North State Journal Vol. 9, Issue 8

the BRIEF this week

New York Bank of America said its rst-quarter pro ts fell 18% as the bank dealt with rising expenses due to the impact of higher interest rates. But the results beat analysts’ estimates. The Charlottebased bank posted a pro t of $6.67 billion, or 76 cents per share, compared with $8.2 billion, or 94 cents a share, in the same period a year earlier. BofA had to make a one-time $700 million payment to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to help the agency replenish the deposit insurance fund. Excluding that one-time charge, the bank earned 83 cents per share. Bank of America has been dealing with the e ects of higher interest rates on its loan and investment portfolio for the past year. The bank bought a sizable number of bonds during the pandemic when rates were low, and those bonds have lost value as interest rates have risen. The bank is also paying more on deposits, which has caused its pro ts to be squeezed slightly. The bank’s net interest yield, which is a measure of how much the bank is earning on the loans it has versus the interest it needs to pay out to depositors, dropped from 2.20% in 2023 to 1.99% in 2024. In BofA’s consumer banking division, its largest by revenue and pro ts, revenue fell by 5% to $10.2 billion.

Hush money poll:

Third of U.S. adults think Trump acted illegally

Washington, D.C.

A poll shows the rst criminal trial facing former President Donald Trump is also the one in which Americans are least convinced he committed a crime. The AP-NORC Center for Public A airs Research poll nds only about one-third of U.S. adults think Trump did something illegal in the hush money case for which jury selection began Monday. Close to half think the Republican ex-president did something illegal in the other three criminal cases pending against him. About half of Americans would consider Trump un t to serve as president if he’s convicted of falsifying business documents to hide hush money payments to porn actor Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies any extramarital sexual encounter with Daniels.

Japanese PM’s visit to NC makes history

Over 200 Japanese companies have now set up shop in the state and employ more than 30,000 people

By Makira Seminera The Associated Press

NC Supreme Court case could

a

ect voter fraud claims

Only ve justices, all Republican, heard the case after two Democratic justices recused themselves

By Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

RALEIGH — An attorney representing voters accused of fraud in the 2016 election warned the state’s highest court that their eventual decision could allow political operatives to make voter fraud allegations without consequence — but the justices had several questions.

The North Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments last Thursday for Bouvier v. Porter — a civil suit centered around four voters from Guilford and Brunswick counties who allege they were defamed by supporters of former Gov. Pat McCrory after the 2016 election. The panel of ve justices considering the case were all Republicans after the court’s two Democrats recused themselves for previously representing the plainti s.

Both sides underwent a barrage of questioning from the judges panel during the 50-minute hearing, although most inquiries — and sometimes outright disagreements — fell on the plainti s.

As is usual, the court didn’t immediately rule. It’s not clear if the case, which discusses voter fraud allegations, will be decided before the 2024 election, according to plainti attorney Je Loper do. The decision will not determine if the plainti s were defamed but rather whether the defendants had certain immunities to make their claims.

Soon after what became a narrow win for Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in 2016, supporters of his opponent, the incumbent McCrory, led election protest petitions declaring voting irregularities had occurred, including accusations from Greensboro Republican o cial William Porter. The petitions, which were also led in Brunswick County, alleged the plainti s had voted twice, according to their 2017 lawsuit.

RALEIGH — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida cemented economic links and cultural amity with North Carolina on Friday, following up time in Washington, D.C., during his o cial U.S. visit by coming to a state that has become a key business partner for the East Asian nation. Kishida lunched at the governor’s mansion in Raleigh, a historic rst for the head of a foreign country in the Tarheel State. Japan is North Carolina’s largest source of foreign direct investment, where more than 200 Japanese companies have now set up shop, employing over 30,000 people, according to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and his o ce. “I am honored to be here in North Carolina to showcase the multilayered and strong ties between Japan and the United States,” Kishida said through a translator inside the mansion ballroom, where about 60 people dined from a

menu created by award-winning N.C. chef Ashley Christensen.

Before the visit to North Carolina, Kishida’s trip to the U.S. had been focused on global safety. He met President Joe Biden to discuss security concerns about China’s military, participated in the rst trilateral summit between the U.S., Japan and the Philippines, and made the case in an address to a joint session of Congress for the U.S. to remain involved in global security.

But Kishida, who has been Japan’s prime minister since 2021, said before his trip that he chose to stop in North Carolina to show that the Japan-U.S. partnership extends beyond Washington, according to a translation posted on his website.

Honorary Consul for Japan in North Carolina David Robinson called the visit “incredibly successful,” noting it was “the rst sitting head of state to visit the governor’s mansion ever.”

“The last sitting head of state that visited NC State was 1954 — 70 years ago. So the fact that he came at all was historic,” said Robinson, adding that 50 members of the Japanese press accompanied

Stein says state rape kit backlog cleared

N.C. was No. 1 in the nation for untested kits with more than 16,000 in a 2019 audit

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Flanked by more than two dozen law enforcement o cials, former lawmakers and victim advocates, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced last Tuesday that the State Crime Lab has cleared the state’s rape kit backlog.

“Today is a great day: North Carolina has ended the rape kit backlog,” said Stein. “I am incredibly proud of the bipartisan and collaborative e ort that produced this achievement — Republican and Democratic legislators, district attorneys and law enforcement o cers all played a critical role in ending the backlog.”

Stein also thanked the scientists at the State Crime Lab (SCL) who have “worked countless hours to get these kits tested,” as well as victims for resubmitting evidence to bring their o enders to justice. Several solved cases were mentioned during the press conference, which featured remarks by a sexual assault survivor named “Linda.”

“I knew the value of DNA and prayed for DNA evidence to be found on my body,” she said, adding “The kits give the victim a voice.”

JARED LAZARUS / DUKE UNIVERSITY

Chizuko Sueyoshi, leader of the Japanese Tea Practitioners of Durham, welcomes Yuko Kishida, rst lady of Japan and Kristin Cooper, rst lady of North Carolina, to a traditional Japanese tea gathering at Sarah P. Duke Gardens last Friday in Durham.

See STEIN, page A2

See VOTING, page A3

See JAPAN, page A8

State Supreme Court justice Trey Allen, pictured in 2002 second from right, was one of ve to hear arguments on a case involving election fraud.

“God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” Revelation 21:4

What a cluster of sweet hopes is here. What a collection of bright beams throwing their splendor over that cloudless day! Heaven will be a state of perfect freedom from all sorrow.

“God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes!”

Child of sorrow. Sick ones dear to Christ. Bereaved mourners.

Hear these precious words, and let music break from your lips! God will wipe away your tears! As the mother comforts her sorrowing child, so God will comfort His.

Yes, child of grief, there will be no more weeping then. Oh, ecstatic thought! “And there shall be no more death.”

No more rending asunder of a ection’s close and tender ties. No more separations from the hearts we love. Mourners no more go about the streets. For death is now swallowed up in victory!

“Neither sorrow, nor crying.” Grief cannot nd existence or place in an atmosphere of such bliss. No frustrated plans, no bitter disappointments, no withered hopes, no corroding cares, mingle with that deep sea of bliss, now pouring its tide of joyfulness over the soul.

“Neither shall there be any more pain.”

Children of su ering, hear this! There will be no more pain racking the frame, torturing the limbs, and sending its in uence through the system until every nerve and ber quivers with an indescribable agony.

Heaven will be a state of perfect freedom from all SINS! Ah! this will be the brightest and sweetest of all the joys of Heaven!

The Canaanite will no more dwell in the land. Inbred corruption will be done away. The con ict within us will have ceased. No evil heart will betray us into inconsistencies and sorrows. Not a cloud of guilt will tarnish the unsullied purity of the soul.

You holy hearts, mourning over indwelling and outbreaking sin, soon you will be free from sin completely and forever.

Psalm 17:15, “I will see Your face in righteousness. When I awake, I will be satis ed with Your presence!” This is Heaven indeed!

Octavius Winslow (1808 –1878), known as “The Pilgrim’s Companion,” was a prominent 19th-century evangelical preacher in England and America. He was a contemporary of Charles Spurgeon and J. C. Ryle. His works are now in the public domain.

Agreement in place in NC disability services lawsuit

The 2017 litigation stemmed from a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court ruling

The Associated Press RALEIGH — North Carolina’s health agency and a nonpro t defending people with intellectual and development disabilities have reached an agreement that could resolve a lawsuit seeking action to help those who can’t live at home because services in their communities are lacking.

The Department of Health and Human Services and Disability Rights North Carolina announced last week they had led in court a proposed order that would address litiga-

STEIN from page A1

Per the rape kit tracking dashboard, 11,841 of the 16,221 kits have been tested or are in the process of being tested as of April 2024. The 1,405 kits that have not been tested are due to being “unreported or anonymous.”

Of those 11,841 kits, 5,075 were entered into the CODIS DNA database, producing 2,702 hits. The 2,024 tested inventory kits came back with hits to o enders with DNA on le. So far, 114 arrests have been made based on those hits.

The Survivor Act, passed in 2018 by the General Assembly, has provisions aimed at preventing a backlog from occurring again. The law mandates the “collecting agency” must inform the relevant law enforcement agency within 24 hours of collecting a kit, and the law enforcement agency is required to get the kit from the collecting agency within seven days of noti cation. Law enforcement must then forward “reported crime” kits to the Crime Lab and “unreported” kits to the Department of Public Safety within 45 days.

In his remarks, Stein said he prioritized ending the backlog since taking o ce in 2017.

The backlog, however, has a more than 20-year history tied to Gov. Roy Cooper, who served as state attorney general for 16 years before being succeeded by Stein.

tion led in 2017 by Disability Rights, individuals who need services and their guardians. It would also replace a 2022 ruling in that lawsuit from Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour that demanded DHHS provide more community services by certain dates.

Baddour’s order, in part, directed new admissions at staterun development centers, private intermediate care facilities and certain adult care homes had to stop as of early 2028 for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The state appealed Baddour’s decision to the Court of Appeals, saying such changes would close some group homes and cause instability among people who prefer living in their current situations.

“This proposed agreement marks the beginning of change, not the end.”

Emma Kinyanjui, Disability Rights North Carolina legal director

Baddour delayed enforcement of his order in the meantime, which gave legal parties time to work out an agreement.

In a joint news release Wednesday, state o cials and Disability Rights North Carolina said the consent order — if approved by Baddour — would create a two-year period

in which DHHS would work to move more people into community-based services and remove them from institutional settings if they wish. The department also would implement a plan to address a shortage of well-paid direct-care workers. Detailed reporting requirements also would allow the legal parties and the judge to assess results and proposed future benchmarks, the release said.

“This proposed agreement marks the beginning of change, not the end,” Disability Rights North Carolina legal director Emma Kinyanjui said in the release, adding the e orts will help get “change started now — instead of spending time and focus on the appeal.” Kelly Crosbie, the state’s director of the Division

of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, said, “People with disabilities should have choices and be able to access services in the setting that is the best t for them.”

The litigation, in part, stems from a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared people with disabilities have the right, with conditions, to receive state-funded services in their communities instead of in institutions.

Baddour ruled in 2020 that the state was violating a state law on an ongoing basis because people with disabilities were being unnecessarily institutionalized. Should Baddour agree to replace his 2022 order with the consent order, the state would drop its appeal and Disability Rights North Carolina would dismiss its other outstanding claims against DHHS, the release said.

rector John Byrd brought it up.

“Director John Byrd and I were talking, and at that point there was no backlog of untested sexual assault kits at the crime lab other than the normal inventory in the course of doing business,” Stein said. “But I asked them were their kits at local law enforcement that never had made their way to the crime lab, and he said that he thought so.”

Byrd was appointed SCL director by Cooper in June 2014 and was replaced by Stein in 2019 with Vanessa Martinucci, who later resigned in October 2023. Leslie Cooley Dismukes is the current acting interim director.

Stein said Byrd had been working with law enforcement to “try to get a handle on it,” and asked for estimates but they were “very rough estimates.”

Under the Survivor Act, an inventory audit conducted in 2019 revealed there were more than 16,000 untested kits across the state.

The act also provided $6 million in funding over two years for testing the kits, and the legislature contributed another $9 million that included increases in sta and pay.

The U.S. Department of Justice had also given the state $2 million via its Sexual Assault Kit

When Cooper ran for governor in 2016, he claimed he had cleared a “5,000-deep” DNA testing backlog from when he rst took o ce in 2001. Yet when Stein became attorney general, North Carolina ranked No. 1 in the country with more than 15,000 untested rape kits.

Initiative (SAKI). An additional $2 million came from the Victims of Crime Act through the Governor’s Crime Commission, however, the bulk of that money was returned due to funding criteria changes.

Stein’s announcement drew criticism from Matt Mercer, the NCGOP communications director. Mercer is the former editor-in-chief of the North State Journal (NSJ). “After eight years, Josh Stein nally has completed a basic function of his job as attorney general,” Mercer said in a statement. “After eight years, the

State Crime Lab has ‘cleaned up’ the mess left by his predecessor, Governor Roy Cooper. It’s sad this even needs to be celebrated and justice has been delayed far too long for too many victims. It is a credit to the increased funding and oversight provided by the Republican-led General Assembly that this dark chapter is nally closed.” The N.C. Democratic Party has not issued a statement on Stein’s announcement.

NSJ asked Stein during his press conference what led him to look at the backlog or who told him about it. Stein said SCL Di-

“And so we were very happy when the legislature directed local law enforcement to provide that data to the crime lab so we could conduct a formal inventory,” said Stein. “And that’s when we discovered that there were 16,000, and that’s when alarm bells went o among all of us and we had to get to work.”

Stein said the process has taken more than two decades because before he took o ce law enforcement agencies were told not to submit kits to the SCL unless they had a “known suspect.”

He also said the science is much better today than it was 20 years ago.

“So the importance is much greater today, therefore, the diligence with which we are pursuing this initiative is greater today,” Stein said.

“Trans guration” by Raphael (circa 1520) is a painting in the collection of the Pinacoteca Vaticana.

WPATH release could impact NC transgender lawsuit

support

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A lawsuit led over a North Carolina state law barring gender transition surgery and hormone blockers for minors may have a hurdle to face following the release of a report on the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

The lawsuit, Voe v. Manseld, says the law (House Bill 808) violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The plainti in the case is a 9-year-old transgender boy from Durham who was given the alias Victor Voe to protect his identity.

Last October, a “statement of interest” opinion was led in the case by federal o cials including United States Attorney Middle District of North Carolina Sandra Hairston and Assistant Attorney General Civil Rights Division Sandra Clarke.

The Voe lawsuit’s claims of harm caused by blocking such surgery and treatments rely heavily on WPATH as a supporting reference.

Journalist Michael Shellenberger, in collaboration with his nonpro t group Environmental Progress, recently published a report about internal WPATH les that he asserts “prove that the practice of transgender medicine is neither scientific nor medical.” Shellenberger suggests gender-a rming care is “unregulated” and “will go down as one of the worst medical scandals in history.”

Shellenberger’s report notes that WPATH has had a strong in uence on driving gender-afrming care policies and decisions by major medical societies and associations such as the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association.

Shellenberger ran for gover-

nor of California in 2022, nishing a distant third in a nonpartisan primary with 4.4% of the vote. He also released two installments of the Twitter Files after being given internal documents about the social media platform, now called X, by Elon Musk, who took control of the company in April 2022. The released WPATH les and video cast doubt on the idea of “informed consent” for transgender medical practices, citing incidents that include minors such as a 10-year-old girl and a developmentally delayed 13-year-old, as well as individuals with serious mental illnesses. Injuries described in the les range from sterilization to loss of sexual function, liver tumors and even death. Despite knowing that many children and parents lack understanding of the e ects of puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries, WPATH members continue to advocate for gender medicine.

Shellenberger’s WPATH report includes two references to North Carolina, one of which is a quote from an unnamed “gender therapist” on the topic of patients su ering from dissociative identity disorder and consenting to hormone therapy.

“One client who had (dissociative identity disorder), we worked on all alters giving consent to HRT before it was started,” the unnamed North Carolina gender therapist said. “They had alters who were both male and female gender and it was imperative to get all the alters who would be a ected by HRT to be aware and consent to the changes. Ethically, if you do not get consent from all alters you have not really received consent and you could be sued later, if they decide HRT or surgery was not in their best interest.”

Underscoring the claims in the WPATH les release is a civil case led last summer in North Carolina regarding consent issues, medical malprac-

New tech will shape future of ag

Genome editing and other cutting-edge science will become a bigger factor

By Ena Sellers North State Journal

CARY — Rodolphe Barrangou knows big things are coming. In fact, some of it is already here.

The NC State distinguished professor of food, bioprocess and nutrition sciences spoke about revolutionary technologies that are changing the future at the NC Ag Leads: Imagine Agriculture Day at the SAS campus in Cary last month.

Barrangou described CRISPR technology — short for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats” — as a molecular scalpel that allows geneticists to edit the genome and change DNA. The technology has primarily been used in therapeutics, but it has vast applications that are possible in agriculture and beyond.

“We have the ability at speed and at scale, virtually, to use this molecular scalpel to change any

VOTING from page A1

Porter’s petition against three Guilford voters was dismissed for “lack of any evidence presented” and one protest in Brunswick County was withdrawn, according to an appeals court opinion.

The case was sent up to the state Supreme Court after an appeals court gave plainti s a partial victory in 2021. It decided Porter had absolute privilege while the other defendants — the law rm Holtzman Vogel Jose ak Torchinsky and the Pat McCrory Committee Legal Defense Fund among them — did not.

DNA in any species on planet Earth,” Barrangou said. “CRISPR did not invent our ability to do that. Before CRISPR was hard, di cult, tedious, expensive, challenging and very few labs in the world could use that kind of technology to change that kind of genome. CRISPR changed the game.”

The technology, which is 10 years old and recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, has previously been used to engineer a pig so its kidney could be used for a human transplant.

According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, the pig’s kidney had 69 genomic edits to make it more compatible with humans and reduce the chance of infection.

“If you can do that, imagine what we can do,” he said. “We have a whole arsenal of tools that allow us to change the genome. … We can rescue things that are extinct. We can bring back species that are gone.”

He said the possibilities are endless. “It’s how we use and invest our talent,” he added.

Absolute privilege is a legal term used in defamation cases to outline circumstances where someone is shielded from liability for potentially defamatory statements. The privilege is typically granted in judicial and legislative proceedings. Craig Schauer, a defense attorney, said during Thursday’s hearing that the defendants did ful ll a role that would give them absolute privilege, albeit in a more informal setting than typical judicial proceedings. By ruling against the defense, Schauer said the court’s precedent would hinder people from voicing their concerns with the election process.

“If you can make a cat less allergenic, you can imagine making a peanut less allergenic.”

Rodolphe Barrangou, NC State professor

Barrangou explained that the last 10 years of work and research show how much can be done with bacteria, yeast, viruses and microorganisms with the technology.

“There’s all kinds of things we can do with therapeutics, as you can imagine,” said Barrangou. “People are making hypoallergenic cats. … We can use that same technology to make hypoallergenic food. Things like peanuts. If you can make a cat less allergenic, you can imagine making a peanut less allergenic. We can change crop yield. We can change crop health.

“To have this technology be engineered 10 years in is foreshadowing the future. But it is only 10 years in. … It’s still

“It’s unprecedented. It’s unde ned. It’s unnecessary. It’s actually based on a legal ction, and it’s going to result in unwanted consequences,” he said.

An attorney representing the plainti s, Press Millen, urged the court to uphold the appellate decision. Absolute privilege is something earned and not given “willy-nilly,” he said, and the defendants were not true participants during the election protest ling.

“This court will be creating a group, a creature, who is entirely able to act with impunity in the context of judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings with-

tice and misinformation provided to a 25-year-old woman who was medically transitioned.

Prisha Mosley led the case in the Gaston County Superior Court. The lawsuit says the defendants provided her with misinformation by telling her transitioning from female to male would resolve her mental health issues.

Mosley attributes most of her mental health issues to being the victim of a sexual assault at age 14, and her lawsuit details signi cant mental health struggles including anorexia, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and engaging in selfharm actions such as cutting.

Some health agencies have stepped back from transgender-targeted hormone therapies and surgeries. The English National Health Service banned children from receiving puberty blockers to treat gender dysphoria in mid-March of this year.

The announcement came after NHS England initiated a re -

view prompted by an increase in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), which is scheduled to cease operations by the end of March.

“Ending the routine prescription of puberty blockers will help ensure that care is based on evidence, expert clinical opinion and is in the best interests of the child,” UK Health Minister Maria Caul eld said of the policy change.

The move by NHS was followed by the Cass Report, a 388-page document calling into question the main tenet of gender-a rming care such as the use of puberty blockers, citing “weak evidence” it has any positive impact on gender dysphoric patients. The report also says a “medical pathway will not be the best way to manage their gender-related distress,” and that “Clinicians are unable to determine with any certainty which children and young people will go on to have an enduring trans identity.”

not perfect. There is still a lot of work being done to cure all kinds of diseases.”

Barrangou said a report from the World Economic Forum examined the role of tech innovation in accelerating food systems. “They say by 2030, 100 million farms will have planted a CRISPR edited seed, 20% — I think that is an underestimate,” he said. “Hundreds of millions of people are bene ting from

out being lawyers, witnesses or parties,” Millen said.

Several of the justices, including Tamara Barringer, Trey Allen and Chief Justice Paul Newby, raised issues with the plainti ’s arguments, citing concerns about how broad the scope of who doesn’t have absolute privilege. A few times during the hearing, Justice Richard Dietz told the plainti s they “just brought the wrong claims” to argue to the court.

“This could have been any losing candidate’s campaign e ort to try to create enough smoke to delay certi cation or try to encourage the state board of election to review these pro -

that every day.” From organ donation and forestry to crops and livestock, there are limitless possibilities for CRISPR and similar technology.

“You can put a genome in a kidney or a liver, so you never harden the patient,” Barrangou said. “How can we use that same technology to make bacon better? Not just bacon, but a lot of other livestock in this great state.”

tests in a certain way,” Loperdo said before the hearing. Schauer didn’t immediately respond to an email after Thursday’s arguments seeking comment.

Louis Bouvier, the lead plainti , told The Associated Press after the arguments that he was disappointed in the justices’ questioning because, to him, it’s a “simple issue.” The case results are more important today than seven years ago when the lawsuit was led because of “the mood of the country and politics,” Bouvier said. “2016 and now, it’s like, earth-shatteringly di erent,” he said after the hearing.

Voe v. Mans eld relies heavily on WPATH as evidentiary

ENA SELLERS / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

NC State professor Rodolphe Barrangou speaks during the NC Ag Leads: Imagine Agriculture Day in Cary last month.

Michael Shellenberger testi es during a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing in 2023.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Defund NPR, PBS and ‘Sesame Street’

It is basic, coarse human nature to misuse or abuse money that is not your own.

URI BERLINER, a senior business editor who has worked at National Public Radio (NPR) since 1999 publicly came out last week and said what everyone knew to be true about NPR for the past four decades: “People at every level of NPR have comfortably coalesced around the progressive worldview.”

Eighty-seven employees in the Washington, D.C., headquarters for NPR were registered Democrats. Zero were registered Republicans. One would have thought Berliner screamed “Eureka!” as if he was Archimedes when he supposedly bounded out of his bathtub after making some marvelous scienti c discovery.

The only real question is “What took him so long?”

When they say PBS (Public Broadcasting System) is “supported by members like you” during their telethons, they aren’t kidding ― they get almost all of their annual funding from Congress. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the umbrella parent of NPR and PBS, got $525 million of your tax money in FY2024. NPR likes to boast they receive “minimal” direct federal support from Congress. The truth is they derive more than 50% of their annual budget from programming fees from member stations around the country which are also supported by federal grants from CPB.

Back in the dark ages in 1970 when PBS was born, there were only three major media outlets on television: ABC, NBC and CBS. Advocates for PBS at least had a reasoned argument to support an educational channel to produce informational programming instead of another outlet for a knocko of “Gunsmoke” or “I Love Lucy.”

When PBS produced “Sesame Street,” they hit a home run that remained in the hearts and minds of millions of children and their parents for generations and made it virtually impossible to get rid of it. “How can Congressman Neanderthal vote to kill Bert and Ernie and Kermit the Frog?” was the easiest political ad to write in history.

As early as 1980, left-wing liberal bias started to leak out of PBS and NPR broadcasts after the election of Ronald Reagan. Conservatives used to listen to NPR’s “All Things Considered” agship program to learn something until it succumbed to liberal bias in most stories they covered.

NPR and PBS should have been defunded back then. There is no room for any political philosophy or bias when it comes to using federal taxpayer dollars to fund so-called “unbiased news” (sic) reporting. Everyone has a bias when it comes to politics and news reporting. When it becomes propaganda, it ceases being objective, benign and useful news.

It is basic, coarse human nature to misuse or abuse money that is not your own.

NPR recently named a new CEO, Katherine Maher, to head their operations. She went ballistic when Berliner made his accusations. Her past tweets have come back to undermine her assertions of fairness to Republicans and conservatives. After the George Floyd riots, she wrote: “It’s hard to be mad about protests not prioritizing the private property of a system of oppression founded on treating people’s ancestors as private property.” The next day, she tweeted: “White silence is complicity.”

Conservatives don’t have any problem with Maher or NPR being political and exercising

their right to free speech in a free press. Just don’t do it on federal taxpayer money. Go nd wealthy liberal Democrat investors who can buy the assets of CPB in total and run PBS and NPR in as virulent of a partisan manner as they want ― on their own dollar, not ours.

As far back as the administration of President James Gar eld in 1881, elected o cials understood the dangers of elected o cials on the other side of the political spectrum using the federal budget trough for patronage purposes to force their agenda on the American people using the coercive power of government.

Liberals think federal funding for NPR and PBS is sacrosanct and should never be touched by conservatives. When Berliner con rmed that 87 reporters at NPR were all registered Democrats and none were Republicans, he pretty much put the nail in the co n to the argument that PBS could be trusted to administer federal taxpayer dollars in a fair, even-handed manner — because they can’t help themselves.

The national debt is now over $34.6 trillion. Eliminating federal funding for CPB, PBS and NPR will not balance the budget overnight. But it is a start ― and it will remove the specter of liberals taking money from conservative taxpayers and bashing them over the head with it every single day.

Thoughts on the Angie Harmon/Instacart driver dog-shooting incident

When a person or animal is attacked by a dog, more often than not the fault is more with the owner than the dog for not having them properly restrained.

ON THE MONDAY after Easter weekend, actress Angie Harmon revealed on Instagram that one of her dogs had been shot and killed by an Instacart delivery driver.

Harmon said she’d had groceries delivered to her Charlotte home when the driver pulled out the gun and shot her “precious Oliver.”

“This Easter weekend a man delivering groceries for Instacart shot and killed our precious Oliver,” she wrote. “He got out of his car, delivered the food and THEN shot our dog.”

Harmon said the incident wasn’t recorded because, at the time, her Ring camera was “charging in the house.” She claimed the driver somehow was aware of this and “then knew he wasn’t being recorded.”

She also claimed, “He did not have a scratch or bite on him nor were his pants torn.”

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in the aftermath that no charges would be led because they had no evidence to disprove the story the delivery driver told of acting in self-defense.

The 911 calls that were released a few days later indicated that Harmon’s 18-year-old daughter yelled out to the driver, “You don’t kill something because they tried to bite you!”

The driver, who did not leave the scene and was present when police arrived, also called 911.

“I’m calling her, texting her, ‘Can you please come get your dog?’” he was heard telling the 911 operator after alleging that two dogs came

up to him.

One of the two dogs attempted to attack the driver, according to what he said on the call. “I tried to hurry up and get on the porch and deliver the stu , and the dog tried to bite me,” he also said. “What am I supposed to do?”

The story brought out mixed emotions on social media, with some saying the driver had a right to act in self-defense assuming he was indeed attacked while others wondered why he didn’t stay in the car and refuse delivery until the dogs were restrained.

My thoughts on the incident were that the likelihood this driver shot and killed the dog for no reason was slim to none. We hear about incidents involving postal service workers, UPS and FedEx drivers and the like often enough to know that there have been many situations during which animals were not restrained and workers were either attacked or refused to get out of their vehicles.

I know I sometimes get messages from Amazon drivers saying we are the next stop and to please make sure animals are secured behind locked fencing or in the home (we don’t have any dogs, for the record).

There have been times when I’ve been at home and did not feel safe going outside because someone was out walking their medium to large size dog without a leash. Sometimes the dogs were running wild all over the place, including in the road where they could get hit. While I’ve been told before, “They won’t hurt

anyone,” you just never know and don’t want to take the chance.

I don’t know who is ultimately telling the truth in the Harmon/Instacart driver case. But my past experiences and others I’ve heard about tell me that when a person or animal is attacked by a dog, more often than not the fault is more with the owner than the dog for not having them properly restrained. It’s a hard thing to accept/admit, but it’s true, in my opinion.

I pray Harmon and her family can nd peace soon over all of this, and that the Instacart driver can as well. Equally important is that hopefully lessons were learned by not just the parties involved but for those reading the story, too, so that perhaps future tragedies like this one can be avoided.

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

Bidenomics — inflation persists and jobs decay

THIS WEEK BROUGHT bad news for the American people and President Joe Biden. In ation persists and jobs are decaying.

On in ation, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported prices rose 3.5% between March 2023 and March 2024. This bad number is far higher than the U.S. Federal Reserve’s goal of 2% in ation — and it follows three years of price increases.

In ation continues to build even after the Federal Reserve pushed interest rates to their highest point in 23 years.

Much to the Fed’s dismay, its restrictive private sector policies are being more than o set by the Biden administration’s massive de cits. While the Fed is trying to take liquidity out of the system and force a slowdown to lower in ation, the Biden administration keeps pumping borrowed money into the economy.

The contradiction between the Fed and the Biden White House increases the scale of government and shrinks the private sector. Furthermore, since the federal government is the world’s largest debtor, high interest rates translate into an even bigger federal de cit.

So, the long run consequences of Bidenomics on in ation are staggering. Measured from the time Biden took o ce, the prices Americans are paying have skyrocketed. In just three-and-ahalf years, the price of eggs is up 49.3%, gasoline is up 47.5%, peanut butter is up 40%, butter and margarine are up 32%, electricity is up 28.3%, airfare is up 32.7%, used cars are up 20.9% — and the list continues.

The American people feel these price increases, and they are unhappy. Most Americans rate the economy as poor, while only 38% consider the economy to be in good shape. (Under President Donald Trump, 65% rated the economy as good.)

As the Wall Street Journal editorialized:

“If voters are downbeat about the economy, persistent in ation is a good reason. Price increases across the Biden Presidency are unlike anything Americans have seen in recent decades. They have been a particular shock for low-income and younger workers who haven’t accumulated a wealth cushion in the stock market or housing values.

“Mr. Biden is the main architect of his in ation problem — and ours.”

Mark Halperin, with his usual insight, asserted: “The story of who will win this election might just be that voters demand a change from the mind-boggling high cost of almost everything. The prices are just too damn high.”

| BEN SHAPIRO

America is

now

As if in ation was not a big enough problem, there is an even bigger problem growing with the employment news.

As Matt Weidinger outlined in AEI Ideas: “In the past 12 months, employment among US natives is down by 651,000. Those declines were focused on men, a group President Biden already has increasing di culties winning over.

“In contrast, employment among foreignborn individuals grew by 1,266,000 in the past year, driven by the rapidly growing population of foreign-born individuals ages 16 and over in the US, which rose by almost 2.6 million during the past year. “The gap between US native and foreign-born employment is even starker since last summer. Since its peak in July 2023, employment of US natives has fallen by over 2.0 million, while employment of the foreign-born has risen by almost 1.4 million. “

From Biden’s standpoint, Weidinger highlights a deadly detail:

“Friday’s jobs report reveals that unemployment among Black or African American individuals rose in March for the third consecutive month, to over 1.4 million, the highest level since January 2022. That group’s unemployment rate has risen from 5.1 percent to 6.4 percent in the past year.”

The jobs numbers contain even more problems for Biden because part-time jobs are increasing much faster than full-time jobs. More and more Americans are nding themselves working two or three jobs — often with little or no bene ts — just to make ends meet in an economy of constantly rising prices.

So, Bidenomics means rising prices, fewer jobs, more part-time employment and a desperate sense that things are just not working.

Still, the propaganda media is trying hard to paint a pretty picture. CNN, for example, called the latest monthly jobs report a “blowout.”

But everyday Americans know when they go to the grocery store, pay monthly bills or ll up their cars that life has gotten harder under Biden.

The trademark of Bidenomics may be the steady shrinking of products. Take a Trump-era candy bar or box of cereal and place it next to the same product today. In most cases, the price increased, and the unit size has shrunk.

Simply put: Bidenomics means you get less for more.

If this economic failure persists for another seven months — and it almost certainly will — then Bidenomics may be Biden’s downfall.

in the business of losing wars

ON OCT. 7, thousands of members of the terrorist group Hamas and its “civilian” friends broke through the barrier between the Gaza Strip and Israel and proceeded to torture, rape and slaughter at least 1,200 Israeli people. They burned their homes, killed their children in front of them and then kidnapped some 250 Israelis back to Gaza, where they planted themselves in terror tunnels built with foreign humanitarian funding over the course of two decades, just beneath civilian areas including hospitals and schools.

Israel responded by utilizing every measure at its disposal to kill Hamas members while maintaining civilian life. They warned civilians to leave war zones. They put soldiers on the ground to go door-to-door despite total air superiority. They facilitated the entry of hundreds of trucks lled with humanitarian aid every single day in order to try to stave o hunger and thirst.

Almost 300 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the Gaza Strip during the course of its sixmonth war. Over 100 hostages, including ve Americans, remain in Hamas’ hold. Tens of thousands of Israelis have been removed from their homes in the south of Israel, as well as along the northern Lebanese border, where the Iranian proxy terror group Hezbollah prepares for a large-scale war involving hundreds of thousands of rockets. Terrorism in the West Bank, Judea and Samaria has skyrocketed, with nearly daily murderous attacks by Hamas sympathizers, including members of the Palestinian Authority.

Despite all of this, Israel has achieved historic military wins: killing the top Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander in Lebanon and Syria; quieting the West Bank through targeted raids; extirpating Hamas control from most of the Gaza Strip, leaving only the city of Rafah with its four divisions of Hamas.

And the Biden administration has responded by calling on Israel to stop.

Not only that: the Biden administration has become the propaganda arm of Hamas. They have suggested that Israel has been indiscriminate in its war aims, too willing to kill civilians, willing even to stymie humanitarian assistance without reason. This week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the astonishing statement that Israel was risking losing its reverence for human life — even as Israelis

sacri ce their own lives in an attempt to rescue hostages and preserve civilians who largely support genocidal Jew-hatred. Blinken stated, “If we lose that reverence for human life, we risk becoming indistinguishable from those we confront.” He then added, “Right now, there is no higher priority in Gaza than protecting civilians, surging humanitarian assistance, and ensuring the security of those who provide it.”

Of course, there is a higher priority for Israel: victory.

But America is no longer interested in victory.

The pattern of every American war since the end of World War II has been simple: We jump to involve ourselves in military con icts when we feel a surge of moral outrage at the evils of our enemies; we then begin to question ourselves when we see hideous pictures on our televisions; we then surrender or cut an ugly deal. That is the pattern in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq. Sometimes, we simply abandon our allies without any sort of serious opposition, as with the Kurds or the people of Hong Kong.

Obviously, America ought not involve itself in foreign con icts in which we are unwilling to stay the course. American interests dictate pragmatism. But we’ve gone far beyond that. Now we’re telling our allies that they can’t win victories in con icts in which they are willing to stay the course and in which they can win.

We will actively step in to prevent victory.

And so our enemies grow stronger. They have no such Hamlet-like moral qualms. They push where there is mush. Should Israel accede to America’s request to leave Hamas in place in Rafah, Hezbollah will challenge Israel in the north; Iranian proxies will challenge Israel in the West Bank; Iran will up the ante in Yemen and the Red Sea. Israel and Saudi Arabia will be forced to search for new allies and new weapons. The world will signi cantly become more dangerous.

It turns out that the alternative to an America con dent in its own moral role — and an America willing to stand with its allies — is a world of chaos. We are now living in that world. And things will get much, much worse before the end of this era of moral vacillation and cowardice in the face of evil.

Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro

and co-founder of Daily Wire+.

WHEN ARE WE GOING to trust our fellow Americans again? When are we going to allow quali ed individuals with responsibility to make decisions without consulting detailed rulebooks and formal procedures?

Those are questions New York lawyer and author Philip K. Howard (one of whose books is called, simply, “Try Common Sense”) asks in his latest mini-tome “Everyday Freedom.” The freedom he is writing about is not the freedom of eccentric individuals to demand special treatment and punctiliously pronounced pronouns, but the freedom of individuals in positions of authority to make decisions — and actually get things done.

The book, fully titled “Everyday Freedom: Designing the Framework for a Flourishing Society,” comes just as the federal government is grappling, under the glare of national publicity, with the need to replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which fell into the main channel of Baltimore’s harbor after being hit by a 984-foot-long container ship bereft of electric power.

The bridge, completed in 1977, took ve years to design and build. Initial estimates are that it could take 18 months to several years to replace, or more if it were redesigned or replaced by a tunnel.

That accident occurred after “Everyday Freedom” went to press, but the book’s lessons are relevant. Once upon a time, Americans knew how to build things rapidly and well. The Empire State Building was constructed by a syndicate headed by John J. Raskob and former New York Gov. Al Smith in one year and 45 days in 1930-31. Government could build fast, too. Gen. Brehon Somervell led New Deal Works Progress Administration workers in building LaGuardia Airport in months, then completed construction of the Pentagon (designed over a long weekend) within 15 months in 1941-43. It took a direct hit on 9/11, and until 2023 was still the largest o ce building in the world.

In contrast, the Biden administration’s muchballyhooed $5 billion 2021 program to encourage electric vehicles has produced exactly eight charging stations. What would Somervell say?

We don’t know, because Somervell died in 1955 before, as Howard writes, “starting in the 1960s, the social and legal institutions of America were remade to try to eliminate unfair choices by people in positions of irresponsibility.”

Yale law professor Charles Reich argued that government decisions created “new property” for deprived individuals — and so legislatures “with a simplistic notion of public interest” couldn’t reduce welfare payments.

The 1960s and ’70s “legal revolution,” Howard argues, produced prescriptive rulebooks, formal procedures and new litmus tests of individual rights. Some of this re ected a mistrust in segregationist Southerners, although the mandates — like the Supreme Court’s 1971 Griggs v. Duke Power Co., which e ectively banned aptitude tests for job applicants — came down just as elite Southerners were giving up on barring black people from jobs, schools and voting.

Environmental legislation, in the process of vastly reducing unhealthful particulate emissions, required environmental impact statements, which these days can run to hundreds of thousands of pages, to be litigated and relitigated in unpredictable courts.

Those moves were forti ed by Robert Caro’s “The Power Broker,” a massive biography of Robert Moses, who ran roughshod over protesters in building bridges, highways and housing projects in metro New York, and by “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” by Jane Jacobs, who (thankfully) stopped Moses from plowing a freeway through her beloved Greenwich Village. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has taken to citing “The Power Broker,” and his department has cited Jacobs. He seems less interested in dismantling the impediments to decisive action that Howard describes.

The ’60s legal revolution was intended to “protect individuals against unfair or biased decisions by supervisors,” Howard writes, by reformers painfully aware of such decisions in the past. But “weakening individual authority had the paradoxical e ect of weakening the freedoms and opportunities of individuals. Protocols replaced initiative. Behavior codes replaced spontaneity.”

Americans are, or should be, learning the lesson that trying to create a fail-safe society in fact creates a society that is sure to fail. The way out is to clean the Augean stables, get rid of the tangled mess of requirements and statements and paperwork, and let competent people get things done.

This is what Pete Wilson, former Republican governor of California, did after the Northridge earthquake destroyed Los Angeles’ Interstate 10 in 1994. He ditched the rules and provided penalties for late work and premiums for nishing ahead of time. The project, estimated to take two years, was completed in two months and two days.

And it’s what Josh Shapiro, Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, did when a truck accident destroyed an overpass on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia. Shapiro suspended all regulations that “would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action.” The highway was reopened in 12 days.

The obvious importance of the I-10 and I-95 arteries in Los Angeles and Philadelphia made the two governors’ decisions widely popular. But unbeknownst to the public, the legal thicket created in the ’60s imposes enormous opportunity costs every day on a society that doesn’t have the public infrastructure or private developments its o cials and entrepreneurs want to provide. In “Everyday Freedom,” Howard tells us we can do better.

COLUMN

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

Small towns, big accolades

Southern Living magazine, iconic trendsetter of all things Southern, has released its annual issue devoted to honorees for the South’s Best Cities, Cities on the Rise and Best Small Towns. It’s no surprise that North Carolina is well represented among the region’s exploding metropolitan areas and hidden gems alike. With three cities in the Top 20 (Asheville, No. 5, Raleigh, No. 9, and Charlotte, No. 12), the winner among Cities on the Rise (Wilmington), and 10 Best Small Town nods (listed on the map), Southern Living editors and readers seem to have a solid appreciation for our state’s well-deserved reputation as a destination for both work and play. From beloved bare-bones BBQ joints and Ashley Christensen’s James Beard Award-winning spots in the capital city to historic lighthouses and port cities to our rich mountain heritage, North Carolina should feel the love and admiration from its neighbors in the South.

WFU sophomore, daughter of radio host, dies

Mecklenburg County

Daughter of Charlotte’s WBT radio host Bo Thompson died last week after complications from a blood clot in her leg that traveled to her heart. According to local outlets, Janey Thompson was a sophomore at Wake Forest University where she was majoring in biophysics and went to Myers Park High School, graduating in 2022. Social media posts shared that Janey Thompson was a beloved member of the Myers Park community who was a standout on the basketball and softball teams.

QUEEN CITY NEWS

Man accused of threatening campers, ring at deputies

Henderson County Henderson County Sheri ’s deputies responded to a disturbance Saturday evening at the North Mills River Campground. Callers said the man had a gun and was threatening people. After law enforcement o cers arrived, they chased the suspect, who crashed his van. Deputies say shots were red from the vehicle, which led to an exchange of gun re with deputies on the scene. The deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave pending an SBI investigation.

WYFF

Victim dies in weekend triple shooting

Rutherford County Forest City Police say one of three people injured in a shooting over the weekend has died. Police said Monday that a 23-year-old victim has died after the Sunday incident. O cers were called to a residence on Caldwell Street at around 11:30 a.m. regarding shots red. At the scene, police found three people su ering gunshot wounds. A man and a woman, both in their 30s, who lived at the residence each su ered serious injuries, but police described them as stable on Sunday evening. Police said the third victim, Damien Cole of Spindale, was taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Police released an updated statement Monday morning that Cole had died in what now appears to be a shooting related to a domestic dispute between all parties involved.

Mega Millions $2M mystery ticket bought in Triad Alamance County After buying a ticket in the Triad, the lucky winner of a $2 million lottery prize in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing has yet to come forward publicly. The winning $3 Megaplier ticket was purchased at Philomena Inc. at 3503 South Church St. in Burlington. The ticket matched the numbers on all ve white balls to win $1 million. The prize doubled to $2 million due to being a Megaplier ticket, beating 1 in 12.6 million odds.

WBTV

“Chronic alcoholism” caused W-S pub death, not poison Forsyth County New ndings have been released on the death of a man who fell ill after consuming contaminated beer at Burke Street Pub in Winston-Salem. The incident occurred in November when three people consumed drinks contaminated by cleaner left in the beer lines. One of the three people who were poisoned, Connor Owen Sebastian, 31, died a few days later. The N.C. Medical Examiner’s O ce, however, has ruled his probable cause of death as “chronic alcoholism” with “hepatitis C” as a contributing condition, not poisoning.

WGHP

Gamecocks’ win means free Bojangles biscuit in N.C.

Guilford County

If you call one of the Carolinas your home and enjoy Bojangles, you may go get a free chicken biscuit. The beloved fast-food joint is giving out free Cajun Filet Biscuits until April 30. The o er is valid only at participating Bojangles locations in the Carolinas and throughout the Piedmont. According to Bojangles, the free biscuits are part of the restaurant’s celebration of the South Carolina Gamecock’s victory in the NCAA women’s championship. According to a press statement, to get your free biscuit, go online, add the biscuit to your cart, and use the promo code “Gamecocks” upon checkout, with one allowed per customer. In the press release, Ken Reynolds, the Bojangles director of community and sports partnerships, congratulated the Gamecocks on their victory and said, “It’s a win-win for all basketball fans.”

NSJ

Small plane crash closes roads in Rocky Mount

Nash County

A small plane crashed on West Raleigh Boulevard at Paul Street in Rocky Mount Sunday night, causing road closures in the area for most of Monday. According to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration, the single-engine Cessna 172 with one pilot on board crashed around 9:30 p.m. Sunday. The Rocky Mount Police Department said there were no reported injuries in the crash, and the investigation continues to determine if a mayday call was made by the pilot.

WNCN

Stolen cat Buster safely returned to shelter

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Southern Group, the largest lobbying rm in the Southeast, is expanding into North Carolina.

“This expansion is proof that The Southern Group’s in uence and reach are growing rapidly,” Paul Bradshaw, chairman and founder, said in a news release.

“As our footprint grows, so does our ability to serve clients throughout the region.”

With a deep experience in policy and administrative law, Bradshaw started the company 25 years ago in 1999. Between 1986 and 1990, Bradshaw served under former Florida Gov. Bob Martinez in top cabinet aide and policy positions.

Kevin Wilkinson, a seasoned North Carolina lobbyist, will lead the new o ce in Raleigh.

“The Southern Group is a strong brand throughout the southeast,” Wilkinson said in a statement to North State Journal. “The rm’s innovative approach to providing turnkey client solutions coupled with my deep knowledge of North Carolina’s political process is a recipe for success.

vice president of Government A airs for EQV Strategic.

From 2016 to 2019, he held positions in North Carolina’s public education sector, serving as chief of sta and legislative director to the N.C. State Superintendent at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

“Kevin knows how this state works and knows how to get things done,” said Sen. Robert Bryan, for whom Wilkinson once served as a policy adviser. “His knowledge of the issues and his in uence in the General Assembly and around the state are well-known and well-respected.”

Additionally, Wilkinson, a North Carolina native, has served as executive director of external a airs at UNC Pembroke, where he played a key role in formulating and garnering backing for the institution’s policy objectives and programs.

“Tainted drugs” suspected in back-to-back deaths

Wayne County After a woman and two men were found dead in Goldsboro within 48 hours of each other, the Goldsboro Police Department has cautioned the public about “tainted drugs” and a “rise in overdoses and deaths” in the area. In a public service announcement posted to Facebook, the department said substances such as heroin and meth are being laced with potent additives like fentanyl, putting users at an increased risk of overdose and death.

NSJ

Craven County After several Facebook posts received hundreds of shares, a stolen cat from the Colonial Capital Humane Society Animal Shelter, was returned this weekend after being missing for two days. Video from a doorbell camera caught a couple walking out the door with a 1-year-old cat named Buster last Wednesday. Employees told local outlets that there were two sta members on duty that day when the couple visited the shelter, and even though they checked on the couple several times, the pair still managed to sneak out the door. Upon realizing Buster was missing, the shelter reached out to both the community and the Craven County Sheri ’s O ce for help in identifying the two suspects. After a resident of a local boating community recognized the man and the woman and noti ed the shelter, the couple turned themselves in and now face misdemeanor larceny charges.

NSJ

“My goal is to build a strong presence in North Carolina and grow into one of the leading lobbying shops in the state.” Wilkinson is well-known in North Carolina as a top lobbyist in both politics and policy.

Before joining The Southern Group in the new North Carolina o ce in Raleigh, he was the senior

With the strategic addition of North Carolina, The Southern Group will have 11 o ces throughout the Southeast — it currently has ve o ces in Florida and one each in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Fourth quarter reports for 2023 put The Southern Group as the top-earning rm in Florida with a total of $8.52 million. The rm’s legislative lobbying arm’s portion was $4.79 million. Clients include Florida’s biggest name, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and national brands like Apple, Darden Restaurants and IBM, as well as nancial giants like Wells Fargo and Fidelity Investments.

NATION & WORLD

NC among states with bird u in dairy cattle

Concerns about the safety of milk and eggs rise as the virus spreads

By Jonel Aleccia The Associated Press

A BIRD FLU outbreak in U.S. dairy cows has grown to affect more than two dozen herds in eight states, just weeks after the nation’s largest egg producer found the virus in its chickens.

Health o cials stress that the risk to the public is low and that the U.S. food supply remains safe and stable.

“At this time, there continues to be no concern that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health, or that it a ects the safety of the interstate commercial milk supply,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.

As of Friday, the strain of bird u that has killed millions of wild birds in recent years has been found in at least 26 dairy herds in eight U.S. states: Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and South Dakota.

A strain of

contract the virus by consuming food that’s been pasteurized, or heat-treated — or properly cooked.

“It’s not a food safety concern,” said Lee-Ann Jaykus, an emeritus food microbiologist and virologist at NC State.

Two people in the U.S. have been infected with bird u to date. A Texas dairy worker who was in close contact with an infected cow recently developed a mild eye infection and has recovered. In 2022, a prison inmate in a work program caught it while killing infected birds at a Colorado poultry farm. His only symptom was fatigue, and he recovered.

Biden’s latest student debt cancellation plan moves forward

Washington, D.C.

President Joe Biden’s latest plan for student loan cancellation is moving forward as a proposed regulation, o ering him a fresh chance to deliver on a campaign promise and energize young voters ahead of the November election.

Agriculture o cials in at least 17 states have restricted imports of dairy cattle from states where the virus has been detected, but so far, government agencies say it’s had little e ect on commercial milk production. O cials believe cows likely have been infected by exposure to wild birds but said cow-to-cow spread “cannot be ruled out.”

Farmers are testing cows that show symptoms of infection, including sharply reduced milk supply and lethargy. Ani-

The virus, known as Type A H5N1, has been detected in a range of mammals over the last few years, but this is the rst time it has been found in cattle, according to federal health and animal agencies. Genetic analysis of the virus does not show that it has changed to spread more easily in people, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

mals that show signs or test positive for illness are being separated from other animals on the farms. The animals appear to recover within two weeks.

U.S. egg producers are watching the situation closely after bird u was detected in chickens in Texas and Michigan. Millions of birds have been killed, but the FDA said the risk of affected eggs getting into the retail market or causing infections in humans is low because of federal inspections and other safeguards.

Scientists say there’s no evidence to suggest people can

African churches weigh future ahead of United Methodist gathering

The church will hold its general conference in Charlotte

By Peter Smith The Associated Press

THE UNITED Methodist Church lost one-fourth of its U.S. churches in a recent schism, with conservatives departing over disputes on sexuality and theology.

Now, with the approach of its rst major legislative gathering in several years, the question is whether the church can avert a similar outcome elsewhere in the world, where about half its members live.

The question is particularly acute in Africa, home to the vast majority of United Methodists outside the U.S. Most of its bishops favor staying, but other voices are calling for regional conferences to disa liate.

At the upcoming General Conference in Charlotte, delegates will tackle a wide range of proposals – from repealing the church’s ban on same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ people to creating more autonomy for regional conferences to set such rules and making it easier for international churches to leave the denomination.

Delegate Jerry Kulah of Libe-

JAPAN from page A1

the prime minister. “That is an unprecedented amount of media coverage for North Carolina,” said Robinson. “So that was that was an epic amount of news exposure in Japan which is now our largest source of foreign direct investment. So this rising tide is going to lift all boats.”

Kishida visited the Randolph County town of Liberty to see the Toyota battery plant, the largest foreign direct investment project in North Carolina’s history at $14 billion. Robinson said North Carolina “did a fantastic job of rolling out the red carpet” for Kishida and the Japanese delegation.

Kishida, Cooper and others traveled to the Greensboro area for Friday morning visits to a

ria said he believes it’s time for African churches to leave.

He said that when he rst attended a General Conference in 2008, he was shocked by proposals to liberalize church rules. Since then, he helped mobilize African delegates to vote with American conservatives to create ever-stricter denominational rules against same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ people.

But progressive American churches have increasingly been defying such rules and now appear to have the votes to overturn them.

“We know that we are not going to the General Conference to necessarily win votes,” said Kulah, general coordinator of the advocacy group UMC Africa Initiative. “So our goal is to go and articulate our position and let the world know why it has become very necessary to disa liate from the United Methodist Church because we cannot a ord to preach di erent gospels.”

But Je erson Knight, also a delegate from Liberia, opposes disa liation. He said a schism would amount to forsaking the rich spiritual legacy of the UMC in Africa and would severe its valuable international bonds.

“Liberia was the birthplace of the United Methodist Church on the continent of Africa in the

Honda Aircraft Co. production facility. Hours before Kishida and his wife arrived Thursday night at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, a subsidiary of another Japanese company, Fujilm, announced an additional $1.2 billion investment in its upcoming biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant and another 680 jobs.

Chiaki Takagi, a Japanese studies lecturer at UNC Greensboro, said this week that the prime minister’s visit surprised her but that it could signal a “positive future partnership” between Japan and the U.S. and more Japanese workers coming to the state.

“This whole thing will provide the area with opportunities to be engaged in very active cultural exchange between Ja-

“The best way out is to regionalize and see how we can do ministry peacefully and do ministry within our context, our culture.”

Je erson Knight, United Methodist delegate from Liberia

1800s,” said Knight, of the advocacy group United Methodist Africa Forum. The church has developed leaders in education, health care and evangelism across the continent, said Knight, who also works as a human rights monitor for the church.

Knight said schism isn’t necessary. He shares the widespread opposition in Africa to liberalizing policies on marriage or ordination, but he favors a proposal that would allow each region of the church — from America to Africa to Europe to the Philippines — to t rules to its local context.

“The best way out is to regionalize and see how we can do ministry peacefully and do ministry within our context, our culture,” Knight said.

pan and the U.S.,” Takagi said. The luncheon marked the rst time a foreign head of state has visited the governor’s mansion since record-keeping began in 1891, the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources said.

“What a better way to start than with one of our closest allies and friends from the country of Japan, with whom we share so many common interests,” Cooper said at the luncheon. “So today we make history, welcoming our wonderful friends.”

Kishidaalso visited NC State on Friday, meeting with students ranging from those in middle school to adults studying Japanese, and also saw the university’s Japan Center, which was established by former Gov. Jim Hunt and others

As for dairy products, U.S. producers are barred from selling milk from sick cows and must divert and destroy it. In addition, milk sold across state lines is required to be pasteurized, or heat-treated using a process that kills bacteria and viruses, including in uenza.

“We rmly believe that pasteurization provides a safe milk supply,” Tracey Forfa, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine told a webinar audience this week.

The FDA and the CDC are less certain about unpasteurized, or raw, milk sold in many states, and o cials said only dairy cows, not beef cattle, have been infected or shown signs of illness to date, meaning eating beef is safe.

The United Methodist Church traces its roots to 18th-century revivalist John Wesley and has long emphasized Christian piety, evangelism and social service. It has historically been present in almost every U.S. county, but it’s also the most international of the major U.S. Protestant denominations.

Generations of missionary efforts brought Methodism across the world. Local churches took root and grew dramatically, particularly in Africa.

Today, members from four continents vote at legislative gatherings, serve on boards together, go on mission trips to each others’ countries and are largely governed by the same rules. U.S. churches help fund international ministries, such as Africa University in Zimbabwe.

More than 7,600 U.S. congregations departed during a temporary window between 2019 and 2023 that enabled congregations to keep their properties — held in trust for the denomination — under relatively favorable legal terms, according to a UM News count.

That provision applied only to American churches. Some say the General Conference — running April 23 through May 3 — should approve one for other countries.

“Our main goal is to ensure that African and other United Methodist outside the U.S. have the same opportunity that United Methodists in the U.S. have had,” said the Rev. Thomas Lambrecht, vice president of the conservative advocacy group Good News.

in 1980 following a state trade mission to Tokyo. NC State has long, formal ties with Japan’s Nagoya University.

Earlier Friday, Kishida’s wife, Yuko, and North Carolina First Lady Kristin Cooper, shared a traditional Japanese tea at Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham.

The visit was not without political intrigue: Cooper did not invite Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson — a Republican who is facing Attorney General Josh Stein for the right to succeed Cooper as governor — to the State Lunch with Kishida. A spokesperson for Robinson said the lieutenant governor “received no communication” about the prime minister’s visit.

A.P. Dillon contributed to this report.

The Education Department on Tuesday led paperwork for a new regulation that would deliver the cancellation the Democratic president announced last week. The regulation has to go through a public comment period and another review before it can be nalized. The regulation is a more targeted proposal than the one the Supreme Court struck down last year. Conservative opponents are threatening to challenge the new plan, which seeks to cancel or reduce loans for 25 million Americans.

8-year-old girl killed, 10 wounded in Chicago shooting

Chicago

Eleven people standing outside a family gathering Saturday night were shot including a young girl who was killed in what Chicago police believe was gangrelated violence on the city’s South Side. Four victims were children, police said Sunday. An 8-year-old girl was fatally shot, while a 1-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy were each shot multiple times and listed in critical condition. A 9-year-old boy also was injured with a graze wound to his nger and hospitalized. The department’s Sunday statement updated the number of shooting victims to 11 from eight and gave new ages for the victims compared with a news conference late Saturday. No one was in custody Sunday.

German chancellor presses China on Russia, war

Beijing

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens global security, in an apparent call for China to apply greater pressure on its neighbor and close strategic partner to resolve the con ict. Scholz also said the use of nuclear weapons in the twoyear-old war should not even be threatened, according to a German government transcript of his brief remarks at the start of a meeting with Xi in the Chinese capital. China has previously refused to criticize the invasion.

Fire ravages

Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange

Copenhagen, Denmark

A re raged through one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings on Tuesday, causing the collapse of the iconic spire of the 17th-century Old Stock Exchange as passersby rushed to help emergency services save priceless paintings and other valuables. The re began Tuesday morning in the copper roof of the Old Stock Exchange, or Boersen, spread to much of the building and the roof, parts of which also collapsed, and destroyed the building’s interior, said a re ghters spokesperson. O cials said it was too early to say what caused the re.

CHARLIE LITCHFIELD / AP PHOTO

the highly pathogenic avian in uenza, or HPAI, that has killed millions of wild birds in recent years has been found in at least 24 dairy cow herds in eight U.S. states, including North Carolina.

catastrophe

shelter-in-place or stay-at-home majority of Americans normal.” end of this month.

we begin to get back to normal

The 3 big questions

The comfort

How China will pay for this COVID-19 catastrophe

China lied about the origin of the tried to tell the world there were only worldwide panic, economic collapse and being thrown out of work. taxpayer at least $2.4 trillion in added Reserve backup liquidity to the the U.S. dollar were not the reserve fund any of these emergency of rampant in ation and currency aberrant ways and decisions through Diplomacy has obviously not worked world of 21st century health, hygiene communist regimes never take the blame remorse, because that is not what take advantage of every weakness pushing until they win or the event happens such as the Chernobyl believe that event, not the Star Wars the dissolution of the Soviet Union Chernobyl. already talking about the possibility debt we owe them as one way to get they have caused the US. Don’t hold your “Jubilee” to happen but ask your elected accountable in tangible nancial ways for expected to operate as responsible citizens of nation.

Cooper stated during know yet” if the asked as to the vague ones like “we of this state who undetermined thousands of cases asked and then questions about asked, there is people to treat those start getting back are people who sick. levels become a bad society were supposed course, is my family. I’m worried I will. After 2009 pandemic, of this brings up prefer not to repeat. most everyone has

WALTER E. WILLIAMS

WITH MOST STATES under either shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders thanks to local or state governments, a majority of Americans are having to adjust to what is being called the “new normal.”

ONE THING IS CERTAIN; after this COVID-19 virus dissipates around the globe and in the United States, China will pay for this catastrophe one way or another.

fallen into place. I understand the seriousness of the virus and the need to take precautions, but I’m uneasy with how people who simply ask questions about the data, and when things can start getting back to normal are treated in some circles with contempt.

Perhaps COVID-19 is China’s Chernobyl.

They’re treated as though we as a society simply must accept without question what the government tells us about when it’s safe to begin the process of returning back to normalcy.

Fixing college corruption

n.c. FAST FACTS

AMERICA’S COLLEGES are rife with corruption. The nancial squeeze resulting from COVID-19 o ers opportunities for a bit of remediation. Let’s rst examine what might be the root of academic corruption, suggested by the title of a recent study, “Academic Grievance Studies and the Corruption of Scholarship.” The study was done by Areo, an opinion and analysis digital magazine. By the way, Areo is short for Areopagitica, a speech delivered by John Milton in defense of free speech.

business & economy

No. The government works for us, and we have the right to ask those questions. And the longer stay-at-home orders are in place all over the country, and the stricter some of them get in states, such as Michigan, the more people, sitting at home feeling isolated and/or anxious about when they can get back to providing for their families, will demand answers.

Leaders at the local and state levels should be as forthcoming as they can be with those answers — and again, not vague answers, but answer with details that give their statements believability.

Sponsored by Sponsored by App oved Logos

Japan’s impact in N.C.

North Carolina has long been a favored location for Japanese industries, as highlighted by the recent visit by the country’s prime minister, Fumio Kishada, last week. The state’s economic ties with Japan are deep, evidenced by the diverse stable of companies that are Japanese-owned but have substantial and long-standing locations in the Tarheel State.

Not one little bit.

Authors Helen Pluckrose, James A. Lindsay and Peter Boghossian say that something has gone drastically wrong in academia, especially within certain elds within the humanities. They call these elds “grievance studies,” where scholarship is not so much based upon nding truth but upon attending to social grievances. Grievance scholars bully students, administrators and other departments into adhering to their worldview. The worldview they promote is neither scienti c nor rigorous. Grievance studies consist of disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, gender studies, queer studies, sexuality and critical race studies.

In order to put the crisis caused by China in perspective, zero worldwide pandemics can trace their source to the United States over our 231-year history. At least four in the 20th century alone can be directly traced to China: 1957 “Asian u,” 1968 “Hong Kong u,” 1977 “Russian u” and the 2002 SARS outbreak. There is evidence that the massive 1918 “Spanish u” pandemic also had its origins in China.

Virginia’s stay-at-home orders go into June.

We should all continue to do what we can to keep our families, ourselves, and our communities safe. But we should also still continue to ask questions about the data, because while reasonable stay-at-home measures are understandable, they should also have an expiration date.

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a bad thing? That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed to do, last I checked.

This is all new to Americans, and it is not normal. Not in any way, shape, or form. So while we should remain vigilant and stay safe, at the same time we shouldn’t get comfortable with this so-called “new normal.”

According to the o ce of the Consulate-General of Japan in Atlanta, there are more than 200 Japanese-a liated companies in N.C. employing over 30,000 workers, according to data released by Gov. Roy Cooper during the visit. Since 2018, Japanese companies have announced more than $8 billion in investment in N.C., according to data from The Economic Development Partnership for N.C. (EDPNC).

In 2017 and 2018, authors Pluckrose, Lindsay and Boghossian started submitting bogus academic papers to academic journals in cultural, queer, race, gender, fat and sexuality studies to determine if they would pass peer review and be accepted for publication. Acceptance of dubious research that journal editors found sympathetic to their intersectional or postmodern leftist vision of the world would prove the problem of low academic standards.

The relationship is a two-way street. In 2022, North Carolina exported goods worth $2.81 billion to Japan, making it one of the state’s largest export markets. The state also imported more than $1 billion in pharmaceuticals, wood and chemicals from Japan in 2022, according to EDPNC.

This economic interaction is supported by a variety of cultural and educational organizations throughout the state.

seriousness of the virus and the need uneasy with how people who simply ask when things can start getting back to with contempt. a society simply must accept without tells us about when it’s safe to begin the normalcy. us, and we have the right to ask those stay-at-home orders are in place all over the them get in states, such as Michigan, feeling isolated and/or anxious about providing for their families, will demand levels should be as forthcoming as they again, not vague answers, but answer statements believability. what we can to keep our families, safe. But we should also still continue because while reasonable stay-at-home they should also have an expiration date. and it is not normal. Not in any way, should remain vigilant and stay safe, at comfortable with this so-called “new

Several of the fake research papers were accepted for publication. The Fat Studies journal published a hoax paper that argued the term bodybuilding was exclusionary and should be replaced with “fat bodybuilding, as a fat-inclusive politicized performance.” One reviewer said, “I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article and believe it has an important contribution to make to the eld and this journal.”

Duke University’s Asian/ Paci c Studies Institute (APSI) in Durham is a signi cant academic hub, focusing on research and education about the Asia-Paci c region.

Various social clubs also enrich the cultural landscape. The Fayetteville and Jacksonville Okinawa Kenjin Kai are vibrant communities for individuals of Okinawan descent. In Charlotte, Ikebana International promotes the traditional Japanese art of ower arranging while also using this cultural practice to build bridges across communities through their motto, “Friendship through Flowers.”

under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah RedState and Legal Insurrection.

The Raleigh area is home to the Japanese-American Cultural Exchange and a church-based social organization that o ers educational programs in English, origami, Japanese cooking and the strategic game of Go. These programs not only assist in cultural integration but also provide a social outlet for Japanese residents.

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

The Japanese Association in Charlotte, established in 1980, organizes cultural and sporting events, including the Charlotte Bon Odori Festival. Further educational support is provided by Japanese language schools in Charlotte and Raleigh, which cater primarily to children of Japanese expatriates, ensuring they remain connected to their cultural roots.

Some of these orders extend at least through the end of this month.

Here in North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper stated during a recent coronavirus press brie ng that “we just don’t know yet” if state’s stay-at-home orders will extend into May.

THIS WEEK, according to members of and state and local governments, Americans the curve in the novel coronavirus outbreak. muted — after all, trends can easily reverse have abided by recommendations and orders. to stay at home; they’ve practiced social distancing; they’ve donned masks.

There is 100% agreement, outside of China, that COVID-19 originated in Wuhan Province probably from the completely unregulated and unsanitary wet markets. Some believe it came out of a biowarfare lab run by the communist Chinese army.

Until China adopts rigorous veri able policing and regulation of their food safety and health protocols, American business has no other choice than to build redundant manufacturing plants elsewhere purely for national security and safety reasons as well as supply and delivery reliability concerns.

The cavalier manner in virus, covered up its spread 3,341 related deaths has millions of Americans needlessly The crisis has cost the debt plus trillions more in markets and nancial outlets. currency, we would not be measures without immediate depreciation.

The North Carolina Japan Center in Raleigh acts as a statewide resource for fostering relationships between Japan and North Carolina. Established in 1980, the Center supports academic, economic, scienti c and cultural exchanges. David Robinson, of the law rm Maynard Nexsen, serves as honorary consul to Japan.

We need transparency and honesty from our scienti c experts — we need to know what they know, what they don’t and when they hope to know what they don’t.

The NHL has bounced back from the COVID pandemic in a big way

By Stephen Whyno The Associated Press

“Our Struggle Is My Struggle: Solidarity Feminism as an Intersectional Reply to Neoliberal and Choice Feminism,” was accepted for publication by A lia, a feminist journal for social workers. The paper consisted in part of a rewritten passage from Mein Kampf. Two other hoax papers were published, including “Rape Culture and Queer Performativity at Urban Dog Parks.” This paper’s subject was dog-on-dog rape. But the dog rape paper eventually forced Boghossian, Pluckrose and Lindsay to prematurely out themselves. A Wall Street Journal writer had gured out what they were doing.

Some papers accepted for publication in academic journals advocated training men like dogs and punishing white male college students for historical slavery by asking them to sit in silence on the oor in chains during class and to be expected to learn from the discomfort. Other papers celebrated morbid obesity as a healthy life choice and advocated treating privately conducted masturbation as a form of sexual violence against women. Typically, academic journal editors send submitted papers out to referees for review. In recommending acceptance for publication, many reviewers gave these papers glowing praise.

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a bad thing?

That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed to do, last I checked.

NEW YORK — Arenas are full, the NHL is a xture on TV screens across North America, highlight-reel goals are talking points on a near-daily basis, and “The Pat McAfee Show” even has a segment called “Hockey is Awesome.” Piece it all together, and more eyes are on the puck than ever before with the playo s beginning this weekend.

Business is booming for the NHL, which has bounced back in a major way from the pandemic. Backstopped by new media rights deals, digital dasher boards and helmet and jersey ads, and buoyed by an overlap

Political scientist Zach Goldberg ran certain grievance studies concepts through the Lexis/Nexis database, to see how often they appeared in our press over the years. He found huge increases in the usages of “white privilege,” “unconscious bias,” “critical race theory” and “whiteness.” All of this is being taught to college students, many of whom become primary and secondary school teachers who then indoctrinate our young people.

The Piedmont and Triangle regions also feature organizations such as the Piedmont Japanese Business Association and the Triangle Japanese Business Association, which support Japanese businesses locally. The cultural scene is enriched by clubs like the Triangle Bonsai Society and the Triangle Chanoyu Club, which promote traditional arts like bonsai and the tea ceremony.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

A new kind of battery promises to be more powerful, cheaper, safer and faster than lithium-ion batteries

By Yuri Kageyama The Associated Press

I doubt whether the coronaviruscaused nancial crunch will give college and university administrators, who are a crossbreed between a parrot and jelly sh, the guts and backbone to restore academic respectability. Far too often, they get much of their political support from campus grievance people who are members of the faculty and diversity and multicultural administrative o ces.

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Nissan expects to mass produce electric vehicles powered by advanced next-generation batteries by early 2029, the company said Tuesday during a media tour of an un nished pilot plant.

Japan’s legacy automakers have fallen behind newer rivals like America’s Tesla and China’s BYD in the emerging all-electric auto sector.

The best hope lies with boards of trustees, though many serve as yes-men for the university president. I think that a good start would be to nd 1950s or 1960s catalogs. Look at the course o erings at a time when college graduates knew how to read, write and compute, and make them today’s curricula. Another helpful tool would be to give careful consideration to eliminating all classes/majors/minors containing the word “studies,” such as women, Asian, black or queer studies. I’d bet that by restoring the traditional academic mission to colleges, they would put a serious dent into the COVID-19 budget shortfall.

But Nissan, like other companies, sees a chance to catch up and perhaps leap ahead with a new kind of battery that promises to be more powerful, cheaper, safer and faster to charge than the lithium-ion batteries in use today.

If he does decide to extend it, questions should be asked as to the justi cation for it. And the answers should not be vague ones like “we must do this out of an abundance of caution.”

The result: a reduction in expected hospitalization

According to the University of Washington Metrics and Evaluation model most oft cited Trump administration, the expected need peak outbreak was revised down by over 120,000, ventilators by nearly 13,000 and the number August by nearly 12,000.

“THIS IS in it” (Psalm I know that working from be glad” as the and dad, the have to be thankful pandemic. For me, my making. As Corinthians a iction, so a iction, with God.”

It will need to be explained in detail to the people of this state who are being told to remain jobless and at home for an undetermined amount of time why models predicting hundreds of thousands of cases are reliable.

The most direct way to make China “pay” for this disaster is to o er U.S. tax credits to companies who will source at least half of their production back in the United States. There is approximately $120 billion worth of American direct investment in plants and equipment in China. Chinese direct investment in the U.S. is about $65 billion by comparison.

China has to pay for their economic and nancial means. to bring China into the civilized and fair trade. Totalitarian or express sincere regret totalitarian governments they nd in adversaries and adversaries push back.

To date, I’ve gone along with what the state has asked and then mandated that we do, but along the way I’ve also had questions about the data. State Republican leaders have, too.

Here’s the problem: We still don’t know questions that will allow the economy to reopen.

An investment tax credit of 30% on half of U.S. investment in China today, or $60 billion, applied to repatriated American manufacturing investment to the U.S. would cost the U.S. Treasury $18 billion in tax revenue spread over a few years. $18 billion in lost revenue is decimal dust compared to the $6 trillion+ Marshall Plan we are now undertaking to save our own economy, not of defeated enemies as in the past.

Lenten and Easter seasons provide a message of hope that we will once again enjoy sporting events, concerts, family gatherings, church services and many more after our own temporary sacri ces are over.

That is, unless an exogenous meltdown in 1986. Some program of Reagan, led directly in 1989.

First, what is the true coronavirus fatality important because it determines whether be open or closed, whether we ought to pursue more liberalized society that presumes wide ought to lock down further.

Unfortunately, when certain types of questions get asked, there sometimes a disturbing tendency among some people to treat those simply questioning the data and asking when we can start getting to normal as though they are conspiracy theorists or are people who otherwise don’t care if they get themselves or others sick.

If you are re ect on this God’s example this di cult con dent we In this same neighbors helping In Concord, money to buy health care workers

Perhaps COVID-19 is China’s Senators in Washington of China forgiving $1.2 trillion China to “pay” for the damage breath waiting for a Chinese representatives to hold China this disaster.

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a bad thing? That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed to do, last I checked.

My rst concern as we go along in all this, of course, is my family. worried about them catching the virus, and I’m worried I will. After su ering from the H1N1 virus (swine u) during the 2009 pandemic, I’ve been trying to take extra precautions, because all of this brings way too many memories of a painful experience I’d prefer not to repeat.

We’ve seen case fatality rates — the number the number of identi ed COVID-19 cases and the denominator are likely wrong. We people have actually died of coronavirus. number has been overestimated, given that of death, particularly among elderly patients, sources suggest the number is dramatically many people are dying at home.

China has been cheating, stealing, pirating and pillaging American business now for the past 30 years. They have made no secret that they intend to replace the U.S. as the premier superpower in the world and replace the dollar as the reserve currency with their renminbi.

It is about time they are the world like any other modern

But what also makes me lose sleep is how easily most everyone has

Even more importantly, we have no clue actually have coronavirus. Some scientists of identi ed cases could be an order of magnitude number of people who have had coronavirus

Ja

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON

It’s okay to ask questions about when we begin to get back to normal

The comfort and hope

WITH MOST STATES under either shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders thanks to local or state governments, a majority of Americans are having to adjust to what is being called the “new normal.”

Hockey’s net gains

“THIS IS THE DAY the lord has made, in it” (Psalm 118:24).

Some of these orders extend at least through the end of this month. Virginia’s stay-at-home orders go into June.

Here in North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper stated during a recent coronavirus press brie ng that “we just don’t know yet” if the state’s stay-at-home orders will extend into May.

of generational stars, ratings are up, attendance is on track for a record and revenue is at an alltime high — an estimated $6.2 billion annually.

“never been more exciting, more competitive, more skillful, never been faster.” There are nearly six goals a game on average, and while Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are still producing, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon are in their prime with another wave of talent led by the likes of Connor Bedard not far behind.

I know that during this challenging time working from home or losing a job, it may be glad” as the Bible tells us to do. However, and dad, the Easter holiday has reminded have to be thankful and hopeful for, even pandemic.

If he does decide to extend it, questions should be asked as to the justi cation for it. And the answers should not be vague ones like “we must do this out of an abundance of caution.”

“The league is going through a bit of a renaissance.”

It will need to be explained in detail to the people of this state who are being told to remain jobless and at home for an undetermined amount of time why models predicting hundreds of thousands of cases are reliable.

Tom Gargiulo, chief marketing o cer at Bodyarmor

fallen into place. I understand to take precautions, but I’m questions about the data, normal are treated in some They’re treated as though question what the government process of returning back No. The government works questions. And the longer country, and the stricter the more people, sitting at when they can get back to answers.

For me, my faith is an important part of making. As I celebrated Easter with my family, Corinthians 1:4, which reminds us our Lord a iction, so that we may be able to comfort a iction, with the comfort which we ourselves God.”

Sun Belt teams like the Hurricanes are showing that winning leads to full buildings. Carolina, considered one of the Stanley Cup favorites, is about to embark on its sixth straight season in the playo s, and the team sold out all 41 of its regular season home games this year.

To date, I’ve gone along with what the state has asked and then mandated that we do, but along the way I’ve also had questions about the data. State Republican leaders have, too.

“The league is going through a bit of a renaissance,” said Tom Gargiulo, chief marketing ocer at Bodyarmor, whose deal to be the NHL’s o cial sports drink is the latest sponsorship agreement inked in recent years. “This sport is moving into the next phase of its evolution and is on a tremendous trajectory.”

Lenten and Easter seasons provide a message of hope that we will once again enjoy sporting events, concerts, family gatherings, church services and many more after our own temporary sacri ces are over.

Showcasing star players better than before in the team- rst sport has helped. League ocials are quick to credit ESPN and Turner for buying in, and viewership is up 7% for the most-watched NHL season on cable in 30 years. “We’ve seen an in ux and a growth of female fans, diverse fans,” senior vice president of North American business development Kyle McMann said. “They’re nding our product, they’re falling in love with it, they’re starting to watch more.”

cades since the experiment of the glowing puck, experts credited the league for attracting and retaining a bigger audience in a crowded sports marketplace.

Unfortunately, when certain types of questions get asked, there is sometimes a disturbing tendency among some people to treat those simply questioning the data and asking when we can start getting back to normal as though they are conspiracy theorists or are people who otherwise don’t care if they get themselves or others sick.

If you are celebrating the Easter season, re ect on this message and be comforted, God’s example and comfort all those in need this di cult time. Through faith and by helping con dent we will emerge out of this pandemic

In this same spirit, I continue to be inspired neighbors helping neighbors.

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a bad thing? That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed to do, last I checked.

My rst concern as we go along in all this, of course, is my family. I’m worried about them catching the virus, and I’m worried I will. After su ering from the H1N1 virus (swine u) during the 2009 pandemic, I’ve been trying to take extra precautions, because all of this brings up way too many memories of a painful experience I’d prefer not to repeat.

Commissioner Gary Bettman says it starts with the game on the ice, which he believes has

“They keep doing stu that’s innovative to keep their audience engaged,” said Lauren Anderson, director of the Warsaw Sports Business Center at the University of Oregon. “The NHL could’ve fallen back on being pretty traditional, and I think they haven’t been afraid to try some things and pivot even when it didn’t work.”

Leaders at the local and can be with those answers with details that give their We should all continue ourselves, and our communities to ask questions about the measures are understandable, This is all new to Americans, shape, or form. So while the same time we shouldn’t normal.”

In Concord, a high school senior named money to buy a 3-D printer and plastic to health care workers out of his own home.

Not one little bit.

Stacey Matthews has also and is a regular contributor

Salvatore Galatioto, who runs a sports nance and advisory rm and is a marketing profes-

But what also makes me lose sleep is how easily most everyone has

Trying new things, including puck and player tracking and cartoon versions of games to draw in younger fans, has set the table for this success. De-

See HOCKEY, page A11

Nissan will make next-generation EV batteries by 2029

See NISSAN, page A10

GERRY BROOME / AP PHOTO

Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour, left, answers questions during his introductory press conference with Hurricanes owner and CEO Tom Dundon in May 2018.

States weigh protections for pesticide critical to agriculture

The manufacturer of Roundup is seeking to squelch claims it failed to warn about cancer

By Hannah Fingerhut and David A. Lieb

Press

Associated

The

DES MOINES, Iowa — Stung by paying billions of dollars for settlements and trials, chemical giant Bayer has been lobbying lawmakers in three states to pass bills providing it a legal shield from lawsuits that claim its popular weedkiller Roundup causes cancer.

Nearly identical bills introduced in Iowa, Missouri and Idaho this year would protect pesticide companies from claims they failed to warn that their product causes cancer if their labels otherwise complied with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations.

But legal experts warn the legislation could have broader consequences — extending to any product liability claim or, in Iowa’s case, providing immunity from lawsuits of any kind. Critics say it could spread nationwide.

“It’s just not good government to give a company immunity for things that they’re not telling their consumers,” said Matt Clement, a Je erson City, Missouri, attorney who

represents people suing Bayer. “If they’re successful in getting this passed in Missouri, I think they’ll be trying to do this all over the country.” Bayer described the legislation as one strategy to address the “headwinds” it faces. About 167,000 legal claims against Bayer assert Roundup causes a cancer called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which Bayer disputes. The company has won some cases, and settled many others but also has suffered several losses in which juries awarded huge initial judgments. It has paid about $10 billion while thousands of claims linger in court.

Though some studies asso -

ciate Roundup’s key ingredient with cancer, the EPA has regularly concluded it is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.

The costs of “defending a safe, approved product” are unsustainable, said Jess Christiansen, head of communications for Bayer’s crop science division.

The legislation was introduced in targeted states pivotal to Bayer’s Roundup operations and is at a di erent stage in each. It passed the Iowa Senate, is awaiting debate in the Missouri House and was defeated in Idaho, where this year’s legislative session ended.

Farmers overwhelmingly rely on Roundup, which was intro -

duced 50 years ago as a more e cient way to control weeds and reduce tilling and soil erosion. For crops like corn, soybeans and cotton, it’s designed to work with genetically modied seeds that resist Roundup’s deadly e ect.

Missouri state Rep. Dane Diehl, a farmer who worked with Bayer to sponsor the legislation, cited concerns that costly lawsuits could force Bayer to pull Roundup from the U.S. market, leaving farmers to depend on alternative chemicals from China.

“This product, ultimately, is a tool that we need,” said Diehl, a Republican.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, said in an email the legislation maintains the integrity of the regulatory process and, without it, “Iowa risks losing hundreds of jobs” in Muscatine, an eastern Iowa city where Roundup is mostly produced.

Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, is derived from phosphate mined in Idaho. And St. Louis is the headquarters of its North America crop science division, acquired in its 2018 purchase of Monsanto. Because of that, many of the lawsuits are led in Missouri.

Led by Bayer, a coalition of agricultural organizations called Modern Ag Alliance is also spending tens of thousands of dollars on radio and print advertisements claiming that trial lawyers and litigation threaten the availability of glyphosate.

On its website, the group asserts that at risk are 500 jobs connected to glyphosate production in Iowa and 800 jobs in Idaho.

Bayer stopped short of

threatening closures. The Iowa facilities, including in Muscatine, “are very critical facilities to our business, so we’ll remain at some sort of support level,” Christiansen said.

At issue in the lawsuits and legislation is how Bayer – and any other pesticide company — communicates with consumers about the safety of its products. Companies are required to register products with the EPA, which evaluates — and then reevaluates every 15 years — a pesticide and its label. The EPA reiterated in 2020 that glyphosate used as directed posed no health risks to humans. But a federal appeals court panel in 2022 ruled that decision “was not supported by substantial evidence” and ordered the EPA to review further.

The debate over glyphosate escalated when a 2015 report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, said it’s “probably carcinogenic to humans” based on “limited” evidence of cancer in people and “su cient” evidence in study animals.

Based on that international report, California sought to add a cancer warning label to products containing glyphosate. But a federal appeals court ruled against California last November, concluding such a warning wasn’t factual.

Christiansen emphasized that many regulatory agencies worldwide agree with the EPA and insisted Bayer has to stick to EPA labeling to ensure it isn’t providing false or misleading information. She added that the company is transparent in the information it does provide.

UK lawmakers to vote on gradually phasing out smoking

Most of Britain’s tobacco imports come from other European nations

By Sylvia Hui The Associated Press

LONDON — A plan by Britain’s government to introduce a landmark smoking ban that aims to stop young people from ever smoking is expected to clear its rst hurdle on Tuesday, despite vocal opposition from within Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party.

The bill, a key policy announced by Sunak last year, will make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after Jan. 1, 2009. It has the support of the opposition Labour Party and is expected to pass. But Sunak faces rebellion from more libertarian-minded members of his party who criticized the proposals as “unconservative.”

If passed, the bill will give Britain some of the toughest anti-smoking measures in the world. Authorities say it will create modern Britain’s “ rst smoke-free generation.”

Under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, children turning 15 this year or younger will never be legally sold tobacco. The legal age of sale that people in England can buy cigarettes will be raised by one year, every year until it is eventually illegal for the whole population.

The bill also includes measures to crack down on youth vaping, such as banning the sale of cheap disposable vapes and restricting their avors to prevent children from becoming addicted to nicotine.

It is currently illegal for anyone to sell cigarettes or tobacco products and vapes to people under 18 years old throughout the U.K.

Opponents, such as the smokers’ rights lobbying group FOREST, said the move risks creating a black market and will “treat future generations of adults like kids.” Prominent voices within the Conservative Party, including two of Sunak’s predecessors Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, said the plans went against conservative values by limiting people’s personal freedoms.

The bill was a “virtue-signalling piece of legislation about protecting adults from themselves in the future,” Truss told Parliament during Tuesday’s debate.

Despite the opposition, the bill was expected to comfortably clear its rst hurdle in the House of Commons when lawmakers vote on it later Tuesday.

The plans were believed to have been inspired by similar policies proposed by New Zealand under former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, but the country’s new coalition government repealed the bill earlier this year. The government said that smoking won’t be criminalized, and the phased changes mean that anyone who can legally buy cigarettes now won’t be prevented from doing so in the future.

The number of people who smoke in the U.K. has declined by two-thirds since the 1970s, but some 6.4 million people in the country — or about 13% of the population — still smoke, according to o cial gures. Authorities say smoking causes some 80,000 deaths a year in the U.K, and remains the number one preventable cause of death, disability and poor health.

Outlook for world economy brighter but modest by historical standards

The International Monetary Fund expects the U.S. economy to grow slower than the global economy

By Paul Wiseman

Press

Associated

The

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The International Monetary Fund has upgraded its outlook for the global economy this year, saying the world appears headed for a “soft landing” — reining in in ation without much economic pain and producing steady if modest growth.

The IMF now envisions 3.2% worldwide expansion this year, up a tick from the 3.1% it had predicted in January and matching 2023’s pace. And it foresees a third straight year of 3.2% growth in 2025.

In its latest outlook, the IMF, a 190-country lending organization, notes that the global expansion is being powered by unexpectedly strong growth in the United States, the world’s largest

HOCKEY from page A9

sor at Columbia, said the league has done a good job reaching beyond traditional markets, overcoming some of the unavoidable shortcomings of being expensive to play. “It’s not rocket science: It’s the number of eyeballs watching your product,” he said. “They have done a really good job of expanding their fanbase, and that’s the key.”

economy. The IMF expects the U.S. economy to grow 2.7% this year, an upgrade from the 2.1% it had predicted in January and faster than a solid 2.5% expansion in 2023.

Though sharp price increases remain an obstacle across the world, the IMF foresees global in ation tumbling from 6.8% last year to 5.9% in 2024 and 4.5% next year. In the world’s advanced economies alone, the organization envisions in ation falling from 4.6% in 2023 to 2.6% this year and 2% in 2025, brought down by the e ects of higher interest rates.

The Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England have all sharply raised rates with the aim of slowing in ation to around 2%. In the U.S., yearover-year in ation is down from a peak of 9.1% in the summer of 2022 to 3.5%. Still, U.S. in ation remains persistently above the Fed’s target level, which will likely delay any rate cuts by the U.S. central bank.

Globally, higher borrowing rates had been widely expected to cause severe economic pain — even a recession — including in the U.S. But it hasn’t happened. Growth and hiring have endured even as in ation has decelerated.

“The global economy continues to display remarkable resilience,” Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, the IMF’s chief economist, told reporters Tuesday. “Most indicators continue to point to a soft landing.”

Still, Gourinchas noted that progress against in ation appears to have “stalled” so far this year and that the pace of price increases for services, such as health care and auto repairs, was proving especially stubborn.

Though the world economy is showing unexpected resilience, it isn’t exactly strong. From 2000 through 2019, global economic growth had averaged 3.8% — much higher than the 3.2% IMF forecasts for this year and next. Keeping a lid on the world’s growth prospects are the continued high interest rates, along

with sluggish gains in productivity in much of the world and the withdrawal of government economic aid that was rolled out during the pandemic.

The IMF warns the economic expansion could be thrown o by the continuing adverse e ects of higher rates and by geopolitical tensions, including the war in Gaza, that risk disrupting trade and raising energy and other prices.

China, the world’s No. 2 economy, has been struggling with the collapse of its real estate market, depressed consumer and business con dence, and rising trade tensions with other major nations. The IMF expects the Chinese economy, which once regularly generated double-digit annual growth, to slow from 5.2% in 2023 to 4.6% in 2024 to 4.1% next year.

On Tuesday, Beijing reported China’s economy expanded at a faster-than-expected pace in the rst three months of the year, fueled by policies that are intended to stimulate growth and demand.

The Chinese economy expanded at a 5.3% annual pace in January-March, surpassing analysts’ forecasts of about 4.8%. Compared with the previous quarter, the economy grew 1.6%.

Japan’s economy, the world’s fourth-largest, having lost the No. 3 spot to Germany last year, is expected to slow from 1.9% last year to 0.9% in 2024.

Among the 20 countries that use the euro currency, the IMF expects growth of just 0.8% this year — weak but double the eurozone’s 2023 expansion. The United Kingdom is expected to make slow economic progress, with growth rising from 0.1% last year to 0.5% in 2024 and 1.5% next year.

In the developing world, India is expected to continue outgrowing China, though the expansion in the world’s fth-largest economy will slow, from 7.8% last year to 6.8% this year and 6.5% in 2025.

The IMF foresees a steady but slow acceleration of growth in sub-Saharan Africa — from 3.4% last year to 3.8% in 2024 to 4.1% next year.

In Latin America, the economies of Brazil and Mexico are expected to decelerate through 2025. Brazil is likely to be hobbled by interest high rates and Mexico by government budget cuts.

Chief NHL Content O cer Steve Mayer has made that his life’s work since joining in 2016, coming up with new and di erent ways to present a more-thancentury-old sport, from the 2020 playo bubble to outdoor games and a reimagined All-Star weekend.

“We’re not here to change the game,” Mayer said. “We’re here to enhance what is out there and to get it in front of more people because we know that if people watch our game, they’re going to fall in love with it.”

Youth hockey has exploded in North Carolina, and this is the second straight spring that a brief high school season — not yet sanctioned by the schools and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association — has been formed in the Triangle. Eighteen teams — a dozen made up of players exclusively from their high schools plus six blended teams — will play into the summer.

Central to the game are the players, and none of this would be possible without a constructive working relationship with the NHL Players’ Association, which may be at its most cooperative stage in decades. The league and union found common ground in extending the collective bargaining agreement through 2026, getting back to the Olympics and launching another international competition next year featuring the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland.

“It’s a key to moving forward,” union executive director Marty Walsh said. “When I rst started, I had a conversation with Gary Bettman, and our teams talked about working together and

growing hockey-related revenue, growing the sport. ... We’re all vested in one direction.”

The NHL still has work to do to catch up with the NFL ($18.6 billion in revenue in 2022), NBA ($10.6 billion) and Major League Baseball ($11.6 billion), but it’s not unrealistic to think $10 billion is attainable before the end of the decade.

“We plan on getting there — how and when, obviously, will take some time,” chief business o cer Keith Wachtel said. “Looking at hockey a bit di erently than perhaps it was looked at a decade ago. It’s still the ultimate team sport, but we have such great players and personalities.”

One challenge is getting fans who are focused on their own team to watch others. There’s evidence that is also starting to turn, with Bedard (Chicago) and Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers) jerseys the highest-selling this season and good ratings even when Canadian teams are on national television in the U.S.

Executive VP Marketing Brian Jennings, who has been at the NHL for 33 years, said there is no shortage of people “knocking on the door” to get in on the boom.

“The constellation of those stars have aligned,” Jennings said. “When we look at our glide path and say, ‘Hey, how bright is the future?’ It’s really bright.”

60 years on, Mustang still an American icon

By Jordan Golson North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — On April 17, 1964, at the New York World’s Fair, Ford unveiled its all-new Mustang.

Ford Vice President Lee Iacocca, an auto executive almost as iconic as the car he introduced, had teased the Mustang a few months earlier in a press release that read: “The new line of cars will be called the Mustang ... no further details on the new car line will be revealed until the time of its public introduction.”

In an industry as famous for its ops as its hits, it’s impressive to see any nameplate last 60 years, much less one as enduringly iconic as the Ford Mustang.

Starting at $2,368 in ’64 — about the cost of the upgraded tire package on the ’24 car or $24,000 in today’s dollars — the Mustang was almost in nitely customizable. Depending on the owner’s desires, it could be made more sporty or more luxurious. It could be a family car with spacious backseats or a teenager’s dream makeout vehicle. It had the longest list of options ever o ered on a car from Detroit, which was the Mustang’s other signi cant contribution to automotive history.

Ford execs hoped it could sell 100,000 of the car named for a ghter plane in its rst year of production, which would be a decent hit for the boys from Dearborn. They sold 22,000 on the rst day.

Within three years, GM and Chrysler came chasing with the Challenger and Camaro, and Steve McQueen made it clear that the competition was always a step or two behind.

The Mustang remains a classic, enduring and jaw-dropping even today. There’s a reason “Gone in 60 Seconds” cast a ’67 Fastback as Eleanor in both the original and the remake. Everyone instinctively knew, even with zero car knowledge, that Mustang was special. “You have a vehicle that’s al-

ready a hit, and it gets used in movies and gets even cooler,” automotive historian Colin Comer told me in an article I wrote for WIRED about the 50th anni-

versary of the Mustang. “You too can be like Steve McQueen! They picked it because it was a car that Steve McQueen would drive.”

It hasn’t been all glitz and glamour and Hollywood starlets. The ’74 Mustang failed to live up to its name. Based on the Pinto, it was slow and, worse, not very pretty. But then the Fox body Mustang showed up in 1979, really hitting its stride with the GT in 1982. That car cemented the Mustang’s place as a cultural icon, especially for 40ish millennials like me. Sure, Vanilla Ice (who rapped about dropping the top on his “ ve-point-oh”) ain’t no Steve McQueen, but the green-backlit instrument cluster remains so well-known that Ford included it as a notso-secret Easter Egg in the latest generation Mustang (which comes standard with a pair of giant digital screens, which Bullitt de nitely didn’t have).

The seventh-generation Mustang was released last year, and I adore it, not least because Ford — unlike GM and Dodge — had the courage to buck the EV proponents and release a (mostly) new one. There’s a new performance version called Dark Horse with more than a whi of McQueen about it, and Ford is teasing something even cooler for a big 60th-anniversary party Wednesday in Charlotte.

A few years back, Ford built its 10 millionth Mustang — a white unit that lives at the Ford Archives in Dearborn — and it’s di cult to imagine a car that’s generated more memories.

Sure, Toyota has sold 50 million Corollas (I was taken aback when I looked up that particular number), but that practical, reliable workhorse doesn’t make the heart skip a beat like the pony car.

Mustang enthusiasts might decry the 2024’s “base” 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine as “underpowered,” but they look pretty foolish doing it.

The 1982 GT (with that venerable 5.0L V8) made 157 horsepower, but the entry-level 2024 Mustang gallops out 315 horsepower. Shockingly, one only has to return to the 2010 Mustang GT’s 4.6L V8 to equal that. And the Dark Horse makes a whopping 500 horsepower, putting even Eleanor to shame (at least under the hood).

Sixty years later, the Mustang is as American as ever, even if tastes have changed a bit. It’s no longer the family car it once was, though it starts around $30,000, so it remains (somewhat) a ordable. More than that, though, nostalgia is strong these days as Americans search for something familiar and comforting to grab hold of.

And what’s more familiar than the most iconic car America has ever made?

PHOTOS COURTESY FORD

College basketball transfer portal update, B3

Sche er unstoppable at Augusta, wins another Masters green jacket

MLS Charlotte FC rallies for win over Toronto

Patrick Agyemang scored in the 85th minute to help Charlotte FC pull out a 3-2 victory Saturday over Toronto FC. Agyemang used an assist from Brecht Dejaegere to score his second goal this season and the third of his career. Agyemang has made ve starts and 19 appearances over two seasons with Charlotte (3-3-2), which extended its unbeaten run at home to 13 matches dating to last season. Prince Owusu scored both goals for Toronto (3-4-1).

MLB Naylor brothers homer in same inning on Sibling Day

Josh Naylor and younger brother, Bo, hit home runs in the same inning last Wednesday, on National Siblings Day, for the Cleveland Guardians. They also both drove in 10th-inning runs to give Cleveland the win. Josh, a Greensboro Grasshopper in 2016, hit a solo homer with one out in the fourth. Bo smashed a two-run shot two batters later. They also homered in the same inning last July and are the 13th pair of brothers to homer in the same game as teammates.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Former Duke coach Sloan dies Steve Sloan, who won two national championships as a player for Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama, died at age 79 over the weekend. After backing up Joe Namath with the Crimson Tide, Sloan had a brief stint in the NFL as a quarterback. He went on to coach in college football from 1973 to 1986, spending two seasons at Vanderbilt, three at Texas Tech and ve at Ole Miss. He nished his coaching career by coaching Duke from 1983 to 1986. His nal two seasons were the best

The top player in the world remains dominant in getting his second Masters win

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Scottie Sche er spent more time looking at his feet than any of the white leaderboards at Augusta National, all of them showing what everyone was watching — a Masters champion again, the undisputed best player in golf. He prefers to stay in his own little world, population one.

Nobody is close to him in the game at the moment.

Sche er is No. 1 in the world by a margin not seen since Tiger Woods in his prime. In nine tournaments this year, he doesn’t have a round over par and has earned over $15 mil-

lion. And on Sunday, he delivered the greatest piece of evidence when he slipped into that green jacket.

Sche er pulled ahead with

magni cent shots around the turn, poured it on along the back nine as his challengers melted away with mistakes and closed with a 4-under 68 to claim his

second Masters in three years with a four-shot victory.

“I had a lot of really talented players trying to chase me down, and I knew pars weren’t going to get it done,” Sche er said.

Unlike two years ago when he won his rst major, there were no doubts Sunday morning, no tears, and no wife to reassure him he was built for a moment like this. His wife, Meredith, was home in Dallas expecting their rst child at the end of the month.

Sche er made sure there was no drama, either.

Much like Woods he made the outcome look inevitable with sublime control, the difference being a peach shirt instead of Sunday red, and no st pumps until it was over.

After sharing hugs with caddie Ted Scott and Collin Mori-

See MASTERS, page B4

NFL Draft preview for North Carolina’s prospects

Draft projections for North Carolina’s former college football athletes

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

ONLY ONE week remains until numerous players from North Carolina’s college football programs nd their place on the next level. The 2024 NFL Draft, taking place in Detroit, will start with the rst round on April 25 at 8 p.m. followed by rounds two and three on April 26 at 7 p.m. and rounds four through seven on April 27 at noon. The draft will be televised on NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The state of North Carolina is well represented in this year’s pool of prospects with more than 20 players from at least eight di erent schools hoping to hear their name called on draft night. Some names hold more buzz coming in, while others are ying under the radar, hoping to become the next steal. Here’s a preview of what days

the third pick to the New England Patriots, or he could be a target for the Minnesota Vikings, who numerous analysts have predicted will trade up to replace Kirk Cousins.

Graham Barton, the former Duke left tackle, has also been thrown in rst round talks as his athleticism and versatility stand out amongst some of the best o ensive linemen in the class. Barton started at center in his freshman year with the Blue Devils, but he’s played left tackle for the past three seasons. With visions of him lling multiple positions, NFL analysts have him falling near pick 20 to teams needing a boost to their o ensive lines.

DAY 2

North Carolina’s NFL hopefuls can expect to be picked:

DAY 1

Former UNC quarterback Drake Maye is the most highly touted North Carolina prospect, being grouped with some of the best quarterbacks the

draft has to o er. After throwing for 8,018 yards and 63 touchdowns in three seasons with the Tar Heels, Maye will likely be a top-10 draft pick, landing to a team in need of a young franchise quarterback to build around. In many of the mock drafts made by NFL analysts, Maye could go as high as

Former NC State linebacker Payton Wilson will be an interesting name to watch on the second day of the draft. Wilson has impressed with his athleticism and numbers, as his 138 tackles in 2023 ranked fth in all of FBS. However, his injury history from high school

with the Blue Devils as he posted 4-7 records both years.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

UNC quarterback Drake Maye runs into the end zone in a 2022 game, with NC State linebacker Payton Wilson in pursuit. Maye is expected to win the race to be drafted over Wilson, as well.

CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP PHOTO

Scottie Sche er (far right) watches his tee shot on the third hole during nal round at the Masters golf tournament. Sche er, the No. 1 player in the world, pulled away to win the tournament for the second time in his career.

DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP PHOTO

Jon Rahm puts the green jacket on Masters winner Scottie Sche er after the golf tournament’s nal round Sunday.

TRENDING

Jalen Johnson:

The Atlanta Hawks third-year forward will miss the Eastern Conference play-in tournament because of injury. The Hawks announced Thursday that Johnson, a rst-round pick out of Duke in 2021, will miss at least three weeks after spraining his right ankle last week against Miami. Johnson has been one of the team’s most productive starters, averaging 16 points and 8.7 rebounds.

Daniel Bard:

The Colorado right-hander and former UNC Tar Heel needs surgery to repair the exor tendon in his right elbow and will not pitch again this season. Bard is in the nal season of a $19 million, two-year deal. He has not pitched in 2024 after undergoing surgery in February to repair his left knee. Bard had a career-high 34 saves for the Rockies in 2022.

Ryan Reynolds:

The Hollywood actor is a happy owner after Wrexham, the soccer team he and fellow actor Rob McElhenney own, clinched promotion to the third tier of English soccer thanks to a 6-0 home win over Forest Green. That’s back-to-back promotions for the team since the duo purchased the team for $2.5 million in 2021. It is two tiers away from the Premier League.

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“Just need some food and some ca eine, and I’ll be good to go.”

Tiger Woods after making the cut for the 24th straight time at the Masters.

“It’s no great loss to the world.”

Fred Goldman on O.J. Simpson’s death. Simpson was acquitted of the murder of Goldman’s son, Ron.

PRIME NUMBER

175

Home runs by Shohei Ohtani after his solo shot against the San Diego Padres on Friday night. That ties Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japanese-born player. Ohtani reached the milestone at the start of his seventh season in MLB. Matsui hit 175 in a 10-year career. Ichiro Suzuki (117) is the only other Japanese-born player with more than 100 MLB homers.

NASCAR

Chase Elliott pulled ahead and cleared Ross Chastain on the rst lap after the second restart in overtime at Texas Motor Speedway, ending a 42-race winless streak for NASCAR’s most popular Cup Series driver. It was the fth win this season for Hendrick Motorsports, the 306th for the Cup Series’ winningest team. It was the rst for Elliott in the No. 9 since Talladega in October 2022.

Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider will miss the rest of the season after having surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Strider complained about discomfort in his elbow after pitching four innings in early April. Strider was 20-5 in 2023 and led MLB in wins and strikeouts.

Veteran guard Laken Tomlinson will sign a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks, adding some needed depth to the o ensive line and an experienced option on the interior. Tomlinson was Detroit’s rst-round pick out of Duke in 2015 and has started 114 consecutive games dating to the 2017 season.

Arizona Coyotes players have been informed the NHL club is expected to relocate to Salt Lake City. Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong ew to Edmonton, Alberta, to tell players about the team’s potential move before the Coyotes’ game against the Oilers. Potential new owner Ryan Smith solicited names for a Salt Lake City-based team earlier this week.

MLB

NFL

JOHN BAZEMORE / AP PHOTO JEFF LEWIS / AP PHOTO

DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP PHOTO

MATT YORK / AP PHOTO

SCOT TUCKER / AP PHOTO

SCOT TUCKER / AP PHOTO

North Carolina basketball rosters are turnover prone in o season’s rst week

Transfers and other departures have teams looking di erent

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

THE BASKETBALL season has only been over a week, but rosters across the state are already changing signi cantly. With the transfer portal and the chance to explore the NBA, teams are watching talent explore their options. Eight of the state’s 19 teams have lost their top scorer, either to transfer or early draft entry, and another three have lost their second-leading scorer.

Here’s a look at the North Carolina basketball schools, in descending order of o season turbulence they’ve already experienced.

Duke: As is often the case dating back to the one-and-done heyday of Coach K, Duke leads the league in roster churn. The Blue Devils have six freshmen coming in, so an exodus was expected. Jeremy Roach still hasn’t announced his intentions, but Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain are headed to the NBA, while Mark Mitchell has transferred to Kansas State. Reserves Jaylen Blakes, Jaden Schutt and Christian Reeves are also in the portal. Starters Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor have announced they are returning.

North Carolina: A year after the Tar Heels nearly spun the transfer portal o its revolving door hinges, things are a little calmer in Chapel Hill. Seth Trimble was a surprise transfer, and reserve big man James Okonkwo has left for Akron. Harrison Ingram is returning, and the re-

maining big name still undecided is ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis.

NC State: The Wolfpack made the Final Four with a starting lineup entirely made up of transfers. This year, the portal has been less crowded. The only departures so far are Kam Woods and LJ Thomas, who combined for 187 minutes and 46 points this year. The Pack also added Brandon Huntley Hat eld, a 12.9 ppg scorer from Louisville. Wake Forest: The Deacs have been busy in the portal under coach Steve Forbes, and this year is no di erent. The biggest name to enter is second-leading scorer Boopie Miller. Double gure scorer Andrew Carr is also leaving to play his nal year elsewhere, and three other reserves are in the portal. Leading scorer Hunter Sallis is also testing the NBA

waters but is expected to return. Forbes has added App State’s top rebounder and second-leading scorer in Tre’Von Spillers.

Campbell: The Camels took a hit when top scorer and top rebounder Anthony Dell’Orso entered the portal. The 6-foot-6 sophomore was second-team All-CAA and was the youngest player on the rst or second team.

Charlotte: The 49ers have su ered two signi cant losses as Igor Milicic (12.8 points, 8.5 rebounds) and Dishon Jackson (11.4 and 6.1) have both entered the portal. Jackson has already gone to Iowa State.

Davidson: The Wildcats lost David Skogman, who was the team’s leading scorer through 17 games before getting injured, sixth man Angelo Brizzi and reserve Jarvis Moss. East Carolina: Will the last Pi-

Legendary athlete, actor and millionaire: O.J. Simpson’s murder trial lost him the American dream

Simpson’s death at 76 closes the chapter on “The Trial of the Century”

By Ken Ritter and Linda Deutsch

Press

Associated

The

LAS VEGAS — For a long time, O.J. Simpson was the man who had it all.

He lived the American dream as a sports legend, movie actor, commercial pitchman and millionaire. With his wildly successful career, startling good looks and a gorgeous wife, he became an image of success for Black Americans and was embraced by people of all races. It was safe for everyone to love Simpson, who inhabited a world of glamour and privilege available to few. “I’m not Black, I’m O.J.,” he liked to tell friends.

It all came crashing down in the summer of 1994, when Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, was found dead outside her condominium in Los Angeles. Her friend Ronald Goldman, a waiter who had come to her home to return a pair of eyeglasses left behind at a restaurant, was lying a few feet away, stabbed to death.

NFL DRAFT from page B1

through college may be of concern for NFL teams. The general consensus on Wilson’s draft fate looks to be the second round, but there’s not much certainty of whether he’ll be called early or later in the round.

As for former UNC receiver Devontez Walker, his draft fate is also somewhat of a toss-up between a late second round or an early third round pick. In only eight games with the Tar Heels, Walker put his speed on full dis-

Simpson, who died Wednesday at 76 of prostate cancer, immediately came under suspicion amid talk of domestic abuse and jealousy.

A criminal-court jury found him not guilty of murder in 1995, but a separate civil trial jury found him liable in 1997 for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million to relatives of Brown and Goldman.

The criminal case was a media sensation. Simpson was charged with murder, but before surrendering, he led police on a slow-speed chase across the freeways of Los Angeles. The socalled Bronco Chase, named for the white vehicle he rode in, was televised in prime time and became the rst of many TV moments in the bizarre saga that engrossed America.

“I’ve had a great life, great friends,” he said in what many believed was a suicide note written just before he set out in the Bronco. “Please think of the real O.J. and not this lost person.”

His monthslong televised trial, dubbed “ the trial of the century,” ended up eclipsing his dazzling record as one of the most gifted running backs in football history. The trial touched on fame and wealth, love and hate, the judicial system, the media,

play last season, hauling in seven touchdowns for 699 yards and recording three games with more than 100 receiving yards. In a loaded receiver class, his skillset won’t put him over some of the other top prospects, but he could fall to an already established team looking to add a deep ball threat to its arsenal. Other North Carolina prospects projected to go later on the second day include former UNC linebacker Cedric Gray and former Duke defensive tackle DeWayne Carter. Both were vital to

domestic violence and racism.

It was a Greek tragedy, soap opera and circus sideshow. America couldn’t get enough.

In 2011, the suit Simpson wore when he was acquitted was donated and displayed at the Newseum in Washington, a remnant of one of the biggest American news stories of all time.

TV comedians satirized the case. Trial Judge Lance Ito was parodied by a black-robed group of “ Dancing Itos.” Prosecutor Marcia Clark was wooed by an admirer who ew a plane over the courthouse with a banner asking her to marry him.

At the trial, prosecutors painted a picture of Simpson as a jealous ex-husband and a cold-blooded killer. They pleaded with jurors not to be intimidated by his “ dream team ” of highly paid defense attorneys, his charisma as an actor or his status as a football star.

Evidence found at the murder scene seemed overwhelmingly against Simpson: Bloody footprints in his size were there, as were blood drops seeming to match his DNA and a glove identical in style to one bought by his slain ex-wife and worn by him at televised football games. Another glove, smeared with his blood and blood of the two victims,

their respective defenses in college and are expected to be late second to late third round picks.

DAY 3/UNDRAFTED

Malik Mustapha, a safety out of Wake Forest, is projected to be a third day guy taken anywhere from the fourth to the sixth round. He can be a steal in the draft with a versatile skillset of athleticism and strength that can make him useful in the run game and in coverage. Former Charlotte edge Eya-

Duke guard Jared McCain, left, forward Mark Mitchell (25) and center Kyle Filipowski (30) watch the end of the Blue Devils’ rst-round NCAA win over Vermont. Three weeks later, all of them are former Blue Devils.

Kansas bench.

UNC-Greensboro: The Spartans lose their top scorer in Mikeal Brown-Jones, who entered the NBA Draft to test the waters but, assuming he returns to college, will transfer to Ole Miss. They also add a pair of players from George Mason in reserves Malik Henry and Ronald Polite.

Appalachian State: The Mountaineers lose top scorer Tre’Von Spillers to Wake and also have three other reserves in the portal.

Queens: Deyton Albury, the team’s second leading scorer at 17 points per game, is leaving. The team has added 6-foot-10 Sawyer Mayhugh, who transferred from UMass after missing his freshman year due to “a family matter.”

Elon: Second-leading scorer Max MacKinnon (12.1 points) is in the portal.

rate to enter the portal please turn o the lights? Top scorer RJ Felton said he will test the NBA waters but plans to return to school. Cam Hayes (25 minutes, 7.3 points per game) is also apparently coming back. After that, however, things are looking bleak. No. 2 scorer Brandon Johnson has already transferred to Miami. Ezra Usar, Bobby Pettiford and Jaden Walker, the only other ECU players to average more than 20 minutes of playing time last season, are all in the portal. So are ve other reserve players. High Point: After an outstanding debut season for new coach Alan Huss, the Panthers saw leading scorer Duke Miles enter the portal, along with two other reserves. They’ll try to replace him with Bobby Pettiford, who scored 7.8 points for East Carolina after two years on the

UNC Wilmington: The Seahawks have added a pair of double-digit scorers in Fairleigh-Dickinson’s Sean Moore and Holy Cross’ Bo Montgomery. NC A&T: The Aggies added Ryan Forrest, who averaged 11.8 points in 10 games at Northwestern State, Austin Johnson, who withdrew his transfer portal entry after missing a year, and Maryland reserve Jahnathan Lamothe.

UNC Asheville: Nick McMullen (9.9 points, 5.8 rebounds) is leaving to play his nal year at Georgia State. Reserve Daylon Cunningham is also in the portal.

Western Carolina: The Catamounts add Pepperdine reserve Cord Stansberry. Gardner-Webb and NC

Central: The Runnin’ Bulldogs and Eagles have not had a loss or gain through the portal yet this o season.

was found at his home.

But the science of DNA analysis was in its infancy, and there were mistakes by police and forensic technicians in handling evidence. When Simpson tried on the gloves in court, he couldn’t get them onto his large hands, leading to the famous line his attorney Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. later delivered to jurors: “If it doesn’t t, you must acquit.”

The acquittal was viewed by millions on TV and on a Jumbotron in New York’s Times Square. President Bill Clinton took a break from meetings to watch. Simpson lived his nal years in Las Vegas, mostly out of the public eye but occasionally tak-

bi Okie-Anoma has the speed and explosiveness to possibly get picked up late on the third day, but some analysts have him falling as an undrafted free agent. He’s one of many North Carolina prospects that aren’t projected to get selected on draft day but may instead sign with a team this oseason. Here’s those names to look out for after the draft: Mike Edwards (o ensive guard, Campbell); Tyrek Funderburk (cornerback, App State); Bucky Williams (o ensive guard, App State); Jacob Monk (center,

ing to social media to opine about sports and his country club lifestyle. He was sometimes seen attending minor league baseball games, and posing for sel es with fans.

Simpson played 11 NFL seasons, nine of them with the Bu alo Bills, where he became known as “The Juice.” He won four NFL rushing titles, rushed for 11,236 yards in his career, scored 76 touchdowns and played in ve Pro Bowls. His best season was 1973, when he ran for 2,003 yards — the rst running back to break the 2,000-yard rushing mark.

“I was part of the history of the game,” he said years later. “If I did nothing else in my life, I’d made my mark.”

Duke); Dylan McMahon (center, NC State); Savion Jackson (edge, NC State); Myles Murphy (defensive tackle, UNC); Spencer Rolland (o ensive tackle, UNC); Davius Richard (quarterback, NC Central); Caelen Carson (cornerback, Wake Forest); Michael Jurgens (center, Wake Forest); David White Jr. (receiver, Western Carolina); Rod Gattison (safety, Western Carolina); Julius Welschof (defensive lineman, Charlotte); Demon Clowney (defensive lineman, Charlotte)

MARY ALTAFFER / AP PHOTO

LOIS BERNSTEIN / AP PHOTO

O.J. Simpson sits at his arraignment in Superior Court in Los Angeles on July 22, 1994, where he pleaded “absolutely, 100% not guilty” on murder charges. Simpson, the decorated football superstar and Hollywood actor who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend but later found liable in a separate civil trial, died last Wednesday of prostate cancer. He was 76.

Questions loom as Hornets’ o season begins

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — With anal record of 21- 61, the Charlotte Hornets’ 2023 -24 season came to a close on Sunday afternoon.

Concluding a dismal campaign during which the franchise nished with its fewest wins in 11 years, the Hornets managed to close out the season winning two out of three, sending Steve Cli ord o with a victory in his nal game as Charlotte’s coach as his team defeated playo -bound Cleveland.

Cli ord still plans to stick with the team in a front o ce role.

At the Hornets’ media exit interviews on Monday, he candidly remarked that the roster still has a lot of room for improvement and could bene t from a fresh perspective at the helm.

“I would tell the new coach to start from scratch and to be careful watching much of the old lm. They weren’t on the oor enough together to really know what works and what doesn’t,” he said. “You got to let the head coach have the say in how he wants things. I want to be a resource, but I only want to be a plus for the organization. You need everyone pulling in the same direction.”

It was a season where the Hornets were decimated by injury woes and nished second in the league in games missed by players.

Former All- Star point guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) and second-year center Mark

MASTERS from page B1

kawa, Sche er turned to face the crowd with both arms raised. “WOOOOOO!” he yelled, slamming his st.

Woods, meanwhile, closed with a 77 and nished in last place at 16-over 304, the highest 72-hole score of his career. This came two days after he set the Masters record for making his 24th consecutive cut.

The 27-year-old Sche er is the fourth-youngest player to have two green jackets. He now has three victories against the strongest elds — Bay Hill, The Players Championship and the Masters — in his last four starts. The other was a runner-up nish in Houston. Sche er nished at 11-under 277 and earned $3.6 million from the $20 million purse.

Perhaps even more daunting for the rest of golf is that Schefer now has 10 victories worldwide dating to his rst PGA Tour title at the Phoenix Open just two years and two months ago.

During that stretch, Schefer has nished in the top 10 a

“I would tell the new coach to start from scratch and to be careful watching much of the old lm.”

Williams (back) were o the court since January and December, respectively, creating an on- court void that never resolved itself, despite the best e orts of star rookie Brandon Miller (17.3 ppg).

“Individually, it was a great rookie season,” Miller said on Monday.

“Team-wise, we didn’t get as many wins as we wanted. That’s something we want to work on going into next season…Nothing is going to be easy and nothing is going to be given to you. Everything is earned.”

Charlotte’s eight-year playo drought — the longest in the NBA — was hardly challenged by a Hornets group that nished 28th in o ense (106.6 ppg) and 22nd in defense (116.8).

Still, this past season marks a new chapter in the franchise’s history, even if the current outlook and realistic appraisal of the team’s talent gaps don’t appear to be changing anytime soon.

Charlotte’s new front o ce team of executive vice president of basketball operations Je Peterson and co - owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin will now handle the head coaching search and hope to right the ship of the Hornets’ trajectory.

Deciding to part ways with familiar players like Terry

staggering 65% of the time. It was the fourth straight Masters when the winner came to the 18th green with one arm in the green jacket. That doesn’t mean Sunday was a walk in golf’s most gorgeous garden.

“I felt like I was battling the whole week,” Sche er said. “It was a long week. I had to battle some ups and downs. And, you know, I’m very fortunate to be sitting here with you.”

Four players had a share of the lead at various points along the front nine, and then Sche er began to assert himself with three straight birdies around the turn.

He got up-and-down with a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-5 eighth. He hit the perfect wedge that caught the ridge and came inches within going in on No. 9, leaving him a tap-in birdie. And then he holed another 10-foot birdie putt on the 10th to build a two-shot lead.

“I hadn’t hit many good iron shots, which is a bit unusual for me,” Sche er said. “And going into No. 9, it was nice to get that feeling of hitting a real-

Minor league baseball in full swing in NC

10 of the state’s 11 professional minor league teams have already started their seasons

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

THE SIGNS of spring are everywhere. Flowers are blooming, pollen is spreading and America’s sport is getting underway all across the Old North State.

Rozier, P.J. Washington and Gordon Hayward at the trade deadline, the Hornets opted to try to get some mileage out of newcomers like Grant Williams, Seth Curry, Tre Mann and Vasilije Micic, and will do so again.

Charlotte is now projected to have a top - ve pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

With the draft’s lottery format, the team can fall as far as ninth in the draft or rise as high as rst. The front ofce could target a particular shooting guard or power forward, or could just take the best player available.

Back on the injury front, Ball and Williams both mentioned on Monday that they were con dent that their current injuries won’t a ect their futures.

“Ankle has been feeling better and it’s the rst time I’ll have a full o season, so I’m de nitely happy about that,” Ball said, adding that he will begin to wear ankle braces going forward. “My favorite thing to do is play basketball, so not being able to do that has been horrible. I’m gonna take the summer and try to get as strong as I can get out there and play.”

Teammate Miles Bridges mentioned that Ball told him he had a personal goal of playing over 75 games next season; Bridges’ own future with the team could depend on a possible $100 million contract this o season to keep him around as his free agency begins.

“I love the city of Charlotte. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Bridges said. “I grew up here. I’ve been here since I was 20. The Hornets stayed down on me and they didn’t have to. My family loves it here, I love it here.”

Meanwhile, Williams indicated that his own back injury will not require surgery: “I’m starting to feel better and I’m able to do a little more. It’s not something that’s going to linger. I’m going to play every game next year.”

There are many loose ends for the franchise to evaluate and tie up — that process will formulate in a major way once a new coach is brought into the Queen City.

ly well-struck shot and then it set me up to have a really nice back nine.”

And then, just like in the best days of Woods, he let everyone else make the big numbers.

Sche er kept answering with birdies. He hit the 13th green in two and two-putted for birdie. His approach to the 14th hit the slope toward the back and rolled down to a foot from the pin. His nal birdie came from just inside 10 feet on the 16th. Sche er’s emotions came when he thought about the next prize.

“You’re about to make me cry here in Butler Cabin,” Sche er said when asked about the impending birth. “It’s a very special time for both of us. I can’t put into words what it means to win this tournament again. I really can’t put into words what it’s going to be like to be a father for the rst time. I’m looking forward to getting home and celebrating with Meredith.

“Its been a long week here without her, but I’m just looking forward to getting home.”

While the MLB may not have a footprint in North Carolina (yet), the state is still home to nearly a dozen professional minor league teams.

So here’s a look at all the professional minor league teams that are kicking o their 2024 seasons.

Durham Bulls Triple-A International League

MLB A liation: Tampa Bay

Rays 2023 record: 88-62, second place in the East Division, International League runner-ups Manager: Morgan Ensberg Opening Day: April 2

The Bulls are the cream of the crop when it comes to the state’s baseball powers. New manager Ensberg has lofty expectations to ll, but the presence of Tampa’s top prospect, Junior Caminero, as well as another top-10 prospect in No. 8 Mason Montgomery should help.

Charlotte Knights

Triple-A International League

MLB A liation: Chicago White Sox

2023 record: 53-96, 10th place in the East Division Manager: Justin Jirschele Opening Day: April 2

It’s been tough sledding for the Knights who, for three straight seasons now, have nished dead last in the International League. Charlotte will be hoping that they can start to turn the ship around with talented prospects such as o ensive powerhouse Colson Montgomery, who is ranked as the top prospect in the organization, and pitchers Nick Nastrini, Jonathan Cannon and Prelander Berron who are ranked eighth, 11th and 17th respectively.

Winston-Salem Dash

High-A South Atlantic League

MLB A liation: Chicago White Sox 2023 record: 60-66, fth place in South Division Manager: Guillermo Quiroz Opening Day: April 9

The Dash are hoping to have a bounce-back year after another 10th place nish in the South Atlantic League. The additions of out elder Samuel Zavala, number six in the White Sox’s organization, and shortstop Jacob Gonzalez, number seven in the organization, should improve those odds.

Asheville Tourists

High-A South Atlantic League

MLB A liation: Houston Astros 2023 record: 51-76, sixth place in South Division Manager: Nate Shaver Opening Day: April 5

The Tourists are coming o one of their worst seasons ever that saw them nish as the bottom team in their league. They’ll hope to change that trajectory with three of the Astros’ top-10 prospects in Luis Baez, second, Brice Matthews, fourth, and Zach Cole, seventh.

Greensboro Grasshoppers

High-A South Atlantic League

MLB A liation: Pittsburgh Pirates 2023 record: 68-61, third place in North Division Manager: Blake Butler Opening Day: April 5

Hickory Crawdads

High-A South Atlantic League

MLB A liation: Texas Rangers 2023 record: 70-55, rst in South Division Manager: Chad Comer Opening Day: April 9

The Crawdads nished last season as the South Atlantic League’s top team and they’ll have a good chance to battle for that top position again with a strong infusion of prospects from the current World Champions. Hickory will be starting the season with nine of the Rangers’ top-30 prospects, including the likes of Sebastian Walcott, Brock Porter, Kumar Rocker and Anthony Gutierrez, Nos. 3, 4, 6 and 7.

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Single-A Carolina League

MLB A liation: Chicago White

Sox 2023 record: 67-64, second in South Division Manager: Pat Leyland

Opening Day: April 9

After a good bounce back season for the Cannon Ballers, they’ve seen a lot of the organization’s top talent jump past them to High-A and Triple-A ball, but they’ll still see pitcher Seth Keener, the White Sox’s 15th ranked prospect, start with the team.

Fayetteville Woodpeckers

Single-A Carolina League

MLB A liation: Houston

Astros 2023 record: 60-72, sixth in South Division Manager: Ricky Rivera

Opening Day: April 9

Although Fayetteville saw an improvement in their record last season, that didn’t necessarily translate to the standings. They’ll hope that two of the Astros’ top-20 talents — Alonzo Tredwell, No. 13, and Waner Luciano, No. 18 — can help to change that.

Carolina Mudcats Single-A Carolina League

MLB A liation: Milwaukee

Brewers 2023 record: 72-55, rst in North Division Manager: Nick Stanley Opening Day: April 9

Zebulon better enjoy the Mudcats while they still can as earlier this year, the City of Wilson signed an agreement to be the new home of the Brewers Single-A a liate starting in the 2026 season. Last season was a good one for the Mudcats, and they’ll hope to keep that going this year with rst time manager, former NC State catcher Nick Stanley and two top-10 organization talents in Cooper Pratt, 9th, and Yophrey Rodriguez, 10th.

Down East Wood

The Grasshoppers saw major improvements last season under new manager Robby Hammock, but after his promotion to the Altoona Curve, Pittsburgh’s Double-A a liate, they’ll be under a new coach for the second straight season. But new skipper Blake Butler, a Greensboro native, will have some high-end in eld talent to work with though with Termarr Johnson, Mitch Jebb and Jack Brannigan on the roster, the second, eighth and tenth ranked prospects respectively.

Charlotte will ramp up the scale of its coaching search

MIKE STEWART / AP PHOTO

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, right, celebrates with teammate Brandon Miller during a game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Steve Cli ord

‘Civil War’ declares box-o ce victory

The lm had the biggest R-rated opening of the year to date

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

ALEX GARLAND’S provocative “Civil War” didn’t only ignite the discourse. The lm also inspired audiences to go to the cinemas this weekend where it surpassed expectations and earned $25.7 million in ticket sales in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It’s the biggest R-rated opening of the year to date and a record for A24, the studio behind lms like “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “The Iron Claw.” “Civil War” also unseated “Godzilla x Kong” from its perch atop the box o ce.

The titan movie from Warner Bros. had held the No. 1 spot for the past two weekends.

“Civil War” stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura and Cailee Spaeny as front-line journalists in the near future covering a devastating con ict in the U.S. and trying to make their way to Washington, D.C.

The story, written by Garland, who is also the mind behind “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation,”

imagines a U.S. in which California and Texas have united against a president who has disbanded the FBI and given himself a third term. Though entirely ctional, “Civil War” has been inspiring debates since the rst trailer that have extended beyond the musings of lm critics and traditional reviews. This weekend, The New York Times ran two opinion pieces related to the movie, one by Stephen Marche and another by Michelle Goldberg. There were also pieces on CNN and Politico.

Going into the weekend, projections pegged the lm to debut in the $15 to $24 million range. The studio said “Civil War” overperformed in markets “from LA to El Paso.” The data analytics company EntTelligence reported that the lm has attracted more than 1.7 million patrons this weekend and that the top three markets were Los Angeles, New York and Dallas.

“The title alone is enough to spark a conversation in a year where the political discourse is top of mind,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “And they couldn’t have picked a better date. This movie is perfect-

News organizations urge candidates to commit to

presidential debates

Commission on Presidential Debates.

By David Bauder The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Twelve news organizations on Sunday urged presumptive presidential nominees Joe Biden and Donald Trump to agree to debates, saying they were a “rich tradition” that have been part of every general election campaign since 1976.

While Trump, who did not participate in debates for the Republican nomination, has indicated a willingness to take on his 2020 rival, the Democratic president has not committed to debating him again.

Although invitations have not been formally issued, the news organizations said it was not too early for each campaign to say publicly that it will participate in the three presidential and one vice presidential forums set by the nonpartisan

“If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high,” the organizations said in a joint statement. “Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation.”

ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, PBS, NBC, NPR and The Associated Press all signed on to the letter.

Biden and Trump debated twice in 2020. A third debate was canceled after Trump, then president, tested positive for COVID-19 and would not debate remotely.

Asked on March 8 whether he would commit to a debate with Trump, Biden said, “it depends on his behavior.” The president was visibly mi ed by his opponent in the freewheeling rst 2020 debate, at one point saying, “Will you shut up?” Trump campaign managers

ly timed in a month that is very quiet.”

The lm opened on 3,838 screens in the U.S. and Canada, including IMAX. It’s the most expensive movie that the studio has ever made, with a production budget of $50 million, which does not account for millions spent on marketing and promotion.

IMAX showings of “Civil War,” which was playing on 400 of the large format screens, accounted for $4.2 million, or 16.5% of the domestic total.

Reviews have been largely positive. It’s currently at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 77% audience score. Its CinemaScore was a B-, which has sometimes indicated that word of mouth might not be strong going forward. But that might not be the case with “Civil War,” which doesn’t have a tremendous amount of competition over the next few weeks until “The Fall Guy” opens on May 3.

“You have to take all the metrics together, including the competitive landscape,” Dergarabedian said.

But it is a notable win for the studio, which doesn’t always open lms nationwide out of the gates. Before “Civil War,” A24’s biggest debut was the

Ari Aster horror “Hereditary,” which opened to $13.6 million in 2018. “This isn’t destined to be a $200 million global blockbuster. But it’s a very high-prole win for A24,” Dergarabedian said. “They’re a studio that pushes the envelope. They’re a brand associated with a certain level of quality and lmmaking expertise, pushing boundaries and taking risks. It’s wellearned over the years.”

Second place went to “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” which earned $15.5 million in its third weekend to bring its running domestic total to nearly $158 million. Another “Empire” movie, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” took third place in its fourth weekend with $5.8 million. It’s now at $160 million worldwide.

Rounding out the top ve was Universal and DreamWorks’ “Kung Fu Panda 4,” in fourth with $5.5 million in weekend six, and “Dune: Part Two” with $4.3 million in its seventh weekend. “Dune 2” has now earned $272 million domestically. This weekend also saw the box o ce year-to-date comparisons take a big hit. Last year, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”

Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said in a letter this past week, “We have already indicated President Trump is willing to debate anytime, any place and anywhere — and the time to start these debates is now.”

They cited the seven 1858 Illinois Senate debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, saying “certainly today’s America deserves as much.” The Republican National Committee voted in 2022 to no longer participate in forums sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The Trump campaign has not indi-

cated it would adhere to that but did have some conditions. The campaign managers said the commission selected a “demonstrably anti-Trump moderator” in then-Fox News host Chris Wallace in 2020 and wants assurances the commission debates are fair and impartial.

The Trump campaign also wants the timetable moved up, saying many Americans will have already voted by Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9, the dates of the three debates set by the commission.

The Biden campaign declined comment on the news

brought in over $92 million in its second weekend in theaters. On the same weekend in 2023, the top 10 accounted for over $142 million, compared to this year’s $68.4 million. The year to date is back down to 16% after seeing some recovery with the success of “Dune: Part Two.” “The box o ce has been a seesaw,” Dergarabedian said. “But we all knew this was going to be a rough month for comps because of ‘Mario.’”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore.

1. “Civil War ” $25.7 million.

2. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ” $15.5 million

3. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ” $5.8 million

4. “Kung Fu Panda 4 ” $5.5 million

5. “Dune: Part Two ” $4.3 million

6. “Monkey Man ” $4.1 million

7. “The First Omen ” $3.8 million

8. “The Long Game ” $1.4 million

9. “Shrek 2 ” $1.4 million

10. “SUGA - Agust D Tour ‘D-DAY’ The Movie ” $990 881

organizations’ letter, pointing to the president’s earlier statement. There was no immediate response from the Trump campaign.

But on Saturday, Trump held a rally in northeast Pennsylvania with two lecterns set up on the stage: one for him to give a speech, the other to symbolize what he said was Biden’s refusal to debate him. The second lectern had a placard that read, “Anytime. Anywhere. Anyplace.”

Midway through his campaign speech, Trump turned to his right and pointed to the second lectern. “We have a little, look at this, it’s for him,” he said. “See the podium? I’m calling on Crooked Joe Biden to debate anytime, anywhere, any place. Right there. And we have to debate because our country is going in the wrong direction so badly and while it’s a little bit typically early we have to debate. We have to explain to the American people what the hell is going on.”

C-SPAN, NewsNation and Univision also joined the letter calling for debates. Only one newspaper, USA Today, added its voice. The Washington Post declined a request to join. There were no Democratic debates this presidential cycle, and Trump’s refusal to participate in the GOP forums depressed interest in them.

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated seven times in 1858

JOE LAMBERTI / AP PHOTO

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event Saturday in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

A24 VIA AP

Kirsten Dunst acts in a scene from “Civil War.”

JOHNSTON

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Help clean up NC highways

NCDOT is running its annual Spring Litter Sweep, providing gloves, safety vests and trash bags for local volunteers to help pick up local roads. In 2023, more than 11 million pounds of trash was picked up from North Carolina roadsides. If you have questions, contact Nicole Austin, Stanly County’s NCDOT Litter Management Coordinator, at 704983-4360 or call the maintenance o ce at 704-244-8300 to pick up supplies. Visit NCDOT.gov for more.

Stanly school board names new winner for Endy project

J.M. Cope has been awarded the construction job by the school district

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Board of Education has changed its bid winner for a classroom expansion project at Endy Elementary School.

In a unanimous vote at the school board’s meeting on April 10, board members approved J.M. Cope’s bid of $3.982 million to build upwards of 10 new classrooms at the school, which has been described by Stanly County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jarrod Dennis as being “at 110% capacity.”

Last August, the Stanly County Board of Commissioners authorized Stanly County Schools (SCS) to accept bids for new Endy classrooms, green-lighting a bidding process that showed its results roughly seven months later at the board’s meeting last month.

The contract was initially awarded to Hoss Construction with a bid of $4.109 million, a higher price than some competing bids.

Other interested companies included H.M. Kern ($3.848m), J.M. Cope ($3.982m), O’Connor ($4.023m), Stokes Construction ($4.172m) and Warton Smith ($4.335m).

Hoping to learn more about how the school board decided on its bid winner, the Stan-

Lisa Ewers named Arts Person of the Year

The New Jersey native holds multiple arts positions in Stanly County By

Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — Lisa Ew-

ers is the 2024 Arts Person of the Year, so declares the Stanly County Arts Council (SCAC). Ewers, a community educator and arts organizer was named as winner at the SCAC’s 6th annual Celebration of the Arts awards ceremony at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center. The New Jersey native currently serves as the music director for the Stanly County Chorale, president of the Stanly County Concert Band and

chairperson of the Uwharrie Players’ Board of Directors. Ewers also holds music directorial duties at Epworth United Methodist Church in Concord and has provided music leadership in the Kairos Prison Ministry for the past 15 years. Additionally, she sings and plays percussion in a John Denver tribute band that has raised money for charities throughout Stanly County. In her Arts Person of the Year acceptance speech, she said her award honors to “all arts educators who have to ght for what they do and what they have to do it with; they were the inspiration for me when I was a young person,” according to a press release from the SCAC. “The arts are innate, it’s in our DNA. Before we walk, we dance. Before

ly commissioners placed an Endy budget amendment on the agenda of its April 1 meeting. However, the commissioners were forced to remove the item from its agenda when SCS did not provide a representative to attend the meeting.

Despite the no-show from the school district, the board learned in the process that the lowest bidder — H.M. Kern — had o cially withdrawn its bid after meeting with SCS, leaving J.M. Cope with the new lowest bid.

“This is something that we are all passionate about,” Commissioner Brandon King said. “But we also have to be good stewards of the taxpayer dollars. We’ve asked for transparency on this issue. This was on

we speak, we’re singing. Before we’re writing, we are drawing. … Please keep ghting for the arts in our schools. The arts increase our emotional IQ, which are the skills that we need as an adult for problem solving, collaboration, and empathy for others. … Please do your research, nd out how important the arts are to each candidate, and keep that in mind when you vote this election year.”

Following her graduation from Pfei er College with a music degree, Ewers worked as a program instructor for GHA-Autism Supports and completed graduate work in special education and school administration.

During that time, she served multiple churches in Stanly and Cabarrus counties as a music director, all while teaching special education at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. In the nal years of her educational career, she worked as a special education program

the meeting agenda last time and they couldn’t get anybody here.”

It was later revealed that the superintendent and SCS facilities committee had reconvened to decide between its initial choice in Hoss or one of the lower bidders in Cope and O’Connor.

“After the meeting and hearing our concerns, (Kern) withdrew their bid, and we released their bond,” Dennis said on April 10. “After having conversations and receiving additional information, we feel condent J.M. Cope was the lowest responsible bidder as it pertains to quality, time and price.”

Multiple board members mentioned that cost was not the only factor in deciding which construction company to approve, citing an emphasis on the overall quality of results for the Endy project.

“The general statute does not state just the lowest bidder. It provides some other variables

We stand corrected To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@nsjonline. com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

NC to help feds enforce airline consumer laws

State AGs will investigate, with complaints forwarded to DOT for enforcement

By David Koenig The Associated Press

NORTH CAROLINA is one of 15 states partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate consumer complaints about airline service.

By law, enforcing consumer-protection laws is limited to the federal government, but the agreement announced Tuesday will help ensure that enforcement activities keep up with a current boom in air travel. Under an agreement announced by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, state attorney general o ces will be able to investigate complaints about airline service. If they believe an airline violated the law or is refusing to cooperate with investigators, the states could refer cases to the Transportation Department for enforcement.

In return, the Transportation Department, or DOT, will give the states access to its consumer-complaint system and train state employees about federal consumer laws covering airlines.

Buttigieg pointed to travelers whose ights are canceled and then must wait days for another ight or pay more to y home on another air -

line. “Things like that are a violation of passenger rights, and we are seeing far too many cases of that,” he said.

Buttigieg, a Democrat, repeatedly cast the agreement as bipartisan, but only two of the state o cials who signed on are Republicans. Buttigieg indicated his department hopes to recruit more states.

“Too often, air travel is a headache. This partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation authorizes my o ce to better protect North Carolina air travelers when they run into issues,” said NC

CRIME LOG

On top of the former accomplishments, Ewers has participated with the Stanly County Chorale since 1995, helped The Uwharrie Players o and on since 1999, and has played in the Stanly County Concert Band since it began 11 years ago. “She is very committed to raising the standards and reach of the groups that she’s involved with in our community,” the

for things like quality, performance, time and responsiveness,” Board Member Dustin Lisk said. “Cheap is what got us here. Cheap is what puts us 105th in local funding. If you combine federal and state funding, we’re 112th out of 115 districts. We are almost dead last. Cheap is what didn’t build a high school in 2005 for less than $25 million on $60 million worth of revenue in the county.”

SCAC said of Ewers in an attributed comment from the award nomination process. “She is quick to invite new members to all the organizations that she works with and is quick to recruit and look for opportunities to involve new members and looks for opportunities for the arts groups to collaborate. She is a powerhouse advocate of the arts. Arts are at the forefront of her very identity, and she constantly seeks to nd ways to make the arts accessible and enjoyable to her community.”

Attorney General Josh Stein in a statement. “I am grateful to the U.S. DOT for its commitment to protecting airline consumers.”

Consumer groups praised the agreement while saying they would rather see Congress write into law the power of states to regulate consumer-protection rules. “This is the next best thing,” said William McGee, an aviation expert at the American Economic Liberties Project, which opposes industry consolidation. “We don’t look at this as a threat to DOT’s author-

ity. We look at it as the states assisting DOT, which doesn’t have the sta ng to handle all the complaints they get.”

Airlines for America, a trade group representing the largest U.S. carriers, said it works with state and national groups “to constantly improve the customer experience for all passengers. We appreciate the role of state attorneys general and their work on behalf of consumers, and we look forward to continue working with them.”

Stanly County Journal sta contributed to this report.

Vice Chairman Bill Sorensen echoed Lisk’s sentiments, adding the students in Stanly Coun-

ty deserved classrooms that the county could be proud of going forward.

“What we’re doing to our kids is exposing them to the rain,” Sorensen said. “The rain’s going to come and it’s going to get inside the house. If we stay at 105 out of 115 in funding our kids, we’re begging for ooding and we’re begging for bad things to happen.” The school board is scheduled to hold its next regular meeting on May 7 at 6:15 p.m. inside the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons. coordinator and director before retiring in 2023.

April 10

Arthur Eugene Wright, 48 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of breaking or entering a motor vehicle, impersonating law enforcement, and seconddegree trespassing.

Brittany Noel Coleman, 30 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of injuring trees/crops/lands, driving while impaired, two counts of hit and run with failure to stop for property damage, reckless driving with wanton disregard, failure to stop at a steady red light, and failure to maintain lane control.

Thomas Edward Smith, 51 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of failing to report a new address as a sex offender and failing to register as a sex offender.

Terry Shawn Eury, 36 yearsold, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on a charge of felony possession of cocaine.

Jeffrey Daniel Stewart, 32 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of resisting a public officer, possessing a stolen motor vehicle, being a fugitive from justice, driving while license revoked, providing fictitious information to an officer, and cancelling/revoking/ suspending a certificate/tag.

April 11

Krista Hayley Poplin, 30 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of possession

with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver Schedule II controlled substance, possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver Schedule IV controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle/ dwelling/place for controlled substances, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sharieck Refay Reese, 38 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on a charge of misdemeanor larceny.

Camryn Wallace Yarbrough, 19 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on a charge of assault on a female.

Michele Angelo Stellato, 51 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of resisting a public officer, driving while impaired, reckless driving to endanger, speeding, driving without an operator’s license, and failure to wear a seat belt while driving.

April 13

Toni Katie Harris, 35 yearsold, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of misdemeanor larceny.

Howard Franklin Howell, 60 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of carrying a concealed gun, driving while impaired, reckless driving with wanton disregard, failure to maintain lane control, and possession of an open

container or consuming alcohol in a passenger area.

Marilene Meyer, 61 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on a charge of simple assault.

Jitavis Keyvon Huntley, 23 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of carrying a concealed gun and driving while license revoked, not impaired.

Howard Franklin Howell, 60 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of carrying a concealed gun, driving while impaired, reckless driving with wanton disregard, possession of an open container or consuming alcohol in a passenger area, and failure to maintain lane control.

Briana Nicole Watson, 25 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on a charge of assault causing serious bodily injury.

April 14

Elijoshua Trevon Mason, 28 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on charges of trafficking opium or heroin, maintaining a vehicle/ dwelling/place for controlled substances, possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver Schedule VI controlled substance, and carrying a concealed gun.

Jennifer Lee Gonzalez, 39 years-old, was arrested and booked into the Stanly County Jail on a charge of misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

MARY ALTAFFER / AP PHOTO

An airline representative helps travelers at LaGuardia Airport in New York last year.

consuming passenger area. years-old, booked into Jail on a assault. Huntley, 23 arrested and Stanly County carrying a driving revoked, not Howell, arrested Stanly charges of gun, impaired, wanton possession of an consuming passenger area, maintain lane Watson, 25 arrested and Stanly County assault bodily injury. Mason, arrested Stanly charges of heroin, vehicle/ controlled possession with manufacture, sell, or controlled carrying a Gonzalez, 39 arrested Stanly charge crime of

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | ROBERT REIVES

Educators are superheroes

We are one of the worst states for teacher pay. In beginning teacher pay, we rank 46th nationally.

NORTH CAROLINA teachers put in hundreds of hours into their profession. Their work extends far outside the walls of a classroom; they support our state’s children at sports games, band performances, and church programs. They are the glue that holds our schools and communities together. But right now, teachers in North Carolina are overworked, underpaid, and disrespected. Republican leaders in the General Assembly have created these conditions. Teachers are expected to do more with less. Youth across North Carolina are experiencing a serious mental health crisis, and teachers are on the frontlines. When our schools fall short of the psychologists, counselors, and nurses that are desperately needed, teachers shoulder the additional demands. They are not only in charge of learning, but they care for kids who are going through a hard time. It’s harder for teachers because they don’t have the assistants they need. Teacher assistants especially help children in lower grades who need extra support. Since these Republican leaders took over the NCGA, they have reduced the number of state funded teacher assistants by almost 20%, from 18,227 to 14,798 TAs. When looking across the United States, we are one of the worst states for teacher pay. In beginning teacher pay, we rank 46th nationally. We pay new teachers less than Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee do. If the starting salary is so abysmal, it’s hard to convince incoming professionals to even enter the teaching pipeline. Republican leadership claim they are giving raises to teachers, but they are really handing out scraps. Educators aren’t fooled. Teacher salaries have not kept up with in ation, and they feel it in their pocketbooks.

One of my constituents, Guadalupe, is nishing her fourth year in the classroom. She has an associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree. Her passion for teaching fuels her: “I chose to be a teacher because I wanted to make a di erence, even if it’s

small and localized to my community.”

But her family sometimes faces a challenging nancial position because of her choice to be a teacher: “I have had to forgo medical services because of the cost of prescriptions for my children. Being a professional with a Master’s degree, I as well as other educators should not be in the predicament where we cannot a ord our health needs.”

In 2013, the Republican majority in our state legislature took away master’s pay. They also took away health bene ts for retired educators.

The man at the top of the North Carolina Republican ticket in 2024 has called teachers “wicked people.” He sounds like a schoolyard bully, not someone who supports educators and the children they instruct.

We also see disrespect coming from the Republican leadership at the NC General Assembly. Their legislative priorities have been to manufacture culture wars and control the curriculum that teachers are trained to teach. The House passed a bill that restricts instruction about important parts of our country’s history and micromanages the social studies curriculum. And instead of addressing real issues like fully funding public schools or raising teacher pay, Republican leaders passed a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” that burdens teachers with more paperwork and concocts culture wars in our classrooms.

Educators should have their work valued, be paid accordingly, and get respect from our state legislature. They aren’t getting any of the three right now. We owe better to Guadalupe and the thousands of other teachers across the state. Our number one goal this November should be to break the Republican supermajority so we can nally reprioritize public education.

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

Joe Biden is now chasing the ‘death to America’ voter

If parents who are sick of school boards undermining their children’s education and futures are smeared as a “domestic terror” by this administration, surely those chanting “Death to America” deserve a look.

IT WAS AL-QUDS DAY last Friday.

To celebrate the occasion, protesters in Dearborn, Michigan, chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” while a speaker named Tarek Bazzi declared the United States — a place that’s a orded him the liberty to openly support rapists, murderers and terrorists — one of the “rottenest countries” on the planet, quoting Malcolm X. “It’s the entire system that has to go,” he explained to cheers of, what I assume, were American citizens. As commentator Seth Mandel noted on X (formerly Twitter), there’s Charlottesville every other day in America, and barely anyone on the Left cares. Most progressives, let’s face it, either tacitly or openly support these days of rage. Al-Quds Day, a kind of international Islamic Nuremberg Rally, was conceived by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his gang during the Iranian Revolution, only a few months before Iranians murdered eight U.S. servicemen and took 66 American hostages. I assure you participants aren’t merely “critical” of Israel’s housing policy in Judea or (historically low) civilian-tocommandant kill ratio in the war against Hamas; they want all 7 million Jews in that tiny country dead or scattered into dhimmi.

Where is the outrage from the folks who have fainting spells every time a Republican criticizes far-leftist moneybags George Soros? Cowering in deathly fear that a progressive podcaster bro might accuse them of being “Islamophobic,” one imagines.

Leftist and antisemitic pro-Hamas “activists” are vandalizing buildings, threatening Jews, cheering on martyrs, and shutting down events. Where are all the government o cials who keep warning us that anyone wearing a MAGA baseball hat is probably the next Timothy McVeigh? It’s not like radicalized Muslims ever engage in terrorism, I guess. But if parents who are sick of school boards undermining their children’s education and futures are smeared as a “domestic terror” by this administration, surely those chanting “Death to America” deserve a look.

Granted it would be weird. The same Jew haters who attend Quds Day rallies or write for The Washington Post are the people Joe Biden is now cynically trying to mollify in his e ort to win the 2024 presidential race and “save democracy.” Delegations of Democrats are sent to placate these defenders of barbarism and terror, sometimes quite literally. There is bad news for Democrats, though: Until the United States launches a strike on Tel Aviv — which is what “cease re” proponents are chanting in New York — these people will not be placated.

To earn these votes, our president now spreads Hamas propaganda himself, as do most of the media, which have functionally or openly taken the side of the terror group. Indeed, no matter how many cease res Hamas rejects, Democrats still demand Israel unilaterally stop ghting the people who hold American hostages. It is a demand we would never make of any other nation

— a demand we would never abide by ourselves.

Even that’s not enough. The Biden administration, which creates and spreads myths about Jewish extremism in the “West Bank” to create a fake moral equivalence, is reportedly preparing to force Israel to mark products imported from Judea and Samaria made by Jews with special labels. Vile, indeed. But Biden will not rest until there is a Judenrein West Bank or his “Death to America” constituents are happy. Whichever comes rst.

Biden, it should be noted, is a vacuous political zombie who has never met a position he hasn’t dropped for a vote. Today, he is surrounded by Obamaera advisers and Hamas sympathizers — though I repeat myself — who have long wanted the U.S. to be aligned with mullahs of Iran, as a counterbalance to colonialist Western capitalists of Israel. And now that Democrats like Chuck Schumer have sold out the Jews to the vultures for a few votes in Dearborn, nothing holds back progressive Democrats from normalizing the antisemitism that already infects the hard Left.

This is not everyone’s ght, I realize.

But remember, the same people who chant “Death to Israel” inevitably wish “Death to America,” as well.

David Harsanyi is a senior editor at The Federalist. Harsanyi is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of ve books.

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

STANLY SPORTS

baseball player wasn’t always immediately apparent — he was just the No. 491 recruit in his high school class but he quickly worked his way up to become a three-year starter at Wake and one of the top pitchers in college baseball.

The 22-year-old has a 1.00 ERA through nine innings pitched

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — Stanly County baseball standout Rhett Lowder has answered the call of duty in his rst two professional starts as a member of the Dayton Dragons, the High-A a liate of the Cincinnati Reds.

The former North Stanly and Wake Forest right-handed pitcher — drafted seventh overall with the Reds’ rst-round pick last year — has a 1.00 ERA with 10 strikeouts in nine innings during his two starts.

Pitching at the Dragons’ Day Air Ballpark in Dayton, OH, Lowder kicked o his pro career on April 5 against the Lansing Lugnuts, playing his rst real game since he pitched for the Demon Deacons in the College World Series last June.

Lowder retired the rst eight Lansing batters he faced, recording four of his ve strike-

Rhett Lowder continues to impress in Dayton Rangers reliever Burke broke his non-throwing hand punching wall

The pitcher was frustrated following a poor outing

By Kristie Rieken

Associated Press

The

HOUSTON

— Texas Rang-

ers reliever Brock Burke broke his non-throwing hand while punching a wall following a poor outing Friday night against the Houston Astros.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Burke, who is a left-hander, broke his right hand when he punched the wall “out of frustration” and was placed on the injured list Saturday.

The 27-year-old allowed three hits and four runs in the seventh inning of his team’s 12-8 win.

“We want our guys, our athletes to be competitive and hate to lose, but with that passion there’s a ne edge, and when you cross that line there’s going to be consequences,” Bochy said. “And we just saw what happened there. You love the fact that he was upset with not helping the club last night ... but it just wasn’t a smart move.”

outs during that stretch. In four innings, he allowed two hits, no runs and a single walk on 65 pitches in the Dragons’ 1-0 season-opening loss.

Out of his 65 pitches in his debut performance, 45 of them were strikes. “A long time coming,” Lowder said to local Dragons reporters following that game. “It was a lot of fun getting out there. De nitely a little bit nervous, but that’s every game. Just more so excited. There’s a good crowd here. I’ve just been looking forward to this day for a while, so it was a lot of fun.”

The 22-year-old followed up his rst start with another strong outing on April 12, pitching on the road against the Cedar Rapids Kernals. In that matchup, he allowed one run on four hits and a walk with ve strikeouts in ve innings.

So far, opposing batters have only generated a batting average of .176 against the Albemarle native, resembling the dominance he showed over the past few years in the college baseball circuit.

Lowder’s high ceiling as a

As a two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year (2022 and 2023), Lowder led the NCAA in wins (15) during his junior season in 19 appearances while ranking fourth in ERA (1.87). He also pitched seven shutout innings against LSU in the 2023 College World Series, eventually adding a First-Team All-American honor to his padded resume.

While the Demon Deacons fell short in a must-win extra innings situation in that championship series, they still came away from that season with program records in regular season wins, ACC wins, ACC series wins, postseason wins and overall wins.

Lowder’s current team landed sixth in Baseball America’s recent list of most talented minor league teams in the country, while he personally debuted at No. 34 in MLB Pipeline’s top 100.

In a team-friendly deal last July, Lowder and the Reds agreed to terms with a $5.7 million signing bonus that comes in below the $6.28 million slot value of the seventh selection.

Depending on his continued performances and the Reds’ pitching depth, he could potentially make his MLB debut this season.

The Comets are 12-1 on the season, 5-0 atop the Yadkin Valley Conference. They went 2-0 last week, and Crist picked up both victories on the mound with dominating performances. In a 3-0 home win over Gray Stone Day, she pitched all seven innings, allowing just one hit and striking out 15 of the 22 batters she faced.

Three days earlier, in a 6-0 shutout at Gray Stone, she did even better than that, going seven innings and retiring all 21 batters she faced for a perfect game. Crist struck out 11 in the game. She also went 3-for-5 at the plate, with three runs and an RBI in the two games.

Burke is making $1,035,000 this season and will continue to earn his salary while out with the injury. Burke pitched brie y for the Hickory Crawdads, Texas’ Class A a liate in the South Atlantic League, in 2019.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Brock Burke reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Houston Astros’ Kyle Tucker during the seventh inning of game last week.

punctuated it with a bat ip. Bochy denied that Burke, who has a 15.00 ERA in ve appearances this season, was trying to hit Alvarez.

“Any team would be upset in that situation with pitches, when he’s struggling trying to throw strikes,” Bochy said. “Four pitches go at their guy. Just like we’re going to be upset. But Burke was out there … because he’s trying to nd his game. He wouldn’t have been in that game if he had good command and control.”

Bochy said he hasn’t had a chance to talk to Burke about what happened yet, but he plans to have a conversation about it.

“Obviously, he regrets it,” Bochy said. “Sometimes you don’t have time to think about what the consequences may be. You’re just that upset and that frustrated. That’s the passion to do well (and) hate to lose. It’s not the rst time I’ve seen it.”

In 2022, Astros reliever Phil Maton broke his right pinkie when he punched a locker in frustration after Houston’s regular-season nale, causing him to miss the postseason.

In 2004, Yankees righthander Kevin Brown broke his non-pitching hand when he punched a wall in the clubhouse.

Right-hander Austin Pruitt, a Durham Bull from 2016 to 2019, was called up from Triple-A Round Rock to take Burke’s spot on the roster.

The Astros were unhappy at Burke’s plunking of the elbow of slugger Yordan Alvarez after almost hitting him on three previous pitches inside. Alvarez

stared Burke down before trotting to rst base. Kyle Tucker sent Burke’s next pitch into the second deck in left eld for his second home of the game and

KEVIN M. COX / AP PHOTO

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL Suggs faces charges from Starbucks drive-thru incident

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Former NFL linebacker

Terrell Suggs has been arrested after allegedly threatening another man and showing a handgun during a dispute in a Starbucks drive-thru line. Scottsdale Police arrested Suggs and charged the former Baltimore Ravens player with threatening and intimidating and disorderly conduct with a weapon. The incident on March 10 began after a black Range Rover driven by Suggs passed the ordering speaker at Starbucks and had to back up to place his order, backing into the other vehicle.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

VanDerveer retires as Stanford women’s hoops coach

Stanford, Calif.

Tara VanDerveer, the winningest basketball coach in NCAA history, announced her retirement after 38 seasons leading the Stanford women’s team and 45 years overall. The 70-year-old VanDerveer surpassed Mike Krzyzewski for the wins record earlier this year. The Hall of Famer departs with 1,216 victories at Idaho, Ohio State and Stanford. And as has been the plan for years, top Cardinal assistant Kate Paye is set to take over the program, and the school said negotiations with Paye are underway. Paye played for VanDerveer from 1991-95 and has coached on her sta for 17 years.

COLLEGE HOCKEY

Denver beats BC

2-0 to win record

10th NCAA hockey national title

St. Paul, Minn. Jared Wright and Rieger Lorenz scored second-period goals, Matt Davis had 35 saves and Denver beat No. 1 overall seed Boston College 2-0 to win the 10th national championship in program history. No. 3 seed Denver (32-9-3), which nished the season on a nine-game win streak, moved past Michigan (nine) for most titles all-time. Davis had 23 third-period saves in his third shutout of the season. The Pioneers outscored their opponents 82-39 in the second period this season. Boston College (34-6-1), which set the program’s single-season record for wins, had its 15game win streak snapped and was shutout for the rst time this season.

SUMO

Hawaii-born sumo champion

Akebono Taro dies of heart failure

Tokyo

Hawaii-born Akebono Taro, one of the greats of sumo wrestling and a former grand champion, has died. He was 54. He was the rst foreignborn wrestler to reach the level of “yokozuna” — or grand champion — in Japan. At the prime of his career he was a real giant, reported at the time to weigh 500 pounds and standing 6-feet8. He was born Chad Rowan and moved to Tokyo in the late 1980s and won his rst grand championship in 1993. Akebono was an 11-time grand tournament winner and he retired in 2001.

Elliott ends 42-race winless streak with OT victory in NASCAR Cup race at Texas

The fan favorite got his rst win in 18 months

By Stephen Hawkins The Associated Press

FORT WORTH, Texas —

Chase Elliott had to get through a few extra laps after 18 months since last winning a race. Elliott pulled ahead and cleared Ross Chastain on the rst lap after the second restart in overtime Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, ending a 42-race winless streak for NASCAR’s most popular driver. “A lot of things went on our way today. I’m not naive to that,” Elliott said. ”You have to be in the mix and you’ve got to be up front to even have things go your way. And we were close enough to do that.”

The race ended on the 16th caution after Elliott had taken the white ag for the 276th lap in a race scheduled for 267 laps. Chastain got bumped from behind by defending race winner William Byron, who nished third and was just behind Brad Keselowski when the nal yellow ag came out. It was the fth win this season for Hendrick Motorsports, the 306th for NASCAR’s winningest team, but the rst for Elliott in the No. 9 Chevrolet since Talladega in October 2022.

“The longer it goes and the more ways you nd to either not run good or lose races, you know it can make it tougher,” Elliott said. “It’s been an extremely important thing to me ... to try to climb this mountain again together and try to get

Mavericks co-stars

Irving,

Doncic

working on better plot

The Dallas teammates are playo bound after last season’s collapse

By Schuyler Dixon The Associated Press

DALLAS — Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic are on the verge of their playo debut together, a year after the trade for Irving led to an unceremonious tanking instead of a trip to the postseason.

“Life is about redemption, especially in sports, where anybody can say anything and something could happen the next day or the next two weeks or the next few months that leads to you succeeding at a very high level,” Irving said. “Or failing at a high level,” he quickly added.

Sort of covers the endings of both seasons for superstars with 13 All-Star selections between them.

Last year, injuries were a problem in the two months after Dallas sent two important players from the run to the 2022 Western Conferencenals to Brooklyn for Irving.

Once the Mavericks realized it would be di cult to get into the West play-in tournament with two games remaining, coach Jason Kidd essentially acknowledged the team was tanking to try to salvage a draft

pick from the failed trade for Kristaps Porzingis four years earlier. Although costly (a $750,000 ne from the NBA), the strategy worked, and Dallas added a building block in center Dereck Lively II from Duke.

Lively’s availability for the playo s is in question due to a knee injury, but Daniel Gafford’s addition at the trade deadline this year gives Dallas a similar dunker and rim protector. P.J. Washington was the other February acquisition, and the roster appears to be a much better t than after the Irving trade. At least that’s what the standings show.

“The chemistry is big,” Doncic said. “We are on a roll right now.”

Injuries were an issue for Irving the rst half of this season, but Dallas is 22-7 in the 29 consecutive games he has played since returning from a thumb injury. He also had an extended absence with a bruised heel. Irving is on his longest continuous stretch since 2015-16.

Doncic is two games from playing in 70 for the rst time since his rookie season, and the Mavericks recently won 10 consecutive games with the NBA scoring leader — and Irving, of course — in the lineup.

When Doncic sat with a sore knee in Friday’s 108-106 vic -

back to where we need to be as a group.”

Elliott and Denny Hamlin were at the front of the eld after a restart with two laps left in regulation, and they were racing all-out when Hamlin got loose on the outside going into Turn 4 and went hard into the wall, bringing out the 14th caution and sending the race to overtime.

“Trying go for the win ... got loose and spun out,” said Hamlin, the only driver to lead laps in all nine races this season.

That was the second restart in the last 10 laps of regulation, with Hamlin leading on the previous one before Elliott edged ahead about the same time that another caution came out when polesitter Kyle Larson wrecked after a crowded fourwide jumble back in the eld.

On the rst restart in overtime, Elliott was on the inside and took a hard shove from Keselowski, but Harrison Burton was wrecked within a half lap.

In NASCAR’s only stop this season at the 1 1/2-mile Texas Motor Speedway, which for the rst time in 20 years won’t host a fall playo race, there were 13 di erent leaders.

Keselowski has now gone 107 races since his last win at Talladega in April 2021, and still looking for his rst win with RFK Racing, a team he coowns.

“The driver in me is frustrated because I feel like these are races I am good enough to win but don’t have the speed enough to do it,” Keselowski said. “The owner in me is mad as hell because it is my fault for not making the cars faster.”

tory over Golden State, Irving played more than 42 minutes for just the second time this season. During Irving’s six-game absence with the thumb injury, Doncic played at least that long four times, and ended up sitting once to rest because of the heavy workload.

Irving scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime against the Rockets. The 11th

of 12 assists from Doncic, who scored 37 points, set up Exum’s tying 3. Plenty of reasons for both to savor the win.

“At the end of the game, Luka’s like, ‘I’m tired, man,’” Irving said. “That was one of those inthe-moment type things for us as brothers to embrace each other. We know how hard we’ve worked and how much work it took to get to this point in the season.”

RANDY HOLT / AP PHOTO

Chase Elliott, right, greets fans during driver introductions before his NASCAR Cup Series win Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.

Australian police identify Sydney stabbing attacker

Six were killed and a dozen injured in last weekend’s attack

By Rick Rycroft and Keiran Smith

The Associated Press

SYDNEY — Police identied Sunday the assailant who stabbed and killed six people at a busy Sydney shopping center before a police o cer fatally shot him.

New South Wales Police said that Joel Cauchi, 40, was responsible for the Saturday afternoon attack at the West eld Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction, in the city’s eastern suburbs and not far from the world-famous Bondi Beach.

NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters at a media conference on Sunday that Cauchi su ered from yet unspeci ed mental health issues and police investigators weren’t treating the attack as terrorism-related.

“We are continuing to work through the pro ling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage, it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved,” Cooke said.

“There is still, to this point... no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation — ideology or otherwise,” he added.

The attack at the shopping mall, one of the country’s busiest and which was a hub of activity on a particularly warm fall afternoon, began around 3:10 p.m. and police were swiftly called.

Six people — ve women and one man, aged between 20 and 55 — were killed in the attack. Another 12 were injured and remain in hospital, including a 9-month-old child whose mother was killed in the attack.

The male victim was a security guard at the shopping center and was later identi ed as 30-year-old Faraz Tahir from Pakistan.

According to a written statement Sunday from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia, Faraz had been in Australia for less than a year and was a “cherished member of our community.”

Video footage taken by a witness showed many people eeing as a knife-wielding Cauchi ran erratically through the shopping mall and lunging at people. “When I took my footage, it was about 15 seconds maybe before he was shot by the police ofcer and he’d already killed a number of people at that point but we didn’t know and we had no idea what was going on,” said Rohan Anderson, who had en-

tered the shopping center just moments before the attack. “We just saw a person on the level below us, with a knife, running around and you just sit in disbelief that this is happening in Australia, in Bondi,” he said.

Other footage showed a man confronting the attacker on an escalator in the shopping center by holding what appeared to be a metal pole.

Inspector Amy Scott, who was the rst emergency responder on the scene, shot and killed Cauchi.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the o cer was “certainly a hero” whose actions had saved many more lives.

“The wonderful inspector who ran into danger by herself and removed the threat that was there to others, without thinking about the risks to herself,” he said.

“We also see the footage of ordinary Australians putting themselves in harm’s way in order to help their fellow citizens. That bravery was quite extraordinary that we saw yesterday,” he added.

In a written statement later Sunday, Cauchi’s family said they were devastated by Saturday’s events and they had “no issue” with Scott shooting their son, saying “she was only doing her job to protect others.”

“Joel’s actions were truly horri c, and we are still trying to comprehend what has happened,” the statement read. “He has battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.”

Throughout Sunday, people placed a large number of oral tributes for the victims outside the now-shuttered shopping center. Police say it will remain an active crime scene for days.

India’s 44-day national election starts this week

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term

By Krutika Pathi The Associated Press

NEW DELHI — Nearly 970 million people — or over 10% of the global population — are eligible to vote in India’s general elections that start Friday and last until June 1. The mammoth exercise is the biggest anywhere in the world and will take 44 days before results are announced on June 4.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third successive term. He will face o against a broad but ailing alliance of opposition parties that are struggling to challenge his appeal. Most surveys predict Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party will win comfortably, cementing him as one of the country’s most popular and consequential leaders.

So why does it take so long? It boils down to two key reasons: the sheer size of India, the world’s most populous country, and the astonishing level of logistics needed to ensure that every registered voter is able to cast their ballot.

Over the years, the duration of voting has wavered. It took nearly four months to complete the vote in India’s rst elections in 1951-52 after it gained independence from British rule, and just four days in 1980. In 2019, voting took 39 days, and this year’s election is the second longest.

With 969 million registered voters, the size of India’s electorate is bigger than the combined population of the 27 European Union member states. This includes 18 million rsttime voters and around 197 million who are in their 20s.

The vote to choose 543 lawmakers for the lower house of Parliament takes place over seven phases. India’s 28 states and eight federal territories will vote at di erent times. Each phase is one day, with the rst held on April 19 and the last on June 1.

boat, foot and even on horseback — to try to reach every voter.

Kerala state and another in a shipping container in western Gujarat state.

General elections in India tend to take weeks to conduct, but Modi’s opponents also say it gives him an advantage as it makes it easier for the prime minister, the public face of the BJP, to travel and campaign, especially in states where they are weak.

The Election Commission of India, which oversees the vote, has to make sure there is a voting booth available within 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of every voter.

“Election o cials have to travel to great lengths to ensure that even a single voter can exercise their franchise,” said

While some states will cast their ballots in a day, voting elsewhere may take longer. The largest state, Uttar Pradesh, which is the size of Brazil with 200 million people, will vote on all seven days, for example.

Chakshu Roy of PRS Legislative Research, an independent think tank.

Some 15 million election ocials and security sta will traverse the country’s deserts and mountains — sometimes by

It can be especially arduous. In 2019, when India last held elections, a team of polling o cers trekked more than 300 miles for four days just so a single voter in a hamlet in the remote state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, could exercise their right.

O cials also traveled to a village tucked away high up in the Himalayas in 2019 to install a booth at 15,256 feet, the highest polling station anywhere in the world.

This time too, polling stations will be installed in remote places, including one inside a wildlife sanctuary in southern

Experts say a key reason behind the multiphase elections in India is security.

Tens of thousands of federal security forces, who usually guard borders for instance, are freed up and deployed alongside state police to prevent violence and transport electoral o cials and voting machines.

Deadly clashes involving supporters of rival political parties, particularly in the eastern state of West Bengal, had marred previous elections. But such violence has tapered over the years, thanks to heavy security, and voting has been relatively peaceful.

RICK RYCROFT / AP PHOTO

A note is left with ower tributes near a crime scene at Bondi Junction in Sydney a day after several people were stabbed to death Saturday at a shopping center.

ALTAF QADRI / AP PHOTO

Supporters of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party react as they listen to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak at an election rally on March 31.

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye

Dwight Farmer

James Roseboro

John B. Kluttz

James “Jay” Alexander Henley, Jr.

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.

April 7, 1966 – April 7, 2024

Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor. She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor.

Survivors include children, Debbie (Mike) Williams of Albemarle, Teresa (Tom) Curry of Oakboro, Douglas (Tammy) Drye of Oakboro; grandchildren, Melissa (Don) Parrish of Albemarle, Samantha (Destiny) Smith of Oakboro, Bradley Smith of Oakboro, Jonathan Stover of Peachland, and Jessie Stover of Lylesville; sisterin-law, Beatrice Goodman; many nieces and nephews; and her beloved cats, Bo and Gar eld.

Barbara was a member of Oakboro Baptist Church for over 60 years. She worked over 30 years at Stanly Knitting Mills. After just two years of retirement, she began managing the Oakboro Senior Center and did that for 18 years until this past week. Barbara was known for her good cooking and always taking care of others. She also loved going on day long shopping trips - she could out walk and out shop people half her age. She kept her mind and body active through gardening, word searches, and various other hobbies.

James "Jay" Alexander Henley, Jr., 58, of Charlotte, NC, passed away Sunday, April 7, 2024. Jay was born April 7, 1966, in Charlotte, NC, to the late James Alexander Henley and Georgia Messer Henley Frost. In addition to his father, Jay was also preceded in death by grandparents, Vera Messer; Ruby and Dainer Frost; aunts, Helen Anderson and Carol Darnell; and uncle, Ronnie Messer. Jay was an extroverted, fun-loving, prideful man. Jay was a man of faith who attended Gloryland Baptist Church. Most of all, Jay was a loving father, son, brother, and uncle. Jay is survived by his two sons, James "Alex" Henley III of Bessemer City, NC, and Adam J. Henley of Austin, TX; parents, Georgia and Jack Frost of Charlotte, NC; brothers, Doug Henley of Charlotte, NC and Derek (Tabitha) Frost of Port Charlotte, FL; nephew, Jackson Henley of Gainesville, GA; niece, Ruby Frost of Port Charlotte, FL; aunt, Sandy Crump of Kannapolis, NC; and cousin, Alice Anderson of Charlotte, NC.

Phyllis Beatrice Bennick

July 9, 1941 –April 9, 2024

Phyllis Beatrice Bennick, 82, of Concord, passed away peacefully Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at Tucker Hospice House in Kannapolis. Phyllis was born July 9, 1941, in North Carolina to the late Frank

Charles Allred and the late Regina Melba Pearson Allred. She was also preceded in death by husband, Richard Barry Bennick and children, Barry Keith Bennick and Karen Jeanine Bennick-Calhoun, and granddaughter, Devin Bennick. Survivors include daughter, Debbie Ann Bennick-Triming (Colin) of Concord, NC; grandchildren, Timothy Austin Miller, Amy Richards, Will Wadsworth, Dylan Bennick, Nick Carl, Sydney Carl, and three great grandkids, Lorelei, Nolan, and Abram.

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

Phyllis H. Swaringen

Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.

February 23, 1944 –April 7, 2024

Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran. He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheri ’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.

Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.

He is survived by his wife Hilda Whitley Farmer; one son D. Britten Farmer Jr. (Mary) of McLeansville, NC; one daughter Sharon Farmer Lowe (David) of Norwood; one sister Geraldine Dennis of Troy; two grandchildren, Dwight Britten “Dee” Farmer III and Whitley Rose Hui

Lowe.

Phyllis Swaringen, 80, of Albemarle, North Carolina, passed away April 7, 2024, in her home. Mrs. Swaringen was born February 23, 1944, in Stanly County to the late Onas Ray Harrington and Edith Lucille Huneycutt Harrington. She was preceded in death by her late husband, Wayne Swaringen. Survivors include three daughters, Debra Kimrey of Albemarle, Cathy Glenham of Atlanta, GA, Sherry Burris of Locust, NC; grandchildren, Brandon Kimrey of Albemarle, Hailey Kimrey of Norwood, NC, Jordon Burris of Oakboro, NC, Kayla Burris of Albemarle, NC, and Kristi Blanton of Franklin, NC; great-grandchildren, Katelyn, Kyndall, and Kyler Kimrey, and Natalie Blanton; siblings, David (Sherrie) Harrington of Albemarle, Danny (Barbara) Harrington of Norwood, NC, Doug (Sonja) Harrington of Albemarle, NC, Linda (Larry) Litaker of Albemarle, NC, and Frances Huneycutt of Norwood, NC.

He was preceded in death by his son Alex, brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, sisters, Nancy, Cornelia Annabell, Glennie Mae, and Betty. Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Cemetery or Choir Fund c/o Pam Smith 36071 Rocky River Springs Road, Norwood, NC 28128.

David Michael Love

March 6, 1954 –April 12, 2024

David Michael Love, 70, of Concord, NC stepped into Heaven on Friday, April 12, 2024.

David was born March 6, 1954, in Concord, North Carolina to the late Luther James Love and the late Lilly Virginia Sloop Love. Those who carry on his memory are his wife, Jeanie West Love; brother, Tim Love and wife Sandi; nephew, Nathan Love and wife Alex and their daughter Lillie; nephew, Matthew Love and wife Jennifer, and their sons Jude and Ty; bonus children, Ryan Hare and wife Becky and their children Laney and Nathan; Amber Hare Chipman and husband Je and their daughters Megan and ancé Trey Sloop, Haley and Ashlee; and great grandson, Grayson. David was a beloved husband and loved his family and friends dearly.

Margaret Janette Tallent

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.

December 7, 1936 –

April 9, 2024

Margaret Janette Tallent, aged 87, departed this life on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.

Mr. Roseboro was born on June 23, 1967 to the late Robert and Delena Shipp Roseboro. He graduated from South Stanly High School and was employed by Triangle Brick. He enjoyed watching football and basketball, especially the Carolina TarHeels and Miami.

Born on December 7th, 1936, Margaret was the treasured daughter of Arthur Carl Durham and Jessie Durham, both of whom have predeceased her in death.

In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his brothers and sisters: Barbara Lee Roseboro, Dorothy Brown, Verna Roseboro, Henrietta Ingram, and Harold Roseboro.

Her journey through life was one marked by deep connections and enduring love, notably with her beloved husband, Fred Tallent, to whom she was devotedly married to for 58 glorious years until his passing. Margaret also bid farewell to her brothers, Bud and Larry Durham.

The twilight years of Margaret's life were brightened by the laughter and love of her great-granddaughters, with whom she shared her wisdom, love, and cookies, creating memories that will echo through generations.

He is survived by his sisters: Helen (James) Roseboro Edwards of Albemarle, Mary Roseboro of Washington DC, and Marion Morrison of Albemarle; brothers: Thomas D. Roseboro of Charlotte, Robert Roseboro (Patricia) of Norwood, and Van Horne; a special friend of over 40 years, Michelle McLendon of the home; special nieces: Nybrea Montague, Knya Little, and Laquanza Crump; special nephews: Robert Jr., Desmond Roseboro, and Marcus Lilly; and God daughter, Daphne Johnson; and special friends, Vetrella Johnson and Ben McLendon.

Margaret leaves behind a legacy of love and faith through her sons, Mike and his wife Beth Tallent, Je and his wife Melissa Tallent; her grandchildren, Jessica and her husband

Scott Carpenter, Justin and his ancée Alexis Tallent, Jacob and his wife Meagan Tallent, Ti any and her husband Madison Hastings; great-granddaughters Ruby Carpenter and Gabby Hastings.

Darrick Baldwin

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8,

entered eternal rest, Sunday, January 8, 2023, Albemarle, North Carolina. Born January 7, 1973, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Darrick was the son of Eddie James Baldwin Sr. and the late Phyllis Blue Baldwin. Darrick enjoyed life, always kept things lively and enjoyed making others smile. His presence is no longer in our midst, but his memory will forever live in our hearts.

Peggy Love Taylor

April 3, 1933 – April 11, 2024

He was educated in the Stanly County public schools and attended Albemarle Senior High School, Albemarle.

Peggy Love Taylor, 91, of Charlotte, passed away Thursday, April 11, 2024.

He was a great conversationalist and loved meeting people. Darrick never met a stranger and always showed love and compassion for his fellowman. He also loved his dog, Rocky.

Peggy was born April 3, 1933, in North Carolina to the late Dolph Brown Love and Minnie Miller Love. She was also preceded in death by husband, Joseph Frank Taylor, son, Frank Durrell Taylor, sisters, Eunice B. Hartman, Sally Joy Hunsucker, Nell

Alice Love and brothers, Dolph Brown Love, Jr., Cronie Douglas Love.

Survivors include daughter, Eunice Taylor Wilson, sisters, Yvonne Furr, Rachel Furr, Margie Talbert, and brother Donald Love.

He is survived by his father, Eddie J. Baldwin Sr.; sisters: Crystal (Eric) Jackson, LaFondra (Stoney) Medley, and Morgan Baldwin; brothers: Eddie Baldwin Jr., Anton Baldwin, and Lamont Baldwin; a host of other relatives and friends. A limb has fallen from our family tree. We will not grieve Darrick’s death; we will celebrate his life. We give thanksgiving for the many shared memories.

Lemuel Theodore Rey

March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023

November 6, 1921 –April 9, 2024

John grew up in the Millingport community where he drove a school bus and worked at the local gas station during his High School years. He graduated from Millingport High in 1954 and entered into service with the US Airforce immediately afterward. Upon return from the service, he and his high school sweetheart Julie were married in 1956. He graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College later in 1959 and began his career as a diesel mechanic at Mitchell Distributing Company, moving his growing family to Charlotte where they lived until their retirement.

Lemuel “Polly” “Poli” Theodore Rey passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, April 9,2024. Lemuel was born November 6, 1921, in East End, Anguilla to the late Charles and Emily Rey. Lemuel was preceded in death by his son, Tyrone Alston Rey, also by so many brothers and sisters that they cannot all be named. Lemuel worked as a cab driver in the St. Martin. Lemuel moved to Aruba to get further employment. Lemuel moved to the USA; he resided in New York City.

When John purchased his rst Model A Ford at the age of 17, he said that he took the car to the community mechanic when he had a small problem.The mechanic told him that if he was going to keep the car, he needed to learn to work on it. This is when John’s passion for Model A Fords began and how he spent his happiest days with his best friends from around the globe for the rest of his life!

Lemuel is survived by his sons Winston Je rey Rey and wife, Lydia of Aruba, and Lemuel “Junior” Valentino Rey and wife Caldine of Charlotte; 5 grandchildren, Chante (Ronald Greene) FortsonGreene, Edward (Amaranth) Rey, Gregory (Jay), Vincent (Noel), and Victor Rey; 11 great-grandchildren Kyrique Chisom, Sanaa Greene, Ronald Greene, Mia Greene, Talia Rey, Anaya Rey, Milah Rey, Vincent Rey, Alia Rey, Amia Rey, Xander Rey; and many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

At age 50, after years as a Detroit Diesel Mechanic he and Julie decided to take the plunge and open a full Model A Restoration Shop. They thrived at their shop in Cornelius, NC until their retirement in 1998 when they moved back to Cabarrus County. John once again set up shop in his back yard garage where he attracted a loyal group of friends who visited almost daily. While on the farm in Gold Hill, John also began a lifelong love with Alis Chalmers tractors after he restored his Dad’s tractor and began amassing his collection of tractors as well.

Elaine Carriker

January 8, 1954 –April 12, 2024

Mary Elaine Carriker, 70, of Monroe, passed away Friday, April 12, 2024.

his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Awardthe highest award given to members at the national level. This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men. John is survived by his wife Julie Ussery Kluttz, for 66 years of the home. He is also survived by a son John David Kluttz (Kim) of Oakboro, NC; two daughters, Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and Betsy Tusa (John) of Lafayette, CO; three grandchildren, Bonnie Kluttz Sammons (Ben) of Rich eld, NC

Elaine was born January 8, 1954, in North Carolina to the late Billy Joe Page and Mary Fredine Simpson Page. She was also preceded in death by sisters Jo Nell Page, Carol Page Polston.

John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; ve great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Meredith, Grant, Victoria and Ronan. John is also preceded in death by his parents, J.S. Kluttz and Mary Wyatt Clayton Kluttz; a large and loving group of brothers and sisters, Jack Methias Kluttz, Annie Lou Kluttz Honeycutt, Jake Nelson Kluttz, Julius Kluttz, Mary Patricia Phillips and a grandson, Kevin Fowler Kluttz.

Survivors include husband of 20 years, Buren Carriker of Monroe; son Dennis Elkins (Cesz) of Monroe; daughter, Amanda Hartis (Scott) of Spartanburg, SC; grandchildren, Baylee Hartis of Mint Hill, Olivia Hartis of Mint Hill, Colby Hartis of Mint Hill and Elijah Elkins of Monroe; stepchildren, Denise Staton (Kelly) of Myrtle Beach, Toni Jones (Kelly) of Myrtle Beach, and Chad Carriker of Marshville, nine step grandchildren, and nine step great-grandchildren.

Jordan DeBona

Doris Jones Coleman

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

September 17, 1987 –April 11, 2024

Jordan DeBona, 36, of Stan eld, NC, passed away on April 11, 2024. He is survived by his beloved wife Shannon DeBona, his cherished son Weston Shelton, his mother

Tina Anderson Reyes with her husband José Reyes, his father Jody DeBona and his wife Joanne DeBona, his brother Dwane Christopher Davidson with his family Faith, Aliyda, Emma, and Jordan's sister Nicole Bors and her husband Jacob Bors. Jordan was known for his unwavering integrity. His tried and true values were exhibited in his daily life. Jordan was a huge animal lover, especially dogs. If there was a dog near him, he was giving them quality attention. Also, Jordan always had a good dad joke stored in his dad-a-base with very apparent jokes. Above all, Jordan had a rare gift for making everyone around him feel valued. Through his talents, compassion, and willingness he touched the lives of all who knew him.

Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, went home into God’s presence on January 10 after a sudden illness and a valiant week-long ght in ICU. Doris was born on October 11, 1944, in the mountains of Marion, NC while her father was away ghting in the US Navy during World War II. Raymond Jones was so proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Durham High School. She furthered her studies at Watts Hospital School of Nursing in Durham and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1966. Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC. Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion. The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over 40

Phyllis Ann Fox Mills

July 16, 1943 – April 12, 2024

Phyllis Ann Fox Mills passed away peacefully on April 12, 2024, at the age of 80. She was loving and dedicated to her family, friends and church. She was born on July 16, 1943 in Alexander County to Harvey Alexander Fox and Thursey Jane Fox.

spirit and loved her Lord. She never met a stranger, and she always left with her. She would often claim that she had “adopted” friends into her immediate family, and honestly, she never made a distinction between the two. Positivity radiated from her like sunlight. She was sel ess, funny, smart, and sentimental. During her lifetime she was an active member of First Baptist Church of Durham, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Augusta, and Palestine United Methodist Church in Albemarle. She especially loved helping at church with older adults, youth, and children.

She was especially talented at sewing from a young age and made gifts for friends, Christmas ornaments, Halloween Costumes, doll clothes, pageant dresses, prom dresses, coats, tote bags, scarves, out ts for Amy and Laura, and Christening gowns for each of her grandchildren.

There was nothing that Phyllis loved more than being a grandmother and was made for that role.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 58 years , Richard Clark Mills. She is survived by her family that will miss her dearly, son, Richard Edward and wife, Hayes; son, Andrew Alexander and wife, Leslie; grandchildren, Hannah, Eli and Chloe; sister, Louise Hathcock; sister in law, Helen Fox; sister in law, Peggy Fox; brother in law, James Wike; sister in law, Martha Hoover; sister-in-law, Ann Lawlor; and many nieces and nephews.

Doris was preceded in death by her father Arthur Raymond Jones, her mother Mary Ellen Cameron Jones, and her sister Maryanne Jones Brantley. Survivors include her two precious daughters: Amy Cameron Coleman (partner Dr. Edward Neal Chernault) of Albemarle, NC, and Laura Lindahl Coleman Oliverio (husband David) of Cincinnati, Ohio; seven grandchildren: Cameron David Oliverio, Stephanie Jae Dejak, Luca Beatty Oliverio, Coleman John Dejak, Carson Joseph Oliverio, Ryan Nicholas Dejak, and Jadon Richard Oliverio; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones.

STATE & NATION

Semiautomatic rearm ban passes Colorado’s House, heads to Senate

Ten other states prohibit semiautomatic guns

The Associated Press DENVER, Colo. — Colorado’s Democratic-controlled House on Sunday passed a bill that would ban the sale and transfer of semiautomatic rearms, a major step for the legislation after roughly the same bill was swiftly killed by Democrats last year.

The bill, which passed on a 3527 vote, is now on its way to the Democratic-led state Senate. If it passes there, it could bring Colorado in line with 10 other states — including California, New York and Illinois — that have prohibitions on semiautomatic guns.

But even in a state plagued by some of the nation’s worst mass shootings, such legislation faces headwinds.

Colorado’s political history is purple, shifting blue only recently. The bill’s chances of success in the state Senate are lower than they were in the House, where Democrats have a 46-19 majori-

ty and a bigger far-left ank. Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has indicated his wariness over such a ban.

Last year, a similar bill died in committee, with some Democratic lawmakers citing concerns over the sweep of a ban and promises

Simpson estate executor plans to ght payout to Browns, Goldmans

The infamous celebrity, who was acquitted of the murder of his wife and her friend, died last week

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — The executor of O.J. Simpson’s estate says he will work to prevent a payout of a $33.5 million judgment awarded by a California civil jury nearly three decades ago in a wrongful death lawsuit led by the families of Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson’s will was led Friday in a Clark County court in Nevada, naming his longtime lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, as the executor. The document shows Simpson’s property was placed into a trust that was created this year.

LaVergne told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the entirety of Simpson’s estate has not been tallied. Under Nevada law, an estate must go through the courts if its assets exceed $20,000. Simpson died last Wednesday without having paid the lion’s share of the civil judgment that was awarded in 1997 after jurors found him liable. With his assets set to go through the court probate process, the Goldman and

Brown families could be in line to get paid a piece of whatever Simpson left behind.

LaVergne, who had represented Simpson since 2009, said he speci cally didn’t want the Goldman family seeing any money from Simpson’s estate.

“It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing,” he told the Review-Journal. “Them speci cally. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing.”

Although the Brown and Goldman families have pushed for payment, LaVergne said there was never a court order forcing Simpson to pay the civil judgment. The attorney told the Review-Journal that his particular ire at the Goldman family stemmed in part from the events surrounding Simpson’s planned book, titled “If I Did It.”

Goldman’s family won control of the manuscript and retitled the book “If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.” Simpson earned fame and fortune through football and show business, but his legacy was forever changed by the June 1994 knife slayings of his exwife and her friend in Los Angeles. He was acquitted of criminal charges in 1995 in a trial that mesmerized the public.

Goldman’s father Fred Gold-

they made to their constituents to avoid government overreach affecting most gun owners’ rights. Democrats last year passed and Polis signed into law four less-expansive gun control bills. Those included raising the age for buying any gun from 18 to 21; es-

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, pictured last November, has expressed concern over the possibility of a semiautomatic gun ban.

Those laws were signed months after ve people were killed at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs last year. Soon, the state will mark the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting that killed 13 people. Other mass shootings in Colorado include 12 people killed in 2012 at an Aurora movie theater and 10 people killed in 2021 at a Boulder supermarket.

“This is the state where the modern era of the mass shooting began with Columbine,” Democratic Rep. Javier Mabrey said in urging fellow lawmakers to join other states that ban semiautomatic weapons.

Republicans decried the legislation as an onerous encroachment on the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. They argued that mental illness and people who do not value life — not guns — are the issues that should be addressed. People with ill intent can use other weapons, such as knives, to harm others, they argued.

tablishing a three-day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun; strengthening the state’s red ag law; and rolling back some legal protections for the rearms industry, exposing it to lawsuits from the victims of gun violence.

Democrats responded that semiautomatic weapons can cause much more damage in a short period of time.

“In Aurora, when the shooter walked in that theater and opened re,” Mabrey said, “and in less than 90 seconds shot up a room full of people. That cannot be done with a knife, that can’t be done with a knife.”

man, the lead plainti , always said the issue was never the money, it was only about holding Simpson responsible. And he said in a statement Thursday that with Simpson’s death, “the hope for true accountability has ended.” The Goldman and Brown families will be on at least equal footing with other creditors and will probably have an even stronger claim, as Simpson’s estate is settled under terms established by the trust created in January. The will lists his four children and notes that any bene ciary who seeks to challenge provisions of the will “shall receive, free of trust, one dollar ($1.00) and no more in lieu of any claimed interest in this will or its assets.” Simpson said he lived only on his NFL and private pensions. Hundreds of valuable possessions had been seized as part of the jury award, and Simpson was forced to auction his Heisman Trophy, fetching $230,000.

JACK DEMPSEY / AP PHOTO

MYUNG J. CHUN / LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS VIA AP

O.J. Simpson, pictured after he was found not guilty in the death of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in Los Angeles in October 1995, died last week at 76.

Randolph record

WHAT’S HAPPENING Southwestern

performs

The visit to New York brings special experiences

The second annual Child Abuse Prevention walk will be held on April 26 in downtown Asheboro from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

The Randolph County Department of Social Services, plus numerous local partners, are hosting the event to raise public awareness during National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The event will begin with an opening ceremony, followed by a mile walk that will focus on advocating for prevention, building community capacity, and raising awareness to prevent child abuse and neglect, strengthen families, and foster healthy children and youth.

In Randolph County, social workers received and completed assessments on more than 1,310 reports of abuse and neglect in 2023, with roughly 16% of those cases needing postassessment services.

Help clean up NC highways

NCDOT is running its annual Spring Litter Sweep, providing gloves, safety vests and trash bags for local volunteers to help pick up local roads. In 2023, more than 11 million pounds of trash was picked up from North Carolina roadsides.

If you have questions, contact Wanda Willett, Randolph County’s NCDOT Litter Management Coordinator, at 336318-4000 or call the maintenance o ce at 336-318-4050 to pick up supplies. Visit NCDOT.gov for more.

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — A group of nearly three dozen Southwestern Randolph High School students took part in a special trip to New York during spring break earlier this month, to perform at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. The concert choir and advanced honors ensemble made up the group, with the 40 minute performance involving songs speci cally selected for a cathedral performance.

“It was beautiful,” said Kerri Smith, whose daughter, Skylee, is a member of the honors en-

semble. “It was just great.”

The group was under the direction of choral director Alyssa Plott. Several parent and teacher chaperones accompanied the students.

“For these students, this was their rst high school choral trip,” Plott said. “I really wanted them to have a performance opportunity.”

In advance of the performance, the group practiced at its hotel, even drawing an audience for that.

On the day that the Southwestern Randolph students performed at the cathedral, they had spent time in the Times Square area. The students then changed into their concert attire across the street at Rockefeller

It’s the 13th local historic landmark designated in Asheboro

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

The Asheboro City Council met April 4, beginning with the naming of the Randolph Savings and Loan building at 115 South Fayetteville St. as a local historic landmark. “This is the dominant, iconic building in downtown Asheboro, and it’s nominated for designation by the property owner,” said Ross Holt of the Randolph County Historic Landmark Preservation Commission. “The Randolph Savings and Loan building was built in 1963 and designed by Alvis George for the rm of J. Hyatt Hammond.” The building is mentioned as a contributing resource to the

Downtown Asheboro Historic District, itself on the National Register of Historic Places.

“The Landmark Designation Report, by Heather Fernbach of Fernbach History Services, concludes that the building possesses the seven qualities of integrity,” Holt went on. “Location, setting, feeling, association, design, materials and workmanship from its period of significance necessary for historic landmark designation.”

The council encouraged private property owners with noteworthy buildings and sites to bring nominations before the city. “We’ve gotten all the low-hanging fruit, all the public buildings and public sites, but there are a lot of places that need to be recognized that are on private property so we are really encouraging private property owners to come forward,” Holt said.

The council also approved a trio of rezoning requests. The rst concerned less than one acre of property, located at the western intersection of East Central Avenue and Willow Road, going from R-10 to R-7.5.

“There’s going to be three duplexes,” said Brian Lucas, the developer for the project. “I can already build two duplexes and a single-family home, so I just want to build three duplexes and that’s it. We’ll have two driveways on Willow and one on East Central.”

The second was to amend an existing OA-6 conditional zoning district (CZ) on approximately

COURTESY PHOTO

Alyssa Plott directs Southwestern Randolph High School choral students during their recent performance at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.

COURTESY PHOTO Southwestern Randolph High

choral students pose for a photo outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York earlier this month.

Hitting the ‘strEAT’

Downtown Asheboro will host a street festival Saturday evening

Randolph Record Sta

ASHEBORO — In a festive tribute to both Earth Day and the 50th anniversary of the North Carolina Zoo, Downtown Asheboro is set to host the inaugural Zoo City StrEAT Fest on Saturday, April 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. The event will blend the charm of downtown Asheboro with an array of outdoor activities that spotlight the zoo’s pivotal role in wildlife conservation. It promises a mix of education and entertainment with “Zoo Zones” where the zoo sta will showcase their conservation e orts. There will also be a pop-up Organic Farmers Market featuring locally grown produce, empha-

March 29

Jordan Avery Rich, 29, was charged by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office with felony first-degree burglary, felony larceny after break/enter, felony break/ enter motor vehicle, felony larceny of motor vehicle, and possession of stolen motor vehicle.

April 5

Windy Elizabeth Callicutt, 41, was located by the Criminal Apprehension team and was arrested on charges of 10 counts of felony larceny of firearms, felony obtaining property by false pretense, and felony larceny. The magistrate issued a $42,500 total secured bond.

April 6

Zackary Scott Williamson, 35,

WEDNESDAY APRIL 17

THURSDAY APRIL 18 FRIDAY APRIL 19

SATURDAY APRIL 20

APRIL

LANDMARK from page 1 have been permitted in the existing commercial zoning district, but several years ago, the city code was amended to require this type of use to be entirely within an industrial district versus a general commercial or retail district,” Nut-

CATHEDRAL from page 1

Center on Fifth Avenue.

“We made it work and made the most of it,” Plott said.

The audience for the Southwestern Randolph concert included anyone visiting the cathedral at the time, perhaps up to 200. A mother and daughter from France looked on.

While there are many visitors to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, it’s an active Catholic church with many special events taking place. The group’s performance came shortly after a mass – and just a few days after Easter.

The choir received positive feedback from some of the onlookers.

“It was great for people to see us perform from little old

sizing the festival’s Earth Day connection.

The downtown area will be abuzz with music, thanks to a live performance by local talent Brianna Atwell Dodd, while free kids’ activities like face painting, sidewalk chalk art, and a seed germination station will o er fun family activities. The Randolph County Soil & Water Department will engage children with an interactive Soil & Water Station.

Downtown businesses are gearing up to participate fully. Restaurants including The Flying Pig, The Table, and Positano will extend their hospitality to the streets with outdoor dining setups. Shoppers can enjoy in-store promotions at various boutiques such as Nella Boutique, Harper Jewel and Upstyled Goods & Salon.

To accommodate the festival, speci c street closures will

was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony larceny and felony possession of stolen goods. Bond was denied.

April 8

James Darren Ingram, 54, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He was issued a $15,000 secured bond.

April 9

Margaret Jo Michelle Morgan, 32, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony neglect child abuse resulting in serious physical injury. Morgan was issued a $10,000 secured bond.

Christopher Allen Norman, 34, was arrested by the

be in e ect. Sunset Avenue will be closed from Fayetteville Street to Church Street, and a segment of North Street will also be inaccessible to vehicular tra c. These closures will help ensure a safe and expansive area for attendees to enjoy the festival’s o erings.

Parking will be available at several locations around the downtown area, including Bicentennial Park and the City of Asheboro Municipal Lot, which features Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations. Additional parking can be found at the Asheboro Farmers Market, Asheboro Recreation Center, Randolph County Courthouse, and the Randolph/Asheboro Library, which o ers Level 3 electric vehicle charging. The Zoo City StrEAT Fest is designed not just as a celebration of the North Carolina Zoo’s ve decades but as a community event that promotes environmental awareness and community engagement.

Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony neglect and child abuse resulting in serious physical injury. Norman was issued a $15,000 secured bond.

April 10

Benjamin Caleb Blevins, 34, of Siler City was arrested by the Asheboro Police Department on charges of possession of a firearm by a felon and carrying a concealed gun. No bond was set.

April 11

David Mehall, 64, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony assault by strangulation and misdemeanor assault on a female. Bond was denied due to the charges being domestic in nature.

The Randolph Guide is a quick look at what’s going on in Randolph County.

April 19

Faithfully – Eagles & Journey Tribute Show

8 p.m.

The Liberty Showcase Theater Presents –Faithfully – Eagles & Journey Tribute Show for a one-night-only event with one set of the Eagles greatest hits and one set of Journey’s greatest hits in one night. Tickets from $30 to $55. More information, visit thelibertyshowcase.com

April 20

Main Street Classics Car and Truck Show

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

A free family-friendly event! Bring your kiddos and check out the old cars and trucks, suped-up muscle cars and tricked out trucks along with food trucks and craft vendors. Will be held at Riverside Park in Franklinville. For more information call Danny 336-267-1960

Ash-Rand Rescue –Annual Spring BBQ

11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Held at As-Rand Base

tall said.

The council also approved the process for municipal infrastructure improvements in downtown.

“We’ve been working towards a solution to improve solid waste collection in the downtown area by establishing a new centralized area for disposal,” Nuttall said. “The rst and an important step in this project is to move forward with the establishment of a public right-of-way that would provide the needed access to the new collection site from Fayetteville Street.”

Asheboro, North Carolina,” Plott said. “The students were so proud and just thrilled with how it went o .”

The selection process in order to perform at St. Patrick’s Cathedral involved Plott sending recordings and paperwork. She also submitted the school’s 2023 spring concert.

The school group had a bus tour to take in sights, including the 9/11 Memorial, Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden. The students attended Broadway musicals Wicked and Aladdin in the city.

Many of the students were making their rst visits to New York after months of fundraising. 15 of the 33 students are seniors.

“It was really cool to watch

The Asheboro City Council will next meet May 2.

their faces,” Kerri Smith said.

The trip marked the second time Plott had taken a group from the school to New York.

This was Southwestern Randolph’s rst choral trip since 2019. A scheduled 2020 visit to Disney World was cancelled because of the pandemic.

Next for the Southwestern Randolph performers will be the annual musical — “The Greatest Show: Hits from Stage and Screen” — at 7 p.m. May 2-4 at the school. Photos from the New York trip will be on display at those ticketed performances at the school.

The school’s spring concert comes May 21 at First Baptist Church in Asheboro, with some songs from the spring break trip on the list. Admission is free.

1, located at 805 S. Cox St. starting at 11 a.m. and running until 6 p.m. or when they sell out, whichever comes rst. Take out and drive-thru (enter on S. Main Street, delivery available for 10 or more plates in the Asheboro area). Trays include their famous pork BBQ, slaw, and hushpuppies. Trays are $10, sandwiches $6. Call 336-625-3354 for more information or to place your order.

Bethel Friends Meeting – Pig Pickin’ 11 a.m.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | ROBERT REIVES

Educators are superheroes

We are one of the worst states for teacher pay. In beginning teacher pay, we rank 46th nationally.

NORTH CAROLINA teachers put in hundreds of hours into their profession. Their work extends far outside the walls of a classroom; they support our state’s children at sports games, band performances, and church programs. They are the glue that holds our schools and communities together.

But right now, teachers in North Carolina are overworked, underpaid, and disrespected. Republican leaders in the General Assembly have created these conditions.

Teachers are expected to do more with less. Youth across North Carolina are experiencing a serious mental health crisis, and teachers are on the frontlines. When our schools fall short of the psychologists, counselors, and nurses that are desperately needed, teachers shoulder the additional demands. They are not only in charge of learning, but they care for kids who are going through a hard time. It’s harder for teachers because they don’t have the assistants they need. Teacher assistants especially help children in lower grades who need extra support. Since these Republican leaders took over the NCGA, they have reduced the number of state funded teacher assistants by almost 20%, from 18,227 to 14,798 TAs.

When looking across the United States, we are one of the worst states for teacher pay. In beginning teacher pay, we rank 46th nationally. We pay new teachers less than Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee do. If the starting salary is so abysmal, it’s hard to convince incoming professionals to even enter the teaching pipeline. Republican leadership claim they are giving raises to teachers, but they are really handing out scraps. Educators aren’t fooled. Teacher salaries have not kept up with in ation, and they feel it in their pocketbooks. One of my constituents, Guadalupe, is nishing her fourth year in the classroom. She has an associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree. Her passion for teaching fuels her: “I chose to be a teacher because I wanted to

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

make a di erence, even if it’s small and localized to my community.”

But her family sometimes faces a challenging nancial position because of her choice to be a teacher: “I have had to forgo medical services because of the cost of prescriptions for my children. Being a professional with a Master’s degree, I as well as other educators should not be in the predicament where we cannot a ord our health needs.”

In 2013, the Republican majority in our state legislature took away master’s pay. They also took away health bene ts for retired educators.

The man at the top of the North Carolina Republican ticket in 2024 has called teachers “wicked people.” He sounds like a schoolyard bully, not someone who supports educators and the children they instruct.

We also see disrespect coming from the Republican leadership at the NC General Assembly. Their legislative priorities have been to manufacture culture wars and control the curriculum that teachers are trained to teach. The House passed a bill that restricts instruction about important parts of our country’s history and micromanages the social studies curriculum. And instead of addressing real issues like fully funding public schools or raising teacher pay, Republican leaders passed a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” that burdens teachers with more paperwork and concocts culture wars in our classrooms.

Educators should have their work valued, be paid accordingly, and get respect from our state legislature. They aren’t getting any of the three right now. We owe better to Guadalupe and the thousands of other teachers across the state. Our number one goal this November should be to break the Republican supermajority so we can nally reprioritize public education.

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

Focused on the issues impacting you

A man in Lee County was busted tra cking enough fentanyl to kill 250,000 people, enough to kill everyone in Lee County three times over.

IT WAS SO GREAT to be back home during the recent district work period and hear from folks about the issues most important to them and their families. As I traveled around, I heard story after story of how the current situation in our country has negatively impacted people’s lives. From higher living expenses to illegal criminals and drugs coming across our border, communities in our region and across our country are facing real challenges.

Whether it’s food, rent, electricity, or even car insurance, just about everything has gotten more expensive since President Biden took o ce. Right now, North Carolinians are paying over $990 more a month because of skyrocketing in ation, caused by Biden and the Democrats’ out-of-control spending.

Our communities are also being impacted by President Biden’s failed open border and amnesty policies. More deadly drugs, especially fentanyl, are being smuggled across our border and into our country, putting our safety and security at risk. Recently, a man in Lee County was busted tra cking enough fentanyl to kill 250,000 people, enough to kill everyone in Lee County three times over.

President Biden could x this crisis today the same way he created it: with a stroke of a pen. But he refuses

to act. Meanwhile, House Republicans passed a bill over nine months ago to secure our border and keep our communities safe.

As a member of the Health Subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I often hear from seniors and those in rural communities like ours struggling with long travel times to and from doctor appointments or lack of regular access to transportation. However, we saw during the pandemic how telehealth services make it easier for folks to get the care they need in a faster and more e cient way.

The Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing last week to address ways we can support patients’ access to telehealth so they can continue to bene t from these services. While expanding access to telehealth is critically important, I’m also focused on making sure proper protections are in place to ensure the best patient outcomes and high-quality care.

As Congress prepares for another busy week ahead, rest assured I’ll continue ghting for the best interests of our region.

Richard Hudson represents the 9th Congressional District in Washington, D.C.

Warriors make most of 14-inning experience

Games on consecutive nights test the team’s endurance

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

TRINITY — Wheatmore catcher Payton Mooney didn’t let the drain of spending 14 innings behind the plate in a baseball game last week get to him.

“During the game, with adrenaline going, I felt ne,” Mooney said. “Fourteen innings is a long time.”

The Warriors won that game at Southwestern Randolph, then the next night had a rematch at home.

Fortunately for Wheatmore, the second game lasted just six innings, but that still meant 20 innings in catching gear across two days for Mooney.

“That’s wild,” Warriors coach Trey Byrd said. “All that in about 24 hours. It was de nitely an experience.”

The teams played last week’s regularly scheduled game Tuesday night. Because of a dicey weather forecast late in the week, they moved the second game of the Piedmont Athletic Conference set up to Wednesday – before they were aware of the number of innings they would play in the rst matchup.

Wheatmore scored four 14th-inning runs to win 8-4. The next night, the Warriors rallied with 13 runs in the sixth inning, wiping out a de cit and collecting a 20-10 decision via the mercy rule. Despite 30 total runs in the second meeting, the rst game might turn out most memorable.

The Warriors withstood seven consecutive innings when they had to prevent a run or Southwestern Randolph would have won. Wheatmore executed a pair of extra-inning rundowns to record outs.

“That’s a long game, and you have all those scoreless innings,” Byrd said. “It was an event. It’s really going to come down to who can stay focused.”

Ayden Byrd was up to the task on the mound with eight scoreless innings in relief. He snared a seventh-inning liner to help extend the game. He struck out eight batters with two walks while allowing four hits. “That’s the best he has thrown to me,” Mooney said. “It was nerve-wracking.”

Wheatmore’s go-ahead run came when Rowan Wagner was hit by a pitch followed by Ayden Byrd walking with the bases loaded. Two more runs scored on errors.

After returning to the school well after midnight, Mooney

Randleman racks up another PAC title PREP BASEBALL ROUNDUP

RANDLEMAN — Randleman wrapped up another Piedmont Athletic Conference baseball championship by defeating visiting Providence Grove 8-1 on Friday night. The Tigers improved to 10-0 in league play. Randleman will be the top seed for the PAC Tournament in a couple of weeks, a spot clinched because the Tigers beat Wheatmore twice.

Only Wheatmore can pull even with the Tigers, but that would require the Warriors winning their four remaining league games and Randleman losing twice to a sub-.500 Trinity team.

Randleman has lost just two conference games in a four-season span. Jake Riddle struck out six

without issuing a walk in the second meeting of the week with Providence Grove. Braxton Walker drove in three runs.

Randleman used Seth Way’s two-hitter with 13 strikeouts to defeat Providence Grove 1-0 earlier in the week. That performance outshined a strong effort from Patriots starter Andrew Thomas, who worked six innings and gave up one run.

In between the PAC victories, Randleman blanked host Southeast Guilford 4-0 in a non-conference game.

On Monday, Randleman will be home against High Point Wesleyan Christian, which won the 2023 North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 3-A state championship, marking its sixth state title.

** Wheatmore did what it

BEST OVERALL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

and teammate Clay Hill made a jaunt to Cook Out in Thomasville.

“In about the 10th inning, I was thinking, ‘I can’t wait to eat,’ ” Mooney said. “We were dying for some food.”

Trey Byrd made sure to check with Mooney early the next day.

“When he came into school, I wanted to know how he felt,” he said.

Mooney, a junior, was eager to stay in his normal role.

“When we were warming up for the game at home, my arm was sore from throwing some much (the night before),” Mooney said later.

The Warriors ended up with late-game energy. Wheatmore’s Jonathan Heraldo logged 3 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run in relief of Sean Jennison. Mooney and Lukas Usterbowski each drove in three runs and Byrd rapped three hits.

“We knew we had to go out there and put up some runs,” Mooney said.

As it turned out, Friday night would have been ideal conditions for a game.

“You can’t predict the weather,” Trey Byrd said.

Having passed the midweek endurance test, the Warriors didn’t seem to mind.

“Winning both games certainly helped,” Mooney said.

Providence Grove, girls’ soccer

DuVall had a strong week, notching a pair of goals for the Patriots.

DuVall, a senior, generally excels on the defensive end for Providence Grove, which has registered four shutouts in its rst 11 games.

Providence Grove entered this week on a three-game winning streak with a 6-3-2 overall record. In those games, the Patriots outscored opponents by a combined 20-1 total.

DuVall has had a busy school year. She was an All-Piedmont Athletic Conference selection in cross-country and also competed for the Patriots’ girls swimming team. She quali ed to compete in regionals in both of those sports.

could during the past week, prevailing 8-4 in 14 innings at Southwestern Randolph and winning 20-10 in the rematch at home.

Ayden Byrd pitched eight innings of shutout relief in the extra-inning game.

In Wheatmore’s home game, Payton Mooney knocked in ve

runs and Byrd scored four runs.

** Uwharrie Charter Academy won twice against Eastern Randolph in PAC games that marked the rst meeting between the teams since last year’s Class 1-A West Region nals, which also were won by UCA.

In a 7-1 home victory, the Eagles rode Walker Wilkins’ three

hits and two runs scored along with Trey Kennedy’s two runs batted in.

Then Friday night at Ramseur, UCA withstood 12 Eastern Randolph hits to complete the series sweep with a 4-2 decision.

UCA ended the week with Saturday’s 6-4 victory against visiting North Stanly. That result was boosted by Trey Kennedy’s home run.

In between the league matchups with UCA, Eastern Randolph pulled out a 13-12, eight-inning triumph against Faith Christian in a non-league game between two Ramseur schools.

** Asheboro dropped a 1-0 decision at North Davidson despite Connor Adams’ solid pitching. He also had the only two hits at the plate for the Blue Comets.

In the rematch, North Davidson posted a 6-5 road victory in eight innings despite Camden Walker’s four hits and two runs scored and two runs batted in apiece by Ben Luck and Sam Gore.

Randolph Record

PHOTO COURTESY OF PROVIDENCE GROVE Caroline DuVall has excelled in several sports for Providence Grove.

PJ WARD-BROWN/RANDOLPH RECORD

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Trey Kennedy is greeted by teammates after homering against North Stanly on Saturday night.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Wheatmore coach Trey Byrd watches a game earlier this month.

Southwestern Randolph, UCA keep torrid softball paces

Randolph Record

SOUTHWESTERN Randolph’s softball team remained unbeaten in the Piedmont Athletic Conference by winning two league games to go with a non-conference triumph last week. The Cougars completed the week with a 9-0 beating of host Randleman, highlighted by Alyssa Harris’ grand slam. Winning pitcher Macie Crutcheld struck out 11 batters and added to the o ense with two runs batted in. Madelyn Smith scored three runs.

Southwestern Randolph’s 7-3 triumph at Providence

Grove came with Crutch eld’s six innings of pitching, Nautica Parrish’ three runs scored and Molly Strider’s two runs batted in. Losing pitcher Ruby Caudle homered for the Patriots.

In between the PAC games, Crutch eld provided an 11-inning shutout of host West Stanly in a 3-0 non-conference victory.

** Uwharrie Charter Academy has just one loss – coming against Southwestern Randolph – and the Eagles edged visiting Randleman 1-0 with Mollie Bulla’s one-hitter with 11 strikeouts enough when the Eagles scored an unearned run on Bulla’s run-scoring double in

the bottom of the sixth inning. Randleman pitcher Kinzie Ivey also threw a one-hitter.

That was one of three PAC victories during the week for the Eagles.

UCA blew out visiting Trinity 18-1 with Kayla Brown knocking in four runs and Bulla and Lillie O’Brien both posting three runs batted in. The Eagles battered visiting Providence Grove 10-3 with Bulla striking out 11 batters and Katelyn West knocking in three runs.

The Southwestern Randolph/UCA rematch comes April 25 at Southwestern Randolph.

** Wheatmore used Carmen Turgeon’s pitching and Skylar Pittman’s two extra-base hits to top visiting Randleman 5-3

** Randleman got back on track by edging visiting Central Davidson 6-5 when Ivey hit two solo home runs, Lyric Chriscoe smacked a home run among her three hits, and Teanna Bostick also homered in a nonleague game. Ivey struck out 10 from the pitcher’s circle.

Girls’ soccer

Wheatmore continued to roll through PAC play by defeating host Uwharrie Charter Academy 6-1 behind Ellie Garrison’s

ve goals and Natalie Bowman’s one goal and one assist to end the week of play.

Earlier, the Warriors crushed visiting Southwestern Randolph 9-0 as Garrison scored six goals and Bowman had three goals and three assists.

** At Misenheimer, Macy Allred scored the only goal when visiting Southwestern Randolph defeated non-league foe Gray Stone Day School 1-0.

** Providence Grove’s Taryn Waugh tallied three goals and Carolina DuVall and Anaeli Puente Garza each had two goals in a 9-0 romp past visiting Eastern Randolph.

** Asheboro lost 1-0 at Oak Grove in its Mid-Piedmont Conference opener last week. Asheboro recovered two nights later and won 2-0 at home against Central Davidson to push its record to 8-2-1. Gigi Flores scored o Penny Smith’s pass and Jaira Arellano had the other goal, while Carlisle Dozier posted a nine-save shutout.

Rookie captures second feature at Caraway

A big eld gives UCARs plenty of attention

Randolph Record

Daniel Schadt, the fast quali er earlier in the day, placed third, followed by Easton Brewer and points leader Brody Duggins.

Duggins was the winner of the rst feature in the division,

SOPHIA — Rookie driver Bryson Pickard won the second of two Challengers features Saturday night at Caraway Speedway. After nishing sixth in the rst race, Pickard began on the pole for the second of the 30-lap events. Pickard and Gary Ledbetter took turns in the lead before Pickard drove from the front across the nal 20 laps.

nishing ahead of Jaremy Clay, Schadt, Brewer and Ledbetter.

• In UCARS, 19 cars were entered for twin 12-lap dashes.

Fast quali er Jason Richmond prevailed in the rst race, edging Steven Collins, with Sammy Bullins in third place.

• The Modi eds division also had varying results as Jaxson Casper and Jacob Creed split the victories in two 20-lap features.

Casper beat Billy Gregg and Creed in the rst race. Creed held o Casper in the rematch, with Gregg in third.

Jeremy Kidd, who was eighth in the rst race, was drawn for the pole in the second goaround. Kidd took advantage of that and held o Richmond for the victory, with Collins and Justin Smith in the next two spots.

• In the new MOD Mini Stocks class, Tommy Raino claimed the victory by holding o Je Linkous, Rudy Hartley and Miller in the 20-lap feature.

The track’s next racing night in the regular season is set for April 27.

• In Bootleggers, Bentley Black claimed the victory, with teammate Corey Rose the runner-up, followed by Dalton Miller and Bobby Bescher.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Asheboro’s Chloe Chanmaly looks to make a move on Oak Grove’s Kyrstin Varmer during last week’s girls’ soccer game. Oak Grove claimed a 1-0 home victory.

Bryson Pickard claimed the top prize in one of the Challengers features Saturday night.

India’s 44-day national election starts this week

By Krutika Pathi The Associated Press

NEW DELHI — Nearly 970 million people — or over 10% of the global population — are eligible to vote in India’s general elections that start Friday and last until June 1. The mammoth exercise is the biggest anywhere in the world and will take 44 days before results are announced on June 4.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third successive term. He will face o against a broad but ailing alliance of opposition parties that are struggling to challenge his appeal. Most surveys predict Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party will win comfortably, cementing him as one of the country’s most popular and consequential leaders.

So why does it take so long? It boils down to two key reasons: the sheer size of India, the world’s most populous country, and the astonishing level of logistics needed to ensure that every registered voter is able to cast their ballot.

Over the years, the duration of voting has wavered. It took nearly four months to complete the vote in India’s rst elections in 1951-52 after it gained independence from British rule, and just four days in 1980. In 2019, voting took 39 days, and this year’s election is the second longest. With 969 million registered

voters, the size of India’s electorate is bigger than the combined population of the 27 European Union member states. This includes 18 million rst-time voters and around 197 million who are in their 20s. The vote to choose 543 lawmakers for the lower house of Parliament takes place over seven phases. India’s 28 states and eight federal territories will vote at di erent times. Each phase is one day, with the rst held on

April 19 and the last on June 1. While some states will cast their ballots in a day, voting elsewhere may take longer. The largest state, Uttar Pradesh, which is the size of Brazil with 200 million people, will vote on all seven days, for example. General elections in India tend to take weeks to conduct, but Modi’s opponents also say it gives him an advantage as it makes it easier for the prime minister, the public face of the

BJP, to travel and campaign, especially in states where they are weak.

The Election Commission of India, which oversees the vote, has to make sure there is a voting booth available within 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of every voter. “Election o cials have to travel to great lengths to ensure that even a single voter can exercise their franchise,” said Chakshu Roy of PRS Legislative Re-

search, an independent think tank.

Some 15 million election ocials and security sta will traverse the country’s deserts and mountains — sometimes by boat, foot and even on horseback — to try to reach every voter.

It can be especially arduous. In 2019, when India last held elections, a team of polling o cers trekked more than 300 miles for four days just so a single voter in a hamlet in the remote state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, could exercise their right.

O cials also traveled to a village tucked away high up in the Himalayas in 2019 to install a booth at 15,256 feet, the highest polling station anywhere in the world.

This time too, polling stations will be installed in remote places, including one inside a wildlife sanctuary in southern Kerala state and another in a shipping container in western Gujarat state.

Experts say a key reason behind the multiphase elections in India is security.

Tens of thousands of federal security forces, who usually guard borders for instance, are freed up and deployed alongside state police to prevent violence and transport electoral o cials and voting machines.

Deadly clashes involving supporters of rival political parties, particularly in the eastern state of West Bengal, had marred previous elections. But such violence has tapered over the years, thanks to heavy security, and voting has been relatively peaceful.

Australian police identify Sydney stabbing attacker

health issues and police investigators weren’t treating the attack as terrorism-related.

By

The Associated Press SYDNEY — Police identied Sunday the assailant who stabbed and killed six people at a busy Sydney shopping center before a police o cer fatally shot him.

New South Wales Police said that Joel Cauchi, 40, was responsible for the Saturday afternoon attack at the Westeld Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction, in the city’s eastern suburbs and not far from the world-famous Bondi Beach.

NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters at a media conference on Sunday that Cauchi su ered from yet unspeci ed mental

“We are continuing to work through the pro ling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage, it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved,” Cooke said.

“There is still, to this point... no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation — ideology or otherwise,” he added.

The attack at the shopping mall, one of the country’s busiest and which was a hub of activity on a particularly warm fall afternoon, began around 3:10 p.m. and police were swiftly called.

Six people — ve women and one man, aged between 20 and 55 — were killed in the attack.

Another 12 were injured and remain in hospital, including a 9-month-old child whose mother was killed in the attack.

The male victim was a security guard at the shopping center and was later identi ed as 30-year-old Faraz Tahir from Pakistan.

According to a written statement Sunday from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia, Faraz had been in Australia for less than a year and was a “cherished member of our community.”

Video footage taken by a witness showed many people eeing as a knife-wielding Cauchi ran erratically through the shopping mall and lunging at people.

“When I took my footage, it was about 15 seconds maybe before he was shot by the police ofcer and he’d already killed a number of people at that point but we didn’t know and we had

no idea what was going on,” said Rohan Anderson, who had entered the shopping center just moments before the attack. “We just saw a person on the level below us, with a knife, running around and you just sit in disbelief that this is happening in Australia, in Bondi,” he said.

Other footage showed a man confronting the attacker on an escalator in the shopping center by holding what appeared to be a metal pole.

Inspector Amy Scott, who was the rst emergency responder on the scene, shot and killed Cauchi.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the o cer was “certainly a hero” whose actions had saved many more lives.

“The wonderful inspector who ran into danger by herself and removed the threat that was there to others, without thinking about the risks to her-

self,” he said.

“We also see the footage of ordinary Australians putting themselves in harm’s way in order to help their fellow citizens. That bravery was quite extraordinary that we saw yesterday,” he added.

In a written statement later Sunday, Cauchi’s family said they were devastated by Saturday’s events and they had “no issue” with Scott shooting their son, saying “she was only doing her job to protect others.”

“Joel’s actions were truly horri c, and we are still trying to comprehend what has happened,” the statement read. “He has battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.”

Throughout Sunday, people placed a large number of oral tributes for the victims outside the now-shuttered shopping center. Police say it will remain an active crime scene for days.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term

ALTAF QADRI / AP PHOTO

Supporters of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party react as they listen to Indian Prime

Minister Narendra Modi speak at an election rally on March 31.

obituaries

Linda Loggains

June 24, 1948 – April 13, 2024

Linda Grey McDonald Loggains, 75, of Asheboro, died Saturday, April 13, 2024, at her home. Born in Randolph County, NC, on June 24, 1948, Linda was the daughter of the late Mitchell Clay McDonald and Bernice Grey Tedder McDonald. She was retired from Randolph County Schools and a member of New Hope Community Church. Linda was a member of the Seagrove Civitian Club and a former president of the Seagrove Jaycettes. She enjoyed reading, quilting, and playing the slot machines. In addition to her parents, Linda was preceded in death by her brothers, Larry McDonald and Michael McDonald. Surviving are her husband, James Robert "Bobby" Loggains of the home; daughter, Toby L. Page (John) of Asheboro; sister, Lois McMasters of Asheboro; brothers, Je McDonald of Asheboro, Mitchell McDonald, Jr. of Pensacola, FL; and several nieces and nephews.

Robin Cox

December 6, 1963 –April 10, 2024

Robin Lynn Johnson Cox, 60, of Asheboro, died Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at her home. Born in Randolph County, NC on December 6, 1963, Robin was the daughter of the late Alfred Farrell Johnson and Rachel Akins Johnson. She loved planting owers and going to the beach. Robin loved her dog, Dixie, who was always by her side. She was proud of her family, especially her husband and sons, and loved them very much. Surviving are her husband of 39 years, Leslie Cox; sons, Michael Cox (Addison Cooper), David Cox; and sister, Cheryl Pugh.

Lillie Carol Kearns Lawson

October 8, 1946 – April 9, 2024

Lillie Carol Kearns Lawson, age 77, of Asheboro passed away peacefully April 9, 2024, at The Randolph Hospice House surrounded by loved ones. She was born October 8, 1946, in Randolph County, North Carolina the daughter of the late Wayne Kearns and Leona Handy Kearns.

Eugene “Gene” John Shandor

November 3, 1942 –April 7, 2024

Eugene “Gene” John Shandor, age 81, of Asheboro passed away April 7, 2024, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was born November 3, 1942, in Akron, Ohio the son of the late John Shandor and Helen Piga Shandor. Gene graduated from The University of Akron in Ohio with a Bachelor of Science in Education setting the stage for a remarkable career with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Gene always listened more than he spoke and it was his genuine concern for those around him that endeared him to so many. His life’s calling was loving, caring, and providing for his family who meant the world to him. While Gene’s main focus was his family, he still found time for other passions that included keeping his yard beautiful and caring for dozens of beloved pets alongside Mary Ann. As Gene approached retirement, he bought his rst street bike and starting riding motorcycles with his son Mike. He soon found a motorcycle club near his home in Decatur, Alabama, the Wild Hogs, to which he quickly became their honorary Road Captain. He earned the nickname “Gene Mean” for his fearless spirit on the open road and he treasured long motorcycle trips through the backroads of the Great Smoky Mountains. Prior to his son Mark’s enlistment in the United States Navy, Gene often made time to spend a few hours on the lake with Mark in search of the biggest sh. Later in Mark’s career with the Navy, Gene participated in a Tiger Cruise from Hawaii to Oakland California that can only be described as the “best of times”. Gene will be fondly remembered by everyone that ever had the pleasure of getting to know him. Left to cherish his memory are his devoted wife of 60 years, Mary Ann Shandor; sons, Michael Eugene Shandor (Marie) and Mark Randall Shandor (Lyn); grandchildren, Zachary Michael Shandor (Jeremy), Justin Kyle Shandor and Cassandra Ann Shandor; sister, Pamela Jo Johnson (Ed); and numerous other beloved family and friends.

Gerry E. Floyd Sr.

March 10, 1958 – April 3, 2024

Gerry Edgar Floyd Sr., age 66, of Asheboro passed away April 3, 2024, at his home surrounded by his family. He was born March 10, 1958, in Randolph County, North Carolina, the son of Reba Hoover Floyd and the late Thurman Floyd. He is also preceded in death by his brother, Jim Floyd. Gerry enjoyed spending time shing at the lake and was a skilled woodworker that was talented with his hands. His sense of humor and wit made him fast friends. He enjoyed spending time with his family and watching history

documentaries or the Andy Gri th show. Left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife, Rebecca Floyd; children, Crystal Tremaroli and husband Brad; Gerry Floyd Jr., Amber Spisak, Amanda Hutchins, and Adam Davis and wife Giana; ve grandchildren; two sisters, Judy Albright and Sandra Floyd; his grand dogs; and numerous other family and friends.

Pernie “Louise” McIntyre

June 29, 1936 – April 7, 2024

Pernie "Louise" McIntyre, age 87 of Charlotte, formerly of Troy, passed away on Sunday, April 7, 2024, at Senior Retreat @ Stonehaven Assisted Living Facility in Charlotte, NC. Louise was born in Lancaster SC, to the late Ira Walters and the late Pernie Parker. She worked over the years for di erent Hosiery Mills and was a Salesman for Electrolux for 20 years. She loved being outside and working in her owers. She loved Elvis, Country Music, playing cards and board games such as Rummy and Pinochle. She enjoyed participating in the Senior Games, riding on motorcycles, and going to the beach with her family. Louise had strong political beliefs and enjoyed working the Election polls. She was a people person and always spoke her mind. She was a ectionally known as "Ouija". She adored her family, her church family, and her community. She was a member of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. Louise is survived by her daughter: Annette McIntyre of Charlotte, NC; son: Fred McIntyre (Dawn Chamblee) of Virginia Beach, VA; grandchildren: Christopher Dennis (Kennedy Larrimore) of Mocksville, Kyle McIntyre of Virginia Beach, VA, Taylor Dunn (Nathan) of Milton, FL; great-granddaughter: Adalynn Rae Dunn. She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings: Sarah Wilson, Peggy Baker and William Walters.

Tommie Ann Robbins

July 15, 1974 – March 31, 2024

Tommie Ann Robbins, age 49, of Asheboro passed away on March 31st , 2024, at her home. She was born in Asheboro, North Carolina on July 15, 1974, to her parents, Judy Floyd and Thomas Robbins. She attended Southwestern Randolph Highschool before working as an upholsterer for Klaussner for years. Tommie Ann was known by all as a fun, loving, and kindhearted woman. She had the biggest heart and would do anything for those she cared for and there was certainly never a dull moment with her around. She enjoyed gardening in her yard, cooking delicious meals, caring for her dog Rollo, and spending time with her family and friends. Those left behind by Tommie Ann are her parents, Judy Floyd and Thomas Robbins; her older sister, Wendy Garner; her daughters, Cortni Robbins, Makayla Robbins, and Callie Robbins; her grandchildren, Fenris Martin, Piper Martin, and Baylor Gregory; and so many more family and friends who loved her dearly.

Tony Michael Trogdon

September 4, 1948 –April 13, 2024

Tony Michael Trogdon, 75, of Millboro passed away Saturday, April 13, 2024 at his home. Mr. Trogdon was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, son of the late David and Ruth Brown Trogdon. Tony was a hard worker and had retired from Randolph County Schools, as well as Goodyear Wire Plant. He was a faithful member of Central Falls Baptist Church, joining in 1970 until 2023. Tony held many roles in the church, serving as a deacon, Sunday School teacher, and youth director. Tony was a Scout Leader for Troop 518 and he also was a baseball and softball coach and enjoyed racing, particularly Dale Earnhardt. One of his biggest joys was leading the Annual Millboro Fourth of July Parade, which he founded in 2000. Tony loved the Lord, his church, and his community. Mr. Trogdon is survived by his wife of 53 years, Sondra Wood Trogdon; children, Jaime Trogdon and wife Marie, Justin Trogdon and wife Barbie, and Britany Burnette and husband Timothy, all of Millboro; and grandchild, Noah Trogdon.

Semiautomatic rearm ban passes Colorado’s House, heads to Senate

Ten other states prohibit semiautomatic guns

The Associated Press DENVER, Colo. — Colorado’s Democratic-controlled House on Sunday passed a bill that would ban the sale and transfer of semiautomatic rearms, a major step for the legislation after roughly the same bill was swiftly killed by Democrats last year.

The bill, which passed on a 3527 vote, is now on its way to the Democratic-led state Senate. If it passes there, it could bring Colorado in line with 10 other states — including California, New York and Illinois — that have prohibitions on semiautomatic guns.

But even in a state plagued by some of the nation’s worst mass shootings, such legislation faces headwinds.

Colorado’s political history is purple, shifting blue only recently. The bill’s chances of success in the state Senate are lower than they were in the House, where Democrats have a 46-19 majori-

ty and a bigger far-left ank. Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has indicated his wariness over such a ban.

Last year, a similar bill died in committee, with some Democratic lawmakers citing concerns over the sweep of a ban and promises

Simpson estate executor plans to ght payout to Browns, Goldmans

The infamous celebrity, who was acquitted of the murder of his wife and her friend, died last week

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — The executor of O.J. Simpson’s estate says he will work to prevent a payout of a $33.5 million judgment awarded by a California civil jury nearly three decades ago in a wrongful death lawsuit led by the families of Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson’s will was led Friday in a Clark County court in Nevada, naming his longtime lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, as the executor. The document shows Simpson’s property was placed into a trust that was created this year.

LaVergne told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the entirety of Simpson’s estate has not been tallied. Under Nevada law, an estate must go through the courts if its assets exceed $20,000. Simpson died last Wednesday without having paid the lion’s share of the civil judgment that was awarded in 1997 after jurors found him liable. With his assets set to go through the court probate process, the Goldman and

Brown families could be in line to get paid a piece of whatever Simpson left behind. LaVergne, who had represented Simpson since 2009, said he speci cally didn’t want the Goldman family seeing any money from Simpson’s estate.

“It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing,” he told the Review-Journal. “Them speci cally. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing.”

Although the Brown and Goldman families have pushed for payment, LaVergne said there was never a court order forcing Simpson to pay the civil judgment. The attorney told the Review-Journal that his particular ire at the Goldman family stemmed in part from the events surrounding Simpson’s planned book, titled “If I Did It.”

Goldman’s family won control of the manuscript and retitled the book “If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.” Simpson earned fame and fortune through football and show business, but his legacy was forever changed by the June 1994 knife slayings of his exwife and her friend in Los Angeles. He was acquitted of criminal charges in 1995 in a trial that mesmerized the public.

Goldman’s father Fred Gold-

they made to their constituents to avoid government overreach affecting most gun owners’ rights. Democrats last year passed and Polis signed into law four less-expansive gun control bills. Those included raising the age for buying any gun from 18 to 21; es-

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, pictured last November, has expressed concern over the possibility of a semiautomatic gun ban.

Those laws were signed months after ve people were killed at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs last year. Soon, the state will mark the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting that killed 13 people. Other mass shootings in Colorado include 12 people killed in 2012 at an Aurora movie theater and 10 people killed in 2021 at a Boulder supermarket.

“This is the state where the modern era of the mass shooting began with Columbine,” Democratic Rep. Javier Mabrey said in urging fellow lawmakers to join other states that ban semiautomatic weapons.

Republicans decried the legislation as an onerous encroachment on the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. They argued that mental illness and people who do not value life — not guns — are the issues that should be addressed. People with ill intent can use other weapons, such as knives, to harm others, they argued.

tablishing a three-day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun; strengthening the state’s red ag law; and rolling back some legal protections for the rearms industry, exposing it to lawsuits from the victims of gun violence.

Democrats responded that semiautomatic weapons can cause much more damage in a short period of time.

“In Aurora, when the shooter walked in that theater and opened re,” Mabrey said, “and in less than 90 seconds shot up a room full of people. That cannot be done with a knife, that can’t be done with a knife.”

man, the lead plainti , always said the issue was never the money, it was only about holding Simpson responsible. And he said in a statement Thursday that with Simpson’s death, “the hope for true accountability has ended.” The Goldman and Brown families will be on at least equal footing with other creditors and will probably have an even stronger claim, as Simpson’s estate is settled under terms established by the trust created in January. The will lists his four children and notes that any bene ciary who seeks to challenge provisions of the will “shall receive, free of trust, one dollar ($1.00) and no more in lieu of any claimed interest in this will or its assets.” Simpson said he lived only on his NFL and private pensions. Hundreds of valuable possessions had been seized as part of the jury award, and Simpson was forced to auction his Heisman Trophy, fetching $230,000.

JACK DEMPSEY / AP PHOTO

MYUNG J. CHUN / LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS VIA AP

O.J. Simpson, pictured after he was found not guilty in the death of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in Los Angeles in October 1995, died last week at 76.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

Confederates take Fort Sumter, Lincoln dies, Titanic sinks

The Associated Press

“This Week” looks back at the key events from this week in history.

APRIL 11

1814: Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated as emperor of the French and was banished to the island of Elba. (Napoleon later escaped from Elba and returned to power in March 1815 until his downfall in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.)

1899: The treaty ending the Spanish-American War was declared in e ect.

1970: Apollo 13, with astronauts James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise and Jack Swigert, blasted o on its ill-fated mission to the moon. (The mission was aborted when an oxygen tank exploded April 13. The crew splashed down safely four days after the explosion.)

APRIL 12

1961: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the rst man to y in space, orbiting the earth once before making a safe landing.

1988: The U.S. Patent and Trademark O ce issued a patent to Harvard University for a genetically engineered mouse, the rst time a patent was granted for an animal life form.

1990: In its rst meeting, East Germany’s rst democratically elected parliament acknowledged responsibility for the Nazi Holocaust and asked the forgiveness of Jews and others who had su ered.

APRIL 13

1743: Thomas Je erson was born in Shadwell in the Virginia Colony.

1861: Fort Sumter in South Carolina fell to Confederate forces.

1943: President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Je er-

son Memorial in Washington, D.C., on the 200th anniversary of the third American president’s birth.

1999: Right-to-die advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian was sentenced in Michigan to prison for second-degree murder in the lethal injection of a Lou Gehrig’s disease patient.

2016: The Golden State Warriors became the NBA’s rst 73win team by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104, breaking the 1996 72-win record of the Chicago Bulls.

APRIL 14

1865: President Abraham Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth during a performance of “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. 1828: The rst edition of Noah Webster’s “American Dictionary of the English Language” was published.

1912: The British liner RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 11:40 p.m. ship’s time and began sinking. (The ship went under two hours and 40 minutes later with the loss of 1,514 lives.)

1910: President William Howard Taft became the rst U.S. chief executive to throw the ceremonial rst pitch at a baseball game as the Washington Senators beat the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0.

1960: Tamla Records and Motown Records, founded by Berry Gordy Jr., were incorporated as Motown Record Corp.

APRIL 15

1865: President Abraham Lincoln died nine hours after being shot the night before by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.; Andrew Johnson became the nation’s 17th president. 1892: General Electric Co., formed by the merger of the Edison Electric Light Co. and other rms, was incorporated in Schenectady, New York.

1947: Jackie Robinson made his o cial debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on opening day at Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers defeated the Boston Braves, 5-3.)

1955: Ray Kroc opened the rst franchised McDonald’s restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois.

APRIL 16

1889: Comedian and movie director Charles Chaplin was born in London.

2003: Michael Jordan played his last NBA game with the Washington Wizards, who lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, 107-87.

APRIL 17

1521: Martin Luther went before the Diet of Worms to face charges stemming from his religious writings.

1961: Some 1,500 CIAtrained Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba attempting to topple Fidel Castro, whose forces crushed the incursion by the third day.

MILES KENNEDY / AP PHOTO

Michael Jordan waves as he walk o the court at the end of the game against the 76ers on April 16, 2003, in Philadelphia. It was Jordan’s last NBA game.

MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ / AP PHOTO

Left, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry dribbles against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 13, 2016. Right, Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, before the battle of April 12, 1861.

AP PHOTO

‘The Wide Wide Sea’ revisits Captain James Cook

Hampton Sides explores a divisive gure in the South Paci c

By Je Rowe The Associated Press

CAPTAIN JAMES COOK’S voyages in the South Pacific in the late 1700s exemplify the law of unintended consequences. He set out to nd a westward ocean passage from Europe to Asia but instead, with the maps he created and his reports, Cook revealed the Paci c islands and their people to the world.

In recent decades, Cook has been vili ed by some scholars and cultural revisionists for bringing European diseases, guns and colonization.

book as an excellent mariner and decent human being, inspiring the crew to want to sail with him. However, on the voyage of the late 1770s, crew members noted Cook seemed agitated, not his usual self.

What may have ailed Cook on that nal voyage we probably never will know, but know his voyages opened the Pacific islands to the world, and as new arrivals always do, life is changed forever.

Was Cook a villain for his explorations?

Sides make a persuasive case that Cook came as a navigator and mapmaker and in dramatically opening what was known about our world, made us all richer in knowledge.

But Hampton Sides’ new book, “The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook,” details that Polynesian island life and cultures were not always idyllic. Priests sometimes made human sacri ces. Warriors mutilated enemy corpses. People defeated in battle sometimes were enslaved. King Kamehameha, a revered gure in Hawaii, uni ed the Hawaiian Islands in 1810 at a cost of thousands of warriors’ lives. Sides’ book is sure to rile some Indigenous groups in Hawaii and elsewhere in the Paci c Islands, who contend Cook ushered in the destruction of Paci c Island cultures. An obelisk in Hawaii marking where Cook was killed in 1779 had been doused with red paint when Sides visited as part of his research for this book. Over Cook’s name was written “You are on native land.”

But Cook, Sides argues, didn’t come to conquer. Sides draws deeply from Cook’s and other crew members’ diaries and supplements that with his own reporting in the South Paci c. Cook emerges from the

When his journals and maps reached England after his death, it was electrifying news. No, an ocean passage across North America to the Paci c did not exist, but Europeans now knew islands in the Paci c were populated by myriad cultures; Sides’ reporting is clear that Cook treated them all with respect. He and his fellow British mariners, though, did lack one skill that would seem vital for sailors and would have better connected the British sailors to the peoples of the Paci c, whose cultures and livelihoods were closely connected to the ocean: Neither Cook nor any of his fellow o cers could swim.

‘The Talk’ will end its run on CBS

The daytime talk show’s last airing will be in December after 15 seasons

By Alicia Rancilio

Press

Associated

The

NEW YORK — “The Talk” is ending its long-running daytime conversation.

The CBS talk show will end in December after 15 seasons, the network announced Friday. “The Talk” was created by actor Sara Gilbert with the idea of a group of female hosts speaking about hot topics and current events, much like ABC’s “The View.” Gilbert said in a 2011 interview with The Associated Press that it was based on her actual group of “mom friends” who would gather to chat. She liked the idea of “a motley crew you would never really put together, but then suddenly there’s all this commonality.”

The show debuted in 2010 with hosts Gilbert, Sharon Os-

“A motley crew you would never really put together, but then suddenly there’s all this commonality.”

Sara Gilbert

bourne, Julie Chen, Leah Remini and Holly Robinson Peete. Marissa Jaret Winokur was enlisted as a roving reporter who would be in the eld. A hosting shake-up occurred after the rst season. Winokur’s position was axed, and Peete and Robinson were replaced by Sheryl Underwood and Aisha Tyler.

“The Talk” would go on to have a number of hosting changes over its run. In 2018, Chen left the show after her husband, then-CBS Corp. boss Les Moonves, was red due to sexual misconduct allegations. Gilbert left her on-camera post in 2019 but remains an execu-

tive producer. Osbourne’s departure in 2021 made headlines following a heated on-air discussion about racism between Osbourne and Underwood.

Underwood is the only person from the early days of “The Talk” who remains on the show today. She sits alongside Natalie Morales, Amanda Kloots, Jerry O’Connell and Akbar Gbajabiamila.

In a joint statement released by CBS, Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, and David Stapf who is president of CBS Studios, said: “It goes without saying that hosting and producing a year-round talk show is no easy task.” They went on to express “sincere gratitude” to the hosts, producers and crew and recognized “former show hosts and colleagues who contributed throughout the seasons.” The 11-time Daytime Emmy winner is airing its 14th season, which will end in June. Its nal 15th season will premiere in the fall.

IMAGE VIA AP

Hampton Sides’ new book on James Cook explores the legacy of the explorer.

famous birthdays this week

Posh Spice turns 50

The Associated Press

April 14

Singer-guitarist John Bell of Widespread Panic is 62. Actress Catherine Dent (“The Shield”) is 59. Actor Adrien Brody is 51. Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar is 47.

April 15

Actor Michael Tucci (“Diagnosis Murder,” “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show”) is 78. Actress Emma Thompson is 65. Country singer Chris Stapleton is 46. Actor Seth Rogen is 42.

April 16

Singer Jimmy Osmond is 61. Singer David Pirner of Soul Asylum is 60. Actor Jon Cryer is 59. Actor-comedian Martin Lawrence is 59.

April 17

Singer Liz Phair is 57. Rapper-actor Redman is 54. Actress Jennifer Garner is 52. Singer Victoria Beckham of the Spice Girls is 50.

April 18

Actor James Woods is 77. Actor Rick Moranis is 71. Ventriloquist Je Dunham is 62. Talk show host Conan O’Brien is 61. Actress Melissa Joan Hart (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch”) is 48.

April 19

Actor Tim Curry is 78. Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight is 59. Actress Ashley Judd is 56. Actor James Franco is 46. Actor Hayden Christensen (“Star Wars Episodes II and III”) is 43.

April 20

Bluegrass musician Doyle Lawson of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver is 80. Actress Jessica Lange is 75. Actor Crispin Glover is 60. Actor Andy Serkis (“Lord of the Rings”) is 60. Actress Carmen Electra is 52. Actor Joey Lawrence (“Blossom,” ″Brotherly Love”) is 48.

MATT SAYLES / AP PHOTO

Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, pictured in 2007, turned 50 Wednesday.

MARK HUMPHREY / AP PHOTO

Bluegrass musician

Doyle Lawson of the band Quicksilver turns 80 on Saturday.

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Jessica Lange, pictured in 2006, will turn 75 on Saturday.

the stream

A ‘Rebel Moon’ rises again along with Taylor Swift’s new album

Pearl Jam’s 12th studio album, “Dark Matter,”

By Conan O’Brien The Associated Press

ZACK SNYDER’S “Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver” on Net ix and Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” album are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.

MOVIES TO STREAM

The cautious father of a family of ducks is coaxed into ying south for the winter in “Migration” (steaming Friday on Peacock), the latest animation from Illumination, the maker of “Despicable Me.” “Migration” is another, albeit more kid-friendly examination of the pros and cons of an exotic vacation. The movie is vividly animated with warm cartoon tones that would do Da y proud. But it never quite spreads its wings. It is voiced by Elizabeth Banks, Danny DeVito, Carol Kane, Awkwa na and Keegan-Michael Key.

People tend to love or hate the lms of Zack Snyder, the maker of brawny CGI extravaganzas like “Man of Steel,” “Justice League” and “Army of the Dead.” If you’re the former, the arrival of “Rebel Moon –Part Two: The Scargiver” (Friday on Net ix) is a date you’ve circled since the December debut of the rst installment. Soa Boutella and Djimon Hounsou lead the ensemble cast in Snyder’s “Star Wars” ri space opera. If some lms are laden and overstu ed, how about those that pass like a brief encounter?

A new series streaming on the Criterion Channel asks: How much can happen in a night? The series collects some of the best lms that transpire entirely from dusk ’til dawn. Evenings may pass in conversation or bloodshed, but in all of them, the sun eventually arrives to break a nocturnal spell.

Among the highlights: Elaine May’s “Mikey and Nicky,” Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours,” Jim Jarmusch’s “Night on Earth” and Agnes Varda’s “Cléo from 5 to 7.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

It is Taylor Swift ’s world, and we continue to just live in it. On Friday, the savior of both contemporary pop music and the U.S. economy will release

Promotional art for upcoming shows “Under The Bridge,” premiering Wednesday on Hulu, “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” premiering Friday on The Roku Channel and “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” premiering Thursday on Max.

her highly anticipated 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” Swift surprise-announced the release in February at the 2024 Grammys after receiving the trophy for best pop vocal album for her 10th LP, “Midnights.” No songs have been released from “TTPD,” so little is known about it — which only serves to heighten the anticipation.

Here’s what we do know: The day after the Grammys, Swift shared the track list, teasing 16 songs and two features: “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone — who is fresh o a feature on Beyoncé’s “Act ll: Cowboy Carter” — and “Florida!!!” featuring Florence + the Machine. Other choice song titles in-

clude: “Down Bad,” “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” “loml” and “Clara Bow.” The physical release will include four variants, each featuring a di erent bonus track: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross,” and “The Black Dog.” At a show in Melbourne, Australia, Swift described the album as “a lifeline,” adding “I’ve never had an album where I needed songwriting more than I needed it on ‘Tortured Poets.’”

the story of the murder of Canadian teen Reena Virk in the late 1990s. Gladstone plays a police o cer investigating the case and Keough plays Godfrey, who immersed herself in Virk’s world to detail not only what happened but the social and cultural implications surrounding her death. “Under the Bridge” premieres Wednesday on Hulu and is already garnering Emmy buzz for both Gladstone and Keough.

Conan O’Brien loves to be the brunt of a joke, and that’s on full display in his new travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go” for Max. Cameras follow the comedian as he visits countries like Ireland, Thailand, Argentina and Norway. When the series was announced last May, Max released the following quote from O’Brien, “My fans around the globe never asked me to visit them, so I did.” “Conan O’Brien Must Go” debuts Thursday on Max.

The popular fantasy children’s book series “The Spiderwick Chronicles” has been adapted for TV. The story follows teenage twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory after they move to an old, family estate called Spiderwick, which is also inhabited by magical creatures. The show also stars Christian Slater, Joy Bryant and Jack Dylan Grazer. “The Spiderwick Chronicles” premieres on Roku Channel on Friday.

National Geographic’s popular “Secrets Of” franchise has a new installment called “Secrets of the Octopus.” Debuting Sunday, the three-part series details the surprising characteristics of octopuses. These marine animals may look funny, but they have a level of intelligence where they solve problems, scheme and even communicate with other species. Narrated by Paul Rudd and executive produced by James Cameron, the docuseries is inspired by the book and research of Sy Montgomery.

GAMES TO PLAY

SHOWS TO STREAM

Fresh o her Oscar nomination, Lily Gladstone stars in a new limited series for Hulu called “Under the Bridge” with Riley Keough. Based on a truecrime novel by Rebecca Godfrey, “Under the Bridge” tells

Three decades into their career and Pearl Jam’s 12th studio album, “Dark Matter,” arrives the same day as Swift’s — but don’t consider it competition; they’re keeping it in the family. Both acts are signed to Republic Records. Produced by Andrew Watt, “Dark Matter” is Pearl Jam’s rst new record since 2020’s “Gigaton,” — a hard-rocking collection of songs from the saints of the 1990s Seattle scene that AP’s Andrew Dalton described as “athletic in its speed, aggression and tenacity, sounding like it would make men of their age sore in the aftermath.” Listen responsibly.

The second thing you’ll notice about Harold Halibut — after its goofy title — is its distinctive graphics. German indie studio Slow Bros. has built an entire game around hand-crafted models, and the result looks like stop-motion animation. The setting is a citysized spaceship, the Fedora, that ed Earth 250 years earlier but unfortunately landed at the bottom of an alien ocean. Harold is the awkward young assistant to the ship’s chief scientist, who’s trying to gure out how to get it back into space. Will Harold help with that relaunch — or will he nd himself drawn into the mystery of this strange planet? It was released Tuesday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.

arrives this week

BERENICE BAUTISTA / AP PHOTO

Director Zack Snyder, center, and actress So a Boutella, left, attend a press conference for the lm “Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire,” in December 2023.

HULU / THE ROKU CHANNEL / MAX

REPUBLIC RECORDS, LEFT, AND MONKEYWRENCH / REPUBLIC RECORDS

“Tortured Poets Department” by Taylor Swift and “Dark Matter” by Pearl Jam are both out this week.

HOKE COUNTY

WHAT’S HAPPENING

The purchase will be nalized once all renovations have been completed on the property

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

THE HOKE County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of a building for housing displaced children within the Department of Social Services (DSS) system at its meeting Monday.

The house, which is in need of repairs before it can be used, is intended to be a temporary housing solution for displaced children in Hoke County so they don’t end up housed within the

DSS building. The purchase, which will be nalized once renovations are complete, will total around $370,000.

“We’re getting a place where our employee didn’t have to stay down at DSS with these kids,” said Commissioner Tony Hunt. “That we have a place that they can go, get showers and the DSS workers have a place to work and stay in until they can get these kids placed.”

According to DSS, the process has been ongoing for over a year with nine children having come through during that time.

The award places the FirstHealth facility among the nation’s best

North State Journal Sta FIRSTHEALTH Moore Regional Hospital, including its Hoke campus, has been named a 2024 Outstanding Patient Experience Award recipient by Healthgrades, a leading resource for consumers seeking information on hospitals and doctors.

The award, which Moore Regional received for the 17th consecutive year, recognizes the hospital’s commitment to providing exceptional care experiences for patients and their loved ones according to the company. The recognition

places Moore Regional among the top 15% of hospitals nationwide for patient experience. Healthgrades applies a scoring methodology to ten patient experience measures using Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey data submitted by the hospital’s own patients. The measures focus on patients’ perceptions of their hospital care, including cleanliness, noise levels, medication explanations, sta responsiveness, and whether they would recommend the hospital to others.

“We are deeply proud to be recognized by Healthgrades as a 2024 outstanding patient experience award recipient,” said Mickey Foster, chief executive o cer for FirstHealth of

The board will have further discussions as to whether the home will need to be built up to residential housing standards or to the North Carolina group home standards.

In other business, the board was updated on taxes collected as of March.

“The total collected for the month of March, current year, was $745,208.32 at a 95.16% rate compared to a 95.78% rate last year,” said tax collector

“I’m tired of the ball getting dropped,” said Vice Chair Harry Southerland. “It’s been dropped for a whole year. We’ve been trying to get this done for a whole year. We’ve been housing kids illegally in DSS for a whole year. Somebody dropped the ball and I’m tired of dropping the ball. I told the County Manager today, this is unacceptable for us to keep going through this process over and over again. Let’s get it done.”

Daphne Graham-Dudley. “Prior years collected was $92,267.25 at a 42.29% rate compared to a 45.44% rate last year. The total collected for the month of March was $837,475.57.”

The board signed o on a few other tax matters, including the granting of religious exemption status to a parcel owned by the Cape Fear Conference B United American Freewill Baptist Denomination church and the subsequent releasing of delinquent taxes from that parcel.

“One of the parcels is already exempt, but the second parcel was not under the religious exemption status,” said acting tax assessor Mandi Davis. “The

Services (CMS) for admissions from January to December 2022. Moore Regional outperformed its peers based on feedback from its own patients.

the Carolinas, parent company of the hospital. “Patient experience, satisfaction and safety are the cornerstones of all that we do at FirstHealth, guiding us to continuously strive to serve our community in better ways.”

Jonathan Davis, chief operating o cer and president of Moore Regional, attributed the achievement to the dedication of the FirstHealth sta . “Their dedication to delivering compassionate care to those in need is inspiring and serves as the foundation upon which our health system thrives,” he said in a press release. Healthgrades evaluated more than 2,500 hospitals that submitted at least 100 patient experience surveys to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

“We commend Moore Regional for going above and beyond to provide a best-in-class care experience for patients during their hospital stay,” said Brad Bowman, M.D., chief medical o cer and head of data sciences at Healthgrades. “Moore Regional’s dedication to superior patient care is particularly impressive given recent declines in patient satisfaction scores across the country.”

Consumers can visit healthgrades.com to learn more about how Healthgrades measures hospital quality.

BOARD from page 1

amount of the delinquent taxes was $363.76.”

“Well if it’s used for church things it should be exempt for it,” said commissioner Robert Wright.

Finally, County Manager Letitia Edens addressed the board about recent break ins at county facilities.

“In our departments, we’ve had some break ins as of late. We’ve had some vehicles hit with catalytic converters, we’ve had some sheds hit,” Edens said. “I’ve had the department heads do interviews with their employees just to make sure so we can talk to them and nd out if anybody knows anything. Public buildings and utilities did interviews. We don’t have any factual information that came out of anything. No one designated that they knew of anything for fact.”

She said that the county would be increasing security at its properties.

“We do need to protect our property a little bit more and we will do that,” Edens continued. “We have made assessments on some things and there will be some new things we do as far as security goes.”

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners will next meet May 6.

April 9

Brandon Scott Bowers, 40, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of felony breaking and entering with larceny of a firearm, moto vehicle theft, and two counts of probation violations.

Kela Jaquess Wilson, 25, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of possessing a firearm as a felon.

April 10

Sean Bradley McCarthy, 35, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of communicating threats.

Martha Delia Santos Lopez, 34, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of two counts of financial transaction card fraud, two counts of possession of stolen vehicles, conspiracy to commit a felony, breaking and entering vehicles, and possessing methamphetamine.

April 11

James Isaac Leonard, 29, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of violations of a domestic violence protection order.

April 12

Donald Ray Woods, 62, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of maintaining a vehicle, dwelling, or place for controlled substances and a probation violation.

April 14

Mary Smith was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of larceny and forgery.

April 15

Christopher Lee Green, 47, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of POSSESS METHAMPHETAMINE. He was also served a warrant for failure to appear and a probation violation.

Ed Townsend Malloy, 30, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of attempted murder, felony breaking and entering, possession of a firearm by a felon, and obtaining property by fraud.

Robert Dwayne Lewis, 52, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of common law robbery.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | ROBERT REIVES

Educators are superheroes

We are one of the worst states for teacher pay. In beginning teacher pay, we rank 46th nationally.

NORTH CAROLINA teachers put in hundreds of hours into their profession. Their work extends far outside the walls of a classroom; they support our state’s children at sports games, band performances, and church programs. They are the glue that holds our schools and communities together.

But right now, teachers in North Carolina are overworked, underpaid, and disrespected. Republican leaders in the General Assembly have created these conditions.

Teachers are expected to do more with less. Youth across North Carolina are experiencing a serious mental health crisis, and teachers are on the frontlines. When our schools fall short of the psychologists, counselors, and nurses that are desperately needed, teachers shoulder the additional demands. They are not only in charge of learning, but they care for kids who are going through a hard time. It’s harder for teachers because they don’t have the assistants they need. Teacher assistants especially help children in lower grades who need extra support. Since these Republican leaders took over the NCGA, they have reduced the number of state funded teacher assistants by almost 20%, from 18,227 to 14,798 TAs.

When looking across the United States, we are one of the worst states for teacher pay. In beginning teacher pay, we rank 46th nationally. We pay new teachers less than Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee do. If the starting salary is so abysmal, it’s hard to convince incoming professionals to even enter the teaching pipeline. Republican leadership claim they are giving raises to teachers, but they are really handing out scraps. Educators aren’t fooled. Teacher salaries have not kept up with in ation, and they feel it in their pocketbooks. One of my constituents, Guadalupe, is nishing her fourth year in the classroom. She has an associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree. Her passion for teaching fuels her: “I chose to be a teacher because I wanted to

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

make a di erence, even if it’s small and localized to my community.”

But her family sometimes faces a challenging nancial position because of her choice to be a teacher: “I have had to forgo medical services because of the cost of prescriptions for my children. Being a professional with a Master’s degree, I as well as other educators should not be in the predicament where we cannot a ord our health needs.”

In 2013, the Republican majority in our state legislature took away master’s pay. They also took away health bene ts for retired educators.

The man at the top of the North Carolina Republican ticket in 2024 has called teachers “wicked people.” He sounds like a schoolyard bully, not someone who supports educators and the children they instruct.

We also see disrespect coming from the Republican leadership at the NC General Assembly. Their legislative priorities have been to manufacture culture wars and control the curriculum that teachers are trained to teach. The House passed a bill that restricts instruction about important parts of our country’s history and micromanages the social studies curriculum. And instead of addressing real issues like fully funding public schools or raising teacher pay, Republican leaders passed a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” that burdens teachers with more paperwork and concocts culture wars in our classrooms.

Educators should have their work valued, be paid accordingly, and get respect from our state legislature. They aren’t getting any of the three right now. We owe better to Guadalupe and the thousands of other teachers across the state. Our number one goal this November should be to break the Republican supermajority so we can nally reprioritize public education.

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

Focused on the issues impacting you

A man in Lee County was busted tra cking enough fentanyl to kill 250,000 people, enough to kill everyone in Lee County three times over.

IT WAS SO GREAT to be back home during the recent district work period and hear from folks about the issues most important to them and their families. As I traveled around, I heard story after story of how the current situation in our country has negatively impacted people’s lives. From higher living expenses to illegal criminals and drugs coming across our border, communities in our region and across our country are facing real challenges.

Whether it’s food, rent, electricity, or even car insurance, just about everything has gotten more expensive since President Biden took o ce. Right now, North Carolinians are paying over $990 more a month because of skyrocketing in ation, caused by Biden and the Democrats’ out-of-control spending.

Our communities are also being impacted by President Biden’s failed open border and amnesty policies. More deadly drugs, especially fentanyl, are being smuggled across our border and into our country, putting our safety and security at risk. Recently, a man in Lee County was busted tra cking enough fentanyl to kill 250,000 people, enough to kill everyone in Lee County three times over.

President Biden could x this crisis today the same way he created it: with a stroke of a pen. But he refuses

to act. Meanwhile, House Republicans passed a bill over nine months ago to secure our border and keep our communities safe.

As a member of the Health Subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I often hear from seniors and those in rural communities like ours struggling with long travel times to and from doctor appointments or lack of regular access to transportation. However, we saw during the pandemic how telehealth services make it easier for folks to get the care they need in a faster and more e cient way.

The Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing last week to address ways we can support patients’ access to telehealth so they can continue to bene t from these services. While expanding access to telehealth is critically important, I’m also focused on making sure proper protections are in place to ensure the best patient outcomes and high-quality care.

As Congress prepares for another busy week ahead, rest assured I’ll continue ghting for the best interests of our region.

Richard Hudson represents the 9th Congressional District in Washington, D.C.

HOKE SPORTS

Softball nears winning record for regular season

North State Journal Sta

HERE’S A LOOK at the week that was in Hoke County sports, including a the softball team closing in on a milestone.

Softball

Hoke County’s softball team split two league games last week. The Bucks beat Lee County in extras, -4, to extend their winning streak to three straight. That got snapped the following outing, however, when Richmond got the best of Hoke, 8-0. The Bucks are now 10-6 on the year and 3-5 in the Sandhills.

Freshman McKenzie Freeman had three hits and an RBI in the win over Lee. Fellow freshman Niya Jones doubled and scored, while Adriana Miller went all nine innings on the mound for the win.

The Bucks will try to clinch a winning regular season record with one more victory in their nal four games on the schedule. Three of them come this

week, with a home game against Southern Lee, followed by trips to Scotland and Union Pines.

Baseball

The baseball team got swept by Union Pines last week, extending their losing streak to four straight. The Bucks fell, 7-2, at home, then went to Union Pines and lost 13-2.

Reynell Capellan Reyes continued to provide the bright spots on o ense for Hoke. He went 2-for-3 in the rst game and 2-for-2 in the nale, with a pair of doubles and 2 RBIs. Carson Hewitt also had a twohit game, while Eric (EJ) Carter added a double and Connor Oldham drove in a run.

Hoke is now 2-16 on the season, 0-10 in the Sandhills conference. The Bucks have two more shots to get a conference win this season with a home-and-home against Pinecrest this week. They also host Red Springs in

a non-conference game as the regular season enters its secondto-last week.

Girls’ soccer

Weather kept the girls’ soccer team o the eld for one more week, as a game against Scotland was washed out.

Hoke remains 3-6-2, 1-2 in the Sandhill and hasn’t played since March 25.

The Bucks are scheduled to resume play this week—weather permitting, of course—with a road game at Union Pines, another trip to Lee County and home games against Richmond and Pinecrest.

Also on the schedule

Boys’ varsity golf had a meet on Monday, at Bayonet. Boys’ tennis hosted Union Pines on Tuesday, Richmond on Wednesday and Pinecrest on Thursday in a busy three-match week. Track competes in a meet at Pinecrest.

Rangers reliever Burke broke his non-throwing hand punching wall

The pitcher was frustrated following a poor outing

By Kristie Rieken

The Associated Press

HOUSTON — Texas Rangers reliever Brock Burke broke his non-throwing hand while punching a wall following a poor outing Friday night against the Houston Astros.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Burke, who is a left-hander,

broke his right hand when he punched the wall “out of frustration” and was placed on the injured list Saturday. The 27-year-old allowed three hits and four runs in the seventh inning of his team’s 12-8 win.

“We want our guys, our athletes to be competitive and hate to lose, but with that passion there’s a ne edge, and when you cross that line there’s going to be consequences,” Bochy said. “And we just saw what happened there. You love the

fact that he was upset with not helping the club last night ... but it just wasn’t a smart move.”

Burke is making $1,035,000 this season and will continue to earn his salary while out with the injury.

Burke pitched brie y for the Hickory Crawdads, Texas’ Class A a liate in the South Atlantic League, in 2019.

The Astros were unhappy at Burke’s plunking of the elbow of slugger Yordan Alvarez after almost hitting him on three previous pitches inside.

Hoke County, softball

Tam Lowery is a graduate of Hoke County who played for the Bucks’ softball team.

Lowery graduated from Hoke in 2022, after leading the softball team with a .412 average, 31 RBIs, 11 doubles and two home runs. She also went 12-9 on the mound with 268 strikeouts. She now plays for Fayetteville Tech, where she recorded three RBIs over the weekend to give her 40 on the season, breaking the school’s single-season record.

The sophomore is tied for the team lead with four home runs and 49 hits and is also 7-6 as a pitcher, with one save and 123 strikeouts in 122.2 innings.

Alvarez stared Burke down before trotting to rst base. Kyle Tucker sent Burke’s next pitch into the second deck in left eld for his second home of the game and punctuated it with a bat ip.

Bochy denied that Burke, who has a 15.00 ERA in ve appearances this season, was trying to hit Alvarez.

“Any team would be upset in that situation with pitches, when he’s struggling trying to throw strikes,” Bochy said. “Four pitches go at their guy. Just like we’re going to be upset. But Burke was out there … because he’s trying to nd his game. He wouldn’t have been in that game if he had good command and control.” Bochy said he hasn’t had a chance to talk to Burke about what happened yet, but he plans

to have a conversation about it.

“Obviously, he regrets it,” Bochy said. “Sometimes you don’t have time to think about what the consequences may be. You’re just that upset and that frustrated. That’s the passion to do well (and) hate to lose. It’s not the rst time I’ve seen it.”

In 2022, Astros reliever Phil Maton broke his right pinkie when he punched a locker in frustration after Houston’s regular-season nale, causing him to miss the postseason.

In 2004, Yankees righthander Kevin Brown broke his non-pitching hand when he punched a wall in the clubhouse.

Right-hander Austin Pruitt, a Durham Bull from 2016 to 2019, was called up from Triple-A Round Rock to take Burke’s spot on the roster.

PHOTO COURTESY HCHS BUCKS SOFTBALL

Hoke County’s softball team lines up prior to a game earlier this season.

The Bucks are looking to clinch a winning regular season record.

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL Suggs faces charges from Starbucks drive-thru incident

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Former NFL linebacker

Terrell Suggs has been arrested after allegedly threatening another man and showing a handgun during a dispute in a Starbucks drive-thru line.

Scottsdale Police arrested Suggs and charged the former Baltimore Ravens player with threatening and intimidating and disorderly conduct with a weapon. The incident on March 10 began after a black Range Rover driven by Suggs passed the ordering speaker at Starbucks and had to back up to place his order, backing into the other vehicle.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

VanDerveer retires as Stanford women’s hoops coach

Stanford, Calif.

Tara VanDerveer, the winningest basketball coach in NCAA history, announced her retirement after 38 seasons leading the Stanford women’s team and 45 years overall. The 70-year-old VanDerveer surpassed Mike Krzyzewski for the wins record earlier this year. The Hall of Famer departs with 1,216 victories at Idaho, Ohio State and Stanford. And as has been the plan for years, top Cardinal assistant Kate Paye is set to take over the program, and the school said negotiations with Paye are underway. Paye played for VanDerveer from 1991-95 and has coached on her sta for 17 years.

COLLEGE HOCKEY

Denver beats BC 2-0 to win record

10th NCAA hockey national title

St. Paul, Minn. Jared Wright and Rieger Lorenz scored second-period goals, Matt Davis had 35 saves and Denver beat No. 1 overall seed Boston College 2-0 to win the 10th national championship in program history. No. 3 seed Denver (32-9-3), which nished the season on a nine-game win streak, moved past Michigan (nine) for most titles all-time. Davis had 23 third-period saves in his third shutout of the season. The Pioneers outscored their opponents 82-39 in the second period this season. Boston College (34-6-1), which set the program’s single-season record for wins, had its 15game win streak snapped and was shutout for the rst time this season.

SUMO

Hawaii-born sumo champion

Akebono Taro dies of heart failure

Tokyo Hawaii-born Akebono Taro, one of the greats of sumo wrestling and a former grand champion, has died. He was 54. He was the rst foreignborn wrestler to reach the level of “yokozuna” — or grand champion — in Japan. At the prime of his career he was a real giant, reported at the time to weigh 500 pounds and standing 6-feet8. He was born Chad Rowan and moved to Tokyo in the late 1980s and won his rst grand championship in 1993. Akebono was an 11-time grand tournament winner and he retired in 2001.

Elliott ends 42-race winless streak with OT victory in NASCAR Cup race at Texas

The fan favorite got his rst win in 18 months

By Stephen Hawkins The Associated Press FORT WORTH,

Texas — Chase Elliott had to get through a few extra laps after 18 months since last winning a race. Elliott pulled ahead and cleared Ross Chastain on the rst lap after the second restart in overtime Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, ending a 42-race winless streak for NASCAR’s most popular driver.

“A lot of things went on our way today. I’m not naive to that,” Elliott said. ”You have to be in the mix and you’ve got to be up front to even have things go your way. And we were close enough to do that.”

The race ended on the 16th caution after Elliott had taken the white ag for the 276th lap in a race scheduled for 267 laps. Chastain got bumped from behind by defending race winner William Byron, who nished third and was just behind Brad Keselowski when the nal yellow ag came out.

It was the fth win this season for Hendrick Motorsports, the 306th for NASCAR’s winningest team, but the rst for Elliott in the No. 9 Chevrolet since Talladega in October 2022.

“The longer it goes and the more ways you nd to either not run good or lose races, you know it can make it tougher,” Elliott said. “It’s been an extremely important thing to me ... to try to climb this mountain again together and try to get

Mavericks co-stars

Irving, Doncic working on better plot

The Dallas teammates are playo bound after last season’s collapse

By Schuyler Dixon The Associated Press

DALLAS — Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic are on the verge of their playo debut together, a year after the trade for Irving led to an unceremonious tanking instead of a trip to the postseason.

“Life is about redemption, especially in sports, where anybody can say anything and something could happen the next day or the next two weeks or the next few months that leads to you succeeding at a very high level,” Irving said. “Or failing at a high level,” he quickly added.

Sort of covers the endings of both seasons for superstars with 13 All-Star selections between them.

Last year, injuries were a problem in the two months after Dallas sent two important players from the run to the 2022 Western Conferencenals to Brooklyn for Irving.

Once the Mavericks realized it would be di cult to get into the West play-in tournament with two games remaining, coach Jason Kidd essentially acknowledged the team was tanking to try to salvage a draft

pick from the failed trade for Kristaps Porzingis four years earlier. Although costly (a $750,000 ne from the NBA), the strategy worked, and Dallas added a building block in center Dereck Lively II from Duke.

Lively’s availability for the playo s is in question due to a knee injury, but Daniel Gafford’s addition at the trade deadline this year gives Dallas a similar dunker and rim protector.

P.J. Washington was the other February acquisition, and the roster appears to be a much better t than after the Irving trade. At least that’s what the standings show.

“The chemistry is big,” Doncic said. “We are on a roll right now.”

Injuries were an issue for Irving the rst half of this season, but Dallas is 22-7 in the 29 consecutive games he has played since returning from a thumb injury. He also had an extended absence with a bruised heel. Irving is on his longest continuous stretch since 2015-16.

Doncic is two games from playing in 70 for the rst time since his rookie season, and the Mavericks recently won 10 consecutive games with the NBA scoring leader — and Irving, of course — in the lineup. When Doncic sat with a sore knee in Friday’s 108-106 vic -

back to where we need to be as a group.”

Elliott and Denny Hamlin were at the front of the eld after a restart with two laps left in regulation, and they were racing all-out when Hamlin got loose on the outside going into Turn 4 and went hard into the wall, bringing out the 14th caution and sending the race to overtime.

“Trying go for the win ... got loose and spun out,” said Hamlin, the only driver to lead laps in all nine races this season.

That was the second restart in the last 10 laps of regulation, with Hamlin leading on the previous one before Elliott edged ahead about the same time that another caution came out when polesitter Kyle Larson wrecked after a crowded fourwide jumble back in the eld.

On the rst restart in overtime, Elliott was on the inside and took a hard shove from Keselowski, but Harrison Burton was wrecked within a half lap.

In NASCAR’s only stop this season at the 1 1/2-mile Texas Motor Speedway, which for the rst time in 20 years won’t host a fall playo race, there were 13 di erent leaders.

Keselowski has now gone 107 races since his last win at Talladega in April 2021, and still looking for his rst win with RFK Racing, a team he coowns.

“The driver in me is frustrated because I feel like these are races I am good enough to win but don’t have the speed enough to do it,” Keselowski said. “The owner in me is mad as hell because it is my fault for not making the cars faster.”

LM OTERO / AP PHOTO

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic hugs guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the rst half of an April game against Atlanta.

tory over Golden State, Irving played more than 42 minutes for just the second time this season.

During Irving’s six-game absence with the thumb injury, Doncic played at least that long four times, and ended up sitting once to rest because of the heavy workload.

Irving scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime against the Rockets. The 11th

of 12 assists from Doncic, who scored 37 points, set up Exum’s tying 3. Plenty of reasons for both to savor the win.

“At the end of the game, Luka’s like, ‘I’m tired, man,’” Irving said. “That was one of those inthe-moment type things for us as brothers to embrace each other. We know how hard we’ve worked and how much work it took to get to this point in the season.”

RANDY HOLT / AP PHOTO

Chase Elliott, right, greets fans during driver introductions before his NASCAR Cup Series win Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.

India’s 44-day national election starts this week

third term

By Krutika Pathi The Associated Press

NEW DELHI — Nearly 970 million people — or over 10% of the global population — are eligible to vote in India’s general elections that start Friday and last until June 1. The mammoth exercise is the biggest anywhere in the world and will take 44 days before results are announced on June 4.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third successive term. He will face o against a broad but ailing alliance of opposition parties that are struggling to challenge his appeal. Most surveys predict Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party will win comfortably, cementing him as one of the country’s most popular and consequential leaders.

So why does it take so long?

It boils down to two key reasons: the sheer size of India, the world’s most populous country, and the astonishing level of logistics needed to ensure that every registered voter is able to cast their ballot.

Over the years, the duration of voting has wavered. It took nearly four months to complete the vote in India’s rst elections in 195152 after it gained independence from British rule, and just four days in 1980. In 2019, voting took 39 days, and this year’s election is the second longest.

With 969 million registered voters, the size of India’s electorate is bigger than the combined population of the 27 European Union member states. This includes 18 million rst-time voters and around 197 million who are in their 20s.

The vote to choose 543 lawmakers for the lower house of Parliament takes place over seven phases. India’s 28 states and eight federal territories will vote at different times. Each phase is one day, with the rst held on April 19 and the last on June 1. While some states will cast their ballots in a day, voting elsewhere may take longer. The largest state, Uttar Pradesh, which is the size of Brazil with 200 million people, will vote on all seven days, for example. General elections in India tend to take weeks to conduct, but Modi’s opponents also say it gives him an advantage as it makes it easier for the prime minister, the

public face of the BJP, to travel and campaign, especially in states where they are weak.

The Election Commission of India, which oversees the vote, has to make sure there is a voting booth available within 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of every voter. “Election o cials have to travel to great lengths to ensure that even a single voter can exercise their franchise,” said Chakshu Roy of PRS Legislative Research, an independent think tank.

Some 15 million election ocials and security sta will traverse the country’s deserts and mountains — sometimes by boat, foot and even on horseback — to try to reach every voter.

It can be especially arduous. In 2019, when India last held elections, a team of polling o cers trekked more than 300 miles for four days just so a single voter in a hamlet in the remote state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, could exercise their right. O cials also traveled to a village tucked away high up in the Himalayas in 2019 to install a booth at 15,256 feet, the highest polling station anywhere in the world. This time too, polling stations will be installed in remote places, including one inside a wildlife sanctuary in southern Kerala state and another in a shipping

container in western Gujarat state.

Experts say a key reason behind the multiphase elections in India is security.

Tens of thousands of federal security forces, who usually guard borders for instance, are freed up and deployed alongside state police to prevent violence and transport electoral o cials and voting machines.

Deadly clashes involving supporters of rival political parties, particularly in the eastern state of West Bengal, had marred previous elections. But such violence has tapered over the years, thanks to heavy security, and voting has been relatively peaceful.

Australian police identify Sydney stabbing attacker

Six were killed and a dozen injured in last weekend’s attack

By Rick Rycroft and Keiran Smith

The Associated Press

SYDNEY — Police identied Sunday the assailant who stabbed and killed six people at a busy Sydney shopping center before a police o cer fatally shot him.

New South Wales Police said that Joel Cauchi, 40, was responsible for the Saturday afternoon attack at the Westeld Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction, in the city’s eastern suburbs and not far from the world-famous Bondi Beach.

NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters at a media conference on Sunday that Cauchi su ered from yet unspeci ed mental

health issues and police investigators weren’t treating the attack as terrorism-related.

“We are continuing to work through the pro ling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage, it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved,” Cooke said.

“There is still, to this point... no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation — ideology or otherwise,” he added.

The attack at the shopping mall, one of the country’s busiest and which was a hub of activity on a particularly warm fall afternoon, began around 3:10 p.m. and police were swiftly called.

Six people — ve women and one man, aged between 20 and 55 — were killed in the at-

tack. Another 12 were injured and remain in hospital, including a 9-month-old child whose mother was killed in the attack.

The male victim was a security guard at the shopping center and was later identi ed as 30-year-old Faraz Tahir from Pakistan.

According to a written statement Sunday from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia, Faraz had been in Australia for less than a year and was a “cherished member of our community.”

Video footage taken by a witness showed many people eeing as a knife-wielding Cauchi ran erratically through the shopping mall and lunging at people.

“When I took my footage, it was about 15 seconds maybe before he was shot by the police o cer and he’d already killed a number of people at that point but we didn’t know and we had

no idea what was going on,” said Rohan Anderson, who had entered the shopping center just moments before the attack. “We just saw a person on the level below us, with a knife, running around and you just sit in disbelief that this is happening in Australia, in Bondi,” he said.

Other footage showed a man confronting the attacker on an escalator in the shopping center by holding what appeared to be a metal pole.

Inspector Amy Scott, who was the rst emergency responder on the scene, shot and killed Cauchi.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the o cer was “certainly a hero” whose actions had saved many more lives.

“The wonderful inspector who ran into danger by herself and removed the threat that was there to others, without

thinking about the risks to herself,” he said.

“We also see the footage of ordinary Australians putting themselves in harm’s way in order to help their fellow citizens. That bravery was quite extraordinary that we saw yesterday,” he added.

In a written statement later Sunday, Cauchi’s family said they were devastated by Saturday’s events and they had “no issue” with Scott shooting their son, saying “she was only doing her job to protect others.”

“Joel’s actions were truly horri c, and we are still trying to comprehend what has happened,” the statement read. “He has battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.”

Throughout Sunday, people placed a large number of oral tributes for the victims outside the now-shuttered shopping center. Police say it will remain an active crime scene for days.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a

ALTAF QADRI / AP PHOTO

Supporters of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party react as they listen to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak at an election rally on March 31.

Gary McNair

May 9, 1964 – April 5, 2024

Mr. Gary McNair age, 59 departed this earthly life on April 5, 2024. He was preceded in death by his mother Verdell McNair. He leaves to cherish his loving memories his children: Gary Anthony McNair, Kevin Washington, Marley Malcolm Conley; father, Jessie McNair Jr.; siblings: Cassandra McNair McArn, James McNair, four grandchildren along with a host of other family and friends. Gary will be greatly missed.

Ralph Puckett Jr., Korean War Medal of Honor recipient, dies

He received the award more than seven decades after leading an outnumbered company of Army Rangers in battle

By Ross Bynum The Associated Press

RALPH PUCKETT JR., a retired Army colonel awarded the Medal of Honor seven decades after he was wounded leading a company of outnumbered Army Rangers in battle during the Korean War, has died at age 97. Puckett died peacefully Monday at his home in Columbus, Georgia, according to the Strifer-Hamby Mortuary, which is handling funeral arrangements.

President Joe Biden lauded Puckett for his “extraordinary heroism and sel essness above and beyond the call of duty” while presenting the retired colonel with the nation’s highest military honor at the White House in 2021. Biden noted the award was “more than 70 years overdue.”

“He’s always believed that all that mattered to be a Ranger was if you had the guts and the brains,” Biden said.

Puckett was a newly commissioned Army o cer when he volunteered for the 8th Army Ranger Company that was formed soon after the Korean War began in 1950. Despite his inexperience, Puckett ended up being chosen as the unit’s com-

mander. He had less than six weeks to train his soldiers before they joined the ght. “I said to myself: ‘Dear God, please don’t let me get a bunch of good guys killed,’” Puckett told the Ledger-Enquirer of Columbus in a 2014 interview.

Over two days in November 1950, Puckett led his roughly 50 Rangers in securing a strategically important hill near Unsan. Puckett sprinted across the open area to draw re so that Rangers could nd and destroy enemy machine-gunners. Though badly outnumbered, Puckett’s troops repelled multiple counterattacks from a Chinese battalion of an estimated 500 soldiers before being overrun. Puckett su ered serious

wounds to his feet, backside and left arm after two mortar rounds landed in his foxhole. He ordered his men to leave him behind, but they refused. Puckett was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest U.S. military honor, in 1951. It was upgraded to the Medal of Honor decades later following a policy change that lifted a requirement that such awards be made within ve years of valorous acts.

During the White House medal presentation, Biden said that Puckett’s rst reaction to receiving the honor had been: “Why all the fuss? Can’t they just mail it to me?”

Despite his injuries in Korea, Puckett refused a medical discharge from the Army and spent another 20 years in uniform before retiring in 1971. He was awarded a second Distinguished Service Cross in 1967 for dashing through a hail of shrapnel to rescue two wounded soldiers in Vietnam, where Puckett led an airborne infantry battalion.

Puckett’s military honors also included two Silver Stars, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars and ve Purple Hearts.

“He feared no man, he feared

no situation and he feared no enemy,” retired Gen. Jay Hendrick, who served as the top general of U.S. Army Forces Command from 1999 to 2001, said in the Army’s online biography of Puckett.

Born in Tifton, Georgia, on Dec. 8, 1926, Puckett graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and received his commission as an infantry o cer in 1949.

After retiring from the Army, Puckett served as national programs coordinator of Outward Bound, Inc., and later started a leadership and teamwork development program called Discovery, Inc. He remained an active supporter of the 75th Ranger Regiment stationed at Fort Moore near his Columbus home.

Puckett told the Columbus newspaper he learned one of his most important life lessons on his rst day at West Point, when a senior cadet told him that one of the few acceptable answers he could give to any question would be: “No excuse, sir.”

“It was ingrained on my thinking that I have no excuse at any time I do not meet the standards that I’m supposed to meet,” Puckett said.

President Joe Biden presents the Medal of Honor to retired U.S. Army Col. Ralph Puckett at the White House in May 2021.

STATE & NATION

Semiautomatic rearm ban passes Colorado’s House, heads to Senate

Ten other states prohibit semiautomatic guns

The Associated Press DENVER, Colo. — Colorado’s Democratic-controlled House on Sunday passed a bill that would ban the sale and transfer of semiautomatic rearms, a major step for the legislation after roughly the same bill was swiftly killed by Democrats last year.

The bill, which passed on a 3527 vote, is now on its way to the Democratic-led state Senate. If it passes there, it could bring Colorado in line with 10 other states — including California, New York and Illinois — that have prohibitions on semiautomatic guns.

But even in a state plagued by some of the nation’s worst mass shootings, such legislation faces headwinds.

Colorado’s political history is purple, shifting blue only recently. The bill’s chances of success in the state Senate are lower than they were in the House, where Democrats have a 46-19 majori-

ty and a bigger far-left ank. Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has indicated his wariness over such a ban.

Last year, a similar bill died in committee, with some Democratic lawmakers citing concerns over the sweep of a ban and promises

Simpson estate executor plans to ght payout to Browns, Goldmans

The infamous celebrity, who was acquitted of the murder of his wife and her friend, died last week

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — The executor of O.J. Simpson’s estate says he will work to prevent a payout of a $33.5 million judgment awarded by a California civil jury nearly three decades ago in a wrongful death lawsuit led by the families of Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson’s will was led Friday in a Clark County court in Nevada, naming his longtime lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, as the executor. The document shows Simpson’s property was placed into a trust that was created this year.

LaVergne told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the entirety of Simpson’s estate has not been tallied. Under Nevada law, an estate must go through the courts if its assets exceed $20,000. Simpson died last Wednesday without having paid the lion’s share of the civil judgment that was awarded in 1997 after jurors found him liable. With his assets set to go through the court probate process, the Goldman and

Brown families could be in line to get paid a piece of whatever Simpson left behind. LaVergne, who had represented Simpson since 2009, said he speci cally didn’t want the Goldman family seeing any money from Simpson’s estate.

“It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing,” he told the Review-Journal. “Them speci cally. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing.”

Although the Brown and Goldman families have pushed for payment, LaVergne said there was never a court order forcing Simpson to pay the civil judgment. The attorney told the Review-Journal that his particular ire at the Goldman family stemmed in part from the events surrounding Simpson’s planned book, titled “If I Did It.”

Goldman’s family won control of the manuscript and retitled the book “If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.” Simpson earned fame and fortune through football and show business, but his legacy was forever changed by the June 1994 knife slayings of his exwife and her friend in Los Angeles. He was acquitted of criminal charges in 1995 in a trial that mesmerized the public.

Goldman’s father Fred Gold-

they made to their constituents to avoid government overreach affecting most gun owners’ rights. Democrats last year passed and Polis signed into law four less-expansive gun control bills. Those included raising the age for buying any gun from 18 to 21; es-

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, pictured last November, has expressed concern over the possibility of a semiautomatic gun ban.

Those laws were signed months after ve people were killed at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs last year. Soon, the state will mark the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting that killed 13 people. Other mass shootings in Colorado include 12 people killed in 2012 at an Aurora movie theater and 10 people killed in 2021 at a Boulder supermarket.

“This is the state where the modern era of the mass shooting began with Columbine,” Democratic Rep. Javier Mabrey said in urging fellow lawmakers to join other states that ban semiautomatic weapons.

Republicans decried the legislation as an onerous encroachment on the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. They argued that mental illness and people who do not value life — not guns — are the issues that should be addressed. People with ill intent can use other weapons, such as knives, to harm others, they argued.

tablishing a three-day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun; strengthening the state’s red ag law; and rolling back some legal protections for the rearms industry, exposing it to lawsuits from the victims of gun violence.

Democrats responded that semiautomatic weapons can cause much more damage in a short period of time.

“In Aurora, when the shooter walked in that theater and opened re,” Mabrey said, “and in less than 90 seconds shot up a room full of people. That cannot be done with a knife, that can’t be done with a knife.”

man, the lead plainti , always said the issue was never the money, it was only about holding Simpson responsible. And he said in a statement Thursday that with Simpson’s death, “the hope for true accountability has ended.” The Goldman and Brown families will be on at least equal footing with other creditors and will probably have an even stronger claim, as Simpson’s estate is settled under terms established by the trust created in January. The will lists his four children and notes that any bene ciary who seeks to challenge provisions of the will “shall receive, free of trust, one dollar ($1.00) and no more in lieu of any claimed interest in this will or its assets.” Simpson said he lived only on his NFL and private pensions. Hundreds of valuable possessions had been seized as part of the jury award, and Simpson was forced to auction his Heisman Trophy, fetching $230,000.

JACK DEMPSEY / AP PHOTO

MYUNG J. CHUN / LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS VIA AP

O.J. Simpson, pictured after he was found not guilty in the death of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in Los Angeles in October 1995, died last week at 76.

the request of a petitioner. Both segments of roadway, which are both just under 130 feet, are unimproved and there are no planning or DOT concerns regarding them.

The multi-use path projects include Petree Road, Cedar Trail and Salem Parkway

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

THE WINSTON-SALEM City Council met April 1 with two items pulled from the consent agenda — a list of typically uncontroversial items passed by unanimous consent — over construction, engineering and inspection services for three projects.

“I had these pulled because we have been talking as a council for many years on not being able to get things done and possibly we need to start contracting things out,” said council

State AGs will investigate, with complaints forwarded to DOT for enforcement

By David Koenig The Associated Press

NORTH CAROLINA is one of 15 states partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate consumer complaints about airline service. By law, enforcing consumer-protection laws is limited to the federal government, but the agreement announced Tuesday will help ensure that enforcement activities keep up with a current boom in air travel.

With that explanation, the council approved the items.

Also approved was a petition to close and abandon portions of two roadways, Morrison Street and Longview Drive at

member Annette Scippio. “So, I’m asking for an overview of how we’re getting these done.” “We have a total of three projects here: Petree Road and Cedar Trail sidewalks and the multi-use path along Salem Parkway,” said Assistant City Manager Aaron King. “These items would award contracts for construction engineering and inspection services for all three of those projects. Those are projects that would typically go to our engineering eld ofce, and that work group currently, with their workload of projects that come to them organically through the development review process along with capital projects they currently have underway, don’t have the capacity to help with the services for these projects. So we have gone out to procure these services from the private sector which will help us deliver these projects.”

The council signed o on Mayor Allen Joines’ recommendations for the appointments of Walter Farabee, Timothy Sechrest, Branon Wilkerson and Heidi Schwartz to the Downtown Winston-Salem Business Improvement District Advisory Committee, and of Basir Razzak to the Urban Food Policy Council.

Finally, City Manager William Pate updated the council on the new names of two buildings at the fairgrounds made by the Public Assembly Facilities Commission. The former Fairgrounds Annex is now the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena and the former Fairgrounds Education Building is now the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Events Center. “The commission talked about having names that better re ect what’s going on in those facilities,” Pate explained.

In return, the Transportation Department, or DOT, will give the states access to its consumer-complaint system and train state employees about federal consumer laws covering airlines.

Buttigieg pointed to travelers whose ights are canceled and then must wait days for another ight or pay more to y home on another airline. “Things like that are a violation of passenger rights, and we are seeing far too many cases of that,” he said.

Buttigieg, a Democrat, repeatedly cast the agreement as bipartisan, but only two of the state o cials who signed on are Republicans. Buttigieg indicated his department hopes to recruit more states.

Under an agreement announced by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, state attorney general o ces will be able to investigate complaints about airline service. If they believe an airline violated the law or is refusing to cooperate with investigators, the states could refer cases to the Transportation Department for enforcement.

“Too often, air travel is a headache. This partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation authorizes my o ce to better protect North Carolina air travelers when they run into issues,” said NC Attorney General Josh Stein in a statement. “I am grateful to the U.S. DOT for its commitment to protecting airline consumers.” Consumer groups praised the agreement while saying they would rather see Congress write into law the power of states to regulate consumer-protection rules. “This is the next best thing,” said William McGee, an aviation expert at the American Economic Liberties Project, which opposes industry consolidation. “We don’t look at this as a threat to DOT’s authority. We look at it as the states assisting DOT, which doesn’t have the sta ng to handle all the com-

plaints they get.” Airlines for America, a trade group representing the largest U.S. carriers, said it works with state and national groups “to constantly improve the customer experience for all passengers. We appreciate the role of state attorneys general and their work on behalf of consumers, and we look forward to continue working with them.”

Twin City Herald sta contributed to this report.

Internet customers in western NC bene t from $20M settlement

Stein’s o ce had received consumer complaints that Frontier’s internet service “was

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | ROBERT REIVES

slow or failed entirely,” according to the settlement, and that their internet operated at much slower speeds than what the provider promised. Frontier denied those claims, and the settlement does not say it violated the law. The company did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday seeking comment. After a federal court in 2021 dismissed North Carolina’s claims in a civil complaint led by other states and the Federal Trade Commission, the state

Educators are superheroes

We are one of the worst states for teacher pay. In beginning teacher pay, we rank 46th nationally.

NORTH CAROLINA teachers put in hundreds of hours into their profession. Their work extends far outside the walls of a classroom; they support our state’s children at sports games, band performances, and church programs. They are the glue that holds our schools and communities together.

But right now, teachers in North Carolina are overworked, underpaid, and disrespected. Republican leaders in the General Assembly have created these conditions.

Teachers are expected to do more with less. Youth across North Carolina are experiencing a serious mental health crisis, and teachers are on the frontlines. When our schools fall short of the psychologists, counselors, and nurses that are desperately needed, teachers shoulder the additional demands. They are not only in charge of learning, but they care for kids who are going through a hard time.

It’s harder for teachers because they don’t have the assistants they need. Teacher assistants especially help children in lower grades who need extra support. Since these Republican leaders took over the NCGA, they have reduced the number of state funded teacher assistants by almost 20%, from 18,227 to 14,798 TAs.

When looking across the United States, we are one of the worst states for teacher pay. In beginning teacher pay, we rank 46th nationally. We pay new teachers less than Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee do. If the starting salary is so abysmal, it’s hard to convince incoming professionals to even enter the teaching pipeline. Republican leadership claim they are giving raises to teachers, but they are really handing out scraps. Educators aren’t fooled. Teacher salaries have not kept up with in ation, and they feel it in their pocketbooks.

One of my constituents, Guadalupe, is nishing her fourth year in the classroom. She has an associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree. Her passion for teaching fuels her: “I chose to be a

continued its investigation until the settlement was reached, the news release said.

The agreement calls for Frontier to make a $300,000 restitution payment within 60 days that will be used to help customers a ected by slower speeds.

The settlement also enforces other actions the company must take, such as advertised internet speed disclosures and options for customers to cancel their internet service when the advertised speed isn’t reached.

teacher because I wanted to make a di erence, even if it’s small and localized to my community.”

But her family sometimes faces a challenging nancial position because of her choice to be a teacher: “I have had to forgo medical services because of the cost of prescriptions for my children. Being a professional with a Master’s degree, I as well as other educators should not be in the predicament where we cannot a ord our health needs.”

In 2013, the Republican majority in our state legislature took away master’s pay. They also took away health bene ts for retired educators.

The man at the top of the North Carolina Republican ticket in 2024 has called teachers “wicked people.” He sounds like a schoolyard bully, not someone who supports educators and the children they instruct.

We also see disrespect coming from the Republican leadership at the NC General Assembly. Their legislative priorities have been to manufacture culture wars and control the curriculum that teachers are trained to teach. The House passed a bill that restricts instruction about important parts of our country’s history and micromanages the social studies curriculum. And instead of addressing real issues like fully funding public schools or raising teacher pay, Republican leaders passed a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” that burdens teachers with more paperwork and concocts culture wars in our classrooms.

Educators should have their work valued, be paid accordingly, and get respect from our state legislature. They aren’t getting any of the three right now. We owe better to Guadalupe and the thousands of other teachers across the state. Our number one goal this November should be to break the Republican supermajority so we can nally reprioritize public education.

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

Pandemic rules for bars violated NC Constitution, court says

A unanimous state Court of Appeals panel said the Governor’s orders violated constitutional rights to earn a living and for equal treatment.

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s orders during the COVID-19 pandemic that directed standalone bars to remain shuttered for safety while restaurants that serve alcohol got to reopen were “illogical” and violated the state constitution, an appeals court ruled on Tuesday.

A state Court of Appeals panel declared unanimously that a trial judge erred when he rejected claims by the North Carolina Bar and Tavern Association and private bars that their constitutional rights to earn a living and

for equal treatment were violated with the Democratic governor’s executive orders.

It was “arbitrary and capricious” to allow some restuarants with bars to reopen with limited capacity while the plainti s’ bars weren’t allowed to reopen in the same way, Court of Appeals Judge April Wood wrote in the panel’s opinion vacating parts of Superior Court Judge James Gale’s decision. The association and bars in the lawsuit were subjected to unequal treatment that was “illogical and not rationally related” to the governor’s stated goal of slowing the virus’ spread, Wood said.

A series of orders issued by Cooper starting in March 2020 closed all bars, including those in restaurants. Within a few months, bars had to remain closed, but restaurants and breweries could serve alcohol during certain hours. That’s when the association and 185 businesses sued.

Cooper’s May 2020 order stated that bars presented “greater risks of the spread of COVID-19” in part because the business model has people “remaining in a con ned indoor space over a sustained period.”

But the bar owners said they were equally capable of complying with reduced capacity, social distancing and other restrictions.

At the time of the orders, Cooper said the decision to keep bars closed was based on “data and science” and “daily briefings from doctors and healthcare experts,” according to the opinion.

Cooper’s state attorneys provided some news articles, a scienti c study and another executive order to support the governor’s decisions in restricting bar operations, but according to Wood they “fail to address any di erences in the risk of spread of COVID-19 between the bars he allowed to re -

open and Plainti s’ bars which remained closed.” Court of Appeals Judges Donna Stroud and Je erson Gri n joined in her opinion that found two constitutional violations. The judges are registered Republicans.

Later in 2020, bars could serve alcoholic drinks in outdoor seating, with time limits later added. All temporary restrictions on bars were lifted in May 2021. Cooper spokesperson Mary Scott Winstead defended the state’s response to COVID-19 early in the pandemic, saying it consulted with health ocials, complied with the law and saved lives and jobs.

“When this action was taken almost four years ago, hospitals were over owing, thousands of people were dying, protective equipment was in short supply and vaccines and treatments were nonexistent,” Winstead said in an email. She didn’t respond to a question about

whether Cooper would ask the state Supreme Court to formally review the ruling.

The association celebrated the ruling, which if upheld would return the case to trial court to decide what monetary damages, if any, the state owes the bar owners.

“We never asked for special treatment, only equal treatment,” association President Zack Medford said in a news release. “The governor’s decision forced many of these bars to eventually close permanently. Today’s ruling makes it clear that the governor was wrong and now the state needs to make it right.” Cooper or his administration was the subject of several lawsuits challenging his COVID-19 actions early in the pandemic. The governor was largely successful in court, with judges a rming his emergency powers. Recently, however, appeals courts have favored plainti s.

Forsyth SPORTS

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL Suggs faces charges from Starbucks drive-thru incident

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Former NFL linebacker Terrell Suggs has been arrested after allegedly threatening another man and showing a handgun during a dispute in a Starbucks drivethru line. Scottsdale Police arrested Suggs and charged the former Baltimore Ravens player with threatening and intimidating and disorderly conduct with a weapon. The incident on March 10 began after a black Range Rover driven by Suggs passed the ordering speaker at Starbucks and had to back up to place his order, backing into the other vehicle.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

VanDerveer retires as Stanford women’s hoops coach Stanford, Calif. Tara VanDerveer, the winningest basketball coach in NCAA history, announced her retirement after 38 seasons leading the Stanford women’s team and 45 years overall. The 70-year-old VanDerveer surpassed Mike Krzyzewski for the wins record earlier this year. The Hall of Famer departs with 1,216 victories at Idaho, Ohio State and Stanford. And as has been the plan for years, top Cardinal assistant Kate Paye is set to take over the program, and the school said negotiations with Paye are underway. Paye played for VanDerveer from 1991-95 and has coached on her sta for 17 years.

COLLEGE HOCKEY

Denver beats BC

2-0 to win record

10th NCAA hockey national title

St. Paul, Minn. Jared Wright and Rieger Lorenz scored second-period goals, Matt Davis had 35 saves and Denver beat No. 1 overall seed Boston College 2-0 to win the 10th national championship in program history. No. 3 seed Denver (32-9-3), which nished the season on a nine-game win streak, moved past Michigan (nine) for most titles all-time. Davis had 23 third-period saves in his third shutout of the season. The Pioneers outscored their opponents 8239 in the second period this season. Boston College (346-1), which set the program’s single-season record for wins, had its 15-game win streak snapped and was shutout for the rst time this season.

SUMO

Hawaii-born sumo champion

Akebono Taro dies of heart failure

Tokyo Hawaii-born Akebono Taro, one of the greats of sumo wrestling and a former grand champion, has died. He was 54. He was the rst foreignborn wrestler to reach the level of “yokozuna” — or grand champion — in Japan. At the prime of his career he was a real giant, reported at the time to weigh 500 pounds and standing 6-feet8. He was born Chad Rowan and moved to Tokyo in the late 1980s and won his rst grand championship in 1993. Akebono was an 11-time grand tournament winner and he retired in 2001.

Elliott ends 42-race winless streak with OT victory in NASCAR Cup race at Texas

“The longer it goes and the more ways you nd to either not run good or lose races.”

Chase Elliott

The fan favorite got his rst win in 18 months

By Stephen Hawkins The Associated Press

FORT WORTH, Texas

— Chase Elliott had to get through a few extra laps after 18 months since last winning a race.

Elliott pulled ahead and cleared Ross Chastain on the rst lap after the second restart in overtime Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, ending a 42-race winless streak for NASCAR’s most popular driver.

“A lot of things went on our way today. I’m not naive to that,” Elliott said. ”You have to be in the mix and you’ve got to be up front to even have things go your way. And we were close enough to do that.”

The race ended on the 16th caution after Elliott had taken the white ag for the 276th lap in a race scheduled for 267 laps. Chastain got bumped from behind by defending race winner William Byron, who nished third and was just behind Brad Keselowski when the nal yellow ag came out. It was the fth win this season for Hendrick Motorsports, the 306th for NASCAR’s winningest team, but the rst for Elliott in the No. 9 Chevrolet since Talladega in October 2022.

“The longer it goes and the more ways you nd to either not run good or lose races, you know it can make it tougher,” Elliott said. “It’s been an extremely important thing to me ... to try to climb this mountain again together and try to get back to where

we need to be as a group.”

Elliott and Denny Hamlin were at the front of the eld after a restart with two laps left in regulation, and they were racing all-out when Hamlin got loose on the outside going into Turn 4 and went hard into the wall, bringing out the 14th caution and sending the race to overtime.

“Trying go for the win ... got loose and spun out,” said Hamlin, the only driver to lead laps in all nine races this season.

That was the second restart in the last 10 laps of regulation, with Hamlin leading on the previous one before Elliott edged ahead about the same time that another caution came out when polesitter Kyle Larson wrecked after a crowded four-wide jumble back in the eld.

On the rst restart in overtime, Elliott was on the inside and took a hard shove from Keselowski, but Harrison Burton was wrecked within a half lap.

In NASCAR’s only stop this season at the 1 1/2-mile Texas Motor Speedway, which for the rst time in 20 years won’t host a fall playo race, there were 13 di erent leaders.

Keselowski has now gone 107 races since his last win at Talladega in April 2021, and still looking for his rst win with RFK Racing, a team he co-owns. “The driver in me is frustrated because I feel like these are races I am good enough to win but don’t have the speed enough to do it,” Keselowski said. “The owner in me is mad as hell because it is my fault for not making the cars faster.”

Mavericks co-stars

Irving, Doncic working on better plot

The Dallas teammates are playo bound after last season’s collapse

By Schuyler Dixon The Associated Press

DALLAS — Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic are on the verge of their playo debut together, a year after the trade for Irving led to an unceremonious tanking instead of a trip to the postseason.

“Life is about redemption, especially in sports, where anybody can say anything and something could happen the next day or the next two weeks or the next few months that leads to you succeeding at a very high level,” Irving said.

“Or failing at a high level,” he quickly added. Sort of covers the endings of both seasons for superstars with 13 All-Star selections between them.

Last year, injuries were a problem in the two months after Dallas sent two important players from the run to the 2022 Western Conference nals to Brooklyn for Irving.

Once the Mavericks realized it would be di cult to get into the West play-in tournament with two games remaining, coach Jason Kidd essentially acknowledged the team was tanking to try to salvage a draft pick from the failed trade for Kristaps Porzingis four years earlier.

Although costly (a $750,000 ne from the NBA), the strategy worked, and Dallas added a building block in center Dereck Lively II from Duke.

Lively’s availability for the playo s is in question due to a knee injury, but Daniel Ga ord’s addition at the trade deadline this year gives Dallas a similar dunker and rim protector.

P.J. Washington was the other February acquisition, and the roster appears to be a much better t than after the Irving trade. At least that’s what the standings show.

“The chemistry is big,” Doncic said. “We are on a roll right now.”

Injuries were an issue for Irving the rst half of this season, but Dallas is 22-7 in the 29 consecutive games he has played since returning from a thumb injury. He also had an extended absence with a bruised heel. Irving is on his longest continuous stretch since 2015-16.

Doncic is two games from playing in 70 for the rst time since his rookie season, and the Mavericks recently won 10 consecutive games with the NBA scoring leader — and Irving, of course — in the lineup.

When Doncic sat with a sore knee in Friday’s 108-106 victory over Golden State, Irving played more than 42 minutes for just the second time this season.

During Irving’s six-game absence with the thumb injury, Doncic played at least that long four times, and ended up sitting

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Mason Middleton

Reagan, baseball

Mason Middleton is a senior on the Reagan baseball team. The 6-foot-2 righthander is committed to App State. Reagan won both of its games last week, improving the Raiders to 14-3 on the year, 9-1 and atop the Central Piedmont Conference.

In Reagan’s 7-2 win over Glenn in the nightcap of a doubleheader sweep last week, Middleton started and went ve innings, allowing one hit and striking out eight. He also went 3-for-6 at the plate in the doubleheader.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic hugs guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the rst half of an April game against Atlanta.

once to rest because of the heavy workload. Irving scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime against the Rockets. The 11th of 12 assists from Doncic, who scored 37 points, set up Exum’s tying 3. Plenty of reasons for both to savor the win.

“At the end of the game, Luka’s like, ‘I’m tired, man,’” Irving said. “That was one of those in-the-moment type things for us as brothers to embrace each other. We know how hard we’ve worked and how much work it took to get to this point in the season.”

STATE & NATION

Semiautomatic rearm ban passes Colorado’s House, heads to Senate

Ten other states prohibit semiautomatic guns

The Associated Press DENVER, Colo. — Colorado’s Democratic-controlled House on Sunday passed a bill that would ban the sale and transfer of semiautomatic rearms, a major step for the legislation after roughly the same bill was swiftly killed by Democrats last year.

The bill, which passed on a 3527 vote, is now on its way to the Democratic-led state Senate. If it passes there, it could bring Colorado in line with 10 other states — including California, New York and Illinois — that have prohibitions on semiautomatic guns.

But even in a state plagued by some of the nation’s worst mass shootings, such legislation faces headwinds.

Colorado’s political history is purple, shifting blue only recently. The bill’s chances of success in the state Senate are lower than they were in the House, where Democrats have a 46-19 majori-

ty and a bigger far-left ank. Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has indicated his wariness over such a ban.

Last year, a similar bill died in committee, with some Democratic lawmakers citing concerns over the sweep of a ban and promises

Simpson estate executor plans to ght payout to Browns, Goldmans

The infamous celebrity, who was acquitted of the murder of his wife and her friend, died last week

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — The executor of O.J. Simpson’s estate says he will work to prevent a payout of a $33.5 million judgment awarded by a California civil jury nearly three decades ago in a wrongful death lawsuit led by the families of Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson’s will was led Friday in a Clark County court in Nevada, naming his longtime lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, as the executor. The document shows Simpson’s property was placed into a trust that was created this year.

LaVergne told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the entirety of Simpson’s estate has not been tallied. Under Nevada law, an estate must go through the courts if its assets exceed $20,000. Simpson died last Wednesday without having paid the lion’s share of the civil judgment that was awarded in 1997 after jurors found him liable. With his assets set to go through the court probate process, the Goldman and

Brown families could be in line to get paid a piece of whatever Simpson left behind. LaVergne, who had represented Simpson since 2009, said he speci cally didn’t want the Goldman family seeing any money from Simpson’s estate.

“It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing,” he told the Review-Journal. “Them speci cally. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing.”

Although the Brown and Goldman families have pushed for payment, LaVergne said there was never a court order forcing Simpson to pay the civil judgment. The attorney told the Review-Journal that his particular ire at the Goldman family stemmed in part from the events surrounding Simpson’s planned book, titled “If I Did It.”

Goldman’s family won control of the manuscript and retitled the book “If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.” Simpson earned fame and fortune through football and show business, but his legacy was forever changed by the June 1994 knife slayings of his exwife and her friend in Los Angeles. He was acquitted of criminal charges in 1995 in a trial that mesmerized the public.

Goldman’s father Fred Gold-

they made to their constituents to avoid government overreach affecting most gun owners’ rights. Democrats last year passed and Polis signed into law four less-expansive gun control bills. Those included raising the age for buying any gun from 18 to 21; es-

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, pictured last November, has expressed concern over the possibility of a semiautomatic gun ban.

Those laws were signed months after ve people were killed at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs last year. Soon, the state will mark the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting that killed 13 people. Other mass shootings in Colorado include 12 people killed in 2012 at an Aurora movie theater and 10 people killed in 2021 at a Boulder supermarket.

“This is the state where the modern era of the mass shooting began with Columbine,” Democratic Rep. Javier Mabrey said in urging fellow lawmakers to join other states that ban semiautomatic weapons.

Republicans decried the legislation as an onerous encroachment on the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. They argued that mental illness and people who do not value life — not guns — are the issues that should be addressed. People with ill intent can use other weapons, such as knives, to harm others, they argued.

tablishing a three-day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun; strengthening the state’s red ag law; and rolling back some legal protections for the rearms industry, exposing it to lawsuits from the victims of gun violence.

Democrats responded that semiautomatic weapons can cause much more damage in a short period of time.

“In Aurora, when the shooter walked in that theater and opened re,” Mabrey said, “and in less than 90 seconds shot up a room full of people. That cannot be done with a knife, that can’t be done with a knife.”

man, the lead plainti , always said the issue was never the money, it was only about holding Simpson responsible. And he said in a statement Thursday that with Simpson’s death, “the hope for true accountability has ended.” The Goldman and Brown families will be on at least equal footing with other creditors and will probably have an even stronger claim, as Simpson’s estate is settled under terms established by the trust created in January. The will lists his four children and notes that any bene ciary who seeks to challenge provisions of the will “shall receive, free of trust, one dollar ($1.00) and no more in lieu of any claimed interest in this will or its assets.” Simpson said he lived only on his NFL and private pensions. Hundreds of valuable possessions had been seized as part of the jury award, and Simpson was forced to auction his Heisman Trophy, fetching $230,000.

JACK DEMPSEY / AP PHOTO

MYUNG J. CHUN / LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS VIA AP

O.J. Simpson, pictured after he was found not guilty in the death of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in Los Angeles in October 1995, died last week at 76.

The award places the FirstHealth facility among the nation’s best

North State Journal sta

FIRSTHEALTH Moore Regional Hospital has been named a 2024 Outstanding Patient Experience Award recipient by Healthgrades, a leading resource for consumers seeking information on hospitals and doctors.

The award, which Moore Regional received for the 17th consecutive year, recognizes the hospital’s commitment to providing exceptional care experiences for patients and their loved ones according to the company. The recognition places Moore Regional among the top 15% of hospitals nationwide for patient experience. Healthgrades applies a scor -

ing methodology to ten patient experience measures using Hospital Consumer Assess -

ment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey data submitted by the hospital’s own

patients. The measures focus on patients’ perceptions of their hospital care, including cleanliness, noise levels, medication explanations, sta responsiveness, and whether they would recommend the hospital to others.

“We are deeply proud to be recognized by Healthgrades as a 2024 outstanding patient experience award recipient,” said Mickey Foster, chief executive o cer for FirstHealth of the Carolinas, parent company of the hospital. “Patient experience, satisfaction and safety are the cornerstones of all that we do at FirstHealth, guiding us to continuously strive to serve our community in better ways.”

Jonathan Davis, chief operating o cer and president of Moore Regional, attributed the

State AGs will investigate, with complaints forwarded to DOT for enforcement

By David Koenig The Associated Press

NORTH CAROLINA is one of 15 states partnering with the US Department of Transportation to investigate consumer complaints about airline service. By law, enforcing consumer-protection laws is limited to the federal government, but the agreement announced Tuesday will help ensure that enforcement activities keep up with a current boom in air travel. Under an agreement announced by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, state attorney general o ces will be able to investigate complaints about airline service. If they be -

lieve an airline violated the law or is refusing to cooperate with investigators, the states could refer cases to the Transportation Department for enforcement.

In return, the Transportation Department, or DOT, will give the states access to its consumer-complaint system and train state employees about federal consumer laws covering airlines.

Buttigieg pointed to travelers whose ights are canceled and then must wait days for another ight or pay more to y home on another airline. “Things like that are a violation of passenger rights, and we are seeing far too many cases of that,” he said.

Buttigieg, a Democrat, repeatedly cast the agreement as bipartisan, but only two of the state o cials who signed on are Republicans. Buttigieg indicated his department hopes to re -

cruit more states. “Too often, air travel is a headache. This partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation authorizes my o ce to better protect North Carolina air travelers when they run into issues,” said NC Attorney General Josh Stein in a statement. “I am grateful to the U.S. DOT for its commitment to protecting airline consumers.” Consumer groups praised the agreement while saying they would rather see Congress write into law the power of states to regulate consumer-protection rules. “This is the next best thing,” said William McGee, an aviation expert at the American Economic Liberties Project, which opposes industry consolidation. “We don’t look at this as a threat to DOT’s authority. We look at it as the states assisting DOT, which doesn’t have the

sta ng to handle all the complaints they get.”

Airlines for America, a trade group representing the largest U.S. carriers, said it works with state and national groups “to constantly improve the customer experience for all passengers. We appreciate the role of state attorneys general and their work on behalf of consumers, and we look forward to continue working with them.”

North State Journal sta contributed to this report.

We stand corrected To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

Get in touch

CHRIS RUBAGER / AP PHOTO

In ation has a ected grocery stores, where prices on dairy and other products have spiked.

Focused on the issues impacting you

A man in Lee County was busted tra cking enough fentanyl to kill 250,000 people, enough to kill everyone in Lee County three times over.

Moore County Edition of North State Journal

CRIME LOG

April 8

Ronald Earl Young, 41 years old, was arrested by the Carthage Police Department on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

Joshua Adam Grooms, 18 years old, was arrested by the Southern Pines Police Department on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence.

April 9

Michael Ray Christian, 50 years old, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of driving while impaired.

April 10

Jason Farrell Mabe, 39 years old, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.

Christopher Blake Thompson, 29 years old, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.

April 11

Ronald Naman Shaw, 46 years old, was arrested by the Pinehurst Police Department on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Cameron Wardell McNeill, 19 years old, was arrested by the Southern Pines Police Department on a charge of robbery with a dangerous weapon.

IT WAS SO GREAT to be back home during the recent district work period and hear from folks about the issues most important to them and their families. As I traveled around, I heard story after story of how the current situation in our country has negatively impacted people’s lives. From higher living expenses to illegal criminals and drugs coming across our border, communities in our region and across our country are facing real challenges.

Whether it’s food, rent, electricity, or even car insurance, just about everything has gotten more expensive since President Biden took o ce.

Right now, North Carolinians are paying over $990 more a month because of skyrocketing in ation, caused by Biden and the Democrats’ out-of-control spending.

Our communities are also being impacted by President Biden’s failed open border and amnesty policies. More deadly drugs, especially fentanyl, are being smuggled across our border and into our country, putting our safety and security at risk. Recently, a man in Lee County was busted tra cking enough fentanyl to kill 250,000 people, enough to kill everyone in Lee County three times over.

President Biden could x this crisis today the same way he created it: with

achievement to the dedication of the FirstHealth sta . “Their dedication to delivering compassionate care to those in need is inspiring and serves as the foundation upon which our health system thrives,” he said in a press release. Healthgrades evaluated more than 2,500 hospitals that submitted at least 100

a stroke of a pen. But he refuses to act. Meanwhile, House Republicans passed a bill over nine months ago to secure our border and keep our communities safe.

As a member of the Health Subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I often hear from seniors and those in rural communities like ours struggling with long travel times to and from doctor appointments or lack of regular access to transportation. However, we saw during the pandemic how telehealth services make it easier for folks to get the care they need in a faster and more e cient way.

The Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing last week to address ways we can support patients’ access to telehealth so they can continue to bene t from these services. While expanding access to telehealth is critically important, I’m also focused on making sure proper protections are in place to ensure the best patient outcomes and highquality care.

As Congress prepares for another busy week ahead, rest assured I’ll continue ghting for the best interests of our region.

Richard Hudson represents the Ninth Congressional District in Washington, DC.

patient experience surveys to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for admissions from January to December 2022. Moore Regional outperformed its peers based on feedback from its own patients. “We commend Moore Regional for going above and beyond to provide a best-in-class care experience for patients during their hospital stay,” said Brad Bowman, M.D., chief medical o cer and head of data sciences at Healthgrades. “Moore Regional’s dedication to superior patient care is particularly impressive given recent declines in patient satisfaction scores across the country.” Consumers can visit healthgrades.com to learn more

MOORE CITIZENS FOR FREEDOM

MOORE COUNTY

Remember that we live in the best country, the best state, and by far the best county.

MOORE COUNTY, WHAT A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!

Families have the opportunity to come together to share ideas, triumphs, challenges and questions. Socialize and enjoy getting to know other families in the area. Children will enjoy board games, coloring sheets and snacks will be provided. No registration is required to attend.

Adult Spelling Bee 6 – 8 p.m.

Come out for an Adult Spelling Bee hosted by The Locals Comedy. Event takes place at Southern Pines Brewing Company located at 565 Air Tool Dr. in Southern Pines.

Carolina’s District Barbershop Convention and Contest 6:30 p.m.

Every year, the Carolinas District holds a regional competition in order to determine which choruses and quartets from North and South Carolina will go to the International Barbershop Competition. This year the Golf Capital Chorus will host this competition at Robert E. Lee Auditorium at Pinecrest High School, located at 250 Voit Gilmore Rd. in Southern Pines. Tickets range $10-$20 may be purchased at the door.

No-hitter by Konen highlights week on the diamond

son Konen of Pinecrest provided the highlight for teams in Moore County, throwing a seven-inning no-hitter against Northwood to lead the Patriots to victory. It was hardly the only high point for county sports teams, however, on the diamond and beyond.

Baseball

Konen’s gem keyed a 3-0 week for Pinecrest, who ran its winning streak to six straight. The Patriots beat Scotland in a road game, 15-3, then had back-to-back shutouts, 9-0 over Northwood in the no-non, and 15-0 at home in the rematch with Scotland. Konen also had company in his mound dominance. Connor Tepatti struck out seven in the rst win of the week over the Scots, and sophomore Bondi Robertson struck out 13 in ve innings in a one-hit performance. Pinecrest is now 15-3, and the twin blowouts of Scotland broke a rst-place tie in the Sandhills. Pinecrest now leads the league at 7-1. The Patriots play two against Hoke, sandwiched around a game against West Stanly this week.

North Moore went 2-0 this past week, sweeping Graham to move to 11-4, 7-3 in the Mid-Carolina Conference. The Mustangs put up 17 runs in each of the two games, winning 17-1 at Graham and 17-0 at home. This week brings games against Bartlett Yancey and at Seaforth.

Union Pines is also on a winning streak, taking all three games last week to make it four wins in a row. The Vikings swept Hoke County, winning 7-2 on the road and 13-2 at home. In between, Union Pines won at Overhills, 6-4.

The Vikings have now evened their record at 8-8 on the season and are 3-4 in the Sandhills. This week, they have a pair with Southern Lee and a home game against St. Pauls.

Softball

Rain disrupted the Union Pines’ softball schedule last week, so the Vikings were limited to one game, which they won, running their winning streak to two in a row. Union Pines took a road win at Heritage, 14-11, getting a pair of home runs from sophomore Kileigh Cameron and another homer from senior Nicole Norman.

The Vikings are now 10-4, 6-1 in the Sandhills. Union Pines has league games this week at Richmond and against Hoke County.

North Moore won back-to-back games to close out a 2-1 week. The Mustangs opened the week with a 7-6 loss in extra innings at Jordan-Mat-

thews. They got bak on track with road wins at Bartlett Yancey, 9-4 in extras, and at Asheboro, 16-1. Junior Sydney Russell hit a home run and had 4 RBIs in the Asheboro win.

There are three more league games on the schedule this week, home against Seaforth and Graham and on the road at Chatham Central.

Pinecrest softball lost both games last week, falling to Richmond, 14-11 in extras and at Southern Lee, 15-5. The Patriots are now 0-11, 0-8 in the Sandhills. They will be back at it this week with games at Lee County and Montgomery Central and a home tilt with Scotland.

Girls’ soccer

After seeing its four-game win streak snapped the week before, Pinecrest dropped its second straight game, losing a heartbreaker to Union Pines, 3-2 in double overtime. Junior Anna Depenbrock had both goals for the Patriots, with assists from Arden Johnson and Valentina Baccinelli. Pinecrest has three games this week, at Richmond and Hoke County, sandwiched around a home match with Southern Lee. The Patriots are 5-6, 3-2 in conference. The win over Pinecrest started a 3-0 week for Union Pines. The Vikings also won at Richmond, 4-3 and at Lee County, 3-2. A four-game winning streak has Union Pines 8-3-1 overall and 5-1, tied for rst in the Sandhills. Junior Taryn Pekala had three goals against Richmond and another against Lee. Junior Grace Queen scored against Lee and Pinecrest, and junior Briana St. Louis had two goals in the Pinecrest win.

Union Pines returns home for backto-back games against Hoke County and Carrboro before traveling to Scotland to round out this week.

Weather delayed North Moore’s return to the pitch following spring break. The Mustangs are 0-4-2, 0-2-1 in the Mid-Carolina Conference, and haven’t played since March 20. They’ll get back at it with road games at Bartlett Yancey, Southeast Alamance and Grace Christian this week.

Lacrosse

Pinecrest boys’ lacrosse had two wins last week to run their hot streak to 10 straight wins. The Patriots beat Gray’s Creek, 18-3 and New Bern, 15-4, in a pair of road games. They are now 12-2, 6-0 and atop the Sandhills. This week, Pinecrest will battle Cape Fear and Sanderson before traveling to Terry Sanford.

The Pinecrest girls had a 16-16 tie with Middle Creek last week and are now 8-3-1, 3-2 in conference. They’ll face three games this week with home dates against Cape Fear and Wake eld, followed by a trip to Terry Sanford . The Union Pines girls added two more wins to their unbeaten record. They blew out Jack Britt, 27-1, then beat Croatan, 15-5, to improve to 9-0, 5-0 in conference play. This week brings road trips to Terry Sanford and Cape Fear.

The Union Pines boys snapped their four-game losing streak with a 15-1 win over Jack Britt, then fell to Seaforth, 10-6. At 5-6, 4-2 in conference, the Vikings will try to even up their season record this week. They have road games at Terry Sanford and Cape Fear, then host Gray’s Creek.

Mason Konen

Pinecrest baseball

Mason Konen is a senior for the Pinecrest baseball team. The 6-foot-3 righthander is perhaps best known for football, where he has thrown for 2,750 yards and 19 touchdowns over the last two seasons as the Patriots’ quarterback.

Konen stood out on the mound last week, however, going the distance in a 9-0 win over Northwood. In the complete game win, Konen threw a no-hitter for Pincecrest. He retired 21 of the 25 batters he faced, striking out one. The only batters to reach base were three walks and a hit batter.

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Pinecrest’s Mason Konen throws a pitch during his no-hitter against Northwood.

obituaries

Richard (Rick) Allen DiCamillo

June 10, 1936 – April 10, 2024

Richard (Rick) Allen DiCamillo, 87, of Pinehurst, NC passed away peacefully. He was born June 10, 1936 in Schenectady, NY to the late Anthony and Mildred Zurek DiCamillo.

Rick leaves his daughters Tami DiCamillo Zamrazil (Charlie), Terri DiCamillo, Tracey Bell (Eric); four grandchildren, Jessica Erwin (Todd), Paige Bell (Paul), Bryce Anne Hu man (Jimmy), and Morgan Bell; seven greatgrandchildren, all who will dearly miss him.

He is also survived by his sisters, Carolyn Silvani, Jean DiCamillo and Melanie Gordon, longtime friend Doug Aiken.

In addition to his beloved wife and parents, he is preceded in death by two brothers, Joseph and Gino DiCamillo and brother in-law, Albert Silvani.

Alex Leon Monroe Jr.

February 22, 1948 –April 5, 2024

Alex L. Monroe, Jr (A.L./ Len) left us on Friday, April 5th, 2024.

Alex left behind his beforementioned wife, Kasey, and daughter Allison as well as two sons, Greg Gri th (Tonya) of Pennsylvania and Zach Monroe of Raleigh, NC. He was also survived by two brothers, Gerald Monroe (Linda) of Aberdeen and Bruce Monroe of Southern Pines.

He leaves behind two grandsons, David Gri th of Pennsylvania and Lucas Schweizer of Charlotte NC as well as two granddaughters, Chloe Schweizer and Bo Schweizer also of Charlotte NC.

A.L was preceded in death by his mother and father Vesta and Len Monroe of Aberdeen, a brother, Ronnie Monroe, and two nephews Jason and Bryan.

Norma Zoe Kluttz Henderson

April 18, 1941 – April 4, 2024

Norma Zoe Kluttz Henderson died peacefully on April 4, 2024.

Norma was born on April 18, 1941 to John Mack Kluttz and Naomi Ho man Kluttz in Salisbury, NC.

After earning her RN degree, Norma began her nursing career working at UNC Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill in the pediatric department. It was there that she caught the eye of her future husband, G.P. (Pat) Henderson who was a medical student at UNC. Pat and Norma married on September 27, 1964.

Norma is preceded in death by her parents, and her brother John Kluttz. She is survived by her husband, George Patrick Henderson; her daughters, Zoe Anne Henderson (David) Cagle, Wendy Henderson (Charles) Wright, Patricia Henderson (Cory) Martin; her grandchildren Merritt Cagle (Ross) Weiss, Patrick Hunter Cagle, Agnes Louise Wright, Walter Charles Wright, Emma Elizabeth Scardina and Lily Ho man Scardina: her sisters, Nancy Kluttz (Bill) Boyles and Nita Kluttz Ward.

Harris Willis Clark, Jr.

July 25, 1942 – April 12, 2024

Harris Willis Clark Jr., of Aberdeen passed away peacefully Friday, April 12, 2024. Born in Jackson Springs to the late Harris Willis Clark, Sr. and Gladys Fox Clark. Mr. Clark is survived by a daughter, Nicole “Nikki” Williams (Jamie) of Carthage; granddaughter Paityn Williams; grandson Paxton Williams; stepsons Michael, Terry and Brent Hobgood; sisters Marie Clark Monroe (JD), Elizabeth Clark Barringer both of Carthage and many friends and relatives.

Jean A. Greer

June 21, 1938 – April 4, 2024

Jean A. Greer of Pinehurst, North Carolina died April 4, 2024 after a brief illness.

Jean was born in 1938 the oldest of eight children to Dwight and Mary Silvers.

Jean is survived by her three children, Victoria Livingston (Bill) of Corpus Christi, Texas, Kim O’Connell (Bob) of San Marcos, Calif., and Wayne B. Greer, Jr. of West End, N.C; brothers Jerry Silvers (Marlyn), Eddie Silvers, Kenny Silvers (Tammy); sisters Lynn White, Rita Matthews (Richard), Mary Jo Silvers and sister-in-law Carol Silvers; grandchildren Ariel Livingston, Daniel Livingston, William Livingston, Sara Eisman, Ryan Greer and Jessica Greer. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews, friends and former co-workers. Jean was preceded in death by her parents, Wayne Greer, Sr., brother Steve Silvers, brother-in-law Tom White, sister-in-law Sharon Silvers, niece Amanda Silvers and grandson Andrew Eisman.

Lyndell Ray Deaton

October 15, 1934 – April 7, 2024

Lyndell Ray Deaton, 89, of Pinehurst passed away on Sunday, April 7, 2024.

Ray was born in Ada, OK on October 15, 1934 to the late Austin and Iona Wilson Deaton.

In his free time, he enjoyed spending time with his beloved granddaughter Becca.

Ray is survived by his wife, Rebecca Ballard Deaton; their sons, David and Warren Deaton, his sons, Greg and Paul and their families; granddaughter, Becca Paulini (Robert); great-granddaughter, Adeline Rose Paulini; his sister Ovadine Patterson.

He was preceded in death by a son Mark Deaton; and two brothers, Austin Deaton Jr, and JW Deaton.

Kristin Nicole Wilson

March 18, 1995 – April 4, 2024

Kristin Nicole Wilson, was born in Moore County on March 18, 1995 she passed away on April 4, 2024at the age of 29. She was proceeded in death by her uncle Jamie Wilson, a grandmother, Tooter Moore and best friend, Sierra Pegram. She is survived by her and Jordan Nolan’s beautiful children, Brantlee Sierra Nolan, Phoenix Reign Nolan, and her and Zach Morgan’s beautiful daughter, Willow Jade Morgan; her grandparents David Rowell, Sharon Calhoun and Eugene Wilson; her parents Jamie Rowell, Christopher Wilson and stepmother Tammy Wilson; her bonus dad, Andres (Tony) Batalla; siblings, Corey Rowell, Larry Tucker (RJ), Destiny Roberts and her bonus brothers, Christopher and Shawn Nilsson; a niece, nephew, aunts, uncles, and best friend, Hannah Powell and two special friends, Jordan Nolan and Zach Morgan whom all loved her very much.

Linda

Kay Hardy

September 30, 1954 – April 6, 2024

Linda Kay Hardy, 69 of Carthage, passed away on April 6, 2024.

Born on September 30, 1954 in Clarksburg, West Virginia to the late Jessie and Betty Lou Wilson.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one brother, Glen Wilson. She is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, Jimmy Wayne Hardy; two children, Virginia Frye (Quentin) and Douglas Hardy; two brothers, James Wilson (Ching), Robert Wilson (Christine); sisterin-law, Geneva Wilson; ve grandchildren, Jasmine Johnson, Taylor Johnson, Michael Johnson, Victoria Hardy and Isabella Johnson; also survived by 6 great grandchildren.

Michael McCormick Cox

February 16, 1949 –April 5, 2024

Michael McCormick Cox, left this world on Friday, April 5.

The most important role in Mike’s life was as father to Kevin and Heather.

Michael married Elizabeth Shonter Cox in 1979 and as he said, “You have never been bored!” He leaves behind Elizabeth; daughter Heather Roach and son-in-law, Seth (grandson Ian Roach and soon-to-be granddaughter Baylei Heath); his best friend, son Kevin Shonter Cox; son Dustin Euston; brother Steven Edward Cox (wife Beth, daughters Amie, Allie, Sarah and son Mark); beloved nephews Ryan and Patrick Price; sisters-in-law Mardie Shonter and Claire Shonter. He was predeceased by his father B.A. Cox, Jr., mother Mary Ann McCormick Cox, sister, Judith Cox Price (Norman “Jason” Price,) in-laws Martha and Richard Shonter and brother-in-law Richard Shonter, Jr.

Robert E. (Bob) Dantzer

May 17, 1932 – April 10, 2024

Robert E. (Bob) Dantzer died peacefully at home. He is preceded in death by rst wife Isobel. Survived by wife Patricia, children, Robert Jr (Jacqueline Smith), Ann (Kathy Marszalskowski), Sarah DeHart (Mark) and Douglas (Michael Natale). two grandchildren, Je rey (Lisa) and Fiona (Lewis Harry) and two great-grandchildren, Ethan Eberle and Owen. Bob attended Hobart College where he met his future bride, Isobel. Following his rst wife’s passing, Bob married Pat in 2016 and they enjoyed eight years together.