Chatham News & Record Vol. 147, Issue 11

C HATHAM NEWS &

Dept of Ed renews FAFSA push

Though close to 9 million FAFSA college nancial aid forms have been submitted, many students have yet to ll out the form.

The US Department of Education is rolling out a new campaign to encourage lling out the form, providing funding to schools, nonpro ts and community organizations to boost FAFSA awareness and submissions.

The department says it has made “signi cant progress” to address issues with the new FAFSA form, with most schools sending student aid o ers ahead of upcoming admissions deadlines.

Previously, North Carolina public colleges, including App State and the UNC system, extended admission deadlines to May 15 after widespread issues with the FAFSA form.

Red Cross urges hurricane prep

This is National Hurricane Preparedness Week, the American Red Cross reminds us.

With hurricane season starting June 1, the organization recommends putting together an evacuation plan, including what to do with pets and how to help stranded family members.

An emergency kit with a gallon of water per person, per day, non-perishable food, a ashlight, batterypowered radio, rst aid kit, medications, supplies for an infant and pets if applicable, a multi-purpose tool, personal hygiene items, copies of important papers, cell phone chargers, extra cash, blankets, maps of the area and emergency contact information is also strongly recommended.

A Red Cross smartphone app is also available on the App Store, complete with information on Red Cross shelter locations.

Red Cross seeking volunteers

In addition to reminding people to be prepared, the Red Cross is also seeking volunteers to help during disasters.

The agency is looking for people to provide shelter support, health services (from professional license holders including RN, LPN, EMT, MD, and others), and the more locally-focused disaster action team that focuses on house res and other smaller emergencies. Visit redcross.org/ volunteertoday for more information.

The Chatham County Sheri ’s O ce sent a number of deputies to the

Ceremony in Statesville Tuesday morning. The ceremony carried an

deaths of a US Marshal, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department o cer and

last week. Representing CCSO was, from left to right, Deputy Reggie Gri n, Chief Deputy Steve Maynor, Deputy Willie Bell, Captain Phillip Richard, and Deputy Jason Kane.

Chapel Hill and Carrboro council members condemned the “overreaction” by UNC administrators

By Jordan Golson and A.P. Dillon Chatham News & Record

THE ARRESTS of protesters at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill last week ignited a dispute between local elected ofcials and the District Attorney’s o ce.

In a joint statement, seven members of the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Town Councils condemned what they called an

“overreaction by the UNC administration” in arresting peaceful protesters. The councilmembers, who noted that local police were not involved in the action, believe UNC created an environment that “inevitably resulted in an escalation of force, including the use of pepper spray against its own students.”

The statement urged UNC to follow recently published ACLU guidance on protecting free speech and academic freedom. It also called on District Attorney Je rey Nieman, who represents both Chatham and Orange County to dismiss the charges against those arrested and prioritize restorative justice.

DA Nieman responded sharply,

The 2025 budget calls for a two cent tax increase

“This budget… says that we believe in ourselves, we have hope for tomorrow and we are not going to x it all, but we are con dent.”

Council member Camille Berry

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

THE TOWN of Chapel Hill Council met Wednesday, May 1 for its regular business meeting, with the primary goal being consideration of the budget for scal 2024-25.

The proposed budget totals $156,259,106, a 4% increase from the prior year’s budget.

The new budget also calls for a two-cent increase in the tax rate, raising it to a total rate of $0.592.

“I’m concerned about the cumulative impacts on this community and the general a ordability for people to be here,” said Mayor Pro Tem Amy Ryan on the proposed tax increase. “There’s not an easy answer to that but I want to make sure that as we move forward, we really understand what sustainability means.”

There will be a public hearing on the budget at the council’s May 15 meeting.

“This budget, for me, says that we believe in ourselves, we have hope for tomorrow and we are not going to x it all, but we are con dent,” said Councilmember Camille Berry.

Moving on to other business, the council also approved a text amendment to the stormwater management requirements to implement greater regulations in regards to increased precipitation frequency and intensity being experienced as a result of climate change.

saying that while he understood the o cials’ desire to speak out, “a prosecutorial decision should never be made prior to collection and thorough review of all the relevant evidence.” He noted that evidence was still being compiled, making it impossible for anyone to determine how best to proceed. Nieman said 36 individuals face charges ranging from 2nd degree trespass to assault on a government o cial, and pledged to make decisions on prosecution only after receiving and reviewing all evidence. “Our o ce remains committed to our core responsibility of public safety,” he stated. “Peaceful and lawful protesters, as well as law enforcement o cials carrying out their duties,

have the right to these activities free from violence.”

Chapel Hill Mayor Jessica Anderson acknowledged the di culty of the situation in remarks at a city council meeting. While rea rming the town’s support for free speech and peaceful assembly, she emphasized the need to ensure public safety. “We will continue to do our best in navigating this stressful and di cult time,” Anderson said.

The protests centered around the ongoing con ict in Gaza. Despite di ering views on solutions, the mayor said the community shared common goals, including an end to violence, the return of hostages, humanitarian aid for Gaza, and lasting peace.

A reported 15 students have been suspended by the university

By Jordan Golson and A.P. Dillon Chatham News & Record

UNC-CHAPEL HILL is dealing with threats from some faculty and graduate teaching assistants to withhold grades as part of a protest over the university’s treatment of student protesters and the reported suspension of more than a dozen students.

“The provost’s o ce will support sanctions for any instructor who is found to have improperly withheld grades, but it is our hope we can resolve this matter amicably and without harm to students,” declared a missive sent to deans and department chairs from UNC-Chapel Hill Provost Chris Clemens and Graduate School Dean Beth Mayer-Davis. “It would be a disservice to all of you and to the institution if a minority of instructors were to damage the trust we hold with our students by

withholding grades.”

In a post on X, Congressman and attorney general candidate Dan Bishop (R-NC) said any professor withholding grades “should be red immediately,” and, were he attorney general, he would sue for “a mandatory injunction commanding disclosure of the concealed grades and surrender of the record(s) of them.”

A letter to the university from faculty, students, alumni and community members expressing support to the administration’s decision to suspend protesters has received close to 1,500 signatures. In all, some 15 students have been suspended from UNC-Chapel Hill because of

PHOTO COURTESY CHATHAM COUNTY SHERIFF’S

protest-related activities, and the Students for Justice in Palestine organization at the university received an interim suspension.

The university has yet to name any of the suspended students or any of the other arrests made on April 30.

UNC-Chapel Hill made worldwide news last week when protesters took down the American ag from a campus agpole, only to have a group of fraternity brothers move in to keep the ag from touching the ground.

More than $500,000 was raised in a GoFundMe to “throw a rager” for the students who protected the ag, though it’s not clear where that money will go or even who controls it.

Chatham seeks community input on opioid funds

$5 million grant to be discussed at public events in Pittsboro and Siler City

By Robert Owens For Chatham News & Record

FIVE MILLION dollars has been allocated to Chatham County from the National Opioid Settlement, and county ofcials are working to send the money to where it will do the most good and start repairing harm from the opioid epidemic.

“Each day, 11 North Carolinans died of opioid overdoses, and we’ve lost nearly 100 people to overdoses since 2020 here in Chatham. The National Opioid Settlement funds are a wonderful opportunity to repair the harm caused by the opioid crisis and build a healthier future.” said Morgan Culver, Opioid Overdose Prevention Coordinator for the Chatham County Public Health Department, in a statement.

The funding, which came from a 2021 settlement with opioid manufacturers, started being disbursed in 2022 and is currently being used to

fund treatment and recovery programs, as well as harm reduction training and related medical services. Payments are supposed to be delivered over a total of 18 years.

Under the Sheri ’s Prevention Partnership on Controlled Substances, a coalition of public health, law enforcement and other agencies are brought together to manage the funds, ensuring they’re used strategically and to deliver a long term reduction in death and injury from opioid abuse.

“With more than $5 million allocated from the National Opioid Settlement, Chatham County is able to make important strides in combating substance abuse and safe-

Oxycodone pills from a prescription bottle.

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@ chathamnewsrecord.com

Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

guarding lives,” said Chatham Sheri Mike Roberson. “Looking ahead, we anticipate expanding our program’s scope to encompass mental health initiatives, as well as addressing vaping and other non-opioid drug use that may contribute to opioid addiction.”

The county’s public health department is particularly eager to hear from community members a ected by opioid abuse.

Multiple public events will be hosted over the next few weeks, including one on May 14 in Pittsboro, at the Chatham Community Library from 6 to 8 p.m., and one in Siler City, at the Wren Memorial Library, on May 18 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Chatham County:

May 11

Emergency Preparedness Day

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The Apex Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is sponsoring an Emergency Preparedness Day for the communities of Wake, Chatham, and Lee Counties and its members. The event will be held at 590 Bryan Dr. Apex. Come join us for hands-on and engaging classes and workshops including a chainsaw safety and operations workshop, Family First Aid, Food Storage and Preparation, How to Build a Family Emergency Preparedness Plan, How to Build a Congregational Emergency Preparedness Plan, and How to Build a 72-Hour Kit.

Exceptional Strides for Exceptional Students 5k 9:30 a.m.

For the second year bringing our community together for a 5K in support of our students with disabilities in Chatham County Schools. Will be held at Northwood High School on the cross-country trail with a fun run on the track for younger children and people who require a shorter distance or contained area. Wheelchairs are welcome in the fun run and 100-meter dash. (No dogs allowed.)

May 13

Goldston Homeschool Hangout

10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Homeschool families are invited to join Goldston Public Library on Monday, March 11th for a session full of fun activities, idea sharing, and socializing with other fellow homeschoolers. March’s homeschool session activity will demonstrate how to make invisible ink. For more information, contact the library at (919) 898-4522 or goldston.library@ chathamlibraries.org.

UNC, from page A1

MARK LENNIHAN / AP PHOTO

Bystander’s role changing in era of livestreaming

The Charlotte stando was an illustration of how social media has changed a crisis situation

By Erik Verduzco and Leah Willingham The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Saing

Chhoeun was locked out of his Charlotte home on Monday as law enforcement with high-powered ri es descended into his yard and garage, using a car as a shield as they were met with a shower of gun re from the direction of his neighbor’s house.

As bullets ew just feet away, Chhoeun took out his phone and started livestreaming the stando between o cials and a man wanted for possession of a rearm by an ex-felon and eeing to elude.

By the end of the ordeal, ve people — four o cers and the shooter — were dead and more injured in the deadliest single-day incident for U.S. law enforcement since 2016.

The deadly shootout also illustrated how smartphone-wielding bystanders don’t always run for cover when bullets start to y. Increasingly, they look to livestream their perspective of the attack. Experts say the reaction re ects the new role that bystanders play in the age of smartphones.

“It’s become sort of a social norm,” said Karen North, a digital social media professor at the University of Southern California Annenberg.

Humans always have had trouble de ning the responsibilities of a bystander in a crisis situation, North said. It’s not always safe to intervene, as with the situation in Charlotte, and people can feel helpless when they’re doing nothing. Social media has provided a third option.

The “new responsibility of the bystander” in the digital era is to take a record of what hap -

pened on their phones, she said.

“It used to be, ‘If you see something, say something,’” North said. “Now, it’s, ‘If you see something, start recording.’”

Chhoeun had been about to leave for work when U.S. marshals blocked his driveway and he was forced to huddle for safety in his garage, his keys in the ignition of his truck. He crouched by the door knocking for his son to let him in with one hand and recording with the other.

Chhoeun said he never would have risked his life to shoot a video if he hadn’t been locked outside. But since he was, he thought: “I might just live it, you know, get everybody in the world to see also that I’ve witnessed that. I didn’t see that coming.”

Rissa Reign, a youth coordinator who lives in the neighborhood, said she was cleaning her house when she heard gun re and walked out to nd out what was happening. She began recording when she heard sirens, thinking she would share the video to Charlit, a Facebook group with 62,000 members where res-

idents post about news and events. She had no idea how serious the situation had become until a SWAT vehicle pulled up behind her.

“Once we were out there, it was, ‘Oh, no. This is an active situation,’” she said. “And the next thing you know, you’re in the middle of something way bigger than what you thought.”

Reign saw livestreaming as a way to keep the community informed, she said.

“Seeing that really puts things in perspective and lets you know that is really real, not just reading it or hearing about it in the news,” she said of the live stream video. “When you really see it, you can, you know, you know that it’s real.”

In Chhoeun’s video, two agents can be seen sheltering behind a vehicle. Another agent is shown by a fence in his yard, dropping to the ground as what appear to be bullets spray the area around him.

“It was so, so sad for law enforcement,” he said. “I know they are not choosing to die on my backyard, but just do their job. And that’s what happened to them, left their family behind.”

COUNCIL , from page A1

quiring treatment, adds 100year standard and 24-hour storm event to peak rate requirements and will apply these to conditional zoning and major special use permits,

Finally, the council approved an updated tra c calming policy.

“Sta ’s primary goal for this update was to make the process more data-driven than complaint-driven,” said Mobility and Greenways Manager Bergen Watterson. “We wanted to take the onus o of residents and have it be more of a sta -driven process” and the policy would also include a visual appendix of tra c calming features to make it easier to understand.

“The old policy was really reactive to resident’s complaints and concerns. Once the complaint was received, the resident had to get wet signatures from two-thirds of the residents in the identi ed service area and once we received that petition, it would kickstart the data collection process,” said Watterson. “There’s now no petition process for the residents and in the new policy, there’s very clear thresholds for review.”

The new policy will focus more on traffic circles, chicanes and bump outs and will mostly do away with speed humps and tables.

In other business, the council met on April 26 and May 3 in order to further discuss a potential bond referendum package.

After discussion, the council landed on a goal to bring a $50.5 million bond referendum, the most that can be brought forth without raising taxes, before voters on the Nov. 2024 ballot.

“In scal year 2009, the town established a debt fund as a best practice to manage our debt,” said business management director Amy Oland. “It’s essentially a dedicated source of revenues, currently 8.8 cents of our tax rate, that we can count on to make our existing debt service payments and to build a capacity to take on more debt in the future.”

Of the $50.5 million, $6.5 million will go towards police, re and parking expenses and the remaining $44 million will be split across a number of categories that voters can show support for.

The referendum would also be distributed over three issuances: $10-15 million in 2025, 2027 and 2029/2030.

It’s important to note that neither meeting was a formal business meeting so no o cial action has been taken or approved in regards to the referendum bond.

The Chapel Hill Town Council will next meet May 15.

April 28

• Dylan Bryant Fleming, 29, of Siler City, was arrested for possessing a weapon of mass destruction, child abuse, driving while impaired, DWLR not impaired revoked, reckless driving wanton disregard, expired registration, operating a vehicle with no insurance, and failing to secure a passenger under 16. He was issued a $15,000 secured bond.

April 29

• Brent Aubrey Reives, 43, of Siler City, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny. He was held on a 48-hour hold.

• Blaine Ivey Rhodes, 28, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for interfering with an electronic monitoring device. He was issued a written promise to appear.

• Michael Alan Phillips, 51, of Moncure, was arrested for breaking or entering. He was

issued a written promise to appear.

• Brandy Dawn Whitman, 42, of Cary, was arrested for breaking or entering. She was issued a written promise to appear.

Trahern Xavier Chaplin, 38, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for failure to appear. He was issued a $500 secured bond.

May 1

• April Bernarda Hooker, 49, of Burlington, was arrested for larceny of a motor vehicle, breaking & entering of a motor vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia, and misdemeanor larceny. She was held without bond.

• Gregory Louis Brooks, 64, of Siler City, was arrested for possession of firearms by a felon, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana up to ½ oz. He was issued a written promise to appear.

May 2

• Connie Angelea Lynn Brewer, 32, of Pittsboro, was arrested for communicating threats. She was issued a written promise to appear.

• Jared Lamar Johnson, 36, of Moncure, was arrested for failure to appear. He was issued a $1,000 secured bond.

May 3

• Randy E. Johnson, 56, of Asheboro, was arrested for failure to appear. He was issued a written promise to appear.

• Jason Daryoush Sakuei, 45, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for failure to appear on a probation violation. He was issued a $1,000 secured bond.

• Shawn Anderson Burnette, 43, of Pittsboro, was arrested for multiple counts related to controlled substances. He was issued a $10,000 secured bond.

FRIDAY, MAY 17th

11AM-7PM: Supper/Dinner Eat-In or Take-Out!

$ 10 Per Plate - includes 3 large chicken tenders, green beans, slaw, bread, dessert and drink

• 100% of our proceeds will support local missions and church projects •

PICK UP at Piggly Wiggly from 4-6:30pm

Email order to angiemoody76@gmail.com Or text order to 919-799-9178

Rocky River Baptist Church 4436 Siler City Snow Camp Rd. Siler City, NC

NELL REDMOND / AP PHOTO

People take photos last Tuesday of a home where a shootout between a suspect and o cers occurred on Monday in Charlotte.

Rocky River Baptist Church Chicken Tender Fundraiser

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Lessons from where you don’t fit in

“Education

is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your selfcon dence.”

Robert Frost

AS I STRETCH at the trailhead before my morning jog, I’m keenly aware of the drone of periodic cicadas. These insects form a sound wall, which is created by hundreds or even thousands making the same noise.

Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University, recently wrote in the New York Times that the best college choice is “one where you don’t t in.” His argument is that many students select an institution of higher learning that they feel aligns with their ideologies—where people essentially say the same thing. This brought to mind an ancient story about the dangers of uniformity.

According to Genesis 11, there was once a single language among all people. People then began to collaborate to build a tower to reach the heavens. This may seem like the ideal progression of human achievement, yet God, the creator of heaven and earth, introduced a diversity of languages among the people, which resulted in the abandonment of the

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

celestial building project.

Wait a minute. Isn’t there strength in numbers? Don’t we want to work together to reach for the stars? Genesis 11 is often preached to teach against idolatry or replacing the divine with an object of human creation.

Yet, thinking about Roth’s argument, perhaps another pressing moral for our time is to push us to learn from diversity. Roth argues: “The most rewarding forms of education make you feel very uncomfortable, not least because they force you to recognize your own ignorance.”

Trying to communicate with someone who speaks another language will make you aware of what you do not know. It’s likely that a conversation with a person of a di erent political stripe will cause blood pressure to rise. I’m not naive; I doubt that most people will change their minds.

However, rather than lapsing into name-calling or shutting down the debate by changing the subject, what might we

learn from the process?

What if we took an honest look at our own conversation partners? Are you, in e ect, building a tower by surrounding yourself with the same ideas? Are you tting in with your own drone of opinions? Isn’t it the sound walls that are actually keeping us apart?

The periodic cicadas will be heard for only a couple of more weeks, but the issues that divide Americans are not going anywhere, especially in an election year. Freedom of speech is certainly a hotbutton issue on college campuses. Now is the time to push out of our comfort zones. Robert Frost said: “Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your selfcon dence.” I would say the same about a mature religious faith.

Andrew Taylor-Troutman is pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church as well as a writer, pizza maker, co ee drinker and student of joy.

Ever wondered why we do what we do… or don’t?

By parking on the end, your vehicle could be clanged only on one side by a next-door vehicle when that driver ung open the door.

WERE THERE SUCH A THING as living multiple lifetimes on this side of the Great Divide, I’m pretty sure I’d devote one of mine to a lengthy study of human nature.

Not really sure what could be done with the information that would be revealed but it would be interesting and possibly help understand why we humans do the things we do… or don’t.

For instance: a few days ago, I made a run (not literally) to a local grocery. It was one of those larger establishments with a parking lot the size of Rhode Island. Through the years, parking lots and I have come to an understanding on several points.

One is that I will not attempt to squeeze my tank-sized van or 4-door pickem-up truck into a space designed for a baby stroller or MG Midget. Another is somewhat similar in that I will, as often as it’s available, park in a space at the end of a line.

That little piece of standard operating procedure came from Shirley’s uncle who was a professional (read: “Trailways bus”) driver. His reasoning, which I adopted long ago, was that whether you were driving a solid gold Cadillac or Granny’s old clunker or something in between like a silver Edsel that by parking on the end, your vehicle could be clanged only on one side by a next-door vehicle when that driver ung open the door.

On this particular day at the grocery, apparently everyone else in the world had completed their shopping or the store was out of a favorite brand of something like maybe peanut butter because the parking

lot was virtually empty, including a row of spaces some 40-plus spots long, front and back.

Given that there was no apparent need to worry that the side of the “Party Wagon,” an a ectionate name for the 12-passenger van I can get into without assuming the shape of a soggy pretzel, would be dinged, I parked somewhere in the middle of a row, the only vehicle within a quarter of a mile.

After a quick purchase, I headed to the van and discovered it wasn’t alone anymore. Another shopper had arrived and apparently liked the same location so he/she picked a spot in the same general area… no, wait… not the same general area but nose to nose with my van.

Now, granted it wasn’t beside my ride, just nose to nose. So here’s the question: Why?

Why, of all the spaces, that one? Obviously, it was available to be used as a parking space, but what was the draw? Was it so my van would have some company with whom to swap spark plug stories or tales of carburetor woes? Did the other driver want us to become fast friends?

Or was it so the driver could nd his ride? I can’t say much about that because I’ve been known to misplace mine; the parking deck at UNC Hospitals is the worst. But on this particular day, the one level lot was all but vacant.

Now, I know that in the great grand scheme of things this isn’t a big deal, especially compared to matters of world peace and eternal consequences. The biggest issue of that moment turned out

to be that rather than go forward to leave, I had to back out.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder about the whole notion of human nature, which sometimes is determined by location and personnel.

For instance, have you ever noticed that often when a group of folks are dining out or at some social event featuring food that the chicken-wing plate will sit there with one morsel left or the last chip and salsa in the bowl is crying out to be consumed but no one will make a move? Many may eye but few will try to wipe the plate clean.

That was never an issue in my boyhood home. Although there are a few years between my two brothers and me, when younger and all at home we had many meals around Mama’s table with our folks. And while Ma and Pa would often pass on that last piece, we Three Musketeers seldom did.

It wasn’t like we counted who had what and how much but we were members of the “Clean Plate Club,” meaning just that — your own and any others in the vicinity. Wonder what that says about human nature? Maybe that you had to learn to move fast for if you thought long, you thought wrong. Since there aren’t multiple lifetimes, some of these questions must remain unanswered, unless you know.

If so, please contact me.

Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and emeritus editor at Chatham News & Record. He serves as pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church.

Humility lives!

I’M A GEESE-AHOLIC.

Excuse me?

Oh, you want an explanation for my geese-aholism? Okey-doke. A seasonal colony of Canadian geese is in residence at a large pond, nearby. I’m in love, unembarrassed to say so, and can’t get enough of ‘em, at all.

Hey, can we back up? Seasonal geese?

I have no idea if it’s the same colony each year, but they, religiously, show up at Williams Pond around early April and depart in August. Beats me why they’d want to go even further South, for a winter jaunt, when it’s already hot as hades, here. But I’m not a goose.

Over the many years of their seasonal residencies, they’ve become MY geese_._ Oh, wow, MY geese are back! Or, oh no, MY geese have taken wing until next year. Sigh. I don’t own them, except in my always expectant memory of their annual arrivals and leave takings. Have I been remiss in not placing “Welcome back” or “See you soon” signs prior to those arrivals and departures? Oh, right, it isn’t my property….

In my years of living here in the country, I always, always, turn my head away from the road, ogling the Canadian geese during their seasonal visits. Trying to count the goslings, while driving, is probably not a safe occupation. Talk about a really juicy rationalization, I reframe my irresponsible driving behavior as geese magnetism of the highest order.

Oh, my it’s coming; just getting ready to tumble out. A geese-magnetism story from my rst few years of geese bewitchment. I’ll also incriminate several neighbors who shall remain nameless. My own personal ignorance is so much less lonely when accompanied by others’ ignorance, you know?

Among our geese-bewitched cohort, each of us had taken notice of a solitary goose; a solitary goose having, originally, been part

COLUMN | WAYNE SASSER

of a pair. Roosting by its lonely self, day after day, after day, by the pond.

Had a coyote taken the goose’s mate? Oh, no, geese mate for life! Such a sadness if the now-solitary goose had lost its mate. (You may well have guessed that our concerned neighborly cohort were all city-gals before migrating to the countryside.)

Relishing some particularly good wine on a spring evening, we shared our ‘solitary goose’ concerns with each other. All former social workers, we gravitated toward problem-solving the sad state of the, apparently, lone goose. (How these social work escapees ended up as friends, in the very same country neighborhood, is a scintillating question, but will remain unanswered here.)

We resolved that if this lonely goose conundrum continued, contacting the county’s Animal Services Department seemed viable. (Yes, we really did talk about that!) Having temporarily assuaged our own human pain regarding this solitary goose, waiting another week before taking any action seemed reasonable.

So very glad we elected to wait! Several days after this convivial, but concerned conversation, each of us was riveted by the apparent return of the missing goosecompanion. Oh, and accompanied by at least 7-8 yellow balls of u y, “we’re following momma” goslings.

During our period of serious anthropomorphic concern, Mom goose was o doing her nesting thing, nally rejoining a patient Pops with the newly hatched family members. Moral to this story? Wow, so many life lessons from which to choose. Just so many. Getting right down to it, an ongoing willingness to laugh at ourselves comes up the winner. Always in need of that practice. Always…

Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.

Cameras in the courtroom

I READ ALL THE UPDATES from the reporters in the court room. But it just isn’t the same as watching it yourself.

I want to actually see it. I want to see how Donald Trump reacts when he hears his former aides testify. I want to hear for myself the testimony of the witnesses against him, and the cross-examination. I want to judge for myself what the judge has to say about Trump’s violation of the gag order.

You can watch pundits talk about the trial 24/7 on cable news, from whatever perspective you choose. But most of them only know what I know, from reading the updates from the limited number of reporters lucky enough to secure access to seats in the courtroom. They aren’t seeing and hearing what is really going on.

There is no reason why we should still be stuck in the past getting our news secondhand rather than seeing it for ourselves.

The old fear was that cameras would somehow turn courtrooms into circus tents and undermine the seriousness of what was going on or that lawyers would pay too much attention to the cameras. That makes no sense. What we see instead of the serious goings-on in the courtroom is the circus outside, when Trump sounds o to the press. What sense does that make?

The judicial system has been politicized, unfortunately. The answer to restoring con dence is sunshine — to actually let people see and hear what is going on inside, and judge for themselves.

‘Pharmacy benefit managers’ need more legislative oversight

Big PBMs often fail to pass these savings bene ts on to their clients.

AS A PHARMACIST, I have seen rsthand the impact today’s big pharmacy bene t managers (PBMs) have on patients they claim to serve. Most patients don’t realize that PBMs control the price you pay at the pharmacy counter. While PBMs promote health plan cost savings to businesses for their employees, their records often tell a di erent story. Thankfully, in Raleigh and in Washington, lawmakers are nally waking up to the role PBMs play in drug pricing.

For years, PBMs have operated in the shadows, signing up employers to trust them and utilize their services, while e ectively evading any oversight attempts by state regulators. In 2021, the NC General Assembly passed a ban on the practice of rebate accumulating, which PBMs used to deny patients their due savings from drug discount programs.

How did PBMs escape oversight? The answer is that just a handful of large PBMs control 80% of the U.S. market. The PBMs then lobby Congress and oversight agencies to prevent any questioning of their business practices. This market domination is problematic because with no legal mechanisms in place to ensure accountability, PBMs can hide behind harmful, pro t-motivated pricing practices while employers and patients pay the price.

Traditional PBMs tout their size and scale as factors that secure better deals for clients. It is true that big PBMs can procure drugs in larger quantities at wholesale

BE IN TOUCH

prices, but they often fail to pass these savings bene ts on to their clients.

Recently in Washington, lawmakers asked the CEO of UnitedHealth Group (UHG), a large PBM, to testify before the Senate Finance Committee. UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx unit, along with CVS/ Aetna’s Caremark and Cigna’s Express Scripts, now control 80% of the PBM market. With $370 billion in revenues last year, UnitedHealth has grown so big that it now employs more than 10% of all physicians in America and even owns an FDIC-insured bank that can advance payments to providers on pending claims!

With this large of a share of the market, the American people deserve some oversight and questions to be answered. I am urging the Senate Finance Committee to keep asking companies like UnitedHealth Group to explain its rapid consolidation of the market, as well as its vertical integration that is limiting consumer choice and hurting patients at the pharmacy counter.

It is past time PBMs are held accountable for their impact on healthcare costs, and leaders in Washington need to pass PBM oversight measures. This legislation and oversight will nally bring accountability and reform to this broken system and put the focus back on patients, where it belongs.

NC Rep. Wayne Sasser (R) is a pharmacist by trade and represents Montgomery and Stanly counties in the NC General Assembly.

Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 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.

This is a historic event. A former president and one of two men who will be our next president is standing trial. Whether and how the public responds to the trial and its verdict will shape history. Trump has done everything he can to put o any judgment of him, but he found one judge who would have none of it, and insisted that the trial go forward. He is doing everything he can to ensure an orderly process, and by my (secondhand) lights, he is doing a ne job of it. But what do I really know? I’ve not heard any of it directly.

The one legitimate concern is the jury’s anonymity. It would certainly be interesting and illuminating to be able to see how the jury reacts: When I’m involved in trials, I watch the jury the same way I used to watch the reactions of voters in focus groups. But in the interests of protecting their anonymity, the cameras can be positioned so as to shield the jury from public view. That is a compromise worth making. But it hardly justi es blocking our view of the rest of the proceeding.

Because ultimately, in a trial like this one, there are two juries. The other one, and the one that may count the most in the long run, is the public, the voters, the people who will judge not only if Trump is indeed guilty of the enumerated felonies but if he has the character to be the next president of the United States.

The legal pundits can debate all day about whether Alvin Bragg has legitimately turned misdemeanor violations of falsi ed business records — which there seems no question that Trump did — into felonies by alleging that they were done to interfere with the election. Did he do it to win — or avoid losing — women voters, and thus violate election laws, or simply to avoid telling his wife?

Whether or not he was engaged in an unlawful conspiracy or just an ugly cover-up is not only a legal question. For voters, this trial is a measure of character. The judgment voters must make is whether this man has the character to be our next president. To make that judgment based on secondhand reviews is not nearly as fair and e ective as it would be if we could literally see what’s going on.

But I’m not a goose.

obituaries

Hugh David Mclaurin, Sr.

July 16th, 1939 — April 30th, 2024

Hugh David McLaurin, Sr. well-known family man, friend and farmer crossed the Great Divide at his home surrounded by his family on April 30, 2024. He was 84. Born July 16, 1939, he was the son of Neil Je erson McLaurin and Ruth Jones McLaurin, neé Cook. He is preceded in death by his parents and the love of his life, Jeanette Garrett McLaurin. He is survived by his son, Hugh David McLaurin, Jr. and wife Beth Jones McLaurin; daughter Jenny Garrett McLaurin and husband Christopher Sean Crean; two beloved grandsons, Hughson Sean Crean and Crozes Sebastian Crean; sisters, Faye McLaurin Taylor and Linda McLaurin Ruth and brother, Earle McLaurin.

Hugh David never met a

Janette (“Jan”) Lynn Hopper Waugh

April 26th, 2024

Lifelong early childhood education advocate and practitioner, Janette (“Jan”) Lynn Hopper Waugh passed away peacefully at home in Pittsboro on Friday, April 26, 2024, at age 68. A longtime resident of Chatham County, Jan had inner and outer beauty in spades. Deeply committed to her family and friends, she was an integral contributor to the special Chatham community. Jan headed the Old School at Fancy Gap for over a decade, the Chatham Childrens’ corner decades prior, and had a penchant for remaining close with both students (and parents) whose early lives she helped to launch.

All who made it to the end of the long driveway on Lamont Norwood will remember Jan’s Southern hospitality, DIY creativity, international air, and ever-present sweet tooth - all of which she shared

stranger. His capacity for fun and teasing were his calling card and endeared him to family, neighbor, and friend. He worked every day of his life tilling the good soil of his farm and tending to his cattle and was riding his tractor a few days before he was admitted to the hospital. His strength and hard labor made him the best judge of character.

He married his high school sweetheart on Christmas Eve in 1959 and loved her every day afterwards. Together they made a home that was open and welcome to all. Being with family and enjoying that company was a highlight of life for him, as was oftentimes a good game of Rook he shared with novice and expert alike. His son David worked next to him almost every day of his life. It’s been said of him that strength and character typi ed his traditional and well-lived life.

The visitation has already been held as he was able to tell scores and scores of friends and family goodbye in person from his home over the last three weeks.

A graveside service will be held at Pleasant Hill Methodist church on Thursday, May 2nd at 2pm.

The family requests donations to Hospice in lieu of owers. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home is serving the McLaurin family.

Online Condolences may be made at www. smithbucknerfh.com

generously over the years. She had perfected apricot and strawberry jam-making. Jan was the rst to call out injustice, was committed to progressive causes domestically, and kept up with foreign a airs.

Spending her early childhood in Ankara, Jan maintained her a nity for Türkiye all her life, and had a passion for the region’s archaeology. Earlier in life, she spent summers working in remote Alaska, where she y- shed and built a close connection to the natural world. She would sometimes say of the land in Carolina, that it was a “three hawk day”. Jan was the last o the beach, the last to leave an Idaho hot spring, and in recent years hiked Machu Picchu and safaried in Africa. Jan will be remembered for her immense generosity of spirit and sheer grit. Living days to the fullest, she taught us all not to delay adventures. Jan is survived by her husband Benny, sister Lauri, brother Mark, three daughters, two cherished granddaughters, and an endless community of friends. The family wishes to express our sincere gratitude to Jan’s dedicated UNC Oncology team.

In lieu of owers, please consider donating to either the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) https://www.bcan.org/ donate/ [please indicate in memory/honor of Jan and for the NC Triangle Chapter] or to Chatham Outreach Alliance (CORA) https://secure.qgiv. com/for/corfoopan/

Max Bailey Smith, Jr.

Aug.17th, 1953 — May 5th, 2024

Max Bailey Smith, Jr., 70, of Siler City, passed away May 5th, 2024, at home surrounded by his family.

Max was born August 17th, 1953, to Max Bailey Smith,

Frederick Kennon Eddins, Sr.

May 1st, 2024

Frederick Kennon Eddins Sr., 79, of Pittsboro passed away at his home on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, with his family by his side. Ken was 1 of 6 children to the late Kennon Hayes Eddins and Charlotte Belle Eddins and grew up in Pittsboro.

During his working career Ken was a telephone subcontractor with various phone companies throughout the US and ultimately ended up back in his hometown of Pittsboro where he continued cable splicing until he retired. During those years Ken also opened a greenhouse on his property where he and his wife proudly grew and sold

Elizabeth Ann Baugham

April 23rd, 2024

Elizabeth Ann Baugham, 76, died April 23, 2024, at home with family and close friends nearby.

A memorial service to honor Ann’s life will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 12, 2024, at the

Sr. and Sara Elizabeth Foust Smith in Chatham County. He is preceded in death by his parents.

We offer an on-site crematory with many options of Celebration of Life services, Traditional, and Green Burials. Call us to set an appointment to come by and learn more.

Max is survived by his wife of 40 years, Diane Buckner Smith; two daughters, Emily Dare Pasquarella and her husband, Jim of Siler City, and Maggie Beth Jones and her husband, Ben of Siler City; his sister, Jean Harris Smith Carroll of Raleigh; grandchildren, Parker, Tilly, Taylor, Cecilia, Ava, and Natalie; his dog, Lida; and many cousins. He is a graduate of NC State University, and after graduating he worked in a research lab at Duke University. He then went on to work at Boling Chair Company as a Sales Representative. Max later began BLS Sales in partnership with Wanda Boling and Phil Leonard. In his free time he enjoyed raising cattle, farming,

vegetables, owers and hanging baskets to many Pittsboro/ Chatham residents for several years. He ended his working career by owning and operating the Corner Variety Convenience store on the corner of 15-501 and Pittsboro/Moncure Road. This became a local hangout for many who told stories (gossiped) around the ‘round table’. Here you would always nd Ken cooking chicken and Mary preparing sides to feed the power/phone repair crews after storms or the local chicken plant workers for no reason at all, which was just one example of the generosity that he had.

In addition to his parents, Ken was proceeded in death by four brothers, Robert Eddins of Georgia, Jim Eddins of Pittsboro, David Eddins and Richard Eddins both of Sanford. He is survived by his devoted wife of 55 years, Mary Eddins, who cared for him until the very end of his life. He is also survived by four children, Rene Haithcox (Robert) of Moncure, Lisa Fradel (Don) of Moncure, Ken Eddins Jr. of Pittsboro and Wendie Morris (Adam) of Pittsboro. Ken also leaves behind one sister, Victoria Howard of Lemon Springs, seven grandchildren, one great-grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews.

Ken had many passions in his life, but his favorites were

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, in Swansboro, NC.

A reception will follow at the Park facility adjacent to the Kingdom Hall.

Ann found great happiness in caring for her patients in the 43 years that she was a Nurse Practitioner. However, her greatest satisfaction was in sharing Bible truths with people about Jehovah God’s Kingdom under his son Christ Jesus as ruler. Ann found joy in explaining from the Scriptures that all sickness and even death would be eliminated under Christ rulership--Revelation 21:4 “And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

Survivors include her husband, William J Baugham Jr. of Maysville, NC, and his

gardening, and enjoyed cooking for family and friends. Max will be remembered as a devoted family man, neighbor, and friend who always put others rst.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at Siler City Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, May 8th, 2024, at 3 PM with Reverend Richard LaDew o ciating. A visitation will be from 2-3 PM prior to service.

In lieu of owers, donations can be made to Siler City Presbyterian Church, 720 W. Third St., Siler City, NC 27344 or FirstHealth Cancer Center, PO Box 3000, Pinehurst, NC 28374.

Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Smith family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com

shing with his wife on the Pier at Emerald Isle, attending or watching NASCAR races, and for many years, planting a huge garden. He was proud of what he produced there and enjoyed sharing his harvest with his neighbors and friends. He enjoyed fellowshipping with others and did so often at the Dry Forks Hunt Club until his health prevented him from getting out. He loved an old western and you would always nd one on the TV when visiting him. Ken was also very proud of his children and grandchildren and expressed that to others often.

The family would like to thank everyone who has called, came by, brought food and prayed for him. We truly have felt the love from friends and family both near and far. Ken was one of a kind and will be missed by many for years to come. Please join us as we remember Ken at a service on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 1:00 at Donaldson’s Funeral Home and Crematory Gri n Chapel in Pittsboro. Pastor Wesley Thomas will preside over the service. Family will receive friends immediately following the service.

In lieu of owers, the family asks that you honor Ken by making a donation to the Coolwater Cowboy Church, P.O. Box 4781, Sanford, NC 27331.

daughter, Candice R Baugham of New Bern, NC. As well as her brother, Edward Henry Straughn (Kay T.); niece, Lindsay S. Hickling (Sean); nephew, Robert E. Straughn (Caroline H.); and great-niece, Katherine, “Kate”.

The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks for the prayers, cards, visits, and love to Ann during her life. Especially, Angie Gillette and Lynn Durant for the special help they lovingly provided for their dear friend and my beloved wife. We thank you for brightening her days and ours during her illness.

Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www. mundenfuneralhome.net.

Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home & Crematory in Morehead City, NC.

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@chathamnewsrecord.com

Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

Teachers, are you looking for new opportunities to fund projects for your classroom? Central Electric is awarding up to $15,000 in Bright Ideas education grants to local educators in K-12 classrooms for the 2024-2025 school year. e nal deadline for all grant applications is Sept. 15, but don’t wait to apply. Applications submitted prior to the early-bird deadline on Aug. 15 will be entered to win one of ve $100 Visa® gi cards. Scan the QR code or visit NCBrightIdeas.com for more information or to apply! Teachers, get your applications in for a Bright Ideas education grant!

IN MEMORY

BETTY JANE MYERS MANNESS

SEPT. 21ST, 1953 — APRIL 29TH, 2024

Betty Jane Myers Manness, 70, of Siler City, went home to be with Jesus on April 29th, 2024, at Duke Hospital surrounded by family.

She was born September 21st, 1953, in Chatham County, to Nathan William Myers, Sr. and Allie Lee Hart. She is preceded in death by her parents, Nathan, and Allie; her husband, Marvin Manness; sisters, Nancy Holder, Doris Ellis, and Ann Josey; brothers, Sonny Myers, Earl Myers, and Johnny Myers; two grandchildren, Ashley, and Andy Johnson.

Betty was a member of Faith Baptist Church, formerly Hill Brook Wesleyan. She loved reading, sewing, and playing card games. She loved spending time with her family and friends.

She is survived by her daughter, Angela Johnson of Sanford; her son, Joseph Michael Hash of Sanford; two stepdaughters; her sister, Helen Tharp of Sanford; her brother, Kenneth Myers of Sanford; six grandchildren, Chelsea, Kaelan, Kadie, Jasmine, Brandon, and Hannah; seven great grandchildren, Ali, Alice, Oliver, Claire, Aubree, Willow, and Colton; four step grandchildren; and ve step great grandchildren.

The two-time Cabinet secretary was recognized for her public service

By Jordan Golson Chatham News & Record

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN

on Friday bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on 19 people, including civil rights icons such as the late Medgar Evers, actor Michelle Yeoh, prominent political leaders such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. James Clyburn, and actor Michelle Yeoh. Also honored was North Carolina’s own Elizabeth Dole, recognized for her lifetime of public service across a variety of arenas. In a release from the White House announcing the recognition, Dole’s work as a U.S. senator, as Transportation secretary under President Reagan and Labor secretary under President George H. W. Bush, and as president of the American Red Cross was mentioned.

Also cited was her work with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation supporting military caregivers — the spouses, friends and family members who support our nation’s wounded veterans — through advocacy and recognition of that service. Elizabeth Dole, now 87, was born in Salisbury in Rowan County. She graduated from Duke University in 1958 with

a bachelor’s degree in political science before attending grad school at Oxford and Harvard. She received a master’s degree in education and a law degree from Harvard. After decades of political service, including a brief run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000 (four years after her husband, Bob Dole, lost to Bill Clinton in the 1996 presidential race), she returned to North Carolina to run for Senate in 2002, serving a single six-year term. She lost to Sen. Kay Hagan in 2008, making Dole the last Republican to lose a U.S. Senate race in North Carolina.

In 2012, she founded the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to help the caregivers of wounded warriors. Her husband, a longtime senator from Kansas, was partially paralyzed from severe injuries sustained during combat in World War II.

Dole seemed delighted to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, last week at the White House. In a curious bit of trivia, Dole joins Secretary Elaine Chao — Sen. Mitch McConnell’s wife — as the only two women to have served as both secretary of Transportation and secretary of Labor who have also been married to a Senate majority leader. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BRANDON / AP PHOTO

Joe Biden awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former Sen. Elizabeth Dole at the White House on Friday.

LEARN ABOUT LAND - Chatham Land Experts, www.learnaboutland.com - 919362-6999.

FOR RENT

Oak View at Siler City - Now accepting applications for multifamily community w/ 1-, 2-, & 3-bedroom apts. Amenities include a playground, computer center, on-site laundry facilities, community garden, and much more! A ordable housing: applicants must meet income requirements. Come apply at 224 Campus Drive, Siler City, NC 27344 from 9:00 to 5:00pm or call 336-895-1128 or email: oakview@partnershippm.com Credit & criminal background check required. Handicap accessible units subject to availability. Equal Housing Opportunity. Professionally managed by Partnership Property Management.

Senior lady wanted to share a 3 BR house with a family. Room and board. Must be a Christian and be independent. $600 a month. Call 919-542-8520.

POWELL SPRINGS APTS. Evergreen

Construction introduces its newest independent living community for adults 55 years or older, 1 and 2 bedroom applications now being accepted. O ce hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 919-533-6319 for more information, TDD #1-800-735-2962, Equal housing opportunity, Handicapped accessible.

FOR RENT

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS now for one-bedroom apartments, adults 55 years or older. Water included, appliances furnished, on-site laundry, elevator, keyless entry. Section 8 accepted. No security deposit. Application fee $25 per adult. Call Braxton Manor, 919-663-1877. Handicap accessible. Equal Housing Opportunity.

FOR RENT - 2 bedroom one bath mobile home on 5 acres in Siler City, no pets call (919) 545-0822 leave message.

YARD SALES

HUGE INDOOR SALE – (1/2 OFF STOREWIDE) – Fri. and Sat. 9:00 am – until – Several families – Lots of Items – Something for Everyone!

Come See Us! – 17720 US Hwy.64W – Siler City, NC 273441tc

FOR SALE

TRAILER FOR SALE – 8’10 X 12’10 at trailer with 5ft. ramps that can be chained together to lengthen bed and is a dual axle with spare. Will haul anything you can put on the bed. Saturday morning around 9:00am is a good time to view. $1,200.00. Call 919548-3553.

AUTOS FOR SALE

RV FOR SALE - RV for sale, Damen Daybreak 2000, 75,000 miles, runs great, good tires, good air conditioner, good generator. $10,000, Financing available, 919-828-4247.

AUCTIONS

RICKY ELLINGTON AUCTIONEERSEquipment, business, liquidation, estates, land, houses, antiques, personal property, coins, furniture, consignments, bene ts, etc., NCAL #7706, 919-548-3684, 919663-3556, rickyellingtonauctions@yahoo. com,

SERVICES

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.

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.

SERVICES

LETT’S TREE SERVICE - tree removal, stump grinding, lot clearing. Visa & Master Card accepted. Timber. Free estimates. 919-258-3594.

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, 919-548-0474.

ROOF WASHING – Softwash roof – Cleans ALL black streaks o roofs to make them look new again And to prolong the life of the shingles. Call John Hayes – 919-548-0474.

HELP WANTED

FOOD SERVICES STAFF, Pittsboro

Christian Village is accepting applications for Server, Pantry Cook, and Cook. Apply in person 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday –Friday, at 1825 East St. in Pittsboro.

APARTMENTS

Now accepting applications for 2BR, 1.5BA Range, refrigerator, dishwasher are included in the rent. Rent starts at $630 and up. 400 Honeysuckle Dr., Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-5410 TDD 1-800-735-2962 Email: pittsborovillage@ECCMGT.com EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES

TAKE NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

(Including Private/Home School Personnel)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA – Part B, Public Law 108.446) Project is presently being amended. The Project describes the special education programs that Chatham County Public Schools proposes for Federal Funding for the 2024-2025 school year. Interested persons are encouraged to review amendments to the Project and make comments concerning the implementation of special education under this Federal Program. All comments will be considered prior to submission of the amended project to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh, North Carolina. The IDEA-Part B Project is open to the public for review and comments during the period of May 15-17, 2024 in the o ce of Sara SelfMaddox, Director of Exceptional Children Program, located at Central Services468 Renaissance Drive, Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312 between the hours of 8:30am-3:30pm.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations

NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION FILE NO.: 22JT000087-180 IN RE: “D.M.T.” DOB: 11/10/22

NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PROCESS OF PUBLICATION TO: Chris Smith or any possible biological father/Father/unknown father of the above female child, born at

holding claims against Alsona Chun Wong, deceased, of Chatham County, NC are noti ed to exhibit same to the undersigned on or before August 12, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 9th day of May 2024. Terence Zekon Wong Exec., c/o Clarity Legal Group, PO Box 2207, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.

& FLEMING,

PUBLIC NOTICE

The proposed annual budget of Vaya Health LME/ MCO for the scal year beginning July 1, 2024 will be presented to the Board of Directors in a public meeting of the Finance Committee at 3:00 p.m., and the full Board at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, 2024. The budget will be available for public review beginning May 23, 2024 at http://vayahealth.com/. The Board will hold a public hearing on the budget at 4:30 p.m. on June 27, 2024. Any persons wanting to o er public comment about the proposed budget may do so during the Public Comment portion of the June 27 meeting. Board meeting agendas with connection information are posted at https://www.vayahealth.com/get-to-knowus/board-of-directors/.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY 2024-E-000021

Having quali ed as co-Executors of the Estate of MARSHA W. BEIDLER, 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 24th day of July, 2024, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment. This the 25th day of April, 2024. c/o Elinor J. Foy, Attorney for Eliana M. Perrin and Andrew Perrin, co-Executor of the Estate of Marsha W. Beidler Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton, LLP 4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607

NOTICE ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations holding claims against Randall Thomas Brown, deceased, of Chatham County, NC are noti ed to exhibit same to the undersigned on or before August 12, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 9th day of May 2024. Carrie A. Brown Exec., c/o Clarity Legal Group, PO Box 2207, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.

CHATHAM COUNTY PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hearing in accordance with NCGS 158-7.1 on Monday, May 20th, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. in the Historic Courthouse, located at 9 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro, NC to consider a request for an economic development incentive grant. The anticipated new capital investment for Innovative Construction Group is $39 million. This project will create 157 new full-time permanent jobs at an average salary of $52,949.00. The Chatham County Board of Commissioners believes that this project will stimulate the local economy and will provide local economic bene ts for the residents of Chatham County through an increase in sales tax revenues and the increased purchases of local goods and services. The public is invited to attend the hearing to express their viewpoints. Persons having questions may contact County Clerk Jenifer Johnson at 919-5428232, jenifer.johnson@chathamcountync.gov Those wishing to speak may sign up on the county website or submit written comments to the Town Clerk Jenifer Johnson at PO Box 1809, Pittsboro, NC 27312 or jenifer. johnson@chathamcountync.gov.

REQUEST FOR BIDS

Central Piedmont Community Action, Inc (CPCA) is opening its bid for HVAC, Electrical, and Plumbing contractors in Anson, Chatham, Orange, and Richmond counties.

Bids will be received May 1, 2024, through June 14, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. RFP will also be available on our website through Sept. 15, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. If you are interested in becoming a contractor for Central Piedmont Community Action in any of our counties, please contact Cesar Carmona at (919) 742-2277, ext. 105, M - TH, 7 a. m. to 4 p. m. or via email at cesarc@cpcanc.org.

LEGISLATIVE PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

TOWN OF PITTSBORO, NC

On Monday, May 13, 2024, at 6:00 pm, the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will hold the following legislative public hearings in person at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center at 1192 Hwy 64 Business West, Pittsboro:

PB-24-116 – A legislative request by Robert Nakia Roberson, 581 Callies Haven Way, Moncure, NC, (Pittsboro ETJ) petitioning for a map amendment rezoning parcels 74500, 7454 and 7455 from their current classi cation, M-2 (Heavy Industrial) to RA (Rural Agricultural). The combined acreage is approximately 32.17 acres; 24 acres are zoned M-2, and 8.17 acres are currently zoned RA. The project is located at 285 and 581 Callies Haven Way. The owner and his family intend to continue to utilize the site property for a combination of residential and agricultural uses.

The Town of Pittsboro’s budget for FY 2024-2025 has been submitted to the Board of Commissioners and a copy is available for public inspection in the o ce of the Town Clerk, Town of Pittsboro Town Hall, 287 East Street, Suite 221, Pittsboro, NC. The Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on the budget at 6:00pm, May 13, 2024, at the Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center, located at US Highway 64 West Business, Pittsboro, NC.

The hearing will be held in person. The public can also watch the hearing live on the Town’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@townofpittsboronc/ streams. Members of the public must attend in person if they wish to speak at the hearing. Contact the Town Clerk, Carrie Bailey, by 4 pm on May 13, 2024, with written comments or to sign up to speak at the legislative hearing. You can contact Carrie Bailey at cbailey@pittsboronc.gov, (919) 542-4621 ext. 1104, or PO Box 759, Pittsboro, NC 27312.

NOTICE

On 5/1/24 Certi cate of Need review began for Chatham County Rehabilitation Center Proj J-1250124 Cos ovr relo NF bds. Written comments are due to the Agency by 5/31/24. The Agency will hold a public hearing on 6/14/24 at 2:00 pm, Chatham County Public Library, Holmes Meeting Room, 197 NC Hwy 87N, Pittsboro NC 27312

NOTICE

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations holding claims against James Edward Quinn, deceased, of Chatham County, NC are noti ed to exhibit same to the undersigned on or before July 28, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 25 day of April 2024. Marie Quinn, Exec., c/o Clarity Legal Group, PO Box 2207, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.

NOTICE Willow Oak Montessori IDEA – Part B (611) Grant Public Notice The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-Part B, Public Law 108.446) Project is presently being amended. The Project describes the special education programs that Willow Oak Montessori School proposes for Federal funding for the 2024-2025 School Year. Interested persons are encouraged to review amendments to the Project and make comments concerning the implementation of special education under this Federal Program. All comments will be considered prior to submission of the amended Project to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh, North Carolina. The IDEA-Part B Project is open to the public for review and comments during the week of May 9, 2025 in the o ce of Allyssa McNeal located at 1476 Andrews Store Road Pittsboro, NC 27312 April 25, May 2, May 9

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

A public hearing will be held by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Monday, May 20, 2024, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The hearing will be held in the courtroom of the Historic Courthouse in Pittsboro, North Carolina at 9 Hillsboro Street.

Additional information is available at the Chatham County Planning Department o ce. Speakers are requested to sign up at the meeting prior to the hearing. You may also sign up on the county website prior to the meeting at www.chathamcountync.gov by selecting the heading County Government, then Commissioner Meetings, then Public Input/Hearing Sign Up. The public hearing may be continued to another date at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners.

The purpose of the Public Hearing is to receive input, both written and oral, on the issues listed below:

A general use legislative public hearing rezoning requested by Renago Inc to rezone Parcel 5626, located on Christian Chapel Church Rd., from R-1 Residential to Ind-H Heavy Industrial, being 37 acres, Cape Fear Township.

Substantial changes may be made following the public hearing due to verbal or written comments received or based on the Board’s discussions.

Notice to people with special needs: If you have an audio or visual impairment, unique accessibility requirements or need language assistance, please call the number listed below prior to the hearing and assistance may be provided.

If you have any questions or comments concerning these issues, please call the Chatham County Planning Department at 919-542-8204 or write to P.O. Box 54, Pittsboro N.C. 27312.

Please run in your paper: May 9th and 16th, 2024

CHATHAM COUNTY FY25 BUDGET HEARING NOTICE

The Chatham County budget for FY2024-25 has been submitted to the Board of Commissioners and is available for public inspection on the Chatham County website or in the o ce of the Clerk to the Board, located at 12 East Street in Pittsboro.

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will hold two public hearings on the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget on Monday, May 20, 2024 at 6:00pm and Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at 6:00pm. The public is invited to attend the hearing to express their viewpoints.

The hearing on May 20, 2024 will be held at the Historic Courthouse located at 9 Hillsboro Street in Pittsboro at 6:00pm.

The hearing on May 21, 2024 will be held at Siler City Town Hall located at 311 North Second Avenue in Siler City at 6:00pm.

Persons having questions may contact County Clerk Jenifer Johnson at 919-542-8232 or jenifer.johnson@ chathamcountync.gov.

Those wishing to speak may sign up on the county website or submit written comments to Clerk tor the Board Jenifer Johnson at PO Box 1809, Pittsboro, NC 27312 or jenifer.johnson@chathamcountync.gov.

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed on the 23rd day of April, 2024, as Executrix of the Estate of Clarence E. White eld, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 2nd day of August, 2024, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 2nd day of May, 2024

Anne W. Kennedy, Executrix of the Estate of Clarence E. White eld Post O ce Box 57579 Durham, North Carolina 27717

Julia G. Henry Kennon Craver, PLLC 4011 University Drive, Suite 300 Durham, North Carolina 27707

THE CHATHAM NEWS: 5/2/2024, 5/9/2024, 5/16/2024, and 5/23/2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E001239-180

The undersigned, DIANNA R. BRAFFORD AND JEFFERY LEE RACHEL, having quali ed on the 2ND day of MAY, 2024, as CO-EXECUTORS of the Estate of BARBARA T. RACHEL, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 7TH Day of AUGUST, 2024, 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 9TH Day of MAY, 2024.

DIANNA R. BRAFFORD, CO-EXECUTOR 495 WILLIAM LANE LEXINGTON, NC 27295

*JEFFERY LEE RACHEL, CO-EXECUTOR 1471 PLAINFIELD CH. RD. SILER CITY, NC 27344

Run dates: M9,16,23,30p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#2023E000626

The undersigned, BETTY HAMILL WARD, having quali ed on the 11TH day of APRIL, 2024, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of CLIFFORD D. HAMILL, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 17TH Day of JULY, 2024., 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 18TH Day of APRIL, 2024.

BETTY HAMILL WARD, ADMINISTRATOR 360 REDGATE ROAD PITTSBORO, NC 27312

Run dates: A18,25,M2,9p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E126

The undersigned, TERESA E. PHILLIPS, having quali ed on the 1ST day of APRIL, 2024, as ADMINISTRATOR CTA of the Estate of BETTY W. EMBRY, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 17TH Day of JULY, 2024., 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 18TH Day of APRIL, 2024.

TERESA E. PHILLIPS, ADMINISTRATOR CTA 1282 HANKS CHAPEL RD. PITTSBORO, NC 27312

Run dates: A18,25,M2,9p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Probate #______________

All persons, rm and corporations having claims against

Christine M. Staub, late of Chatham County, North Carolina are hereby noti ed to present them to Robert Staub, Jr., as Executor of the decedent’s estate in care of Kendall H. Page, Attorney, 210 N Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 on or before the 18th day of August 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the above named Executor.

Kendall H. Page 210 N Columbia Street Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Bar # 14261

Please run: 4/18/2024, 4/25/2024, 5/02/2024 & 5/09/2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of DAVID WILLIAM STELLHORN, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before July 1st, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

Elizabeth J. A. Terzian, Executor 60A Hardin Circle Chapel Hill, NC 27516.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF ELIZABETH FAHRION STEELE

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Elizabeth Fahrion Steele late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to The Glenmede Trust Company, N.A., and Gregory Herman-Giddens as Co-Executors of the decedent’s estate on or July 25th, 2024, c/o Brittany N. Porter, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor.

This the 25th day of April, 2024. The Glenmede Trust Company, N.A. and Gregory Herman-Giddens, Co-Executors c/o Brittany N. Porter, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#2024E000114

The undersigned, WILLARD STEVEN BRYANT, having quali ed on the 5TH day of APRIL, 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of LULA SEYMOUR BRYANT, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 24TH Day of JULY, 2024., 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 25TH Day of APRIL, 2024.

WILLARD STEVEN BRYANT, EXECUTOR 303 HEARNE RD. PITTSBORO, NC 27312

Run dates: A25,M2,9,16p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E200

The undersigned, DEBORAH TURRENTINE, having quali ed on the 11TH day of APRIL, 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of KENNETH TURRENTINE, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 24TH Day of JULY, 2024., 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 25TH Day of APRIL, 2024.

DEBORAH TURRENTINE, EXECUTOR

1804 GADE BRYANT RD MONCURE, NC 27559

Run dates: A25,M2,9,16p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#2024E000197

The undersigned, DERRICK CURRIN HALL, having quali ed on the 11TH day of APRIL, 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of NANCY H. WILKIE, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 17TH Day of JULY, 2024., 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 18TH Day of APRIL, 2024.

DERRICK CURRIN HALL, EXECUTOR 2128 SILK HOPE LIBERTY RD. SILER CITY, NC 27344

Run dates: A18,25,M2,9p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E193

The undersigned, JERRY J. HOSKING, having quali ed on the 10TH day of APRIL, 2024, as EXECUTRIX of the Estate of GEORGIA R. HOSKING, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 17TH Day of JULY, 2024., 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 18TH Day of APRIL, 2024.

JERRY J. HOSKING, EXECUTRIX 206 MORNINGSIDE DR. CARRBORO, NC 27510

Run dates: A18,25,M2,9p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#2024E000188 The undersigned, MICHAEL WILLIAM BRENNAN, having quali ed on the 8TH day of APRIL, 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of GAIL D. BRENNAN, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 24TH Day of JULY, 2024., 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 25TH Day of APRIL, 2024.

MICHAEL WILLIAM BRENNAN, EXECUTOR 270 PYRUS PITTSBORO, NC 27312

Run dates: A25,M2,9,16p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#2024E000204

The undersigned, LEWIS FADELY, having quali ed on the 15TH day of APRIL, 2024, as ADNINISTRATOR of the Estate of CURTIS ALLEN LEE, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 31ST Day of JULY, 2024., 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 2ND Day of MAY, 2024.

LEWIS FADELY, ATTY – ADMINISTRATOR 119 NORTH FIR AVE. SILER CITY, NC 27344

Run dates: M2,9,16,23p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#2024E000179 The undersigned, LINDA I. VILL, having quali ed on the 16TH day of APRIL, 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of SONJA THEODORA WASSMANN, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 24TH Day of JULY, 2024., 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 25TH Day of APRIL, 2024.

LINDA I. VILL, EXECUTOR 42 ASPETUCK PINES DRIVE NEW MILFORD, CT 06776

Run dates: A25,M2,9,16p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E187

The undersigned WANDA WILLIAMS DREWERY, having quali ed on the 8TH day of APRIL, 2024, as EXECUTRIX of the Estate of STANLEY JAMES DREWERY, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 17TH Day of JULY, 2024., 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 18TH Day of APRIL, 2024. WANDA WILLIAMS DREWERY, EXECUTRIX 8931 SILER

United Methodists make wide-ranging changes to welcome gay worshipers

The church’s General Conference, held in Charlotte, voted to recognize same-sex marriages and allow gay clergy

By Peter Smith The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — It took just a few days for United Methodist delegates to remove a half-century’s worth of denominational bans on gay clergy and same-sex marriages.

But when asked at a news conference about the lightning speed of the changes, the Rev. E e McAvoy took a longer view.

“Oh, it didn’t take days, honey,” she said.

It took decades of activism for a change that was “so very healing,” said McAvoy, pastor of Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church in Hope, Rhode Island. A member of the Queer Delegate Caucus at last week’s UMC General Conference in Charlotte, she was grateful to be part of the historic moment.

The reversals can be seen as marking the end of a half-century of epic battles and schisms over LGBTQ involvement — not only in the United Methodist Church but in U.S. mainline Protestant denominations overall. Those are the tall-steeple churches in myriad town squares and rural crossroads, traditionally “big-tent” and culturally mainstream congregations — some predating America’s independence.

The nation’s largest Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Lutheran denominations have all now removed barriers to LGBTQ participation in the pulpit and at the altar. But this comes amid long-term declines in membership and in uence.

Surely there will be skirmishes to come. Individual congregations, and entire regions across the world, will sort out the implications. Controversies have grown among some conservative evangelical churches and colleges, which largely avoided past battles.

But for mainline Protestants, last week’s General Conference looks like a landmark. It was a relatively quiet coda to what had

been an almost annual scene on America’s religious calendar — impassioned showdowns at legislative assemblies of Protestant denominations, marked by protests, political maneuverings and earnest prayers.

Across the decades, there were many cases of ecclesiastical civil disobedience — clergy doing ordinations and marriages that de ed church bans, some of whom were tried for heresy or other infractions.

“A part of me still doesn’t believe it,” said the Rev. Frank Schaefer, one of the last United Methodist ministers to face church discipline after presiding at the same-sex wedding of his son. Schaefer was restored to ministry in 2014 by a Methodist appellate panel after a lower tribunal had defrocked him.

“We’ve fought for it so long and hard, and there were so many disappointments along the way,” said Schaefer, now a pastor in California. “Our tears have turned into tears of joy.”

But the UMC faces the same dire challenges as Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal and smaller mainline denomina-

tions that took similar routes.

All lost large numbers of congregations in schisms, and they have had to navigate fraught relations with partner churches in Africa and elsewhere.

Retired United Methodist Bishop Will Willimon, a professor at Duke Divinity School, supported greater LGBTQ inclusion in the church — but said bigger issues loom.

“We’re an aging denomination,” he said. “We share that with so many mainline denominations. Unfortunately I don’t see how this vote addresses any of that.”

Willimon said even conservative breakaway groups like the new Global Methodist Church, comprised of many former UMC congregations, face similar challenges with predominately white, aging memberships.

In the U.S., mainline churches have lost millions of members since their peak in the 1960s — some to schism and many to underlying demographics. Their members are aging and don’t have many children, and they struggle to retain the children they do have, said Ryan Burge,

associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University.

“There is no silver bullet” for reversing mainline decline, said Burge, who studies religious demographics.

The United Methodists counted 5.4 million U.S. members in 2022 — less than half their 1960s peak, and the recent departure of about 7,600 mostly conservative congregations will lower that number further. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s 1.1 million membership is barely a quarter of its 1960s peak. Other denominations have similar trends.

Now attention turns to Africa, where the UMC counts 4.6 million members.

One group of African delegates protested outside the General Conference and said their members would discuss whether to disa liate.

“The General Conference did not listen to us,” said the Rev. Jerry Kulah of the conservative group, Africa Initiative, contending the denomination departed from biblical teaching on marriage. “We do not believe we know better than Jesus.”

TAKE NOTICE

NOTICE OF HEARINGS TOWN OF SILER CITY

The following item will be considered by the Siler City Planning Board as a legislative hearing. The hearing will be conducted during the Planning Board’s regular meeting on May 13, 2024, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Siler City Court Room of the Siler City Town Hall at 311 N. 2nd Ave.

Legislative Hearing

Comprehensive Land Use Plan – The Planning Board will review the proposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan for the Town of Siler City. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan is a document designed to guide the future actions of a community. It presents a vision for the future, with long-range goals and objective for all activities that a ect the local government.

The proposed item is available for review by contacting Jennifer C. Baptiste at jbaptiste@silercity.org or 919726-8626. All persons interested in the outcome of the item are invited to attend the legislative hearing and present comments, testimony, and exhibits on the above referenced item. These are separate hearings: Interested parties may submit evidence and written comments. Written comments or evidence on these applications can be submitted by email to jbaptiste@silercity.org. Individuals desiring to speak must sign up by calling 919-726-8626 before 12:00 p.m. on or before the scheduled public hearing date. The Town of Siler City will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that disabled persons are provided other accommodations, such arrangements may include, but are not limited to, providing interpreters for the deaf, providing taped cassettes of materials for the blind, or assuring a barrier-free location for the proceedings. This information is available in Spanish or any other language upon request. Please contact Kimberly Pickard at 919-726-8620, 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344, or kpickard@ silercity.org for accommodations for this request. Esta información está disponible en español o en cualquier otro idioma bajo petición. Por favor, póngase en contacto con Kimberly Pickard al kpickard@silercity. org o 919-726-8625 o en 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344 de alojamiento para esta solicitud. SILER CITY PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

The Siler City Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hearing in accordance with NCGS 158-7.1 on Monday, May 20th, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Courtroom, located at 311 N Second Ave Siler City, NC to consider a request for an economic development incentive grant. The anticipated new capital investment for Innovative Construction Group LLC is approximately $39 million. This project will create 157 new full-time permanent jobs and annual payroll over $8.3 million upon reaching full operations in 2029. The Siler City Board of Commissioners believes that this project will stimulate the local economy and will provide local economic bene ts for the residents of Chatham County through an increase in sales and property tax revenues and potentially new purchases of local goods and services. The public is invited to attend the hearing to express their viewpoints. Persons having questions may contact Town Clerk Kimberly Pickard at 919-7268620, kpickard@silercity.org Those wishing to speak may sign up on the night of the meeting or submit written comments to the Town Clerk Kimberly Pickard at 311 N Second Ave Siler City NC 27344 or kpickard@ silercity.org.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF TAMRA ELLEN STEFFEN

FILE NO: 2024 E 000137

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Tamra Ellen Ste en a.k.a. Tamra Stout, deceased of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned Eugene Albert Ste en, Executor on or before September 12, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 2nd day of May 2024. Eugene Albert Ste en, Executor C/O Jones, Branz & Whitaker LLP, 4030 Wake Forest Rd., Ste. 300, Raleigh, NC 27609.

PUBLIC NOTICE

CHATHAM COUNTY IS ANTICIPATING BEING AWARDED FEDERAL FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS)/FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA) UNDER THE EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER NATIONAL BOARD PROGRAM

Chatham County is anticipating receiving $28,310.00 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county.

The selection was made by a National Board that is chaired by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from the American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; The Jewish Federations of North America; The Salvation Army and The United Way Worldwide. The Local Board was charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the county. A Local Board made up of local representatives of the organizations listed above will determine how funds will be awarded to Chatham County and to

The Rev. David Meredith, left, and the Rev. Austin Adkinson sing during a gathering of those in the LGBTQ community and their allies outside the Charlotte Convention Center last Thursday in Charlotte.

PETER SMITH / AP PHOTO

CHATHAM SPORTS

Alamance in the championship game of the

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Seaforth’s So a Viana (10) and Woods Charter’s Jessica Haswell (17) battle for the ball during a recent game. Both teams are projected as No. 4 seeds in the upcoming state playo s.

Chatham County girls’ soccer playo preview

A look at potential seeds and fates for county teams in the state tournament

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE TIME FOR what could be a successful playo showing from Chatham County’s girls’ soccer teams is nally here. Before the rst round of the state playo s gets started Monday, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association will release the girls’ soccer playo brackets Friday. Looking at the NCHSAA’s RPI standings as of Sunday, all ve of the county’s teams are expected to make the cut for their respective brackets. Some teams enjoyed great seasons and set themselves in good position for favorable seeding while other teams are ghting for position in the last spots.

The NCHSAA’s RPI, or ratings percentage index, system can help predict where teams will land, or seed, in their respective brackets. RPI considers the winning percentage of a team, its opponents and its opponents’ opponents when de-

Looking at the NCHSAA’s RPI standings as of Sunday, all ve of the county’s teams are expected to make the cut for their respective brackets.

termining how a team will be seeded. Conference winners get seeded rst based on their RPI, and then the rest of the brackets are lled with at-large teams also seeded by their RPI. Here’s an early playo preview for Chatham County’s girls soccer teams based on the RPI standings updated Sunday:

Seaforth (2A East, automatic bid) Conference record/place (as of Sunday): 12-0, First place

RPI: 0.622228

Projected seed: 4

Before Monday, Seaforth shut out 10 straight opponents, including Woods Charter, the No. 4 team in the 1A East RPI

standings, and Clinton, the No. 9 team in the 2A East RPI standings. Led by sophomore So a Viana and a stout defense, the Hawks have been dominant this season, and in the rst few rounds of the state tournament, that should continue. Should it hold on to the fourth seed, Seaforth will host at least the rst three rounds of the playo s, and it has not lost at home this season. Things are pointing towards a deep playo run for the Hawks, who boast a better team than last year’s squad that went to the third round, and if they can pull out wins against the top competition in the later rounds, a state title is within reach.

Northwood (2A East, automatic bid) Conference record/place (as of Sunday): 11-3, Second place

RPI: 0.531011

Projected seed: 14

Northwood will likely travel to a tough opponent early in the playo s should it land at the 14 seed. The Chargers have been playing well in the nal stretch of the regular season, winning seven of their last nine games before Monday. However, the Chargers are 1-4 in non-conference games in the same time frame. Being able to win in an unfamiliar environment against unfamiliar opponents will be crucial for the Chargers if they

See SOCCER, page B4

Seaforth won the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference tournament title over Southeast Alamance, 10-4

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

FOR THE 2024 baseball season, the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference belongs to the Seaforth Hawks.

Seaforth, the No. 1 seed in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A tournament, held o No. 7 Southeast Alamance, 10-4, Thursday night to win its rst conference tournament title. The Hawks achieved a clean sweep over the conference

championships, clinching their rst regular season title after beating Bartlett Yancey on April 26.

“I’m just so happy for our guys,” Seaforth head coach Landon Jones said. “Tonight had a little bit of our story written all across it. From seniors who were on the three-win team a year ago getting to close it out to freshmen hitting 3-2 home runs, a little bit of who Seaforth baseball is was played out through this game.”

With senior Anders Johansson getting the start on the mound for Seaforth, Southeast Alamance struck rst in the opening inning after a dropped

The Jets defended their Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference tournament title on Friday

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

IN THE SECOND straight matchup between No. 1 Chatham Central and No. 2 Jordan-Matthews for the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference tournament crown, the Jets prevailed once again. Jordan-Matthews won its second consecutive conference tournament title Friday after beating the conference regular season champions, 6-3.

For the Jets, one successful inning at the plate was enough to swing the game in their favor as both defenses made it hard to knock in runs.

With freshman pitcher Maddie Kaczmarczyk getting the start for the Bears and sophomore pitcher Lilli Hicks on the mound for the Jets, both teams remained scoreless until the bottom of the second inning. Even though Hicks got behind in the count a few times, both pitchers threw strikes and gave the batters something to hit. But, when batters did hit the ball, the elders didn’t often let it go by. Pop -

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Seaforth celebrates its win against Southeast

Mid-Carolina Conference Tournament Championship at Chatham Central High School.

Chatham County athletic directors weigh in on realignment after NCHSAA Board of Directors meeting

County ADs voiced their opinions on the actions and recommendations brought forth by NCHSAA

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

REALIGNMENT was a pressing issue in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s Board of Directors meeting last week, and in regard to the actions made and recommendations brought forth to address it, Chatham County athletic directors voiced their opinions.

During the meeting, the Board of Directors approved the “Big 32” model which will classify the largest 32 schools in the NCHSAA into the 8A classication, leaving the remaining schools to be divided into classes 1A through 7A as evenly as possible.

The Bylaw Task Force Committee, which suggested the “Big 32” model, also recommended 24-32-team brackets for the 8A classi cation, 32-team brackets for 2A through 7A and 16-team brackets for 1A, instead of the current 64-team brackets. The Committee additionally recommended realignment every two years. These recommendations still have to be voted on by the Board of Directors.

For the most part, Chatham County’s athletic directors favor the eight-classi cation model because of how it addresses the population issue. Looking at the 2023-24 average daily enrollment numbers, Seaforth (1,074 students), Northwood (735), Jordan-Matthews (890) and Cha-

BASEBALL from page B1

pitch allowed sophomore Bubba Sims, who lead o with a double, to reach home.

Seaforth held the Stallions o for the rest of their batting turn and tied the game in the bottom of the rst inning as a double from junior Cade Elmore sent sophomore Jaedyn Rader home.

The game remained 1-1 until the bottom of the second inning when freshman Bauer Bowling, on a 3-2 count, sent a bomb over the left eld fence. The home run also brought in sophomore Colin Dorney, who was walked in the previous at-bat, to give Seaforth a 3-1 lead.

“When I rst (hit) it, I didn’t even know that thing was going,” Bowling said. “I rounded rst base and everybody (was) cheering…all the emotions pumped up.” However, it was the Stallions’ turn to even the odds.

In the top of the third inning, Sims doubled once again, and he came home two at-bats later after an errant throw from Dorney at the catcher position ew over the second baseman’s head.

Southeast Alamance then tied the game at three runs when sophomore Josh Gant hit a ground rule double to right center eld, bringing in freshman Paxton Piccini.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Players from Northwood and Chatham Central battle under the boards during a game this season. Northwood’s student enrollment is more than twice the size of Chatham Central’s, giving the two programs very di erent needs and resources. The NCHSAA’s proposed restructuring would address that.

tham Central (348) have much di erent student populations, but they all share a conference with Chatham Central being the only 1A school out of the other three 2A schools.

A wide range of student populations in one conference, not just one class, bring concerns of fairness, considering larger schools have the advantage of depth in team sports and more opportunities for winning in individual sports.

“Eight classi cations makes it a more level playing eld when it comes to playo s,” Barry West, Jordan-Matthews’ athletic director, said. “There shouldn’t be matchups where an 800 enroll-

The Hawks connected on three hits and got on base ve times, bringing in four runs to take an 8-4 advantage.

Landano started to catch re at the mound, too, going three up and three down in the two following innings.

“I wasn’t doing too well at the plate, so I wanted to do something for the team, at least, and go out there and pitch good,” Landano said. “So, I was just thinking to get outs and work for the team.”

In the bottom of the sixth inning, a two-RBI double from Dorney put the nishing touches on the win.

“Tonight had a little bit of our story written all across it. From seniors who were on the three-win team a year ago getting to close it out to freshmen hitting 3-2 home runs, a little bit of who Seaforth baseball is was played out through this game.”

Landon Jones

With two outs in the bottom of the third inning, a single from Johansson brought Elmore in again for the Hawks’ fourth run and only run of the inning.

Freshman Anthony Landano came in to relieve Johansson on the mound to start the fourth inning, but just two batters in, Sims, also on a 3-2 count, hit a home run to left center eld to tie the game at four runs.

With the game looking to be a back and forth battle, Seaforth put all of it to rest in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Seaforth is heading into its rst playo run with plenty of momentum. Prior to beating Southeast Alamance in the conference tournament, the Hawks ran through Graham, 10-0, and Jordan-Matthews, 14-4, in the rst two rounds.

Just last year, the Hawks were like Southeast Alamance in the conference tournament — a lower seed getting hot and reaching the championship game. Therefore, they’re no stranger to success in playo -type games prior to this year’s state tournament.

This year, the Hawks are one of the top dogs entering the playo s as they’re in position to host the rst round as a high seed. Throughout the past few weeks, Jones said his young squad has been working to replicate the feel and urgency of the playo s to get ready for the rst round on Tuesday.

“We’re at the point of the year where we can’t a ord to play a sloppy half inning or take a half inning o at the plate,” Jones said. “It’s go time now, and the guys took that challenge knowing that Tuesday when the playo s start and we host a game, we’re going to be punched in the mouth by a new experience (and) by a big atmosphere.”

“I feel like we’re kind of in stage of having more champions which questions who the real champion is quite honestly,” Amy said. “But, I understand the thought process. We’re a growing state with more and more schools.”

Regarding the proposed reduction in playo berths, the county’s athletic directors generally support the recommendation, but for di erent reasons.

For Amy, it goes back to competition as he feels less berths will get rid of the less competitive games in earlier rounds.

“Currently it just seems like (there’s) a lot of teams that have to make the playo s, or they’re just not necessarily what I would classify as playo teams,” Amy said. “I think it discredits the whole playo s and what we do when you have so many teams that are able to get in. And then, it takes us two to three rounds just to get to where the competition level is at.”

Peele likes the idea of smaller playo brackets because he feels it will put more emphasis on the regular season and it will better accommodate small schools like Chatham Central that have multi-sport athletes who may miss portions of other seasons due to long playo runs.

ment school faces a school with almost 1,100 in the playo s.”

Said Chatham Central athletic director Tommy Peele, “I think eight classi cations would be a good thing. I think it will create a little more parity and give some schools and some athletes some chances that they don’t have in the current four-classication model.”

Jason Amy, Seaforth’s athletic director, also believes eight classi cations will make competition fairer, but he took a di erent perspective on the change, reasoning that it “waters” down the concept of a champion. Eight teams instead of just four will win state titles in certain sports.

“This year our basketball teams advanced to the second and third rounds of the playo s, and our baseball and softball teams were playing conference games before basketball playo s were over,” Peele said. “We were missing those kids early in baseball and softball.”

The athletic directors also shared mutual support for the proposed two-year realignment cycle. They cite the constant change in student populations, especially with the NCHSAA continuing to add new member schools, and schools already request classi cation changes in the current four-year year cycle. Amy also added that keeping the cycle to at least two years will allow schools to keep home and home series for sports like foot-

Younger Workers Must Balance Financial Priorities

ball and basketball.

Yet, classi cation realignment will also come with conference realignment. Some of Chatham County’s schools already nd themselves in a split conference with two classi cations, and after the Board of Directors meeting, NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker said the eight classi cation model could bring conferences with up to three classi cations for the purposes of keeping schools geographically close.

Chatham County’s athletic directors understand the need for keeping schools close as travel can become a signi cant cost when teams constantly have to make long bus rides. Cameron Vernon, Northwood’s athletic director, doesn’t mind split conferences as long as teams are in the right classi cation come playo time.

“If we’re a 3A (in the eight-classi cation model), which is what it looks like, and we’re in a conference with 4A and 5A schools, I’m not so sure I’m that concerned,” Vernon said. “But, when it comes to playo time, and we’re matched with other 3A schools, I think that’s fair.”

Peele, who has experienced being the smaller classi cation school in a split conference, says being in one feels like “climbing up hill” when facing bigger schools in conference play, and it’s for that reason that West would like to see split conferences avoided when possible.

“Although the teams would go to di erent playo brackets, the regular season results would still favor the larger schools,” West said. “There could be situations where a 2A team consistently nishes third or fourth in their league and also consistently makes it to the third or fourth round of the playo s. However, it cannot compete for the conference regular season championship due to competing against schools in the conference that have two times the number of competitors.”

Younger Workers Must Balance Financial Priorities

If you’re a younger worker just starting out in your career, you’ve got tremendous personal and professional opportunities ahead of you. But this is also when you will need to make some key decisions — When considering your priorities, you areas:

• Paying off debts – If you’re like many young working people, one of your biggest debts may be your student loans — and paying these down is, by necessity, a priority, because falling behind on your student loan payments can lead to late fees and other problems. So, if you haven’t done so already, you may want to enroll in autopay, which will help you stay current on your loan and possibly earn a rate reduction.

• Saving for short-term goals – At this stage of your life, you may be thinking cant short-term goals, such as a wedding or a down payment to a house — or perhaps both. Obviously, your ability to save for these goals will depend on your income, your current cost of living and your debt situation. But if a wedding or a new home is indeed a priority for you, you’ll want to look at what’s possible, in terms of putting money away. Since you know you’ll need a certain amount of money at a given time, you may want to automatically move a set amount from your checking or savings account each month to a low-risk account whose principal is essentially protected. You might not earn a lot on such an account, but at the same time, you won’t have to worry about a drop in value just when you need to take out the money.

• Saving for retirement – Even though you may just be at the beginning of your working life, it’s not too soon to begin preparing for its conclusion. You could spend two, or even three, decades in an active retirement, so you will need to ac-

Fortunately, here’s an area in which you may be able to get some help, starting right away. If you work for a mid-size or large company, your employer may well offer a 401(k) or similar retirement plan. Your pre-tax salary deferral contributions are generally not taxable, so the more you put in, the lower your taxable income. Plus, your earnings can grow on a tax-deferred basis. (If your employer offers a Roth 401(k), your contributions will be taxable, but withdrawals will be tax-free, provided you meet certain conditions.) These days, even many small employers often offer some type of retirement plan, so it’s likely by contributing as much as you can afford. Prioritizing these long-term savings goals, and striving to meet them with the appropriate solutions, can certainly be challenging. But as a young worker, you have the greatest — and most irreplaceable — asset on your side: time. So, make the most of it. Think carefully about your needs and options and take the steps that enable you to keep making progress toward all your objectives.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

Spring sports postseason gets underway for Chatham teams

By Asheebo Rojas

Chatham News & Record

BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL teams around the county competed in conference tournaments, while state tournaments began for boys’ and girls’ lacrosse. Here’s a look at local high school sports results for teams around the area.

Baseball

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference tournament

First round: Seaforth 10, Graham 0; Jordan-Matthews 6, North Moore 4; Chatham Central 8, Bartlett Yancey 7; Southeast Alamance 4, Northwood 2

Semi nals: Seaforth 14, Jordan-Matthews 4; Southeast Alamance 7, Chatham Central 6

Championship: Seaforth 10, Southeast Alamance 4

Central Tar Heel 1A conference tournament Semi nals: Chatham Charter 16, Triangle Math and Science 0 Championship: Clover Garden School 5, Chatham Charter 4 (10 innings)

Softball

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference tournament

First round: Chatham Central 16, Graham 1; Bartlett Yancey 15, Southeast Alamance 5; Jordan-Matthews 10, Northwood 0; North Moore 4, Seaforth 2

Semi nals: Chatham Central 15, Bartlett Yancey 9; Jordan-Matthews 7, North Moore 0 Championship: Jordan-Matthews 6, Chatham

Central 3 Central Tar Heel 1A conference tournament Championship: Chatham Charter 8, Clover Garden School 6 Girls’ soccer

April 29: Seaforth 9, North Moore 0; Northwood 10, Graham 2; Clover Garden School 6, Chatham Charter 0; Woods Charter 9, Ascend Leadership 0; May 1: Seaforth 7, Southeast Alamance 0; Northwood 9, Cummings 0; Jordan-Matthews 1, Bartlett Yancey 0; Southern Wake Academy 2, Chatham Charter 1 (OT); Woods Charter 13, Triangle Math and Science 0; May 2: Seaforth 5, Clinton 0; Jordan-Matthews 7, Cummings 0; Woods Charter 12, Raleigh Charter 3

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings (as of Sunday): 1. Seaforth (17-1-1, 12-0); 2. Northwood (12-7, 11-3); 3. Southeast Alamance (8-8, 8-3); 4. Jordan-Matthews (7-10-1, 6-5-1); 5. North Moore (4-9-2, 4-6-1); 6. Graham (3-10-1, 3-9); 7. Bartlett Yancey (3-12-1, 2-10); 8. Cummings (0-10, 0-10)

Central Tar Heel 1A conference standings (as of Sunday): 1. Woods Charter (15-4-1, 10-0); 2. River Mill (9-8, 9-2); 3. Clover Garden School (9-7, 7-3); 4. Ascend Leadership (5-10, 4-6); 5. Triangle Math and Science (3-15-1, 2-7-1); 6. Chatham Charter (3-12, 2-8); 7. Southern Wake Academy (1-11-1, 1-9-1)

Boys’ lacrosse NCHSAA 1A/2A/3A play-

o s (East bracket)

Second round: Western Alamance 9, Seaforth 8; Northwood 18, Voyager 1 Girls’ lacrosse

NCHSAA 1A/2A/3A playo s (East bracket)

Second round: Seaforth 15, South Brunswick 9; Northwood 24, Cape Fear 5 Track and eld

Chatham County’s rst place nishers in the following track and eld meets: Mid-Carolina Conference 1A/2A Outdoor Championship

Boys: 800 meter run (Will Cuicchi, Seaforth, 2 minutes, 04.04 seconds); 1,600 meter run (Jack Anstrom, Seaforth, 4:37.35); 3,200 meter run (Christian Garcia Torres, Jordan-Matthews, 10:44.39); 110 meter hurdles (Asher Aldridge, Seaforth, 15.83); 4x400 meter relay (Seaforth, 3:33.25); 4x800 meter relay (Seaforth, 9:12.46); Pole vault (Ryan Yoder, Seaforth, 12-06.00); Discus (Aaron Teta, Seaforth, 119-01.00); Girls: 400 meter dash (Sasha Helmer, Seaforth, 1:05.20); 800 meter run (Julia Hall, Northwood, 2:29.54); 1,600 meter run (Julia Hall, Northwood, 5:35.67); 3,200 meter run (Sydney Gray, Northwood, 12:56.12); 4x400 meter relay (Northwood, 4:32.47); 4x800 meter relay (Seaforth, 10:55.90); Pole vault (Laney Babo, Northwood, 11-00.00); Discus (Jada Everson, Northwood, 87-04.00); Shot put (Amari Bullett, Northwood, 29-08.00)

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Bauer Bowling

Seaforth, baseball

Seaforth baseball’s Bauer Bowling earns athlete of the week honors for the week of April 29.

In Thursday’s Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference tournament championship game, Bowling, a freshman, went 3-4 from the plate, including a two-run homer that gave the Hawks a 3-1 lead over Southeast Alamance in the bottom of the second inning. Bowling hit two singles and stole a pair of bases to go with the home run, helping Seaforth win the tournament title, 10-4.

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Settlement could cost NCAA nearly $3 billion; plan to pay athletes would need federal protection

Reports say negotiations are underway to reach a settlement

By Ralph D. Russo

The Associated Press

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The NCAA and major college conferences are considering a possible settlement of an antitrust lawsuit that could cost them billions in damages and force schools to share athletics-related revenue with their athletes.

But even if college sports leaders create a new, more professional model for collegiate athletics they likely would need help from Congress if athletes are not classi ed as employees.

The association could pay out $2.9 billion in damages over 10 years to resolve the class-action lawsuit — which is set to

SOCCER from page B1

want to make some noise this year.

Jordan-Matthews (2A East)

Conference record/place

(as of Sunday): 6-5-1, Fourth place

RPI: 0.441789

Projected seed: 29

Jordan-Matthews has done well against teams at or below its level this season, nd-

SOFTBALL from page B1

ups and youts caught in the playing eld or in foul territory made it to where it required a defensive mistake to get a run on the board.

Chatham Central senior Kelsey Hussey, who was walked earlier in the bottom of the second inning, reached home for the game’s rst run after Hicks committed an error while trying to turn a double play at second base.

Then, in the top of the third inning with two outs, Jordan-Matthews junior Marcy Clark tied the game with her rst career home run that sailed over the left eld fence.

go to trial in January. Schools in the Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference could be on the hook for about $30 million per year, which would include about $20 million annually directed to their athletes.

A deal is far from nalized. Conditions of an agreement still must be approved by the NCAA board of governors and the presidential boards of each of the four conferences.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, who already has ruled on several high-pro le antitrust cases against the NCAA in the Northern District of California, ordered the sides to attempt to settle the case months ago.

There is quiet acknowledgement among many college sports administrators that a settlement of House is the

ing most of its success in conference play. However, against non-conference competition or against the best teams in the conference, the Jets have been outmatched. Jordan-Matthews is 1-5 in non-conference play and before Monday, it’s 0-5 against the top three Mid-Carolina 1A/2A teams (Seaforth, Northwood and Southeast Alamance). As a 29 seed, the Jets will likely travel to a team of high caliber, giving them a tough task if they want to pull

“We needed to get started with hitting because we didn’t really have a push,” Clark said. “(Kaczmarczyk) just threw it perfectly, and I just hit it. Then, we all started hitting.”

The Jets couldn’t build on the home run immediately, though, as a walk and another popup out ended the inning. In the bottom of the third inning, Chatham Central junior Caleigh Warf sacri ced herself to bring senior Katherine Gaines home and give the Bears a 2-1 lead. Yet, the Bears’ small lead was once again short lived.

Jordan-Matthews got on base six times in the top of the fourth inning, which included three hits and three walks. Af-

best course of action. The case, brought by former Arizona State swimmer Grant House, contends college athletes should receive a cut of the billions of dollars in media rights fees that go to the power conferences and the NCAA, dating to 2016.

In a previous ling, attorneys for the NCAA and the conferences contend damages in House will be $1.4 billion, though in successful antitrust cases damages are tripled.

The NCAA and college sports leaders have been seeking help from Congress in the form of a federal law to regulate NIL compensation for several years, but there has been little movement on that front.

More recently the emphasis from NCAA President Charlie Baker and others has shifted to trying to prevent college ath-

o an upset.

Woods Charter (1A East, automatic bid)

Conference record/place (as of Sunday): 10-0, First place

RPI: 0.569061

Projected seed: 4

Woods Charter, the 2023 state runner up, has been a dominant force this season behind its solid, physical defense and its o ensive attack led by sophomore Amelia Cherry. Like

ter sophomore Cassidy Graves and senior Reagan Smith got walked, senior Lia Carter hit a single to bring Smith home for the tying run.

Two at-bats later, senior Logan Gunter hit a triple to deep right eld, bringing Graves and Carter home for two more runs. Clark capped it o with a double to right eld in the next atbat, sending Gunter home and giving the Jets a 5-2 advantage.

“I feel like we (made adjustments) well at the plate as a whole,” Jordan-Matthews head coach Holly Felder said. “Just shortening up and putting the ball in play, not trying to swing for the fences and bunting people over just to try to get people

letes from being deemed employees.

Even with a settlement in House and a revenue-sharing plan, the NCAA and major conferences could still need a federal law or antitrust protection to prevent more challenges. A separate antitrust lawsuit in Pennsylvania dealing with the employment status is also active.

“In terms of their legal options one is to go to Congress, two is to recognize the athletes as employees and enter collective bargaining agreements, the other one is to try to operate in a way that is more defensible under the law,” Tulane sports law professor Gabe Feldman said.

“The door is still open to re-invent itself to either withstand litigation or gain more support for congressional intervention.” Feldman said a federal law

Seaforth, their season indicates a deep playo run as well. The Wolves only took bumps to teams in higher classi cations, going undefeated at the 1A level, and as a four seed, they’ll host at least the rst three rounds of the playo s. They also have valuable experience from last year’s state title game in which Woods Charter lost to Christ the King, 1-0.

that denies college athletes employment status could face a court challenge without the NCAA and conferences being granted an antitrust exemption by Congress.

“It’s hard to ask Congress to protect something that so many see as exploitative,” Feldman said.

Some type of revenue-sharing agreement or substantially increased payments to college athletes on top of scholarships seems inevitable.

Baker himself proposed in December creating a new tier of Division I in which schools would be required to pay at least half their athletes $30,000 per year in trust funds. Baker also encouraged schools to bring NIL activities for athletes inhouse instead of solely allowing them to work with third-party entities.

Chatham Charter (1A East) Conference record/place (as of Sunday): 2-8, Sixth place

RPI: 0.332960

Projected seed: 30

Chatham Charter didn’t have a lot going for itself this season, losing nine straight games before Monday. The Knights will start the playo s against one of the best teams in 1A East should they hold on to the 30th spot, and looking at how their season has gone and how they’ve struggled to score, an upset will be unlikely.

in scoring position.”

At the hands of Hicks and the Jets’ defense, Chatham Central continued to struggle at the plate throughout the rest of the game. The Bears only recorded three more hits and one run in the nal four innings, going three up and three down twice.

In Chatham Central’s nal opportunity to tie or win the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Bears were able to get three runners on base. However, one runner got thrown out at second base, and for the nal out of the game, Smith, the Jets’ catcher, hopped up and hustled to the backstop to catch a popup from Warf.

“I got behind a lot, but my

curveball started to work towards the end of the game,” Hicks said. “My defense works behind me. We had runners on base, and we shut the door on them.”

Jordan-Matthews will enter the 2A state playo s on a six-game winning streak, shutting out Northwood and North Moore in the rst two rounds of the conference tournament. The Jets will host their rst round game as a high seed, entering the postseason with an older team that has developed with each other for the past two seasons.

“I think they have a lot of condence moving into the playo s,” Felder said.

SIDELINE REPORT

COLLEGE SPORTS

South Carolina court orders ACC to provide Clemson with ESPN agreements

Clemson, SC

A South Carolina court has order the Atlantic Coast Conference to provide Clemson with agreements between itself and ESPN the school has sought in its lawsuit in trying to leave its longtime home. The ve-page order was released last Friday and provided the ACC protections against the agreements handed over coming out publicly. Clemson sued the ACC in March over its grantof-rights agreement that ties the school’s media rights to the league through 2036. Florida State has also sued the ACC in an attempt to free itself from the conference.

MLB

MLB, Nike announce 2025 uniforms will have larger jersey lettering, custom- t pants

Major League Baseball uniforms will have larger lettering on the back of jerseys and individual pant customization will be available to all players beginning in 2025. MLB and Nike said the uniform adjustments will be made following conversations with players, clubs and equipment managers. Some players in spring training complained about the t and look. The white pants worn by some teams are see-through enough to clearly show tuckedin jersey tops. Nike also is working to address the slight color di erences between jerseys and pants of some gray road uniforms, as well as the discoloration that can occur because of sweat.

TENNIS

Tennis star Billie Jean King getting Breakfast of Champions treatment, will appear on Wheaties box

Minneapolis Billie Jean King is a 39-time Grand Slam champion and an equal rights champion — and now she’s getting the Breakfast of Champions treatment. The twice-inducted tennis Hall of Famer will appear on a limited-edition box of Wheaties. The cereal maker announced the orange packages with King on the cover will be available at stores around the U.S. later this month. King was a driving force behind the creation of the women’s professional tennis tour, equal prize money for women and men, and the passage of Title IX. King, 80, won 39 titles across singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Georgia’s Smart becomes nation’s highest-paid college football coach at $13M annually

Athens, Ga.

Georgia’s Kirby Smart agreed to a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid coach in college football with an annual salary of $13 million. Smart surpasses Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, set to make $11 million in 2024. Smart gets a bump in salary of $1.75 million annually as part of the deal, which ties him to the Bulldogs through 2033. He could also receive up to $1.55 million per year in bonuses based on the new 12-team playo structure, an increase from $1.3 million under the previous terms. Athletic director Josh Brooks got an extension that raises his salary to $1.275 million annually.

Larson wins closest nish in NASCAR Cup Series history

The Hendrick Motorsports driver edged Chris Buescher at the nish line at Kansas to win by .001 seconds

By Dave Skretta

The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kyle

Larson came around Chris Buescher on the nal lap and banged doors with him all the way to the nish line Sunday, where he was declared the winner of the Cup Series race by o cials at Kansas Speedway in the closest nish in NASCAR history.

The o cial margin was a thousandth of a second — every bit as close as the Kentucky Derby a day earlier — and Buescher was left both dumbfounded and dejected. His team had begun to celebrate before learning he had nished second.

The dramatic nale came after a caution for Kyle Busch’s spin forced a green-whitecheckered nish. Larson pulled behind Buescher on the backstretch of the last lap, then came around him on the outside of the

nal corner. Buescher looked as if he had pulled in front, and even Larson thought he had nished second, before the call came through that he had won.

“That was wild,” Larson said. “I was thankful for that caution. We were dying pretty bad. I was happy to come out third.”

It was a brilliant start to a busy month of May for Larson, who will attempt to run the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day Memorial Day weekend. The win was the second of the season for him in the No. 5 car for Hendrick Motorsports, and a bit of retribution nishing second to Denny Hamlin last week at Dover and in the spring race at Kansas a year ago. Martin Truex Jr. nished fourth on Sunday and Hamlin, who had the lead on the nal restart, faded back to fth place.

Meanwhile, Buescher was left questioning the grainy blackand-white images of the photo nish, and the entire Ford contingent — which has yet to win in any of NASCAR’s top three series this year — had to rue the closest miss in its history.

“I don’t know what to say right

now,” Buescher said, shaking his head while standing beside his No. 17 car. “I haven’t seen a replay other than just the picture, and I sure can’t see in that picture. That sucks to be that close.”

Making it a bigger bummer for Buescher was the fact that he had overcome a big miscue midway through the race. He had just won the second stage and led the eld onto pit road when a crew member came over the wall too soon. The penalty sent him to the rear of the eld, and he had to spend much of the nal stage working his way back to the front.

Ultimately, he opted for a different pit strategy along with Hamlin, who had his own share of problems on pit road. And it might have worked out for them had the race nished under green. Instead, the late caution forced all the leaders to pit.

“I don’t know what to say right now,” Buescher said. Christopher Bell started on the pole but struggled to run up front all day in a race that began after a 3 1/2-hour delay because of rain, nishing sixth. He was followed by Alex Bowman and Kyle Busch, whose spin brought out the

last caution. Noah Gragson and Michael McDowell gave Ford two more cars in the top 10.

Yellow ags

There were no cautions other than for stage breaks until Jimmie Johnson wrecked with 91 laps to go. The seven-time champion, back in the No. 84 for the second consecutive week, was hit from behind by Corey LaJoie after he checked up.

“Just trying to set up for the corner, I got a little help from behind and just kind of hanging on from there,” Johnson said.

The yellow ags then came in quickly: Hamlin made contact with Austin Cindric, sending the No. 2 into a wreck that spun out Bubba Wallace and McDowell. Harrison Burton wrecked on the restart, then Joey Logano did on the next one.

Odds and ends

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. nished 16th in his rst race since signing a contract extension with JTG Daugherty Racing. He also did it after going for a wild ride in his sprint car on Saturday night at nearby Lakeside Speedway. ... Gragson has had strong back-to-back weeks after nishing sixth at Dover. ... The series heads to Darlington next for its annual throwback weekend.

Irving is still perfect in closeout games, moving on with Doncic and Mavericks

The former Duke star is 13-0 with a chance to end a playo series

By Schuyler Dixon The Associated Press

DALLAS — Kyrie Irving wowed the crowd with a crossover move that helped create just enough space for him to let y with a leaning 3-pointer. Luka Doncic’s co-star with the Dallas Mavericks was bumped and fell with the shot in the air, and his teammates were right there to mob him when the shot went in as the whistle blew.

The four-point play was a punctuating moment in a 114101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night that sent the Mavericks into the second round of the playo s with a 4-2 series victory. Dallas beat LA for the rst time in three rst-round tries over the past ve seasons — and Irving improved to 13-0 in closeout games for his career.

“When I think about 13-0 in closeout games in general, I just know you’ve just got to get there to that point to be able to be ready to have the other team submit,” said Irving, who scored 28 of his 30 points in the second half. “It’s one of the hardest

round playo series.

things to do as a competitor is to have your opponent concede or submit.”

The fth-seeded Mavericks play top seed, Oklahoma City, in the second round.

“Never in doubt with Kai,” Doncic said. “It’s amazing to see the kind of plays he makes.”

The Mavs added Irving at the trade deadline last year, hoping to create an All-Star pairing that would at least match

the run to the West nals from 2022. Instead, injuries and inconsistencies kept the chemistry from developing, and Dallas missed the playo s.

Irving’s health was a big part of a surge into the top six in the West over the nal two months of this season when it appeared the play-in tournament might have to be the route. Now the Mavs have a series

victory in the rst postseason together for two players with a combined 13 All-Star appearances.

“I’m just in awe each and every night,” said P.J. Washington, a trade deadline addition this year and a key provider of 3-point shooting and defense. “They’re special players and they make special plays each and every night.”

Irving was 10 of 13 from the eld in the second half, starting with a layup that broke a 52-52 halftime tie. After a 3-pointer from Doncic, Irving added a 3 for an 8-0 run. Dallas didn’t trail again.

Irving hasn’t been scoring early — just 10 points combined in the rst quarters of the six games against LA. But he’s been scoring late.

The 28 points in the second half of the clincher matched Irving’s playo career high for a half. And in a Game 4 loss, Irving scored all 40 of his points after the Clippers had taken a 31-point lead as Dallas rallied to take the lead before losing by ve.

“Just his calmness, his energy was always positive in the locker room,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “And that’s just the leadership and trust that the guys have on the oor with him.”

NBA

JEFFREY MCWHORTER/AP PHOTO

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) passes the ball as he falls in between Los Angeles Clippers defenders during the rst

COLIN E. BRALEY / AP PHOTO

Kyle Larson (5) crosses the nish line milliseconds in front of Chris Buescher (17) for the win during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Sunday, May 5, 2024.

‘The Backyard Bird Chronicles’ highlights birdwatching

Kenn Kau man highlights “The Birds that Audubon Missed”

The Associated Press

BIRDWATCHING has become a cherished pastime for many since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people stuck at home for months looked out their windows for entertainment and immersed themselves into the natural world, many of them for the rst time.

Best-selling novelist Amy Tan of “The Joy Luck Club” fame is among about 45 million Americans the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has estimated are birders, with many investing seriously in their passion by purchasing birdseed and bird-watching accessories.

Now, with entries from her nature journal and astonishing illustrations thanks to lessons in bird illustration, Tan has published “The Backyard Bird Chronicles” about an obsession that dates back to before the pandemic.

Tan’s book is the latest to grab onto the popularity of

birdwatching.

Coming out on May 7 is another book sure to delight amateur naturalists: “The Birds that Audubon Missed: Discovery and Desire in the American Wilderness” by Kenn Kaufman. Kaufman, an avid birder since childhood, has authored more than a dozen books, including his own Kaufman Field Guides.

In his latest, he tells of the competition among naturalists and John James Audubon, who is known for his e orts in the 1800s to describe and illustrate all the birds he could nd.

Amid the rivalries, fraud and plagiarism, “The Birds in America,” Audubon’s seminal collection of 435 life-size prints, missed many winged creatures yet discovered, including some common songbirds, hawks and sandpipers.

Tan could only identify three bird species when she rst embraced birdwatching as a pastime.

The number of species she could identify steadily grew to 63 as she lured more birds to the area behind her home with a view of San Francisco Bay, seed, feeders and a colorful

rooftop garden.

“I’ve been spending more hours a day staring at birds than writing,” she notes at one point. “How can I not? Just outside my o ce, four edgling scrub jays are learning survival skills.”

“We’ve been shut down by COVID-19, required to stay home,” she wrote on March 19, 2020. “Almost everything seems like a potential transmitter of disease and death — the groceries, a door knob, another person. But not the birds. The birds are a balm.”

Tan watches in delight as edglings learn to get food from her feeders and worries about the e ect of smoke from res in California’s north.

Tan eventually becomes controlled by birds, feeding them 700-800 squirmy beetle larvae a day at a cost of some $250 a month. She leaves alpaca yarn outside for an Oak Titmouse’s nest and hopes mealworms, suet and sun ower ensure more edglings reach adulthood.

She learns to stay motionless for long periods, even in the cold, to silently observe.

“One must su er for beauty, happily, for birds,” she writes.

Hindenburg explodes; Alan Shepard travels to space

Thatcher takes over No. 10 and Secretariat wins at Churchill Downs

The Associated Press

MAY 2

1863: During the Civil War, Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville, Virginia; he died eight days later. 1890: The Oklahoma Territory was organized.

1941: General Mills began shipping its new cereal, “Cheerioats,” to six test markets. (The cereal was later renamed “Cheerios.”)

1997: Tony Blair, whose new Labour Party crushed John Major’s long-reigning Conservatives in a national election, became at age 43 Britain’s youngest prime minister in 185 years.

MAY 3

1802: Washington, D.C., was incorporated as a city.

1937: Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for her

novel “Gone with the Wind.”

1979: Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher was chosen to become Britain’s rst female prime minister as the Tories ousted the incumbent Labour government in parliamentary elections.

MAY 4

1776: Rhode Island declared its freedom from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

1932: Mobster Al Capone, convicted of income-tax evasion, entered the federal penitentiary in Atlanta. (Capone was later transferred to Alcatraz Island.)

1970: Ohio National Guardsmen opened re during an antiwar protest at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others.

MAY 5

1494: During his second voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus landed in Jamaica.

1821: Napoleon Bonaparte, 51, died in exile on the island of St. Helena.

1945: In the only fatal attack of its kind during World War II, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing the pregnant wife of a minister and ve children.

1961: Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America’s rst space traveler as he made a 15-minute suborbital ight aboard Mercury capsule Freedom 7.

1973: Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, the rst of his Triple Crown victories, in a time of 1:59.4, a record that still stands.

MAY 6

1935: The Works Progress Administration began operating under an executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1937: The hydrogen- lled German airship Hindenburg caught re and crashed while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey; 35 of the 97 people on board were killed along with a crewman on the ground.

1954: Medical student Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile during a track meet in

Oxford, England, in 3:59.4.

MAY 7

1915: A German U-boat torpedoed and sank the British liner RMS Lusitania o the southern coast of Ireland, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans, out of the nearly 2,000 on board.

1939: Germany and Italy announced a military and political alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis.

1945: Nazi Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, ending its role in World War II.

MAY 8

1541: Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River.

1978: David R. Berkowitz pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn courtroom to murder, attempted murder and assault in connection with the “Son of Sam” shootings that claimed six lives and terri ed New Yorkers. Berkowitz was later sentenced to six consecutive life prison terms.

Brooke Shields is ‘Mother of the Bride’

The Obamas get their rst narrative project on Net ix with “Bodkin”

The Associated Press

ZAC EFRON and Jeremy Allen White starring in the family wrestling dynasty lm “The Iron Claw” and Brooke Shields playing the unwitting title role in the romantic comedy “Mother of the Bride” on Net ix are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.

MOVIES TO STREAM

Whether or not you know anything about the tragedies that befell the Von Erich family wrestling dynasty, “The Iron Claw” is well worth a watch. Zac Efron stars as one of the brothers, Kevin, in an ensemble cast that includes Harris Dickinson and Jeremy Allen White as his brothers, Lily James as his wife, and Holt McCallany and Maura Tierney as his parents. In her AP review, Jocelyn Noveck wrote that “Efron, with his rock-hard physique and ’70s mullet, turns in some of the most a ecting work of his career. White, too, is excellent if more inscrutable as Kerry, initially the golden boy un-

til his own brush with disaster sends him into a downward spiral.” It’ll be available on MAX on Friday.

Brooke Shields is the titular mother of the bride in a new romantic comedy coming to Netix on Thursday. The conceit here is that her daughter (Miranda Cosgrove) is getting married and she doesn’t nd out until she arrives at the island resort where it’s happening that the groom is the son of the guy who broke her heart in college, played by Benjamin Bratt. “Mother of the Bride” was directed by Mark Waters (“Mean Girls” and “Just Like Heaven”).

“The Idea of You” is good fun and Anne Hathaway looks incredible in it, but it’s on the lighter side. If you want to continue a Hatha-thon with something dark and moody, look no further than William Oldroyd’s “Eileen,” coming to Hulu on Friday. Hathaway is otherworldly as the glamorous, martini-swilling Rebecca Saint John, an endlessly quotable Hitchcock blonde with a doctorate from Harvard, in this stylish adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh’s novel. She becomes an object of fascination for Thomasin McKenzie’s mousy Eileen when she glides into the dreary juvenile detention center where they both work one

solutions

winter, in Massachusetts 1964. The deranged, noir cousin to “The Idea of You,” there is also some irting and dancing and drinking in “Eileen,” but with a shocking twist looming.

MUSIC TO STREAM

One of the best alternative albums of the year may very well be the soundtrack to the A24 thriller about two teenagers watching a mysterious latenight television show, “I Saw the TV Glow.” The o cial trailer for the lm arrived with a spooky rendition of the Broken Social Scene track “Anthems of a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl” as performed by Yeule — the perfect introduction to an ambitious compilation. Other highlights that may not get their shine next to big names like Boygenius’ Phoebe Bridgers and Caroline Polacheck but very much deserve the nod: Philly twangyemo greats Sadurn, the ascendent power indie-pop of Jay Som, and the experimental compositions of L’rain.

SHOWS TO STREAM

Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly star in the new limited series “Dark Matter.” Edgerton plays Jason, an unful lled physics teacher who is attacked

one night by a masked man who also drugs him. When he comes to, Jason nds himself in an alternate timeline of his life where he’s a world-famous physicist. Jason’s wife, Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), and son don’t exist in this alternate version, and he ghts to return to them. “Dark Matter” is based on the book by Blake Crouch. It premieres Wednesday. If you’re counting down the days until school’s out for summer, the new “Pretty Little Liars” returns Thursday on Max. The teen slasher series picks up at the beginning of summer vacation where our ve nal girls have to attend summer school for falling behind while they were being targeted by a serial killer. The “Liars” do nd time for summer jobs and summer romances with new cast member Antonio Cipriano (“National Treasure: Edge of History”) as a love interest for Bailee Madison’s Imogen.

In Net ix’s “Bodkin,” debuting Thursday, a podcaster, a journalist and her researcher team up to solve a decades-old murder in a small town in Ireland. Each has their own reason for needing to crack the case. As they get closer to the truth, the trio learns some people prefer to keep secrets buried in the past. The dark comedic mystery

series is the rst narrative project from the Obamas’ production company, Higher Ground. Fire up the TARDIS, Ncuti Gatwa is the 15th Doctor Who when the series makes its Disney+ debut Friday. Gatwa’s Doctor is accompanied on his time-traveling adventures with companion Ruby Sunday, portrayed by Millie Gibson. After bringing the world of Anne Rice to television with season one of “Interview with the Vampire” (and later, “Mayfair Witches”) on AMC, the series returns Sunday. It’s about Louis de Pointe du Lac, who sits down for a second interview with a veteran journalist named Daniel, played by Eric Bogosian. Louis says he’s a vampire and had years prior given Daniel an interview that was o -the-record. Louis claims he was seduced and turned into a vampire in the early 1900s by Lestat de Lioncourt. Season two begins with Daniel viewing Louis as an unreliable narrator because his details from the two interviews don’t match. It also explores the love a air of Louis and vampire Armand, played by new cast member Assad Zaman, and how the vampire Lestat still has a hold on Louis. “Interview with the Vampire” also streams on AMC+.

famous birthdays this week

The Associated Press

May 5

Actor John Rhys-Davies (“Lord of the Rings,” ″Raiders of the Lost Ark”) is 80. Former MTV News correspondent Kurt Loder is 79. Actor Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel,” ″The Tudors”) is 41. Singer Adele is 36.

May 6

Host Tom Bergeron (“Dancing with the Stars,” new “Hollywood Squares”) is 69. Actress Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel”) is 64. Actor George Clooney is 63.

May 7

Drummer Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead is 78. Drummer Prairie Prince (The Tubes) is 74. Actor Traci Lords is 56.

May 8

“The NFL Today” commentator, former NFL coach and NC State alumnus Bill Cowher is 67.

Actress Melissa Gilbert is 60. Singer Enrique Iglesias is 49.

May 9

Guitarist Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly and The Crickets is 87.

Actress Candice Bergen is 78. Musician Billy Joel is 75. Actor John Corbett (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” ″Northern Exposure”) is 63. Rapper Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan is 54. Actor Rosario Dawson is 45. TV personality Audrina Patridge (“The Hills”) is 39.

May 10

Singer Bono of U2 is 64. Super model Linda Evangelista is 59. Rapper Young MC is 57. Actor Erik Palladino (“ER”) is 56.

Actor Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live,” ″Kenan and Kel”) is 46.

JUSTIN BERL / AP PHOTO

Bill Cowher, former NC State football player and Super Bowl-winning coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, turned 67 on Wednesday.

Linda Evangelista turns 59 on Friday.

ADAM NADEL / AP PHOTO

MTV News anchor Kurt Loder turned 79 Sunday.

PAT ROQUE / AP PHOTO

A GING S ERVICES

ere are only four kinds of people in the world. ose who have been caregivers, those who are caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.

- Rosalynn Carter

No matter where you are on life’s journey, it is unavoidable. All of us, at some point in our lives, will either require caregiving or will be charged with providing caregiving to a loved one in their time of need. is responsibility crosses all racial and ethnic boundaries and can be rewarding. However, it is o en overwhelming.

According to a report by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, caregiver stress a ects 36% of the 53 million unpaid family caregivers in the U.S.

As Chatham County continues to grow, it is also aging. In 2023, nearly 3 in 10 Chatham residents were over 65 years of age.

The Caregiver Support Group schedule is as follows:

• 1st Monday – Pittsboro Center for Active Living (365 Highway 87 North), 3 p.m.

• 2nd Monday – Siler City Center for Active Living (112 Village Lake Road), 3 p.m.

• 3rd Monday – Pittsboro Center for Active Living, 3 p.m.

• 4th Monday – Virtual Meeting via Zoom, 6 p.m.

We also recognize that it is important for caregivers to practice needed self-care during this time. Caregivers should not feel inadequate or worried about leaving their loved one alone as they yearn for a break to focus on themselves and recharge. at’s why Chatham County Aging Services also o ers caregiver respite support so that an errand can be performed without worry.

For more information on our Caregiver Support Group or on our caregiver respite options, contact Family Caregiver Specialist William Riggsbee at 919-742-3975 or email william.riggsbee@chathamcountync.gov