating sank into the 30s. Republicans’ hearts were with Trump; now their heads could be with him, too.

And so Trump is the presumptive nominee.

The only question is whether he will reenter the White House in January 2025. And that question, ironically, will be answered less

by Trump than by Biden. Trump’s campaign will be relatively quiet: He’ll be relegated to courtrooms and TruthSocial; there will be no debates.

Which means that 2024 could easily be a referendum on Biden’s presidency. And if that happens, Trump will have capped the most remarkable political comeback since Richard Nixon won the White House in 1968.

Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is “The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent.”

4 SIDELINE REPORT

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

SPORTS

NHL

Flames’ Dube on indefinite leave to attend to mental health Calgary, Alberta Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube has been granted an indefinite leave to attend to his mental health. The 25-yearold from Golden, British Columbia, is under the care of professionals, according to a statement the Flames posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Dube was not in Calgary’s lineup for Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound center was a second-round pick of the Flames in the 2016 draft. He has three goals and four assists in 43 games this season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

San Jose State hires Niumatalolo San Jose, Calif.

San Jose State hired former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo to replace Brent Brennan as the Spartans head coach.

Athletic director Jeff Konya announced the hiring on Sunday, saying Niumatalolo is the “right fit” for San Jose State and can make the Spartans consistent contenders in the Mountain West.

Niumatalolo is the winningest coach in Navy history, going 109-83 in 15 seasons before being fired after the 2022 game against Army. Niumatalolo spent last season at UCLA in an off-field role for Bruins coach Chip Kelly but was elevated to tight ends coach after the season.

NFL

Eagles’ Sirianni fires DC Desai Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni fired defensive coordinator Sean Desai, according to reports. Desai lost his playcalling duties to assistant coach Matt Patricia in December. The Eagles went from 10-1 to losing in the wild card round to Tampa Bay after finishing 11-6 in the regular season. Desai replaced Jonathan Gannon, who left Philadelphia to become the head coach in Arizona after the Eagles lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Desai was a defensive assistant in Seattle in 2022 and previously spent nine seasons in Chicago, including one year as defensive coordinator in 2021.

TENNIS

Protester disrupts Australian Open match Melbourne, Australia A pro-Palestinian protester threw papers onto an Australian Open court and briefly disrupted the fourthround match between Olympic champion Alexander Zverev and Cameron Norrie of Britain.

A person wearing a face mask threw anti-war pamphlets from the stands onto the court behind the baseline during the third set. Two spectators held the protester before security arrived. Ball kids gathered up the papers and the match continued after security escorted the protestor away. Zverev won the match in five sets to advance to the quarterfinals.

AP PHOTO

Nick Dunlap embraces his mother, Charlene, and father, Jim, after winning The American Express PGA Tour tournament Sunday in La Quinta, California.

Dunlap becomes PGA Tour’s 1st amateur winner since 1991 The University of Alabama sophomore with victory at The American Express

By Greg Beacham The Associated Press LA QUINTA, Calif. — Nick Dunlap doesn’t possess a false confidence, and he doesn’t project a supernatural calm. The University of Alabama sophomore fully understood just how crazy it was to be fending off a field of professionals Sunday while he tried to become the PGA Tour’s first amateur winner in 33 years.

“Most nervous I’ve ever been, by far,” Dunlap said. “Just tried to breathe, but also look up and enjoy it a little bit.”

The 20-year-old simply played through it all — through his mistakes, the rising pressure and the overall improbability of his week

at The American Express.

Dunlap came out of it with a victory that could herald the arrival of a major golf talent — and one who might not even need to finish the homework he brought with him to the West Coast.

Dunlap swallowed his nerves one last time to make a 6-foot par putt on the final hole, holding on for a one-shot victory over Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

“Everybody’s got doubts,” Dunlap said. “I probably had a thousand different scenarios in my head of how today was going to go, and it went nothing like I expected. I think that was the cool part about it. That’s golf.”

The reigning U.S. Amateur champion is the tour’s first amateur winner since Phil Mickelson at the Tucson Open in 1991.

Playing in his fourth tour event, Dunlap became the seventh amateur winner since 1945 — and the third since 1957.

The only amateur in the 156-player field in the tournament long known as the Bob Hope Desert Classic, Dunlap surged into a three-shot lead with a sizzling 12-under 60 in the third round. He lost that lead Sunday on the front nine on the Stadium Course at PGA West, but he played with the resilience of a seasoned veteran down the stretch, capped by his recovery from two errant shots on the 18th for the winning par.

He ended up with a 70 — his worst round of the week by far — to finish at 29-under 259 and break the tournament scoring record as a 72-hole event. He’s also the youngest winner in the event’s history, and he became the youngest amateur to win on the tour since 1910.

Dunlap and Tiger Woods are the only players to win both the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Junior Amateur. While Dunlap got

the celebration Sunday for one of the most impressive performances in recent golf history, he doesn’t get the $1.5 million firstplace prize, which goes to Bezuidenhout after the South African’s final-round 65.

Dunlap also doesn’t get the 500 FedEx Cup points — but his rewards are still ample. If he stays at Alabama he gets in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open as the U.S. Amateur champion. If he turns pro and joins the PGA Tour, he still gets in the Masters and U.S. Open, along with the remaining seven $20 million signature events on tour.

“It’s amazing,” Bezuidenhout said about Dunlap’s achievement. “Actually, I heard his name last year when he won the U.S. Amateur. He’s obviously a hell of a player, and congrats to him. Hopefully, he can be out on the PGA Tour soon, and we all can get to play with him.”

VanDerveer’s 1,203rd victory pushes Stanford coach past Krzyzweski The Stanford women’s coach now has the most wins among major college basketball coaches The Associated Press STANFORD, Calif. — Only Her. Tara VanDerveer’s face shined in every corner of Maples Pavilion with that very message. Yes, the Stanford Hall of Famer now stands atop major college basketball as the winningest coach of all time.

“Today was just so wonderful,” VanDerveer said. Even though she had to text her 96-year-old mother Rita they’d need to cancel a scheduled bridge game because of all the postgame festivities to celebrate her. “... It is a big number and I’m very appreciative of the great players I’ve coached and the great places I’ve been and the attention it’s brought to women’s basketball.”

Just as those who love her so hoped it would turn out,

VanDerveer passed former Duke and Army coach Mike Krzyzewski with her 1,203rd career victory at home in Maples when No. 8 Stanford beat Oregon State 6556.

And it never fails that VanDerveer always takes a minute to thank everybody for coming to the game, and that includes offering her immense gratitude to the Stanford band.

“I’m overwhelmed,” she told the crowd Sunday. “I’m not usually lost for words but it’s pretty impressive, all these people here, all the former players coming back.”

A head coach since age 24, VanDerveer celebrated with thousands of supporters and a couple dozen former players on hand to cheer her on for yet another triumph in a decorated 45-year career featuring so many memorable accomplishments.

And for a nearly full arena, this was also a chance for fans to show their love to the Hall of Fame coach who has been shining her light on women’s basketball for 4½ decades.

“Tara! Tara!” they yelled in the

AP PHOTO

Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer waves to the crowd after breaking the college basketball record for wins with her team’s victory over Oregon State on Sunday in Stanford, California. closing seconds before the celebration began.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Tara VanDerveer, who is already one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of basketball,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “This is yet another milestone to add to an amazing legacy. More important than all the astounding numbers and career accomplishments, she’s positively impacted countless lives as a coach and a mentor. Tara remains a true guardian of our sport.”

A video tribute with messag-

es from everyone from Billie Jean King to Steve Kerr, Dawn Staley and Coach K himself showed on the big screen.

VanDerveer improved to 1,203-267 overall and 1,051-216 over 38 seasons at Stanford. A 17-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year with five national Coach of the Year honors, VanDerveer has captured three NCAA titles with Stanford — 1990, ’92 and 2021 — and coached the 1996 U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal at the Atlanta Games during a year away from Stanford.

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

5

South Stanly boys move to 14-2 with win at Union Academy

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Sawyer Griffin

Four other Stanly teams are coming off conference losses

On Tuesday, North squared off on the road with the Albemarle Bulldogs (1-13, 1-3 Yadkin Valley); the Comets are set to head to West Stanly (8-8, 2-3 Rocky River) on Thursday.

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

Anson 78, West Stanly 73 HOLDING ONTO a perfect conference record, the South Playing at home on Jan. 16, Stanly boys’ basketball team the West Stanly Colts were picked up a narrow 61-58 road edged out by the Anson Bearcats win over Union Acad(9-7, 2-3 Rocky River) emy on Friday. by five points in a 78Slipping past the 73 finish.

Cardinals (3-13, 1-2 After a stretch of Yadkin Valley), the three wins in a row, Bulls (14-2, 3-0 YadWest has now lost kin Valley) have now three of its past four won their past two games. The Colts curmatchups by a comrently sit at fourth wins by bined five points as place out of the six South Stanly they sit atop of the teams in the Rocky last season.

YVC standings.

River Conference.

The Bulls have im- They’ve already West traveled to proved greatly upon face the Piedmont doubled that last season’s 7-17 rePanthers (8-8, 4-1 this year cord, already douRocky River) on Tuesbling the amount of day and will now wins they had during prepare for a home their 2022-23 cammatchup with North paign. Their last loss came on Stanly on Friday.

Jan. 3 in a 45-39 home game versus Southwestern Randolph Albemarle 64, (5-12, 3-3 Piedmont).

Gray Stone 47 South hosted the winless Gray Stone Knights (0-11, 0-3 On Friday, the AlbemarYadkin Valley) on Tuesday and le Bulldogs notched a 17-point will now host the West Davidson home win — inking their first Dragons (5-11, 0-5 Central Caro- victory of the season — in a 64lina) on Thursday in a non-con- 47 final over the winless Gray ference matchup.

Stone Knights.

Coming off a 14-13 record Mount Pleasant 79, where they won eight of their 13 North Stanly 68 conference matchups, Albemarle still has a chance to rise up in Losing their second contest in the YVC standings. a span of four games, the North The Bulldogs hosted the ComStanly Comets (12-4, 2-1 Yadkin ets on Tuesday and will now host Valley) suffered an 11-point loss Queen’s Grant (8-9, 1-2 Metto the Mount Pleasant Tigers ro 8) on Thursday in a non-con(7-9, 3-1 Yadkin Valley) in New ference contest. The Knights London on Friday. played at South Stanly on TuesThe Comets had won ten of day and will host Bradford Prep their first 12 matchups prior to (8-5, 2-4 Catawba Shores) on their latest 2-2 stretch. They Wednesday. now sit in third place in their Albemarle girls stay undeconference standings behind the feated in conference play with Bulls and Tigers. win over Gray Stone

7

WEST STANLY WRESTLING SOCIAL MEDIA

West Stanly, wrestling Sawyer Griffin is a member of the West Stanly wrestling team.

Griffin was one of two West Stanly wrestlers to earn all-conference honors over the weekend when he won two matches to take the Rocky River 115-pound title. He has now won five matches in a row, including four by fall or technical fall, and nine of his last 10 according to FloWrestling. For the year he has 23 wins, including 20 by stoppage.

Shayne Nesbitt was the other wrestler to take All-County.

The Bulldogs are on a 10-game winning streak The challenger claimed a split decision victory

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal THE ALBEMARLE Bulldogs girls’ basketball team extended its winning streak to 10 games on Friday with a 72-24 home win over the Gray Stone Knights.

With 923 points scored com-

pared to only 518 points allowed this season, the surging Bulldogs (13-1, 4-0 Yadkin Valley) hold the first-place spot in their conference standings. Meanwhile, the Knights (5-8, 0-3 Yadkin Valley) are still winless in YVC play despite notching a 5-5 record earlier in the season.

The Bulldogs hosted North Stanly (13-1, 2-1 Yadkin Valley) on Tuesday and will now host Bishop McGuinness (13-2, 7-0

Northwest) on Thursday in a non-conference contest.

On Tuesday, the Knights traveled to Norwood for a matchup with South Stanly (1-12, 0-3 Yadkin Valley); Gray Stone is set to host Bradford Prep (6-7, 2-3 Catawba Shores) on Wednesday.

North Stanly 44, Mount Pleasant 23 Picking up their 13th win of the season, the North Stanly Comets cruised past the Mount Pleasant Tigers (8-8, 2-2 Yadkin Valley) in New London on Friday via a 21-point home victory.

With a near-flawless 202324 campaign so far, the Comets’ only loss arrived on Jan. 5 with a 61-38 home finish against the Union Academy Cardinals (11-2, 2-1 Yadkin Valley).

North squared off with the Bulldogs on the road on Tuesday

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— in a battle between two 13win teams — and will head to West Stanly (7-9, 4-1 Rocky River) on Thursday.

West Stanly 68, Anson 43 Winning their third consecutive game, the West Stanly Colts recorded a 15-point home victory over the Anson Bearcats (313, 1-4 Rocky River) on Jan. 16 as they moved to 4-1 in the Rocky River Conference standings.

The Colts have won four of their five contests in the month of January, seemingly bouncing back from a 3-8 non-conference record in November and December.

West hit the road to face the Piedmont Panthers (11-4, 5-0 Rocky River) on Tuesday and will now prepare for the North Stanly Comets at home on Friday. The Comets came away

with a 57-42 home win over the Colts on Dec. 14.

Union Academy 81, South Stanly 11 In a 70-point road loss, the South Stanly Bulls were blown out by the Union Academy Cardinals (11-2, 2-1 Yadkin Valley) on Friday.

South has now been held under the 30-point mark in its last seven matchups. The team opened the season with a 51-32 road win over Central Academy (0-14, 0-5 Rocky River), but has now suffered a dozen consecutive losses since its season opener.

Looking to turn their fortunes around, the Bulls hosted Gray Stone on Tuesday and are scheduled to host the West Davidson Dragons (4-11, 1-3 Central Carolina) on Thursday in a non-conference matchup.

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6

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Biden visits North Carolina, a state he hopes to win in November, to promote internet access

By Josh Boak The Associated Press RALEIGH — President Joe Biden on Thursday, Jan. 18 unveiled $82 million for North Carolina to help connect 16,000 new households and businesses to high-speed internet, delivering an election-year pitch about policies he says are “just getting started” at improving the United States.

Biden, the Democratic incumbent who is campaigning to win a second term, coupled his economic message with a few jabs at his predecessor, Donald Trump, currently the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination and his most likely future challenger.

Biden brought up Trump’s recent comment that he hoped the economy would crash soon because he doesn’t want to preside over job losses if he were to be reelected in November. Biden told his audience that Trump already was like Herbert Hoover, who held office during the 1929 stock market crash.

“He’s the only president to be president for four years and lose jobs,” Biden said of Trump.

Biden said the work his administration is doing in North Carolina, on high-speed internet, infrastructure and more, is happening in communities across the country, regardless of the politics.

“What we’re doing here in North Carolina is one piece of a much bigger story,” he said. Biden said he was keeping his promise “to be a president for all America, whether you voted for me or not.”

Biden talked about all the people who need high-speed internet because they work from home, businesses who need it to reach

AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden eats a milk shake from Cook Out, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. customers and students who need to do their school work.

“High-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s an absolute necessity,” he said in Raleigh, the state capital. “The investment in high-speed internet means something else as well: good-paying jobs.”

Biden’s reelection campaign has made winning North Carolina and its 16 electoral votes a top priority. The Democrat narrowly lost the state in 2020 by 1.34 percentage points to Trump. They are expected to face each other again in November.

Fast-growing North Carolina

is considered a presidential battleground, but only twice in the last 40-plus years has a Democrat won the state’s electoral votes: Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Barack Obama in 2008.

Trump won the state in both 2016 and 2020, with the latter victory in part a result of massive turnout for Republicans in rural and non-urban counties overcoming increasingly Democratic strongholds in and around Raleigh and Charlotte.

Republicans hold narrow veto-proof control of the state legislature and a majority on the state Supreme Court. But vot-

ers still appear comfortable with a Democratic state chief executive who attempts to counteract GOP policies, which recently have included more abortion restrictions and expanded private school vouchers. Democrats have held the governorship for all but four years since 1993.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is term-limited from running this year, spoke before Biden on Thursday, boosting Biden and criticizing Trump.

“I want a president who wakes up every morning thinking about the American people instead of a president who wakes up every

Louisiana lawmakers pass new congressional map with second majority-Black district

By Sara Cline The Associated Press BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Legislature passed a congressional map with a second majority-Black district on Friday, marking a win for Democrats and civil rights groups after a legal battle and political tug-of-war that spanned nearly two years.

Democrats have long fought for a second majority-minority district among Louisiana’s six congressional districts — arguing that the political boundaries passed by the GOP-dominated legislature in 2022 discriminates against Black voters, who make up one-third of Louisiana’s population. The change could deliver an additional seat in Congress to the Democratic Party.

The GOP has resisted drawing another minority district, arguing that the 2022 map is fair and constitutional. But in an about-face this special legislative session, the map received bipartisan support after Republicans said their hands had

MICHAEL JOHNSON/THE ADVOCATE VIA AP

Gov. Jeff Landry speaks during the start of the special session in the House Chamber on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024 in Baton Rouge, La. Landry called for the special session only a few hours after taking office. been tied by a looming Jan. 30 court-mandated deadline and fears that a federal judge, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, would re-

draw the map herself if the task was not by completed lawmakers.

The legislation now heads to the desk of Republican Gov.

Jeff Landry, where it is expected to receive his seal of approval. During the special session this week, Landry has repeatedly urged the Legislature to adopt a new map that would satisfy the court, instead of possibly putting the task in the hands of “some heavy-handed federal judge.”

Louisiana is among the states who were wrangling over congressional districts after the U.S. Supreme Court in June ruled that Alabama had violated the Voting Rights Act. Under the new map, 54% of the voting-age population in the district currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Garret Graves would be Black — up from the current 23%. Graves opposes the plan, saying in a statement to The Advocate that it “ignore(s) the redistricting principles of compactness and communities of interest.” Other Republicans on the state House and Senate floors echoed this concern.

GOP state Rep. Glen Womack, who filed the legislation, said that race was not the “predominate factor” in deciding

morning thinking about himself,” Cooper said.

Polling shows that the economy has been a weakness for Biden, a reflection of inflation hitting a four-decade high in June 2022. Easing inflation rates since then have yet to pull Biden’s approval ratings back to their levels at the start of his presidency. The president has tried to empathize with voters grappling with higher inflation, but he has stressed that his policies are fostering the creation of factory and construction jobs with middle-class wages.

“When jobs grow, everything grows,” Biden said as he ticked through federal spending on projects made possible by his pandemic aid package and an infrastructure law.

The president later picked up a burger, fries and shake from Cook Out and held what his campaign described as a “kitchen table conversation” at the home of a family that benefited from the administration’s student loan forgiveness programs.

The administration is committing a total of $3 billion to build and fund internet connections in North Carolina. The administration estimates that an additional 300,000 state residents will be able to access the internet by the end of 2026.

One way the administration says it has lowered costs for families is by providing discounted internet service to 880,000 households in North Carolina. But the administration is calling on Congress to renew the Affordable Connectivity Program, a separate source of funding that is set to run out of money in April. The program has helped 22 million people save $30 to $75 a month on their internet bills, the administration says.

where the new boundaries would lie, but rather “politics drove this map.” Womack said he prioritized protecting the seats of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, as well as that of Congresswoman Julia Letlow, who represents Womack’s region and sits on the powerful House Committee on Appropriations.

Under the 2022 map, which was used in last November’s election, there is one majority-Black district — the 2nd District, which encompasses most of New Orleans and stretches to Baton Rouge, and is represented

by U.S. Rep. Troy Carter. Carter is the state’s sole Black and Democratic member of Congress.

The 2022 map has been at the center of political woes in the state Capitol, with former Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoing the political boundaries and the Legislature overriding his veto — their first override of a governor’s veto in nearly three decades.

In June 2022, Baton Rougebased U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick struck down Louisiana’s map for violating the Voting Rights Act. Dick said in her ruling that “evidence of Louisiana’s long and ongoing history of voting-related discrimination weighs heavily in favor of Plaintiffs.”

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

obituaries obituaries

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye Betty Mabry

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023 May 3, 1929 - January 15, 2024Drye, 86, Barbara Jean Taylor Bettypassed Mabryaway loved traveling of Oakboro, Saturday, and on 15,2024.

January 14, January 2023 at her home.

Bornwas on born May April 3, 1929, Betty Barbara 17, 1936 grew Carolina up in Stanly with in North to theCounty late Robert sisters Margaret Leeher Taylor and the late EvaHatley Belle andTaylor.

Mary Stoots and brothers Watts C.L.was Morton and James R. She also preceded in death (Jim)of Morton of whom by husband 61 years,all Keith Furr preceded her inRobert their Lee journey Drye, and brothers, Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth home.

Taylor.She met the love of her life, Survivors includeand children, Wayne Mabry, they were Debbie (Mike) Williams of before married for 55 years Albemarle, Teresa (Tom) Betty Curry and his death in 2008. of Oakboro, Douglas (Tammy) Wayne had three children.

Drye of Oakboro; grandchildren, Betty enjoyed traveling far Melissa Parrish Albemarle, and (Don) wide with herofhusband Samantha (Destiny) Smith of loved and after his death she Oakboro, Smith of Oakboro, takingBradley road trips with her Jonathan of Peachland, family.Stover Whether plannedand Jessie of Lylesville; or Stover spontaneous, nearsisteror far, in-law, Goodman;some many she Beatrice always provided nieces and nephews; and her beloved unforgettable and hilarious cats,road Bo and Garfield. trip memories.

Barbara a member of member Bettywas was a life long Oakboro Baptist Church for over of First Baptist Church in 60 years. She worked over 30 years Albemarle. She served on at Stanly Knitting Mills. After just various church committees, two years of retirement, she began was a deacon and sang in the managing the Oakboro Senior choir for many years.

Center and did that for 18 years Betty is survived by her until this past week. Barbara was three Ellen Sheppard, known forchildren, her good cooking and andtaking husband, David ofShe also always care of others.

Calabash; Clegg Mabry, and loved going on day long shopping wife Albemarle and trips - sheJune, couldof out walk and out Beth Smith andage. husband shop people half her She kept of Rockwell. is also herSteve mind and body activeShe through survived by her sisters-in-law gardening, word searches, and Annette various otherMorton hobbies. of Charlotte, Nell Morton of Chapel Hill and many nieces and nephews that brought joy to her life.

Dwight Farmer

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

Nancy Elizabeth Huneycutt Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83,

of Norwood Sunday morning, July 13,died 1944 - January 18, January 15, 20232024 at Forrest Oakes.

Dwight born January 24, Nancywas Elizabeth Huneycutt, 1939 in Oakboro, Stanly County the lateaway 79 of NCto passed Walter Virgil January, and Martha Thursday, 18,Adkins 2024, Farmer.

He was a 1957 graduate at Tucker Hospice House of ofKannapolis.

Norwood High School and was a United Army Veteran.

She States was the daughter of He was a member ofR. Cedar Grove the late William Eudy and United where he MaryMethodist ElizabethChurch Efird Eudy.

She had served as church treasurer and retired from Stanly Knitting choir member. He began his career Mill. with the Stanly County Sheriff’s She was married to Bobby C. Department moving to the Norwood Huneycutt of theand home.

Other Police Department retiring as survivors include daughter Chief of Police with the Town of Lisa Huneycutt Smith Norwood after many years (Jody) of service. ofDwight Albemarle, was anNC, avidGrandsons gardener, arewatcher Jonathan bird andHinson Carolina(Taylor) fan. ofHe Mt. Pleasant, andHilda Brett is survived byNC, his wife Hinson of Mt.one Pleasant, NC, Whitley Farmer; son D. Britten step grandson, Jared Smith of Farmer Jr. (Mary) of McLeansville, Albemarle, NC,Sharon GreatFarmer grand NC; one daughter Children are Hinson and Lowe (David) of Eli Norwood; one Elliette Hinson of Mt. Pleasant, sister Geraldine Dennis of Troy; two NC, sisters, Doris grandchildren, DwightPoplin Brittenof“Dee” Albemarle, andRose FayeHui Farmer III andNC, Whitley Poplin, of Albemarle, NC. Lowe.

He was preceded in death by his son Alex, brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, sisters, Nancy, Cornelia Annabell, Glennie Mae, and Betty.

Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Cemetery or Choir Fund c/o Pam Smith 36071 Rocky River Springs Road, Norwood, NC 28128.

October 5, 1949 - January 15, 2024 Michael Ray Byrd, 74, of Mount Gilead, passed away Monday night, January 15, 2024.

Michael was born October 5, 1949 in Montgomery County to the late Harold and Rachel Strider Byrd.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Christy Verlen Byrd and his brother, Phillip Byrd and sister in law, Linda Byrd.

He is survived by his brother, Steve Byrd of Mount Gilead and sister, Sue Byrd Brookshire(Matt) of Mount Gilead; two grandchildren, Brandon and Justin Ingram; many nieces and nephews.

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

Ronald Conrad Burris

James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health18, December 4, 1942 - January and Rehab.

2024 Mr. Roseboro was born on 81, Ronald Conrad Burris, June 23, 1967 topassed the late Robert of Albemarle away on and Delena Shipp Roseboro.

He Thursday, January 18, 2024 graduated from South Stanly in his home. Born December High School and was employed 4, 1942 in Cabarrus County,by Triangle Brick.

He enjoyed watching NC he was the son of the late football and basketball, especially John Ellis Burris and Elmira the Carolina TarHeels Furr Burris.

Heand wasMiami. a member In addition to his parents he is of Canton Baptist Church and preceded in death by his brothers retired from Stanly Knitting and sisters: Barbara Lee Roseboro, Mills. He was a past Deacon at Dorothy Brown, Verna Roseboro, Canton Baptist Henrietta Ingram,Church. and Harold Mr. Burris was preceded Roseboro. inHe death by hisby wife is survived his Diann sisters: Hathcock Burris in 2018 and Helen (James) Roseboro Edwards a sister Joyce Burris in 2014. of Albemarle, Mary Roseboro is survived byand twoMarion children ofHe Washington DC, Angela Burris Parsons (Jamie) Morrison of Albemarle; brothers: of Troy and Jennifer Burris Thomas D. Roseboro of Charlotte, SmithRoseboro (Jonathan) of Albemarle, Robert (Patricia) of and fourand grandchildren Norwood, Van Horne; aCasey special Blalock, Daniel Smith, Chastity friend of over 40 years, Michelle Blalock, and Jacob Smith.

McLendon of the home; special nieces: Nybrea Montague, Knya Little, and Laquanza Crump; special nephews: Robert Jr., Desmond Roseboro, and Marcus Lilly; and God daughter, Daphne Johnson; and special friends, Vetrella Johnson and Ben McLendon.

Harvey Tucker

Faye Martin

Michael Byrd

James Roseboro

May 28, 1944 - January 16, 2024 Rebecca Faye Morton Martin passed away Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at her home.

Faye was born May 28, 1944 to the late William Marshall and Lula Rummage Morton. She was employed with Cassie Cotillion and Lowes of Albemarle. She was a member of Union Grove Baptist Church. Faye was an avid Carolina Tarheel fan and enjoyed watching all sporting events. She loved her family, socializing at the Deluxe Grill, and enjoyed nothing more then drinking a cold Sun Drop.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her siblings Cassie and Tony Morton.

She is survived by her children, Rebecca Sexton, Buck Lee, Aaron Lee (Carroll), and Pam Blake (Jeremy); Eight grandchildren: Hannah Smith (Ryan), Grace Sexton, Lindsey Lee, Hunter Lee, Trevor Lee, Caroline Lee, MacKenzie Lee, and Chance Blake; three great-grandchildren, Trenton, Brooklyn, Kaiden, and Valerie, sisters: Lydia Livingston, Donna Palmer, and Amy Hatley; brother Tim Morton; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in SCJ at obits@stanlyjournal.com

August 24, 1927 - January 18, 2024 Harvey Jackson Tucker Sr., 96, of Oakboro, passed away Thursday, January 18, 2024.

Harvey was born in Stanly County, August 24, 1927 January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, to the late Paul and Rose 2023 Burris Tucker. He was an Army Veteran served in50, Darrick Vashonand Baldwin, age Japan.

He was the owner and entered eternal rest, Sunday, January of Tucker TV and 8,operator 2023, Albemarle, North Carolina.

Repair in Wadesboro for over Born January 7, 1973, in Stanly 52 years.

After retirement, County, North Carolina, Darrick was Harvey enjoyed beekeeping. the son of Eddie James Baldwin Sr. Hethe processed and sold his local and late Phyllis Blue Baldwin. honey enjoyed and was a member of Darrick life, always kept the Anson andenjoyed Stanlymaking County things lively and Beekeeper Association. others smile. His presence isHe no and his wife Josephine also longer in our midst, butwere his memory loyal members of the Civitan will forever live in our hearts.

Club in Stanly County.

He was educated in the Stanly In addition to his parents, County public schools and attended he was predeceased by his wife, Albemarle Senior High School, Albemarle.

Josephine Little Tucker; son, He was a great brothers conversationalist Perry Tucker; Henry and loved meeting people.

Darrick Blane Tucker and JR Tucker never a stranger and always and met sister Mary Frances showed Bustle.love and compassion for his fellowman.

He also loved hisson, dog, He is survived by his Rocky.

Harvey Jackson Tucker Jr. He is survived by his father, ‘Jackie’ of Oakboro; brother in Eddie J. Baldwin Sr.; of sisters: Crystal law Gerald Little Oakboro; (Eric) Jackson, LaFondra sisters-in-law Annette(Stoney) L. Medley, Morgan Baldwin; Helmsand of New Bern, NC and brothers: Eddie Baldwin Jr.,and Anton Rita Little of Oakboro; Baldwin, and Lamont Baldwin; a many nieces, nephews, cousins, host other relatives and friends. A andoffriends. limb has fallen from our family tree.

We will not grieve Darrick’s death; we will celebrate his life. We give thanksgiving for the many shared memories.

Darrick Baldwin

John B. Kluttz March 23, 1935 - January 9, James T. Russell 2023 Sr. John grew up in the Millingport

community he -drove a school Decemberwhere 3, 1934 January bus and worked at the local gas 18, 2024 station during his HighRussell School years.

James T. "Jimmy" He graduated from Millingport Sr., 89, of Albemarle passed High on in 1954 and entered into 18, away Thursday, January serviceinwith US Airforce 2024 his the home. immediately afterward.

Uponin Born December 3, 1934 return from the service, andthe his Stanly County, NC, hehe was high school sweetheart Julie were son of the late Seaford and marriedCranford in 1956. HeRussell. graduated from Nannie Nashville Auto Diesel College later in Mr. Russell is survived 1959 began his career as a diesel by hisand wife Loretta Yvonne mechanic at Mitchell Distributing Russell of the home. Other Company, include moving his growing survivors sons James family to Charlotte where they lived T. Russell Jr. (Denise) of Lake until their retirement.

Tillery and Randy A. Russell When John purchased his first (Mirian) of Albemarle, brother Model A Ford at the age of 17, he Don Russell of Millingport, said that he took the car to the 6 grandchildren: Heather Delcommunity mechanic when he had Colle (Mark) of Raleigh, Leslie a small problem.The mechanic told Perrot (Scott) of Wilmington, him that if he was going to keep the Shea of on car, heRussell needed(Jasmine) to learn to work Badin, Christopher it. This is when John’s(C.J.) passion for Russell Huntersville, Ashlee Model Aof Fords began and how he Russell Albemarle and his best spent hisofhappiest days with Charles Chinault (Nikki) of for the friends from around the globe Radford, VA, and 6 greatrest of his life! grandchildren Cali Russell of At age 50, after years as a Detroit Badin, MadelineheDel-Colle Diesel Mechanic and Julie of Raleigh, Faith decided to take thePerrot plunge of and Wilmington, Alaina Russell of open a full Model A Restoration Albemarle, Anthody Del-Colle Shop. They thrived at their shop in of RaleighNC anduntil William L. Cornelius, their retirement Chainault of they Radford, Mr. in 1998 when movedVA. back to Cabarrus County.

John once again Russell was preceded in death setaup shop in hisA. back yard garage by son James Russell and where he attracted loyal group two sisters BobbieaBarbee andof friendsBoshinyak. who visited almost daily.

Betty While on the farm in Gold Hill, John also began a lifelong love with Alis Chalmers tractors after he restored his Dad’s tractor and began amassing his collection of tractors as well.

John restored many cars of his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Award the highest award given to members at the national level.

This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on January 3, 1932 He - January 19, Sunday mornings. also belonged 2024 to the United Methodist Men. Mary Spivey John isChristine survived by his wife Leviner, 92,Kluttz, of Marshville, Julie Ussery for 66 years passed awayHe Friday of the home. is alsoafternoon, survived January 19, 2024 her home. by a son John DavidatKluttz (Kim) wasNC; born 3, of Mary Oakboro, twoJanuary daughters, 1932 in Montgomery County Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and to the Tusa late (John) Lacy and Cleter CO; Betsy of Lafayette, Cranford Spivey. She was Kluttz three grandchildren, Bonnie (Ben) of Richfield, aSammons wonderful mother and NC John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) homemaker. of In Asheville, NCto and William addition herSeth parents, McKinnon (Amanda) Germany; she was preceded in of death by five children, great-grandchildren, Charlotte, five Clara Lundy, Meredith, Anita KayGrant, Watts,Victoria Joyce and Ronan. John is also preceded Shrader, James Culp and in death by his parents, J.S. Kluttz and Charles Culp.

Mary ClaytonbyKluttz; a large SheWyatt is survived and loving group of brothers and daughters, Shirley Love, Sheila sisters, Jack Methias Kluttz, Annie McClelland, Carol Graham, Lou Kluttz Honeycutt, Jake Nelson Harold Culp and Susan Clapp; Kluttz, Julius Kluttz, Mary Patricia many grandchildren and many Phillips and a grandson, Kevin great grandchildren.

Fowler Kluttz.

Mary Leviner

7

Doris Jones Coleman Scott Greene

7

October 11, 1944 - January 10, April 9, 19782023 - January 15, 2024 Scott Greene, 45, 78, DorisDaniel Elaine Jones Coleman, ofwent Mount Gilead passed awayon home into God’ s presence Monday, January 15, 2024.

January 10 after a sudden illness and Scott was born April 9,ICU. 1978 a valiant week-long fight in in Montgomery County to the Doris was born on October 11, late Robert andofShirley 1944, in the Wayne mountains Marion, Byrd Greene.

NC while her father was away In addition to his parents, fighting in the US Navy during he was War preceded in death by was World II. Raymond Jones so proud return after war and his sister,toTammy Annthe Greene. meet little girl! by Doris He his is survived hisgrew up in Durham, Charles NC and graduated from brothers, Allen Durham High School.

She furthered Greene(Donna) and Johnny her studies at Watts Hospital Wayne Greene(Gayle); his SchoolDanyella of NursingNicole in Durham and fiance, graduated as aher Registered Nurse in Morales and children, 1966.and Austin Poindexter.

Blaze Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC. Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion.

The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over February 6, 1943 - January 19,40 years of nursing.

2024 Doris was a gentle and sweet Lina Howell Sikes, 80, of spirit and loved her Lord. She never Ansonville, passed away Friday met a stranger, and she always left morning, January 19, 2024 at you feeling uplifted after talking her home. with her. She would often claim that Lina born friends February she hadwas “adopted” into6,her 1943 in Anson County to the she immediate family, and honestly, late Edward and Eddie never made aJones distinction between Lee Howell. the Threadgill two. Positivity radiatedShe from her graduated inShe 1961, the first funny, like sunlight. was selfless, graduating class of Anson smart, and sentimental.

During her High School.

She and lifetime she was an owned active member operated Ansonville of First Baptist ChurchNursery of Durham, for several years andofenjoyed First Baptist Church Augusta, her time asTrinity a waitress at Church Most Holy Catholic Western Sizzlin in Wadesboro. in Augusta, and Palestine United She attended Concord Methodist Church in Albemarle.

Methodist Church her She especially loved during helping at younger years andadults, later youth, joinedand church with older Red Hill Baptist Church. children.

She was especially In addition to hertalented parents, at sewing from a young age and she was preceded in death by made gifts for friends, Christmas her son, Gerald Covington ornaments, Halloween Costumes, Sikes; brothers, Donald, doll clothes, prom Edward andpageant Robertdresses, Howell; dresses,Rebecca coats, toteSells bags,and scarves, sisters, outfits for Amy and Laura, and Matilda Hinson.

Christening gownsby forher each of her She is survived grandchildren. husband, Bobby Hill Sikes of preceded in death by the Doris home;was daughters, Ronda her father Arthur Raymond Jones, Beachum(Tracy) of Ansonville her Susan motherHill MaryofEllen Cameron and Ansonville; Jones, and her sister Maryanne nine grandchildren, Kristy Jones Brantley.

Campbell(Justin), Travis Survivors include her two Beachum, Anna Capel(Arthur), precious daughters: Amy Cameron Trent Beachum, Trey Galliher, Coleman (partner Dr.Love, Edward Neal David Love, Gracie Chernault) of Albemarle, NC, and Emma Love and Sarah Love; Laura Lindahl Coleman Oliverio two great-grandchildren, (husband David) of Cincinnati, Ohio; Skylar and Gage Campbell; seven grandchildren: Cameron sister, Audrey Moore of David Oliverio, Stephanie Jae Dejak, Rockingham; many Coleman nephewsJohn Luca Beatty Oliverio, and nieces, Michael, Scott, Ryan Dejak, Carson Joseph Oliverio, Sheila, Sandra, Shelby, Kenzia, Nicholas Dejak, and Jadon Richard Crystal, Trey and Ann. Oliverio;Wendy, and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones.

Lina Sikes

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

8

STATE & NATION Aide to Lloyd Austin asked ambulance to arrive quietly to defense secretary’s home, 911 call shows

By John Raby The Associated Press AN AIDE to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked first responders to avoid using lights and sirens in requesting an ambulance be sent to Austin’s northern Virginia home after he had complications from surgery for prostate cancer that he had kept secret from senior Biden administration leaders and staff.

Austin was hospitalized Jan. 1 and admitted to intensive care after developing an infection a week after undergoing surgery.

He was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday.

On the Jan. 1 call to the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety, a man who identified himself as a government employee described Austin as alert.

The identity of Austin and the caller were redacted from a copy of the 911 audio, which was obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act. The caller named the street on which Austin lives.

In the four-minute call, the reason for needing the ambulance also was redacted. The caller said Austin was not having chest pains.

“Can I ask, like, can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? Um, we’re trying to remain a little subtle,” the aide said, according to the recording.

AP PHOTO

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., Nov. 22, 2023.

A dispatcher responded that the ambulance would comply once it got near the home.

“Usually when they turn into a residential neighborhood, they’ll turn them off,” the dispatcher said, adding that emergency sirens and lights are required by law on major roads when ambulances are responding to a call.

Austin was located on the ground floor of the residence, said the aide, who indicated he would be waiting outside for the ambulance.

The caller asked how long it would take to get to the home.

The dispatcher said it depended on traffic and road conditions and said first responders would be arriving from the closest available station.

Details of the 911 audio file from the Fairfax County Public Safety Department were first reported by The Daily Beast.

As he recovers, Austin will be working from home. His doctors said he “progressed well throughout his stay and his strength is rebounding.” They said in a statement the cancer was treated early and his prognosis is “excellent.”

Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Dec. 22 and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening.

Dr. John Maddox, the trauma medical director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, the director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research at Walter Reed, said that during Austin’s hospitalization he underwent medical tests and was treated for lingering leg pain. They said he has physical therapy to do but there are no plans for further cancer treatment other than regular checks.

President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin’s hospitalization until Jan. 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until Jan. 9. Biden has said Austin’s failure to tell him about the hospitalization was a lapse in judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief.

During Austin’s time at Walter Reed, the U.S. launched a series of military strikes late last week on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to their campaign of assaults on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Working from his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including Gen. Erik

In snowy DC, the March for Life rallies against abortion with an eye toward the November elections

By Alex Veiga The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — Thousands of opponents of abortion rights rallied under falling snow on Friday at the annual March for Life, as speakers urged the impassioned crowd to capitalize on the movement’s major victory in the Supreme Court and keep fighting until abortion is eliminated.

Months before a presidential election that could be heavily influenced by abortion politics, anti-abortion activists packed the National Mall carrying signs with messages such as “Life is precious” and “I am the pro-life generation.” After listening to speeches, the crowd, braving frigid temperatures, marched past the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court. One group planted in front of Court, beating a drum and chanting: “Everyone you know was once an embryo.”

Friday’s March for Life was the second such event in the nation’s capital since the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended Roe v. Wade. Last year’s march was triumphant, with organizers relishing a state-by-state fight in legislatures around the country.

Speakers praised the Dobbs

People participating in the March for Life walk up Independence Avenue toward the Supreme Court, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

AP PHOTO

decision that overturned Roe v.

Wade but said it was more important now than ever to keep up the pressure on lawmakers to advance abortion restrictions.

“Roe is done, but we still live in a culture that knows not how to care for life,” said Benjamin Watson, a former NFL player who is now an anti-abortion advocate.

“Roe is done, but the factors that drive women to seek abortions are ever apparent and ever increasing. Roe is done, but abortion is still legal and thriving in too much of America.”

Friday’s event appeared smaller than in past years as ice and snow complicated travel plans.

But the crowd was fired up as speakers, which included members of Congress and Michigan University Football Coach Jim Harbaugh, urged participants to keep fighting until abortion becomes “unthinkable.”

“Let’s be encouraged, let’s press on and hope that we can join together and make this great difference,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “We can stand with every woman for every child, and

we can truly build a culture that cherishes and protects life.”

The snow fell heavily throughout the speeches as young people built snowmen and had snowball fights behind the stage. Near the Capitol, the crowd celebrated as a group on a balcony of the Cannon House Office building cheered on the march.

“I almost didn’t come when I saw the forecast, but this is just incredible,” said Stephanie Simpson, a 42-year-old grocery store employee from Cleveland, who has attended the last four

Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and White House meetings to review, order and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video.

The lack of transparency about Austin’s hospitalization, however, has triggered administration and Defense Department reviews on the procedures for notifying the White House and others if a Cabinet member must transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy, as Austin did during his initial surgery and a portion of his latest hospital stay. And the White House chief of staff ordered Cabinet members to notify his office if they ever can’t perform their duties.

Austin’s secrecy also drew criticism from Congress members on both sides of the political aisle, and Rep. Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others openly called for Austin to resign, but the White House has said the Pentagon chief’s job is safe.

It is still unclear when Austin will return to his office in the Pentagon or how his cancer treatment will affect his job, travel and other public engagements going forward. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been taking on some of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.

marches.

Roberto Reyes, a Mexican native and Carmelite friar, said: “All these people are going to remember this year’s march for the rest of their lives!”

Members of the crowd described overturning Roe v. Wade as a victory, but said the anti-abortion fight rages on.

“The key message this year is that our work is not done,” said Bishop Michael Burbidge, chair of the committee for pro-life activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The movement has seen mixed results. The ruling in Dobbs v.

Jackson Women’s Health Organization reverted abortion lawmaking back to the states, and 14 states are now enforcing bans on abortion throughout pregnancy.

Two more have such bans on hold because of court rulings. And another two have bans that take effect when cardiac activity can be detected, about six weeks into pregnancy.

Movement organizers now expect abortion rights to be a major Democratic rallying cry in President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.

“The pro-abortion forces, that’s one of the major things they’re going to run on,” said Susan Swift, president of Pro-Life Legal and a veteran anti-abortion activist.

“That’s one of the only things that seems to animate their base.”

Biden campaign officials openly state that they plan to make Biden synonymous with the fight to preserve abortion rights.

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Firefighters pour water from atop a ladder truck as fire consumes the abandoned Worthville Textile Mill in Randleman on January 20.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Asheboro PD taking Citizen’s Academy applications The department is taking applications for its 2024 Citizen’s Academy, a nine-week program covering numerous aspects of law enforcement in Asheboro. Topics covered include arrest techniques, investigations, an overview of the Asheboro PD’s structure and specialized units, and a ride-along with an officer for a shift.

Classes are held once per week and is designed to help educate the community on law enforcement operations, and to help officers and the community get to know each other better.

Call Master Sergeant Jeremy Sudduth at 336-6262733 for more information or to discuss submitting an application. Some restrictions apply and class sizes are limited.

The 2024 Academy runs from March 11 through May 7.

Local colleges host ‘FAFSA Day’ Jan 27 60 universities and community colleges across North Carolina will host free “FAFSA Day” events later this month to assist students and parents with filling out the new financial aid form.

Locally, Randolph Community College in Asheboro will participate, on Saturday Jan. 27 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Visit RCC’s event in rooms 106 and 108 in the Continuing Education and Industrial Center on the Asheboro Campus.

The FAFSA form allows eligible North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less to access the Next NC Scholarship, a combination of the federal Pell Grant and state-funded financial aid that can fully cover tuition and fees at NC community colleges — or half, or more, of the costs to attend any public university in the state.

Worthville Mill burns in Randleman

By Scott Pelkey Randolph Record RANDLEMAN - Firefighters from at least a dozen departments worked for hours Saturday to control a fire at the old Worthville Mill on Russell Walker Ave in Randleman.

At 3:57 p.m. firefighters dispatched to the Worthville Mill, at 216 Russell Walker Ave in Randleman, for a commercial structure fire.

The three-story mill, which has been abandoned for several years, was well-involved when firefighters arrived.

Randolph County Emergency Services told the Randolph Record that at least twelve departments were on scene, with more units fighting a wildfire near Worthville Beach, that likely sparked as a result of the fire at the mill.

Numerous roads around the fire were closed to traffic, while local officials urged residents to avoid the area.

Randolph Record spoke to witnesses who said the fire may have been started by transients attempting to stay warm inside the mill, but there is no definitive determination of cause and the fire remains under investigation.

Hours after the fire began, NCDOT was requested to help close roads for an extended period, and water runoff from firefighting efforts began to freeze at Worthville Road and Pointe South Drive, causing a hazard.

Witnesses said the fire may have been started by transients trying to stay warm inside the mill.

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1.24.24

“Join the conversation” North State Journal (USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365)

Meet the 1985 Randleman Randolph Guide baseball Hall of Famers EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to an editing error, the caption for the photo of the 1985 Randleman High School baseball team in last week’s issue was not what was intended. The corrected caption is below. We apologize for the error and congratulate the team on its Hall of Fame induction.

MEET THE 1985 Randleman baseball Hall of Famers: The Randleman Tigers’ 1985 baseball team was inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame during halftime of the boys’ bas-

ketball game against Providence Grove on Jan. 12.

The 1985 team was coached

by Steve Linthicum, who returned for the ceremony. Assistant coach was Boyd Byerly. The roster consisted of Chris Allen, Lee Dickey, Brian Ester, Todd Gantt, Brian Hughes, Jerry Jarrett, Andy Lisk, Scotty Lineberry, David and Jeff McDuffie, Brian Moffitt, Mike Nelson, Andy Routh, Cale Simmons, Darrin Small, Greg Spurlin, Scottie Vickers, Clayton Welch and Chris Wood.

The team reached the final

game of the state championship before falling to a Whiteville team that featured two future major leaguers: Tommy Greene, a longtime Phillies and Braves pitcher, and Patrick Lennon, a slugger for the Mariners and three other teams. Both were MLB first-round draft picks and led Whiteville to a championship series sweep, 1-0 and 14-2.

Hughes was a member of the school’s Hall of Fame committee and, working with Andy Routh, was able to get 13 players from that team to join Coach Linthicum for the event.

Neal Robbins, Publisher Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers Jordan Golson, Local News Editor Shawn Krest, Sports Editor Bob Sutton, Randolph Editor Scott Pelkey, Breaking News Jesse Deal, Reporter Ryan Henkel, Reporter P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer BUSINESS David Guy, Advertising Manager Published each Wednesday as part of North State Journal

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Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, N.C. and at additional mailing offices.

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

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Escaped prisoner found in Liberty

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record LIBERTY – A Raleigh prisoner with Randolph County ties made a stealthy escape from a work detail before being captured in Liberty just a few hours later.

Ronnie Dwayne East, 41, was captured by Randolph County sheriff’s deputies near Ramsey Julian Road around 5:10 p.m. He had been discovered missing shortly after 3 p.m. based on information from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

Based on reports from law enforcement, East stole a stateowned pickup truck from the work site.

NC DEPARTMENT OF ADULT CORRECTION

Ronnie Dwayne East Upon his capture, East was transported to another correctional facility. He faces charges

for escape and vehicle theft.

East was serving a four-year sentence at Wake Correctional Center for breaking and entering and larceny in Randolph County. He had been scheduled for release in July 2026, though that date is now in question.

His work assignment was at a North Carolina Department of Adult Correction warehouse on Leagan Drive in Raleigh.

During the search for East, information regarding the man was released in an effort to locate him. He was described as a 5-foot-8, 179-pound white man with tattoos on both arms, legs, chest, back and stomach. He had been wearing prison-issued green pants and shirt.

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Jan. 27 RCC – FAFSA Day 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Need help filling out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)? Randolph Community College’s Financial Aid Office is hosting a FAFSA Day in rooms 106 and 108 the Continuing Education and Industrial Center on the Asheboro Campus.

More info and register at randolph.edu

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: North State Journal 1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607

The Randolph Guide is a quick look at what’s going on in Randolph County.

January 14

January 14

January 18

x Spencer Aaron Combs, 34, from Asheboro, was arrested by the Asheboro Police Department and charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting a public officer.

He received a $500 secure bond.

x Gabriel Silva De Oliveria, 21, from Asheboro, was arrested and charged with assault on a female. Bond was denied due to the domestic nature of the incident.

x Da’Shawn Jamal Chapman, 33, was apprehended by the Randolph County Criminal Apprehension Team on warrants for felony robbery with a dangerous weapon, felony breaking and or entering, felony larceny, felony habitual breaking/entering, and misdemeanor injury to real property.

He was denied bond.

x April Lynn Simon, 43, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office for felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. She was issued a $25,000 secured bond. x Aaron Douglas Tysinger, 28, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office for felony creating counterfeit-controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and was issued a written promise to appear. x John Michael Stevenson, 46, was apprehended by the Randolph County Criminal Apprehension Team on warrants for felony possession of Schedule II controlled substance, felony maintain vehicle/dwelling for controlled substance, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. No bond was set.

The Liberty Showcase Theater Presents Stephen Freeman 7 – 9 p.m.

Stephen Freeman has written, produced, and starred in two plays about the life of Elvis Presley. Stephen and his “Tribute to Elvis” band have opened for Charlie Daniels and Lee Brice and in 2009 Stephen won the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. Admission: $15 $35, individual seats.

Jan. 28

CRIME LOG

January 15

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Benefit for the Burroughs family at Riders in the Country (5701 Randleman Rd, Randleman). BBQ plates are $10.00 (include BBQ, sides, and a drink).

50/50 tickets, auction, and bake sale. All other donations appreciated.

x Spencer Aaron Combs, 34, of Asheboro was arrested by the Asheboro Police Department for simple assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting a public officer. He received a $500 secure bond.

January 16 x Bobby Gene Gibson, 54, from Liberty, was arrested by the Asheboro Police Department and charged with hit and run (leaving the scene of property damage) for which he received a $1,000 bond.

January 17 x Kenneth Wayne Bartlett, 43, from Asheboro, was arrested and charged with felony possession of cocaine, felony maintaining a vehicle for controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond was set at $5,000.

x Lacy Allen Wyatt, 39, was arrested and transported to the Randolph County Jail where he was charged with for felony break/enter to terrorize/ injure, misdemeanor simple assault, and misdemeanor domestic violence protective order violation. He was not issued a bond due to the charges being domestic in nature. x Alonzo Dean Robinson, 54, of Asheboro, was arrested by the Asheboro Police Department and charged with felony larceny, felony possession of stolen goods, felony larceny of a firearm, and felony possession of a firearm by a felon.

Bond was set at $175,000.

The Veteran‘s Battlefield: A story of North Carolina Veterans 3 – 6 p.m.

See the documentary that sheds light on the issues veterans face after active duty at the Sunset Theatre.

The screening will be followed by a discussion panel that includes veterans and those who work with them.

Free and open to the public. More info at theveteransbattlefield. com

Jan. 29 Making Mini Comic Books 4 – 5 p.m.

Local artist Kev Lyrely is holding a one-day only workshop for teens at the Asheboro Public Library on how to make mini comic books! No knowledge of drawing is necessary. For teens 12+.Free event – call (336) 318-6800 for more info

Randolph Record for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

3

OPINION

de

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor VISUAL VOICES

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

How not to fix the immigration crisis Biden will pay for it at the polls if it’s not addressed.

NO ONE — or almost no one — can deny that there is an immigration crisis in America. New legislation is needed, including more funding for a fair and effective system for controlling the border and handling the asylum process. In the Senate, key Republicans and Democrats are at least talking together about how to deal with the problem.

Not so in the House.

Last week, the House committee on Homeland Security raced to complete hearings on the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, promising to bring charges against him by the end of the month. They wrapped up the hearings without testimony from the secretary himself, who, when he asked for a more convenient date to testify, was told to submit a written statement. Nor did they hear from anyone else from the Biden administration or from any constitutional experts who might have pointed to any “high crimes and misdemeanors” — the constitutional standard — that might justify impeachment.

According to the committee’s chairman, Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, “The truth is that Secretary Mayorkas has disregarded court orders, laws passed by Congress and has lied to the American people. ... Who wants a secretary that can just disregard the fundamental pillars of the Constitution? We cannot tolerate that, whether they are a Republican or Democrat.”

But neither Green nor any other member of the committee could cite any “high crimes or misdemeanors” committed by Mayorkas, nor could they point to any precedent for using impeachment — an extraordinary remedy — as the tool for resolving what is essentially a policy dispute with the administration.

Impeachment requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate, which will simply not happen. It is a time-consuming process that will solve nothing. As Rep. Bennie Thompson, the ranking Democrat, pointed out, “This isn’t a real impeachment; it’s a predetermined,

pre-planned, partisan political stunt,” one that no one in Congress expects will result in Senate conviction. “You cannot impeach a Cabinet secretary because you don’t like a president’s policies,” Thompson argued.

But you can try, which is what Republicans on the committee are apparently united in doing, not because it will change anything but because it will satisfy their hard-line base and score political points.

It’s a tactic that is no more effective than putting migrants on buses, as the governors of Florida and Texas have done, and shipping them off to New York and Los Angeles and other cities for Democratic mayors to deal with.

No state — and no city — should be expected to deal with what is in truth a national problem. Democrats need to recognize the policy failure at the border, the worsening problems of illegal immigration and drug trafficking at the border. It is a human crisis as well as a political one, and Biden will pay for it at the polls if it’s not addressed. But the Republicans, by resorting to impeachment and holding aid to Ukraine hostage, are playing partisan politics rather than doing anything constructive to address the underlying policy challenges.

As Princeton professor Deborah Pearlstein testified, at the invitation of Democrats on the committee, “Impeachment will have no impact on resources available to the border, and it will have no impact on the policies pursued by this administration at all.”

What Congress needs to do is legislate, not posture. Mayorkas is part of a bipartisan effort by Senate Democrats and Republicans to come up with legislation that will address issues of asylum and detention, as well as funding for border enforcement. Democrats need to acknowledge the failures at the border and deal with them.

Republicans need to stop playing games and do the work that they were elected to do.

Going after the scalp of Mayorkas solves nothing at all.

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

Why Donald Trump won the GOP nomination

He needed Joe Biden to be so terrible at his job, so outright awful, that Trump would suddenly look competitive.

DONALD TRUMP is the presumptive Republican nominee for president after a dominant performance in the Iowa caucuses — a performance in which he earned over 50% of the vote and left his closest competitors in the dust.

Get ready for “Trump vs. Biden II: Electric Boogaloo.”

The big question, of course, is “why?” Why does Trump retain such a grip on the Republican imagination after losing the 2020 election, contributing heavily to the loss of two Republican Senate seats in Georgia in 2021, and contributing heavily to the loss of the Senate in 2022 with his spate of bizarre primary picks? Why should Trump, who spends much of every day fulminating about his upcoming legal cases, have the upper hand against Republicans without such baggage? Why does Trump, who is certainly no conservative ideologue, live so large in the imagination of conservatives?

There are several reasons.

Primarily, Trump is lucky in his enemies.

To be more precise, Trump’s very presence on the political stage — and his victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 — drove his enemies out of their minds. Those enemies determined that any and all means were appropriate for undermining his presidency and his 2020 reelection bid: from Russian collusion nonsense to multiple impeachments, from nodding at historically damaging riots to blaming him for a pandemic, from changing the voting rules to lying about and then shutting down the dissemination of the Hunter Biden laptop story, anything was on the table. So when Trump claimed in the post-2020 election landscape that he had been robbed of victory, that contention rang true, even if his contentions about outright voter fraud remained unproven.

Trump has been the title character of “Trump: The Series” since 2015. In the end, the chances that Americans would allow a recasting before his reelection effort were always low. But those chances shrank to zero the moment Trump’s enemies weaponized the legal system against him.

When Trump’s enemies, in the aftermath of Joe Biden’s election

win, continued to come after Trump using the legal system, Trump argued that he was a stand-in for conservatives everywhere, who feel that they are targeted for destruction by America’s most powerful institutions. That argument had major purchase: by polling data, Trump’s bump to the top of the Republican 2024 heap came not with his reelection announcement, but with the announcement in March 2023 that he would be indicted in Manhattan on specious charges of campaign finance violation. The drumbeat of new legal charges against him, dropped everywhere from Florida to Washington, D.C. to Georgia, simply added fuel to the fire.

Perhaps even that legal news could have been turned against Trump in a primary race. But there was one more factor Trump needed: He needed Joe Biden to be so terrible at his job, so outright awful, that Trump would suddenly look competitive. The electability argument — the argument that Trump’s losing record since 2016 would continue into 2024 — collapsed for Trump’s Republican opponents as Biden’s approval rating sank into the 30s. Republicans’ hearts were with Trump; now their heads could be with him, too.

And so Trump is the presumptive nominee.

The only question is whether he will reenter the White House in January 2025. And that question, ironically, will be answered less

by Trump than by Biden. Trump’s campaign will be relatively quiet: He’ll be relegated to courtrooms and TruthSocial; there will be no debates.

Which means that 2024 could easily be a referendum on Biden’s presidency. And if that happens, Trump will have capped the most remarkable political comeback since Richard Nixon won the White House in 1968.

Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is “The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent.”

Randolph Record for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

4

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SIDELINE REPORT

Nick Dunlap embraces his mother, Charlene, and father, Jim, after winning The American Express PGA Tour tournament Sunday in La Quinta, California.

NHL

Flames’ Dube on indefinite leave to attend to mental health Calgary, Alberta Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube has been granted an indefinite leave to attend to his mental health.

The 25-year-old from Golden, British Columbia, is under the care of professionals, according to a statement the Flames posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Dube was not in Calgary’s lineup for Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound center was a second-round pick of the Flames in the 2016 draft. He has three goals and four assists in 43 games this season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

San Jose State hires Niumatalolo San Jose, Calif.

San Jose State hired former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo to replace Brent Brennan as the Spartans head coach.

Athletic director Jeff Konya announced the hiring on Sunday, saying Niumatalolo is the “right fit” for San Jose State and can make the Spartans consistent contenders in the Mountain West. Niumatalolo is the winningest coach in Navy history, going 109-83 in 15 seasons before being fired after the 2022 game against Army. Niumatalolo spent last season at UCLA in an offfield role for Bruins coach Chip Kelly but was elevated to tight ends coach after the season.

NFL

Eagles’ Sirianni fires DC Desai Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni fired defensive coordinator Sean Desai, according to reports. Desai lost his play-calling duties to assistant coach Matt Patricia in December. The Eagles went from 10-1 to losing in the wild card round to Tampa Bay after finishing 11-6 in the regular season. Desai replaced Jonathan Gannon, who left Philadelphia to become the head coach in Arizona after the Eagles lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Desai was a defensive assistant in Seattle in 2022 and previously spent nine seasons in Chicago, including one year as defensive coordinator in 2021.

TENNIS

Protester disrupts Australian Open match Melbourne, Australia A pro-Palestinian protester threw papers onto an Australian Open court and briefly disrupted the fourthround match between Olympic champion Alexander Zverev and Cameron Norrie of Britain. A person wearing a face mask threw anti-war pamphlets from the stands onto the court behind the baseline during the third set. Two spectators held the protester before security arrived. Ball kids gathered up the papers and the match continued after security escorted the protestor away.

Zverev won the match in five sets to advance to the quarterfinals.

AP PHOTO

Dunlap becomes PGA Tour’s 1st amateur winner since 1991 The University of Alabama sophomore with victory at The American Express

at The American Express.

Dunlap came out of it with a victory that could herald the arrival of a major golf talent — and one who might not even need to finish the homework he brought with him to the West Coast.

Dunlap swallowed his nerves one last time to make a 6-foot par putt on the final hole, holding on for a one-shot victory over Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

“Everybody’s got doubts,” Dunlap said. “I probably had a thousand different scenarios in my head of how today was going to go, and it went nothing like I expected. I think that was the cool part about it. That’s golf.”

The reigning U.S. Amateur champion is the tour’s first amateur winner since Phil Mickelson at the Tucson Open in 1991.

Playing in his fourth tour event, Dunlap became the seventh amateur winner since 1945 — and the third since 1957.

The only amateur in the 156-player field in the tournament long known as the Bob Hope Desert Classic, Dunlap surged into a three-shot lead with a sizzling 12-under 60 in the third round. He lost that lead Sunday on the front nine on the Stadium Course at PGA West, but he played with the resilience of a seasoned veteran down the stretch, capped by his recovery from two errant shots on the 18th for the winning par.

He ended up with a 70 — his worst round of the week by far — to finish at 29-under 259 and break the tournament scoring record as a 72-hole event. He’s also the youngest winner in the event’s history, and he became the youngest amateur to win on the tour since 1910.

Dunlap and Tiger Woods are the only players to win both the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Junior Amateur. While Dunlap got

the celebration Sunday for one of the most impressive performances in recent golf history, he doesn’t get the $1.5 million firstplace prize, which goes to Bezuidenhout after the South African’s final-round 65.

Dunlap also doesn’t get the 500 FedEx Cup points — but his rewards are still ample. If he stays at Alabama he gets in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open as the U.S. Amateur champion. If he turns pro and joins the PGA Tour, he still gets in the Masters and U.S. Open, along with the remaining seven $20 million signature events on tour.

“It’s amazing,” Bezuidenhout said about Dunlap’s achievement. “Actually, I heard his name last year when he won the U.S. Amateur. He’s obviously a hell of a player, and congrats to him. Hopefully, he can be out on the PGA Tour soon, and we all can get to play with him.”

VanDerveer’s 1,203rd victory pushes Stanford coach past Krzyzweski

reer accomplishments, she’s positively impacted countless lives as a coach and a mentor. Tara remains a true guardian of our sport.”

A video tribute with messages from everyone from Billie Jean King to Steve Kerr, Dawn Staley and Coach K himself showed on the big screen.

VanDerveer improved to

1,203-267 overall and 1,051-216 over 38 seasons at Stanford. A 17-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year with five national Coach of the Year honors, VanDerveer has captured three NCAA titles with Stanford — 1990, ’92 and 2021 — and coached the 1996 U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal at the Atlanta Games during a year away from Stanford.

By Greg Beacham The Associated Press LA QUINTA, Calif. — Nick Dunlap doesn’t possess a false confidence, and he doesn’t project a supernatural calm. The University of Alabama sophomore fully understood just how crazy it was to be fending off a field of professionals Sunday while he tried to become the PGA Tour’s first amateur winner in 33 years.

“Most nervous I’ve ever been, by far,” Dunlap said. “Just tried to breathe, but also look up and enjoy it a little bit.”

The 20-year-old simply played through it all — through his mistakes, the rising pressure and the overall improbability of his week

The Stanford women’s coach now has the most wins among major college basketball coaches

The Associated Press STANFORD, Calif. — Only Her. Tara VanDerveer’s face shined in every corner of Maples Pavilion with that very message. Yes, the Stanford Hall of Famer now stands atop major college basketball as the winningest coach of all time.

“Today was just so wonderful,” VanDerveer said. Even though she had to text her 96-year-old mother Rita they’d need to cancel a scheduled bridge game because of all the postgame festivities to celebrate her. “... It is a big number and I’m very appreciative of the great players I’ve coached and the great places I’ve been and the attention it’s brought to women’s basketball.”

Just as those who love her so hoped it would turn out, VanDerveer passed former Duke and Army coach Mike Krzyzewski with her 1,203rd career victory at home in Maples when No. 8 Stanford beat Oregon State 65-

56.

And it never fails that VanDerveer always takes a minute to thank everybody for coming to the game, and that includes offering her immense gratitude to the Stanford band.

“I’m overwhelmed,” she told the crowd Sunday. “I’m not usually lost for words but it’s pretty impressive, all these people here, all the former players coming back.”

A head coach since age 24, VanDerveer celebrated with thousands of supporters and a couple dozen former players on hand to cheer her on for yet another triumph in a decorated 45-year career featuring so many memorable accomplishments.

And for a nearly full arena, this was also a chance for fans to show their love to the Hall of Fame coach who has been shining her light on women’s basketball for 4½ decades.

“Tara! Tara!” they yelled in the closing seconds before the celebration began.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Tara VanDerveer, who is already one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of basketball,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “This is yet another milestone to add to an amazing legacy. More important than all the astounding numbers and ca-

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Randolph Record for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

5

+20( 3/$7( Eastern Randolph teams 027256 still hope for rewards Sydney BEST OVERALL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

RAMSEUR – The win-loss record looks drastically different for Eastern Randolph’s boys’ basketball team from a year ago.

But second-year coach Johnny Thomas said there could be a payoff in the coming weeks.

Thomas lined up the Wildcats for a stiff schedule this season and the game results have been mixed.

“What a lot of people don’t understand,” Thomas said. “They ask the question: Why would you play this team? Why would you play this team? Why would I not?”

So new opponents have been part of Eastern Randolph’s non-conference schedule.

Eastern Randolph played January non-conference road games against Asheboro, Swansboro and Farmville Central, losing them all. The latter two outings came in a three-day span.

“I think playing those two games will set us up to be more successful in the conference as well as the postseason,” Thomas said.

Last season’s 12 non-conference opponents all changed with two exceptions. The Wildcats faced Lee County and Western Harnett across the first two days of Lee County’s holiday tournament in late December just as they had a year earlier.

“I want to play anyone that is good,” Thomas said. “Right now,

we’re in a building phase.”

The reason for the approach from Thomas is that the Wildcats would like to have another strong run in the Piedmont Athletic Conference and state playoffs. They set school records during last season’s 29-3 campaign, reaching the Class 1-A state final.

“We want to get out there and prove to people that we can play,” Thomas said. “The only way you can do that is go out there and play better teams and get out there and compete.”

Eastern Randolph entered this week with an 8-7 overall record and 4-1 mark in the PAC. The Wildcats are fresh off Friday night’s 81-77 victory against Trinity in a PAC showdown.

That might have been a sign of the rewards that could come the Wildcats’ way.

“At the end of the year, we’ve got to prepare ourselves to play against juggernauts and do all this other stuff, so us scheduling a team that we know we’re going to beat or scheduling a team when we can go out there and we can have a perfect record, that’s not what I’m about,” Thomas said. “I want to challenge my guys. We want to build past the adversities (and) all the obstacles that are placed in front of us.”

Girls’ team regroups

It has been more of a struggle for Eastern Randolph’s girls,

who were PAC runners-up last season and reached the third round of the Class 1-A state playoffs.

“Just have to give us time and we’ll be fine,” coach Jeff Davis said earlier in the season. “We’re playing a bunch of juggernauts, a bunch of juggernauts. We need a little break.”

There’s just a limited amount of experience among the Wildcats, who had standout Brecken Snotherly providing big point totals last season. She’s a freshman on East Tennessee State’s team.

The Wildcats, who entered this week with a 3-13 record, knew they would lose Snotherly and then Logan Beaver opted not to play this season.

Eastern Randolph counts on junior Kenly Whitacker, who underwent knee surgery after last season but has returned to form. Davis said Ziera Watson is putting together pieces for a big senior season.

Yet sometimes the Wildcats have looked fatigued, Davis said.

Katelyn Brown’s wrist injury was a setback, though newcomer Mirianna Corea can be a force in rebounding.

Eastern Randolph won only one of its first five games, losing twice to Chatham Central and Burlington Williams. More recently, the Wildcats lost their first four PAC games before last week’s victory against Trinity.

“We’re going to win some games,” Davis said. “We’re going to lose some games.”

PJ WARD-BROWN | RANDOLPH RECORD

Coach Johnny Thomas talks to his Eastern Randolph boys’ basketball team during a game last month.

PREP GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Cougars stay on solid pace Randolph Record ASHEBORO — Caressa King’s 16 points and Jordin George’s 15 points helped Southwestern Randolph to a 54-24 victory against visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy in Piedmont Athletic Conference girls’ basketball Friday night.

It was a light week of action for teams in the area.

UCA was held to two fourth-quarter points as the Cougars stretched their winning streak to three games.

Southwestern Randolph reached the midway mark of its league slate with a 15-2 overall record and 5-1 PAC mark. ** Providence Grove picked up a 52-40 home victory against Wheatmore in PAC play.

** Also in the PAC, Eastern Randolph rolled past visiting Trinity 54-8 with Ziera Watson scoring 19 points and Kenly Whitaker contributing 13 points as the Wildcats snapped a four-game losing streak. ** Asheboro’s 59-54 road loss to Montgomery Central caused the Blue Comets to slip to 3-13 overall and 0-3 in the Mid-Piedmont Conference.

PREP BOYS’ BASKETBALL

PAC race looks crowded Randolph Record IT’S TIGHT atop the Piedmont Athletic Conference boys’ basketball schedule near the midway mark of the league slate.

Trinity suffered its first PAC loss of the season when host Eastern Randolph won 81-77 in Friday night’s game at Ramseur. That was a rematch of last February’s PAC Tournament championship game on the same court, with the Wildcats winning that one as well.

Eastern Randolph also en-

tered this week with just one PAC defeat. Randleman was unbeaten in PAC play going into a game early this week vs. Trinity.

Timothy Brower’s 34 points and Nicah Taylor’s 19 points led the way for Eastern Randolph against Trinity.

The Bulldogs were carried by Dominic Payne with 26 points and Brandon Campbell with 22 points.

The result was a huge bounce back for Eastern Randolph, which lost 93-42 at Farmville Central on Martin Luther King

Day earlier in the week. ** Providence Grove posted a 68-46 home victory against Wheatmore with Will Dabbs scoring 16 points and James Ellis notching 15 points. ** Southwestern Randolph topped visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy 55-44 as Nathan Ellis pumped in 19 points. That offset 18 points from UCA’s Jeremiah Spinks and 15 points from Braeden Lamb. ** In the Mid-Piedmont Conference, Asheboro was back on track by trouncing host Montgomery Central 78-35 behind 24 points from Camden Walker and 20 points from Jerquarius Stanback. That marked just the second game since Jan. 5 for the Blue Comets.

Hall

RANDOLPH RECORD FILE PHOTO

Sydney Hall, shown here last season competing in the butterfly, has helped Wheatmore in the pool again this season.

Wheatmore, girls’ swimming Hall was part of victories in four events as the Warriors won last week’s Piedmont Athletic Conference championships.

She won the 100-meter butterfly, 100 backstroke and took part in two first-place relays in competition at High Point Swim Club. Her backstroke time of 1 minute, 21.72 seconds reflected nearly a 17-second winning margin.

Wheatmore was the clear team winner with 84 points to 54 for second-place Providence Grove among the five teams that were entered.

Hall, a junior, joined with Paislee Hollifield, Emily Cribbs and Sophie Williamson on Wheatmore’s winning 200 medley relay, which posted a time of 2:32.60. The Warriors won the 400 freestyle relay with Ava Williams, Sophie Williamson, Hollifield and Hall in 5:31.10.

The PAC boys’ meet was won by Providence Grove, which scored 58 points to runner-up Wheatmore’s 54.

Patriots teammates Austin Williams (200 freestyle, 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay) and Ashton Taylor (50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay) were both four-time winners.

PREP WRESTLING

Trinity, UCA flatten more foes Randolph Record TRINITY and Uwharrie Charter Academy wrestling teams have geared up for the postseason in fine fashion.

Trinity completed a sweep of the Piedmont Athletic Conference in duals by winning 70-0 last week at Eastern Randolph.

The Bulldogs (33-0) capped the regular season by winning three meets on their home mats the next night in non-conference action.

Trinity won all except one bout in defeating Asheboro 68-6.

The Bulldogs also overwhelmed Kernersville Glenn by 72-9 and North Carolina Leadership Academy by 84-0.

Asheboro posted victories against North Carolina Leadership Academy by 69-12 and against Kernersville Glenn by 48-27.

UCA (30-1), which suffered its lone defeat with a 36-30 setback to Trinity in early December, was right on target as well last week.

The Eagles stomped host Southwestern Randolph 66-15 in PAC action and, on the same night, drubbed Jordan-Matthews 83-0 in a non-conference tilt.

UCA had the weekend off.

Seeds come out this week for the dual team state playoffs. UCA in Class 1-A and Trinity in Class 2-A should land high seeds.

First- and second-round meets are slated for Saturday.

Third- and fourth-round encounters will be contested next Wednesday. The state finals at the fieldhouse n the Greensboro Coliseum complex grounds are set for Feb. 3.

UCA is the reigning Class 1-A state champion. ** Saturday in the Tiger Duals at Mount Pleasant, Randleman went 1-3, though team members Alex Raymundo (106) and Braxton Walker (190) each won four matches.

Randleman defeated Albemarle 57-24, but lost to Cary by 54-28, fell to West Cabarrus by 48-34 and tumbled against Weddington by 54-18.

Two wrestling teams from Randolph County could be strong contenders for titles when the state playoffs for duals begin.

Randolph Record for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

6

Biden visits North Carolina, a state he hopes to win in November, to promote internet access

By Josh Boak The Associated Press RALEIGH — President Joe Biden on Thursday, Jan. 18 unveiled $82 million for North Carolina to help connect 16,000 new households and businesses to high-speed internet, delivering an election-year pitch about policies he says are “just getting started” at improving the United States.

Biden, the Democratic incumbent who is campaigning to win a second term, coupled his economic message with a few jabs at his predecessor, Donald Trump, currently the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination and his most likely future challenger.

Biden brought up Trump’s recent comment that he hoped the economy would crash soon because he doesn’t want to preside over job losses if he were to be reelected in November. Biden told his audience that Trump already was like Herbert Hoover, who held office during the 1929 stock market crash.

“He’s the only president to be president for four years and lose jobs,” Biden said of Trump.

Biden said the work his administration is doing in North Carolina, on high-speed internet, infrastructure and more, is happening in communities across the country, regardless of the politics.

“What we’re doing here in North Carolina is one piece of a much bigger story,” he said.

Biden said he was keeping his promise “to be a president for all America, whether you voted for me or not.”

Biden talked about all the people who need high-speed internet because they work from home, businesses who need it to reach customers and students who need to do their school

AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden eats a milk shake from Cook Out, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. work.

“High-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s an absolute necessity,” he said in Raleigh, the state capital. “The investment in high-speed internet means something else as well: good-paying jobs.”

Biden’s reelection campaign has made winning North Carolina and its 16 electoral votes a top priority. The Democrat narrowly lost the state in 2020 by 1.34 percentage points to Trump.

They are expected to face each other again in November.

Fast-growing North Carolina

is considered a presidential battleground, but only twice in the last 40-plus years has a Democrat won the state’s electoral votes: Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Barack Obama in 2008.

Trump won the state in both 2016 and 2020, with the latter victory in part a result of massive turnout for Republicans in rural and non-urban counties overcoming increasingly Democratic strongholds in and around Raleigh and Charlotte.

Republicans hold narrow veto-proof control of the state legislature and a majority on the

state Supreme Court. But voters still appear comfortable with a Democratic state chief executive who attempts to counteract GOP policies, which recently have included more abortion restrictions and expanded private school vouchers. Democrats have held the governorship for all but four years since 1993.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is term-limited from running this year, spoke before Biden on Thursday, boosting Biden and criticizing Trump.

“I want a president who wakes up every morning think-

Finalists named for NC Teacher of the Year

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Nine North Carolina educators have been recognized as regional Teachers of the Year for their outstanding leadership and teaching excellence and are now finalists for North Carolina Teacher of the Year (NCTOY).

The NC Department of Public Instruction, in partnership with the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, has been honoring teachers with this award since 2013.

“These nine educators are just a sampling of the incredible talent we’re lucky to have in

North Carolina public schools,” said State Superintendent Catherine Truitt in a press release.

“They represent excellence across disciplines, from core subjects to career and technical education to the arts,” Truitt said. “I commend each of them for their dedication to getting students excited about learning, and I can’t wait to see what this cohort accomplishes together on behalf of students in the year ahead.”

The finalists include educators from nine different regions and one from a charter school: Charter School: Lee Hay-

wood, Uwharrie Charter Academy (Randolph County) Northeast: Anita Rubino-Thomas, Currituck County High School (Currituck County) Southeast: Nardi Routten, Creekside Elementary School (Craven County) North Central: Rachel Brackney, Southwest Edgecombe High School (Edgecombe County) Sandhills: Jennifer Blake, Carthage Elementary School (Moore County) Piedmont Triad: Will Marrs, Davie County High School (Davie County)

Southwest: Sarah Lefebvre, Health Sciences Academy at Monroe Middle School (Union County) Northwest: Erik Mortensen, Watauga High School (Watauga County) Western: Heather Smith, Waynesville Middle School (Haywood County) The mission of the NCTOY Program is to promote the teaching profession through advocacy and support, recognizing outstanding educators implementing best practices.

The winner will be announced on April 5, 2024, during an awards ceremony.

ing about the American people instead of a president who wakes up every morning thinking about himself,” Cooper said.

Polling shows that the economy has been a weakness for Biden, a reflection of inflation hitting a four-decade high in June 2022. Easing inflation rates since then have yet to pull Biden’s approval ratings back to their levels at the start of his presidency. The president has tried to empathize with voters grappling with higher inflation, but he has stressed that his policies are fostering the creation of factory and construction jobs with middle-class wages.

“When jobs grow, everything grows,” Biden said as he ticked through federal spending on projects made possible by his pandemic aid package and an infrastructure law.

The president later picked up a burger, fries and shake from Cook Out and held what his campaign described as a “kitchen table conversation” at the home of a family that benefited from the administration’s student loan forgiveness programs.

The administration is committing a total of $3 billion to build and fund internet connections in North Carolina. The administration estimates that an additional 300,000 state residents will be able to access the internet by the end of 2026.

One way the administration says it has lowered costs for families is by providing discounted internet service to 880,000 households in North Carolina.

But the administration is calling on Congress to renew the Affordable Connectivity Program, a separate source of funding that is set to run out of money in April. The program has helped 22 million people save $30 to $75 a month on their internet bills, the administration says.

“These nine educators are just a sampling of the incredible talent we’re lucky to have in North Carolina public schools.”

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt

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Randolph Record for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

7

obituaries

Donna Faye Troyer Ellison

December 15, 1956 — January 18, 2024 Ms. Donna Faye Troyer Ellison, 67 of Sophia passed away Thursday night at the Moses Cone Hospital Greensboro after a brief illness.

Ms. Ellison worked many years in the textile industry doing various jobs during her career.

She cared very much for her family and spent much of her time helping care for the kids and grandkids. Ms. Ellison is survived by 2 sons, James Stephens (Sherry) of Sophia and Jeffrey Ellison (Kimberly) of Statesville. 3 grandchildren, James Stephens, Jr. Austin Stephens, Annette Ellison and 2 brothers Bobby Troyer and Larry Troyer both from Ohio.

David Lee Graves

November 2, 1937 — January 17, 2024 David Lee Graves, age 86, of Asheboro died Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at Brookdale Asheboro. Mr. Graves was born in Randolph County to Harwood Leach Graves and Alice Hunt Graves. He graduated from Seagrove High School in 1954 and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina in 1958. He served in the United States Army with the rank of Specialist 4 from 1958 to 1961, stationed at the Nike missile base in Plainville, CT and at NATO Headquarters Southeast in Izmir, Turkey. He was employed as an industrial engineer at Burlington Industries from 1961 to 1988, beginning at the Klopman Mills plant in Asheboro and later at Burlington’s overseas operations in Frosinone, Italy and near Limerick, Ireland. Thereafter he worked for Precision Fabrics in Greensboro and in Cuernavaca, Mexico. He was retired from Asheboro City Schools as inschool suspension assistant at Asheboro High School. He was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, where he had served as chairman of the church council. In 1958 David married Janet Lucas, who died in 2011. In 2013 he married Ann Ward Johnson, who survives him. Other survivors include: sons, David Lucas Graves and spouse John F. Herrmann of Arlington, VA, Christopher Leach Graves and wife Lynette of Asheboro; grandson, Adam Christopher Graves and wife Jennifer of Chapel Hill; stepdaughter, Kathy Hyler of Kinston; stepsons, Brian Holt and wife Karen of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, Kevin Holt of Asheboro; sisters, Carolyn Russell and husband Barry of Cornelius, Sharon Michaels and husband Mike of Seagrove, Ann Wayland and husband Ed of Savannah, Jean Beacham of Davidson.

Warren William Gilliamsen

March 1, 1938 — January 18, 2024 Warren William Gilliamsen, 85, of Randleman passed away Thursday, January 18, 2024 at Hospice of Randolph surrounded by his loved ones.

He was born in Manhattan, NY on March 1, 1938 to William Gilliamsen and Caroline Cora Neithardt.

Warren and Mary retired to Randleman 20 years ago.

Warren’s main occupation was manufacturing supervision in New York, Colorado, Arkansas, Mississippi, and finally retiring in Randleman. Warren was also involved in office work and sales. A consummate volunteer throughout his life with the fire department, Randolph Hospital, and political affiliations. Warren was an advent nature lover, hiker, and gun enthusiast.

His two daughters and four granddaughters fondly remember his loving and playful nature, supporting his family at every turn. The love of Warren’s life was his wife of over 60 years, Mary.

Everyone who knew Warren would recall his quick wit and his propensity to make you laugh. Warren W. Gilliamsen passed away peacefully after a short admission at Hospice House with the diagnosis of skin cancer of the ear. Warren is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Gilliamsen; daughters, Jennifer (Abubaker) Shagan of New York, Mary Beth Gilliamsen of Greensboro; granddaughters, Zana Shagan, Amira Shagan, Jenna Shagan, Myla Mary Pope.

Sue Lanier Connor

September 1, 1935 — January 17, 2024 Sue Lanier Connor, 88, of Randleman went to her heavenly home on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 surrounded by her loved ones. She was born in Randolph County, NC on September 1, 1935 to Everette O. Lanier and Hallie Scarboro Lanier. Sue was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, married to the love of her life, Neal Connor, for 55 years. She was a giver at heart and known for her love of shopping. She would always buy gifts for those she loved, especially if there was a sale. Sue graduated from Randleman High School, was a lifetime member of Central Falls Baptist Church, and retired from Fox Apparel.

Sue is survived by her loving son, Curtis Connor (Lynn) of Randleman; daughterin-law, Jill; grandchildren, Andrew (Lindsey), Nicole (Brian), Matthew, Marcus; great-grandchildren, Lucas, Courtlyn, Byron; brother, Allen Lanier (Janice) of Asheboro.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Neal Connor; son, Steve Connor; sisters, Helen Taylor, Lucille Skeen, Margie Brietbach; and brother, Lawrence Lanier.

Patrick Glenn Cooper

September 15, 1960 — January 17, 2024 Patrick Glenn Cooper, age 63, of Asheboro passed away Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at Randolph Hospice House.

Pat was born in Randolph County on September 15, 1960 to the late Darrell and Virginia Howell Cooper. He graduated from Asheboro High School in 1978 and later obtained several technical degrees.

His occupational history included the Courier Tribune, Brian Center, and Piedmont Electric Motor Repair, where he worked for over 20 years.

Pat loved being a jokester, loved music, and talking about religion and current events.

He was a tinkerer, fisherman, and jack of all trades, always working on something but most importantly he loved his family. Pat is survived by his wife of 43 years, Dorothy Warren Cooper of Asheboro; children, Benjamin Cooper (Jennifer) of Liberty, Jessica Cooper of Asheboro, Clinton Cooper (Woodrow) of Phoenix, AZ; siblings, Fonda Hughes (Ron) of Wendell, Ronda Hunt of Asheboro, Chris Cooper (Mimi) of Franklinville, Jennifer Brower (David) of Franklinville; sisters-in-law, Deborah Jordan (Rick) of Monroe, Dena Strider (Butch) of Asheboro; grandchildren, Autumn, Eli and Ivy Cooper, and many other Uncles, Aunts, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Worth Gordon Surratt

August 22, 1950 — January 17, 2024 Worth Gordon Surratt, age 73, of Asheboro passed away on January 17, 2024 at the Randolph Hospice House. Mr. Surratt was born in Thomasville on August 22, 1950 to James and Lucy Lambeth Surratt and attended Farmer School.

He was a member of Mt. Shepherd Church. Gordon was formerly employed with Cattleman Steakhouse, Golden Corral, Western Steer, Pugh Lubricants, Briles Oil & Gas, and most recently Strider Buick, and was the former owner of Pappy’s Porch in Thomasville, GA. In addition to his parents, Gordon was preceded in death by his brother, Roger Surratt.

Gordon was a hard worker and always had to be involved in something. He was a people person who never met a stranger. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Sarah Bailey Surratt; son, Worth Randall “Randy” Surratt and wife Cheryl of Asheboro; daughters, Fredda Surratt Otero and husband Luis of Asheboro and Ashley Surratt and boyfriend Jessie Standridge of Asheboro; grandchildren, Kayla Jankowski and husband Max, Worth Cameron Surratt, Eve Surratt, Nathan Otero, and Nicolas Otero; siblings, Judy Surratt Lockhart of Jackson, FL, Penny Surratt Elrod and husband Bill of Baxley, GA, Eddie A. Surratt and wife Sandy of Asheboro, Gayle Surratt Cook and husband Bart of Gulfport, MS, Jaimie Surratt Vuncannon and husband Steve of Farmer, and Vicki Surratt Lavender and husband Charlie of Trinity; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Gail Ann Plum

Billy Wayne Leavy

September 29, 1959 — January 14, 2024 Billy Wayne Leavy, age 64, of Siler City passed away on January 14, 2024 at High Point Medical Center.

Mr. Leavy was born in Buffalo, NY on September 29, 1959 to John and Elizabeth Burke Leavy. He was employed with TV Show Toy Makerz for 10 years. In addition to his parents, Billy was preceded in death by his siblings, Pam Haire, Tina Bonilla, Edward Leavy, and Brenda Skinner. He is survived by his brother, David Leavy; sister, Louanne Jordan; and nieces and nephews, Angel Skinner, Christine Skinner, Amy Mullins, Brandi Bonilla, Luis Bonilla, Alex Leavy, John Haire, Traci Gammon, Melissa Haire, Josh Cheek, Faith Cheek, James Whitmore, Tre’ce Cheek, Emily Gammon, and Austin Gammon.

December 24, 1932 — January 16, 2024 Gail Ann Plum died peacefully at home on Jan. 16, 2024. She led a wonderful life filled with love and adventure along with her husband of 68 years, Lowell Wendell Plum. She loved to travel. She traveled all over the US, plus many places in Europe, Asia, and South America.

She loved her family, and she was a wonderful mother and a devoted wife. She enjoyed spending time and playing games with her children and then later with their children.

After raising her children in Sudbury from 1957 to 1985, she and Wendell retired to Asheboro, where they built the house that she lived in for the remainder of her life.

A special place in her life was Little Diamond Island, Portland, Maine. She spent every summer there since 1970.

She especially enjoyed the wonderful community there, in addition to the island lifestyle.

Gail Ann Plum was known as Ann by her friends. She was born in North Manchester, Indiana on December 24, 1932, to Kathern Lois Shope and Galen William Shope.

She is survived by husband Lowell Wendell Plum, whom she married on June 26, 1955 in Flora, Indiana; her three children Wendy Ann Labrecque, Michael Andrew Plum, and John David Plum; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Johnny Everett Auman

June 20, 1946 — January 15, 2024 Johnny Everett Auman, age 77, of Asheboro passed away on January 15, 2024 at Randolph Hospital. Mr. Auman was born in Asheboro on June 20, 1946 to Arthur Claude and Jewell Callicutt Auman, who preceded him in death. Johnny was well educated, received his bachelor’s in business from UNC-Chapel Hill, and retired as a school teacher. He loved the works of Frank Lloyd Wright. Johnny loved music, playing in several bands, the most notable being the Perry Hunt Band. Johnny loved his family and was a terrific uncle. He was very organized and engaged in his family’s lives. Johnny was a jokester and entertainer, enjoyed being in nature and bird watching, and in his earlier years, he enjoyed playing tennis. Johnny was an avid Tarheels fan. He is survived by his longtime companion, Doris Henson of the home; sisters, Carolyn Hodgin (Keith) of Ramseur and Jane Bell (John) of Brevard; brother, Jerry Auman (Elaine) of Grays Chapel; and several loving nieces and nephews.

Pearlmon Pickett, Jr.

July 8, 1942 - January 11, 2024 Pearlmon Clarence Pickett, Jr., 81, of Conway, SC, died Thursday, January 11, 2024, at NHC Healthcare in Garden City, SC. Born in Randolph County, NC on July 8, 1942, Pearlmon was the son of the late, Pearlmon Clarence Pickett, Sr. and Mildred Ruby Ferree Pickett. He graduated from Farmer High School in 1960 and was retired from the US Air Force. He liked working around the house he built and lived in. He also enjoyed traveling, volunteering at state parks, fixing things and being outdoors. In addition to his parents, Pearlmon was preceded in death by his sister, Janice Kearns. Surviving are his daughter, Julie Kaye Pickett and husband, Dave Kryszczynski; and brother, Richard David Pickett.

Randolph Record for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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STATE & NATION Aide to Lloyd Austin asked ambulance to arrive quietly to defense secretary’s home, 911 call shows

By John Raby The Associated Press AN AIDE to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked first responders to avoid using lights and sirens in requesting an ambulance be sent to Austin’s northern Virginia home after he had complications from surgery for prostate cancer that he had kept secret from senior Biden administration leaders and staff.

Austin was hospitalized Jan. 1 and admitted to intensive care after developing an infection a week after undergoing surgery.

He was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday.

On the Jan. 1 call to the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety, a man who identified himself as a government employee described Austin as alert.

The identity of Austin and the caller were redacted from a copy of the 911 audio, which was obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act. The caller named the street on which Austin lives.

In the four-minute call, the reason for needing the ambulance also was redacted. The caller said Austin was not having chest pains.

“Can I ask, like, can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? Um, we’re trying to remain a little subtle,” the aide said, according to the recording.

AP PHOTO

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., Nov. 22, 2023.

A dispatcher responded that the ambulance would comply once it got near the home.

“Usually when they turn into a residential neighborhood, they’ll turn them off,” the dispatcher said, adding that emergency sirens and lights are required by law on major roads when ambulances are responding to a call.

Austin was located on the ground floor of the residence, said the aide, who indicated he would be waiting outside for the ambulance.

The caller asked how long it would take to get to the home.

The dispatcher said it depended on traffic and road conditions and said first responders would be arriving from the closest available station.

Details of the 911 audio file from the Fairfax County Public Safety Department were first reported by The Daily Beast.

As he recovers, Austin will be working from home. His doctors said he “progressed well throughout his stay and his strength is rebounding.” They said in a statement the cancer was treated early and his prognosis is “excellent.”

Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Dec. 22 and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening.

Dr. John Maddox, the trauma medical director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, the director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research at Walter Reed, said that during Austin’s hospitalization he underwent medical tests and was treated for lingering leg pain. They said he has physical therapy to do but there are no plans for further cancer treatment other than regular checks.

President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin’s hospitalization until Jan. 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until Jan. 9. Biden has said Austin’s failure to tell him about the hospitalization was a lapse in judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief.

During Austin’s time at Walter Reed, the U.S. launched a series of military strikes late last week on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to their campaign of assaults on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Working from his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including Gen. Erik

In snowy DC, the March for Life rallies against abortion with an eye toward the November elections

By Alex Veiga The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — Thousands of opponents of abortion rights rallied under falling snow on Friday at the annual March for Life, as speakers urged the impassioned crowd to capitalize on the movement’s major victory in the Supreme Court and keep fighting until abortion is eliminated.

Months before a presidential election that could be heavily influenced by abortion politics, anti-abortion activists packed the National Mall carrying signs with messages such as “Life is precious” and “I am the pro-life generation.” After listening to speeches, the crowd, braving frigid temperatures, marched past the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court. One group planted in front of Court, beating a drum and chanting: “Everyone you know was once an embryo.”

Friday’s March for Life was the second such event in the nation’s capital since the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended Roe v. Wade. Last year’s march was triumphant, with organizers relishing a state-by-state fight in legislatures around the country.

Speakers praised the Dobbs

People participating in the March for Life walk up Independence Avenue toward the Supreme Court, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

AP PHOTO

decision that overturned Roe v.

Wade but said it was more important now than ever to keep up the pressure on lawmakers to advance abortion restrictions.

“Roe is done, but we still live in a culture that knows not how to care for life,” said Benjamin Watson, a former NFL player who is now an anti-abortion advocate.

“Roe is done, but the factors that drive women to seek abortions are ever apparent and ever increasing. Roe is done, but abortion is still legal and thriving in too much of America.”

Friday’s event appeared smaller than in past years as ice and snow complicated travel plans.

But the crowd was fired up as speakers, which included members of Congress and Michigan University Football Coach Jim Harbaugh, urged participants to keep fighting until abortion becomes “unthinkable.”

“Let’s be encouraged, let’s press on and hope that we can join together and make this great difference,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “We can stand with every woman for every child, and

we can truly build a culture that cherishes and protects life.”

The snow fell heavily throughout the speeches as young people built snowmen and had snowball fights behind the stage. Near the Capitol, the crowd celebrated as a group on a balcony of the Cannon House Office building cheered on the march.

“I almost didn’t come when I saw the forecast, but this is just incredible,” said Stephanie Simpson, a 42-year-old grocery store employee from Cleveland, who has attended the last four

Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and White House meetings to review, order and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video.

The lack of transparency about Austin’s hospitalization, however, has triggered administration and Defense Department reviews on the procedures for notifying the White House and others if a Cabinet member must transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy, as Austin did during his initial surgery and a portion of his latest hospital stay. And the White House chief of staff ordered Cabinet members to notify his office if they ever can’t perform their duties.

Austin’s secrecy also drew criticism from Congress members on both sides of the political aisle, and Rep. Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others openly called for Austin to resign, but the White House has said the Pentagon chief’s job is safe.

It is still unclear when Austin will return to his office in the Pentagon or how his cancer treatment will affect his job, travel and other public engagements going forward. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been taking on some of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.

marches.

Roberto Reyes, a Mexican native and Carmelite friar, said: “All these people are going to remember this year’s march for the rest of their lives!”

Members of the crowd described overturning Roe v. Wade as a victory, but said the anti-abortion fight rages on.

“The key message this year is that our work is not done,” said Bishop Michael Burbidge, chair of the committee for pro-life activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The movement has seen mixed results. The ruling in Dobbs v.

Jackson Women’s Health Organization reverted abortion lawmaking back to the states, and 14 states are now enforcing bans on abortion throughout pregnancy.

Two more have such bans on hold because of court rulings. And another two have bans that take effect when cardiac activity can be detected, about six weeks into pregnancy.

Movement organizers now expect abortion rights to be a major Democratic rallying cry in President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.

“The pro-abortion forces, that’s one of the major things they’re going to run on,” said Susan Swift, president of Pro-Life Legal and a veteran anti-abortion activist.

“That’s one of the only things that seems to animate their base.”

Biden campaign officials openly state that they plan to make Biden synonymous with the fight to preserve abortion rights.

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Randolph Record for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

ENTERTAINMENT Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce celebrates after a touchdown catch by his brother Travis, Sunday in Orchard Park, NY.

MATT DURISKO | AP PHOTO

Taylor Swift’s NFL playoff tour takes her to Buffalo for Chiefs game against Bills

By John Wawrow The Associated Press ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Love was in the cold Buffalo air with Taylor Swift cheering on boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.

And even Kelce’s brother Jason got into the act during the Chiefs’ 27-24- victory in a divisional playoff game.

Swift blew a kiss after someone greeted her by yelling, “Bills by a billion,” upon arriving at Highmark Stadium.

The pop music superstar was escorted by a heavy security presence to a suite overlooking the west end zone, and located just below the name of Bills

Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy’s name on the stadium’s Wall of Fame.

Then it was Travis Kelce’s turn to show some love to Swift.

After catching a 22-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, the star tight end threw the football into the crowd, then turned and made a heart gesture with his hands toward the suite where Swift was seated in the opposite corner of the stadium.

The touchdown marked the 15th time quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Kelce connected in the playoffs, matching the NFL record set by Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.

Mahomes and Kelce broke the mark early in the third quar-

ter with another TD, this one a 3-yard pass that gave Kansas City a 20-17 lead.

Among those in the suite with Swift was Jason Kelce, who was caught by cameras shirtless and holding a can of beer while celebrating his brother’s first touchdown. Kelce is the Eagles’ center who told teammates in confidence after Philadelphia’s playoff loss to Tampa Bay last week that he’s retiring after 13 seasons.

Swift arrived wearing a white jacket with red Chiefs trim, and featuring a large red star.

The 12-time Grammy Award winner has become a regular at Chiefs home and away games since the two began dating earlier this season.

Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped by customs over a luxury watch after arriving in Germany The Associated Press BERLIN — Arnold Schwarzenegger was stopped for hours by customs at Munich Airport after entering Germany with a luxury watch that was potentially to be auctioned at a charity event.

The former movie star and California governor was stopped for a routine check after arriving Wednesday, customs spokesperson Thomas Meister said. Schwarzenegger was able to leave after about 2½ hours, he said Thursday.

Goods over the value of 430 euros ($467) that will stay in the European Union have to be declared and, where ap-

propriate, duty paid on them.

German daily Bild, which first reported on the incident, reported that the allegedly undeclared watch made by Swiss manufacturer Audemars Piguet was valued at about 20,000 euros ($21,739)

by Schwarzenegger, for whom it was specially produced.

The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative said that Schwarzenegger was detained “for traveling with a watch he owns, that he might be auctioning at his charity auction (Thursday) in Kitzbuehel,” in neighboring Austria.

It added in an emailed statement that Schwarzenegger “cooperated at every step

even though it was an incompetent shakedown” and that he agreed to “prepay potential taxes on the watch (remember, it is his personal watch).”

It said that the watch was still likely to be auctioned and the climate initiative “will properly report it, as all of Arnold’s nonprofits do.”

Schwarzenegger’s charity auctions raise millions of dollars every year for after-school programs for children across the U.S. and environmental work around the world, it added.

The matter now goes to a customs penalty body in Augsburg, which will evaluate the case.

9

Randolph Record for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

10

Chris Stapleton, Foo Fighters, Queen Latifah to join The Rolling Stones at 2024 Jazz Fest

SOLUTIONS FOR THIS WEEK

The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — Country music singer Chris Stapleton, Foo Fighters, Queen Latifah and New Orleans’ own Jon Batiste are among the star power set to join The Rolling Stones as headliners of this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, organizers announced Thursday.

The event will take place over two weekends, starting April 25 and ending May 5.

Also playing at this year’s festival are Hozier, The Killers, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Bonnie Raitt, Earth, Wind & Fire, Widespread Panic, Rhiannon Giddens, Fantasia, The Beach Boys, Irma Thomas, Steel Pulse, KEM, Jeffrey Osborne, Big Freedia and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.

There also will be a celebration of Jimmy Buffett, who died last September, with the Coral Reefer Band.

Organizers announced last fall that The Rolling Stones would headline the festival on Thursday, May 2, as part of the group’s North American tour. Because they’re appearing on what would traditionally have been “Locals Thurs-

CHARLES SYKES/INVISION/AP

Chris Stapleton performs at the 50th annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 2, 2016. Stapleton will perform at this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. day” at the festival, Jazz Fest added a day to the beginning of this year’s event. The 2024 Locals Thursday is now April 25. That day’s tickets will be $50 for Louisiana residents.

At the Cultural Exchange Pavilion this year, Jazz Fest

will highlight the music and culture of Colombia with 17 bands performing Colombian salsa, cumbia, champeta and other regional genres. There also will be Colombian artists, food vendors selling traditional dishes and daily parades.

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‘Burn, beetle, burn’: Hundreds of people torch an effigy of destructive bug in South Dakota town The Associated Press

Solution for the puzzle in last week’s edition.

RAPID CITY, S.D. — In what’s become an annual winter tradition, hundreds of people carrying torches set fire to a giant wooden beetle effigy in Custer, South Dakota, to raise awareness of the destructive impact of the mountain pine beetle on forest land in the Black Hills.

Custer firefighters prepared and lighted the torches for residents to carry in a march to the pyre Saturday night in the 11th Burning Beetle fest, the Rapid City Journal reported.

People set the tall beetle effigy on fire amid drum beats and chants of “Burn, beetle, burn.”

Firefighters kept watch, warning participants not to throw the torches, even as some people launched the burning sticks into pine trees piled at the base of the beetle. Fireworks dazzled overhead.

The event, which includes a talent show and “bug crawl,” supports the local arts.

The U.S. Forest Service calls the mountain pine beetle “the most aggressive, persistent, and destructive bark beetle in the western United States and Canada.” The Black Hills have experienced several outbreaks of the beetle since the 1890s, the most recent being from 1996-2016, affecting 703 square miles (1820 square kilometers), according to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Firefighters kept watch, warning participants not to throw the torches, even as some people launched the burning sticks into pine trees piled at the base of the beetle.

AP PHOTO

Fireworks go off while the beetle goes up in flames after being set on fire during the 11th annual Burning Beetle event on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, at Pageant Park in Custer, S.D.

12

Randolph Record for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

to stream this week

among the people in their orbit.

The series is based on the book “The Expatriates” by Janice Y. K. Lee.

The Associated Press NEW MOVIES TO STREAM — Snoop Dogg stars as a washed-up professional football player ordered to perform community service after crashing his car in “The Underdoggs,” streaming Friday, Jan. 26, on Amazon Prime Video.

In the R-rated comedy, Snoop Dogg’s character is sentenced to coach a youth football team.

Though the set-up cribs from many sports movies before it, “Underdoggs” has some truelife connections for its star. In 2005, Snoop Dogg founded the nonprofit Snoop Youth Football League.

— Nicole Holofcener has long been a master of mining nagging neuroses for comedy, and “You Hurt My Feelings” (streaming Friday, Jan. 26 on Paramount+) finds the writer-director in top form. Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as a writer who overhears her otherwise loving husband (Tobias Menzies) criticizing her latest book.

That’s just one of the threads Holofcener pulls at in her very funny, very melancholy examination of how white lies prop up our marriages, relationships and self-images. In my review last year, I praised Holofcener as “brilliant in finding the major heartache in minor slights.”

— “R.M.N.” is the latest powerhouse social drama by the masterful Romanian director Cristian Mungiu (“4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days”). The film, which streams Sunday, Jan. 28, on Hulu, is set high in the Transylvanian mountains, in a village coursing with tension and suspicion over new migrant workers. The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, captures in the community a microcosm of us-vs.-them battles playing out around the world. An unbroken 17-minute shot during a town hall and the

NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

NETFLIX VIA AP

Sofia Vergara in the title role of the series “Griselda.” movie’s flooring final image are just some of its unforgettable moments.

NEW SHOWS TO STREAM — If you follow Chrissy Teigen, you know she’s a serious foodie who has published her own cookbooks. In her new show, “Chrissy & Dave Dine Out,” Teigen teams up with chef David Chang (behind the Momofuku line of restaurants), and writer-actor Joel Kim Booster, to visit different Los Angeles restaurants. They invite along surprise celebrity guests, not only having a great meal but also a great time. Cameras roll as no topic is off limits. “Chrissy & Dave Dine Out” debuts Wednesday on Freeform and will stream on Hulu.

— Sofia Vergara plays infa-

mous drug lord Griselda Blanco in a new series for Netflix called “Griselda.” Blanco, a major player in the 1970s and 1980s U.S. cocaine trade, was called “La Madrina,” the “Black Widow” “Cocaine Godmother” and the “Queen of Narco-Trafficking.” To play her, Vergara changed her posture and even yellowed some of her teeth. The six-episode series premieres Thursday on Netflix.

— A new comedy coming to Peacock combines adult humor with stop-motion animation and live action. “In the Know” stars Zach Woods (“The Office,” “Silicon Valley”) and is set at a public radio station where his character hosts a show where he interviews the likes of Mike Tyson, model Kaia Gerber and documentarian Ken Burns.

Each episode also follows the

behind-the-scenes absurdity of the workplace. It debuts Thursday.

— British crime drama “Sexy Beast” is a prequel to the 2000 film of the same name that starred Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley and Ian McShane. The TV version, dropping Thursday on Paramount+, follows three different actors portraying younger versions of their characters as they navigate the London underworld in the 1990s.

— “The Farewell” director Lulu Wang serves as showrunner and director of the new limited series “Expats,” premiering Friday, Jan. 26, on Amazon Prime Video. It stars Nicole Kidman as a character whose family is living in Hong Kong as expats, enjoying a life of upper-class privilege. When tragedy strikes, it has a ripple effect

— Think your family gatherings are hectic? You got nothing on the Mishima clan, who have been brawling in Bandai Namco’s Tekken games for decades.

Last time around, Kazuya Mishima killed his dad — who, to be fair, had thrown him off a cliff once. In Tekken 8, Kazuya is bent on world domination, and the only one who can stop him is his son Jin. Punches will be thrown, and even if you don’t care about all the family drama, there are 30 other fighters ready to compete in the King of Iron Fist tournament. The developers say the new edition’s gameplay mechanics emphasize “aggression,” so you might want to put aside that plate of nachos before you enter the ring. The mayhem resumes Friday, Jan. 26, on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC. — Sega’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth also promises plenty of fisticuffs, but its creators are throwing about half a dozen other genres into the mix. You can deliver food. You can build you own island resort.

You can collect tiny monsters and train them to fight. You can download a matchmaking app and go on dates. All this comes on top of another installment of the flamboyant crime saga, as two former Yakuza gangsters flee Japan but find all sorts of fresh trouble in Hawaii. You could spend hours Googling the convoluted mythology behind this long-running franchise — but I advise just jumping right in, since none of it makes sense anyway. The new chapter debuts Friday, Jan. 26, on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox X/S/One and PC. Tobias Menzies and Julia LouisDreyfus star in “You Hurt My Feelings.”

A24 VIA AP

VOLUME 8 ISSUE 48 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2024 | HOKE.NORTHSTATEJOURNAL.COM | SUBSCRIBE TODAY: 336-283-6305

HOKE COUNTY THE HOKE COUNTY EDITION OF THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Defense wins championships Hoke’s Brandon Graham guards Pinecrest’s London Ravenell during the Bucks’ road game in Moore County this week, as Hoke eked out a 54-50 victory for the team’s second win in two days. Turn to page 5 for more.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Hoke Transit opens new facility Last week, Hoke Area Transit Services (HATS) celebrated the opening of its new home at 189 CC Steele Road in Raeford with a ribbon cutting last week.

Previously located in the DSS building, the new building has office space wash bays, and garage space for the bus fleet.

You can visit the new facility, or visit the HATS website at ridehats. hokecounty.org to download the app, view bus routes and schedules, and purchase a smart card to ride.

Colleges to host ‘FAFSA Day’ on Jan. 27 60 universities and community colleges across North Carolina will host free “FAFSA Day” events later this month to assist students and parents with filling out the new financial aid form.

Locally, UNC Pembroke and Robeson Community College in Lumberton will participate on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The FAFSA form allows eligible North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less to access the Next NC Scholarship, a combination of the federal Pell Grant and state-funded financial aid that can fully cover tuition and fees at NC community colleges — or half or more, of the costs to attend any public university in the state.

Students and parents should first fill out an FSA ID application at studentaid.gov, and be sure to bring 2022 tax and asset information to the event.

Hoke school board considers salaries, bonuses

By Jordan Golson North State Journal RAEFORD – The Hoke County Schools Board of Education met Tuesday, Jan. 16, beginning with a discussion about salaries increases for school staff.

“This upcoming year, all salaries have to be redone,” said Interim Finance Officer Willena Richardson, beginning with non-certified staff as they are getting the smallest raises.

“We did bookkeepers first because they were basically making the same as receptionists but they do much more than a receptionist,” Richardson explained.

“The next group we want to look at are custodians because a cus-

todian who just started shouldn’t be making the same as someone who’s been here 20 years.”

According to Richardson, the proposed salary changes will cost Hoke County Schools $26,298.11 per year including benefits.

A $427,426.52 contract for the installation of cameras at Hoke County High School was approved.

“We received two bids, one from In-Telecom and one from Encore,” said Assistant Superintendent Dawn Ramseur. “Encore was the lowest bid by over $70,000. Encore was not only the lowest bid, but they were able to provide a mostly turnkey project installation for us, more than what would have been included

for In-Telecom as that bid did not include cabling.

“We solicited feedback from other districts that have used Encore and they all had favorable comments with regard to Encore and their dealings with that.”

The board also approved the distribution of $25 gift cards that were leftover after distribution to teachers and staff from the holidays, to substitute teachers and tutors as well.

“At Christmas, in lieu of turkeys and hams, we purchased 1,300 gift cards for our staff,” Richardson said. “That’s the amount that we normally buy, but we have gift cards remaining that I cannot send back. We would like to give them to substi-

tutes and tutors.”

According to Richardson, recipients must have worked more than 15 days in the first semester and will have to come to the central office to sign off for them.

Finally, the board approved a request to the Hoke County Board of Commissioners for both reimbursement and approval of various capital expenditures.

Back in October, the board was presented with information related to the capital projects expenditures, however various projects arose which HCS staff identified as having a greater need for funding Those included West Hoke Middle School locker room improvements including repairs and replacements both to the floor as well as the lockers, repairs to the chimney at Hawk Eye Elementary School which poses a safety concern due to a hairline fracture and the replacement of See BOE, page 2

Biden visits North Carolina, a state he hopes to win in November, to promote internet access

By Josh Boak The Associated Press RALEIGH — President Joe Biden on Thursday, Jan. 18 unveiled $82 million for North Carolina to help connect 16,000 new households and businesses to high-speed internet, delivering an election-year pitch about policies he says are “just getting started” at improving the United States.

Biden, the Democratic incumbent who is campaigning to win a second term, coupled his economic message with a few jabs at his predecessor, Donald Trump, currently the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination and his most likely future challenger.

Biden brought up Trump’s recent comment that he hoped the economy would crash soon because he doesn’t want to preside over job losses if he were to be reelected in November. Biden told his audience that Trump already was like Herbert Hoover, who held office during the 1929 stock

BEN MCKEOWN | AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden speaks at an event at Abbots Creek Community Center in Raleigh, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. market crash.

“He’s the only president to be president for four years and lose jobs,” Biden said of Trump.

Biden said the work his administration is doing in North Carolina, on high-speed internet,

infrastructure and more, is happening in communities across the country, regardless of the politics.

“What we’re doing here in North Carolina is one piece of a much bigger story,” he said. Biden

said he was keeping his promise “to be a president for all America, whether you voted for me or not.”

Biden talked about all the people who need high-speed internet because they work from home, businesses who need it to reach customers and students who need to do their school work.

“High-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s an absolute necessity,” he said in Raleigh, the state capital. “The investment in high-speed internet means something else as well: good-paying jobs.”

Biden’s reelection campaign has made winning North Carolina and its 16 electoral votes a top priority. The Democrat narrowly See BIDEN, page 2

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CRIME LOG x Elvis Lee Eason, 29, was charged by the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office for a domestic violence protection order violation and booked in on a $1,500 bond.

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BIDEN from page 1 lost the state in 2020 by 1.34 percentage points to Trump. They are expected to face each other again in November.

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Trump won the state in both 2016 and 2020, with the latter victory in part a result of massive turnout for Republicans in rural and non-urban counties overcoming increasingly Democratic strongholds in and around Raleigh and Charlotte.

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state Supreme Court. But voters still appear comfortable with a Democratic state chief executive who attempts to counteract GOP policies, which recently have included more abortion restrictions and expanded private school vouchers. Democrats have held the governorship for all but four years since 1993.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is term-limited from running this year, spoke before Biden on Thursday, boosting Biden and criticizing Trump.

“I want a president who wakes up every morning thinking about the American people instead of a president who wakes up every morning thinking about himself,” Cooper said.

Polling shows that the economy has been a weakness for Biden, a reflection of infla-

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x Danny Wade Clark, 26, was arrested by the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office on charges of possession of cocaine. He was also served a warrant for failure to appear. Bond was set at $4,000. x Khinadi Ann Marie McCrary, 23, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny by the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office. Bond was set at $1,000.

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tion hitting a four-decade high in June 2022. Easing inflation rates since then have yet to pull Biden’s approval ratings back to their levels at the start of his presidency. The president has tried to empathize with voters grappling with higher inflation, but he has stressed that his policies are fostering the creation of factory and construction jobs with middle-class wages.

“When jobs grow, everything grows,” Biden said as he ticked through federal spending on projects made possible by his pandemic aid package and an infrastructure law.

The president later picked up a burger, fries and shake from Cook Out and held what his campaign described as a “kitchen table conversation” at the home of a family that benefited from the

A weekly podcast getting to the facts across the state, around the world and at home HERE in Raeford, Hoke County, NC.

x Deandre Melvin, 18, was arrested by the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office and charged with possession of a stolen firearm. He was booked into the Hoke County Jail on $5,000 secure bond. x Roosevelt Lowery, 44, was arrested by the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office and charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, and felony larceny. Total bond was set at $15,000.

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administration’s student loan forgiveness programs.

The administration is committing a total of $3 billion to build and fund internet connections in North Carolina. The administration estimates that an additional 300,000 state residents will be able to access the internet by the end of 2026.

One way the administration says it has lowered costs for families is by providing discounted internet service to 880,000 households in North Carolina.

But the administration is calling on Congress to renew the Affordable Connectivity Program, a separate source of funding that is set to run out of money in April. The program has helped 22 million people save $30 to $75 a month on their internet bills, the administration says.

accolades

Hoke High students pass drone pilot exam A group of students in Hoke High School’s Career and Technical Education program passed the FAA drone pilot exam as part of the CTE’s drone program.

The Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate covers remote flight, mapping software, rules and regulations around flying drones, and more. Receiving the certification allows students to become commercial pilots within the drone industry, with class focuses on construction, agriculture, public safety, and cinematography.

Hosted by:

Ruben Castellon, Hal Nunn and Chris Holland

As shared on a county Facebook page, the new pilots are (left to right): Nhi Nguyen Joshua Marquez Jaxon Herron

Available on most Platforms Join Our Facebook Page: The Roundtable Talk Podcast

Zay’Sean Harney

Joseph Gaynor

the canopy at the entrance of the district’s maintenance building, which is also a safety concern.

“There was a lot of money at the beginning of the year that was allocated towards projects at Turlington and since the summer, we sort of put a hold on several of those projects,” said Assistant Superintendent Chad Hunt.

“The only one we did there was a canopy replacement as well as the parking lot resurfacing. We did have some projects that would have been for beautification on the front. So we figured we could take some of that money and reallocate it for safety projects, but then we’d still have some money left over to address the needs at the entrance of the school.

Board member Angela South-

Teymari Thomas Daniel Simmons Christopher Acosta

Jeremiah Headley

BOE from page 1

Ethan Ekstrand

Alec Bowes

(not pictured)

erland was the lone dissent on the item.

Near the end of the meeting, the board also reported that they had reached a settlement with an anonymous student for the second straight month.

“On November 16, 2023, a petition for a contested case hearing was filed in the Office of Administrative Hearing on behalf of Hoke County Schools student S.T.,” said Vice Chair Rosa McAllister-McRae. “On Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, the Hoke County Board of Education approved a settlement agreement in this matter. The cost of this settlement is $28,500 to be used towards the student’s educational service and attorney fees.

The Hoke County Schools Board of Education will next meet Feb. 13.

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

3

OPINION Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor VISUAL VOICES

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

How not to fix the immigration crisis Biden will pay for it at the polls if it’s not addressed.

NO ONE — or almost no one — can deny that there is an immigration crisis in America. New legislation is needed, including more funding for a fair and effective system for controlling the border and handling the asylum process. In the Senate, key Republicans and Democrats are at least talking together about how to deal with the problem.

Not so in the House.

Last week, the House committee on Homeland Security raced to complete hearings on the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, promising to bring charges against him by the end of the month. They wrapped up the hearings without testimony from the secretary himself, who, when he asked for a more convenient date to testify, was told to submit a written statement. Nor did they hear from anyone else from the Biden administration or from any constitutional experts who might have pointed to any “high crimes and misdemeanors” — the constitutional standard — that might justify impeachment.

According to the committee’s chairman, Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, “The truth is that Secretary Mayorkas has disregarded court orders, laws passed by Congress and has lied to the American people. ... Who wants a secretary that can just disregard the fundamental pillars of the Constitution? We cannot tolerate that, whether they are a Republican or Democrat.”

But neither Green nor any other member of the committee could cite any “high crimes or misdemeanors” committed by Mayorkas, nor could they point to any precedent for using impeachment — an extraordinary remedy — as the tool for resolving what is essentially a policy dispute with the administration.

Impeachment requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate, which will simply not happen. It is a time-consuming process that will solve nothing. As Rep. Bennie Thompson, the ranking Democrat, pointed out, “This isn’t a real impeachment; it’s a predetermined,

pre-planned, partisan political stunt,” one that no one in Congress expects will result in Senate conviction. “You cannot impeach a Cabinet secretary because you don’t like a president’s policies,” Thompson argued.

But you can try, which is what Republicans on the committee are apparently united in doing, not because it will change anything but because it will satisfy their hard-line base and score political points.

It’s a tactic that is no more effective than putting migrants on buses, as the governors of Florida and Texas have done, and shipping them off to New York and Los Angeles and other cities for Democratic mayors to deal with.

No state — and no city — should be expected to deal with what is in truth a national problem. Democrats need to recognize the policy failure at the border, the worsening problems of illegal immigration and drug trafficking at the border. It is a human crisis as well as a political one, and Biden will pay for it at the polls if it’s not addressed. But the Republicans, by resorting to impeachment and holding aid to Ukraine hostage, are playing partisan politics rather than doing anything constructive to address the underlying policy challenges.

As Princeton professor Deborah Pearlstein testified, at the invitation of Democrats on the committee, “Impeachment will have no impact on resources available to the border, and it will have no impact on the policies pursued by this administration at all.”

What Congress needs to do is legislate, not posture. Mayorkas is part of a bipartisan effort by Senate Democrats and Republicans to come up with legislation that will address issues of asylum and detention, as well as funding for border enforcement. Democrats need to acknowledge the failures at the border and deal with them.

Republicans need to stop playing games and do the work that they were elected to do.

Going after the scalp of Mayorkas solves nothing at all.

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

Why Donald Trump won the GOP nomination

He needed Joe Biden to be so terrible at his job, so outright awful, that Trump would suddenly look competitive.

DONALD TRUMP is the presumptive Republican nominee for president after a dominant performance in the Iowa caucuses — a performance in which he earned over 50% of the vote and left his closest competitors in the dust.

Get ready for “Trump vs. Biden II: Electric Boogaloo.”

The big question, of course, is “why?” Why does Trump retain such a grip on the Republican imagination after losing the 2020 election, contributing heavily to the loss of two Republican Senate seats in Georgia in 2021, and contributing heavily to the loss of the Senate in 2022 with his spate of bizarre primary picks? Why should Trump, who spends much of every day fulminating about his upcoming legal cases, have the upper hand against Republicans without such baggage? Why does Trump, who is certainly no conservative ideologue, live so large in the imagination of conservatives?

There are several reasons.

Primarily, Trump is lucky in his enemies.

To be more precise, Trump’s very presence on the political stage — and his victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 — drove his enemies out of their minds. Those enemies determined that any and all means were appropriate for undermining his presidency and his 2020 reelection bid: from Russian collusion nonsense to multiple impeachments, from nodding at historically damaging riots to blaming him for a pandemic, from changing the voting rules to lying about and then shutting down the dissemination of the Hunter Biden laptop story, anything was on the table. So when Trump claimed in the post-2020 election landscape that he had been robbed of victory, that contention rang true, even if his contentions about outright voter fraud remained unproven.

Trump has been the title character of “Trump: The Series” since 2015. In the end, the chances that Americans would allow a recasting before his reelection effort were always low. But those chances shrank to zero the moment Trump’s enemies weaponized the legal system against him.

When Trump’s enemies, in the aftermath of Joe Biden’s election

win, continued to come after Trump using the legal system, Trump argued that he was a stand-in for conservatives everywhere, who feel that they are targeted for destruction by America’s most powerful institutions. That argument had major purchase: by polling data, Trump’s bump to the top of the Republican 2024 heap came not with his reelection announcement, but with the announcement in March 2023 that he would be indicted in Manhattan on specious charges of campaign finance violation. The drumbeat of new legal charges against him, dropped everywhere from Florida to Washington, D.C. to Georgia, simply added fuel to the fire.

Perhaps even that legal news could have been turned against Trump in a primary race. But there was one more factor Trump needed: He needed Joe Biden to be so terrible at his job, so outright awful, that Trump would suddenly look competitive. The electability argument — the argument that Trump’s losing record since 2016 would continue into 2024 — collapsed for Trump’s Republican opponents as Biden’s approval rating sank into the 30s. Republicans’ hearts were with Trump; now their heads could be with him, too.

And so Trump is the presumptive nominee.

The only question is whether he will reenter the White House in January 2025. And that question, ironically, will be answered less

by Trump than by Biden. Trump’s campaign will be relatively quiet: He’ll be relegated to courtrooms and TruthSocial; there will be no debates.

Which means that 2024 could easily be a referendum on Biden’s presidency. And if that happens, Trump will have capped the most remarkable political comeback since Richard Nixon won the White House in 1968.

Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is “The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent.”

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

4 SIDELINE REPORT

SPORTS

NHL

Flames’ Dube on indefinite leave to attend to mental health Calgary, Alberta Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube has been granted an indefinite leave to attend to his mental health. The 25-year-old from Golden, British Columbia, is under the care of professionals, according to a statement the Flames posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Dube was not in Calgary’s lineup for Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound center was a second-round pick of the Flames in the 2016 draft. He has three goals and four assists in 43 games this season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

San Jose State hires Niumatalolo San Jose, Calif.

San Jose State hired former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo to replace Brent Brennan as the Spartans head coach.

Athletic director Jeff Konya announced the hiring on Sunday, saying Niumatalolo is the “right fit” for San Jose State and can make the Spartans consistent contenders in the Mountain West. Niumatalolo is the winningest coach in Navy history, going 109-83 in 15 seasons before being fired after the 2022 game against Army. Niumatalolo spent last season at UCLA in an off-field role for Bruins coach Chip Kelly but was elevated to tight ends coach after the season.

NFL

Eagles’ Sirianni fires DC Desai Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni fired defensive coordinator Sean Desai, according to reports. Desai lost his play-calling duties to assistant coach Matt Patricia in December. The Eagles went from 10-1 to losing in the wild card round to Tampa Bay after finishing 11-6 in the regular season. Desai replaced Jonathan Gannon, who left Philadelphia to become the head coach in Arizona after the Eagles lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Desai was a defensive assistant in Seattle in 2022 and previously spent nine seasons in Chicago, including one year as defensive coordinator in 2021.

AP PHOTO

Nick Dunlap embraces his mother, Charlene, and father, Jim, after winning The American Express PGA Tour tournament Sunday in La Quinta, California.

Dunlap becomes PGA Tour’s 1st amateur winner since 1991 The University of Alabama sophomore with victory at The American Express

By Greg Beacham The Associated Press LA QUINTA, Calif. — Nick Dunlap doesn’t possess a false confidence, and he doesn’t project a supernatural calm. The University of Alabama sophomore fully understood just how crazy it was to be fending off a field of professionals Sunday while he tried to become the PGA Tour’s first amateur winner in 33 years.

“Most nervous I’ve ever been, by far,” Dunlap said. “Just tried to breathe, but also look up and enjoy it a little bit.”

The 20-year-old simply played through it all — through his mistakes, the rising pressure and the overall improbability of his week

at The American Express.

Dunlap came out of it with a victory that could herald the arrival of a major golf talent — and one who might not even need to finish the homework he brought with him to the West Coast.

Dunlap swallowed his nerves one last time to make a 6-foot par putt on the final hole, holding on for a one-shot victory over Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

“Everybody’s got doubts,” Dunlap said. “I probably had a thousand different scenarios in my head of how today was going to go, and it went nothing like I expected. I think that was the cool part about it. That’s golf.”

The reigning U.S. Amateur champion is the tour’s first amateur winner since Phil Mickelson at the Tucson Open in 1991.

Playing in his fourth tour event, Dunlap became the seventh amateur winner since 1945 — and the third since 1957.

The only amateur in the 156-player field in the tournament long known as the Bob Hope Desert Classic, Dunlap surged into a three-shot lead with a sizzling 12-under 60 in the third round. He lost that lead Sunday on the front nine on the Stadium Course at PGA West, but he played with the resilience of a seasoned veteran down the stretch, capped by his recovery from two errant shots on the 18th for the winning par.

He ended up with a 70 — his worst round of the week by far — to finish at 29-under 259 and break the tournament scoring record as a 72-hole event. He’s also the youngest winner in the event’s history, and he became the youngest amateur to win on the tour since 1910.

Dunlap and Tiger Woods are the only players to win both the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Junior Amateur. While Dunlap got

the celebration Sunday for one of the most impressive performances in recent golf history, he doesn’t get the $1.5 million firstplace prize, which goes to Bezuidenhout after the South African’s final-round 65.

Dunlap also doesn’t get the 500 FedEx Cup points — but his rewards are still ample. If he stays at Alabama he gets in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open as the U.S. Amateur champion. If he turns pro and joins the PGA Tour, he still gets in the Masters and U.S. Open, along with the remaining seven $20 million signature events on tour.

“It’s amazing,” Bezuidenhout said about Dunlap’s achievement. “Actually, I heard his name last year when he won the U.S. Amateur. He’s obviously a hell of a player, and congrats to him. Hopefully, he can be out on the PGA Tour soon, and we all can get to play with him.”

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North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Big week for Hoke hoops Boys’ team takes a pair on Moore County road trip North State Journal THE HOKE COUNTY boys’ basketball team had a successful week. The Bucks hit the road for a pair of games in Moore County and returned home with a winning streak after back-toback wins.

On Wednesday, Hoke hammered Union Pines, running away to an 82-55 victory.

Jaylen Sturdivant hit seven of his 15 shots, including three baskets from three-point range for a game-high 23 points. The senior also took game-high hon-

ors with 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals.

Fellow senior Salah Sutton added 10 points, 5 boards and 3 assists in the win. The Hoke defense shut down the Vikings, holding Union Pines to 33% shooting from the field and forcing 23 turnovers.

Two days later, the Bucks were back at it, grinding out a 54-50 win at Pinecrest. Sturdivant again led the way with 26 points, just shy of half of the Hoke County total. He hit 9-of18 from the field, including a trio of three-pointers. Braydon McCoy hit all three of his threepoint attempts to add 10 points.

Sutton led the team with 7 assists, while Brandon Graham

had a team-high 5 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.

Hoke is now 11-6 overall and evened its record in the Sandhills Conference at 3-3.

The Hoke County girls’ team didn’t have as successful a visit to Moore County. The Lady Bucks fell at Union Pines, 51-44, and at Pinecrest, 64-53. They’ve now lost five of their last six to fall to 3-13, 1-5 in the conference.

The Hoke boys and girls, who have now played three straight road games, will continue their traveling ways. They’ll play at Scotland later this week, and after a home tilt with Lee County, will head back out to play at Richmond.

5

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Dashinedria Riggins

Saleh Sutton (2) and Franajai Ransom (21) team up to shut down a Pinecrest drive to the hoop during the Bucks’ road win this week.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Hoke County, girls’ basketball

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Dashinedria “Dee Dee” Riggins is a senior for the Hoke County girls’ basketball team.

The Lady Bucks had a rough week, dropping a pair of games, including a 51-44 loss at Union Pines.

While Hoke couldn’t bring home the win, Riggins did her part, turning in a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the game.

Riggins ranks third on the Lady Bucks in rebounds, assists, three-point shooting and blocks and is second in steals.

VanDerveer’s 1,203rd victory pushes Stanford coach past Krzyzweski The Stanford women’s coach now has the most wins among major college basketball coaches The Associated Press STANFORD, Calif. — Only Her. Tara VanDerveer’s face shined in every corner of Maples Pavilion with that very message. Yes, the Stanford Hall of Famer now stands atop major college basketball as the winningest coach of all time.

“Today was just so wonderful,” VanDerveer said. Even though she had to text her 96-year-old mother Rita they’d need to cancel a scheduled bridge game because of all the postgame festivities to celebrate her. “... It is a big number and I’m very appreciative of the great players I’ve coached and the great places I’ve been and the attention it’s brought to women’s basketball.”

Just as those who love her so hoped it would turn out,

VanDerveer passed former Duke and Army coach Mike Krzyzewski with her 1,203rd career victory at home in Maples when No. 8 Stanford beat Oregon State 6556.

And it never fails that VanDerveer always takes a minute to thank everybody for coming to the game, and that includes offering her immense gratitude to the Stanford band.

“I’m overwhelmed,” she told the crowd Sunday. “I’m not usually lost for words but it’s pretty impressive, all these people here, all the former players coming back.”

A head coach since age 24, VanDerveer celebrated with thousands of supporters and a couple dozen former players on hand to cheer her on for yet another triumph in a decorated 45year career featuring so many memorable accomplishments.

And for a nearly full arena, this was also a chance for fans to show their love to the Hall of Fame coach who has been shining her light on women’s basketball for 4½ decades.

“Tara! Tara!” they yelled in the

AP PHOTO

Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer waves to the crowd after breaking the college basketball record for wins with her team’s victory over Oregon State on Sunday in Stanford, California. closing seconds before the celebration began.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Tara VanDerveer, who is already one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of basketball,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “This is yet another milestone to add to an amazing legacy. More important than all the astounding numbers and ca-

reer accomplishments, she’s positively impacted countless lives as a coach and a mentor. Tara remains a true guardian of our sport.”

A video tribute with messages from everyone from Billie Jean King to Steve Kerr, Dawn Staley and Coach K himself showed on the big screen.

VanDerveer improved to

1,203-267 overall and 1,051-216 over 38 seasons at Stanford. A 17-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year with five national Coach of the Year honors, VanDerveer has captured three NCAA titles with Stanford — 1990, ’92 and 2021 — and coached the 1996 U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal at the Atlanta Games during a year away from Stanford.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

6

Advocacy groups are petitioning for the end of SNAP interview requirements The Associated Press NEW YORK — Student and legal advocacy groups are petitioning the U.S. Department of Agriculture to lift the interview requirement for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants to receive food aid.

The groups argue the interview requirement is burdensome and prevents those who qualify for food aid from receiving it. The National Student Legal Defense Network, the Center for Law and Social Policy, and the California Student Aid Commission are among the organizations calling for its removal. A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said the agency is reviewing the proposal.

SNAP helps low-income families supplement their budgets so they can buy groceries, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages. An estimated 42 million Americans currently receive the monthly benefits at an average of $212 per AP PHOTO person or $401 per household.

Currently, within 30 days of Groceries are displayed on a counter in Bellflower, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. an application for SNAP, a state agency must complete an appliin 1978, the Agriculture Depart- ence, the department believes cant’s initial certification inter- pedited interviews.

Eligible households next re- ment kept the interview require- that the interview is critically imview, either by phone or in perceive a notice indicating their ment inherited from the previ- portant to the certification proson.

Expedited interviews may certification period, or how long ous food stamp program, stating cess and must be carefully montake place within a seven-day they’ll receive SNAP benefits. Be- that the interview both helps the itored and regulated,” the agency window for people in particular fore that period ends, a partici- agency understand a household’s said at the time.

But interviews are not manneed who meet certain income pant’s local SNAP office contacts circumstances and helps the criteria. Seasonal farm work- them with information on how to household understand the pro- dated by the federal statute governing the SNAP program, the gram. ers, migrants, and certain other re-certify.

“On the basis of past experi- organizations petitioning the When SNAP was established households may also receive ex-

Louisiana lawmakers pass new congressional map with second majority-Black district

By Sara Cline The Associated Press BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Legislature passed a congressional map with a second majority-Black district on Friday, marking a win for Democrats and civil rights groups after a legal battle and political tug-of-war that spanned nearly two years.

Democrats have long fought for a second majority-minority district among Louisiana’s six congressional districts — arguing that the political boundaries passed by the GOP-dominated legislature in 2022 discriminates against Black voters, who make up one-third of Louisiana’s population. The change could deliver an additional seat in Congress to the Democratic Party.

The GOP has resisted drawing another minority district, arguing that the 2022 map is fair and constitutional. But in an about-face this special legislative session, the map received bipartisan support after Republicans said their hands had

MICHAEL JOHNSON/THE ADVOCATE VIA AP

Gov. Jeff Landry speaks during the start of the special session in the House Chamber on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024 in Baton Rouge, La. Landry called for the special session only a few hours after taking office. been tied by a looming Jan. 30 court-mandated deadline and fears that a federal judge, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, would re-

draw the map herself if the task was not by completed lawmakers.

The legislation now heads to the desk of Republican Gov.

Jeff Landry, where it is expected to receive his seal of approval. During the special session this week, Landry has repeatedly urged the Legislature to adopt a new map that would satisfy the court, instead of possibly putting the task in the hands of “some heavy-handed federal judge.”

Louisiana is among the states who were wrangling over congressional districts after the U.S. Supreme Court in June ruled that Alabama had violated the Voting Rights Act. Under the new map, 54% of the voting-age population in the district currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Garret Graves would be Black — up from the current 23%. Graves opposes the plan, saying in a statement to The Advocate that it “ignore(s) the redistricting principles of compactness and communities of interest.” Other Republicans on the state House and Senate floors echoed this concern.

GOP state Rep. Glen Womack, who filed the legislation, said that race was not the “predominate factor” in deciding

government note. They argue that the current regulatory requirement is an outdated bureaucratic hurdle.

A 2021 review of enrollment data in California found that 31% of SNAP applicants in Los Angeles County were denied SNAP due to missing their interview, compared to just 6% who were denied for failing to meet eligibility requirements. Missed-interview denials were even higher among working families and college applicants, affecting as many as 40% of otherwise eligible applicants.

Allan Rodriguez, press secretary for the USDA, said 78% of people eligible for SNAP participated in the program and received benefits from October 2019 to February 2020, the last pre-pandemic period from which data is available.

During the pandemic, when interview and other requirements were eased, the USDA encouraged states to use existing program flexibility to improve access to SNAP, such as by using online or phone SNAP applications or allowing participants to stay on SNAP without reapplying for the maximum amount of time allowed.

In a recent report, the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities found that the interview requirement “can be an important way for states to gather accurate information and for applicants to have their questions answered, but it can be a labor-intensive task and delay approval.”

Student Defense President Aaron Ament said the organization hears too often about obstacles students face to scheduling the required government SNAP interviews when juggling schoolwork, a job, and childcare or eldercare.

where the new boundaries would lie, but rather “politics drove this map.” Womack said he prioritized protecting the seats of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, as well as that of Congresswoman Julia Letlow, who represents Womack’s region and sits on the powerful House Committee on Appropriations.

Under the 2022 map, which was used in last November’s election, there is one majority-Black district — the 2nd District, which encompasses most of New Orleans and stretches to Baton Rouge, and is represented

by U.S. Rep. Troy Carter. Carter is the state’s sole Black and Democratic member of Congress.

The 2022 map has been at the center of political woes in the state Capitol, with former Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoing the political boundaries and the Legislature overriding his veto — their first override of a governor’s veto in nearly three decades.

In June 2022, Baton Rougebased U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick struck down Louisiana’s map for violating the Voting Rights Act. Dick said in her ruling that “evidence of Louisiana’s long and ongoing history of voting-related discrimination weighs heavily in favor of Plaintiffs.”

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North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

7

obituaries

Mary (Pegram) Hampton

February 16, 1925 - January 17, 2024 Ms. Mary Hampton age, 98 went home to rest with her Heavenly Father on January 17, 2024. She leaves to cherish her loving memories, her children: Kenneth Hampton, Mandala Barber; sisters: Georgia Hinton, Ernestine Vincent; six grandchildren, nine great grandchildren along with a host of other family and friends.

Mary will be greatly missed.

Robert James McGarry

June 29, 1957 - January 10, 2024 Robert James McGarry went to join his beloved wife Robin in Heaven on January 10th 2024, while at home at the age of 66 after a period of ill health. Robert was born in Lancashire England on the 29th June 1957, and was the eldest son of the late John and Hazel McGarry. Despite poor health he loved to volunteer alongside Robin with the Rockfish Church Raeford NC Outreach Team, which brought him much happiness. Robert was also known as British Bob, and loved to meet new people and help whenever he could. He was an accomplished mechanic, turning his hand to anything with an engine.

He also loved playing darts, and supported the grass roots interest in Savannah for many years. He was much loved by people who met and came to know him, for his gentle and playful nature, and warm humor. He is survived by his brothers Andrew McGarry (Shirley) and John McGarry; his uncle, Peter Turner (Jacqui); and his nephew Christoper McGarry (Jessica).

Celebrate the life of your loved ones.

Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in NSJ at obits@northstatejournal.com

Dexter Scott King, son of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., dies of cancer at 62 The Associated Press ATLANTA — Dexter Scott King, who dedicated much of his life to shepherding the civil rights legacy of his parents, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died Monday after battling prostate cancer. He was 62.

The King Center in Atlanta, which Dexter King served as chairman, said the younger son of the civil rights icon died at his home in Malibu, California. His wife, Leah Weber King, said in a statement that he died “peacefully in his sleep.”

“The sudden shock is devastating,” Martin Luther King III, the older brother of Dexter King, said in a statement. “It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this. We ask for your prayers at this time for the entire King family.”

The third of the Kings’ four children, Dexter King was named for the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served as a pastor when the Montgomery bus boycott launched him to national prominence in the wake of the 1955 arrest of Rosa Parks.

Dexter King was just 7 years old when his father was assassinated in April 1968 while supporting striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.

“He turned that pain into activism, however, and dedicated his life to advancing the dream Martin and Coretta Scott King had for their children” and others, the Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement. He said Dexter King “left us far too soon.”

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached, said he prayed with the King family Monday and extended “my deepest condolences, strength, and solidarity to them during this time of remembrance and grief.”

Dexter King described the

HELEN COMER/THE JACKSON SUN VIA AP

Dexter King, son of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., listens to arguments in the State Court of Criminal Appeals in Jackson, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 29, 1997, to determine whether two Memphis judges have overstepped their authority surrounding the investigation of the King assassination. impact his father’s killing had on his childhood, and the rest of his life, in a 2004 memoir, “Growing Up King.”

“Ever since I was seven, I’ve felt I must be formal,” he wrote, adding: “Formality, seriousness, certitude — all these are difficult poses to maintain, even if you’re a person with perfect equilibrium, with all the drama life throws at you.”

As an adult, Dexter King bore such a striking resemblance to his famous father that he was cast to portray him in a 2002 TV move about Parks starring Angela Bassett.

He also worked to protect the King family’s intellectual property. In addition to serving as chairman of the King Center, he was also president of the King estate.

Dexter King and his siblings, who shared control of the family estate, didn’t always agree on how to uphold their parents’ leg-

acy.

In one particularly bitter disagreement, the siblings ended up in court after Dexter King and his brother in 2014 sought to sell the Nobel Peace Prize their father was awarded in 1964 along with the civil rights leader’s traveling Bible used by President Barack Obama for his second inauguration. Bernice King said she found the notion unthinkable.

The King siblings settled the dispute in 2016 after former President Jimmy Carter served as a mediator. The items were turned over to the brothers, but other terms of the settlement were kept confidential.

Decades earlier, Dexter King made headlines when he publicly declared that he believed James Earl Ray, who pleaded guilty in 1969 to murdering his father, was innocent. They met in 1997 at a Nashville prison amid an unsuccessful push

by King family members to have Ray stand trial, hoping the case would reveal evidence of a broader conspiracy.

When Ray said during their prison meeting that he wasn’t the killer, Dexter King replied: “I believe you and my family believes you.” But Ray never got a trial. He died from liver failure the following year.

Dexter King is survived by his wife as well as his older brother, Martin Luther King III; his younger sister, the Rev. Bernice A. King; and a teenage niece, Yolanda Renee King.

Coretta Scott King died in 2006, followed by the Kings’ oldest child, Yolanda Denise King, in 2007.

“Words cannot express the heart break I feel from losing another sibling,” Bernice King said in a statement.

A memorial service will be announced later, the King Center said.

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

8

STATE & NATION Aide to Lloyd Austin asked ambulance to arrive quietly to defense secretary’s home, 911 call shows

By John Raby The Associated Press AN AIDE to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked first responders to avoid using lights and sirens in requesting an ambulance be sent to Austin’s northern Virginia home after he had complications from surgery for prostate cancer that he had kept secret from senior Biden administration leaders and staff.

Austin was hospitalized Jan. 1 and admitted to intensive care after developing an infection a week after undergoing surgery.

He was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday.

On the Jan. 1 call to the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety, a man who identified himself as a government employee described Austin as alert.

The identity of Austin and the caller were redacted from a copy of the 911 audio, which was obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act. The caller named the street on which Austin lives.

In the four-minute call, the reason for needing the ambulance also was redacted. The caller said Austin was not having chest pains.

“Can I ask, like, can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? Um, we’re trying to remain a little subtle,” the aide said, according to the recording.

AP PHOTO

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., Nov. 22, 2023.

A dispatcher responded that the ambulance would comply once it got near the home.

“Usually when they turn into a residential neighborhood, they’ll turn them off,” the dispatcher said, adding that emergency sirens and lights are required by law on major roads when ambulances are responding to a call.

Austin was located on the ground floor of the residence, said the aide, who indicated he would be waiting outside for the ambulance.

The caller asked how long it would take to get to the home.

The dispatcher said it depended on traffic and road conditions and said first responders would be arriving from the closest available station.

Details of the 911 audio file from the Fairfax County Public Safety Department were first reported by The Daily Beast.

As he recovers, Austin will be working from home. His doctors said he “progressed well throughout his stay and his strength is rebounding.” They said in a statement the cancer was treated early and his prognosis is “excellent.”

Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Dec. 22 and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening.

Dr. John Maddox, the trauma medical director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, the director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research at Walter Reed, said that during Austin’s hospitalization he underwent medical tests and was treated for lingering leg pain. They said he has physical therapy to do but there are no plans for further cancer treatment other than regular checks.

President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin’s hospitalization until Jan. 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until Jan. 9. Biden has said Austin’s failure to tell him about the hospitalization was a lapse in judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief.

During Austin’s time at Walter Reed, the U.S. launched a series of military strikes late last week on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to their campaign of assaults on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Working from his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including Gen. Erik

In snowy DC, the March for Life rallies against abortion with an eye toward the November elections

By Alex Veiga The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — Thousands of opponents of abortion rights rallied under falling snow on Friday at the annual March for Life, as speakers urged the impassioned crowd to capitalize on the movement’s major victory in the Supreme Court and keep fighting until abortion is eliminated.

Months before a presidential election that could be heavily influenced by abortion politics, anti-abortion activists packed the National Mall carrying signs with messages such as “Life is precious” and “I am the pro-life generation.” After listening to speeches, the crowd, braving frigid temperatures, marched past the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court. One group planted in front of Court, beating a drum and chanting: “Everyone you know was once an embryo.”

Friday’s March for Life was the second such event in the nation’s capital since the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended Roe v. Wade. Last year’s march was triumphant, with organizers relishing a state-by-state fight in legislatures around the country.

Speakers praised the Dobbs

People participating in the March for Life walk up Independence Avenue toward the Supreme Court, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

AP PHOTO

decision that overturned Roe v.

Wade but said it was more important now than ever to keep up the pressure on lawmakers to advance abortion restrictions.

“Roe is done, but we still live in a culture that knows not how to care for life,” said Benjamin Watson, a former NFL player who is now an anti-abortion advocate.

“Roe is done, but the factors that drive women to seek abortions are ever apparent and ever increasing. Roe is done, but abortion is still legal and thriving in too much of America.”

Friday’s event appeared smaller than in past years as ice and snow complicated travel plans.

But the crowd was fired up as speakers, which included members of Congress and Michigan University Football Coach Jim Harbaugh, urged participants to keep fighting until abortion becomes “unthinkable.”

“Let’s be encouraged, let’s press on and hope that we can join together and make this great difference,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “We can stand with every woman for every child, and

we can truly build a culture that cherishes and protects life.”

The snow fell heavily throughout the speeches as young people built snowmen and had snowball fights behind the stage. Near the Capitol, the crowd celebrated as a group on a balcony of the Cannon House Office building cheered on the march.

“I almost didn’t come when I saw the forecast, but this is just incredible,” said Stephanie Simpson, a 42-year-old grocery store employee from Cleveland, who has attended the last four

Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and White House meetings to review, order and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video.

The lack of transparency about Austin’s hospitalization, however, has triggered administration and Defense Department reviews on the procedures for notifying the White House and others if a Cabinet member must transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy, as Austin did during his initial surgery and a portion of his latest hospital stay. And the White House chief of staff ordered Cabinet members to notify his office if they ever can’t perform their duties.

Austin’s secrecy also drew criticism from Congress members on both sides of the political aisle, and Rep. Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others openly called for Austin to resign, but the White House has said the Pentagon chief’s job is safe.

It is still unclear when Austin will return to his office in the Pentagon or how his cancer treatment will affect his job, travel and other public engagements going forward. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been taking on some of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.

marches.

Roberto Reyes, a Mexican native and Carmelite friar, said: “All these people are going to remember this year’s march for the rest of their lives!”

Members of the crowd described overturning Roe v. Wade as a victory, but said the anti-abortion fight rages on.

“The key message this year is that our work is not done,” said Bishop Michael Burbidge, chair of the committee for pro-life activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The movement has seen mixed results. The ruling in Dobbs v.

Jackson Women’s Health Organization reverted abortion lawmaking back to the states, and 14 states are now enforcing bans on abortion throughout pregnancy.

Two more have such bans on hold because of court rulings. And another two have bans that take effect when cardiac activity can be detected, about six weeks into pregnancy.

Movement organizers now expect abortion rights to be a major Democratic rallying cry in President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.

“The pro-abortion forces, that’s one of the major things they’re going to run on,” said Susan Swift, president of Pro-Life Legal and a veteran anti-abortion activist.

“That’s one of the only things that seems to animate their base.”

Biden campaign officials openly state that they plan to make Biden synonymous with the fight to preserve abortion rights.

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THE FORSYTH COUNTY EDITION OF THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

AP PHOTO

Getting connected President Joe Biden speaks at an event at Abbots Creek Community Center in Raleigh last Thursday, touting a plan to invest more than $80 million in internet infrastructure to connect rural NC communities. Turn to page 2 for more.

WHAT’S HAPPENING WestRock closing Lexington plant, laying off more than 150 153 workers at WestRock’s facility in Lexington, NC will soon be out of a job, according to a filing from the company. None of the workers are in a union, and the facility will be closing completely.

The company has been consolidating operations on recent years, opening a new facility in Claremont and closing several other mills and plants around the country.

In September, Irish paper and packaging company Smurfit Kappa announced the planned acquisition of WestRock for $11 billion.

Colleges to host ‘FAFSA Day’ on Jan. 27 60 universities and community colleges across North Carolina will host free “FAFSA Day” events later this month to assist students and parents with filling out the new financial aid form.

Locally, Forsyth Technical Community College and Winston-Salem State University will participate on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The FAFSA form allows eligible North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less to access the Next NC Scholarship, a combination of the federal Pell Grant and state-funded financial aid that can fully cover tuition and fees at NC community colleges — or half or more, of the costs to attend any public university in the state.

Students and parents should first fill out an FSA ID application at studentaid.gov, and be sure to bring 2022 tax and asset information to the event.

Forsyth finally approves third ambulance franchise

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald WINSTON-SALEM – The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners met Thursday, Jan. 18.

A previously continued public hearing on a new non-emergency ambulance franchise was brought back for discussion.

Providence and Lifestar are the county’s two non-emergency ambulance providers, and the board is discussing the addition of a third, Medex in the county.

“What we have in front of us precisely today is a discrete issue,” said Commissioner Dan Besse, noting that the county attorney advised that there is a two-pronged test for the board.

First, is whether the applicant is qualified, which Besse noted was undisputed.

But the second test is whether there is currently an unfilled need for non-emergency ambulance service. “That’s what has been disputed and I would suggest that the dispute sees two

sides presenting valid data that are not necessarily in conflict.

You have existing franchisees saying that they have hours that go unused throughout the day.

They do. You have the applicant and the hospitals pointing out that there are unfilled needs for transport not so much to the hospital as from the hospitals after discharge that are not being met because they can’t be met when they’re needed.”

He argued that the data from the hospitals and emergency departments, even with the current providers going unused some of the time — which will happen with ambulance services — shows “an existing need and there are factors that we know are coming that are going to increase the need.”

Following the hearing, the board approved the franchise, with Vice-Chair Gloria Whisenhunt the lone dissent.

“I do not think the need is there,” Whisenhunt said. “I think conversation is what has to be there. Conversation between the

hospitals and our franchises and I think it could easily be proven that you all can work that out yourself. I do not think adding a franchise is going to solve that problem.”

The board approved four budgetary items: $261,083 from the Rural Operating Assistance Program to provide transportation services for elderly and disabled citizens $305,853 to purchase electrical supplies and equipment for the East Forsyth High School renovation project $3,000 for a grant agreement between Forsyth County and the NCDOT in order to fund the Aviation Career Education Academy $273,990.42 in compensation to Smith-Rowe for work completed in 2023 Numerous contractual matters were approved: An agreement with Atlantic Emergency Solutions Inc. to provide maintenance, repair and transportation services for the Smith Reynolds Airport Crash Fire Rescue Truck at an hourly

rate for an amount not to exceed $100,000 an agreement with Resource Institute, Inc. to remediate and restore Brushy Fork Creek for an amount not to exceed $250,000 a $75,000 contract with Oracle Cloud Optimization Services to provide optimization and consultative services an agreement with Chef Units, LLC, for the purchase and refurbishment of a public outreach bus for an amount not to exceed $99,209.80 a $128,776.77 contract with Horace G. Ilderton for the purchase of three Dodge Durangos a $268,697 contract with NWEV, LLC for the purchase of a new ambulance a contract with Humane Society of the Piedmont for high volume spay and neuter services to the Forsyth County Animal Shelter for an amount not to exceed $50,000 a $75,000 contract with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center for the FaithHealth Chaplaincy program a contract with ReNu Energy Solutions, LLC, to design and construct a solar array on the roof of the maintenance building at Tanglewood Park at an amount not to exceed $100,000 The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will next meet Feb. 1.

Finalists named for NC Teacher of the Year

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Nine North Carolina educators have been recognized as regional Teachers of the Year for their outstanding leadership and teaching excellence and are now finalists for North Carolina Teacher of the Year (NCTOY).

The NC Department of Public Instruction, in partnership with the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, has been honoring teachers with this award since 2013.

“These nine educators are just a sampling of the incredible talent we’re lucky to have in North Carolina public schools,” said State Superintendent Catherine Truitt in a press release.

“They represent excellence across disciplines, from core subjects to career and technical education to the arts,” Truitt said. “I commend each of them for their dedication to getting students excited about learning, and I can’t wait to see what this cohort accomplishes together on behalf of students in the year ahead.”

The finalists include educators from nine different regions and one from a charter school: Charter School: Lee Haywood, Uwharrie Charter Academy (Randolph County) Northeast: Anita Rubino-Thomas, Currituck County High School (Currituck County) Southeast: Nardi Routten, Creekside Elementary School

(Craven County) North Central: Rachel Brackney, Southwest Edgecombe High School (Edgecombe County) Sandhills: Jennifer Blake, Carthage Elementary School (Moore County) Piedmont Triad: Will Marrs, Davie County High School (Davie County) Southwest: Sarah Lefebvre, Health Sciences Academy at Monroe Middle School (Union County) Northwest: Erik Mortensen, Watauga High School (Watauga County) Western: Heather Smith, Waynesville Middle School (Haywood County) The mission of the NCTOY Program is to promote the

teaching profession through advocacy and support, recognizing outstanding educators implementing best practices.

The winner will be announced on April 5, 2024, during an awards ceremony.

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How not to fix the immigration crisis Twin City Herald Neal Robbins, Publisher Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers Jordan Golson, Local News Editor Shawn Krest, Sports Editor Ryan Henkel, Reporter Jesse Deal, Reporter P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer BUSINESS David Guy, Advertising Manager Published each Wednesday as part of North State Journal 1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607 TO SUBSCRIBE: 336-283-6305 nsjonline.com Annual Subscription Price: $100.00 Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, N.C. and at additional mailing offices.

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Biden will pay for it at the polls if it’s not addressed.

NO ONE — or almost no one — can deny that there is an immigration crisis in America. New legislation is needed, including more funding for a fair and effective system for controlling the border and handling the asylum process. In the Senate, key Republicans and Democrats are at least talking together about how to deal with the problem.

Not so in the House.

Last week, the House committee on Homeland Security raced to complete hearings on the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, promising to bring charges against him by the end of the month. They wrapped up the hearings without testimony from the secretary himself, who, when he asked for a more convenient date to testify, was told to submit a written statement. Nor did they hear from anyone else from the Biden administration or from any constitutional experts who might have pointed to any “high crimes and misdemeanors” — the constitutional standard — that might justify impeachment.

According to the committee’s chairman, Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, “The truth is that Secretary Mayorkas has disregarded court orders, laws passed by Congress and has lied to the American people. ... Who wants a secretary that can just disregard the fundamental pillars of the Constitution? We cannot tolerate that, whether they are a Republican or Democrat.”

But neither Green nor any other member of the committee could cite any “high crimes or misdemeanors” committed by Mayorkas, nor could they point to any precedent for using impeachment — an extraordinary remedy — as the tool for resolving what is essentially a policy dispute with the administration.

Impeachment requires a twothirds vote in the Senate, which will simply not happen. It is a timeconsuming process that will solve nothing. As Rep. Bennie Thompson, the ranking Democrat, pointed out,

“This isn’t a real impeachment; it’s a predetermined, pre-planned, partisan political stunt,” one that no one in Congress expects will result in Senate conviction. “You cannot impeach a Cabinet secretary because you don’t like a president’s policies,” Thompson argued.

But you can try, which is what Republicans on the committee are apparently united in doing, not because it will change anything but because it will satisfy their hard-line base and score political points. It’s a tactic that is no more effective than putting migrants on buses, as the governors of Florida and Texas have done, and shipping them off to New York and Los Angeles and other cities for Democratic mayors to deal with.

No state — and no city — should be expected to deal with what is in truth a national problem. Democrats need to recognize the policy failure at the border, the worsening problems of illegal immigration and drug trafficking at the border. It is a human crisis as well as a political one, and Biden will pay for it at the polls if it’s not addressed. But the Republicans, by resorting to impeachment and holding aid to Ukraine hostage, are playing partisan politics rather than doing anything constructive to address the underlying policy challenges.

As Princeton professor Deborah Pearlstein testified, at the invitation of Democrats on the committee, “Impeachment will have no impact on resources available to the border, and it will have no impact on the policies pursued by this administration at all.”

What Congress needs to do is legislate, not posture. Mayorkas is part of a bipartisan effort by Senate Democrats and Republicans to come up with legislation that will address issues of asylum and detention, as well as funding for border enforcement.

Democrats need to acknowledge the failures at the border and deal with them. Republicans need to stop playing games and do the work that they were elected to do.

Going after the scalp of Mayorkas solves nothing at all.

Biden visits North Carolina, a state he hopes to win in November, to promote internet access The Associated Press RALEIGH — President Joe Biden on Thursday, Jan. 18 unveiled $82 million for North Carolina to help connect 16,000 new households and businesses to high-speed internet, delivering an election-year pitch about policies he says are “just getting started” at improving the United States.

Biden, the Democratic incumbent who is campaigning to win a second term, coupled his economic message with a few jabs at his predecessor, Donald Trump, currently the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination and his most likely future challenger.

Biden brought up Trump’s recent comment that he hoped the economy would crash soon because he doesn’t want to preside over job losses if he were to be reelected in November. Biden told his audience that Trump already was like Herbert Hoover, who held office during the 1929 stock market crash.

“He’s the only president to be president for four years and lose jobs,” Biden said of Trump.

By Josh Boak

Biden said the work his administration is doing in North Carolina, on high-speed internet, infrastructure and more, is happening in communities across the country, regardless of the politics.

“What we’re doing here in North Carolina is one piece of a much bigger story,” he said.

Biden said he was keeping his promise “to be a president for all America, whether you voted for me or not.”

Biden talked about all the people who need high-speed internet because they work from home, businesses who need it to reach customers and students who need to do their school work.

“High-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s an absolute necessity,” he said in Raleigh, the state capital. “The investment in high-speed internet means something else as well: good-paying jobs.”

Biden’s reelection campaign has made winning North Carolina and its 16 electoral votes a top priority. The Democrat narrowly lost the state in 2020 by 1.34 percentage points to

Biden said the work his administration is doing in North Carolina, on high-speed internet, infrastructure and more, is happening in communities across the country, regardless of the politics.

Trump. They are expected to face each other again in November.

Fast-growing North Carolina is considered a presidential battleground, but only twice in the last 40-plus years has a Democrat won the state’s electoral votes: Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Barack Obama in 2008.

Trump won the state in both 2016 and 2020, with the latter victory in part a result of massive turnout for Republicans in rural and non-urban counties overcoming increasingly Democratic strongholds in and around Raleigh and Charlotte.

Republicans hold narrow veto-proof control of the state legislature and a majority on the state Supreme Court. But voters still appear comfortable with a Democratic state chief executive who attempts to counteract GOP policies, which recently have included more abortion restrictions and expanded private school vouchers. Democrats have held the governorship for all but four years since 1993.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is term-limited from running this year, spoke before Biden on Thursday, boosting Biden and criticizing Trump.

“I want a president who wakes up every morning thinking about the American people instead of a president who wakes up every morning thinking about himself,” Cooper said.

Polling shows that the economy has been a weakness for Biden, a reflection of inflation hitting a four-decade high in June 2022. Easing inflation rates since then have yet to pull Biden’s approval ratings back to their levels at the start of his presidency. The president has tried to empathize with voters

grappling with higher inflation, but he has stressed that his policies are fostering the creation of factory and construction jobs with middle-class wages.

“When jobs grow, everything grows,” Biden said as he ticked through federal spending on projects made possible by his pandemic aid package and an infrastructure law.

The president later picked up a burger, fries and shake from Cook Out and held what his campaign described as a “kitchen table conversation” at the home of a family that benefited from the administration’s student loan forgiveness programs.

The administration is committing a total of $3 billion to build and fund internet connections in North Carolina. The administration estimates that an additional 300,000 state residents will be able to access the internet by the end of 2026.

One way the administration says it has lowered costs for families is by providing discounted internet service to 880,000 households in North Carolina. But the administration is calling on Congress to renew the Affordable Connectivity Program, a separate source of funding that is set to run out of money in April. The program has helped 22 million people save $30 to $75 a month on their internet bills, the administration says.

Twin City Herald for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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Flames’ Dube on indefinite leave to attend to mental health Calgary, Alberta Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube has been granted an indefinite leave to attend to his mental health. The 25-yearold from Golden, British Columbia, is under the care of professionals, according to a statement the Flames posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Dube was not in Calgary’s lineup for Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound center was a second-round pick of the Flames in the 2016 draft.

He has three goals and four assists in 43 games this season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

San Jose State hires Niumatalolo San Jose, Calif.

San Jose State hired former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo to replace Brent Brennan as the Spartans head coach.

Athletic director Jeff Konya announced the hiring on Sunday, saying Niumatalolo is the “right fit” for San Jose State and can make the Spartans consistent contenders in the Mountain West.

Niumatalolo is the winningest coach in Navy history, going 109-83 in 15 seasons before being fired after the 2022 game against Army. Niumatalolo spent last season at UCLA in an off-field role for Bruins coach Chip Kelly but was elevated to tight ends coach after the season.

Dunlap becomes PGA Tour’s 1st amateur winner since 1991 The University of Alabama sophomore with victory at The American Express

By Greg Beacham The Associated Press LA QUINTA, Calif. — Nick Dunlap doesn’t possess a false confidence, and he doesn’t project a supernatural calm. The University of Alabama sophomore fully understood just how crazy it was to be fending off a field of professionals Sunday while he tried to become the PGA Tour’s first amateur winner in 33 years.

“Most nervous I’ve ever been, by far,” Dunlap said. “Just tried to breathe, but also look up and enjoy it a little bit.”

The 20-year-old simply played through it all — through his mistakes, the rising pressure and the overall improbability of his week at The American Express.

Dunlap came out of it with a victory that could herald the arrival of a major golf talent — and one who might not even need to finish the homework he brought with him to the West Coast.

Dunlap swallowed his nerves one last time to make a 6-foot par putt on the final hole, holding on for a one-shot victory over Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

“Everybody’s got doubts,” Dunlap said. “I probably had a thousand different scenarios in my head of how today was going to go, and it went nothing like I expected. I think that was the cool part about it. That’s golf.”

The reigning U.S. Amateur champion is the tour’s first amateur winner since Phil Mickelson at the Tucson Open in 1991. Playing in his fourth tour event, Dunlap became the seventh amateur

winner since 1945 — and the third since 1957.

The only amateur in the 156-player field in the tournament long known as the Bob Hope Desert Classic, Dunlap surged into a three-shot lead with a sizzling 12-under 60 in the third round. He lost that lead Sunday on the front nine on the Stadium Course at PGA West, but he played with the resilience of a seasoned veteran down the stretch, capped by his recovery from two errant shots on the 18th for the winning par.

He ended up with a 70 — his worst round of the week by far — to finish at 29-under 259 and break the tournament scoring record as a 72-hole event. He’s also the youngest winner in the event’s history, and he became the youngest amateur to win on the tour since 1910.

Dunlap and Tiger Woods are the only players to win both the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Junior Amateur. While Dunlap got the celebration Sunday for one of the most impressive performances in recent golf history, he doesn’t get the $1.5 million first-place prize, which goes to Bezuidenhout after the South African’s final-round 65.

Dunlap also doesn’t get the 500 FedEx Cup points — but his rewards are still ample. If he stays at Alabama he gets in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open as the U.S. Amateur champion. If he turns pro and joins the PGA Tour, he still gets in the Masters and U.S. Open, along with the remaining seven $20 million signature events on tour.

“It’s amazing,” Bezuidenhout said about Dunlap’s achievement. “Actually, I heard his name last year when he won the U.S. Amateur. He’s obviously a hell of a player, and congrats to him. Hopefully, he can be out on the PGA Tour soon, and we all can get to play with him.”

NFL

Eagles’ Sirianni fires DC Desai Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni fired defensive coordinator Sean Desai, according to reports. Desai lost his playcalling duties to assistant coach Matt Patricia in December. The Eagles went from 10-1 to losing in the wild card round to Tampa Bay after finishing 11-6 in the regular season. Desai replaced Jonathan Gannon, who left Philadelphia to become the head coach in Arizona after the Eagles lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Desai was a defensive assistant in Seattle in 2022 and previously spent nine seasons in Chicago, including one year as defensive coordinator in 2021.

TENNIS

Protester disrupts Australian Open match Melbourne, Australia A pro-Palestinian protester threw papers onto an Australian Open court and briefly disrupted the fourthround match between Olympic champion Alexander Zverev and Cameron Norrie of Britain.

A person wearing a face mask threw anti-war pamphlets from the stands onto the court behind the baseline during the third set. Two spectators held the protester before security arrived. Ball kids gathered up the papers and the match continued after security escorted the protestor away. Zverev won the match in five sets to advance to the quarterfinals.

HORSE RACING

AP PHOTO

Nick Dunlap embraces his mother, Charlene, and father, Jim, after winning The American Express PGA Tour tournament Sunday in La Quinta, California.

the better part of th ing to earn acceptan stitutions,” Ural said don’t know what we’r now.”

The outbreak has for millions of stud taking virtual tou while also dealing about tuition payme

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Q Williams

CREDIT TYLER LEWIS TWITTER/X ACCOUNT

Forsyth Country Day boys’ basketball

Q Williams is a sophomore point guard for the Forsyth Country Day boys’ basketball team.

Williams, who began playing for the varsity while still in middle school, recorded his 1,000th career point in Friday’s win. It was the fifth victory in a row for the Furies, who are 19-4, 6-1 in conference and ranked second in the state in the NC Independent Schools Athletic Association.

Williams has already picked up scholarship offers from Western Carolina and NC A&T.

VanDerveer’s 1,203rd victory pushes Stanford coach past Krzyzweski The Stanford women’s coach now has the most wins among major college basketball coaches The Associated Press STANFORD, Calif. — Only Her. Tara VanDerveer’s face shined in every corner of Maples Pavilion with that very message. Yes, the Stanford Hall of Famer now stands atop major college basketball as the winningest coach of all time.

“Today was just so wonderful,” VanDerveer said. Even though she had to text her 96-year-old mother Rita they’d need to cancel a scheduled bridge game because of all the postgame festivities to celebrate her. “... It is a big number and I’m very appreciative of the great players I’ve coached and the great places I’ve been and the attention it’s brought to women’s basketball.”

Just as those who love her so hoped it would turn out,

VanDerveer passed former Duke and Army coach Mike Krzyzewski with her 1,203rd career victory at home in Maples when No. 8 Stanford beat Oregon State 6556.

And it never fails that VanDerveer always takes a minute to thank everybody for coming to the game, and that includes offering her immense gratitude to the Stanford band.

“I’m overwhelmed,” she told the crowd Sunday. “I’m not usually lost for words but it’s pretty impressive, all these people here, all the former players coming back.”

A head coach since age 24, VanDerveer celebrated with thousands of supporters and a couple dozen former players on hand to cheer her on for yet another triumph in a decorated 45-year career featuring so many memorable accomplishments.

And for a nearly full arena, this was also a chance for fans to show their love to the Hall of Fame coach who has been shining her light on women’s basketball for 4½ decades.

“Tara! Tara!” they yelled in the

AP PHOTO

Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer waves to the crowd after breaking the college basketball record for wins with her team’s victory over Oregon State on Sunday in Stanford, California. closing seconds before the celebration began.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Tara VanDerveer, who is already one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of basketball,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “This is yet another milestone to add to an amazing legacy. More important than all the astounding numbers and career accomplishments, she’s positively impacted countless lives as a coach and a mentor. Tara remains a true guardian of our sport.”

A video tribute with messag-

es from everyone from Billie Jean King to Steve Kerr, Dawn Staley and Coach K himself showed on the big screen.

VanDerveer improved to 1,203-267 overall and 1,051-216 over 38 seasons at Stanford. A 17-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year with five national Coach of the Year honors, VanDerveer has captured three NCAA titles with Stanford — 1990, ’92 and 2021 — and coached the 1996 U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal at the Atlanta Games during a year away from Stanford.

Twin City Herald for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

4

STATE & NATION

Aide to Lloyd Austin asked ambulance to arrive quietly to defense secretary’s home, 911 call shows

By John Raby The Associated Press AN AIDE to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked first responders to avoid using lights and sirens in requesting an ambulance be sent to Austin’s northern Virginia home after he had complications from surgery for prostate cancer that he had kept secret from senior Biden administration leaders and staff.

Austin was hospitalized Jan. 1 and admitted to intensive care after developing an infection a week after undergoing surgery.

He was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday.

On the Jan. 1 call to the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety, a man who identified himself as a government employee described Austin as alert.

The identity of Austin and the caller were redacted from a copy of the 911 audio, which was obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act. The caller named the street on which Austin lives.

In the four-minute call, the reason for needing the ambulance also was redacted. The caller said Austin was not having chest pains.

“Can I ask, like, can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? Um, we’re trying to remain a little subtle,” the aide said, according to the recording.

AP PHOTO

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., Nov. 22, 2023.

A dispatcher responded that the ambulance would comply once it got near the home.

“Usually when they turn into a residential neighborhood, they’ll turn them off,” the dispatcher said, adding that emergency sirens and lights are required by law on major roads when ambulances are responding to a call.

Austin was located on the ground floor of the residence, said the aide, who indicated he would be waiting outside for the ambulance.

The caller asked how long it would take to get to the home.

The dispatcher said it depended on traffic and road conditions and said first responders would be arriving from the closest available station.

Details of the 911 audio file from the Fairfax County Public Safety Department were first reported by The Daily Beast.

As he recovers, Austin will be working from home. His doctors said he “progressed well throughout his stay and his strength is rebounding.” They said in a statement the cancer was treated early and his prognosis is “excellent.”

Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Dec. 22 and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening.

Dr. John Maddox, the trauma medical director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, the director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research at Walter Reed, said that during Austin’s hospitalization he underwent medical tests and was treated for lingering leg pain. They said he has physical therapy to do but there are no plans for further cancer treatment other than regular checks.

President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin’s hospitalization until Jan. 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until Jan. 9. Biden has said Austin’s failure to tell him about the hospitalization was a lapse in judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief.

During Austin’s time at Walter Reed, the U.S. launched a series of military strikes late last week on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to their campaign of assaults on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Working from his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including Gen. Erik

In snowy DC, the March for Life rallies against abortion with an eye toward the November elections

By Alex Veiga The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — Thousands of opponents of abortion rights rallied under falling snow on Friday at the annual March for Life, as speakers urged the impassioned crowd to capitalize on the movement’s major victory in the Supreme Court and keep fighting until abortion is eliminated.

Months before a presidential election that could be heavily influenced by abortion politics, anti-abortion activists packed the National Mall carrying signs with messages such as “Life is precious” and “I am the pro-life generation.” After listening to speeches, the crowd, braving frigid temperatures, marched past the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court. One group planted in front of Court, beating a drum and chanting: “Everyone you know was once an embryo.”

Friday’s March for Life was the second such event in the nation’s capital since the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended Roe v. Wade. Last year’s march was triumphant, with organizers relishing a state-by-state fight in legislatures around the country.

Speakers praised the Dobbs

People participating in the March for Life walk up Independence Avenue toward the Supreme Court, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

AP PHOTO

decision that overturned Roe v.

Wade but said it was more important now than ever to keep up the pressure on lawmakers to advance abortion restrictions.

“Roe is done, but we still live in a culture that knows not how to care for life,” said Benjamin Watson, a former NFL player who is now an anti-abortion advocate.

“Roe is done, but the factors that drive women to seek abortions are ever apparent and ever increasing. Roe is done, but abortion is still legal and thriving in too much of America.”

Friday’s event appeared smaller than in past years as ice and snow complicated travel plans.

But the crowd was fired up as speakers, which included members of Congress and Michigan University Football Coach Jim Harbaugh, urged participants to keep fighting until abortion becomes “unthinkable.”

“Let’s be encouraged, let’s press on and hope that we can join together and make this great difference,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “We can stand with every woman for every child, and

we can truly build a culture that cherishes and protects life.”

The snow fell heavily throughout the speeches as young people built snowmen and had snowball fights behind the stage. Near the Capitol, the crowd celebrated as a group on a balcony of the Cannon House Office building cheered on the march.

“I almost didn’t come when I saw the forecast, but this is just incredible,” said Stephanie Simpson, a 42-year-old grocery store employee from Cleveland, who has attended the last four

Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and White House meetings to review, order and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video.

The lack of transparency about Austin’s hospitalization, however, has triggered administration and Defense Department reviews on the procedures for notifying the White House and others if a Cabinet member must transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy, as Austin did during his initial surgery and a portion of his latest hospital stay. And the White House chief of staff ordered Cabinet members to notify his office if they ever can’t perform their duties.

Austin’s secrecy also drew criticism from Congress members on both sides of the political aisle, and Rep. Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others openly called for Austin to resign, but the White House has said the Pentagon chief’s job is safe.

It is still unclear when Austin will return to his office in the Pentagon or how his cancer treatment will affect his job, travel and other public engagements going forward. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been taking on some of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.

marches.

Roberto Reyes, a Mexican native and Carmelite friar, said: “All these people are going to remember this year’s march for the rest of their lives!”

Members of the crowd described overturning Roe v. Wade as a victory, but said the anti-abortion fight rages on.

“The key message this year is that our work is not done,” said Bishop Michael Burbidge, chair of the committee for pro-life activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The movement has seen mixed results. The ruling in Dobbs v.

Jackson Women’s Health Organization reverted abortion lawmaking back to the states, and 14 states are now enforcing bans on abortion throughout pregnancy.

Two more have such bans on hold because of court rulings. And another two have bans that take effect when cardiac activity can be detected, about six weeks into pregnancy.

Movement organizers now expect abortion rights to be a major Democratic rallying cry in President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.

“The pro-abortion forces, that’s one of the major things they’re going to run on,” said Susan Swift, president of Pro-Life Legal and a veteran anti-abortion activist.

“That’s one of the only things that seems to animate their base.”

Biden campaign officials openly state that they plan to make Biden synonymous with the fight to preserve abortion rights.

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VOLUME 8 ISSUE 48 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2024 | MOORE.NORTHSTATEJOURNAL.COM | SUBSCRIBE TODAY: 336-283-6305

MOORE COUNTY THE MOORE COUNTY EDITION OF THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

BEN MCKEOWN | AP PHOTO

Getting connected President Joe Biden appeared in Raleigh last Thursday, touting a plan to invest more than $80 million in internet infrastructure to help connect 16,000 new households and businesses in rural NC communities.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Carthage man found guilty of meth, gun crimes Earlier this month, Mark Owen Matthews of Carthage was found guilty by a Moore County jury of communicating threats, resisting a public officer, carrying a concealed firearm, and felony possession of methamphetamine.

Matthews will serve 240 days in jail, then 18 months of supervised probation with a 6 to 17 month suspended sentence.

The Moore County District Attorney’s Office extended its thanks to the citizens of Moore County who served as jurors during the trial.

Colleges to host ‘FAFSA Day’ on Jan. 27 60 universities and community colleges across North Carolina will host free “FAFSA Day” events later this month to assist students and parents with filling out the new financial aid form.

Locally, Central Carolina Community College in Sanford and Richmond Community College in Hamlet will participate on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The FAFSA form allows eligible North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less to access the Next NC Scholarship, a combination of the federal Pell Grant and state-funded financial aid that can fully cover tuition and fees at NC community colleges — or half or more, of the costs to attend any public university in the state.

Students and parents should first fill out an FSA ID application at studentaid.gov, and be sure to bring 2022 tax and asset information to the event.

Pinehurst denies Golf Channel request to close downtown to traffic

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday, Jan. 16 as a continuation from the prior week’s weather-delayed meeting.

The USGA and Golf Channel sought to create a temporary pedestrian-only district in downtown Pinehurst to anchor its US Open broadcast, a decision the council would have to approve — but with local businesses most affected, they had a lot to say.

“The USGA approached the Village and asked us if we would be interested in accommodating the Golf Channel’s request,” said Doug Willardson. “I reached out to all of our downtown business community and I had 39 responses, 22 of which said they were not in-

terested in closing the downtown area from vehicle traffic and creating a pedestrian-only district. As such, I recommend that we do not move forward with that request.”

According to Willardson, if the request is denied, the Golf Channel will broadcast from the golf course, as has been done in previous tournaments.

The council denied the request, and Pinehurst will remain as normal during the tournament.

“It’s in the best interest of our residents, visitors and certainly shopkeepers downtown that our streets remain open during the course of the US Open,” Mayor Pat Pizzella noted. “Particularly for all the visitors we have coming here and all those shopkeepers that hope to experience a nice increase in traffic to their businesses whether it

The Golf Channel will broadcast from the golf course, as has been done in previous tournaments. be retail or restaurant.”

The timeline for the new library project was updated: “It will be six months from whenever we finalize all the details on the cost of what we want to spend until we’re moving dirt,” Willardson said. “So between finishing the construction plans, bidding them out and working out the negotiations and the contract with the contractor, that will take six months. It will probably be at least 12 months of actual construction.”

The council also dealt with

a few appointments, including filling vacant seat on the Village council. Jack Farrell took his oath as the newest member: “I’d like to thank the council for their confidence in me and for the opportunity to be able to help out for the next couple of years,” Farrell said. “I appreciate it very much and I will do my best to make sure I don’t disappoint.”

Farrell fills the vacant seat left by Pat Pizzella due to the latter’s election to the position of mayor.

The council approved the reappointments of Matt Jones to the Planning & Zoning Board and Board of Adjustments and the appointment of Terry Lutz as the Neighborhood Advisory Committee representative for the Linden Road West area.

The Village of Pinehurst Council will next meet Jan. 23.

Moore County Schools ‘potential school shooting’ threat deemed not credible

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — On Jan. 18, Moore County Public Schools (MCPS) announced the district had received a threat to its schools which later was deemed to not be “credible” or “actionable.”

“On Tuesday, at approximately 11:40 a.m., we received a notification from the Southern Pines Police Department regarding an anonymous threat call made to a local business, pertaining to a potential school shooting,” a MCPS update on the incident stated. “However, the call did not provide specific information about any particular time

or school in Moore County.”

The update said MCPS continued its typical operations but had initiated precautionary measures such as increasing police presence near district schools.

“Today, we have been notified by the Southern Pines Police Department that they have been working with local, state, and federal partners to identify the source of this call, and there is no actionable or credible information supporting the threat at this time,” according to the MCPS update. “The threat remains under investigation with the Southern Pines Police Department, and we will share any pertinent information as it be-

comes available.”

During the last week of April in the prior school year, MCPS reported a bomb threat had been made on one of its middle schools.

Also last May, a female student was stabbed during a fight with an apparent boyfriend at Pinecrest High School, during which the school was placed in modified lockdown for a period of time.

The student survived after being taken to the hospital in critical condition and the male suspect, who was also a student, was apprehended by police and charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

MCPS continued its typical operations but had initiated precautionary measures such as increasing police presence near district schools.

$2.00

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

2 WEDNESDAY

1.24.24

accolades Fall 2023 App State Chancellor’s List

“Join the conversation”

The following Moore County students received Chancellor’s List awards from App State for the fall 2023 semester. Chancellor’s List is awarded to full-time students with a GPA of 3.85 or higher for the current semester.

BUSINESS David Guy, Advertising Manager Published each Wednesday as part of North State Journal 1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607 TO SUBSCRIBE: 336-283-6305 MOORE.NORTHSTATEJOURNAL.COM Annual Subscription Price: $100.00 Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, N.C. and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: North State Journal 1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607

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

Reagan Adams

Nick Filpo

Mason Miller

Product Design, Junior

Undecided, Freshman

Management, Senior

Max Mixa Human Services, Sophomore

Gavin Armstrong

Katie Formanski

Heather Odum

Instrument/Clarinet, Senior

Ecology, Evol & Environ Biology, Junior

Health Studies, Senior

Molly Haarlow

Life Sciences, Junior

1st Annual Furry Fun Run

Gaea Polanik

10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Nursing, Junior

Southern Pines Parks & Recreation Department is holding the 1st Annual Furry Fun Run at Whitehall. Bring your furry friend for a fun run through the woods. Enjoy socializing and exercising.

There will be medals, prizes and much fun for all.

Registration is required to participate. The cost is $5 for one pet and $2 for each additional pet. For additional information, call 910-6927376.

Maria Boin Social Work, Senior

Social Work, Sophomore

Mary-Sears Brown

Reese Hancock

Accounting, Junior

Human Services, Junior

Stella Brown

Maggie Phariss

Bella Porter

Elementary Education, Senior

Olivia Haralson

Interior Design, Junior

Adam Caliri

Family and Child Studies, Senior

Lauren Porter

Language Arts & Social Studies, Senior

Kaitlyn Johnson Art Education (K-12), Senior

Laura Caviness

Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Junior

Abby Prim

Choral Music Ed (K-12), Sophomore

Lana Kargetta

Ireland Denney

Savanna Kennedy

Social Science, Sophomore

Public Health, Sophomore

Communication Sci & Disorders, Senior

James Ellman

Zachary Leach

Deniz Zepeda

Literary Studies, Sophomore

Computer Science, Senior

Computer Information Systems, Senior

Cell/Molecular Biology, Junior

Max McBride

Health Studies, Senior

Reilly Stromberg

Exercise Science, Junior

Sundays

1 - 2PM WEEB 990 AM 104.1 and 97.3 FM

MOORE CITIZENS FOR FREEDOM

x On January 16, 2024, Marcus Hunt, 44, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on charges of simple possession of a Schedule III controlled substance and booked into the Moore County Jail.

Remember that we live in the best country, the best state, and by far the best county.

MOORE COUNTY, WHAT A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!

x On January 14, 2024, Luciano Cazares-Baltazar, 33, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on charges of attempted obtaining property by false pretenses and booked into the Moore County Jail.

x On January 12, 2024, Derek Taylor, 46, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on charges of fleeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle and booked into the Moore County Jail.

Checkers Match Game 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

The Robbins Area Library will hold a checkers match game.

Test your skills and maybe win a prize. For more info visit srls.info

Jeki Yoo - Family Fun Series 3 p.m. & 7 p.m.

Jeki Yoo from the America’s got Talent TV Show will have two shows (3 p.m. & 7 p.m.) at the Owens Auditorium at the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center. Tickets $19-$25.

More info at sandhillsbpac. com

Operation Moore Warmth

MOORE COUNTY

x On January 12, 2024, William Lynthacum, 37, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on charges of possession of a firearm by a felon and booked into the Moore County Jail.

Jan. 27

Jan. 29

x Warren Lamar Harper, 69, was arrested and charged on January 16, 2024, by the Pinehurst Police Dept and booked into the Moore County Jail on a charge of hit and run leaving the scene of property damage.

x Clint Neal Gholden, 59, was arrested and charged on January 14, 2024, by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Moore County Jail on a charge of driving while license revoked, not impaired, revocation based.

The Carthage Farmers Market features fresh seasonal produce, meats, eggs and handmade goods from local farmers. Held in the parking lot across from the post office (South Ray Street, Carthage)

Digital Marketing, Senior

The John and Maureen show

x On January 16, 2024, Cady Pack, 32, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony probation violation and booked into the Moore County Jail.

Carthage Farmers Market

Janett Flores

x On January 18, 2024, Charles Donnelly, 42, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on charges of possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver a Schedule IV controlled substance and booked into the Moore County Jail.

x On January 18, 2024, Johnny Walden, 37, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on charges of probation violation and booked into the Moore County Jail.

Jan. 26

Sara Adams

TUNE INTO

x Danny Wayne Privett, 51, was arrested and charged on January 18, 2024, by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Moore County Jail on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:

Advertising, Sophomore

CRIME LOG

x On January 18, 2024, Shaneika McRae, 34, was arrested by the Pinehurst Police Department on charges of attempted first-degree murder and booked into the Moore County Jail.

happening

1 – 5 p.m.

Congratulations!

Neal Robbins, Publisher Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers Jordan Golson, Local News Editor Shawn Krest, Sports Editor A.P. Dillon, Reporter Ryan Henkel, Reporter Jesse Deal, Reporter P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer

moore

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Join in the mission to provide local residents with warmth this winter at the R. Riveter Flagship Store (154 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines). Donate gently used coats, gloves and hats. Donations grant you a 5% discount on any R.Riveter handbag, and you can stack these up to 25% off for each item through Jan. 31st.

Feb. 1 Moore County Farmers Market 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: moorecommunity@northstatejournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

The Moore County Farmers Market is held at the Armory Sports Complex (604 W. Morganton Road, Southern Pines) each Thursday year-round. Enjoy shopping from fresh and locally grown produce, meats, honey, eggs, seasonal items and more. Many vendors will be set up each week, some providing free samples.

ing

North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

3

SPORTS 5 members join Sandhills Community College Sports Hall of Fame North State Journal SANDHILLS COMMUNITY College held its induction for the school’s Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday.

The group was celebrated at a morning banquet and inducted at halftime of Sandhills’ basketball game against Mountain Gateway Community College. The Flyers won, 135-100, for their fifth straight win, improving to 14-7 on the year.

Five new members joined the school’s hall: Emmett “Shelton” Raynor: A Clinton native, Raynor played for the SCC baseball team in the 1970s. He continued to play semi-pro baseball until age 62. He also contributed to the region by founding the Optimist Club of the Sandhills and the Sandhills Academy of Gymnastics.

Charlie Bergmann: Not all Hall of Famers are alumni. Bergmann moved to Moore County in 2000 and spent much of the next two decades covering SCC sports for the Pilot newspaper. He recently retired as the paper’s primary sportswriter.

Donna Ford: A Moore County native, Ford has photographed SCC sports since the school started competing in them in 2008. She has served as the Sandhills’ school photographer since 2015.

Sayaun Dent: A basketball star for

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Calissa Clendenin

DAVID SINCLAIR | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The newest Sandhills Community College Hall of Famers. (From left) Shelton Raynor, Charlie Begmann, Donna Ford, the parents of Sayaun Dent, Keith Fields. the Flyers at the start of this decade, he earned the 2019-20 regional player of the year as well as national junior college All-American honors. Dent helped lead SCC to the DIII NJCAA national championship at 2000. He went on to study medicine at UNC Pembroke and was working on a degree at that school when he died tragically in a car accident. His parents were at the ceremony

to accept the honor on his behalf.

Keith Fields: A male player on the school’s co-ed volleyball team from 1990 to 1992, he won two conference player of the year awards and a pair of tournament MVP awards. He has continued to play amateur and proam volleyball around the country, and he is an active member of the Moore County community.

CREDIT LLG JUSTICE FACEBOOK PAGE

“Tara! Tara!” they yelled in the

closing seconds before the celebraVanDerveer’s 1,203rd victory pushes tion began.

“This is a tremendous accomStanford coach past Krzyzweski plishment for Tara VanDerveer, The Associated Press STANFORD, Calif. — Only Her. Tara VanDerveer’s face shined in every corner of Maples Pavilion with that very message. Yes, the Stanford Hall of Famer now stands atop major college basketball as the winningest coach of all time.

“Today was just so wonderful,” VanDerveer said. Even though she had to text her 96-year-old mother Rita they’d need to cancel a scheduled bridge game because of all the postgame festivities to celebrate her. “... It is a big number and I’m very appreciative of the great players I’ve coached and the great places I’ve been and the attention it’s brought to women’s basketball.”

Just as those who love her so hoped it would turn out, VanDerveer passed former Duke and Army coach Mike Krzyzewski with her 1,203rd career victory at home in

Maples when No. 8 Stanford beat Oregon State 65-56.

And it never fails that VanDerveer always takes a minute to thank everybody for coming to the game, and that includes offering her immense gratitude to the Stanford band.

“I’m overwhelmed,” she told the crowd Sunday. “I’m not usually lost for words but it’s pretty impressive, all these people here, all the former players coming back.”

A head coach since age 24, VanDerveer celebrated with thousands of supporters and a couple dozen former players on hand to cheer her on for yet another triumph in a decorated 45-year career featuring so many memorable accomplishments.

And for a nearly full arena, this was also a chance for fans to show their love to the Hall of Fame coach who has been shining her light on women’s basketball for 4½ decades.

who is already one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of basketball,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “This is yet another milestone to add to an amazing legacy. More important than all the astounding numbers and career accomplishments, she’s positively impacted countless lives as a coach and a mentor. Tara remains a true guardian of our sport.”

A video tribute with messages from everyone from Billie Jean King to Steve Kerr, Dawn Staley and Coach K himself showed on the big screen.

VanDerveer improved to 1,203267 overall and 1,051-216 over 38 seasons at Stanford. A 17-time Pac12 Coach of the Year with five national Coach of the Year honors, VanDerveer has captured three NCAA titles with Stanford — 1990, ’92 and 2021 — and coached the 1996 U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal at the Atlanta Games during a year away from Stanford.

North Moore

girls’ basketball Calissa Clendenin is a junior center/forward for the North Moore girls’ basketball team.

The Mustangs dropped both games this week, against Chatham Central and Northwood. Clendenin did her part to keep North Moore in the game, however.

Against Chatham Central, she hit 5-of-7 shots, including a pair of three-pointers in three attempts, for a team-high 12 points. She also led the way on the Mustangs with 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks.

For the season, Clendenin leads North Moore in rebounding, shooting, assists and blocks and is second in scoring.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

4

obituaries

Dorothy Nintzel

August 22, 1926 - January 13, 2024 Dorothy Nintzel, known as Dos or Dossie, passed away January 13, 2024, in her home in Whispering Pines surrounded by her children and daughter-in-law. Born in Brooklyn, she moved to Freeport, Long Island when she was 5 yo with her parents and two sisters.

After graduation, Dos - a math whiz - spent her early career in Manhattan and on Long Island as an executive assistant at various companies including a stint as a computer for Yellow Book. In the late 1950’s, her brother-in-law who was stationed in Great Britain with the Air Force, asked Dos to visit and spend time with her older sister, Ead, because he was often away on assignment. She happily accepted his invitation and sailed across the Atlantic on the passenger liner the United States. She ended up staying for 6 months and while in Europe traveled throughout the UK, France, Spain and Portugal. Shortly after returning to the States in 1960, Dos met her second first love, Chub Nintzel, on a blind date and after a whirlwind courtship, they eloped and were married in March 1961.

When Dos and Chub first retired to Chub’s ancestral home in Mattituck LI, they spent time boating and danced the Lindy often with a gaggle of lifelong friends at North Fork Country Club.

They also toured many of the National Parks by RV with another equally adventurous couple. The winters of eastern Long Island eventually drove Dos and Chub back to Whispering Pines in 1996. Here they made an additional set of close friends and enjoyed rounds of golf, dining groups and dedicated themselves to various volunteer organizations. Up until October of this year, Dos was a copy editor for The New Pitch, she also was a longstanding member of Whispers, the Whispering Pines Garden Club as well as a weekly volunteer at the WP Thrift Shop. Dos was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Chub, her younger sister, Joan Mackenzie, and her nephew and his wife, Peter and Martha McClean. She is survived by her older sister, Edith, her daughter + daughter-in-law, Greta and Cin and her son + daughter-in-law, Chuck and Karen.

Robert "Bob" Frederick Orr

June 12, 1947 - January 11, 2024 Robert “Bob” Frederick Orr, 76 of Southern Pines passed away unexpectedly at home on January 11, 2024. Bob was born in Buffalo, NY and lived the majority of his life in Southern Pines, NC. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Virginia Orr and sister Judy Alberhasky. He is survived by his wife, Deborah Garner Orr of 42 years. Daughter Joy Henderson (David) of Robbins, NC. Daughter Nicole Porter (Troy) of AR. Sisters Bunny Paul (Robert) of Fayetteville, NC and Toni Sanders of Jacksonville, FL. Beloved grandson Zachary Prevatte (Breanna) of Robbins, NC. Granddaughter Brooklyn Young and grandson Marty Porter of AR and several nieces and nephews. Bob was a graduate of Pine Forest High School, Fayetteville, NC class of 1967 as well as Fayetteville Technical Community College.

Bob worked with Virco/Pride Trimble for many years and retired from Austin's Business Supply of Southern Pines.

Bob was an avid sports fan and especially of the Carolina Hurricanes. He also loved nature, horticulture, and spending time with his family.

Bob was loved dearly by all who knew him and will be greatly missed.

SPONSORED BY BOLES FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATORY

Roy Lawrence Carmosin

February 9, 1944 - January 11, 2024 Roy Lawrence Carmosin, 79, (nickname Ron) of Seven Lakes, NC passed away suddenly on Thursday, January 11, 2024 as his residence. Ron was born in Ridgewood, NY on February 9, 1944 to the late Charles and Elsie Nesnick Carmosin. He was one of their four sons. He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Josephine Cupolo Carmosin; two brothers and countless nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother. Ron was an avid traveler and enjoyed music by Frank Sinatra, cooking and golf. His working career was spent in Landscape Design.

They retired to South Carolina but relocated to Seven Lakes about three years ago to be closer to their nephew Anthony and his family.

Heidi Gardarsson

September 2, 1976 - January 13, 2024 Heidi Gardarsson (née Sell) of Trabuco Canyon, CA, passed away on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at the age of 47 from complications due to liver failure. Heidi was born in Denmark on September 2, 1976, to Ole Sacson and Kirsten Sell. Heidi moved to California in 1998, where she spent the next 24 working and raising her family. The most important person in her life was her son Tristan Thor. In December 2022, she made the cross-country move to North Carolina to be closer to her son. Heidi was a fierce animal lover and dedicated most of her life to training horses and dogs. She was a brave, independent woman that despite life-threatening illness, including a liver transplant, always kept fighting and refused any version of life that wasn’t strictly on her terms.

She is survived by her mother, Kirsten Sell, her son, Tristan Thor Gardarsson and Tristan’s father, Unnar Gardarsson and Heidi’s good friend, Joel Kelsey.

Cleta Marie Gettys

March 25, 1927 - January 11, 2024 Cleta Marie Gettys, 96, of Pinehurst, NC passed away on Thursday, January 11, 2024 as The Green’s in Pinehurst. Cleta was born in Chatom, AL on March 25, 1927 to Lee Edward Taylor and the late Carrie Dixon Taylor. She was the oldest of their four daughters. Cleta was both a stay at home mom and army wife. She also managed to work 15 years off and on for Bell South Telephone. While living in Florida, Orlando and Panama City, she was an active member of The Order of the Eastern Star.

She was a member of Panama City Methodist Church and became a member of Pinehurst United Methodist Church after moving to Pinehurst in 2005. Her life as an army wife allowed her to travel with her husband and family. They lived in Germany, Texas and Georgia during her husband’s military career. She was a loving mother, grandmother, aunt and friend to many. She will be dearly missed by all those who were a part of her circle of life. She is survived by her daughter Linda Caldwell (husband Dewey) of Pinehurst; her daughter-in-law and friend, Terry Gettys of Nashville, TN; grandchildren, Bobby, David, Eric and Gregory Reed, and Crystal and Ryan Gettys; 13 greatgrandchildren; and three sisters, Cecile Robinson, Erma Capello, and Lois Cranford. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband, Robert Frank Gettys Jr., and her son Robert Frank Gettys, III.

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CONTACT

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