Pittsboro considering move toward EVs Seaforth athlete stars in Adidas commercial
The town’s Board of Commissioners discussed potentially utilizing more electric vehicles in its fleet
By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record
PITTSBORO — The Town of Pittsboro is looking into ways to get a little greener.
At its Oct. 14 meeting, the town’s Board of Commissioners held a discussion on whether or not it should be pursuing the purchasing of electric vehicles.
“Each vehicle purchase that we make sets into action eight years or longer of impacts,” said board member John Bonitz. “So if we buy a less effi-
More Republicans are voting early, helping break records
Donald Trump and his surrogates are pushing supporters to lock in their votes
By Nicholas Ricciardi The Associated Press
WITH FORMER President Donald Trump’s encouragement, Republicans are voting early again, flocking to the polls for in-person voting ahead of Election Day and helping push the national number above 17 million.
The early turnout is breaking records in swing states such as Georgia and North Carolina.
The GOP hopes this surge of early votes will fix a mechanical problem that some in the party blame for costing it the 2020 presidential election and key races in 2022. Campaigns usually want their voters to cast ballots ahead of Elec-
Noah Williams, who’s been acting for four years, starred alongside Anthony Edwards
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
IF OLYMPIC gold medalist and Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards convinced you to buy some Adidas apparel after watching one of its latest commercials titled “Buzzer Beater With Anthony Edwards,” make sure to thank Seaforth High School junior Noah Williams, too. Williams, a receiver and defensive back for the Seaforth football team, portrayed the protagonist in the recent Adidas ad featuring Edwards. In the commercial, Williams handles the basketball as his team trails by two with just 14 seconds left in the game. While looking for someone to pass to, the chaos of the game stops and everyone else disappears except Williams and Edwards, who stands next to an office trash can under the rim. Edwards walks past
See ADIDAS, page A7
Panthers’ Andy Dalton involved in car crash
The quarterback is being evaluated by team doctors
The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, — Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton and his family were involved in a car crash on Tuesday. The 36-year-old was being evaluated by team medical personnel, a Panthers spokesman said.
No one from Dalton’s family needed to be taken to a hospital.
Dalton, his wife, three children and the family dog were traveling near downtown Charlotte westbound on Sardis Road approaching Providence Road when the crash occurred, the spokesman said.
The team would not say if there was another car involved. The team said no more further details were available.
Dalton took over the Panthers’ starting job in Week 3 from Bryce Young. The team is 1-4 in those games and 1-6 overall.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) runs off the field at halftime of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Landover, Md.
Chatham County Sheriff’s Office warns residents about surge in digital wallet scams
Banking scams are becoming increasingly
By Melinda Burris Chatham News
Record
&
THE CHATHAM County Sheriff’s Office is cautioning residents to beware of a recent surge in two types of scams involving digital wallets. Sheriff’s Office fraud investigators are urging the public to remain vigilant in safeguarding their personal and financial information as these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
In the first scam, victims receive a text message that appears to be from their bank, prompting them to respond. Soon after, they receive a phone call from a number spoofed to resemble the bank’s contact information. The scammer then poses as a bank representative and tells the victim their account has been compromised and they must take immediate action.
The victim is instructed by the scammer to withdraw funds from their account and set up a digital wallet, using a wallet number provided to the victim by the scammer. The victim is then directed to depos-
it the withdrawn money into the newly created digital wallet via an ATM. The deposit is made and the funds go directly into the scammer’s account leaving the victim without any recourse for retrieving their cash.
In the second scheme, scammers somehow gain access to the victim’s bank account and add a digital wallet without the account holder’s knowledge. The criminal then transfers cash from the victim’s bank ac-
• 298 E. Salisbury Street (Pittsboro), 0.40 Acres, 3
Bedroom/2 Bath, $600,000
• 412 Brampton Close (Pittsboro), .058 Acres, 3 Bedroom/2 Bath, $489,000
• 557 Olives Chapel Road, (Apex),12.802 Acres, 3 Bedroom/3 Bathroom, $2,500,000
• 5765 G Snow Camp Road (Graham), 82.480 Acres, 8 Bedroom/6 Bathroom, $1,900,000
• 389 Dewitt Smith Road (Pittsboro), 9.109 Acres, 3 Bedroom/2 Bathroom, $525,000
• 209 Democracy Place (Apex), 4.62 Acres, 4 Bedrooms/5 Bathrooms, $1,750,000
• 873 Arrowhead Loop (Pittsboro), 11.06 Acres, 3 Bedrooms/3.5 Bathrooms, $725,000
• 4147 Siler City Snow Camp Road (Siler City), 57.43 Acres, 5 Separate Living Spaces, $2,750,000
LAND
• 13120 Strickland
• 4662 Buckhorn Road (Sanford), 1.31 Acres, 2 Bedrooms/1 Bathroom, $265,000
• 83 Karen Calhoun Road (Pittsboro), 4.36 Acres, 3 Bedrooms/2 Bathrooms, $800,000 LAND
• 1388 Henry Oldham Road (Bear Creek), 4.840 Acres, $135,000
• 188 Cherokee Drive (Chapel Hill),1.150 Acres, $100,000
• 170 Cherokee Drive (Chapel Hill),1.150 Acres, $100,000
• 9311 NC Highway 87 (Pittsboro), 4.602 Acres, $225,000
• 9231 NC Highway 87 (Pittsboro), 5.630 Acres, $250,000
• 48 Swimming Chicken Lane (Pittsboro), 5.060 Acres, $500,000
• 24 Swimming Chicken Lane (Pittsboro), 9.470 Acres, $750,000
count to their own digital wallet, siphoning off money without undetected.
The Sheriff’s Office recommends the following precautions to help protect yourself against digital wallet scams:
• Never share personal or financial information over the phone, especially if you did not initiate the contact.
• If you receive a suspicious text or unsolicited call from your bank, hang up and contact your bank directly using a verified phone number.
• Regularly monitor your bank accounts for unauthorized transactions.
Anyone who believes they have been targeted or fallen victim to these scams is encouraged to contact the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office immediately. Fraud investigators are actively working to combat these types of financial crimes and assist affected residents. Contact the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office at (919) 542-2911 to report suspicious activity.
• 8636/8710 Johnson Mill Road (Bahama),182.888 Acres, $3,240,000
• 292 Choice Trail (Pittsboro), 4.100 Acres, $285,000
• 0 Chatham Church Road (Moncure),15.94 Acres, $750,000
• 323 Wagon Trace (Pittsboro), 10.255 Acres, $325,000
• 0 Pasture Branch Road (Rose Hill), 29.00 Acres, $1,250,000
• 0 US 64 W (Siler City), 9.670 Acres, $4,500,000
• 0 Mt. Gilead Church Road (Pittsboro), 1.643Acres, $175,000
• 0 JB Morgan Road (Apex), 21.00 Acres, $825,000
• 0 Panama Terrace (Durham), .420 Acres, $38,000
• 37 E Cotton Road (Pittsboro), 0.996 Acres, $100,000 COMMERCIAL IMPROVED
• 140 &148 East Street (Pittsboro), 1.49 Acres, $1,350,000
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Chatham County:
Oct. 26
Chatham Mills Farmers’ Market
8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
480 Hillsboro St., Pittsboro
Oct. 27
Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat
9:30 to 11:30 p.m.
25 Al Davis Rd., Siler City
Oct. 29
Fearrington Farmer’s Market
Fearrington Village 4 to 6 p.m.
East Camden, Fearrington Village
The Fearrington Farmers’ Market is located in Fearrington Village right off 15-501, halfway between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro. This produceronly market has over three dozen members and is now in its 30th season! Each week you can find vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, flowers, home-canned goods and baked goods — a wonderful array of foods and flavors — grown or made for healthy, happy living. 10/15/2024 6:00 PM8:00 PM
Growers & Makers Market
Siler City 4 to 7 p.m.
The Growers and Makers Market takes place March through October, 4-7 p.m. and November through December, 3-5:30 p.m. in the Boling Chair Park parking lot on 3rd Street (202 W. Third St.) in historic downtown Siler City, rain or shine.
Oct. 30
Jazz Nights at The Sycamore at Chatham Mills
The Sycamore at Chatham Mills hosts live Jazz Nights every Wednesday, 6-9 p.m.
Things to be Aware of when Buying an Old Home
The series features a rotating list of local musicians. The Sycamore also offers their Lounge Menu in the dining room on Wednesday nights. Reservations are highly recommended. Past and present musicians include the Steve Hobbs Trio, Lauren Meehan, Dave Quick Jazz, and the Tony Galiani Jazz Quartet.
Example of a fraudulent text message victims receive that appears to be from their bank, prompting them to respond.
STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH / AP PHOTO
Long-lost copy of the US Constitution sells for $9M
The document was sent to North Carolina reps to consider ratification
By Jeffrey Collins
The Associated Press
ASHEVILLE — A rare copy of the U.S. Constitution printed 237 years ago and sent to the states to be ratified was sold for $9 million at an auction Thursday evening in North Carolina.
Brunk Auctions sold the document, the only copy of its type thought to be privately owned, at a private auction. The name of the buyer was not immediately released.
Bidding took just over seven minutes, with bids coming in at $500,000 intervals mostly over the phone. There was a pause at $8.5 million, then another after someone on the phone bid $9 million.
“Just another second or two. Savor it a little bit selling here at nine million,” said auctioneer and auction house owner Andrew Brunk.
Brunk was thankful. The auction was originally set for Sept. 28 but was delayed after Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage throughout Asheville and western North Carolina.
“It’s a privilege to have it here. It’s been quite a ride,” Brunk said.
The copy was printed after the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the proposed framework of the nation’s government in 1787 and sent it to the Congress of the ineffective first American government under the Articles of Confederation, requesting it be sent to the states to be ratified by the people.
It’s one of about 100 copies printed by the secretary of that
Free After Hours Concert from 4pm to 6pm featuring the North Tower Band
Congress, Charles Thomson.
Just eight are known to still exist and the other seven are publicly owned.
Thomson likely signed two copies for each of the original 13 states, essentially certifying them.
What happened to the document up for auction Thursday between Thomson’s signature and 2022 is not known.
Two years ago, a property was being cleared out in Edenton in eastern North Carolina that was once owned by Samuel Johnston. He was the governor of North Carolina from 1787 to 1789 and oversaw the state convention during his last year in office that ratified the Constitution.
The copy was found inside a squat, two-drawer metal filing cabinet with a can of stain on top, in a long-neglected room piled high with old chairs and a dusty book case, before the old Johnston house was preserved.
The document was a broad sheet that could be folded one time like a book.
Along with the Constitution on the broad sheet printed front and back is a letter from George Washington asking for ratifi-
A 1787 copy of the U.S. Constitution that sold for $9 million is displayed at Brunk Auctions in Asheville.
Church News
SOUTH FORK FRIENDS
Annual Fall Festival, Nov. 2
Fried Chicken Tenders or Bar-B-Q (Pork)
Eat in or Take Out
$12 Adult; $6 Children under 12.
Dessert and Tea Included
Supper: 4-7 p.m.
Auction: 7:15 p.m.
cation. He acknowledged there would have to be compromise and that certain rights the states enjoyed would have to be given up for the nation’s long-term health.
The Constitution copy wasn’t the only seven-figure purchase Thursday. A watermarked 1776 first draft of the Articles of Confederation went for $1 million.
Also sold for $85,000 was a 1788 Journal of the Convention of North Carolina at Hillsborough where representatives spent two weeks debating whether ratifying the Constitution would put too much power with the federal government instead of the states.
Auction officials were not sure what the Constitution document would go for because there is so little to compare it to. The last time a copy of the Constitution that was sent to the states sold, it was for $400 in 1891.
In 2021, Sotheby’s of New York sold one of only 14 remaining copies of the Constitution printed for the Continental Congress and delegates to the Constitutional Convention for $43.2 million, a record for a book or document.
359 South Fork-Bethel Road Snow Camp
GUM SPRINGS BAPTIST CHURCH
Hosting Trunk or Treat
Saturday, Oct. 26, 5-7 pm
Fun - Food - Games
Co-hosted by Chatham County Sheriff’s Dept.
227 Gum Springs Church Road Moncure
PRAISE CHURCH OF DELIVERANCE MINISTRIES
Prophetess Pastor Callie and Pastor James Peoples
World Outreach Ministries
Our Youth Services Are At 4 p.m. Every fourth Sunday At World Outreach Ministries on Bellevue Street in Goldston.
Our Next Service Is Oct. 27 at 4 p.m.
We Would Be Glad To Have Everyone Come and Worship God With Us!
We Are Also On Facebook (Search James Peoples) Sunday Mornings at around 11 a.m.
Prophetess Phone# — 984-368-2942 (Callie)
Pastor’s Phone# — 984-270-3011 (James) Address – 525 Culmore Drive, Fuquay Varina
SANDY BRANCH BAPTIST CHURCH
You are invited to come join the fall fun at Sandy Branch on Oct. 26! There will be a turkey shoot and other games beginning at 3 p.m.
The age categories for the turkey shoot are 16 and up, 12 to 15, 9 to 11, and 8 and under. BB guns will be provided, and there will be prizes for winners in each age group.
There will be a hot dog supper at 5 p.m., followed by Trunk-or-Treat at 6 p.m.
We are located at 715 Sandy Branch Church Road in Bear Creek.
Come by Smith & Buckner Funeral home on Halloween for some treats!
Date: Oct. 31st Time: 12 - 5 p.m.
Location: Smith & Buckner Funeral Home
JEFFREY COLLINS / AP PHOTO
THE CONVERSATION
Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
| ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN
Voting on Sunday is sweet and sacred
Voting is also an act of faith and feels appropriate on the day when my religious community gathers for worship.
“THAT’S HOW WE DO!” The gentleman exclaimed. He stood about a half-dozen people ahead of me outside the polling place, but the election worker had been speaking to the entire line, assuring us that, though the polls were about to close, everyone in line still got to vote. The excited gentleman reacted to the election worker’s news that, in the last election, Chatham County had the highest registered voter participation in all of North Carolina. This is something to be proud of!
Ever since I turned 18, I’ve loved rising early on the first Tuesday of November to head to the polling place. I would bring a cup of coffee, but the excitement was even more invigorating than caffeine. I would stand in line waiting for the doors to open, surrounded by people who shared a cheerful camaraderie in fulfilling our common civic duty. That’s how we do!
But this year, I joined the millions of Americans who voted early. Despite not exercising my right to vote on the official Election Day, I find my choice meaningful. Polling places are open on Sundays from noon until 3 p.m. This convenient time comes after I lead Sunday morning worship and before I return to the church for the evening youth activities. I’m sure that this is true for many clergy. Unlike a pastor, however, many parishioners lack the flexibility to go to the polls during a normal working week. Therefore, it’s important that the polls are open on the weekends, and I want my vote to count not only for specific
Mother Nature wide open on her seasonal forecast
There’s no way they all can have the “No. 1 radar system in North Carolina.” Somebody has got to be No. 2.
IN MANY WAYS, I’ll always be the boy you can take out of the country but not the country out of the boy — and that’s OK. Actually, the older I get (some might say “hard to get along with”), the more I find I don’t want to be taken out of the country. I’ve been to Philadelphia.
It’s not as bad as it could be, I suppose. I don’t walk around slack-jawed, gazing up at buildings taller than four stories and saying, “Duh,” but much of today’s society and lifestyle leave me uninterested, a bit overwhelmed and unsure about it all.
Technology, for instance, a phenomenon I often rail about, obviously does have its good side — a very good side. Some time ago, when I drew a hand in the game of life that caused the heart cath lab docs to tell me I had some clots and they were sending me to the operating room ASAP, I was particularly thankful for the technology that gave birth to the testing that helped me get over the whole thing.
But other parts still — and always will — not be that big in Bob World. And that’s fine; we’re all different, but now that at my house, we are in the world of what my dear departed aunt used to call “The” Facebook, I marvel at how much time some folks devote to social media and some of the information put there. And, of course, I just dated myself in the great grand scheme of things because Facebook is last year’s news.
It’s that aforementioned technology on weather trends that recently has caused me to compare and contrast today with the today my mama and daddy had, especially now that there’s been a nip in the air and we’re starting to wear jackets.
Channels 2, 8, 5, 11 or whatever is your cup of tea spend enormous amounts of money on sophisticated weather forecasting instruments (like Doppler radars), programs and technology. And while I don’t know much about any of them or how they work, I do know that one — or more — of those stations is lying. There’s no way they all can have the “No. 1 radar system in North Carolina.”
Somebody has got to be No. 2.
Anyway, those gadgets are used to tell us when it’s going to rain or get colder or snow or whatever. And that’s handy information, whether you’re baling hay or burning weenies under the backyard shade tree. Mix in a few words from the
candidates but also in favor of flexible opportunities for others to exercise their right to vote.
Voting is also an act of faith and feels appropriate on the day when my religious community gathers for worship. There are no perfect candidates (just like there are no perfect pastors!), but we hope to elect leaders to be public servants — to serve not only the present but also lay groundwork to protect future generations. Since it was Sunday and they were not in school, my own young children’s presence at the polls powerfully reminded me of this.
My children grew bored waiting in the line. Luckily, we had a soccer ball in the minivan, so they kicked around in a grassy field next to the parking lot. When it came time to cast our votes, a kind election worker escorted my kids to a large candy bowl. Although I was aware that each voter receives a single vote, I discovered that children have the freedom to consume multiple pieces of candy!
I filled out my ballot in the booth with my candy-loving brood hovering at my sides; their chocolate-scented breath made the filling in of my ballot bubbles especially sweet. What else can I say in favor of voting early? From now on, that’s how we do.
Andrew Taylor-Troutman is pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church as well as a writer, pizza maker, coffee drinker and student of joy.
old Farmer’s Almanac and the increased aches and pains in the left big toe of my boyhood friend and chief adviser on all matters from the heart to the pocketbook Bobby Joe High’s Aunt Needza Mann, and you can put together a decent forecast for the first frost on the pumpkin.
Here’s my forecast for that event: It’s getting closer.
Anyway, some old-timers I know, not including me, rely on their track record — and most of them never ran track. A lot of them didn’t make it far enough in school to get to one that had a track, and for some of them, the only track they know is either the dirt one that used to be the Bennett Speedway or the third one they leave as they walk away after a hard day’s work.
These folks, whom I regard as walking encyclopedias of useful information, tell me two things about the upcoming winter. One has to do with the number and makeup of the wooly worms. Those worms may be many in number, really dark brown or black here and there on their bodies, and thick and hairy. Those last two characteristics remind me of an old girlfriend, but that’s another story.
Anyway, when those older folks say we’re “gonna have a hard winter,” they also point out the humongous number of acorns hitting the ground and being squirreled away (pun intended). At our place, it sounds like machine gun fire as the oak seeds hammer the roofs of the barns and outbuildings. We should have some overweight squirrels come next spring.
Equipped with that knowledge, it stands to reason it would be a good idea for me to get going — or as Bobby Joe’s Uncle Thaddeus (Tad) Pole would say to us boys, “git your rear in gear” — on the upcoming winter wood supply.
While there’s some on hand, I don’t think it’s enough for the duration, especially if the Wooly Worm Doppler and acorn supply hold true. So while there’s a tree or three that soon should be aging under the shed, I’m wondering if there’s any heat in the acorns — or one of those Dopplers.
Do they burn?
Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and emeritus editor at Chatham News & Record. He serves as pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church.
COLUMN
COLUMN | BOB WACHS
That 4-letter word, snow
I’d transformed into a culturally primed, grimacing lunatic, loading up on food, irrespective of the needs of others.
OH, MY, IT’S COMING! Central North Carolina, gird your loins! That 4-letter word, snow, is coming; a word often spat out with a howl of, “Oh no, oh no, oh no!! Don’t know how to drive in it!! There’s no salting or plowing!!” But, foremost, the gnawing fear that I’ll starve due to the that four-letter word’s dire conditions. Starve, I say! Our Central N.C. communal fear leads us to absolutely vacuum store shelves, clean, of milk, bread and piles of food, usually the day prior to a predicted snowfall. Stampede behavior, born of, well, SNOW terror. Stampede behavior with no regard for the food needs of other humans, nothing beyond our own personal capacity to not starve, due to possible snow or conditions (which usually end up being very, very minimal.) Fessing up for you, folks. Paid scarce attention to the weather forecast one day last winter. Much too late on a Thursday evening, I realized the severe weather watch for a snowstorm would begin the next day at 6 p.m. (I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!) I could feel the small thread of panic that I hadn’t stocked up on food. Would there be food left on Friday morning? To appease my acculturated anxiety (I’ve lived here for 29 years), I woke up early, decided to pass on my daily meditation (not a healthy choice) and was waiting, with bated breath, at my food co-op’s door by 7:55 a.m. for their 8 a.m. opening.
Scooted into the opened store, got a cart, and like a bloodhound on the trail began my rapacious hunt for all I would need to sustain me during the upcoming dire weather. Only when I found myself tossing five cans of tuna into the cart, from a sorely diminished shelf, did I take a breath. Wait,
COLUMN | RHONDA DILLINGHAM
gotta grab the last bottle of my favorite nondairy beverage from the fridge shelf. (Wait, don’t I have a completely full bottle at home?)
And then, whomp, it hit me!
I’d transformed into a culturally primed, grimacing lunatic, loading up on food, irrespective of the needs of others. Culturally primed to survive that oh, so dreaded, four-letter word, snow, at all costs. What’s a self-respecting Quaker to do, one who continually voices concerns about our shared humanity, when her mirror reflects the image of an anxiety-filled, snow-fearing being. A fugue-ridden woman, hypnotically driven to disregard the food concerns of her fellow citizens, based on fear, more so than reality.
How do I change my perceived and, unfortunate, anxiety-laden image in the mirror? Fresh reflections prior to the appearance of that, oh, so feared, four-letter word, snow. I saw the light (at long last!). Our collective, central N.C. fugue of “I’ll starve, I’ll starve!” has been lifted from my eyes. All the snow-fearing, rapacious customers aren’t my food opponents, simply frightened fellow humans who, for the most part, have little experience with that dreaded white stuff. Mounting, snow-filled, fears block out perceiving our collective humanity.
Judging by our predictably, absolutely unpredictable, weather in central North Carolina, I’ll have plenty of opportunities to experiment with this new enlightenment of mine …
Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.
Charter community stays strong in the aftermath of Helene
NCAPCS has organized daily check-in calls for WNC school leaders and charter community members to get and give support, ask questions, and lean on each other.
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA (WNC) is experiencing a generational tragedy. Amidst this tragedy, it is inspiring to see how the charter school community is coming together to support schools impacted by Hurricane Helene.
There are 209 charter schools in North Carolina serving over 150,000 students ― 20 charter schools are located in WNC. Some schools sustained structural damage, with one school’s entire K-4 building destroyed. Schools in the Asheville area cannot reopen as they are without water. The destruction of roadways has created transportation challenges for schools across WNC. Schools have students and staff that have been displaced from their homes.
The North Carolina Association for Public Charter Schools (NCAPCS), joined by the North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools, launched an Adopt a WNC School Initiative to find schools and businesses interested in adopting a WNC charter school affected by Helene. WNC schools have communicated their needs and those adopting them are sending those items to the schools in need.
To date, 10 schools have been adopted and 11 charter schools are ready to adopt more schools in need. Serdar Yuksekkaya, principal of TMSA Apex, is participating “because this initiative aligns with our core values, offering our students a meaningful opportunity to give back. By assisting schools in WNC, we are not only helping to rebuild and provide essential resources, but also teaching our students the importance of empathy and civic responsibility. We hope this effort fosters a sense of unity and demonstrates the power of coming together to support those facing hardship.”
NCAPCS has organized daily check-in calls for WNC school leaders and charter community members to get and give support, ask questions and lean on each other. On one of these calls, we learned about Jamie, a fifth grader at Brevard Academy in Transylvania County. He faced a life-changing experience during Helene. When the storm hit, Jamie
BE IN TOUCH
and his family lost everything. Their home was destroyed, and Jamie was trapped under debris for several hours as the hurricane unleashed its devastation. The family’s rescue came in the form of a swift boat team, bringing them to safety amidst the chaos. Jamie was located by the family dog who guided the rescuers when they could not find him visually. The local hospitals, overwhelmed by the hurricane’s impact, couldn’t accommodate him, so he was airlifted by helicopter to Charlotte. As Jamie recuperates, he and his family have been adopted by the PTO at a charter school in Charlotte, Community Public Charter School, which has launched a campaign to support Jamie and his family. In discussing the motivation for their school to assist Jamie and his family, Monica Dellinger, the executive director of Community Public Charter School, shared that “what our school did seems unusual to those that are not in the education field. But this is what we do daily. We’re moms. We’re dads, aunts, grandparents, neighbors, we are the village.” When Jamie’s family was not able to immediately join him in Charlotte, Dellinger visited with him in the hospital.
Charter school administrators and staff, many evacuated from their homes themselves, have spent the past few weeks calling to check on their students and their families. As a staff member from Brevard Academy was displaced in Tennessee, she used phone calls and social media messaging to help locate students to ensure they were safe. Even without power and water, many charter schools have opened their doors for respite care for families.
The recovery process will take years for WNC, and NCAPCS is committed to being a partner on this long journey. As I visited schools in WNC, I was amazed by the resilience displayed by our charter school leaders, staff, students and families during this challenging time.
Rhonda Dillingham is executive director of the North Carolina Association for Public Charter Schools.
COLUMN KEITH KELLOGG DOUG HOELSCHER
Dual status disaster
THERE HAS BEEN much coverage and controversy about the failure to move active-duty military personnel and resources swiftly to western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. It didn’t have to be that way.
At the heart of the BidenHarris leadership failure in North Carolina is the failure to make a timely appointment of a dual-status commander in coordination with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. Typically, the secretary of Defense appoints a dualstatus commander at a governor’s request before or right after a natural disaster. The role of the dual- st atus commander is to manage state and federal forces to “improve unity of effort and ensure rapid response” in a major disaster. Such a role is vitally important in a state like North Carolina, which has so many active-duty personnel and resources available to assist with disaster response.
This was not a “robust, all-ofgovernment” response like the BidenHarris White House claims.
The Biden-Harris administration did not approve the appointment of the dual- s tatus commander for North Carolina until Oct. 2, four days after President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in North Carolina and six days after Hurricane Helene made landfall.
In contrast, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved the dualstatus commander requests for the same storm from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Sept. 27. Why was there a six-day delay in establishing a dualstatus commander in North Carolina? The liberal media’s silence on this sixday delay only deepens the concern surrounding the mishandling of the situation.
In light of this, we applaud Sen. JD Vance’s recent op-ed highlighting how the Biden-Harris administration mismanaged the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene. This failure to appoint a dual-status commander for a major disaster before Hurricane Helene hit or in the early days of the disaster response slowed initial response and recovery efforts.
This was not a “robust, all- of-government” response like the Biden-Harris White House claims. It was far from it. We cannot speak to why the dual-status commander appointment did not happen quickly, but we can all see the disastrous consequences of the bureaucratic delay, incompetence, or indifference.
We have had a front-row seat to disaster preparedness and response in a White House that took seriously the partnership with state, local and tribal leaders on natural disasters. One of us also proudly led active-duty forces in the Tar Heel State. The failure to appoint a dual-status commander quickly in North Carolina was a disservice to federal- s tate -local frontline personnel and first responders — and most importantly, to North Carolinians affected by the deadly storm. Disaster response is marked by hours and minutes, not days. To wait six days, or better put, 144 hours, to appoint a dual-status commander was a major failure by the Biden-Harris Administration and Cooper.
Keith Kellogg is a retired three-star Army general who served as acting national security adviser to President Donald J. Trump and national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence.
Doug Hoelscher previously served as Assistant to the President for intergovernmental affairs to President Donald J. Trump.
Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or mailed to 1201 Edwards Mill Rd., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.
Rebecca “Becky” Gail Watson
May 7, 1948 –Oct. 17, 2024
Rebecca “Becky” Gail Watson, 76, of Sanford, went home to be with the Lord, Thursday, October 17th, 2024, at SECU Jim & Betsy Bryan Hospice House in Pittsboro, surrounded by family.
Becky was born May 7th, 1948, in Lee County to the late Benjamin Nathaniel and Treva Foster Watson. She is preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Michael Watson.
In her early years, Becky attended and played piano for Goldston Methodist Church. She graduated in 1966 from Chatham Central High School and then attended community college in Mt. Airy, NC and as a Lab Technician. She also worked at a hospital in Charlotte, NC then went to
Boston, MA to continue working as a lab technician. She worked for the Rex Hospital. She retired as a lab technician many years later. Becky loved to travel and see new places. She was an avid reader and loved going to thrift stores and Habitat for Humanity stores looking for antiques and bargains. Becky was always a happy person and loved her family and friends. She has definitely left them all with some great memories to hold on to.
Becky left to cherish her memory, her brother, Benny Watson and his wife, Karen of Bear Creek; niece, Kimberley Atkins (Rashaun); nephew, Larry Saunders (Michaela); several cousins, and many friends and loved ones.
A graveside service will be held Friday, October 25th, 2024, at 2 pm, at Goldston Methodist Church Incorporated. A visitation will be held Thursday, October 24th, 2024, from 6-8 pm at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home. Reverend Kerry Wood will be officiating the services for the Watson family. Memorials may be made to Goldston Methodist Church, PO Box 99, Goldston, NC 27252 or Goldston Fire Department, PO Box 432, Goldston, NC 27252. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Watson family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com
DONNA MARIE KNIGHT
OCT. 17, 2024
Donna Marie Knight, age 64, of Sanford, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at her home surrounded by family.
She was born in Lee County to the late Junior “Simon” Knight and Mary Barbara Buchanan Knight. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother Rex Wyatt Knight. Donna worked many years at Romatic Manufacturing. She enjoyed board and video games, spending time with family and beloved family pet kitty, Bella.
Donna is survived by her daughter Lisa Cabrera of Sanford; sisters Debbie Thomas and Paula Sloan both of Sanford and Penny Sowards and Rick of Suffolk, Virginia; grandchildren Sophia Cabrera and Vince of Sanford and Camille Vannavong of Sanford and a “chosen sister” Gloria Thomas (Joel) of Sanford.
CHARLES ALAN SMITH
OCT. 12, 2024
Charles Alan Smith, age 74, of Pittsboro, formally of Sanford, passed away on Saturday, October 12, 2024 at his apartment.
He was born in Cheraw, South Carolina to the late Dewey Smith and Betty Rorie Smith. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Sheila Ann Thornton Smith. Charles was a proud graduate of UNC Chapel Hill. He worked for many years at Wal Mart.
He is survived by many cousins and a brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
At his request, no services will be held.
REBECCA SAWYER DRAUGHN
FEB. 21, 1930 – OCT. 15, 2024
Rebecca Sawyer Draughn, age 94, of Cameron, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at Pinelake Peak Resources.
She was born in Hoke County on February 21, 1930, to the late John Sawyer and Clara Breedlove Sawyer. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Robert Draughn; siblings Nancy Giles and Sam Sawyer; stepbrother James Sawyer and stepfather William “Bud” A. Smith. Rebecca worked many years as a private duty nurse. Rebecca was a talented cook and seamstress, and her home was always cozy and welcoming. She also loved to garden and spent many hours tending to her flowers and vegetables. She would then work tirelessly canning and freezing her harvest to share with others.
She is survived by her children Delores Martin (Daniel) of Whitsett and Rodney Draughn (Amy Poe) of Durham; sister-inlaw Brenda Sawyer; grandchildren Bobby Davis, Christy Davis and Daniel Davis and two great-grandchildren.
James “Jimmy” Franklin Williams
Sept. 1, 1937 –Oct. 18, 2024
James “Jimmy” Franklin Williams, 87, of Siler City, passed away Friday, October 18, 2024. Jimmy was born in Siler City on September 1, 1937, to William Bernard “Barney” Williams and Eugenia “Jean” Siler Williams.
Joseph H. Crabtree
Oct. 6, 1939 –June 2, 2024
Joseph H. Crabtree of Goldston, NC (October 6, 1939 - June 2, 2024) was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Hugh Blakely Crabtree and Dorothy Stratton Crabtree. In high school, Joe played both the tuba and football, quite the well-rounded athlete and musician. After graduation, he proudly served three years in the U.S. Army. It was at the Butler High School fair where he met the love of his life, Carolyn, just before being sent to the U.S. Army School of Music in Washington, DC. Shortly after, he was deployed to the wilds of Thule, Greenland for a year. Upon his return, he married Carolyn in
Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by his brother William Earl Williams and wife, Rosemary H. Williams. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Sara Lowe Williams; daughter, Jean Elizabeth Williams; brother Wayne Williams; and many cherished nieces and nephews. Jimmy graduated from Siler City High School in 1956 where his classmates described him as an artist and an intelligent thoughtful person. He worked at Bowling Chair Company, Farmers Alliance Store and Siler City Hardware which later became Ace Hardware. He was a member of West End Methodist Church and he also attended Piney Grove Methodist Church. Jimmy loved to be outside with his wife, Sara, whether it was sitting in the swing, watching birds, riding his lawn mower, gardening, working in his cactus plants, or panning for gold. In the mornings during the week, his favorite place to be was at
Louisville, Kentucky. One of Joe’s favorite jokes was telling folks he got married on August 6th and welcomed his baby girl, Lynn, on August 29th—conveniently omitting that it was one year later—just to see the shock on their faces. The couple was later stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama before finally returning home to Louisville. Joe built a steady career, starting at the U.S. Postal Service for seven years before moving to Greyhound Bus Lines in North Carolina, where he worked his way up to district manager over two decades. He then worked at the NC Division of Motor Vehicles and ultimately found his last role as a beloved courier for Chatham County Schools. After he retired he volunteered as a school bus driver for field trips and sports events, and served as a softball, baseball, and basketball coach. Joe mentored many and loved working with youth.
Joe had a deep passion for sports, which he lovingly shared with his grandson, Jason. His love for music, dance, and theater was passed on to his granddaughter, Katy Jane. Many afternoons were spent playing with his grandkids in his immaculately kept yard, with his favorite ‘50s tunes playing in the background. Joe had equal affection for chocolate malts
McDonald’s drinking coffee with his buddies. Jimmy was an extremely talented artist who loved to draw and paint and enjoyed photography. He was also a gifted storyteller with a witty sense of humor and impeccable timing. He always kept us laughing. A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at 2:00 pm at Piney Grove Methodist Church, with Rev. Bob Wachs officiating. The family will receive friends following the service in the fellowship hall and other times at the home.
The family request in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the Siler City Lions Club, 4468 Friendly Lane, Ramseur, NC 27316. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home is serving the Williams family. Online Condolences may be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com
and Miller Lites, and he always insisted his singing voice wasn’t far off from Elvis Presley’s. He wasn’t wrong! Known for his vocal talents, Joe was a soloist at Cary Christian Church in the ‘70s and a fierce contender in family karaoke battles on Christmas Eves in the early 2000s.
He loved musical theater, square dancing with his Rainbow Squares troupe, and spending time in the Appalachian Mountains. In fact, the mountains had a special place in Joe’s heart, and his connection to that land ran deep.
Above all, Joe’s greatest joy was his family. He adored them, and it showed in his words, his actions, and his unwavering support.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Western NC Hurricane Helene relief efforts—a cause close to Joe’s heart as a lifelong philanthropist. His love for the area was so strong that he wished to spend eternity in the mountains he cherished.
Joe wasn’t just a husband, father, or grandfather, he was “Everyone’s Uncle Joe,” and he will be remembered fondly for his humor, kindness, and enduring love for those around him. Online Condolences may be made at www.rogerspickard.com
Arrangements are by RogersPickard Funeral Home.
EV from page A1
cient vehicle today, then that’s eight years less of efficient operation. And if we buy a more efficient vehicle today, that’s eight more years of dollars and pollution savings. Staff has been having a great challenge just acquiring vehicles, and I think we’re at a position where I’m really reluctant to see us purchase a gas vehicle.”
However, staff pushed back on the idea of potentially going all electric.
“There are several and continuity of services is one through any issues or occurrences,” said town manager Jonathan Franklin. “For instance, it makes me
Williams, tosses him a balled up piece of paper and says, “It’s only a shot. Just throw it away,” just before Williams’ shot at the trash can transitions into a buzzer beater to win the actual game.
As he became a star in a make-believe universe, Williams became “Hollywood” in real life.
“I think everyone was mostly just kind of surprised because it was kind of like, ‘What the heck? Who is this guy? What do you mean you’re in a commercial?’” Williams said about his teammates’ reaction to the ad. “They’re all really excited and supportive. I got a lot of nicknames for it. They’re calling me ‘Hollywood.’”
Leading up to the ad’s release, Williams, or “Hollywood,” couldn’t tell anyone what he was up to partly due to the fact that he wasn’t allowed to and partly due to his humility in regard to his accomplishments. Williams’
nervous having electric trucks with public works or even for parks and rec and certainly police because if you’re in an instance where you don’t have power, you need those vehicles to run.”
Other issues with electric vehicles that were brought up were that they potentially offer less protection for officers because they wouldn’t have the front engine block as well as concerns over if the mileage of a full charge would be able to cover an officer’s full shift.
“I think electric vehicles are good for going to and from work every day for the general public, but I just think there’s still a lot of bugs that need to be worked out before I would feel com-
fortable purchasing one for the Town,” said Police Chief Shorty Johnson. “
The idea that both town staff and the board seemed to want to gravitate toward though was the purchasing of hybrid vehicles due to both cost and emission savings, however the availability of those vehicles has been an issue.
According to Franklin, the town has had four hybrid vehicles on order for over two years and they haven’t even received VIN numbers for them yet.
“We’re trying,” Franklin said. “Our folks have been working non-stop in trying to find these hybrids, it’s just that there’s none out there.”
agent found Adidas’ open casting call for the commercial, and after multiple rounds of auditions, he landed the role in July. However, the opportunity to be seen by millions of TV viewers alongside one of the NBA’s biggest stars actually started becoming reality years before then.
Williams began his acting journey about four years ago, following the footsteps of his younger brother, Andrew, who has been in multiple TV shows, including “Doc McStuffins.”
“I think I got into it in about 2020,” Williams said. “My brother actually got the opportunity
Chatham County Aging Services
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Currently, the town does have two hybrid trucks in its public work department and four within its police department.
While the pursuit of hybrid vehicles seems to be the optimal path for the town currently, staff is not ruling out the potential of going more electric in the near future.
“The goal is to get a charging station at Main Street Station,” Franklin said. “We’re also working with the county to get a couple at the pop-up park. Once we get some infrastructure in place that’s owned by the town, I would feel much more comfortable about having electric vehicles in our fleet.”
The board also announced
to audition for an acting agency, and he ended up getting it. They were looking for siblings to join them as well, and I just happened to be his brother. So, they ended up signing me and my sister as well.”
Since starting his acting career, Williams has been seen modeling for soccer.com, and in 2022, he filmed an unused scene for “Creed III” portraying a young Adonis Creed.
Williams said actor Michael B. Jordan, who portrays Adonis Creed in the “Creed” movie series, was the biggest name he’s worked with, but while filming the Adidas commercial in Atlanta, Edwards also had him in awe.
“When he first walked in, I couldn’t even believe my eyes,” Williams said. “I thought I was dreaming for a second. It took me a few days after that to process what happened, but I think the biggest thing is realizing that he’s actually just a normal person.”
Said Williams, “He was really
that they would be rededicating the Blue Star Memorial Highway on Nov. 8.
The Blue Star Memorial Marker program was started in 1945 to honor those who served in the armed forces during World War II and Pittsboro’s marker was originally dedicated in 1950.
The town sponsored the restoration of the Blue Star Highway Memorial Marker this year and moved it in front of the Pittsboro Police Station.
The rededication ceremony will take place on Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will next meet Nov. 12.
cool, really youthful, and he had a lot of energy.”
Williams said he talked to Edwards about his viral dunk over the Utah Jazz’s John Collins during the 2023-24 NBA season, and Edwards also shared a piece of advice.
“He was saying whatever you want to do, not even basketball specific but just in life, just stay consistent at it, keep doing it over and over again, and you’re bound to succeed,” Williams said.
For Williams, that message is fitting, considering he hopes to do more in his young acting career.
“I’d love to continue pursuing this,” Williams said. “I feel like it kind of popped up out of nowhere. It’s kind of one of those things you always would like to do, but it’s difficult to get into. So, when I got the opportunity to do it, it was really special. I’d like to just take this as far as I can and maybe star in some movies someday or be in more TV shows and commercials.”
9
COURTESY THERESA WILLIAMS
Noah Williams prepares for another take during filming of his Adidas commercial.
LEARN ABOUT LANDChatham Land Experts, www. learnaboutland.com - 919-3626999.
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AUCTIONS
RICKY ELLINGTON AUCTIONEERS - Equipment, business, liquidation, estates, land, houses, antiques, personal property, coins, furniture, consignments, benefits, etc., NCAL #7706, 919-548-3684, 919-6633556, rickyellingtonauctions@ yahoo.com. Jy6,tfnc
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Small jobs – Electrical, Plumbing and Construction Call Sean – 919-444-5573 A29,rtfnc
RAINBOW WATER FILTERED VACUUMS, Alice Cox, Cox’s Distributing - Rainbow - Cell: 919-548-4314, Sales, Services, Supplies. Serving public for 35 years. Rada Cutlery is also available. A26,tfnc
JUNK CARS PICKED UP Free of charge. Due to many months of low steel prices and unstable steel markets, we cannot pay for cars at this time. Cars, trucks, and machinery will be transported and environmentally correctly recycled at no charge. 919-542-2803. A2,tfnc
LETT’S TREE SERVICE - tree removal, stump grinding, lot clearing. Visa & Master Card accepted. Timber. Free estimates. 919-258-3594. N9,tfnc
DIGGING AND DEMO-Land improvements, mini-excavating, stump removal, mobile home and building tear-down, all digging. French Drains, All your digging needs. Call John Hayes, 919-5480474. N9-D31p
ROOF WASHING – Softwash roof – Cleans ALL black streaks off roofs to make them look new again And to prolong the life of the shingles. Call John Hayes – 919548-0474. M28-D31p
When veterinary care is unavailable or unaffordable, ask for Happy Jack® animal healthcare products for cats, dogs, & horses.
Southern States Coop. 742- 2128
AUCTION
SATURDAY OCT 26 at 9am at 442 N. GREENSBORO ST., LIBERTY, NC RAIN OR SHINE
Auction to be held inside the old Food-Rite building. Preview Friday noon til 6pm. Seller’s name is being withheld at their request. Look up auctionzip.com for listing and photos.
Lots of pottery: OWENS, NC POTTERY, SEAGROVE, ROSEVILLE, TWINES, WEST MOORE, WATT, CATTAIL, and more!
Glassware, CORNING WARE, PYREX, decanters, cast iron cooking pots, GRISWOLD, lots of crocks, COKE COLA THERMOMETER lots more!
Ricky Ellington Auctions NCAL #7706 | 919-548-3684
PUBLIC NOTICE
TOWN OF SILER CITY LEAF COLLECTION SCHEDULE
Siler City loose leaf collection will begin Monday, October 28, 2024. Persons living on the south-side of Raleigh Street will receive a leaf pick-up on Monday through Friday in the first week and persons living on the north-side of Raleigh Street will receive a leaf pick-up starting the next week on Monday, November 4, 2024. We will continue to rotate from the southside of town to north-side of town throughout the loose-leaf collection process.
Loose leaf collection will run until January 17, 2025.
Please Note: Pick up will take place on one side of town for a week, then move to the other side of town for a week.
Leaves should be placed in neat piles at the edge of the street (not in the street) where they will be accessible to the vacuum machine. Foreign objects such as sticks, rocks and trash must be removed from the loose leaves and piled separately for later collection. To avoid damage to the leaf vacuum, leaves containing foreign objects will not be picked up.
Bagged Leaves Will Not Be Picked UP While Loose Leaf Collection Program is in Progress. Your cooperation will make our leaf collection program a success.
For questions, please call 919-742-4732. Thank you, Dillon Dispennette Town of Siler City Public Works Superintendent ddispennette@silercity.gov www.silercity.org
Noticia Publica TOWN OF SILER CITY RECOLECCION DE HOJAS
La recolecciόn de hojas sueltas de Siler City comenzar el Lunes 28 de Octubre de 2024. Las personas que viven en el lado sur de Raleigh Street recibir n una recogida de hojas de Lunes a Viernes en la primera semana y las personas que viven en el lado norte de Raleigh Street recibir n un recogida de hojas a partir de la prόxima semana el lunes 4 de Noviembre de 2024. Continuaremos rotando del lado sur de la ciudad al lado norte de la ciudad durante todo el proceso de recolección de hojas sueltas. La recolección de hojas sueltas continuara hasta el 17 de Enero, 2025.
Tenga en cuenta: La recogida se llevar a cabo en un lado de la ciudad durante la semana, luego se trasladar al otro lado de la ciudad durante una semana.
Las hojas deben colocarse en montones al borde de la calle (no en la calle) donde ser n accesibles para la m quina de aspiradora de hojas. Los objetos como madera, piedras y basura deben ser retiradas de las hojas para otro dia de recoleccion. Para evitar da os a la m quina de hojas, no se recoger n las hojas que contengan estos objetos o otro tipo de objetos. L as hojas embolsadas no ser n recogidas mientras el programa de recolecciόn de hojas sueltas esté en proceso.
Su cooperaciόn har que nuestro programa de recolecciόn de hojas sea un éxito.. Para preguntas por favor llame al 919-742-4732. Gracias, Dillon Dispennette Town of Siler City Public Works Superintendent ddispennette@silercity.gov www.silercity.org
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#22 E 463
The undersigned, ANGELA T. ALSTON AND THOMAS BALDWIN, having qualified on the 12TH day of AUGUST 2022, as CO-ADMINISTRATORS of the Estate of JOYCE M. BALDWIN, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 22ND Day of JANUARY 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 24TH Day of OCTOBER, 2024. MAIL TO: ANGELA T. ALSTON, CO-ADMINISTRATOR 31 BRIARWOOD CRT. DURHAM, NC 27713
THOMAS BALDWIN, CO-ADMINSTRATOR
1553 ROSSER RD. BEAR CREEK, NC 27207
Run dates: O24,O31,N7,14p NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#24E001464-180
The undersigned, JAMES RAYMOND HODGEMAN, SR., having qualified on the 30TH day of AUGUST, 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of ROBERTA A. HODGEMAN, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 8TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 10TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2024.
JAMES RAYMOND HODGEMAN, SR., EXECUTOR 1565 DEVIL’S TRAMPING GROUND BEAR CREEK, NC 27207
Run dates: O10,17,24,31p
NOTICE
All persons having claims against the estate of Helen Kennedy of Chatham County, NC, who died on the 8th of July, 2024 are notified to present them on or before January 27, 2025 to Jan Butta, Executor, 73 Summersweet Lane Chapel Hill, NC 27516, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
24E001531-180 All persons having claims against WILLIAM DELBERT BAKER, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 27th day of January, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 24th day of October, 2024. John Justice, Executor c/o Hemphill Gelder, PC PO Box 97035 Raleigh, NC 27624
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Town of Siler City Sewer Rehabilitation Project DWI Project No. W-SRP-ARP-0139
Sealed bids for the project entitled Sewer Rehabilitation Project, DWI Project No. W-SRPARP-0139 will be received by the Town of Siler City until 2:00 p.m. on November 21, 2024 in the Town of Siler City’s Town Hall located at 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344. At said place and time, all Bids that have been duly received, will be publicly opened and read aloud.
The proposed project consists of rehabilitation and replacement of approximately 11,300 LF of gravity sewer lines in the Town of Siler City, North Carolina. Replacement includes pipe bursting of existing 6” gravity sewer and open cut replacement of existing 8” gravity sewer and manholes. Rehabilitation includes CIPP lining in existing 8” sewer line and manhole rehabilitation. The project also includes and service lateral replacement up to the right of way.
The Information for Bidders, Bid Form, Contract Plans, Specifications, Bid Bond, Performance and Payment Bond, and other contract documents may be examined at the following: Siler City Town Hall, Parkton, NC; McGill Associates, PA, Pinehurst, NC; and QuestCDN at https://www.questcdn.com/. Digital copies of Bid Documents are available for purchase at www.mcgillengineers.com for a fee of $50.00 per set. These documents may be downloaded by selecting this project from the “Bids” link and by entering Quest Project Number 9365699. For assistance and free membership registration, contact QuestCDN at (952) 233-1632 or info@ questcdn.com
A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at the Siler City Town Hall October 24, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.
Each bid shall be accompanied with a cash deposit or certified check drawn on a bank or trust company insured by the FDIC or a Bid Bond prepared on the form of Bid Bond contained in the Bidding Documents or a Surety Company’s standard form and properly executed by a corporate surety licensed under the laws of North Carolina to execute such bonds. The amount of the bid bond shall be equal to five (5) percent of the total of the bid. The bid deposit shall be retained by the Owner if the successful bidder fails to execute the contract or fails to provide the required bonds, as stated above, within ten (10) days after the proper notice of award of the contract.
Bidders must comply with the requirements of the State of North Carolina and be appropriately licensed as a Contractor as provided in General Statutes Chapter 87.
Neither the Owner nor the Engineer will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including any Addenda, obtained from any source other than the Owner’s representative, McGill Associates, P.A. Each Bidder shall be responsible for the review of all addenda for the project and shall acknowledge the addenda on the bid form.
The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all Bids, to waive informalities, or to reject nonconforming, non-responsive, or conditional bids. The Owner reserves the right to award a contract to the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder or bidders, taking into consideration quality, performance and time.
Contractors submitting a Bid on this project must solicit bids from minority subcontractors and provide documentation of any outreach efforts as required by the Special Conditions Packages.
Date: October 15, 2024 Interim Town Manager, Jack Meadows Town of Siler City Authorized Representative
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#24E001460-180
The undersigned, ELIZABETH COOKE GILMOUR, having qualified on the 23RD day of AUGUST, 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of SALLY BOVARD THOMPSON, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 1ST DAY OF JANUARY, 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 3RD DAY OF OCTOBER, 2024.
ELIZABETH COOKE GILMOUR, EXECUTOR 3419 BROOMFIELD TERRACE DURHAM, NC 27705
Run dates: O3,10,17,24p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
24 E 001525-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
The undersigned, Marie Hopper, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Vance J. Dunn, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of January 8th, 2024, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 10th of October, 2024.
Administrator Marie H. Hopper
Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post Office Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
24E001519-180
Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of MEG
SUSAN YADWIN, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 1st day of January 2025, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment.
This the 3rd day of October 2024.
c/o Elinor J. Foy, Attorney for David George Goldman
Executor of the Estate of Meg Susan Yadwin
Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton, LLP
4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#24E001524-180
The undersigned, JUDITH ANN SHIPLEY and WILLIAM SCOTT WAGNER, having qualified on the 25TH day of SEPTEMBER 2024, as EXECUTORS of the Estate of ESTHER V. WINDHAM CARR, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 9TH Day of JANUARY 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This is the 10TH Day of OCTOBER 2024.
JUDITH ANN SHIPLEY, EXECUTOR
2583 OLD GRAHAM ROAD
PITTSBORO, NC 27312
WILLIAM SCOTT WAGNER, EXECUTOR
2060 N PEA RIDGE ROAD
PITTSBORO, NC 27312
Run dates: 10,17,24,31
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE COUNTY OF CHATHAM
18CVD000689-180
CHATHAM COUNTY C/O GREGORY A. HEAFNER NOTICE OF EXECUTION SALE VS OF REAL PROPERTY OCORO ENTERPRISES LLC
Under and by virtue of an execution directed in the above-captioned action to the undersigned Sheriff from the Clerk of Superior Court for Chatham County, North Carolina, issued 8/9/2024, in the amount of $93,923.93, with the amount to be collected as $97,979.85, received in the county of Chatham on 9/5/2024. I will be, on the 28th day of October 2024, at 10:00 A.M., at the Chatham County Justice Center at 40 East Chatham St, Pittsboro, NC 27312, and offer for sale to the highest bidder for cash all rights, title or interest which Defendant Ocoro Enterprises LLC now or anytime at or after docketing of Plaintiff’s judgement in Chatham County had in below listed property, in satisfaction of the execution. The real property being sold is more particularly described as follows: Being all that parcel 2A, containing 6.518 acres, more or less, shown on plat entitled “Lands of Robert A. Smith and Peggy H. Smith”, dated July 31, 2015, preparing by Infinite Land Design, P.C., Land Surveying, Land Planning, Mapping, recorded August 12, 2015, in Plat Slide 2015-149, Chatham County Registry, reference to which plat is made for a more particular description. Chatham County Tax Parcel #0090745 This sale shall be made subject to all prior recorded or perfected Liens, Mortgages, and Encumbrances that have attached to or been levied on the property prior to the date of levy or docketing of the judgement of this Execution under which this sale is being held. This, the 2nd day of October 2024.
MIKE ROBERSON Sheriff of Chatham County A. Ellington________ DEPUTY SHERIFF
NOTICE OF SALE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM
ACE SELF STORAGE, PURSUANT TO NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUES, CHAPTER 44A, SHALL CONDUCT A PUBLIC SALE OF THE UNITS LISTED BELOW AT IT’S FACILTY LOCATED AT 105 WEST FIFTH ST, SILER CITY, NC AT 11:00 AM ON NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO WITHDRAW ANY UNITS FROM THIS SALE. ALL SALES WILL BE CASH TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER.
B-28 – JANET BALDWIN B-15 – JANET BALDWIN B-34 – MICHAEL HEADEN B-25 – JAMIE SPINKS/JACKIE SPINKS B-31 – SHERRY ALSTON B-27 – NAQUISHA FULLER
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Veena Goel, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before January 21, 2025 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.
This 17th day of October, 2024. Prateek Goel, Co-Executor Niti Goel, Co-Executor 563 Tomkins Loop 4 809 Taproot Lane Cary, NC 27519 D urham, NC 27705
Notice to Creditors
File No. 24E001410-180
North Carolina
Chatham County Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of JENNIFER FEARS MOORE, deceased, of Chatham County, NC, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before January 20, 2025 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate are asked to make immediate payment. This the 16th day of October, 2024. John H Moore, Administrator, 425 Bertram Valley Rd Apex, NC 27523
Chatham News and Record October 17, 24, 31, 2024, November 7, 2024
NOTICE
All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Rosa Lee Tucker, deceased of Chatham County, N.C., are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before January 17th, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. This 17th day of October 2024. Christopher H. Dell, Executor c/o Manning, Fulton & Skinner, P.A. P.O. Box 20389 Raleigh, NC 27619-0389.
NOTICE
ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations holding claims against Daniel Joseph Shannon, deceased, of Chatham County, NC are notified to exhibit same to the undersigned on or before January 27, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 24th day of October 2024. Ellen Elizabeth Shannon, Exec., c/o Clarity Legal Group, PO Box 2207, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
24 E 001561-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
The undersigned, Mary Elizabeth Groeneman, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Judith Wiggs, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of January 22nd, 2025, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 24th of October, 2024.
Executor Mary Elizabeth Groeneman c/o Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post Office Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312
NOTICE
All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Rexford Francis Tucker, deceased of Chatham County, N.C., are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before January 24th, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. This 24th day of October 2024.
Christopher H. Dell, Executor c/o Manning, Fulton & Skinner, P.A. P.O. Box 20389 Raleigh, NC 27619-0389.
NOTICE
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Project Child Find Launched Throughout District
Project Child Find in the Chatham
Project Child Find seeks youths who have been diagnosed or are suspected to have mental, physical or emotional disabilities and are unable to benefit from a regular school program without special assistance. Those aware of such youths who are not in school or not receiving special assistance are encouraged to contact the principal at the school in their area, or they could call the district’s Exceptional Children’s Department at 919-542-6400. Community support would help the effort a great deal, according to Sara Self Maddox, the district’s Director for Exceptional Children and AIG. The following organizations have more information: · NC Department of Public Instruction, Exceptional Children Division –(984) 236-2550 · Office of Early Learning (for ages 3-5) - (984) 2362740
· NC Department of Health and Human Services(919) 707-5520 · Family Support Network - l-800-852-0042
Notice to Creditors
Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of ARTHUR LEWIS BOONE, late of Chatham County, North Carolina (24E001558-180), 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 27th day of January 2025 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 24th day of October 2024.
Angela H. Wallace Executor of the Estate of Arthur Lewis Boone c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526
For publication: 10/24, 10/31, 11/7, 11/14/2024
EARLY VOTING from page A1
tion Day so they can focus their resources on getting more marginal supporters to the polls at the last minute.
Republicans excelled at that before Trump turned against early in-person and mail voting in 2020, as he spun wild conspiracies about the process and convinced his supporters to wait until Election Day to cast their ballots. But the party is again pushing its voters to cast their ballots early, and the former president is largely encouraging the change.
“I am telling everyone to vote early,” Trump said on a podcast last week hosted by conservative Dan Bongino, who has widely spread false information about early voting and the 2020 election.
Republicans seem to be responding. In North Carolina, where in 2022 Democrats had an edge of more than 30 percentage points at this stage of early voting, they are ahead by just
Barnstorming
With two weeks until Election Day, North Carolina is critical to the Electoral College math that will decide whether Donald Trump gets a White House encore or Kamala Harris hands him a second defeat.
“We are going to win or lose the presidency based on what happens in North Carolina,” said Republican National Chairman Michael Whatley, a Tarheel State native, last week during a GOP bus tour.
The Trump and Harris campaigns have made countless appearances in North Carolina this cycle, but the Republicans are making an especially strong push as early voting begins.
Former President Trump made several appearances — in Greenville, Asheboro, Greensboro and Concord — this week alone, while a “Trump on Tour” bus stocked with surrogates, including Donald Trump Jr., former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout and a host of former administration officials, made its way across the state last week.
2 percentage points this year, according to Associated Press election research. In Nevada, where Democrats for decades relied on a robust early vote to counter the GOP on Election Day, about 6,000 more Republicans than Democrats had actually cast early ballots this year as of Tuesday.
It’s unclear what this means for the election, however. The early vote data only reveals whether voters are registered with a party, not who they are voting for, and the early electorate can change from day to day as more people vote early.
The surge in 2020 Democratic early voting was largely a reaction to a pandemic that no longer exists, skewing historic comparisons. And what might seem like demographic trends in the early vote can suddenly disappear once Election Day votes are factored in.
It also is still very early in the voting process. The last of the seven swing states, Wisconsin, kicked off its early voting Tuesday morning, and the 17.4 mil-
lion voters who already have cast ballots this year represent only about 11% of the number of total ballots in the 2020 presidential election. Parties can run up leads in the early vote and then see them vanish on Election Day because all their supporters have already cast ballots and the other side has not.
“The Democrats are still, as far as I can tell, banking more early votes. It’s just less of a disadvantage for Republicans,” said Michael McDonald, a political scientist at the University of Florida who carefully tracks the early vote. But, McDonald cautioned, “we don’t know if this is a shifting of furniture yet or an added strength for Republicans.”
One thing is clear — the return to bipartisan early voting has helped bust records. North Carolina and Georgia both reported record turnout on their first day of in-person early voting, despite the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, and it’s spilled over into states that aren’t competitive at the presidential level, such
as South Carolina, which reported its own record when it opened early voting Monday.
Republicans still seem to have an aversion to mail balloting. They’ve improved their share of the mail vote in several states but still lag Democrats. That’s particularly true in Pennsylvania, the biggest electoral prize among the seven swing states and one that does not have a traditional early in-person voting option.
Democrats there have sent in about 350,000 more mail ballots than Republicans as of Tuesday. But the GOP is making up ground by voting early in-person in most competitive states. Nonetheless, years of sowing conspiracy theories about early and mail voting have taken a toll on the conservative electorate.
At Elon Musk’s first solo event in support of Trump last week, he encouraged the crowd to vote early, an entreaty that some in the audience responded to by shouting back, “Why?”
Even with those reservations,
on November 5th
some analysts said Republicans would rather have an early vote parity than not.
John Couvillon, a Louisiana pollster who usually works for the GOP and tracks the early vote, noted that Democrats have dominated the early vote during recent election cycles. Their current position, Couvillon said, “is the equivalent of being down three touchdowns at halftime and thinking you can score four touchdowns in the second half.”
Tom Bonier, a Democratic data analyst, contended that everyone expected Republicans to return to early voting and the pandemic-inspired gaps to close. He said he’s not concerned.
“I’m impressed the Democratic numbers are as strong as they are,” he said.
The main takeaway, Bonier said, is that the high rates of voting show an enthusiastic electorate on both sides.
“If either side thought the other side would stay home this election, that’s obviously not the case,” he said.
Elect Joe Godfrey as NC House District 54 Representative
As a Business professional, I know how to manage a budget, provide important infrastructure, provide important education and training, and protect our rural character and natural resources in Chatham and Randolph Counties. He believes in common sense conservative principles.
VOTE for change on November 5th
The future of Chatham and Randolph Counties is important to me. I plan to focus on the core functions of government for ALL people. I believe in equal opportunities in school, the workplace, and the law.
• Manage Budgets: Make sure that tax dollars are not wasted on non-essentials. Government growth should be minimal. In ation is a ecting all citizens and is crushing Generational Wealth for all people, especially minorities. Properly fund police and rst responders by reducing wasteful spending. Money spent on illegal immigration reduces funds that could go to precious infrastructure, as seen with the recent Hurricane Helene
• Infrastructure: Engage with experts to nd the best solution for wastewater treatment, address the housing shortage, and work with the state and local companies to provide broadband throughout rural areas of our counties.
• Education and Training: Prioritize safety and fund SRO’s for EVERY school, provide training to prepare students to enter the workforce as businesses come to Chatham and Randolph Counties, fund expanded tutoring to improve test scores. Raise teacher pay across the board.
• Natural Resources and Rural Character: Protect our natural resources from over-development. Include green space in EVERY development. Protect farmland from more zoning regulations. Represent ALL people.
Paid for by: Elect Joe Godfrey I appreciate the opportunity to represent all people in Chatham and Randolph Counties, not just speci c groups. Vote for someone who lives in and was educated in Chatham County.
JASON JACKSON FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
CHATHAM SPORTS
Northwood falls short of second place jump in 49-28 loss at Cummings
The Chargers didn’t have an answer for Devin Witherspoon and Jaidyn Briskey all night
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
BURLINGTON — A big night from junior running backs Devin Witherspoon and Jaidyn Briskey pushed the home team Cummings (7-1 , 6-0) past Northwood (5-4, 5-2), 49-28, in a battle for second place in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference Friday.
The Cavaliers rushed for a total of 322 yards with Briskey ending the night at 161 yards and three touchdowns and Witherspoon pouring in 152 yards and four scores.
“Missed tackles killed us all night,” Northwood coach Dalton Brown said. “We’ve got to tackle better as a team.”
As dominant as those two were all night, Northwood kept up with the Cavaliers on the scoreboard to enter the fourth quarter tied at 21. Cummings, already in scoring position, took a 28-21 lead
“Missed tackles killed us all night.”
Dalton Brown
just four seconds into the final quarter with a 6-yard touchdown run from Briskey. After being able to meet each of Cummings’ punches with their own scores all night, dropped passes and a general disconnection in the Chargers’ passing game resulted in a turnover on downs on the ensuing possession. Outside of the 66-yard touchdown strike from junior quarterback Grayson Cox to senior tight end Beau Harvey on its first possession of the game, Northwood struggled to get its passing offense in rhythm. Cox completed just 11 of his 26 attempts for 153 yards.
“A couple of missed throws, a couple of pressures and a couple of dropped balls,” Brown said. “If it wasn’t one
See FOOTBALL, page B4
Sparrow,
second half shutout lead Seaforth boys’ soccer
Logan Sparrow scored all three Hawks goals
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
PITTSBORO — In the second boys’ soccer edition of the Battle of Pittsboro this season, there was a winner.
Following a 1-1 double overtime draw on Oct. 16, Logan Sparrow’s goal and two assists spearheaded Seaforth’s 3-1 victory over Northwood on Oct. 21.
“We just adjusted the game enough to make it physical,” Seaforth coach Giovanni Viana said. “Northwood has big athletic players, and we’re not a big team, so we just tried to keep the ball moving, switching the point of attack as much as possible.”
Three different Hawks scored, but Sparrow had something to do with each of the goals.
After Northwood struck first with a goal from junior Kevin Fortin nine minutes into the game, Sparrow delivered a cross from the right side of the goal to sophomore Caleb Serrano who evened the score.
“When a player does what the coach asks and it works, everyone feeds off of that, and it just gets the team going.”
Giovanni Viana
“Logan was taking it down the side, and I was in the right spot,” Serrano said. “He found the cross right to me.”
Said Sparrow, “It’s something coach always tells us to do. Cutback cross.”
Sparrow perfectly executed the “cutback cross” again minutes later, providing junior Zane Mcmahon an open look to give Seaforth a 2-1 lead with just under 16 minutes left in the first half.
“Coach always tells me, the left backs and right backs to follow through the weak side, and I just saw the opportunity to tap one in,” Mcmahon said.
Less than a minute later, Sparrow finally earned his own score after he gathered a lead pass from sophomore Andreas Trinado and slid the ball right past the charging goalkeeper for the final goal of the night. Sparrow leads the Hawks
this season with eight goals.
“I’m really proud of Logan because he did all the things we talked about and we asked him to do,” Viana said. “When a player does what the coach asks, and it works, everyone feeds off of that, and it just gets the team going.”
Thanks to an overall solid team effort on defense and multiple key saves from senior goalkeeper Jack Haste, the Hawks shut Northwood out in the second half.
Haste, who Viana called “Spiderman” after the game, said “staying calm” in the goal was the key to allowing just one goal all night, and he also said solid communication from defenders in the field helped the defense do its job.
Wilson throws for 2 TDs, runs for another TD in Pittsburgh debut
“They were mature, they were composed, and they knew Steelers
By Will Graves The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — Russell Wilson sat at the podium, uniform still on, in no rush to move on from a moment he believed would always come.
Even as the weeks passed and his aching calf struggled to get better. Even as Justin Fields deftly guided the Pittsburgh Steelers in his place. Even as the outside noise of a potential quarterback controversy seemed to be growing ever louder.
Belief is a big thing for the 35-year-old Wilson. He believed he would get an opportunity to reset his career in Pittsburgh. And while the start may have come a little
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Seaforth’s Jack Haste flies high to make a save during the Hawks’ 3-1 win over Northwood last week.
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD Cummings running back Jaidyn Briskey (second from left) takes the handoff and heads toward the line on a touchdown run during the Cavaliers’ win over Northwood
MATT FREED / AP PHOTO
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14)
celebrates his touchdown reception against New York Jets with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson.
County teams suffer first winless week of season
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
ONLY THREE county teams hit the field for week nine as Chatham Central enjoyed a late-season bye week, but for the first Friday this season, the county went winless.
Northwood, Seaforth and Jordan-Matthews all fell to put the county wide record at 10-22.
For the Chargers, the loss didn’t damage their playoff standing, but for the Hawks and Jets who are on the outside looking in, their losses only took them further from the postseason.
As the regular season reaches its final stretch, here’s a recap of Friday’s football action, a preview of next week for each county team, conference standings and the latest football power rankings.
Seaforth
Seaforth (2-5, 2-4) couldn’t do anything offensively in a 44-7 loss to Southeast Alamance (8-0, 6-0) Friday.
The Stallions limited Seaforth to just 86 yards of total offense and came away with two interceptions.
On the flip side, Southeast Alamance gained the majority of its yards on the ground. Sophomore running backs Daniel Bunker and DJ Callis combined for 267 yards (120 and 147 yards, respectively), and Callis scored two touchdowns.
The Hawks will host county foe Jordan-Matthews Friday at 7 p.m.
Against a team riddled with injuries, Seaforth has a good chance to snap its three-game losing streak and regain some
Combined losses from county teams this season
confidence with just a few games to go.
Sitting at 35th in the 2A East RPI rankings, Seaforth isn’t all the way out of the playoff race, but the time is now if it wants to move into the top 32.
Another strong performance from its defensive front and a bounce back game from sophomore quarterback Duncan Parker and the offense should be enough to help put Seaforth back in the win column.
Jordan-Matthews
Jordan-Matthews (2-6, 1-5) put up a solid effort against Bartlett Yancey (3-6, 3-4) on its homecoming night Friday, but things got out of hand in the fourth quarter and led to a 57-14 loss for the Jets.
With the Jets trailing 27-14 entering the final period, Bartlett Yancey scored 30 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Explosive plays from the Buccaneers allowed them to score quickly while turnovers and negative plays halted any offensive momentum down the stretch for Jordan-Matthews.
Yet, despite all the misfortune they’ve dealt with this season, Jordan-Matthews still showed flashes of a team with physicality and fight, especially after the Jets recovered a fum-
Virginia’s Bennett cites NIL, transfer portal as reasons he’s retiring
The coach of the 2019 national champions said he’s not good at coaching in the new environment
By Mike Barber The Associated Press
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.
— Describing himself as “a square peg in a round hole,” a tearful Tony Bennett said Friday he suddenly retired from coaching at Virginia because he wasn’t suited to navigate the current landscape of college basketball.
Bennett said name, image and likeness money and the transfer portal have brought elements to the job that he’s “not great at.”
“I looked at myself and I realized, I’m no longer the best coach to lead this program,” Bennett said. “If you’re going to do it, you’ve got to be all in. You’ve got to have everything. And if you do it half-hearted, it’s not fair to the university and those young men. That’s what made me step down.”
Bennett led Virginia to the 2019 national championship.
He is the latest — and, at 55 years old, the youngest — high-profile coach to walk away citing a measure of burnout with the modern realities of the profession.
“The game and college athletics is not in a healthy spot,” Bennett said. “And there needs to be change. I think I was equipped to do the job here the old way. That’s who I am and that’s how it was. My staff has buoyed me along to get to this point, but there needs to be change.”
Former assistant Ron Sanchez, who rejoined the program last season, will take over as interim coach. Williams said a national search for Bennett’s replacement will begin shortly, but Bennett is hopeful Sanchez will perform well enough to land the full-time post.
“I believe he is equipped to do the job, but as he said to all of you, he has to have his whole
ble on a kickoff and followed it
with a score to come within one score in the third quarter.
The Jets will look to build on those flashes of solid football against Seaforth Friday.
Jordan-Matthews has a solid rushing attack with Nolan Mitchell and Jakari Blue who have been carrying the load with some of the other key players still out.
If the Jets can limit explosive plays from Seaforth while wearing the Hawks down with physical runs, they can make things interesting.
Chatham Central/ Northwood
Chatham Central (1-7, 0-6)
heart in it,” athletic director Carla Williams said. “He is the embodiment of humility, because he could keep doing this and not have his heart in it, but it takes more courage to say, ‘I’m not the person for it.’”
As for the stunning timing of his retirement, less than three weeks before the team’s opener, Bennett said he thought seriously about stepping away immediately after the past season concluded.
But, because the current recruiting calendar required him to immediately go to work evaluating potential transfers, Bennett said he never fully took the time to consider his situation.
He said he was excited about the players the program signed, about the new offense he was installing and about the prospects for the upcoming season. He felt, then, sufficiently energized to sign a long-term extension with Virginia.
Then, finally, there was a break in his hectic schedule.
He and his wife, Laurel, took a trip during U-Va.’s fall break, giving the couple the chance to process and contemplate the future.
“That’s where I kind of came to the realization that I can’t do this,” Bennett said, becoming overcome by emotion. “It’s not fair to these guys, and to this institution that I love so much, to continue on when you know you’re not the right guy for the job.”
Bennett’s current players and staff stood toward the back of the room Friday, listening as he spoke.
“I’m happy for him,” said former player Isaiah Wilkins, now an assistant coach. “I see he’s at peace. I think he knows himself well and obviously it’s a family decision.”
“I’ve been here for 15 years as the head coach, and I thought it would be a little longer, to be honest, but that’s been on loan,” Bennett said. “It wasn’t mine to keep. This position has been on loan, and it’s time for me to give it back.”
will host Northwood (5-4, 5-2) Friday. The Chargers are looking to bounce back from a crucial loss to Cummings while the Bears are looking to come out of the bye week with some juice.
Chatham Central has found something offensively with Brooks Albright at quarterback and Nick Glover catching passes as a receiver. It has given the Bears another option outside of receiver Luke Gaines, however, they haven’t fared well against teams with good defenses.
Northwood’s defense, it’s line especially, has cause havoc in the backfield all year, and against the Bears, they’ll have another opportunity to have a big night.
rankings
Power
Last week: 1. Northwood; 2. Seaforth; 3. Chatham Central; 4. Jordan-Matthews
This week’s rankings: 1. Northwood; 2. Seaforth; 3. Jordan-Matthews; 4. Chatham Central Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings
Southeast Alamance (8 - 0 6-0); 2. Cummings (7-1, 6-0); 3. Northwood (5-4, 5-2); 4. North Moore (4-4, 4-2); 5. Bartlett Yancey (3-6, 3-4); 6. Seaforth (2-5, 2-4); 7. Jordan-Matthews (2-6, 1-5); 8. Graham (1-7, 1-5); 9. Chatham Central (1-7, 0-6)
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Northwood’s Grayson Cox (left) is tackled by Cummings linebacker Tabori Stanfield during the Chargers’ loss on Friday.
PITTSBORONC.GOV
Maya Sheridan
we didn’t need anymore goals,” Viana said. “We just needed to not make mistakes and just not chase anymore goals. They sat back, absorbed pressure and countered what we needed to. It was a very mature performance in the second half.”
Looking at Seaforth’s game results from September to now, the Hawks seem to be maturing beyond what it showed against Northwood.
From Sept. 11 to Oct. 3, Seaforth lost four out of the five games in that stretch with the other result being a tie. The Hawks ended the slide with a huge 2-1 win over Graham on Oct. 7, kicking off the cur -
rent stretch in which they’ve won three out of their last five games as of Sunday.
“We knew it was going to be a challenging season,” Viana said. “Anytime you lose five starting seniors and two guys we lost to clubs, we knew we were going to take some time. I feel like we’re jelling at the right moment, and hopefully we just keep building.”
Sitting at fourth in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference following the win over Northwood, Seaforth (4-2-2 conference record as of Sunday) has a chance to jump Graham (4-2-1 conference record as of Sunday) for a third-place finish.
The Hawks are also in good
playoff standing, sitting at 22nd in the 2A East RPI rankings as of Sunday. Following a big matchup against Southeast Alamance this week, the Hawks will host second-place Jordan-Matthews Monday for a chance to possibly boost their RPI position and build momentum going into the postseason.
“Our goal when we looked at the conference and knew who graduated was to get at least third,” Viana said. “If we can get third, we’ve accomplished our plan and then go to the playoffs. This is our original senior class. These guys have been here for four years. We want to send them off the right way with a playoff win.”
Vote for Solid Investment Strategies
Vote for Solid Investment Strategies
With the presidential election just a few weeks away, the public is naturally interested in not just the outcome but what the results will mean for issues of national importance. As a citizen, you likely share these concerns — but how about as an investor? After the votes are counted — or even before — should you make some moves in anticipation of possible changes in policy?
Let’s look at the big picture first, through the lens of history. The financial markets have performed well — and at times, not so well — under Democratic and Republican presidents alike. And the same is true about which party controlled Congress. While it might be an overstatement to say that decisions made in Washington have no effect on the markets, it’s not always so easy to draw a direct line between what happens there and how the markets perform. For one thing, political candidates often make promises that are not fulfilled, or, if they are, have different results than intended. Also, other institutions can have a significant impact on the markets. For example, the Federal Reserve, which controls short-term interest rates, can certainly affect many market sectors. And there will always be external events, such as foreign conflicts and even natural disasters, that can make short-term impacts on the investment world.
So, rather than making changes to your portfolio in anticipation of what might happen if certain candidates get elected, or even in response to actual policy changes, look to other factors to drive your investment decisions. These factors should include the following:
• Your goals – You probably have short- and long-term goals you’d like to achieve. For your short-term goals, such as a wedding, a down payment on a house or a long vacation, you may
want to invest in instruments that provide stability of principal. For your longterm goals, most important of which may be a comfortable retirement, you’ll need to own a reasonable number of growth-oriented investments.
• Your risk tolerance – When you build and maintain your investment portfolio, you’ll need to accommodate your individual risk tolerance. All investments carry some type of risk, but you need to be comfortable with the overall risk level of your investments.
• Your time horizon – Where you are in life is an important consideration when investing. When you are young and just starting out in your career, you may be able to focus more on growth, as you have time to overcome the inevitable short-term market downturns. But as you near retirement, you may want to consolidate any gains you may have achieved, and lower your risk level, by moving your portfolio toward a somewhat more conservative approach. Even in retirement, though, you will need some growth potential to stay ahead of inflation.
• Your needs for liquidity – As you invest, you’ll need to maintain an adequate amount of cash and cash equivalents in your holdings. Without this liquidity, you might be forced to sell long-term investments in case you have unexpected expenses.
In any case, when it comes to investing, you may want to pay less attention to what names are on the ballot — and instead “vote” for the longer-term strategies that reflect your needs and goals.
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
Edward Jones, Member SIPC
Woods Charter, volleyball
Woods Charter’s Maya Sheridan earns athlete of the week honors for the week of Oct. 14.
Sheridan, a senior, led the Wolves volleyball team with a combined 29 kills in their two games toward the Central Tar Heel 1A conference tournament title.
All season, Sheridan has been a crucial part to Woods Charter’s success, providing veteran leadership and leading the team in total kills and digs. Sheridan has far surpassed her previous career high for single-season kills (181) by recording 268 kills this season.
SOCCER from page B1
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Woods Charter freshman Cecilia Brignati (4) helped lead the Wolves to a win over Chatham Charter.
MLS
Biel, Bronico help Charlotte close regular season with 3-0 victory
Washington Pep Biel scored in the 58th minute to ignite a three-goal second half, Brandt Bronico had two assists, and Charlotte cruised to a 3-0 victory over D.C. United to close out the regular season. Biel notched his second goal in his ninth appearance when he used an assist from Bronico to give Charlotte (14-11-9) the lead. Patrick Agyemang gave Charlotte a two-goal lead in the 75th minute. Bronico picked up his fifth assist on Agyemang’s 10th netter. Rookie Liel Abada completed the scoring in the first minute of stoppage time with an assist from Karol Swiderski.
NHL Penguins’ Malkin scores 500th career goal
Pittsburgh Evgeni Malkin became the 48th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals in the third period against the Buffalo Sabres. Sidney Crosby, from behind the net, sent a between-the-legs pass in front to Malkin, who was sitting on the ice when he flipped the puck past Ukko -Pekka Luukkonen. The entire bench emptied to congratulate Malkin after he scored and the hometown crowd gave him a standing ovation
NFL Patriots coach Mayo calls team “soft” after 6th straight loss
London Patriots coach Jerod Mayo told his players what he thought about their performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. And then he told everyone else. “We’re a soft football team across the board,” he said. New England squandered an early lead, gave up 171 yards on the ground and allowed a punt return for a touchdown to lose their sixth straight game — 32-16 at Wembley Stadium. It’s the team’s longest losing streak since 1993.
NBA Leonard won’t play for Clippers to start season while rehabbing knee
Los Angeles Kawhi Leonard won’t play for the Los Angeles Clippers to start the season because of ongoing rehabilitation from inflammation in his right knee. That’s according to a report by ESPN, which cites unidentified sources saying that Leonard will be sidelined indefinitely.
Leonard hasn’t played during the preseason, which ended Thursday night at home against Sacramento. Leonard is attempting to stabilize his knee to the point where he would be available for potential postseason play.
CRICKET
New Zealand wins cricket’s Women’s T20 World Cup for 1st time
Dubai
New Zealand has won the Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time. It beat South Africa by 32 runs on Sunday after a standout performance from Amelia Kerr with bat and ball. South Africa’s chase was held to 126-9 in 20 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in reply to New Zealand’s 158-5 in the final of the 18-day tournament. Kerr top scored for New Zealand with a 38-ball 43 and also took 3-24 in her four overs. South Africa was also seeking to become a first-time champion.
thing, it was another. When we did complete the balls, guys had room to run, we had good plays, and we got drives going. When we were on, it was great, but we just had a couple of miscues.”
Witherspoon capitalized on the turnover on downs by capping off a three-minute drive with a 4-yard touchdown, giving Cummings a two-possession lead for the first time of the night with just six minutes left to play.
The Cavaliers’ defense forced another turnover on downs to hurt the Chargers’ chances at a comeback, and Witherspoon dug the hole even deeper with a 46yard sprint to the endzone that gave Cummings a 42-21 lead with just four minutes remaining.
Northwood wasn’t finished yet, though. The Chargers just needed one minute to get down the field and make it a two-possession game on a 21yard run to the outside by junior running back Robert Tripp.
Tripp was the Chargers’ most productive offensive weapon all night as he
rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns.
“We’re never out of the game with the players that we got,” Brown said. Northwood tried to steal a possession with the ensuing onside kick, but all of the excitement from recovering its own kick was quickly quieted with a controversial illegal touching penalty.
“The illegal touching on the onside kick was mighty close,” Brown said. “I thought we got the ball back. I thought we were good.”
Northwood, struggling to stop the bleeding all fourth quarter, needed the biggest stop of the season stay alive. But after Cummings used its rushing attack to drive down the field once again, Briskey put the final nail in the coffin with a 30-yard score, giving the Cavaliers a 49-28 lead with just over a minute left to play.
“We break down huddles on finish,” Brown said. “I told them there’s a difference in saying it and actually doing it. We’ve got to migrate and have an attitude, mentality and the action of finishing and not just say it. It’s just one of those things of actions over words.”
The Chargers, out of timeouts on its final possession, ran out of time and fell to 5-4 on the season and 5-2 in conference play.
Had Northwood pulled out the victory, it would’ve slid into the second-place spot in the conference standings and put itself in position for an automatic playoff bid.
The Chargers are still in good playoff standing, sitting at 24th in the 2A East RPI rankings as of Sunday, but they will likely travel to a tough opponent for the first round.
But after failing to rise to the occasion when it mattered Friday, the focus is to just finish the season on a positive note. Northwood will host Chatham Central Friday at 7 p.m. before its final home game against non-conference opponent Hoke County on Nov. 11.
“Next week at practice, we’ll focus on us and find the mentality of ‘finish’ and have an attitude of ‘finish’ so that we can win this game in the first round, second round, third round, fourth round, or whatever may be when these moments arise again,” Brown said.
Seaforth, Woods Charter take conference tourney titles
J-M soccer falls from first place
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
HERE’S A roundup of the key results, developments and conference standings from week 10 of the high school fall sports season in Chatham County:
Volleyball
At this point, it’s safe to say the Central Tar Heel 1A conference belongs to Woods Charter.
The Wolves capped off their second straight undefeated conference record with their fourth consecutive conference tournament title after beating Chatham Charter, 3-0, on Oct. 16. Woods Charter won each set by an average of about 12 points.
Senior Maya Sheridan led the way with 14 kills, and freshman Cecilia Brignati recorded 30 assists and five service aces.
And, what’s said about Woods Charter can be said about Seaforth in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference, too.
Back-to-back undefeated conference records led to backto-back conference tournament titles for the Hawks after sweeping North Moore on Oct. 16.
In a game in which every set was decided by at most eight points, Seaforth got big performances from sophomore Ally Forbes, who led the team with 13 kills, junior Josie Valgus and senior Maris Huneycutt, who both contributed 17 assists each.
Boys’ soccer
There’s been some chaos in the boys’ soccer landscape as the final stretch of the regular
season approaches. After beating North Moore, 7-2, on Oct. 14, Jordan-Matthews fell from the top spot in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference with 5-3 loss to Southeast Alamance on Oct. 16. Southeast Alamance’s Elio Anguiano recorded a hat trick
against the Jets, and goalkeeper Justin Whitfield finished the game with 14 saves. The Jets haven’t lost two conference games in a season since 2019. Seaforth inched closer to the third-place spot with a 3-1 win over Northwood.
Five Star Equipment Auction
As of Sunday, Jordan-Matthews, Seaforth and Woods Charter are the only county teams in position to make their respective playoffs based on the RPI standings. Woods Charter’s consecutive losses to Franklin Academy and Ascend Leadership during the week didn’t help its potential playoff seeding, though.
Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings (as of Sunday): 1. Southeast Alamance (12-6, 8-1); 2. Jordan-Matthews (126, 8-2); 3. Graham (12-3-2, 4-21); 4. Seaforth (6-7-3, 4-2-2); 5. Northwood (4-8-2, 2-6-1); 6. North Moore (2-8, 1-6); 7. Cummings (4-8, 1-8) Central Tar Heel 1A conference standings (as of Sunday): 1. Triangle Math and Science (8-5-2, 8-0-1); 2. Clover Garden School (9-8, 7-2); 3. River Mill (7-7-2, 5-3-2); 4. Ascend Leadership (6-6-1, 4-4); 5. Woods Charter (5-7-1, 3-4-1); 6. Southern Wake Academy (4-9, 2-7); 7. Chatham Charter (0-15, 0-9) 1A East RPI standings (as of Sunday): 25. Woods Charter; 39. Chatham Charter 2A East RPI standings (as of Sunday): 14. Jordan-Matthews; 22. Seaforth; 34. Northwood Girls’ tennis
Chatham County’s qualifiers for the state singles and doubles tournaments: 1A doubles: Mak Allen and Maggie Moody (Chatham Charter)
2A singles: Lily McFall (Seaforth, first place finish in 2A Mideast regional tournament), Ella Gentel (Seaforth)
2A doubles: Bailey Shadoan and Claire Coady (Seaforth) Girls’ golf
Results from the Mid-Caro -
STEELERS from page B1
later than he would have preferred, Wilson offered proof he’s not close to finished during a 37-15 victory over Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Sunday night. Wilson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score. He completed 16 of 29 passes for 264 yards, shaking off some early rust and ignoring the boos and brief chants for Fields when the offense sputtered in the first half. An 11-yard lob to George Pickens for a touchdown late in the first half allowed Wilson to exhale.
“I was like, ‘There’s going to be a lot more of these I believe,’” Wilson said.
While there weren’t any more scores to Pickens, there was a 1-yard touchdown run on a sneak in the third quarter and a 4-yard flip to Van Jefferson in the fourth as Pittsburgh (5-2) topped 30 points in consecutive weeks for the first time since early in the 2020 season.
lina 1A/2A conference tournament on Oct 15: North Moore (320); 2. Southeast Alamance (328); 3. Seaforth (336); 4. Northwood (352); 5. Chatham Central (353); 6. Graham (366) Cross-country
Seaforth’s boys and girls cross-country teams won their fourth straight Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference titles at the conference championship meet hosted by North Moore on Oct. 15. On the boys’ side, Seaforth senior Jack Anstrom won his fourth consecutive individual conference title with a time of 17 minutes, eight seconds. Northwood senior Julia Hall took the girls’ title with a time of 20:39. Woods Charter’s girls won their fourth straight Central Tar Heel 1A conference title at the championship meet hosted by Southern Wake Academy on Oct. 14. Woods Charter senior Anna Peeler won her second consecutive conference championship with a time of 22:05.10. Full team results from the conference championship meets: Mid-Carolina 1A/2A
Boys: 1. Seaforth; 2. Northwood; 3. Southeast Alamance; 4. North Moore; 5. Jordan-Matthews Girls: 1. Seaforth; 2. Northwood; 3. Southeast Alamance; 4. North Moore; 5. Jordan-Matthews
Central Tar Heel 1A Boys: 1. Triangle Math and Science; 2. Woods Charter; 3. Chatham Charter; 4. Southern Wake Academy; 5. Ascend Leadership; 6. Clover Garden School Girls: 1. Woods Charter; 2. Triangle Math and Science
not good enough and it starts with me and the coaching staff and goes down to every single player on this team. We can all give more and we will give more.”
New York will have to if it wants to get back into contention in the AFC East. Rodgers passed for 276 yards with a touchdown and connected with Adams three times for 30 yards, but also had two passes intercepted by rookie cornerback Beanie Bishop and the Steelers turned those into game-turning scores.
Russell Wilson
“We’re just right on that edge of getting really good and being great,” Wilson said. “We’ve got to keep searching for that edge, learning and studying and spending the time on it.”
Though he’s not quite in the “Let Russ Cook” era of his prime, Wilson looked more than capable in front of a packed crowd that included Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Pittsburgh ripped off the game’s final 31 points after spotting the Jets a 15-6 lead.
“We’re doing some good things and the reality is that there’s so much more out there and we’ll get better as we go,” Wilson said. “We’ll keep working but to be where we are is a good place.”
The Jets (2-5), not so much.
New York’s retooled offense — which now includes Davante Adams, who was reunited with Rodgers this week after being acquired in a trade with Las Vegas — couldn’t keep up the Jets dropped their fourth consecutive game and seond under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.
“That game, especially that second half, that’s not who this team is,” Ulbrich said. “That’s
The Jets were up nine and had a chance to extend their lead in the first half when Bishop stepped in front of Rodgers’ pass intended for Garrett Wilson at midfield for his first career interception. Pickens first touchdown of the season soon followed.
Chris Boswell kicked the third of three field goals midway through the third quarter to put the Steelers in front when Bishop struck again.
Rodgers tried to hit Garrett Wilson down the left sideline on New York’s next possession, but the ball bounced off Wilson and into Bishop’s hands. Bishop raced to the Jets 1, only failing to score because a sprinting Adams chased him down just short of the goal line.
No matter, Wilson bulled his way into the end zone on the next play. A scoring toss to Jefferson early in the fourth gave the Steelers the kind of breathing room that’s been rare the last handful of seasons for a team that has played more onescore games than anyone since the start of 2021.
Tomlin raised some eyebrows earlier in the week when he opted to turn to Wilson over Fields, who had racked up 10 touchdowns (five passing, five rushing) against just one turnover in six starts. Tomlin’s reasoning was simple: The Steelers had been good, but “not to be confused with great.” Asked afterward how challenging it was to give the starting job to Wilson in the face of Fields’ play, Tomlin smiled.
“That’s why I’m well compensated,” the NFL’s longest-tenured coach said before walking away.
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Woods Charter freshman Cecilia Brignati (4) helped lead the Wolves to a win over Chatham Charter
Cold case unit stays busy in ‘The Waiting’
It’s the sixth book in Michael Connelly’s series
By Bruce DeSilva
The Associated Press
IT’S EARLY morning in Southern California, and Renee Ballard, director of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Open-Unsolved Unit, is where she most loves to be. She is surfing, and she’s darned good at it. After a final session on the waves, she returns to the parking lot and discovers that someone has broken into her car and stolen her badge and gun.
Protocol requires her to report this, but Ballard has more than her share of enemies in the department. She can’t afford to give them ammunition to take her down, so she breaks the rules and sets out alone to search for the thief and get her stuff back.
It is an especially bad time for Renee Ballard to be distracted by her own problem because her unit is in the middle of two huge cases in “The Waiting,” the sixth thriller in Michael Connelly’s fine Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch series.
LITTLE, BROWN & CO. VIA AP
“The Waiting” is the sixth thriller in Michael Connelly’s fine Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch series.
For starters, a DNA check on a 24-year-old arrested on an unrelated charge has identified him as the son of the Pillowcase Rapist who terrorized the Los Angeles area for years before going silent in 2005. It turns out that the young man was raised by a politically connected Superior Court judge who may or may
not be the biological father. Meanwhile, rookie patrol officer Maddie Bosch, daughter of Harry Bosch, who once ran the Open-Unsolved unit, has joined Ballard’s team. She arrives with stunning evidence that may hold the key to solving the city’s most infamous unsolved murder — the brutal 1947 slaying of Elizabeth Short, also known as The Black Dahlia.
As if that were not enough, Ballard’s hunt for her badge and gun uncovers a plot to use them in an imminent terrorist attack. To foil that, she enlists the help of her old friend and convalescing cancer patient Harry, the protagonist of 20 previous Connelly novels.
Despite having to navigate the byzantine politics of the city’s justice system, including meddling higher-ups and an intransigent prosecutor, Ballard and her team ultimately win the day. The multiple plot lines are suspenseful and unfold at a torrid pace, and as usual in a Connelly novel, the prose is tight, and the characters are compelling and welldrawn. “The Waiting” is the habitually best-selling author at the top of his game.
Dawn E. Kleinman,
this week in history
Shootout at the O.K. Corral, Sir Walter Raleigh executed, “War of the Worlds” frightened thousands
OCT. 24
1537: Jane Seymour, the third wife of England’s King Henry VIII, died 12 days after giving birth to Prince Edward, later King Edward VI. 1861: The first transcontinental telegraph message was sent by Chief Justice Stephen J. Field of California from San Francisco to President Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C. 1945: The United Nations formally came into existence as the Charter of the United Nations, ratified by 29 nations, took effect.
OCT. 25
1929: Former Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall was convicted of accepting bribes in exchange for oil field leases at Teapot Dome in Wyoming and Elk Hills and Buena Vista oil fields in California as a result of the “Teapot Dome Scandal.” 1859: Radical abolitionist John Brown was tried in Charles Town, Virginia, for his failed raid on Harpers Ferry.
OCT. 26
1774: The First Continent al Congress adjourned in Philadelphia.
1825: The Erie Canal opened in upstate New York, connecting Lake Erie and the Hudson River.
1881: Four lawmen, including Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, exchanged gunfire with five outlaws, killing three of them, at the “Shootout at the O.K. Corral” in Tombstone, Arizona.
OCT. 27
1787: The first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the United States Constitution, was published.
1914: Author-poet Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales.
2004: The Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in four games.
2013: Lou Reed of the Velvet Underground died at age 71.
OCT. 28
1636: The General Court of Massachusetts passed a legislative act establishing Harvard College.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Eisa Davis combine for thrilling ‘Warriors’ album
The “Hamilton” creator’s latest venture co-opts the 1979 film
The Associated Press
THE PERILOUS journey home — it’s a tale as old as “The Iliad.” Now it’s a dynamic concept album starring hip-hop legends, Broadway belters and, of all things, the New York subway system.
“Warriors,” built on the 1979 cult classic movie, is an inventive song cycle by “Hamilton” mastermind Lin-Manuel Miranda and Pulitzer finalist Eisa Davis, an album that has deployed musical talent brilliantly to tell another story of going home at the intersection of musical theater and popular music.
The movie — based on a book by Sol Yurick — follows the street gang the Warriors as they make their way from The Bronx to their home turf of Coney Island in Brooklyn while being hunted by rivals, gangs and cops. The subway is almost a character, the main mode of transport, acting as the city’s artery.
Miranda and Davis have kept the bones of the story but made strategic changes in genders, like making the Warriors all women, played by theater vets Kenita Miller, Sasha Hutchings, Phillipa Soo, Aneesa Folds, Am-
ber Gray, Gizel Jiménez, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Julia Harriman. They all give it an extra buzz, beautifully emotional in just a few words.
Surrounding them is an astonishing list of artists playing various parts — Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Billy Porter, Ghostface Killah, RZA, Marc Anthony, Colman Domingo, Cam’ron, Shenseea and Joshua Henry, among them. In some inspired casting, James Remar and David Patrick Kelly — both veterans of the movie — are recast here as cops.
“This is the sound of something being born,” Chris Rivers thrillingly raps at the top of the album representing The Bronx. Don’t you want to hear Nas rep-
solutions
ping Queens and Busta Rhymes as Brooklyn? The album is worth streaming alone just for that. Or for the chance to hear Hill sing “Can you dig it?”
Miranda and Davis offer a musical journey along with their narrative one — the sounds of salsa, ska, agro-rock, boy band, pop, old-school rap and even K-pop. Spanish and Korean mixes with the English. It’s a diverse buffet reflecting New York.
Some of the 26 tracks are fragments, some hushed, others fully formed and some hysterical, as with “We Got You,” a seductive love song delivered by a male gang wearing cardigans.
“Quiet Girls” — featuring a fierce Porter — is a feminist anthem and “A Light or Somethin’” is a gorgeous love song for our times. The three-part finale is a gloriously messy, eight-minute ride through a eulogy.
“Warriors” is a portrait of a mean, tough city with determined residents bound together by frustration with their transit system.
“Takin’ a train to a boat to another train?!” the gangs sing in unison and astonishment on “I Survive the Night,” an electric opening number that’s a theatrical setting of the table. The creators have said they have no plans for a stage version, and you can hear why: It’s all on the album already.
Take a trip with them — it’s a great ride.
FRED JEWELL / AP PHOTO
Lou Reed, legendary musician and founding member of the Velvet Underground, died on Oct. 27, 2013. He was 71.
1726: The original edition of “Gulliver’s Travels,” a satirical novel by Jonathan Swift, was first published.
1858: Rowland Hussey Macy opened his first New York store at Sixth Avenue and 14th Street in Manhattan.
1886: The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, was dedicated in New York Harbor by President Grover Cleveland.
1922: Fascism came to Italy as Benito Mussolini took control of the government.
2022: Tesla CEO Elon Musk took control of Twitter
for $44 billion after a protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty.
OCT. 29
1618: Sir Walter Raleigh, the English courtier, military adventurer and poet, was executed in London for treason.
1787: The opera “Don Giovanni” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had its world premiere in Prague.
1929: “Black Tuesday” descended on the New York Stock Exchange. Prices collapsed amid panic selling and thousands of investors were wiped out as America’s Great Depression began.
OCT. 30
1885: Poet Ezra Pound was born in Hailey, Idaho.
1938: The radio play “The War of the Worlds,” starring Orson Welles, aired on CBS.
1961: The Soviet Union tested a hydrogen bomb, the “Tsar Bomba,” with a force estimated at 50 megatons.
1974: Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman in the eighth round of a 15-round boxing match in Kinshasa, Zaire, known as the “Rumble in the Jungle” to regain his world heavyweight title.
One of the last Navajo Code Talkers from World War II
The passing of John Kinsel Sr. means only two code talkers remain alive
The Associated Press
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — John Kinsel Sr., one of the last remaining Navajo Code Talkers who transmitted messages during World War II based on the tribe’s native language, has died. He was 107.
Navajo Nation officials in Window Rock announced Kinsel’s death on Saturday.
Tribal President Buu Nygren has ordered all flags on the reservation to be flown at half-staff until Oct. 27 at sunset to honor Kinsel.
“Mr. Kinsel was a Marine who bravely and selflessly fought for all of us in the most terrifying circumstances with the greatest responsibility as a Navajo Code Talker,” Nygren said in a statement Sunday.
With Kinsel’s death, only two Navajo Code Talkers are still alive: Former Navajo Chairman Peter MacDonald and Thomas H. Begay.
Hundreds of Navajos were recruited by the Marines to serve as Code Talkers during
dies at 107
the war, transmitting messages based on their unwritten native language. They confounded Japanese military cryptologists during World War II and participated in all assaults the Marines led in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945, including at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu and Iwo Jima.
The Code Talkers sent thousands of messages without error on Japanese troop movements, battlefield tactics and other communications crucial to the war’s ultimate outcome. Kinsel was born in Cove, Arizona, and lived in the Navajo community of Lukachukai. He enlisted in the Marines in 1942 and became an elite Code Talker, serving with the 9th Marine Regiment and the 3rd Marine Division during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
President Ronald Reagan established Navajo Code Talkers Day in 1982 and the Aug. 14 holiday honors all the tribes associated with the war effort.
The day is an Arizona state holiday and Navajo Nation holiday on the vast reservation that occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico and southeastern Utah.
ATLANTIC RECORDS VIA AP
“Warriors” by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis is built on the 1979 cult classic movie.
famous birthdays this week
Henry
SHOTWELL / INVISION VIA AP
Recently retired “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak turns 78 on Saturday.
Pat Sajak turns 78, Julia Roberts hits 57, Henry Winkler is 79
OCT. 24
Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman is 88. Actor Kevin Kline is 77. Actor B.D. Wong is 64. Rapper-actor Drake is 38.
OCT. 25
Actor Marion Ross is 96. Singer Jon Anderson (Yes) is 80. Singer Taffy Nivert of Starland Vocal Band is 80. Actor Nancy Cartwright (“The Simpsons”) is 67. Singer Katy Perry is 40.
OCT. 26
Former “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak is 78. Guitarist Keith Strickland of the B-52′s is 71. Actor-singer Rita Wilson is 68. Actor Dylan McDermott is 63. Singer Natalie Merchant is 61. Country singer Keith Urban is 57. Writer-actor Seth McFarlane (“Family Guy”) is 51.
OCT. 27
Actor-comedian John Cleese is 85. Country singer Lee Greenwood is 82.
OCT. 28
Actor Jane Alexander is 85. Actor Dennis Franz is 80. Caitlyn Jenner is 75. Actor Annie Potts is 72. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is 69. Actor Jami Gertz is 59. Actor Julia Roberts is 57. Country singer-musician Caitlin Cary is 56. Actor Joaquin Phoenix is 50.
OCT. 29
Actor Richard Dreyfuss is 77.
Actor Kate Jackson is 76. Actor Dan Castellaneta (“The Simpsons”) is 67. Actor Winona Ryder is 53.
OCT. 30
Singer Otis Williams of The Temptations is 83. Actor Henry Winkler is 79. TV journalist Andrea Mitchell is 78. Bassist Timothy B. Schmit of The Eagles (and Poco) is 77. Actor Leon Rippy (“Saving Grace”) is 75. Actor Harry Hamlin is 73. Actor Kevin Pollak is 67.
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CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO
Julia Roberts speaks during the 39th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Oct. 19. The actor turns 57 on Monday.
RICHARD SHOTWELL/INVISION VIA AP
Actor
Winkler, pictured in 2018, turns 79 on Wednesday.
RICHARD
the stream
Springsteen doc captures life on tour, Halsey drops album, ‘Trap’ hits Max
Billy Crystal stars in a new series, “Before,” for Apple TV+
The Associated Press
THE BOSS shines in the documentary “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” and Billy Crystal stars in a new series for Apple TV+ called “Before.” These are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time include Halsey’s fifth studio album and the return of “Special Ops: Lioness.”
MOVIES TO STREAM
One of the documentary standouts of the Sundance Film Festival, “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” packs an emotional wallop. The film, which won both the audience award and the directing award for documentary at Sundance, is Mats Steen, a quadriplegic Norwegian who died from a degenerative disorder at age 25. After his death, his parents discovered their son’s life was far richer than they had imagined. To a wide “World of Warcraft” community, Steen was Ibelin Redwood, a cherished virtual friend. Much of the film, directed by Benjamin Ree (“The Painter and the Thief”), is told through “War of Warcraft”-style animation and starts streaming Friday on Netflix. There hasn’t been a shortage of Bruce Springsteen documentaries in recent years, but “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band” (streaming Friday on Disney+ and Hulu) is still a notable addition to the ever-expanding cottage industry of all things Bruce. The film is directed by Thom Zimny, who was also behind the docs “Western Stars” and “Springsteen on Broadway.” This one candidly captures the band on their 202324 tour with archival footage mixed in.
The M. Night Shyamalan-produced thriller “Caddo Lake” has been popular on Max lately, and the filmmaker’s own film, “Trap,” will join it on Friday. In “Trap,” Josh Hartnett stars as a serial killer who takes his teenage daughter to an arena pop star concert.
MUSIC TO STREAM
In June, Halsey revealed she’d been privately battling both systemic lupus emphysematous (SLE, the most common form of
lupus) and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder since 2022. On Friday, she’ll release her fifth studio album, “The Great Impersonator,” written and recorded in that time, what she’s publicly referred to as “the space between life and death.” Lyrically, the album touches on those themes — and musically, it is a great return to form for Halsey, an exploration of the music she deeply loves, done in her own fashion. There’s the interpolation of Britney Spears on “Lucky,” the shoegaze-meetsnu-metal “Lonely is the Muse,” the pop-punky “Ego” and the folky “The End.” Also on Friday, Andrea Bocelli — arguably the world’s most recognizable tenor — will release a new album of duets, simply titled “Duets,” on the 30th anniversary of his debut album, 1994’s “Il Mare Calmo della Sera.” Bocelli tackles his best-known hits, now with new singing partners: Sarah Brightman on “Time to Say Goodbye,” Jennifer Lopez on “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás,” Céline Dion on “The Prayer,” and so on. It’s all A-listers here: Ed Sheeran, Gwen Stefani, Chris Staple-
ton, Marc Anthony, Karol G and more make an appearance. Country-pop star Kelsea Ballerini is in love. But her fifth studio album, “Patterns,” is no “happy-go-lucky, mushy, gushy record,” as she told The Associated Press earlier this summer. Instead, her album examines a breadth of human experience, specifically what she’s identified as “learning how to go from fighting with something or with someone, to fighting for something or for someone.” It’s a lofty goal, one she manages with ease across songs like “Sorry Mom,” a swaying, guitar-pop confessional with intergenerational appeal. Banjos and beat drops appear here, too, in equal measure.
SHOWS TO STREAM
Another popular video game is getting the live-action treatment. “Like a Dragon: Yakuza” is based on a Sega game released in 2005. It follows a powerful gangster named Kazuma Kiryu (Ryoma Takeuchi), who has a good heart and strong moral conviction — despite his ties to the mob. Kiryu’s story unfolds in two timelines: 1995 when he first gets
drawn into the yakuza and in 2005 as a made man. The series debuts on Prime Video on Thursday with subtitles and dubbed versions. Social media star Nadia Caterina Munno, a chef known as The Pasta Queen, now has her own travel food show with the same name. Munno takes viewers on a tour of Italy and then into the kitchen, where she demonstrates how to make authentic Italian dishes with fresh ingredients.
“The Pasta Queen” drops Thursday on Prime Video. Billy Crystal stars in a new series for Apple TV+, “Before,” about a man grieving the death of his wife. A child therapist, Crystal’s Eli, finds himself drawn to a young boy (played by Jacobi Jupe) whom he realizes may carry past trauma that could help his own. The show also stars Judith Light and Rosie Perez. It premieres Friday on the streamer. The Peabody Award-winning “Somebody Somewhere” starring Bridget Everett returns for its third and final season Sunday on HBO and Max. Everett plays Sam, a single woman who has found her people in a group of
misfits in the Midwestern town of Manhattan, Kansas.
Taylor Sheridan’s CIA show called “Special Ops: Lioness” returns for its second season Sunday on Paramount+. Zoe Saldaña plays a CIA operative named Joe who recruits young females to infiltrate terrorist organizations in a secret program called Lioness. Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Dave Annable and Laysla De Oliveira all are back for season two.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
Activision’s venerable Call of Duty franchise has, for the most part, offered a rah-rah attitude about U.S. military might. Things get weirder in the Black Ops spinoffs, which have presented a loopy, paranoid history of geopolitical shenanigans from the Cold War to 2065. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 takes us to the 1990s. The Gulf War is breaking out, but Marine vet Frank Woods and his team have a bigger problem: The CIA has been taken over by a shadowy cabal that wants them dead. Answer the call Friday on Xbox X/S/One, PlayStation 5/4 or PC.
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” “Somebody, Somewhere” and the new series “Before” are streaming this week.
CHARLES SYKES / AP PHOTO
Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt attend the premiere of “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” streaming Friday on Disney+ and Hulu.