Chatham News & Record Vol. 147, Issue 38

the BRIEF this week

Trump taps Army vet and Fox News host as defense secretary

President-elect Donald Trump has stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary. Trump has picked someone who’s largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage to take over the world’s largest and most powerful military. The news Tuesday was met with bewilderment and worry among many in Washington. Trump passed on a number of established national security heavy-hitters and chose an Army National Guard captain who’s well known in conservative circles as a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend.” He could bring sweeping changes. Hegseth opposes “woke” programs that promote inclusion and questions the role of women in combat.

Don’t deep-fry frozen turkeys!

Deep-frying turkeys during the holidays requires extra caution to prevent burns and house fires, the state fire marshal reminded residents. Safe frying requires outdoor setup on flat, nonflammable surfaces, careful oil measurement to prevent spillover, and fully thawed turkeys. That last part is essential, as deep frying a frozen turkey is especially dangerous. Keeping a multipurpose fire extinguisher nearby is advised, said Marshal Brian Taylor. He advised oven-roasting or grilling as safer alternatives.

Damage from Hurricane Helene flooding is seen along eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 in Cocke County, Tennessee, near the North Carolina state line.

Five boys’ and ten girls’ teams from Chatham and surrounding counties got together at Jordan-Matthews High School on Saturday for the fourth annual preseason basketball jamboree. Scores weren’t kept, but much practice and experience was gained. Above, J-M took on Carrboro, while Seaforth battled Middle Creek in a neighboring gym. In all, some 20 games were played across three different courts.

Southern Pines woman dies after crash on hurricane-damaged I-40

The vehicle that went off the collapsed road and down an embankment on I-40 East.

Patricia Mahoney crashed after driving around a barricade

The Associated Press

WAYNESVILLE — A Southern Pines woman has died after driving around a barricade on a hurricane-damaged North Carolina highway that became a symbol of Helene’s destruction, then driving off

the roadway, officials said.

Photos of Interstate 40 with multiple lanes washed out by Helene near the Tennessee state line garnered widespread attention in the days after the storm as the region was largely cut off by numerous road closures.

Emergency workers from Tennessee and North Carolina responded to a report of a crash involving a

Sheriff vehicles get AEDs for faster response

Five defibrillators have been placed in patrol cars

By Morgan Matthews For Chatham News & Record

THE CHATHAM COUNTY

Sheriff’s Office is strengthening its emergency response capabilities with the addition of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) aimed at improving cardiac arrest survival rates in the community. The initiative is part of the RACE-CARS Trial, a seven-year program led by FirstHealth EMS to reduce emergency response times for cardiac arrest patients.

Chatham County joins 61 other North Carolina counties participating in this innovative research project, which is

being conducted by the Duke Clinical Research Institute in collaboration with Emory University and supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Five AEDs have been strategically placed in patrol cars that operate daily throughout the county. These devices are crucial in treating cardiac arrest, a condition where electrical malfunctions in the heart can prove fatal without rapid intervention. The AEDs work by delivering a controlled electrical shock that helps reset the heart’s rhythm, allowing it to resume pumping blood normally. Research has shown that quick access to AEDs significantly increases survival rates for cardiac arrest victims.

“These AEDs will make a difference in our community, giving our deputies tools to potentially save lives when time is critical.”

Chatham Sheriff Mike Roberson

Chatham to merge water utilities with Sanford

The merger will officially go into effect no later than July 1, 2025

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Board of Commissioners has approved a utilities merger between the county and the City of Sanford, essentially pulling all of the water utilities in the county under one umbrella as TriRiver.

The merger agreement, which includes not only the county but Pittsboro and Siler City as well, transfers all responsibility for setting rates and operating the water system to TriRiver, which is the City of Sanford’s water entity.

“After careful consideration, each of our boards have made a decision that puts our residents first and meets the current and future needs of our communities,” said Sanford Mayor Rebecca Salmon.

“We sat down with staff from Sanford as well as our utility staff, and we talked about how we could work together to move water through our pipes to serve both of those customer bases (Pittsboro and

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Ballin’

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

Nov. 4

• Ashley Shanta BrewerHarris, 33, of Siler City, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny and first-degree trespass.

Nov. 5

• Brandon Dean Beal, 28, of Goldston, was arrested for failure to appear, possession of marijuana, and possession of controlled substance on jail property.

Nov. 10

• Tracy Darin White, 58, of no fixed address, was arrested for failure to appear.

• Joseph Marion Fulton, Jr., 57, of Bear Creek, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

AED from page A1

“These AEDs will make a difference in our community, giving our deputies tools to potentially save lives when time is critical,” said Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson in a press release. “We’re very happy to participate in this program, which has the potential to improve cardiac arrest outcomes not only in Chatham County but across the state.”

The AEDs will remain a permanent part of the Sheriff’s Office’s emergency response equipment, extending their life-saving potential well beyond the research trial period.

Getting Together

Members of the Jordan-Matthews Class of 1964 gathered in September for their 60th class reunion.

Front Row (left to right): Ginna Pugh, Pat Loflin, Mary Jo Brewer, Nancy Underwood,Jessie Willett, Diane Russell

Second Row (left to right): Calvin Frazier, Sara Justice, Linda Allen, Nancy Palmer, Sandra Wilson, Linda Burke, Janice Loy, Judy Kirkman, Joyce Elmore, Earle Bowers, Carol Wrenn, Warren Dixon, Patty Brewer, Jimmy McPherson, David Powers, Tom Sheppard

• 298 E. Salisbury Street (Pittsboro), 0.40 Acres, 3 Bedroom/2 Bath, $600,000

• 557 Olives Chapel Road, (Apex),12.802 Acres, 3 Bedroom/3 Bathroom, $2,500,000

• 209 Democracy Place (Apex), 4.62 Acres, 4 Bedrooms/5 Bathrooms, $1,750,000

• 873 Arrowhead Loop (Pittsboro), 11.06 Acres, 3 Bedrooms/3.5

Bathrooms, $725,000

• 4147 Siler City Snow Camp Road (Siler City), 57.43 Acres, 5 Separate Living Spaces, $2,750,000

RESIDENTIAL

• 389 Dewitt Smith Road (Pittsboro), 9.109 Acres, 3 Bedroom/2 Bathroom, $525,000

• 4662 Buckhorn Road (Sanford), 1.31 Acres, 2 Bedrooms/1 Bathroom, $225,000

• 83 Karen Calhoun Road (Pittsboro), 4.36 Acres, 3 Bedrooms/2 Bathrooms, $800,000 LAND

• 1388 Henry Oldham Road (Bear Creek), 4.840 Acres, $135,000

• 188 Cherokee Drive (Chapel Hill),1.150 Acres, $100,000

• 170 Cherokee Drive (Chapel Hill),1.150 Acres, $100,000

• 9311 NC Highway 87 (Pittsboro), 4.602 Acres, $225,000

• 9231 NC Highway 87 (Pittsboro), 5.630 Acres, $250,000

• 48 Swimming Chicken Lane (Pittsboro), 5.060 Acres, $500,000

• 24 Swimming Chicken Lane (Pittsboro), 9.470 Acres, $750,000

• 8636/8710 Johnson Mill Road (Bahama),182.888 Acres, $3,240,000

• 292 Choice Trail (Pittsboro), 4.100 Acres, $285,000

• 0 Chatham Church Road (Moncure),15.94 Acres, $750,000

• 323 Wagon Trace (Pittsboro), 10.255 Acres, $325,000

• 0 Pasture Branch Road (Rose Hill), 29.00 Acres, $1,250,000

• 0 US 64 W (Siler City), 9.670 Acres, $4,500,000

• 0 Mt. Gilead Church Road (Pittsboro), 1.643Acres, $175,000

• 0 Panama Terrace (Durham), .420 Acres, $29,000

• 37 E Cotton Road (Pittsboro), 0.996 Acres, $100,000

COMMERCIAL IMPROVED

• 140 &;148 East Street (Pittsboro), 1.49 Acres, $1,350,000

• 1311 Old US 421 S (Siler City), 3.74 Acres, $260,000

LAND

• 13120 Strickland Road (Raleigh),16.25 Acres, $1,500,000

• 00 Hamlets Chapel Road (Pittsboro),118.742 Acres, $4,250,000

• 00 Olives Chapel Road (Apex), 33.66 Acres, $3,500,000 • 0 JB Morgan Road (Apex), 21.00 Acres, $825,000

THIS WEEK’S VIDEO

What is the Cost of Living in Chatham County?

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

Nov.

14

Drop-in Computer & Tech Assistance

3 to 4:30 p.m.

Visit the computer lab at Chatham Community Library on the second Thursday of each month for one-on-one help with your computer and technology questions. No registration required. Call 919-545-8086 for more information.

Nov. 16

Chatham Mills Farmers’ Market

8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

480 Hillsboro St., Pittsboro

Nov.17

Second Annual Chestnut Carnival

The Plant

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

192 Lorax Lane, Pittsboro

Nov. 19

Fearrington Farmer’s Market

Fearrington Village 4 to 6 p.m.

E. Camden, Fearrington Village The Fearrington Farmers’ Market is located in Fearrington Village right off 15-501, halfway between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro. This producer-only market has more than three dozen members and is now in its 30th season! Each week you can find vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, flowers, home-canned goods and baked goods — a wonderful array of foods and flavors — grown or made for healthy, happy living.

Growers & Makers Market

Siler City

3 to 5:30 p.m.

The Growers and Makers Market takes place March through October, 4-7 p.m. and Novmber through December 3-5:30 p.m. in the Boling Chair Park parking lot on 3rd Street (202 W. Third St.) in historic downtown Siler City, rain or shine.

COURTESY PHOTO

thank you

To whom it may concern:

My name is Chris Black and I am the store manager of the Food Lion in Siler City.

We have a customer by the name of Leonard Arsenault, a Vietnam Vet who has for the second consecutive year made a $1,000 donation (184 $6 Holiday Hunger boxes) to West Chatham Food Pantry. He donates them in memorial to his fallen brother and sister, Marie Casper and Johnnie Delissio, with whom he served during the Vietnam War.

Mr. Arsenault is passionate about helping locally and insisted the donations serve Chatham County residents. The attached photo shows Mr. Arsenault and his daughter Ida Bailey posing with this year’s holiday boxes.

Chris Black Store Manager, Food Lion Siler City

Siler City updates parking signage, expands trash collection

The town is moving to Mon-Wed-Fri garbage pickup

By Morgan Matthews Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY is implementing changes to make its downtown area more accessible and beautiful for residents and visitors.

The town is addressing downtown parking by making signage more consistent and clear throughout the area. New and replacement signs will be installed in parking areas to help make downtown more accessible for everyone visiting local businesses. To maintain downtown cleanliness, the town has expanded its trash collection schedule. In addition

Cackalacky store named official local attraction

A NCDOT sign directs US 64 drivers to get some sauce

Chatham News & Record staff

PITTSBORO — The North Carolina Department of Transportation has added some local flavor to highway signage along US Route 64, designating Pittsboro’s Cackalacky Company Store as an official highway attraction.

The new blue attraction sign at Exit 385 directs visitors to the company’s store and distribution center, where they can sample the brand’s “Famously Original” sauces and snack nuts. The facility, located at 697

WATER from page A1

Siler City) that Sanford would now be serving,” said Chatham County Manager Dan LaMontagne. “We realized that all that would leave the county with is the far northeast and the far southwest and we all agreed that that is really just not a practical way to run a water system.”

As a term of the 50-year merger agreement, the county will share 20% of the net property tax revenue from industrial and commercial customers connected to the newly merged utility system.

CRASH from page A1

vehicle that went off the collapsed road and down an embankment on eastbound I-40 on Saturday night, according to a news release from the Junaluska Community Volunteer Fire Department.

Crews rappelled down the

Potential changes for residents include:

• Water bills will now come from TriRiver instead of Chatham County.

• Account numbers will potentially change.

• There was a 10% increase to water rates previously planned for July 1 that will instead go into effect on March 1.

• TriRiver’s water and sewer system standards and policies will be applied to the county the same way they are applied to any residents or development in Sanford.

• System development fees for

to the current Monday and Friday pickups, collection will now also take place on Wednesdays. Town officials remind residents and businesses to use their designated waste bins to ensure proper collection.

Siler City officials expressed appreciation to local businesses and residents for their support of these downtown improvements.

Hillsboro Street, offers visitors a chance to explore the history of the iconic Southern lifestyle brand through narrated tours and timeline videos.

The family-owned business, operating for more than two decades, is known for specialty sauces including their Famously Original Cackalacky Cheerwine Sweet Sauce and Carolina Tar Heels BBQ Sauce. The store also offers craft beer, apparel, and other branded merchandise.

The company store welcomes visitors Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on weekends during the holiday season.

The highway designation places Cackalacky alongside Pittsboro’s Fair Game Beverage Co. as featured attractions for travelers along this stretch of US 64.

new connections for a typical residential single-family home will increase on March 1 from $5,000 to $8,000.

LaMontagne also stated that residents who pay the bill through online drafts from their checking or savings accounts will have that information automatically transferred to TriRiver.

“What won’t change is any of the facilities that we have,” LaMontagne said. “Really, what we have now will just change ownership and management. There will be no new water plants, no new wastewa-

Church News

THE KING’S COURT BASKETBALL MINISTRY

Emmaus Baptist Church

2430 Silk Hope Gum Springs Rd., Pittsboro

We have boys and girls teams for grades K4/ K5 - 6th grade. Participation is free. Practice begins next week.

Use this link for more information or to register or contact Emmaus Baptist Church at 919-5 42-4974 with any question you might have. emmausbaptchurch.org/the-kings-courtbasketball

COUNTRY BREAKFAST

Center Methodist Church

9204 Center Church Road/Green Hill Road Off 87 South Snow Camp

6:30-10 a.m.

Saturday, Nov. 23

Donations Accepted

All proceeds going to western NC

Sausage/Bacon

Country Ham

Homemade Biscuits

Country Gravy

Grits/Eggs

Stewed Apples

Coffee And Drinks

Everyone welcome and we thank you for your support

ter plants that come from this merger agreement.”

The City of Sanford will also be making an offer of employment to all county water and sewer employees that shall be no lower than their current salaries and shall include benefits and accumulated leave.

“Right now, county staff responds to problems,” LaMontagne said. “The same people will be doing that, but the difference is, they’ll have more resources because with a regional system, there’ll be more staff. The folks who are in Siler City can also respond, the folks

embankment to reach the vehicle on its side about 100 feet from the road, the fire department said. Images from the scene show a worker trying to reach the crumpled, white vehicle at the bottom of a steep, rubble-covered slope. The driver, the only person in the vehicle, was extricated

and taken to a hospital.

The driver, identified as Patricia Mahoney, 63, of Southern Pines, died later that night, according to Sgt. Brandon Miller of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, which is investigating the cause of the crash. Mahoney got on the highway around the

7-mile marker, headed westbound in eastbound lanes and went off the road around the 4-mile marker where the road ends. An autopsy is scheduled. There’s no indication of why she went around the barricade, Miller said.

The highway has been closed since late September

working in Pittsboro can also respond. Right now, we don’t do that. They’ve got bigger equipment, more equipment, more staff. So we can rally more troops to a problem than we can currently do ourselves. Having that help and additional resources really helps our staff.”

According to the agreement, all infrastructure, meters, software, billing and accounts, customer service and other systems will be transferred to Sanford no later than July 1, 2025.

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will next meet Nov. 18.

when flood waters from Hurricane Helene washed away the interstate’s eastbound lanes in four long swaths along the Pigeon River, but the North Carolina Department of Transportation has said it expects to reopen one lane in each direction by the new year.

COURTESY CACKALACKY

The new Attractions sign on US 64.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

A Veterans Day story

We are here today because of the loving service and sacrifice of countless veterans and other public servants of the common good.

LAST FRIDAY, my sixth grader came home from school with a homework assignment on honest-to-God paper, as opposed to a link to the Google classroom on his Chromebook. He was to interview a family member about their service or another relative’s service in the U.S. Armed Forces. Though he neglected to inform me about this homework until it was time for bed, I eagerly launched into the story of his great- g randfather.

He was a medic in the Navy during World War II. He served in combat, including the infamous Battle of Normandy, where he had to pull dead bodies out of the water. War is hell.

“Dad, can I write that for school?”

I also wanted to share the story of how Granddad met Gran while studying medicine at a hospital in Asheville, where she was a nurse. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but she rebuffed him because he was a Yankee from Boston and a Catholic.

Undeterred, Granddad illegally slipped away from his training and traveled by train, bus and foot across the unfamiliar Tarheel State to Granville County and

the town of Oxford, where Gran had returned to her homeplace. Showing up uninvited at the door and facing not only her father but a small army of brothers took a lot of courage.

The word courage comes from the Latin for “heart,” and I believe that our bravest, most courageous acts are motivated by love, perhaps love of family, which the Greeks called storge, or romantic love (eros). But the greatest love of all is self-sacrificial agape — love that is willing to risk and indeed give everything, even one’s life.

I told my son that we are here today because of the loving service and sacrifice of countless veterans and other public servants of the common good, including his great-grandfather, who not only served in the Navy but showed up at a farm homeplace with his hat in his hands and his heart wide open.

My son sighed. “Dad, there isn’t enough space on the paper to write all of that.”

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

Benefit of change in eye of beholder

I’d keep it at the Daylight Savings Time way because one of the changes that happen when we change the clocks back is that it gets darker earlier.

FUNNY, isn’t it, and not funny “haha,” how change affects us, even things that are kinda sorta almost the same thing can have a big effect on we mere mortals.

I speak here of things like the recent time change from Daylight Savings to Eastern Standard.

When we go from Eastern Standard to Daylight Savings, losing that extra hour of sleep takes me a while to get over. Sometimes it’s three or four days before my sweet gentle nature is restored. On the other hand, however, when the reverse happens — when we go from Daylight Savings back to Eastern Standard — it’s a pleasure to reset the alarm clock and get a few extra Z’s — except we’re having trouble setting the clock; seems the thing is broken.

Anyway, both of those are changes that are the same, only different. And the results are different.

Obviously.

Deep down inside, I wish we’d stick to one or the other and quit messing with the clocks. My boyhood friend and chief adviser on all matters from the heart to the pocketbook Bobby Joe High used to tell me his grandma Candace (“Candy”) Kane felt the same way. “If God hada wanted us to have Daylight Savings Time,” Grandma Candy would say, “He would have invented it.”

Personally, I’d keep it at the Daylight Savings Time way because one of the changes that happens when we change the clocks back is that it gets darker earlier, at least according to the clock. That means that when it used to get dark at 6 p.m. it’s now doing the same at 5 p.m., and if I’m not through sitting around in the back yard then I have to come inside and sit around there and I feel bad doing it there and watching Shirley work.

I do understand the rationale about changing the time so little folks won’t have to get on the school bus in the dark and stuff like that. And that’s a logical nod toward safety, but maybe the folks who make the decisions about school could start it 30 minutes later or something. Also, it makes it harder on the chickens when it gets dark earlier and they don’t have clocks or watches to figure out all of what’s going on.

The reality of life is that change is the only thing that’s constant. I remember the old fellow of my childhood days who was in the barbershop one day when someone

said to him, “I’ll bet you’ve seen a lot of changes in your lifetime.” The old geezer ... er, I mean “gentleman” ... responded with a curt “Yeah, I have ... and I’ve been against most of them.”

I’ve heard folks say they don’t intend to change their lives or ways in any way and, on occasion when I don’t fear for my safety by confronting someone, I’ll point out to them that they may think that but that as the world around them changes they’ve been changed. For instance, how many folks ride horse and wagon to town these days?

Whatever, Daylight Savings and Eastern Standard and all the changes they bring are, apparently, here to stay unless Congress takes a stab at it. Since that’s the case, let me give you the background behind the idea of Daylight Savings Time so that if you’re ever on “Jeopardy” and the host — whatever his name is which I don’t remember since Alex is no longer here — asks you about it then you’ll know the answer.

Daylight Savings Time was started by an old Indian chief who cut off one end of his blanket and sewed it onto the other end to make it longer.

Now you know.

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

BE IN TOUCH

Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 1201 Edwards Mill Rd., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@ nsjonline.com.

Contact a writer or columnist: connect@northstatejournal.com

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

Powerlessness? Ixnay!

I’m in dire need of super-octane chocolate, my food co-op’s to-die for pastries, or whatever is lurking in my kitchen cupboard.

MY INTERNAL DIALOGUE.

I’m being, straightforwardly, honest with you. The P word’s sticky web has entangled me, once again. Whoa, whoa, P word? What, in heaven’s name, is a P word?

Powerlessness. That one. Powerlessness. From which I’ll do everything, anything I can, to reempower myself. Close to anything. However, I don’t drink and haven’t touched the M word, marijuana, since I was a youngster in bellbottoms, marching toward the administration building on my college campus.

Considering my abstaining ways, which escapist options are readily available for making me feel less boxed in? Boosting my dark mood? Agency! You know, that social work-y word, agency? The smallest, constructive action yours truly can take when feeling boxed in. That kind of agency Oh, god, I can barely breathe when I write “boxed in.“ Considering my limitations for escapism, I’m in dire need of super-octane chocolate, my food co-op’s to-die for pastries or whatever is lurking in my kitchen cupboard that strikes me as a happy-making carbohydrate.

My so very attractive false idols of carbohydrates comfort and fortify me from feeling weighed down and powerless. (I bet you know what I’m talking about, don’t you?) Fortify me until … well, until I need to find my next comforting oral substance to ingest.

Oh wait, here I am going on, and on, giving power to my false idols, when I feel powerless. I forgot about agency! How could I? (And I was a social worker!) Agency. My little constructive acts providing light when I feel boxed in by darkness, within and around me. Now hold on folks. We’ve reached a

COLUMN | REP. ROBERT REIVES II

bridge that may lead to either small acts of empowerment or, yes, woo woo. You’ll need to take your pick, but ultimately … well, make up your own mind.

Let’s begin with an explanation that sounds a bit woo woo-like (but really isn’t.) The Butterfly Effect. Yep, you read that correctly. The most common explanation of the butterfly effect is that of a butterfly flapping its wings in Tokyo, causing a tornado in Oklahoma. Yeah. Sure. Right. OK, here comes the academic game oneupmanship. The Butterfly Effect is a MIT thing. From the folks who know physics up, down and all-around. Woo woo, or MIT?

Yep, let’s blame those MIT originators. Is the butterfly effect woo woo or not? No woo woo. It’s a metaphor. Meant to demonstrate that insignificant and unidentifiable events (hey, like Tokyo to Oklahoma) can lead to significant results over time.

Stop! I need easy to understand, ordinary, people words.

Okey-doke. Small human actions can constructively shift conditions, like powerlessness, without actually being identifiable! How’s that for being (almost) ordinary?

Take that you ol’ P word! Empowerment lives, even among those of us who are in the throes of feeling powerless. Because we’re good people, choosing to do good, even very little, things. The long-lived, late folksinger Pete Seeger captures “those little things” path from powerlessness to “I’m back!!”

“Who knows where some good little thing you’ve done may bring results years later that you never dreamed of.”

So there.

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

Thank you, and let’s get to work

If last Tuesday showed us anything, North Carolinians see problems that need fixing.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, I want to say thank you. Thank you to the voters of Chatham County who have chosen to trust me once again with your support. I am proud of our record of accomplishments in the General Assembly and look forward to continuing that work in Raleigh over the next two years.

Some of the races last week did not go the way I had hoped, and I am sure that is true for many of you, too. That does not diminish the incredible work done by Democrats in North Carolina who organized, fundraised and worked day and night over the past year to fight for what they believed in. I commend everyone who put in countless hours and were engaged in the election this year.

While the federal results were disappointing, North Carolina was still a relative bright spot for Democrats. Democrats won half of the statewide races for the Council of State, some of the most consequential positions in our state government. Josh Stein will be our next governor. Rachel Hunt will be our lieutenant governor. Jeff Jackson will be our attorney general. Mo Green will be our state superintendent. And Elaine Marshall will remain our secretary of state. These are key offices that need strong leaders, and North Carolinians made the best choice in each of those races. And in the North Carolina House of Representatives, House Democrats have broken the supermajority with hard-fought victories across our state, including ousting some Republican incumbents. It is difficult to win these down ballot races while facing significant headwinds in the

presidential race, but we managed. Those key victories down the ballot were made possible by a combination of great candidates and great messages. Voters in North Carolina continue to opt for split tickets, and our leaders in Raleigh should listen. North Carolinians are evenly divided, and the best thing we can do to help bring our state together is to work across the aisle. With so many new leaders elected across the state, I hope that our upcoming biennium will be more collaborative and productive than the past year was.

And there is plenty of work to do. Public schools need our support. Economic development continues at a blistering pace, but the water and sewer needs of growing communities are unmet. Pittsboro and Siler City both need more infrastructure funding, one of my continuing priorities in the General Assembly. And our western North Carolina residents are rebuilding after the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene. These issues and more will be the focus of the next two years and beyond.

If last Tuesday showed us anything, North Carolinians see problems that need fixing. They have elected a diverse slate of candidates to help address those issues, and I want to be part of the solution. To that end, I am seeking another term as the House Democratic Leader. I believe that North Carolina has better days ahead of us, and I want to serve our state as best that I can to help us forge a path forward.

Robert Reives II is the N.C. House Democratic leader and represents Chatham County.

Taking care of our veterans

Words cannot express how thankful we are for their service.

THIS PAST VETERANS DAY, we honored and recognized the best among us: our brave men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform. We owe endless gratitude to these heroes who willingly risked their lives to protect our freedoms and defend America. We also pay tribute to their families who sacrificed so much. Because of their courage and commitment, we are able to enjoy the blessings of democracy and liberty we have — and too often take for granted — today.

Just last week, millions of Americans exercised their right to vote, one of the cherished liberties preserved and upheld by the dedication of veterans who have served on the front lines. Words cannot express how thankful we are for their service. However, there are things Congress can do to take care of them because they took care of us. As the representative of the largest military base in the world and one of the fastest-growing veteran populations, one of my top priorities is to improve access to quality and timely health care and benefits for them.

Too often, active-duty troops, their families and our veterans face barriers to righting the wrongs they endured. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act was created to make it easier for veterans to access their rightful claims after exposure to toxic water. Unfortunately, they are still getting a lot of runarounds that prevent them from getting justice.

We must ensure that the brave men and women who served our nation, along with their families, secure benefits they are owed in a timely manner. I am committed to doing this, which is why I introduced bipartisan legislation this year to make much-needed reforms that will help fix the problem.

I have heard heartbreaking stories from veterans who have experienced negligence during a medical procedure on base, with little to no compensation or communication on their case or claim. That’s why I have also led the bipartisan Healthcare Equality and Rights for our Heroes (HERO) Act to help our nation’s heroes harmed by medical negligence.

COLUMN GREGG THOMPSON

Congress must make small business tax deductions permanent

Main Street can’t seem to catch a break. Inflation may have eased off, but it’s still driven up the cost of everything from raw materials to rent. North Carolina’s unemployment is only 3.4%, but many small businesses still have job openings they can’t fill.

And they’ll soon see a big increase in their federal taxes unless Congress agrees to stop it. This is a problem that’s been years in the making.

Seven years ago, Congress passed a bill cutting taxes on America’s businesses, but they didn’t treat all businesses the same. Wall Street’s cuts were permanent. Main Street’s 20% tax deduction will expire in 2025 unless Congress changes its mind and makes the deduction permanent.

Main Street’s 20% tax deduction will expire in 2025 unless Congress changes its mind.

That’s why local businesses are asking their members of Congress to support the bipartisan Main Street Tax Certainty Act.

If this deduction is allowed to expire, nine out of 10 small businesses nationwide will see a massive tax hike that would hurt their ability to create jobs and give back to their communities. Some small businesses, including some in North Carolina, may have to close.

That’s what Congress was trying to avoid when it passed the 20% small business deduction in 2017. It said the goal was to help local businesses stay competitive and support their communities.

By declining to make the small business deduction permanent, Congress is raising doubts about what might lie ahead for Main Street. Small business owners plan for things months or years in advance. They need predictability. It’s hard for them to plan for growth or add jobs if they’re uncertain how much money they’ll have after paying their taxes.

Passing the Main Street Tax Certainty Act would let Congress stop the cycle of uncertainty caused by temporary extensions. It would give small business owners the predictability they need to plan for the future and grow their businesses.

The Main Street Tax Certainty Act enjoys the support of both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill, but only six of North Carolina’s six U.S. representatives have agreed to co-sponsor the bill: Dan Bishop, Chuck Edwards, Virginia Foxx, Richard Hudson, Gregory Murphy and David Rouzer. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis are co-sponsors in the Senate.

North Carolina’s economy is built on its small businesses. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses account for 99% of all businesses in the commonwealth. Small businesses are owned by and employ our friends and neighbors. They support local charities and civic organizations. They ensure we have a strong, diverse economy.

We need our entire congressional delegation to support the Main Street Tax Certainty Act and make 20% small business deduction permanent. We need to tell our elected leaders what Main Street means to North Carolina’s economy. We need them to understand that by helping small businesses, they’ll help all of us. Gregg Thompson is the North Carolina director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

Servicemembers and veterans should have the right and opportunity to fight for the justice they deserve, and I will not stop fighting until they get it.

During the Veterans Day parade in Southern Pines this weekend, I was reminded that our community understands the sacrifice of veterans and all military families better than any in the country. Not only do veterans have support here, but they can also find jobs to continue serving our community.

We are proud to have many veteran-owned businesses that rely on talent from veterans and military families. I’ve also been proud to work with the Honor Foundation and see their growth in our community, partnering with local stakeholders and helping active-duty service members and veterans transition to civilian life. America’s veterans have given so much to defend our freedoms. It is up to us to keep the promises made to them and their families by ensuring they are taken care of. As Fort Bragg/ Fort Liberty’s congressman, I remain committed to making this happen.

Richard Hudson represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in Washington, D.C.

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON

IN MEMORY

KAREN “KAY” LYNNE TAYLOR WELLS

NOV. 9, 2024

Karen Lynne Taylor Wells (Kay), passed away peacefully with her devoted husband by her side on Saturday, November 9, 2024.

She was born to Earl and Willie Taylor and grew up in Camden, South Carolina. Kay was a loving wife, sister, aunt and friend. Her gentle spirit and compassionate heart guided her life.

Kay graduated high school and studied at the University of South Carolina. She was an x-ray technician throughout her career. She was a member of Jonesboro Presbyterian Church and was especially committed to seniors and those unable to attend church. She developed a program, Happy Timers, delivered cassettes of services and sent out hundreds of handmade cards.

Kay had a great love of music – every genre. She learned to play the dulcimer at Appalachian State and Western Carolina Universities, and playing became one of her favorite hobbies. She organized a group of other dulcimer enthusiasts, the Dulcimer Darlins, who performed for others. Cooking, reading, and watching classic films were among her other hobbies.

Anyone who knew Kay knew how much she loved animals, mainly dogs. She found many of her furry friends and many of them found her. Dog food and water were staples in Kay’s car just in case she ran into a pup in need. Whether simply watching birds or deer outside her window, she enjoyed many of God’s other creatures.

In addition to her parents, Kay was preceded in death by sister-in-law, Joy Wells Nordon and brother-in-law, Mike Wells. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Richard Wells; sisters, Kim Hanzlik (Tom), and Kathy Counts (Carl); brother, Kevin Taylor (Anne Marie), brothers-in-law, Barney Wells (Betsy) and Lewis Nordon; sister-in-law, Donna Wells as well as many nieces and nephews are also surviving.

Lou Donaldson, jazz saxophonist who blended many influences, dead at 98

He was a native of Badin, which has one of its roads named after him

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Lou Donaldson, a celebrated jazz saxophonist with a warm, fluid style who performed with everyone from Thelonius Monk to George Benson and was sampled by Nas, De La Soul and other hip-hop artists, has died. He was 98.

Donaldson died Saturday, according to a statement on his website. Additional details were not immediately available.

A native of Badin and a World War II veteran, Donaldson was part of the bop scene that emerged after the war and early in his career recorded with Monk, Milt Jackson and others. Donaldson also helped launch the career of Clifford Brown, the gifted trumpeter

who was just 25 when he was killed in a 1956 road accident. Donaldson also was on hand for some of pianist Horace Silver’s earliest sessions.

Over more than half a century, he would blend soul, blues and pop and achieve some mainstream recognition with his 1967 cover of one of the biggest hits of the time, “Ode to Billy Joe,” featuring a young Benson on guitar. His notable albums included “Alligator Bogaloo,” “Lou Donaldson at His Best” and “Wailing With Lou.” Donaldson would open his shows with a cool, jazzy jam from 1958, “Blues Walk.”

“That’s my theme song. Gotta good groove, a good groove to it,” he said in a 2013 interview with the National Endowment for the Arts, which named him a Jazz Master. Nine years later, his North Carolina hometown renamed one of its roads Lou Donaldson Boulevard.

Elwood Edwards, the voice

of

AOL’s

‘You’ve

got mail’ greeting, dies at 74

The North Carolina resident made $200 for the voiceover work heard by millions

By John Seewer The Associated Press

ELWOOD EDWARDS, who voiced America Online’s ever-present “You’ve got mail” greeting, has died. He was 74. He died Tuesday at his home in New Bern, said his daughter Heather Edwards. The cause was complications from a stroke late last year, she said.

Edwards taped his AOL greeting in 1989 into a recorder while sitting in the living room of his home. “You’ve got mail” became a pop culture catchphrase in the late 1990s and served as the title of the 1998 Tom HanksMeg Ryan film.

“He would still blush anytime someone brought it up,” his daughter said. “He loved the attention, but he never got used to it.”

He was also the voice of AOL’s “Welcome,” “Goodbye” and “File’s done” messages. He made $200 from the recordings.

He got the gig while working at an independent TV station in Washington, D.C. His second wife, Karen, was a customer service representative for the internet provider that later became known as AOL. She heard the company was looking for someone to be the voice of its software and suggested her husband.

“They were so impressed, they didn’t have him go in a recording booth,” his daughter said.

While few people knew his face, his voice was heard by millions of people each day.

“For a while, America Online was keeping it a secret, making me a man of mystery. But finally it was released, and there you go,” Edwards said in 1999.

He did appear on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in 2015 to repeat

the famous catchphrase, smiling broadly and chuckling as the studio audience cheered. He also added his voice to an episode of “The Simpsons” in 2000.

Edwards first worked in radio and then moved into television. He had a brief stint as a weatherman and worked as an announcer, but mostly he spent his time behind the camera, Heather Edwards said.

“He would say, ‘I have a face for radio,’” she said, adding that her dad “always had a ready smile any time you’d see him.” He later worked at WKYC-T V in Cleveland as a “graphics guru, camera operator, and general jack-of-all-trades,” the station said. Edwards also did freelance voice-over work for radio and television commercials.

Survivors include another daughter, Sallie Edwards; granddaughter Abbie Edwards; and a brother, Bill.

The family held a memorial service for Edwards on Monday in New Bern.

MARK LENNIHAN / AP PHOTO

AOL’s home page is shown on a computer screen in 2006 in New York.

FEMA

worker fired for advising skipping Trump supporters’ homes

Fla Gov. DeSantis called it “targeted discrimination”

The Associated Press

A FEDERAL Emergency Management Agency worker has been fired after she directed workers helping hurricane survivors not to go to homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Donald Trump, the agency’s leader said in a statement Saturday.

“This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell

said. “This was reprehensible.”

The agency did not identify the employee, nor did it say where it happened.

But Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, calling it “targeted discrimination” of Florida residents who support Trump, said it happened in Florida.

DeSantis said he has directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to begin an investigation into the matter.

“The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is yet another reason why the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days,” De -

Santis said on social media.

“New leadership is on the way in D.C., and I’m optimistic that these partisan bureaucrats will be fired,” he said.

There were no details in FEMA’s statement or DeSantis’ comments about the time frame or community where the incident occurred. FEMA workers have been in the state helping residents recover from Hurricane Milton, which devastated many Florida communities last month.

Criswell said she is determined to hold employees accountable.

“I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this never happens again,” she said.

Chatham County Aging Services Weekly Activities Calendar

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Certifying this year’s presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to 2020

The traditionally drama-free certification process is back to normal

By Christina A. Cassidy and Ali Swenson The Associated Press

ATLANTA — Local officials are beginning to certify the results of this year’s presidential election in a process that, so far, has been playing out quietly, in stark contrast to the tumultuous certification period four years ago that followed then-President Donald Trump’s loss.

Georgia was the first of the presidential battleground states to start certifying, with local election boards voting throughout the day Tuesday. As counties certified their results without controversy, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger hailed Georgia’s election as “free, fair and fast.”

Trump won Georgia and the six other presidential battleground states, after losing six of them to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. County certification meetings are scheduled later in the week in several other swing states — Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

The lack of certification drama so far this week is a return to how the typically routine process worked before Trump lost his bid for reelection four years ago. As he sought then to overturn the will of the voters, he and his allies pressured Republican members of certification boards in Michigan to delay or halt the process. They also sought to delay certifications in Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania.

The boards ultimately voted to certify, but Trump’s focus on certification caught on among Republicans. Some local Republican officials have refused to certify results in elections since then, raising concerns of a wider movementto reject certification this year had Trump lost to Vice President Kamala Harris. Some of that sentiment was present on Tuesday. Michael Heekin, a Republican member of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections said he disagreed that certifying election results “is purely a ministerial duty.”

“We should be the first line of defense, at least one of the lines of defense in examining the goodness and the accuracy of the election,” he said.

A lawyer for the county, which includes heavily Democratic Atlanta, explained during the meeting that certification was a necessary step before any election challenge could proceed. The county election board certified the results late Tuesday.

Unlike Trump four years ago, Harris acknowledged her lossand conceded. Trump also won the popular vote for the first time during his three runs for the White House and praised the election results. Rather than descending on county ballot counting centers in anger, his supporters have been jubilant.

“This time four years ago, I was getting nasty phone calls constantly in my office,” said Lisa Tollefson, the elections clerk in Rock County, Wisconsin. This year, she said, “it’s been very quiet.”

That’s not to say everyone is happy. Conspiracy theories surrounding this year’s election are circulating within both parties.

Following Election Day, left-wing conspiracy theories proliferated on TikTok, X and other social platforms as users questioned why Harris’ total vote count was around 60 million — about 20 million fewer votes than Biden received four years ago. Some right-wing accounts

twisted the narrative, falsely claiming the vote gap was instead proof that Biden’s 2020 tally must have included fake votes. The claims didn’t consider the fact that tabulation would take several days, including in Arizona and California, the nation’s most populous state. As votes continue to be counted this week, Harris has made up ground and now has nearly 72 million votes, a number that will continue to grow.

Counties and other local jurisdictions across the country will be conducting post-election audits of the vote over the next few weeks. Those typically involve hand-counting a certain number of ballots and comparing the results to machine tallies to ensure accuracy.

Before local results are certified, the top election official typically provides the vote totals by candidate in each race along with how many voters cast ballots and how many total ballots were cast. Any discrepancies get reported and explained.

“The whole point of this period is to find those types of errors,” said Kim Wyman, the former top election official in Washington state. “They are making sure the results were accurate, that the election was accurate.” Every state will be going through the process, including presidential battlegrounds. Election certification meetings start Wednesday in Nevada, which backed a Republican in the presidential race for the first time in 20 years. The state’s 17 counties have until Friday to certify, while Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, a Democrat, and the Nevada Supreme Court must meet by Nov. 26 to finalize the statewide results.

Arizona’s 15 counties must certify by Nov. 21 and forward the results to the governor and secretary of state — both of whom are Democrats — for statewide certification four days later.

In North Carolina, where election officials recovered quickly after Hurricane Helene devastated the western part of the state, election boards in all 100 counties were scheduled to meet Friday to certify results.

Pennsylvania counties have until Nov. 25 to certify. Some larger counties were still reviewing and counting provisional ballots on Tuesday, the deadline for them to report unofficial results to the state. Litigation was possible with a U.S. Senate race hovering near the threshold for an automatic statewide recount.

Michigan’s 83 county canvassing boards have until Nov. 19 to review local results before forwarding them to the Board of State Canvassers. The four-member board, comprised of two Democrats and two Republicans, is scheduled to certify the results by Nov. 25.

In Wisconsin, counties began the canvass process on Tuesday and have until Nov. 19 to certify. The Wisconsin Elections Commission will review the county reports and the chair — currently a Democrat — will certify the results by Dec. 1.

The biggest potential problem in the state was identified on Election Day and corrected. Vote-tabulating machines used for mail ballots in Milwaukee were not properly sealed. A bipartisan decision was made to start over the process of counting the ballots once the problem was addressed.

The state’s nonpartisan top election administrator, Meagan Wolfe, said the election had been a success with no major problems. She attributed that to years of training and preparations by local election workers.

“Well-run elections do not happen by accident,” she said.

REBECCA BLACKWELL / AP PHOTO

A tattered American flag flaps outside a home with furniture and household items damaged by Hurricane Helene on Anna Maria Island, Florida.

LEARN ABOUT LAND - Chatham Land

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COLLARDS & GREENS FOR SALE –CRUTCHFIELD X-RDS AREA – 270 KELLY LANE – SILER CITY 919-214-1849 OR 984-265-0402. N14-4tp

FOR RENT

Mobile Home For Rent – 2 Bedrooms – 1 ½ Baths – 3056 W. 3rd St. – Siler City, NC Contact Diane – 919-663-2979.

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. Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 919533-6319 for more information, TDD #1-800-735-2962, Equal housing opportunity, Handicapped accessible. A2,tfnc

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS now for one-bedroom apartments, adults 55 years or older. Water included, appliances furnished, onsite 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. J14,tfnc

AUCTIONS

RICKY ELLINGTON AUCTIONEERS

- Equipment, business, liquidation, estates, land, houses, antiques, personal property, coins, furniture, consignments, benefits, etc., NCAL #7706, 919-548-3684, 919-663-3556, rickyellingtonauctions@yahoo.com.

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SERVICES

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VACUUMS, Alice Cox, Cox’s Distributing - Rainbow - Cell: 919548-4314, Sales, Services, Supplies. Serving public for 35 years. Rada Cutlery is also available.

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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.

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LETT’S TREE SERVICE - tree removal, stump grinding, lot clearing. Visa & Master Card accepted. Timber. Free estimates. 919-258-3594. N9,tfnc

DIGGING AND DEMO-Land improvements, mini-excavating, stump removal, mobile home and building tear-down, all digging. French Drains, All your digging needs. Call John Hayes, 919-548-0474. N9-D31p

ROOF WASHING – Softwash roof –Cleans ALL black streaks off roofs to make them look new again And to prolong the life of the shingles. Call John Hayes – 919-548-0474. M28-D31p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as Personal Representative of the Estate of ELVA LOU GARNER MANESS, deceased, late of CHATHAM County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at: 1139 Gurney W. Road, Eagle Springs, NC 27242, on or before the 3rd day of FEBRUARY, 2025 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 23rd day of October, 2024. GREGORY VAN MANESS

Co-Personal Representative

CHRISTOPHER MANESS

Co-Personal Representative For the Estate of ELVA LOU GARNER MANESS

Frank C. Thigpen

Thigpen and Jenkins, L.L.P.

Attorney for Estate Post Office Box 792 Robbins, NC 27325 PUBLICATION DATES: October 31, November 7, 14 and 21

NOTICE

CHATHAM COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN

SEEKING BIDS: The Chatham County Partnership for Children is seeking competitive bids for the provision of specific CHILD CARE RELATED services meeting Smart Start evidence-based/evidence-informed program requirements. Services to be provided in Chatham County, NC between July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028. Open to all interested human service agencies and organizations. A Bidder’s Conference will be held on Friday, December 6th 2024 via Ring Central from 9:00-12:30 AM. ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY FOR ELIGIBILITY to submit a bid. Additional information is available at www. chathamkids.org or by calling (919) 548-3382.

NOTICE

ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations having claims against ELAINE DOLORES PERRY A/K/A Elaine Delores Perry, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before February 7, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 7th day of November, 2024. Robert Perry, Executor, c/o Lawrence A. Moye, IV., Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP, 555 Fayetteville St., Ste. 1100, Raleigh, NC 27601.

NOTICE OF TAX FORECLOSURE SALE

Under and by virtue of an order of the District Court of Chatham County, North Carolina, made and entered in the action entitled COUNTY OF CHATHAM vs. THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of ETTA SILER FOXX A/K/A ETTA JEAN JOHNSON A/K/A JEAN JOHNSON and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, MIRANDA T. JOHNSON and MIRANDA T. JOHNSON’S SPOUSE, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of MIRANDA T. JOHNSON and MIRANDA T. JOHNSON’S SPOUSE, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, REGINALD Q. JOHNSON, JR. and REGINALD Q. JOHNSON, JR.’S SPOUSE, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of REGINALD Q. JOHNSON, JR. and REGINALD Q. JOHNSON, JR.’S SPOUSE, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, et al, 22 CvD 469, the undersigned Commissioner will on the 27th day of November, 2024, offer for sale and sell for cash, to the last and highest bidder at public auction at the courthouse door in Chatham County, North Carolina, Pittsboro, North Carolina at 12:00 o’clock, noon, the following described real property, lying and being in Matthews Township, State and County aforesaid, and more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lots No. 65 and 66 of the High Knoll SubDivision, plat recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds for Chatham County, North Carolina, in Plat Book 6, Page 52. Subject to restrictive covenants, easements, and rights-of-way of record. Parcel Identification Number: 0013439 The undersigned Commissioner makes no warranties in connection with this property and specifically disclaims any warranties as to title and habitability. This property is being sold as is, without opinion as to title or any other matter. This sale will be made subject to all outstanding city and county taxes and all local improvement assessments against the above described property not included in the judgment in the above-entitled cause. A cash deposit of 20 percent of the successful bid will be required. In addition, the successful bidder will be required, at the time the Deed is recorded to pay for recording fees and revenue stamps assessed by the Chatham County Register of Deeds. This sale is subject to upset bid as set forth in N.C.G.S. Section 1-339.25. This the 1st day of November ,2024. Mark D. Bardill/Mark B. Bardill, Commissioner P.O. Box 25 Trenton, NC 28585 Publication dates: November 14, 2024 November 21, 2024

NOTICE OF TAX FORECLOSURE SALE Under and by virtue of an order of the District Court of Chatham County, North Carolina, made and entered in the action entitled COUNTY OF CHATHAM vs. THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of BERTA SILER GUIN A/K/A BERDA SILER GUIN A/K/A BERTA SILER GUINN A/K/A BERDA SILER GUINN and spouse, if any, which may include ELNORA G. SILER, GUARDIAN OF THE PERSON OF LINDA KAY SILER, INCOMPETENT, ELNORA G. SILER and spouse, if any, LINDA KAY SILER, INCOMPETENT, and spouse, if any, BRENDA F. SILER and spouse, if any, VIRGINIA S. SILER and spouse, if any, FLETCHER SILER, JR. and spouse, if any, JAMES D. SILER and spouse, if any, DENNIS L. SILER and spouse, if any, MIRANDA T. NICHOLSON and spouse, if any, and REGINALD Q. JOHNSON, JR. and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, et al, 16 CvD 554, the undersigned Commissioner will on the 27th day of November, 2024, offer for sale and sell for cash, to the last and highest bidder at public auction at the courthouse door in Chatham County, North Carolina, Pittsboro, North Carolina at 12:00 o’clock, noon, the following described real property, lying and being in Mathew Township, State and County aforesaid, and more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot Nos. 63 and 64 of the High Knoll Subdivision, Plat recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds of Chatham County, N.C. at Book 6, Page 52. Subject to restrictive covenants and easements of record. Parcel Identification Number: 0013777 The undersigned Commissioner makes no warranties in connection with this property and specifically disclaims any warranties as to title and habitability. This property is being sold as is, without opinion as to title or any other matter. This sale will be made subject to all outstanding city and county taxes and all local improvement assessments against the above described property not included in the judgment in the above-entitled cause. A cash deposit of 20 percent of the successful bid will be required. In addition, the successful bidder will be required, at the time the Deed is recorded to pay for recording fees and revenue stamps assessed by the Chatham County Register of Deeds. This sale is subject to upset bid as set forth in N.C.G.S. Section 1-339.25. This

NOTICE OF SALE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM ACE SELF STORAGE, PURSUANT TO NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUES, CHAPTER 44A, SHALL CONDUCT A PUBLIC SALE OF THE UNITS LISTED BELOW AT IT’S FACILTY LOCATED AT 105 WEST FIFTH ST, SILER CITY, NC AT 11:00 AM ON NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO WITHDRAW ANY UNITS FROM THIS SALE. ALL SALES WILL BE CASH TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER. B-28 – JANET BALDWIN B-15 – JANET BALDWIN B-34 – MICHAEL HEADEN B-25 – JAMIE SPINKS/JACKIE SPINKS

B-31 – SHERRY ALSTON

B-27 – NAQUISHA FULLER

Notice to Creditors

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of ARTHUR LEWIS BOONE, late of Chatham County, North Carolina (24E001558-180), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 27th day of January 2025 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 24th day of October 2024. Angela H. Wallace Executor of the Estate of Arthur Lewis Boone c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (For publication: 10/24, 10/31, 11/7, 11/14/2024)

NOTICE

All persons having claims against the estate of Helen

Kennedy of Chatham County, NC, who died on the 8th of July, 2024 are notified to present them on or before January 27, 2025 to Jan Butta, Executor, ℅ 73 Summersweet Lane Chapel Hill, NC 27516, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Nancy Saunders Gabriel, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the offices of Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC, 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, on or before the 7th day of February, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This 7th day of November, 2024. KATHERINE C. GABRIEL, EXECUTOR ESTATE OF NANCY SAUNDERS GABRIEL

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

OF THE ESTATE OF CAROL ELAINE HARTMAN HALL

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Carol Elaine Hartman Hall, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are notified to exhibit the same to William Leslie Hall, Executor, at 7077 NC Hwy 902, Siler City, NC 27344, on or before February 3, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the deceased are asked to make immediate payment. This the 31day of October, 2024.

NOTICE

All persons having claims against the estate of GEORGANA ELOISE BOND of Chatham County, NC, who died on June 12, 2024, are notified to present them on or before January 31, 2025, to Garth W. Bond, Executor for the estate of Georgana Eloise Bond, c/o Schupp & Hamilton, PLLC, P.O. Box 3200, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3200, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. DATES: 10/31/2024, 11/7/2024, 11/14/2024, 11/21/2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

24E001531-180 All persons having claims against WILLIAM DELBERT BAKER, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 27th day of January, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 24th day of October, 2024. John Justice, Executor c/o Hemphill Gelder, PC PO Box 97035 Raleigh, NC 27624

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Woodson Lea Powell IV, late of Chatham County, State of North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before the 31st day of January, 2024, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to said estate please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

Elaine Cook, Executor James M. Ellis, Attorney Stone & Christy, P.A. 110 N. Dougherty Street Black Mountain, NC 28711 This the 31st day of October, 2024. Dates of Publication: October 31; November 7, 14, 21, 2024. Please mail statement and affidavit to: Stone & Christy, P.A. 110 N. Dougherty Street Black Mountain, NC 28711

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#08E000003-180 The undersigned, NANCY R. BROWN, having qualified on the 6TH day of AUGUST 2024, as

ADMINISTRATOR CTA of the Estate of GARY LEE

RIGSBEE, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 29TH Day of JANUARY 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 31ST Day of OCTOBER 2024. NANCY R. BROWN, ADMINISTRATOR CTA 239 ROCKY RIDGE RD LEASBURG, NC 27291 Run dates: O31,N7,14,21p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E001571-180

The undersigned, ALTHEA T. THOMPSON, having qualified on the 21ST day of OCTOBER 2024, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of GEORGE EDWARD

THOMAS, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 29TH Day of JANUARY 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 31ST Day of OCTOBER 2024. ALTHEA T. THOMPSON, ADMINISTRATOR PO BOX 907 SANFORD, NC 27331 Run dates: O31,N7,14,21p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E001567-180

The undersigned, MARVIN LEE WELCH, JR. AND GRANT LEE WELCH, having qualified on the 17TH day of OCTOBER 2024, as CO-EXECUTORS of the Estate of JANE WELCH TERRELL, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 29TH Day of JANUARY 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 31ST Day of OCTOBER 2024. MAIL TO:

MARVIN LEE WELCH, JR, CO-EXECUTOR 3170 ROSSER RD. BEAR CREEK, NC 27207 GRANT LEE WELCH, CO-EXECUTOR 8472 COVINGTON RIDGE RD. WAKE FOREST, NC 27587 Run dates: O31,N7,14,21p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#22 E 463

The undersigned, ANGELA T. ALSTON AND THOMAS BALDWIN, having qualified on the 12TH day of AUGUST 2022, as CO-ADMINISTRATORS of the Estate of JOYCE M. BALDWIN, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 22ND Day of JANUARY 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 24TH Day of OCTOBER, 2024. ANGELA T. ALSTON, CO-ADMINISTRATOR 31 BRIARWOOD CRT. DURHAM, NC 27713

*THOMAS BALDWIN, CO-ADMINSTRATOR 1553 ROSSER RD. BEAR CREEK, NC 27207

Run dates: O24,O31,N7,14p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E001285-180

The undersigned, EARL D. GLOVER, having qualified on the 18TH day of OCTOBER 2024, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of MAE GLOVER, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 12TH Day of FEBRUARY 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 14TH Day of NOVEMBER 2024. EARL D. GLOVER, ADMINISTRATOR 400 SKY BRIDGE DR. #307 UPPER MARLBORO, MD 20774 Run dates: N14,21,28,D5p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#24E001564-180

The undersigned, DONNA WOOLARD, having qualified on the 30TH day of OCTOBER 2024, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of OBARR LANE WOOLARD, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 5TH Day of FEBRUARY 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 7TH Day of NOVEMBER 2024. DONNA WOOLARD, ADMINISTRATOR 3030 NC 42 HWY GOLDSTON, NC 27252 Run dates: N7,14,21,28p

NOTICE

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Rexford Francis Tucker, deceased of Chatham County, N.C., are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before January 24th, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. This 24th day of October 2024. Christopher H. Dell, Executor c/o Manning, Fulton & Skinner, P.A. P.O. Box 20389 Raleigh, NC 27619-0389.

NOTICE

ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations holding claims against Daniel Joseph Shannon, deceased, of Chatham County, NC are notified to exhibit same to the undersigned on or before January 27, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 24th day of October 2024. Ellen Elizabeth Shannon, Exec., c/o Clarity Legal Group, PO Box 2207, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.

NOTICE

ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations holding claims against Marcia DeLaine Tilton, deceased, of Chatham County, NC are notified to exhibit same to the undersigned on or before February 17, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 14th day of November 2024. William Orvil Tilton, Admin., c/o Clarity Legal Group, PO Box 2207, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

24E001555-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

The undersigned, David E. VanNess, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Millicent L. VanNess, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of January 27th, 2025, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 31st of October, 2024. Executor David E. VanNess c/o Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post Office Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

24 E 001561-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY The undersigned, Mary Elizabeth Groeneman, having qualified as Executor of

NY parks employee dies fighting fires

Air quality warnings were issued in New York and New Jersey

The Associated Press

POMPTON LAKES, N.J.

— A New York parks employee died battling one of several wildfires in New Jersey and New York amid dry conditions that have prompted air quality warnings in both states, authorities said Sunday.

The worker died when a tree fell on him Saturday afternoon as he battled a major brush fire along the New York-New Jersey border, according to reports from the Eastern Dutchess County Fire and Rescue and the New York state forestry services.

New York State Police said they were investigating the death amid the fire in Sterling Forest located in Greenwood Lake and identified the victim as Dariel Vasquez, an 18-year-old state Parks and Recreation aide employed by the New York State

Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Department.

“Wildland firefighting is a very dangerous profession, and we try to take as many precautions as we can mitigate some of the hazards that are out there in the wildland fire environment. But occasionally accidents do happen,” said Jeremy Oldroyd, forest ranger, New York State Department of Environmental Protection, adding that Vasquez died “assisting with fire line construction.”

The fires in New York and New Jersey come as firefighters are also battling a wildfire in California.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Forest Fire Service reported the sprawling blaze had spread to 3.9 square miles near the border in Passaic County’s West Milford and Orange County, New York. Officials said Sunday the blaze, dubbed the Jennings Creek wildfire, was now threatening 14 Greenwood Lake structures as well as two New Jersey

homes and eight historic buildings in that state’s Long Pond Ironworks Historic District. Officials said Saturday afternoon that they did not believe evacuations would be necessary in either state.

Health advisories were issued for parts of New York, including New York City, and northeastern New Jersey due to unhealthy air quality due to smoke from the fires. People were urged to limit strenuous outdoor physical activity if possible; those especially sensitive included the very young and very old and people with ailments such as asthma and heart disease.

New Jersey officials, meanwhile, reported 75% containment of a 175-acre fire in the Pompton Lakes area of Passaic County that was threatening 55 homes, although no evacuations had been ordered.

Progress was also reported on fires in the Bethany Run area on the border of Burlington and Camden counties in Evesham and Voorhees townships; a blaze

along the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Englewood Cliffs in Bergen County; and the Pheasant Run wildfire in the Glassboro wildlife protection area of Gloucester County. Prosecutors in Ocean County on late Saturday afternoon announced arson and firearms charges in connection with a 350-acre Jackson Township fire that started Wednesday. They said it was sparked by magnesium shards from a shotgun round on the berm of a shooting range. Officials said firing that kind of “incendiary or tracer ammunition” was barred in the state. The majority of the blaze has been contained, officials reported Friday.

In Massachusetts, one wildfire among several fueled by powerful wind gusts and dry leaves burned more than 200 acres in the Lynn Woods Reservation, a municipal park that comprises about 3.4 square miles in the city 10 miles north of Boston. The Lynn Fire Department cited “a dry spell we

have not seen during this time of year in many years.”

Across the country, favorable weather helped fire crews gain more control Sunday over a Southern California wildfire that has destroyed 134 structures and damaged dozens more.

Crews increased containment of the Mountain Fire to 26% in Ventura County northwest of Los Angeles. The fire’s size remains around 32 square miles. The cause is under investigation.

“The fire continues to creep and smolder in steep rugged terrain. Threats remain to critical infrastructure, highways, and communities,” according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, better known as Cal Fire.

The fire broke out Wednesday and exploded in size with the arrival of dry, warm and gusty Santa Ana winds, forcing thousands of residents to flee suburban neighborhoods and agricultural areas near the city of Camarillo.

Calif. voters reject ban on forced prison labor

The failed proposition was part of a package of reparations

By Sophie Austin

The Associated Press / Report for America

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California voters have rejected a measure on the November ballot that would have amended the state constitution to ban forced prison labor.

The constitution already prohibits so-called involuntary servitude, but an exception allows it to be used as a punishment for crime.

That exemption became a target of criminal justice advocates concerned that prisoners are often paid less than $1 an hour for labor such as fighting fires, cleaning cells and doing landscaping work at cemeteries.

The failed Proposition 6 was included in a package of reparations proposals introduced by lawmakers this year as part of an effort to atone and offer redress for a history of discrimination against black Californians.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in the package in September to issue a formal

“We are proud of the movement we have built, and we will not rest until we see this issue resolved once and for all.”

Jamilia Land, Abolish Slavery National Network co-founder

apology for the state’s legacy of racism against African Americans. But state lawmakers blocked a bill that would have created an agency to administer reparations programs, and Newsom vetoed a measure that would have helped black families reclaim property taken unjustly by the government through eminent domain.

Abolish Slavery National Network co-founder Jamilia Land, who advocated for the initiative targeting forced prison labor, said the measure and similar ones in other states are about “dismantling the remnants of slavery” from the books.

“While the voters of California did not pass Proposition 6 this time, we have made significant progress,” she said in a

statement. “We are proud of the movement we have built, and we will not rest until we see this issue resolved once and for all.”

George Eyles, a retired teacher in Brea who voted against Prop 6, said he found it confusing that the initiative aimed to ban slavery, which was outlawed in the U.S. in the 19th century. After finding out more about the measure, Eyles decided it likely would not be economically feasible since prison labor helps cut costs for upkeep, he said.

“I really couldn’t get any indepth information about ... the thinking behind putting that whole Prop 6 forward, so that made me leery of it,” Eyles said.

“If I really can’t understand something, then I’m usually going to shake my head, ‘No.’”

Multiple states — including Colorado, Tennessee, Alabama and Vermont — have voted to rid their constitutions of forced labor exemptions in recent years, and this week they were joined by Nevada, which passed its own measure.

In Colorado — the first state to get rid of an exception for slavery from its constitution in 2018 — incarcerated people alleged in a 2022 lawsuit filed against the corrections department that they were still being forced to work.

Proposition 6’s ballot language did not explicitly include

the word “slavery” like measures elsewhere because the California Constitution was amended in the 1970s to remove an exemption for slavery. But the exception for involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime remained on the books.

The 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution also bans slavery and involuntary servitude except as a punishment for crime.

Proposition 6 saw the second-least campaign spending among the 10 statewide initiatives on the ballot this year, about $1.9 million, according to the California Secretary of State’s office. It had no formal opposition.

WAYNE PARRY / AP PHOTO

Smoke from a forest fire rises above the trees in Evesham, New Jersey, last week.

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Voters wait in line at a polling place in Los Angeles on Election Day.

CHATHAM SPORTS

Chatham County’s former athletes take on collegiate winter sports season

The county’s own will compete across multiple sports

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE WINTER SPORTS season has arrived in Chatham County, and it’s not just confined to the county borders — it stretches all over the country.

Many of the county’s for-

mer winter sports athletes will represent their respective colleges in various sports from basketball to swimming. From nationally known talent, to local stars and to Olympic hopefuls, Chatham County is set to make a significant impact on collegiate sports this season.

As some have already gotten started while some are still gearing up for the start of a new season, here’s where the

county’s own will continue their athletic careers.

Men’s basketball

Drake Powell (UNC, Northwood): After some impressive showings in the Tar Heels’ exhibition games, Powell, a freshman, averaged 3.5 points and three rebounds in the first two regular season games against Elon and No. 1 Kansas. His elite athleticism has shined in al-

Chatham County boys’ basketball preview: Charter school edition

The Wolves look to build on last year’s playoff appearance

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE 2024-25 HIGH school boys’ basketball season starts with the charter schools in Chatham County. Last year, Chatham Charter and Woods Charter made the playoffs in the same season for the first time ever as the Wolves made their first postseason appearance.

After making its sixth straight playoff appearance in 2023, Chatham Charter tipped off another year of hoops in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association with a 61-27 win over Research Triangle Friday. Woods Charter will get started Thursday night at home against Cornerstone Charter at 7:30 p.m.

Before the Central Tar Heel 1A conference foes get deep into their regular season schedules, here’s a preview of how each team will look this year.

Chatham Charter

Returning just six players from last year’s roster, there’s plenty of fresh faces for Chatham Charter heading into the 2024-25 season.

Led by standout seniors Aidan Allred and Jonah Ridgill, the Knights went 19-13 and fell in the first round of the playoffs in a 2023-24 campaign hurt by a season-ending injury to key piece Brennan LaVelle. After the departure of Allred and Ridgill, the Knights

See BOYS, page B2

most every aspect of his game so far, including driving, transition offense, rebounding, and most glaringly, defense.

Jarin Stevenson (Alabama, Seaforth): Stevenson has worked his way into a starting role on one of the best teams in the nation. The sophomore has been a solid versatile piece for the Crimson Tide, averaging six points and six rebounds in the first two games of the regular season. Max Frazier (Central Con-

necticut, Northwood): Frazier, a sophomore, transferred from Siena College to Central Connecticut this season. After playing in 20 games and recording 13 blocks as a freshman, Frazier has yet to make an appearance this season.

Kenan Parrish (Harvard, Northwood): Parrish is entering his first season at Harvard following a postgraduate year

Chatham County girls’ basketball preview: Charter school edition

Chatham Charter looks to retool its roster this season

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE HIGH SCHOOL girls’ basketball season has arrived in Chatham County, and the charter schools are first up to hit the court.

Chatham Charter began its 2024-25 campaign with a dominant 61-15 win over Research Triangle Friday while its Central Tar Heel 1A conference rival Woods Charter will open the year at home against Cornerstone Charter Friday at 6 p.m.

The Knights are looking to defend last year’s regular season conference title and return to the state playoffs while the Wolves are looking to im-

“Each one of my freshmen are going to bring something to the table, and I am very excited about that.”

Carmen Wood

prove from last season’s finish. Here’s a look at what to expect from each team before they fully dive into the thick of the regular season.

Woods Charter Woods Charter is going by the motto, “why not?” this season. Last year wasn’t the best time for the Wolves as they went 7-16

VASHA HUNT / AP PHOTO

Alabama forward Jarin Stevenson (15) rebounds in a game against Arkansas State last week. The Seaforth graduate is starting his sophomore year with the Crimson Tide.

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Chatham Charter junior guard Gabe McKoy lays it in during the Knights’ season-opening win.

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Chatham Charter senior guard Skyler Lynn puts up a 3 during the Knights’ season-opening win.

Seaforth wins its first boys’ soccer playoff game

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

HERE’S A RECAP of the opening rounds of the boys’ soccer playoffs and a wrap up of the football regular season before the playoffs get started Friday.

Boys’ soccer

Both of Chatham County’s representatives in the 2A boys’ soccer playoffs survived the first round Saturday.

A long way from home, No. 28 Seaforth pulled off a 1-0 upset win over No. 5 Camden County, earning its first boys’ soccer playoff victory ever.

Seaforth scored the game-winning goal in the second half after a scoreless opening 40 minutes.

The Hawks’ were the lowest seeded team to advance in the entire 2A bracket as seven other teams seeded in the 20s made it to the second round, too.

No. 15 Jordan-Matthews defeated No. 18 Holmes 2-1 Saturday. The Jets, hosting their fifth straight playoff opener, have also advanced past the first round in five consecutive seasons.

Senior Francisco Ibarra scored the go-ahead goal with 22 minutes remaining in the second half to keep Jordan-Matthews’ season alive. The competition is heating up, and things are starting to get tight for the Jets as they’ve now played in four straight games decided by two goals or less.

Football

Although the game didn’t officially count toward its record for playoff seeding (11th game), Chatham Central earned its second win of the season with a 24-12 victory over East Columbus Friday.

Senior running back Eli Turner carried the load on the

got younger with five freshman on this year’s team compared to just two last year.

Freshman forward Breylan Harris started against Research Triangle on Friday, and he’s just one of the newcomers set to make a significant impact. Junior guard Gabe McKoy, a transfer from Providence Grove, also found himself in the Knights’ starting lineup Friday, and he looks to boost their offensive production in the backcourt.

“They want me to score a lot more, so I’m just doing what I can,” McKoy said.

But as the new players find their role on the team, LaVelle will look to be the veteran goto in his return to the court. LaVelle averaged 15.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last year before suffering a lower body injury late in the season.

“He’s been committed to getting back and committed to putting in the work,” Chatham Charter coach Jason Messier said about LaVelle. “He had a chance to get in fall ball, and in the first game back, he was very successful.”

This season, Chatham Charter plans to let its “hard-nosed” defense and an all-around display of hard work do the talking. Messier wants the defensive effort to lead to points on the other end, especially as the younger squad looks to build its confidence and offensive chemistry early in the season.

“We may not be making our shots, but I promise you we’re hustling, and we’re working hard,” LaVelle said. Although the Knights got off to a great start in the season opener, Messier expects his team to get much better as the season progresses.

“The team that you’re seeing here now is not going to be the team you see towards the end of the season,” Messier said. “We’ve got a lot of things to work on.”

Woods Charter

After a historic 2023-24 season, Woods Charter is looking to reach even higher heights.

The Wolves went 12-14 last year, and the 87-36 loss to Cha-

ground with 79 yards and an 11-yard touchdown on nine carries, and junior Nick Glover also ran in a score. Glover caught two touchdown passes (one for 15 yards and another for 30 yards) from freshman quarterback Reed Douglas.

The last time the Bears officially won more than one game in a season was 2018 when they went 3-9. Chatham Central can make it three, or officially two wins, with its first round matchup with No. 4 Pender in the 1A football playoffs.

The Bears, seeded at No. 29, are the lowest seed in the 1A East bracket as the top two seeds will get a bye.

tham Central in the first round of the playoffs not only left a bad taste in their mouths — it serves as motivation.

“We had a great season, but we ended it with a really bad loss,” Woods Charter coach Leonard McNair said. “I think a lot of the team kind of feels that. We’ve had a hard time keeping the doors closed for that reason. Everybody’s trying to get in. Everybody wants to get better, and they’re just hungry to play.”

Woods Charter lost its anchor Eli Hutter-Demarco to graduation, but it’s returning a solid core of sophomore guard Levi Haygood, junior guard Maxwell Carr and senior Noah Laupert.

While they’ll expect solid shooting from its perimeter players, the Wolves also want to make their defense the focus of their playstyle. Woods Charter wants to be pests on the defensive end.

“Just be that team that you don’t want to step on the floor with no matter how good you are,” Carr said. “Just because we’re that annoying.”

Offensively, the Wolves have seen key individual improvements over the offseason including better finishing and overall strength from Haygood, who earned all-conference honors as a freshman last season, and improved playmaking from Laupert.

McNair also expressed excitement for junior Jackson Morris, who he says has turned into the team’s best interior finisher after being at the bottom of the junior varsity depth chart as a freshman.

As a team, though, the biggest improvement has been the overall discipline and focus, especially after having the experience of reaching the postseason. The Wolves have also worked to operate more “by committee” instead of a few players carrying most of the load, resulting in a team they feel plays more together and with more accountability across the board.

“We’re much more disciplined as a team,” Haygood said. “We understand what we need to do. Just organized more so as a group and conditioning. We’re willing to do the hard things that we need to do to win, and we’re ready for that.”

Pender (7-3, 4-2 1A/2A Waccamaw) will be one of the toughest teams Chatham Central faces all year. The Patriots are led by senior running back Jeremiah Johnson who has rushed for more than 100 yards in every game this season while scoring 30 touchdowns. Johnson has also hit the 200-yard mark six times. If the Bears want a shot at their first playoff win, the key will be slowing down Johnson and Pender’s rushing attack.

On the other side of the county, Seaforth lost its final game of the regular season against Southern Lee, 35-15. The Hawks failed to make the post-

Cutting

season for the third straight year, ending their season with a 3-7 overall record and a 3-5 Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference record.

Northwood will make the playoffs for the second straight season as the 26-seeded Chargers will travel to No. 7 Eastern Wayne (8-2, 5-0 2A Neuse) in first round of the 2A East bracket. The Warriors are on a seven-game winning streak and have averaged just under 39 points per game in that stretch.

Junior quarterback Izeiah Oates has been solid for Eastern Wayne this season, throwing for over 1,592 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions go -

Cutting Spending Can Help Boost Retirement Savings

ing into Friday. He can also use his legs, picking up multiple big gains and touchdowns throughout the year.

Northwood has been solid defensively for most of the year, but so has the Warriors’ defense, too. Eastern Wayne has recorded 15 interceptions with nine different players having a pick this year. The Warriors have also accumulated 21 sacks, and only one opponent has been able to score more than 20 points against them all season (C.B. Aycock beat them 41-12). The key for Northwood will be to limit turnovers offensively and establish control of the line of scrimmage.

Spending Can Help Boost Retirement Savings

Like most of us, you may someday want to enjoy a comfortable retirement. Your ability to achieve this goal will depend on how much you save — but it also matters how much you spend

And saving and spending are certainly related: The more you can reduce your spending, the more money you could have available to save for retirement through your IRA and your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. Over many years, even relatively small amounts diverted from spending to saving and investing could add up substantially.

How can you go about potentially reducing your spending? Here are a few suggestions:

• Use a budgeting tool. If you’re not already doing so, you might want to consider using a free online budgeting tool. Among other capabilities, these apps can place your spending in categories — groceries, travel, entertainment, and so on — which can reveal redundancies that, once eliminated, could save you money. For example, you might find that you’re spending a not-insignificant amount on streaming services you rarely use. Or you might be surprised at how often you go the grocery store, rather than consolidating your visits and reducing the likelihood of “impulse” purchases.

• Take advantage of employee benefits. If you work for a mid-size or large company, you may have an extensive employee benefit plan, which could include discounts on some products and services. Also, if you are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan through your employer, you might have access to a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA), either of which may let you lower your out-of-pocket

health care costs by using pre-tax dollars to pay for deductibles, copayments, coinsurance and some other qualified expenses.

• Shop around for insurance. To some extent, we are all creatures of habit, which can be good in some circumstances and not so good in others. In the “not so good” category, many people stick with their auto, homeowners and life insurance policies year after year, even though they might be able to save some money by switching to another company. But even if you stay with your current company, you might find ways to save money by taking steps such as adding a home security system. Check with your insurer to learn more.

• Compare credit cards. There’s a piece of financial advice that essentially says: “Pay cash for everything” — and this isn’t a bad idea. Ideally, you might want to use a credit card strictly for items such as car rentals or hotel reservations, and you should pay off the bill each month to avoid interest charges. Sometimes, though, you may need to use your card for other purposes, and it may not always be possible to pay your bill in full.

That’s why you’ll want to review credit cards periodically to find one with lower interest rates, a favorable balance transfer offer and a better rewards program.

It’s not always easy to cut down on your spending, but when you do, it can provide more peace of mind — and an opportunity to boost your savings for what could be a long and active retirement.

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

Edward Jones, Member SIPC.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Eli Turner, shown here against Northwood last month, was Chatham Central’s leading rusher in the regular season finale.

BOYS from page B1

Northwood hires Brent Haynes as new baseball coach

Haynes was the head coach at Williams in the spring

By Asheebo Rojas

Chatham News & Record

NORTHWOOD HAS hired Brent Haynes as its new baseball coach. The move was announced in a release from the school and on the school’s social media channels.

Haynes will take over for Kyle Robinson who coached the Chargers for two seasons from 2023 to 2024.

“My family and I are excited to be joining the Charger family at Northwood High School,” Haynes said in a statement. “Northwood has a rich tradition in academics and athletics. I look forward to getting to work with these players and adding to the tradition of Northwood Baseball.” Before landing at Northwood, Haynes was the head coach at Williams High School in Burlington. In his lone 2024 season at Williams, Haynes led the Bulldogs to an 18-6 overall record and its first home playoff game in over a decade.

In 2023, Haynes served as the baseball coach at Eastern Randolph High School, ending his only season there in the 1A West regional finals. Prior to his head coaching experience, Haynes spent time on the Southern Ala-

@CHARGERATHLETICS / X

Brent Haynes was hired as Northwood’s new baseball coach. He’s a former player at Southern Alamance, Guilford Tech and Mount Olive.

mance High School baseball staff and served as a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Guilford Tech Community College. Haynes also coaches and serves as a mentor for the Dirtbags travel baseball team which has produced around 300 MLB draft picks and more than 1,700 college signees.

“Coach Haynes brings not only an impressive track record of coaching success, but also a passion for developing student-athletes on and off the field,” Northwood athletic director Cameron Vernon said in a statement. “His commitment

“My family and I are excited to be joining the Charger family at Northwood High School.” Brent Haynes

to excellence and dedication to his players make him the perfect fit for Northwood Baseball, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our community.”

As a baseball player, Haynes was a part of Southern Alamance’s 2005 3A state championship team. After graduating from Southern Alamance in 2006, he spent time pitching at Guilford Tech Community College before transferring to the University of Mount Olive where he finished his athletic and academic career.

Robinson, the former Northwood baseball coach, is moving on to Union Pines where he will serve as an assistant baseball coach.

In 2024, Robinson led the Chargers to a 10-4 Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference record and an appearance in the state playoffs. He combined for a 17-28 overall record at Northwood, which was his first varsity head coaching job at the age of 25. Northwood last won a playoff game in 2022, but it hasn’t advanced past the third round since 2017.

Students, get your applications in for the 2025 Electric

Each year, Central Electric sponsors two rising high school juniors or seniors on the trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C. in connection with the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. While in D.C., you’ll join 1,800 other students from across the country to meet members of Congress and learn more about American history and electric cooperatives.

The trip will be hosted in June 2025 and the deadline for all applications is Jan. 20. Scan the QR code or visit CEMCPower.com to apply or to find out more information.

Saturday, November 16 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Solid Waste & Recycling Main Facility 28 County Services Road, Pittsboro Chatham County residents can bring up to three boxes or bags of documents from their household for free shredding.

More details (919) 542-5516 www.chathamcountync.gov/recycle

Glover

Chatham Central, football

Chatham Central’s Nick Glover earns athlete of the week honors for the week of Nov. 4.

In the Bears’ 24-12 win over East Columbus Friday, Glover, a junior, caught two touchdown passes (one for 15 yards and the other for 30) while also rushing for 51 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive end, Glover recorded six tackles, including three solos.

Glover joined the Bears this season and has been one of their most impactful players on both sides of the ball. He’s played multiple roles on the field, including quarterback, receiver and defensive back.

Blue Devils spoil Wolfpack Senior Day

Duke got a 29-19 road win in Raleigh

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

DUKE STOPPED its twogame slide and ended NC State’s two-game winning streak in a 29-19 slog Saturday.

The Blue Devils had a great defensive performance against the Wolfpack, holding them to just 263 yards of total offense and forcing the Pack to settle for a field goal in each of its first six trips to the red zone.

“They covered us, they rushed us, they stopped the run,” said NC State coach Dave Doeren.

“We didn’t get it done. We got outplayed in that area of the field. They made more plays down there than us. We didn’t finish drives in that area of the field. We were able to get down there quite a bit, but you have to finish. It’s not about being 100% scoring if they’re all field goals. You have to get some touchdowns, and it comes down to execution more than anything.”

NC State’s defense wasn’t too bad, holding Duke to just 276 yards, going a perfect 9-for-9 in third down situations and putting up nine tackles for loss.

State even forced a big play at the end of the first half, as freshman starting nickel Tamarcus Cooley stripped a ball out of senior Duke receiver Eli Pancol’s hands and took it 70-yards the other way for a potential 10-point swing.

“Defensively, we played good enough in that game to win and we just didn’t connect offensively enough,” Doeren said.

However, the biggest issue for the defense was that it struggled to put any pressure on Blue Devils quarterback Maalik Murphy who played a solid, patient game throwing for 245 yards and two touchdowns on 22-for-31 passing.

Murphy hardly had to worry too much in the pocket as Duke’s front did a great job protecting their QB who was only hurried twice on the night and sacked once.

On the opposite side, NC State’s freshman quarterback CJ Bailey had a tough time dealing with the pressure Duke was bringing as he completed less than 50% of his passes (16 -for-39).

“I missed a lot of shots, a lot of throws that I wish I could have back,” Bailey said.

The biggest turning point in the game came in the fourth quarter with NC State, who was within one possession, dropping three-straight passes with the third one ending up in a tipped ball for an interception that led to an easy Blue Devils touchdown.

“The game came down to us kicking field goals and them scoring a couple more touchdowns than us,” Doeren said. “We gave them a short field with a turnover in the red zone which really hurts.”

The game was an uphill climb for NC State who shot themselves in the foot early by giving up a safety on just their second play of the game and then on the ensuing drive, Bailey fumbled the ball as he attempted to run for a first down two plays in yet again.

The Wolfpack tried to get the ground game going too with Bailey struggling, but that also bore no fruit as beyond QB scrambles, the Pack put together just 48 yards. Overall though, neither team was capable of running the ball as the two teams combined for just 115 rushing yards on the night in 56 attempts.

“Collectively, it’s not good enough,” Doeren said. “It’s a we, us and ours business and there isn’t any blame other than everybody and it starts with me.”

at Northfield Mount Hermon in Massachusetts.

Aaron Ross (Chowan, Northwood): Ross is off to a hot start in his senior year at Chowan. He’s been one of the top scorers in the first two games, averaging 14 points, 6.5 assists and shooting 37.5% from 3.

Jalen Mcafee-Marion (University of the Southwest, Northwood): Mcafee-Marion is entering his senior year at the University of the Southwest after spending the last two seasons at St. Andrews. In the Mustangs’ first game of the season, Mcafee-Marion scored 10 points on a 66.7% shooting clip.

Jonah Ridgill (Guilford, Chatham Charter): After a stellar career at Chatham Charter, Ridgill is in his first season at Guilford. The Quakers have played just one game as of Sunday, and Ridgill has yet to see game action.

Women’s basketball

Olivia Porter (Marquette, Northwood): Porter transferred from Charlotte to Marquette for her junior season. After averaging 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists her sophomore year, Porter is off to a good start after the first two games in 2024. Porter, a starter, is averaging nine points, three rebounds and 1.5 assists as of Sunday.

Chatham Charter. She made an appearance in the Pride’s first game against Virginia Wesleyan University Sunday, playing just four minutes and attempting one shot.

Swimming and diving

Jennah Fadely (Kenyon College, Jordan-Matthews): Fadely, a six-time national champion across four events, is entering her senior year at Kenyon College. Through the first two meets of the season, she has finished first in every event in which she’s competed.

Suzanne Earnshaw (James Madison, Northwood): Earnshaw is entering her senior year as a competitor in the breaststroke and individual medley events at James Madison. She earned her team three points in their loss to Liberty on Oct. 26 when she finished third in the women 100 breaststroke event (1 minute, 6.6 seconds).

McKenna Snively (Christopher Newport, Northwood/ North Raleigh Christian Academy): Snively is entering her junior year at Christopher Newport. She did not play in the season opener Sunday, but she was very impactful last season, averaging 5.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game while also swiping 43 steals.

overall and 4-8 in conference play. They didn’t achieve many of last season’s goals, neither, which took a toll on the team morale.

However, Woods Charter is entering the year with optimism. With goals of finishing top three in the conference and holding opponents to under 30 points per game, the Wolves are confident that this season will be better than the last.

And, “why not?” serves as a reminder that all of that can be achieved if they put in the work.

“I think it’s been a good thing,” junior guard Wesley Oliver said about the team’s motto. “Especially to push the younger kids. Like, why not give it your all?”

Said Woods Charter coach Carmen Wood, “I want them to really think about, ‘Why would I not go after this ball? Why would I not do it when what’s on the other side is what I’m asking for and what I want?’ And I feel like last year we didn’t have that.”

With the departure of seniors Caroline Mitchell (guard), Leyla Noronha (forward), Kath-

Rae McClarty (Young Har-

ryn Murphy and Emma Cope, Woods Charter is bringing in a promising group of freshmen.

“Each one of my freshmen are going to bring something to the table, and I am very excited about that,” Wood said. “I will say that Kori Myers is one of our freshmen who, even in our scrimmage, showed me that she can play that physical game. As soon as she kind of hits that trigger, everyone has that go mode. When she’s on, she’s on, so I’m excited to develop her as a player and see where that takes her.”

Oliver and junior Anna Robards, two veteran leaders for the Wolves this season, applauded the “really good” work ethic of the freshman class, and they feel the newcomers have brought improvements to the team already.

“I think the movement around the court is definitely a lot better,” Oliver said. “Last year, we had athletic people, but there were a lot of people whose primary sport wasn’t basketball, and they didn’t really have that much experience playing basketball. So it was difficult to get them up to speed on where to

ris, Northwood): McClarty transferred from UNC Wilmington to Young Harris (Young Harris, Georgia) in 2023, and she’s now entering her graduate season.

Skylar Adams (Shaw, Northwood): After a successful career at Northwood, Adams is entering her freshman year at Shaw. The Bears started their season

be on the court. I feel like a lot of the freshmen this year have a lot more understanding about where to be.”

With more realistic goals and a greater feeling of togetherness and commitment on this year’s squad, the Wolves hope the positive vibes entering the season translate to more wins. Woods Charter hasn’t won more than seven games in a season since its 2021-22 campaign.

Chatham Charter

Leading up to this season, Chatham Charter lost key players in Hannah Headen (now at Greensboro Day School), Meah Brooks (graduation), Delana Loflin (graduation) and Cassie McKeithan (graduation). However, it’s not exactly a rebuilding year for the Knights.

Instead, Chatham Charter will be plugging its returners into new roles while adding some talented newcomers to the mix.

“We’ve got some girls returning, but they never had to play the roles that they’re going to be asked to play,” Chatham Charter

Wednesday against the University of Mount Olive. Adams averaged 10.2 points, 4.2 assists and 5.4 rebounds a game during her senior year of high school.

Meah Brooks (Greensboro College, Chatham Charter): Brooks is entering her freshman year at Greensboro College following a solid career at

coach Jeff Patterson said. “We’re trying to get them comfortable and used to those roles. Getting better and better every day.”

The Knights, a young team, will look to get leadership out of their two seniors Skyler Lynn (guard) and Abby Clark (forward). In their season opener, Lynn put her shooting skills on display as she scored over double digits and took multiple three pointers.

Her partner in crime that night was freshman Peyton York, though, who appeared very active on the defensive end with a plethora of steals and layups in transition. Patterson also suggested York could be a potential leader with the significant role she’ll play this year. Her performance Friday night exemplified exactly the type of team Patterson wants.

“We’ve got to be real defensive minded and try to get out and get some easy buckets,” Patterson said. “If we can do that, we feel like we can be in the ball game until the end of the gall game, whether we win or lose.”

Said Patterson, “We’re look-

Bianca Perez (Queens University, Northwood): Perez is going into her sophomore year as a freestyle swimmer at Queens. She most recently swam her fastest times for the 50 L free and the 100 L free in July.

William Sikes (Trinity University, Woods Charter): Sikes is entering his sophomore year at Trinity as a butterfly and individual medley swimmer. He has been part of two first-place finishes for the men’s team this season.

ing to try to be scrappy. We put in some things where we’re going to be doing a little more trapping than normal, some more full court stuff, and some run and jump type of stuff.”

Lynn and Patterson agreed that this year’s team has shown more competitiveness amongst itself than in past years, especially with players being more on the same level. As the players have been fighting for roles in practice, one of the surprises has been sophomore forward Makenly Stanley, who is joining the team for the first time. Stanley had multiple offensive rebounds and put back points for the Knights Friday, and she looks to bring a solid paint presence for the Knights. Another impactful player from the win was junior Kynzie Jordan as she knocked down a couple of shots and recorded multiple assists. Patterson said she has improved with her shooting confidence.

Friday was an indicator that Chatham Charter will still be a good team this season as it marches towards its goal of winning the conference.

WINTER from page B1

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Kenyon swimmer Jennah Fadely hoists a trophy at the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving National Championships. The Jordan-Matthews graduate has won six national championships in college.

GIRLS from page B1

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL 49ers star Bosa gets fined by NFL for MAGA hat

San Francisco San Francisco 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa was fined by the NFL for wearing a hat with a proDonald Trump message during a postgame television interview.

Bosa was fined $11,255 for violating the NFL uniform and equipment rules for wearing a hat that contained a personal message. Bosa said earlier this week that he was aware that wearing a white hat that read “Make America Great Again” while crashing a television interview could be subject to a fine. He said it would be “well worth it.”

MLB Japanese ace Sasaki to become available to MLB teams this offseason

Chiba, Japan Japanese ace Roki Sasaki will be available to MLB teams this offseason.

The Chiba Lotte Marines announced they have started the process of moving the pitcher to a club in North America via the posting system. The right-hander, who turned 23 this month, is expected to become one of the most sought-after pitchers on the open market. He went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA in 18 games this year, striking out 129 in 111 innings. Because he is younger than 25, Sasaki will be classified as an international amateur free agent subject to international bonus pool limits.

TENNIS Gauff wins WTA Finals for first time Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Coco Gauff won the WTA Finals by rallying to beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the final in Riyadh. The 20-year-old American came from 2-0 and 5-3 down in the final set and was two points from defeat at one stage. She is the first American to win the Finals since Serena Williams in 2014, and received $4.8 million in prize money. She also is the youngest player to win it since Maria Sharapova in 2004, the year Gauff was born.

NCAA FOOTBALL Vanderbilt QB Pavia sues NCAA over eligibility limits for former JUCO players Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is suing the NCAA challenging its rules limiting the eligibility of former junior college players after transferring to a Division I school as “unjustifiably” restraining athletes’ ability to earn money under name, image and likeness rules. The lawsuit asks for a temporary restraining order as Pavia asks for two more seasons of Division I eligibility. He also asks that Vanderbilt, or any other college, not be punished for complying with orders from the court. Pavia did not receive an offer from a FBS program before playing at a junior college and then New Mexico State.

Faking It? SEC teams warned about practice to slow game tempo

Players are suspected of faking injuries to get their team an extra timeout

By Pete Iacobelli The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South

Carolina coach Shane Beamer had a final farewell for Mississippi last month as Rebel after Rebel went down on the ground with injuries, some serious, some minor, and created stoppages that slowed things down.

“First of all,” Beamer said after the Gamecocks’ 27-3 loss on Oct. 5. “I certainly hope all those guys are OK.”

Sincere or sarcastic? Who’s to say. But there’s no doubt he and others around the Southeastern Conference are tired of injury interruptions for players who may or may not be hurt.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey took matters into his own hands with a memo to members last week to knock it off.

“As plainly as it can be stated: Stop any and all activity re-

lated to faking injuries to create time-outs,” Sankey wrote in the memo.

Coaches happy for reminder Amen, said LSU coach Brian Kelly, who called the warning shot from Sankey “timely.” Sankey, Kelly said, was standing out among “people in college football in making it clear that this kind of nonsense, which is a word that was used, needs to stop. It’s silly.”

Sankey’s memo said creating injury timeouts on either side of the ball is “not acceptable and is disrespectful to the game of football.”

There would be financial punishments for transgressors, Sankey reiterated. First offense costs a head coach a $50,000 fine. Get caught a second time and the fine increases to $100,000. A third offense brings the coach a one-game suspension.

Any staff member is subject to the same punishments if found to signal or direct a player to feign an injury. A player cited in such an incident could receive a public reprimand.

3-time Daytona 500 winner Allison dies

The 86-year-old Hall of Famer died at his home in Mooresville

By Jenna Fryer The Associated Press

BOBBY ALLISON, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday. He was 86. NASCAR released a statement from Allison’s family that said he died at home in Mooresville. A cause of death wasn’t given, but Allison had been in declining health for years.

Allison moved to fourth on NASCAR’s Cup Series victory list last month when chairman Jim France recognized him as the winner of the Meyers Brothers Memorial at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina in 1971. The sanctioning body updated its record books to reflect the decision, giving Allison 85 wins and moving him out of a tie with Darrell Waltrip. France and longtime NASCAR executive Mike Helton presented Allison with a plaque commemorating the victory. With it, Allison trails only fellow Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93) in Cup wins.

Allison was inducted into

NASCAR’s second Hall of Fame class, in 2011. He was the 1983 NASCAR champion, finished second in the series title race five times, and a three-time winner of the Daytona 500.

“Bobby was the ultimate fan’s driver,” Allison’s family said in a statement. “He thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his fans and would stop to sign autographs and have conversations with them everywhere he went. He was a dedicated family man and friend, and a devout Catholic.”

He helped put NASCAR on the map with more than his driving. His infamous fight with Cale Yarborough in the closing laps of the 1979 Daytona 500 served as one of the sport’s defining moments.

“Cale went to beating on my fist with his nose,” Allison has said repeatedly, often using that phrase to describe the fight. “Cale understands like I do that it really was a benefit to the interest of racing. It proves that we were sincere.”

Born in Miami in 1937, Allison started searching for more racing opportunities outside the Sunshine State. He landed in central Alabama, where he found a number of small, dirt tracks.

He returned to Florida to

Nothing new about SEC’s stance

All this was laid out to teams before the season, Beamer said. He recalled reading the rules to his coaches and players. “Here’s the policy in this league, and I ain’t paying the fine,” Beamer told them. Ole Miss and coach Lane Kiffin have been front and center in the practice. Fans at Williams-Brice Stadium booed loudly back in October whenever a Mississippi player laid out on the field, believing they were play-acting.

Mississippi acknowledged last month the attention it has received for suspected feigned injuries. It said it has “provided relevant medical information” for the SEC to review and will answer questions about recent games.

Gaining an edge

Such tactics straddle the line between gamesmanship and cheating, depending who you ask. Florida coach Billy Napier

said his team does not feign injuries.

“We don’t believe in doing it,” he said. Still, there’s video of Gators linebacker George Gumbs Jr. making a tackle against Tennessee, rising quickly and jogging to the line of scrimmage when he appears to look to Florida’s sideline and instantly goes down with an apparent injury. A few minutes later, he’s up and walking off.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack understands the hand-wringing from fans and opposing teams. But a player who’s hurt should stay on the field to get assistance and give his coaches time for the proper substitute.

“Our guys need to understand, if they’re hurt in a game, never come off the field,” Wommack said.

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea was grateful for Sankey’s reminder on a tactic he says he won’t ever buy into.

“Never do we cross a line of trying to game the system that way,” he said.

get brother Donnie and close friend Red Farmer. They set up shop in Hueytown, Alabama, and dominated regional races throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. They were later joined in the Alabama Gang by Jimmy Mears, Neil Bonnett and Bonnett and Allison’s sons Davey and Clifford. Allison retired in 1988 following a crash at Pocono that nearly killed him. He was initially declared dead upon reaching a local hospital but was later resuscitated. He eventually regained his memory, re-learned everyday activities and attempted a comeback. But a series of tragedies led Allison to retire. His son, Clifford, was fatally injured during a crash in practice for the second-tier Busch Series at Michigan International Speedway in 1992. A year later,

son Davey was killed in a helicopter crash at Talladega. Allison was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 and into the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, Pearson and Lee Petty.

“Bobby Allison personified the term ‘racer,’” France said in statement. “Though he is best known as one of the winningest drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history, his impact on the sport extends far beyond the record books.

Allison is one of 10 drivers to have won NASCAR’s career “grand slam” that includes the Cup Series’ most iconic races: the Daytona 500, the Winston 500, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500. Allison made six IndyCar Series starts for Roger Penske, including a pair of Indy 500s.

VASHA HUNT / AP PHOTO

Georgia offensive lineman Jared Wilson is helped off the field after an injury against Alabama.

TERRY RENNA / AP PHOTO

Bobby Allison speaks after being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.

Bocelli reflects on new album, film, 30 years of making music

The Italian tenor has performed for presidents and popes, and has sold nearly 90 million records

By Maria Sherman The Associated Press

NEW YORK — It’s one of the most immediately recognizable voices on the planet: Andrea Bocelli’s tenor is beloved across generations, cultures and borders, known to induce tears in as few as three simple words: “Con Te Partirò,” or in its English performance, “Time to Say Goodbye.”

This year, he’s celebrating the 30th anniversary of his career with a new compilation album, “Duets,” featuring both previously released and brand-new collaborations of his best-known work — as well as a few surprising contemporary covers — and the release of a new concert film, “Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration.”

So, why duets?

“I’ve loved voices since when I was a child, and I like very much to share the stage with the best artists and voices. So this album, there are the best duets that I did in my life,” he told The Associated Press. “From the first, ‘The Prayer’ with Celine Dion, un-

til the last, like ‘Perfect’ with Ed Sheeran, and many, many others. And the album has been remastered and remixed. So, I hope the sound can be better.”

He says: “The most important thing in voices ... is to be recognizable, to give emotion.”

Sheeran was an interesting collaboration because when Bocelli first attempted to sing “Perfect,” the English singer-songwriter wasn’t a fan. “He didn’t like what I did because I sang in a pop style,” he recalls. “He wanted to listen to my voice, like in an operatic style.” So, Sheeran traveled to Bocelli’s home in Tuscany, and the song was transformed. “He was right because this song had a huge success.”

When asked if there is anyone he would’ve loved to add to the “Duets” collection, Bocelli says of course — but “they passed away before I began to sing. For example, I would like very much to sing with Maria Callas or (Renata) Tebaldi or Magda Olivero. Many great, incredible singers. They are not anymore with us, unfortunately.”

Three decades into his career, Bocelli has performed for presidents, popes, and sold-out stadiums across the globe — in addition to having sold nearly 90

million records worldwide, according to a press release. “Reality exceeded my wildest dreams,” he says. How he reflects on that time should come as no surprise. “I like to sing to the future. Honestly, I don’t like to think with nostalgia to the past,” he says. “My first time on stage, for me, it is like yesterday. The time is gone so quickly, so fast. And, yeah, now I like to think to the future.”

So what, then, does he hope becomes his legacy in the next 30 or even 300 years? “In Italy, we have a very famous expression: The people that come after us will judge us,” he says with a translator. “So, I can’t force the judgment of the people. But I feel that my audience has a big affection for me, and this is my goal. When somebody in the street comes to me and says to me, ‘Thank you for your voice, for your music,’ I think the mission is accomplished.”

Across “Duets,” Bocelli sings in Italian, English, French and Spanish.

He also performs across genres, working with everyone from Latin superstars like Karol G and Jennifer Lopez to country musicians like Chris Stapleton and Shania Twain.

Cheesborough

Dawn E. Kleinman,

this week in history

“Moby Dick” published; Arnold “the Governator” sworn in, Lincoln gave “Gettysburg Address”

The Associated Press NOV. 14

1851: Herman Melville’s novel “Moby-Dick; Or The Whale” was published in the United States. 1889: Journalist Nellie Bly began an attempt to travel around the world in 80 days; she would complete the journey in a little more than 72 days.

1940: During World War II, German bombing raids destroyed much of the English city of Coventry.

1970: A chartered Southern Airways plane crashed while trying to land in West Virginia, killing all 75 people on board, including the Marshall University football team and its coaching staff.

NOV. 15

1777: The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation.

1864: Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman began their “March to the Sea” from Atlanta. 1959: Four members of the

Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, were found murdered in their home. (The convicted killers were hanged in a case made famous by the Truman Capote book “In Cold Blood.”)

NOV. 16

1907: Oklahoma became the 46th state of the union.

1914: The newly created Federal Reserve Banks opened in 12 cities.

2001: The first film in the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (U.S. title: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”) debuted in theaters around the world.

NOV. 17

1800: Congress held its first session in the partially completed U.S. Capitol building.

1869: The Suez Canal opened in Egypt.

2003: Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as the 38th governor of California.

NOV. 18

1883: The United States and Canada adopted a system of Standard Time zones.

1963: The Bell System introduced the first commercial

RICH

Action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as governor of California on Nov. 17, 2003.

touch-tone telephone system in Carnegie and Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

1985: The comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes,” created by Bill Watterson, was first published. (The strip ran for 10 years.)

1978: U.S. Rep. Leo J. Ryan of California and four others were killed on an airstrip in Jonestown, Guyana, by members of the Peoples Temple; the killings were followed by a night of mass murder and suicide resulting in the deaths of more than 900 cult members.

NOV. 19

1863: President Abraham

Lincoln dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania.

1919: The U.S. Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles by a vote of 55 in favor and 39 against, short of the two -thirds majority needed for ratification.

2017: Charles Manson, the hippie cult leader behind the gruesome murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles in 1969, died in a California hospital at age 83 after nearly a half-century in prison.

NOV. 20

1789: New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.

1945: Twenty-two former Nazi officials went on trial before an international war crimes tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany. (Almost a year later, the International Military Tribune sentenced 12 of the defendants to death).

1947: Britain’s future queen, Princess Elizabeth, married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey.

1985: The first version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system, Windows 1.0, was officially released.

Taylor Swift wins big, Rita Ora, Pet Shop Boys pay tribute to Liam Payne at MTV EMAs

Shawn Mendes gave an intimate and heartfelt performance

By Louise Dixon

The Associated Press

MANCHESTER, England — Taylor Swift came out on top at the 2024 MTV EMAs on Sunday, walking away with best artist, best U.S. act, best live act and best video for “Fortnight” (featuring Post Malone).

Swift, who is finishing up her Eras tour on the other side of the Atlantic, thanked the fans for the bounty of prizes via video message.

The U.K. show opened with an acrobatic Benson Boone suspended in the air on a gold grand piano performing his viral hit “Beautiful Things” and latest release “Slow it Down.” Boone also accepted his first EMA for best new act.

South African newcomer

Tyla gave Swift a run for her money, picking up three awards for best afrobeats, best R&B and best African act.

Tyla performed her smash hit “Water” for the EMA audience at the Co-op Live, Manchester,

flanked by a host of dancers, as well as singing energetic new track “Push 2 Start.”

British singer Rita Ora, who hosted the show for a record third time, paid tribute to former One Direction star Liam Payne, who died last month after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires. Ora had a close relationship with the singer, and the pair recorded a song together in 2018, “For You (Fifty Shades Freed).” She addressed the audience, saying, “I want to take a moment to remember someone. Liam Payne was one of the kindest people I knew.” Her voice broke as she asked the crowd to take a moment to remember Liam, saying, “He had the biggest heart, and he left such a mark on this world.”

Hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes was awarded the EMAs global icon award from British rapper Little Simz, telling the crowd that in 34 years of professionally recording this was his first award from MTV and it felt incredible. The 12-time Grammy Award nominee, who has more than 10 million album sales under his belt, performed a megamedley of his greatest

solutions

hits “Break ya Neck,” “Touch it” and “Put Your Hands Where the Eyes can See” accompanied by dancers wearing tracksuits with giant dragon heads. Shawn Mendes gave an intimate and heartfelt performance and also received the award for best Canadian act. Sabrina Carpenter picked up the honors for best song for her hit “Espresso,” while Ariana Grande was

crowned best pop act and Eminem took away best hip-hop act.

U.K. duo Pet Shop Boys were honored with the inaugural Pop Pioneers Award for their contribution to pop music and closed out the show accompanied by local orchestra Manchester Camerata with a cover of David Bowie’s “All the Young Dudes” followed by their iconic hit “West End Girls” in celebration of the song’s 40th anniversary. Other performers on the night included K-Pop quintet Le Sserafim, Mexican singer and rapper Peso Pluma, , multiplatinum singer-songwriter Mendes, American powerhouse Teddy Swims and Mexican rock sisters the Warning. Presenters incuded LL Cool J a nd Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION VIA AP

Chris Lowe from the “Pet Shop Boys” performs alongside the Manchester Camerata during the MTV European Music Awards in Manchester, England, on Sunday.

PEDRONCELLI / AP PHOTO

famous birthdays this week

Petula Clark is 92, Martin Scorsese turns 82, Lorne Michaels hits 80

NOV. 14

Actor Kathleen Hughes (“Babe”) is 96. Guitarist James Young of Styx is 75. Musician Stephen Bishop is 73. Pianist Yanni is 70. Rapper Reverend Run of Run-DMC is 60.

NOV. 15

Singer Petula Clark is 92. Actor Sam Waterston (“Law & Order”) is 84. Singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA is 79. Actor Beverly D’Angelo (“National Lampoon’s Vacation”) is 73.

NOV. 16

Actor Joanna Pettet (“Knots Landing”) is 82. Actor Steve Railsback is 79. Actor David Leisure (“Empty Nest”) is 74. Jazz singer Diana Krall is 60. Actor Lisa Bonet is 57. Actor Martha Plimpton is 54.

NOV. 17

Movie director Martin Scorsese is 82. Actor Lauren Hutton is 81. Actor-director Danny DeVito is 80. “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels is 80. Actor Stephen Root (“King of the Hill,” ″NewsRadio”) is 73.

NOV. 18

Actor Brenda Vaccaro is 85. Actor Linda Evans (“Dynasty”) is 82. Actor Susan Sullivan is 82. Comedian Kevin Nealon is 71. Actor Owen Wilson is 56. Actor Chloe Sevigny (“Big Love,” ″Boys Don’t Cry”) is 50.

NOV. 19

Talk show host Dick Cavett is 88. Media mogul Ted Turner is 86. Fashion designer Calvin Klein is 82. Actor Meg Ryan is 63. Actor Jodie Foster is 62.

NOV. 20

Comedian Dick Smothers is 86. Singer Norman Greenbaum is 82. Actor Veronica Hamel is 81. Musician Joe Walsh is 77. Actor Bo Derek is 68. Rapper Mike D of the Beastie Boys is 59.

VICTORIA WILL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Iconic director Martin Scorsese, pictured in 2013, turns 82 on Sunday.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

Actor Jodie Foster turns 62 on Tuesday.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO Producer and creator of Saturday Night Live Lorne Michaels turns 80 on Sunday.

Tyson vs. Paul, Shawn Mendes drops ‘Shawn,’

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ spice up Disney+

James Patterson’s psychologist detective Alex Cross has his own thriller TV show

The Associated Press

RYAN REYNOLDS and Hugh Jackman starring in “Deadpool & Wolverine” and James Patterson’s psychologist detective Alex Cross finally having his own thriller TV show are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time: A new album from Shawn Mendes, the return of Apple TV+ dark comedy “Bad Sisters” and a new generation of storm chasers feature in “Twisters.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

Anyone looking for an escape will find plenty of streaming options. Some of the summer’s biggest blockbusters will soon be in your living room, starting with “Deadpool & Wolverine,” ready to spice up Disney+. Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and director Shawn Levy went full throttle with the characters’ first entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with in-jokes, celebrity cameos and f-bombs galore.

If you prefer your spectacles to be (sort of) more reality-based, “Twisters” storms Peacock on Friday, Nov. 15. The stand-alone follow-up to the 1996 movie “Twister” stars Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos as a new generation of storm chasers making dangerous decisions in Oklahoma’s Tornado Alley.

One of the most crowd-pleasing movies of the year is also coming home: “Thelma,” in which 94-year-old June Squibb plays a Los Angeles grandmother who gets scammed out of $10,000 and goes on a mission to get it back, with the late Richard Roundtree and his motorized scooter as her accomplice. It’s streaming on Hulu starting Friday.

Awards season watchers will also get a chance to dive into the fantastical world of Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” when it hits Netflix on Wednesday. A film that defies simple explanation, AP Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote around its Cannes debut that this “gonzo trans Mexican drug lord musical” is “probably the first movie that can sincerely be compared to both ‘Sicario’ and ‘Mrs. Doubtfire.’” It stars Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and breakout Karla Sofía Gascón.

In a Michael Jackson-based

timeline, there’s a love story being told in “I’ll Be There.”

Set in the backdrop of Jackson’s 2009 death in Los Angeles, the independent film starring Jasmine Batchelor follows the youngest of a blended family, who reconnects with her estranged siblings after her older brother is diagnosed with cancer. The reconnection unveils family secrets and cultural moments that impact their lives. The emotional drama streams Friday on Prime Video and Apple TV.

MUSIC TO STREAM

Four years between albums is an eternity for Shawn Mendes, the Canadian folkpop star who first emerged on the long-defunct social media platform Vine, miraculously — through talent and resilience — transforming six seconds of fame into a viable career.

On “Shawn,” his self-titled album four years removed from 2020’s introspective “Wonder,” Mendes is seeking to reintroduce himself with guitar-forward, John Mayer-esque singles like “Why Why Why” and “Nobody Knows.” “Shawn” releases Friday.

Also on Friday, the Florida rapper Denzel Curry will release “King of the Mischievous South,” the album version of his popular mixtapes — released in 2012 and “Vol. 2” in 2024 — of the same name. The track list has been reimagined, and it now features five new songs, including the braggadocious single “Still in the Paint,” featuring Bktherula and Lazer Dim 700. That one uses a sample of Lex Luger’s beat for Waka Flocka Flame’s “Hard In The Paint,” naturally.

As country music continues to dominate the culture zeitgeist, so too do its stars endeavor to learn more about the genre that made them. In the Hulu original docuseries “It’s All Country,” Luke Bryan aims to get at the heart of country’s stars and songs, sitting down with Wynonna Judd, Mickey Guyton, Kane Brown, Sheryl Crow, Luke Combs and Lady A for some moving conversations. It hits the streaming giant on Friday.

SHOWS TO STREAM

There’s another dead body and a suitcase of killer secrets in a new series of Apple

TV+ dark comedy “Bad Sisters.” Showrunner Sharon Horgan again writes and stars alongside Sarah Greene, Eve Hewson, Eva Birtwhistle and Anne-Marie Duff as the Garvey sisters continue to deal with the fallout of season one.

James Patterson’s psychologist detective Alex Cross finally has his own thriller TV show.

In “Cross,” coming to Prime Video, Aldis Hodge stars as the charismatic and clever cop as he negotiates personal tragedy and brutal killings in Washington, D.C. — helped by his bromance with fellow policeman John Sampson, played by Isaiah Mustafa. It premieres Thursday. Mike Tyson squares up against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a live fight happening Friday and streaming live on Netflix. “Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson” was postponed in May after Tyson became nauseous and dizzy on a flight from Los Angeles in May. His representatives said it was due to an ulcer. Tyson, regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers ever, is now 58 years old, while Paul is 27.

“Yellowstone” may be airing its final episodes, but Tay-

lor Sheridan has a new series debuting Sunday on Paramount+ called “Landman.” It’s based on the popular podcast “Boomtown” and described as an “Upstairs Downstairs” story about the world of oil rigs. It stars Billy Bob Thornton as a crisis manager for an oil company. Ali Larter, Jon Hamm and Demi Moore also have roles.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

The Case of the Golden Idol, a devious collection of mysteries inspired by 1990s adventure games, was one of the most delightful surprises of 2022. Its creator — Latvian studio Color Gray Games — has returned with a sequel, The Rise of the Golden Idol, that looks every bit as charmingly morbid. The time frame has moved from the 18th century to the 1970s, but the titular idol, which may or may not have supernatural powers, is still creating havoc. Publisher Playstack promises a slicker interface to solve its word and logic puzzles. The investigation resumes Tuesday on PC, PlayStation 5/4, Xbox X/S/One, Switch and mobile via Netflix.

“Cross,” “Landman” and “Bad Sisters” are all streaming this week on a device near you.

“Shawn” by Shawn Mendes drops this week.

CHATHAM SPORTS

Chatham County’s former athletes take on collegiate winter sports season

The county’s own will compete across multiple sports

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE WINTER SPORTS season has arrived in Chatham County, and it’s not just confined to the county borders — it stretches all over the country.

Many of the county’s for-

mer winter sports athletes will represent their respective colleges in various sports from basketball to swimming. From nationally known talent, to local stars and to Olympic hopefuls, Chatham County is set to make a significant impact on collegiate sports this season.

As some have already gotten started while some are still gearing up for the start of a new season, here’s where the

county’s own will continue their athletic careers.

Men’s basketball

Drake Powell (UNC, Northwood): After some impressive showings in the Tar Heels’ exhibition games, Powell, a freshman, averaged 3.5 points and three rebounds in the first two regular season games against Elon and No. 1 Kansas. His elite athleticism has shined in al-

Chatham County boys’ basketball preview: Charter school edition

The Wolves look to build on last year’s playoff appearance

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE 2024-25 HIGH school boys’ basketball season starts with the charter schools in Chatham County. Last year, Chatham Charter and Woods Charter made the playoffs in the same season for the first time ever as the Wolves made their first postseason appearance.

After making its sixth straight playoff appearance in 2023, Chatham Charter tipped off another year of hoops in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association with a 61-27 win over Research Triangle Friday. Woods Charter will get started Thursday night at home against Cornerstone Charter at 7:30 p.m.

Before the Central Tar Heel 1A conference foes get deep into their regular season schedules, here’s a preview of how each team will look this year.

Chatham Charter

Returning just six players from last year’s roster, there’s plenty of fresh faces for Chatham Charter heading into the 2024-25 season.

Led by standout seniors Aidan Allred and Jonah Ridgill, the Knights went 19-13 and fell in the first round of the playoffs in a 2023-24 campaign hurt by a season-ending injury to key piece Brennan LaVelle. After the departure of Allred and Ridgill, the Knights

See BOYS, page B2

most every aspect of his game so far, including driving, transition offense, rebounding, and most glaringly, defense.

Jarin Stevenson (Alabama, Seaforth): Stevenson has worked his way into a starting role on one of the best teams in the nation. The sophomore has been a solid versatile piece for the Crimson Tide, averaging six points and six rebounds in the first two games of the regular season. Max Frazier (Central Con-

necticut, Northwood): Frazier, a sophomore, transferred from Siena College to Central Connecticut this season. After playing in 20 games and recording 13 blocks as a freshman, Frazier has yet to make an appearance this season.

Kenan Parrish (Harvard, Northwood): Parrish is entering his first season at Harvard following a postgraduate year

Chatham County girls’ basketball preview: Charter school edition

Chatham Charter looks to retool its roster this season

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE HIGH SCHOOL girls’ basketball season has arrived in Chatham County, and the charter schools are first up to hit the court.

Chatham Charter began its 2024-25 campaign with a dominant 61-15 win over Research Triangle Friday while its Central Tar Heel 1A conference rival Woods Charter will open the year at home against Cornerstone Charter Friday at 6 p.m.

The Knights are looking to defend last year’s regular season conference title and return to the state playoffs while the Wolves are looking to im-

“Each one of my freshmen are going to bring something to the table, and I am very excited about that.”

Carmen Wood

prove from last season’s finish. Here’s a look at what to expect from each team before they fully dive into the thick of the regular season.

Woods Charter Woods Charter is going by the motto, “why not?” this season. Last year wasn’t the best time for the Wolves as they went 7-16

VASHA HUNT / AP PHOTO

Alabama forward Jarin Stevenson (15) rebounds in a game against Arkansas State last week. The Seaforth graduate is starting his sophomore year with the Crimson Tide.

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Chatham Charter junior guard Gabe McKoy lays it in during the Knights’ season-opening win.

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Chatham Charter senior guard Skyler Lynn puts up a 3 during the Knights’ season-opening win.

Seaforth wins its first boys’ soccer playoff game

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

HERE’S A RECAP of the opening rounds of the boys’ soccer playoffs and a wrap up of the football regular season before the playoffs get started Friday.

Boys’ soccer

Both of Chatham County’s representatives in the 2A boys’ soccer playoffs survived the first round Saturday.

A long way from home, No. 28 Seaforth pulled off a 1-0 upset win over No. 5 Camden County, earning its first boys’ soccer playoff victory ever.

Seaforth scored the game-winning goal in the second half after a scoreless opening 40 minutes.

The Hawks’ were the lowest seeded team to advance in the entire 2A bracket as seven other teams seeded in the 20s made it to the second round, too.

No. 15 Jordan-Matthews defeated No. 18 Holmes 2-1 Saturday. The Jets, hosting their fifth straight playoff opener, have also advanced past the first round in five consecutive seasons.

Senior Francisco Ibarra scored the go-ahead goal with 22 minutes remaining in the second half to keep Jordan-Matthews’ season alive. The competition is heating up, and things are starting to get tight for the Jets as they’ve now played in four straight games decided by two goals or less.

Football

Although the game didn’t officially count toward its record for playoff seeding (11th game), Chatham Central earned its second win of the season with a 24-12 victory over East Columbus Friday.

Senior running back Eli Turner carried the load on the

got younger with five freshman on this year’s team compared to just two last year.

Freshman forward Breylan Harris started against Research Triangle on Friday, and he’s just one of the newcomers set to make a significant impact. Junior guard Gabe McKoy, a transfer from Providence Grove, also found himself in the Knights’ starting lineup Friday, and he looks to boost their offensive production in the backcourt.

“They want me to score a lot more, so I’m just doing what I can,” McKoy said.

But as the new players find their role on the team, LaVelle will look to be the veteran goto in his return to the court. LaVelle averaged 15.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last year before suffering a lower body injury late in the season.

“He’s been committed to getting back and committed to putting in the work,” Chatham Charter coach Jason Messier said about LaVelle. “He had a chance to get in fall ball, and in the first game back, he was very successful.”

This season, Chatham Charter plans to let its “hard-nosed” defense and an all-around display of hard work do the talking. Messier wants the defensive effort to lead to points on the other end, especially as the younger squad looks to build its confidence and offensive chemistry early in the season.

“We may not be making our shots, but I promise you we’re hustling, and we’re working hard,” LaVelle said. Although the Knights got off to a great start in the season opener, Messier expects his team to get much better as the season progresses.

“The team that you’re seeing here now is not going to be the team you see towards the end of the season,” Messier said. “We’ve got a lot of things to work on.”

Woods Charter

After a historic 2023-24 season, Woods Charter is looking to reach even higher heights.

The Wolves went 12-14 last year, and the 87-36 loss to Cha-

ground with 79 yards and an 11-yard touchdown on nine carries, and junior Nick Glover also ran in a score. Glover caught two touchdown passes (one for 15 yards and another for 30 yards) from freshman quarterback Reed Douglas.

The last time the Bears officially won more than one game in a season was 2018 when they went 3-9. Chatham Central can make it three, or officially two wins, with its first round matchup with No. 4 Pender in the 1A football playoffs.

The Bears, seeded at No. 29, are the lowest seed in the 1A East bracket as the top two seeds will get a bye.

tham Central in the first round of the playoffs not only left a bad taste in their mouths — it serves as motivation.

“We had a great season, but we ended it with a really bad loss,” Woods Charter coach Leonard McNair said. “I think a lot of the team kind of feels that. We’ve had a hard time keeping the doors closed for that reason. Everybody’s trying to get in. Everybody wants to get better, and they’re just hungry to play.”

Woods Charter lost its anchor Eli Hutter-Demarco to graduation, but it’s returning a solid core of sophomore guard Levi Haygood, junior guard Maxwell Carr and senior Noah Laupert.

While they’ll expect solid shooting from its perimeter players, the Wolves also want to make their defense the focus of their playstyle. Woods Charter wants to be pests on the defensive end.

“Just be that team that you don’t want to step on the floor with no matter how good you are,” Carr said. “Just because we’re that annoying.”

Offensively, the Wolves have seen key individual improvements over the offseason including better finishing and overall strength from Haygood, who earned all-conference honors as a freshman last season, and improved playmaking from Laupert.

McNair also expressed excitement for junior Jackson Morris, who he says has turned into the team’s best interior finisher after being at the bottom of the junior varsity depth chart as a freshman.

As a team, though, the biggest improvement has been the overall discipline and focus, especially after having the experience of reaching the postseason. The Wolves have also worked to operate more “by committee” instead of a few players carrying most of the load, resulting in a team they feel plays more together and with more accountability across the board.

“We’re much more disciplined as a team,” Haygood said. “We understand what we need to do. Just organized more so as a group and conditioning. We’re willing to do the hard things that we need to do to win, and we’re ready for that.”

Pender (7-3, 4-2 1A/2A Waccamaw) will be one of the toughest teams Chatham Central faces all year. The Patriots are led by senior running back Jeremiah Johnson who has rushed for more than 100 yards in every game this season while scoring 30 touchdowns. Johnson has also hit the 200-yard mark six times. If the Bears want a shot at their first playoff win, the key will be slowing down Johnson and Pender’s rushing attack.

On the other side of the county, Seaforth lost its final game of the regular season against Southern Lee, 35-15. The Hawks failed to make the post-

Cutting

season for the third straight year, ending their season with a 3-7 overall record and a 3-5 Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference record.

Northwood will make the playoffs for the second straight season as the 26-seeded Chargers will travel to No. 7 Eastern Wayne (8-2, 5-0 2A Neuse) in first round of the 2A East bracket. The Warriors are on a seven-game winning streak and have averaged just under 39 points per game in that stretch.

Junior quarterback Izeiah Oates has been solid for Eastern Wayne this season, throwing for over 1,592 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions go -

Cutting Spending Can Help Boost Retirement Savings

ing into Friday. He can also use his legs, picking up multiple big gains and touchdowns throughout the year.

Northwood has been solid defensively for most of the year, but so has the Warriors’ defense, too. Eastern Wayne has recorded 15 interceptions with nine different players having a pick this year. The Warriors have also accumulated 21 sacks, and only one opponent has been able to score more than 20 points against them all season (C.B. Aycock beat them 41-12). The key for Northwood will be to limit turnovers offensively and establish control of the line of scrimmage.

Spending Can Help Boost Retirement Savings

Like most of us, you may someday want to enjoy a comfortable retirement. Your ability to achieve this goal will depend on how much you save — but it also matters how much you spend

And saving and spending are certainly related: The more you can reduce your spending, the more money you could have available to save for retirement through your IRA and your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. Over many years, even relatively small amounts diverted from spending to saving and investing could add up substantially.

How can you go about potentially reducing your spending? Here are a few suggestions:

• Use a budgeting tool. If you’re not already doing so, you might want to consider using a free online budgeting tool. Among other capabilities, these apps can place your spending in categories — groceries, travel, entertainment, and so on — which can reveal redundancies that, once eliminated, could save you money. For example, you might find that you’re spending a not-insignificant amount on streaming services you rarely use. Or you might be surprised at how often you go the grocery store, rather than consolidating your visits and reducing the likelihood of “impulse” purchases.

• Take advantage of employee benefits. If you work for a mid-size or large company, you may have an extensive employee benefit plan, which could include discounts on some products and services. Also, if you are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan through your employer, you might have access to a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA), either of which may let you lower your out-of-pocket

health care costs by using pre-tax dollars to pay for deductibles, copayments, coinsurance and some other qualified expenses.

• Shop around for insurance. To some extent, we are all creatures of habit, which can be good in some circumstances and not so good in others. In the “not so good” category, many people stick with their auto, homeowners and life insurance policies year after year, even though they might be able to save some money by switching to another company. But even if you stay with your current company, you might find ways to save money by taking steps such as adding a home security system. Check with your insurer to learn more.

• Compare credit cards. There’s a piece of financial advice that essentially says: “Pay cash for everything” — and this isn’t a bad idea. Ideally, you might want to use a credit card strictly for items such as car rentals or hotel reservations, and you should pay off the bill each month to avoid interest charges. Sometimes, though, you may need to use your card for other purposes, and it may not always be possible to pay your bill in full.

That’s why you’ll want to review credit cards periodically to find one with lower interest rates, a favorable balance transfer offer and a better rewards program.

It’s not always easy to cut down on your spending, but when you do, it can provide more peace of mind — and an opportunity to boost your savings for what could be a long and active retirement.

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

Edward Jones, Member SIPC.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Eli Turner, shown here against Northwood last month, was Chatham Central’s leading rusher in the regular season finale.

BOYS from page B1

Northwood hires Brent Haynes as new baseball coach

Haynes was the head coach at Williams in the spring

By Asheebo Rojas

Chatham News & Record

NORTHWOOD HAS hired Brent Haynes as its new baseball coach. The move was announced in a release from the school and on the school’s social media channels.

Haynes will take over for Kyle Robinson who coached the Chargers for two seasons from 2023 to 2024.

“My family and I are excited to be joining the Charger family at Northwood High School,” Haynes said in a statement. “Northwood has a rich tradition in academics and athletics. I look forward to getting to work with these players and adding to the tradition of Northwood Baseball.” Before landing at Northwood, Haynes was the head coach at Williams High School in Burlington. In his lone 2024 season at Williams, Haynes led the Bulldogs to an 18-6 overall record and its first home playoff game in over a decade.

In 2023, Haynes served as the baseball coach at Eastern Randolph High School, ending his only season there in the 1A West regional finals. Prior to his head coaching experience, Haynes spent time on the Southern Ala-

@CHARGERATHLETICS / X

Brent Haynes was hired as Northwood’s new baseball coach. He’s a former player at Southern Alamance, Guilford Tech and Mount Olive.

mance High School baseball staff and served as a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Guilford Tech Community College. Haynes also coaches and serves as a mentor for the Dirtbags travel baseball team which has produced around 300 MLB draft picks and more than 1,700 college signees.

“Coach Haynes brings not only an impressive track record of coaching success, but also a passion for developing student-athletes on and off the field,” Northwood athletic director Cameron Vernon said in a statement. “His commitment

“My family and I are excited to be joining the Charger family at Northwood High School.” Brent Haynes

to excellence and dedication to his players make him the perfect fit for Northwood Baseball, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our community.”

As a baseball player, Haynes was a part of Southern Alamance’s 2005 3A state championship team. After graduating from Southern Alamance in 2006, he spent time pitching at Guilford Tech Community College before transferring to the University of Mount Olive where he finished his athletic and academic career.

Robinson, the former Northwood baseball coach, is moving on to Union Pines where he will serve as an assistant baseball coach.

In 2024, Robinson led the Chargers to a 10-4 Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference record and an appearance in the state playoffs. He combined for a 17-28 overall record at Northwood, which was his first varsity head coaching job at the age of 25. Northwood last won a playoff game in 2022, but it hasn’t advanced past the third round since 2017.

Students, get your applications in for the 2025 Electric

Each year, Central Electric sponsors two rising high school juniors or seniors on the trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C. in connection with the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. While in D.C., you’ll join 1,800 other students from across the country to meet members of Congress and learn more about American history and electric cooperatives.

The trip will be hosted in June 2025 and the deadline for all applications is Jan. 20. Scan the QR code or visit CEMCPower.com to apply or to find out more information.

Saturday, November 16 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Solid Waste & Recycling Main Facility 28 County Services Road, Pittsboro Chatham County residents can bring up to three boxes or bags of documents from their household for free shredding.

More details (919) 542-5516 www.chathamcountync.gov/recycle

Glover

Chatham Central, football

Chatham Central’s Nick Glover earns athlete of the week honors for the week of Nov. 4.

In the Bears’ 24-12 win over East Columbus Friday, Glover, a junior, caught two touchdown passes (one for 15 yards and the other for 30) while also rushing for 51 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive end, Glover recorded six tackles, including three solos.

Glover joined the Bears this season and has been one of their most impactful players on both sides of the ball. He’s played multiple roles on the field, including quarterback, receiver and defensive back.

Blue Devils spoil Wolfpack Senior Day

Duke got a 29-19 road win in Raleigh

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

DUKE STOPPED its twogame slide and ended NC State’s two-game winning streak in a 29-19 slog Saturday.

The Blue Devils had a great defensive performance against the Wolfpack, holding them to just 263 yards of total offense and forcing the Pack to settle for a field goal in each of its first six trips to the red zone.

“They covered us, they rushed us, they stopped the run,” said NC State coach Dave Doeren.

“We didn’t get it done. We got outplayed in that area of the field. They made more plays down there than us. We didn’t finish drives in that area of the field. We were able to get down there quite a bit, but you have to finish. It’s not about being 100% scoring if they’re all field goals. You have to get some touchdowns, and it comes down to execution more than anything.”

NC State’s defense wasn’t too bad, holding Duke to just 276 yards, going a perfect 9-for-9 in third down situations and putting up nine tackles for loss.

State even forced a big play at the end of the first half, as freshman starting nickel Tamarcus Cooley stripped a ball out of senior Duke receiver Eli Pancol’s hands and took it 70-yards the other way for a potential 10-point swing.

“Defensively, we played good enough in that game to win and we just didn’t connect offensively enough,” Doeren said.

However, the biggest issue for the defense was that it struggled to put any pressure on Blue Devils quarterback Maalik Murphy who played a solid, patient game throwing for 245 yards and two touchdowns on 22-for-31 passing.

Murphy hardly had to worry too much in the pocket as Duke’s front did a great job protecting their QB who was only hurried twice on the night and sacked once.

On the opposite side, NC State’s freshman quarterback CJ Bailey had a tough time dealing with the pressure Duke was bringing as he completed less than 50% of his passes (16 -for-39).

“I missed a lot of shots, a lot of throws that I wish I could have back,” Bailey said.

The biggest turning point in the game came in the fourth quarter with NC State, who was within one possession, dropping three-straight passes with the third one ending up in a tipped ball for an interception that led to an easy Blue Devils touchdown.

“The game came down to us kicking field goals and them scoring a couple more touchdowns than us,” Doeren said. “We gave them a short field with a turnover in the red zone which really hurts.”

The game was an uphill climb for NC State who shot themselves in the foot early by giving up a safety on just their second play of the game and then on the ensuing drive, Bailey fumbled the ball as he attempted to run for a first down two plays in yet again.

The Wolfpack tried to get the ground game going too with Bailey struggling, but that also bore no fruit as beyond QB scrambles, the Pack put together just 48 yards. Overall though, neither team was capable of running the ball as the two teams combined for just 115 rushing yards on the night in 56 attempts.

“Collectively, it’s not good enough,” Doeren said. “It’s a we, us and ours business and there isn’t any blame other than everybody and it starts with me.”

at Northfield Mount Hermon in Massachusetts.

Aaron Ross (Chowan, Northwood): Ross is off to a hot start in his senior year at Chowan. He’s been one of the top scorers in the first two games, averaging 14 points, 6.5 assists and shooting 37.5% from 3.

Jalen Mcafee-Marion (University of the Southwest, Northwood): Mcafee-Marion is entering his senior year at the University of the Southwest after spending the last two seasons at St. Andrews. In the Mustangs’ first game of the season, Mcafee-Marion scored 10 points on a 66.7% shooting clip.

Jonah Ridgill (Guilford, Chatham Charter): After a stellar career at Chatham Charter, Ridgill is in his first season at Guilford. The Quakers have played just one game as of Sunday, and Ridgill has yet to see game action.

Women’s basketball

Olivia Porter (Marquette, Northwood): Porter transferred from Charlotte to Marquette for her junior season. After averaging 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists her sophomore year, Porter is off to a good start after the first two games in 2024. Porter, a starter, is averaging nine points, three rebounds and 1.5 assists as of Sunday.

Chatham Charter. She made an appearance in the Pride’s first game against Virginia Wesleyan University Sunday, playing just four minutes and attempting one shot.

Swimming and diving

Jennah Fadely (Kenyon College, Jordan-Matthews): Fadely, a six-time national champion across four events, is entering her senior year at Kenyon College. Through the first two meets of the season, she has finished first in every event in which she’s competed.

Suzanne Earnshaw (James Madison, Northwood): Earnshaw is entering her senior year as a competitor in the breaststroke and individual medley events at James Madison. She earned her team three points in their loss to Liberty on Oct. 26 when she finished third in the women 100 breaststroke event (1 minute, 6.6 seconds).

McKenna Snively (Christopher Newport, Northwood/ North Raleigh Christian Academy): Snively is entering her junior year at Christopher Newport. She did not play in the season opener Sunday, but she was very impactful last season, averaging 5.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game while also swiping 43 steals.

overall and 4-8 in conference play. They didn’t achieve many of last season’s goals, neither, which took a toll on the team morale.

However, Woods Charter is entering the year with optimism. With goals of finishing top three in the conference and holding opponents to under 30 points per game, the Wolves are confident that this season will be better than the last.

And, “why not?” serves as a reminder that all of that can be achieved if they put in the work.

“I think it’s been a good thing,” junior guard Wesley Oliver said about the team’s motto. “Especially to push the younger kids. Like, why not give it your all?”

Said Woods Charter coach Carmen Wood, “I want them to really think about, ‘Why would I not go after this ball? Why would I not do it when what’s on the other side is what I’m asking for and what I want?’ And I feel like last year we didn’t have that.”

With the departure of seniors Caroline Mitchell (guard), Leyla Noronha (forward), Kath-

Rae McClarty (Young Har-

ryn Murphy and Emma Cope, Woods Charter is bringing in a promising group of freshmen.

“Each one of my freshmen are going to bring something to the table, and I am very excited about that,” Wood said. “I will say that Kori Myers is one of our freshmen who, even in our scrimmage, showed me that she can play that physical game. As soon as she kind of hits that trigger, everyone has that go mode. When she’s on, she’s on, so I’m excited to develop her as a player and see where that takes her.”

Oliver and junior Anna Robards, two veteran leaders for the Wolves this season, applauded the “really good” work ethic of the freshman class, and they feel the newcomers have brought improvements to the team already.

“I think the movement around the court is definitely a lot better,” Oliver said. “Last year, we had athletic people, but there were a lot of people whose primary sport wasn’t basketball, and they didn’t really have that much experience playing basketball. So it was difficult to get them up to speed on where to

ris, Northwood): McClarty transferred from UNC Wilmington to Young Harris (Young Harris, Georgia) in 2023, and she’s now entering her graduate season.

Skylar Adams (Shaw, Northwood): After a successful career at Northwood, Adams is entering her freshman year at Shaw. The Bears started their season

be on the court. I feel like a lot of the freshmen this year have a lot more understanding about where to be.”

With more realistic goals and a greater feeling of togetherness and commitment on this year’s squad, the Wolves hope the positive vibes entering the season translate to more wins. Woods Charter hasn’t won more than seven games in a season since its 2021-22 campaign.

Chatham Charter

Leading up to this season, Chatham Charter lost key players in Hannah Headen (now at Greensboro Day School), Meah Brooks (graduation), Delana Loflin (graduation) and Cassie McKeithan (graduation). However, it’s not exactly a rebuilding year for the Knights.

Instead, Chatham Charter will be plugging its returners into new roles while adding some talented newcomers to the mix.

“We’ve got some girls returning, but they never had to play the roles that they’re going to be asked to play,” Chatham Charter

Wednesday against the University of Mount Olive. Adams averaged 10.2 points, 4.2 assists and 5.4 rebounds a game during her senior year of high school.

Meah Brooks (Greensboro College, Chatham Charter): Brooks is entering her freshman year at Greensboro College following a solid career at

coach Jeff Patterson said. “We’re trying to get them comfortable and used to those roles. Getting better and better every day.”

The Knights, a young team, will look to get leadership out of their two seniors Skyler Lynn (guard) and Abby Clark (forward). In their season opener, Lynn put her shooting skills on display as she scored over double digits and took multiple three pointers.

Her partner in crime that night was freshman Peyton York, though, who appeared very active on the defensive end with a plethora of steals and layups in transition. Patterson also suggested York could be a potential leader with the significant role she’ll play this year. Her performance Friday night exemplified exactly the type of team Patterson wants.

“We’ve got to be real defensive minded and try to get out and get some easy buckets,” Patterson said. “If we can do that, we feel like we can be in the ball game until the end of the gall game, whether we win or lose.”

Said Patterson, “We’re look-

Bianca Perez (Queens University, Northwood): Perez is going into her sophomore year as a freestyle swimmer at Queens. She most recently swam her fastest times for the 50 L free and the 100 L free in July.

William Sikes (Trinity University, Woods Charter): Sikes is entering his sophomore year at Trinity as a butterfly and individual medley swimmer. He has been part of two first-place finishes for the men’s team this season.

ing to try to be scrappy. We put in some things where we’re going to be doing a little more trapping than normal, some more full court stuff, and some run and jump type of stuff.”

Lynn and Patterson agreed that this year’s team has shown more competitiveness amongst itself than in past years, especially with players being more on the same level. As the players have been fighting for roles in practice, one of the surprises has been sophomore forward Makenly Stanley, who is joining the team for the first time. Stanley had multiple offensive rebounds and put back points for the Knights Friday, and she looks to bring a solid paint presence for the Knights. Another impactful player from the win was junior Kynzie Jordan as she knocked down a couple of shots and recorded multiple assists. Patterson said she has improved with her shooting confidence.

Friday was an indicator that Chatham Charter will still be a good team this season as it marches towards its goal of winning the conference.

WINTER from page B1

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Kenyon swimmer Jennah Fadely hoists a trophy at the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving National Championships. The Jordan-Matthews graduate has won six national championships in college.

GIRLS from page B1

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL 49ers star Bosa gets fined by NFL for MAGA hat

San Francisco San Francisco 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa was fined by the NFL for wearing a hat with a proDonald Trump message during a postgame television interview.

Bosa was fined $11,255 for violating the NFL uniform and equipment rules for wearing a hat that contained a personal message. Bosa said earlier this week that he was aware that wearing a white hat that read “Make America Great Again” while crashing a television interview could be subject to a fine. He said it would be “well worth it.”

MLB Japanese ace Sasaki to become available to MLB teams this offseason

Chiba, Japan Japanese ace Roki Sasaki will be available to MLB teams this offseason.

The Chiba Lotte Marines announced they have started the process of moving the pitcher to a club in North America via the posting system. The right-hander, who turned 23 this month, is expected to become one of the most sought-after pitchers on the open market. He went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA in 18 games this year, striking out 129 in 111 innings. Because he is younger than 25, Sasaki will be classified as an international amateur free agent subject to international bonus pool limits.

TENNIS Gauff wins WTA Finals for first time Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Coco Gauff won the WTA Finals by rallying to beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the final in Riyadh. The 20-year-old American came from 2-0 and 5-3 down in the final set and was two points from defeat at one stage. She is the first American to win the Finals since Serena Williams in 2014, and received $4.8 million in prize money. She also is the youngest player to win it since Maria Sharapova in 2004, the year Gauff was born.

NCAA FOOTBALL Vanderbilt QB Pavia sues NCAA over eligibility limits for former JUCO players Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is suing the NCAA challenging its rules limiting the eligibility of former junior college players after transferring to a Division I school as “unjustifiably” restraining athletes’ ability to earn money under name, image and likeness rules. The lawsuit asks for a temporary restraining order as Pavia asks for two more seasons of Division I eligibility. He also asks that Vanderbilt, or any other college, not be punished for complying with orders from the court. Pavia did not receive an offer from a FBS program before playing at a junior college and then New Mexico State.

Faking It? SEC teams warned about practice to slow game tempo

Players are suspected of faking injuries to get their team an extra timeout

By Pete Iacobelli The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South

Carolina coach Shane Beamer had a final farewell for Mississippi last month as Rebel after Rebel went down on the ground with injuries, some serious, some minor, and created stoppages that slowed things down.

“First of all,” Beamer said after the Gamecocks’ 27-3 loss on Oct. 5. “I certainly hope all those guys are OK.”

Sincere or sarcastic? Who’s to say. But there’s no doubt he and others around the Southeastern Conference are tired of injury interruptions for players who may or may not be hurt.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey took matters into his own hands with a memo to members last week to knock it off.

“As plainly as it can be stated: Stop any and all activity re-

lated to faking injuries to create time-outs,” Sankey wrote in the memo.

Coaches happy for reminder Amen, said LSU coach Brian Kelly, who called the warning shot from Sankey “timely.” Sankey, Kelly said, was standing out among “people in college football in making it clear that this kind of nonsense, which is a word that was used, needs to stop. It’s silly.”

Sankey’s memo said creating injury timeouts on either side of the ball is “not acceptable and is disrespectful to the game of football.”

There would be financial punishments for transgressors, Sankey reiterated. First offense costs a head coach a $50,000 fine. Get caught a second time and the fine increases to $100,000. A third offense brings the coach a one-game suspension.

Any staff member is subject to the same punishments if found to signal or direct a player to feign an injury. A player cited in such an incident could receive a public reprimand.

3-time Daytona 500 winner Allison dies

The 86-year-old Hall of Famer died at his home in Mooresville

By Jenna Fryer The Associated Press

BOBBY ALLISON, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday. He was 86. NASCAR released a statement from Allison’s family that said he died at home in Mooresville. A cause of death wasn’t given, but Allison had been in declining health for years.

Allison moved to fourth on NASCAR’s Cup Series victory list last month when chairman Jim France recognized him as the winner of the Meyers Brothers Memorial at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina in 1971. The sanctioning body updated its record books to reflect the decision, giving Allison 85 wins and moving him out of a tie with Darrell Waltrip. France and longtime NASCAR executive Mike Helton presented Allison with a plaque commemorating the victory. With it, Allison trails only fellow Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93) in Cup wins.

Allison was inducted into

NASCAR’s second Hall of Fame class, in 2011. He was the 1983 NASCAR champion, finished second in the series title race five times, and a three-time winner of the Daytona 500.

“Bobby was the ultimate fan’s driver,” Allison’s family said in a statement. “He thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his fans and would stop to sign autographs and have conversations with them everywhere he went. He was a dedicated family man and friend, and a devout Catholic.”

He helped put NASCAR on the map with more than his driving. His infamous fight with Cale Yarborough in the closing laps of the 1979 Daytona 500 served as one of the sport’s defining moments.

“Cale went to beating on my fist with his nose,” Allison has said repeatedly, often using that phrase to describe the fight. “Cale understands like I do that it really was a benefit to the interest of racing. It proves that we were sincere.”

Born in Miami in 1937, Allison started searching for more racing opportunities outside the Sunshine State. He landed in central Alabama, where he found a number of small, dirt tracks.

He returned to Florida to

Nothing new about SEC’s stance

All this was laid out to teams before the season, Beamer said. He recalled reading the rules to his coaches and players. “Here’s the policy in this league, and I ain’t paying the fine,” Beamer told them. Ole Miss and coach Lane Kiffin have been front and center in the practice. Fans at Williams-Brice Stadium booed loudly back in October whenever a Mississippi player laid out on the field, believing they were play-acting.

Mississippi acknowledged last month the attention it has received for suspected feigned injuries. It said it has “provided relevant medical information” for the SEC to review and will answer questions about recent games.

Gaining an edge

Such tactics straddle the line between gamesmanship and cheating, depending who you ask. Florida coach Billy Napier

said his team does not feign injuries.

“We don’t believe in doing it,” he said. Still, there’s video of Gators linebacker George Gumbs Jr. making a tackle against Tennessee, rising quickly and jogging to the line of scrimmage when he appears to look to Florida’s sideline and instantly goes down with an apparent injury. A few minutes later, he’s up and walking off.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack understands the hand-wringing from fans and opposing teams. But a player who’s hurt should stay on the field to get assistance and give his coaches time for the proper substitute.

“Our guys need to understand, if they’re hurt in a game, never come off the field,” Wommack said.

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea was grateful for Sankey’s reminder on a tactic he says he won’t ever buy into.

“Never do we cross a line of trying to game the system that way,” he said.

get brother Donnie and close friend Red Farmer. They set up shop in Hueytown, Alabama, and dominated regional races throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. They were later joined in the Alabama Gang by Jimmy Mears, Neil Bonnett and Bonnett and Allison’s sons Davey and Clifford. Allison retired in 1988 following a crash at Pocono that nearly killed him. He was initially declared dead upon reaching a local hospital but was later resuscitated. He eventually regained his memory, re-learned everyday activities and attempted a comeback. But a series of tragedies led Allison to retire. His son, Clifford, was fatally injured during a crash in practice for the second-tier Busch Series at Michigan International Speedway in 1992. A year later,

son Davey was killed in a helicopter crash at Talladega. Allison was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 and into the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, Pearson and Lee Petty.

“Bobby Allison personified the term ‘racer,’” France said in statement. “Though he is best known as one of the winningest drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history, his impact on the sport extends far beyond the record books.

Allison is one of 10 drivers to have won NASCAR’s career “grand slam” that includes the Cup Series’ most iconic races: the Daytona 500, the Winston 500, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500. Allison made six IndyCar Series starts for Roger Penske, including a pair of Indy 500s.

VASHA HUNT / AP PHOTO

Georgia offensive lineman Jared Wilson is helped off the field after an injury against Alabama.

TERRY RENNA / AP PHOTO

Bobby Allison speaks after being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.