Chatham News & Record Vol. 147, Issue 23 by North State Journal

Hoos the boss?

Seaforth rising senior Gabby White, shown here driving to the hoop in a game at Northwood last season, announced her college choice. For more on the decision, including where she’s going, turn to page B2.

the BRIEF this week

Cooper says VP has “great options” Gov. Roy Cooper says he’s excited Democrats “have a lot of great options” for Vice President Kamala Harris to choose for her running mate. Cooper made the comments in Brunswick County on Tuesday, the day after he con rmed he wouldn’t be a candidate. Cooper reiterated his Monday message, saying “this was not the right time” to be potentially on a national ticket for him or for North Carolina. Cooper con rmed he was concerned in part about what Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson could do if he left the state to campaign. The state constitution says Robinson would become acting governor then.

Lawsuit against o cer who killed teen can continue

A panel of judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a case against a Greensboro police o cer who shot and killed a teenager in a reportedly stolen car shouldn’t be dismissed. Monday’s ruling also a rmed a lower court ruling that claims should be dismissed against the City of Greensboro where the shooting occurred. Seventeen-year-old Nasanto Crenshaw was shot and killed by Greensboro police o cer Matthew Lewis Sletten in 2022 while attempting to ee in the allegedly stolen vehicle. The teen’s mother later sued for wrongful death, battery, assault and civil rights violations claims. U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles dismissed Doriety’s claims in July 2023 against both the city and Sletten after reviewing video footage of what happened. Calling the video “integral” to granting the o cer’s motion to dismiss, Eagles ruled that the footage indisputably showed the car driving at Sletten, according to the appellate opinion.

Mr. President

Chatham County Sheri Mike Roberson was elected president of the North Carolina Sheri ’s Association this week. The organization allows the state’s 100 sheri s to learn from and support each other.

“It’s a privilege to represent and support my fellow sheri s in the coming year,” said Roberson in a statement.

County manager LaMontagne to retire

Commissioners also hear from experts on cell tower placement

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Board of Commissioners met Monday, July 15, with a surprise announcement at the end of the meeting that County Manager Dan LaMontagne will be retiring at the end of the year.

The board will now have ve months to engage in the complicated process to nd a replacement. Turn to Page B5 to read LaMontagne’s speech to the board announcing his retirement plans.

In nonretirement business, the board heard from experts on a proposed 285-foot wireless telecommunications tower at 4162 Bonlee Bennett Road. The board needs to approve a special use permit for the new tower to be constructed.

During the hearing, the applicant had experts address concerns raised by community members, including health concerns for those living near the tower as well as property values.

Engineer Matt Butcher, a principal at Sublight Engineering and member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety (ICES), specializes in the “assessment of

Two NC public universities may see degree cuts soon

The Board of Governors approved the cuts at UNC Greensboro and Asheville

By Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Two UNC schools will be allowed to eliminate more than a dozen degree programs ranging from ancient Mediterranean studies to physics after the university system’s governing board voted Wednesday to authorize the cuts.

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors’ vote comes after requests from chancellors at UNC Asheville and UNC Greensboro to slash multiple academic degree programs

from their university despite pushback from faculty who wanted to nd alternate paths forward for programs. An a rmative vote means the chancellors can now move ahead with the program cuts, which may also mean removing tenured faculty, UNC System senior vice president of academic a airs David English said. The chancellors’ decisions would eliminate certain degrees, but individual courses from those programs can still be o ered to students pursuing other majors. The cuts go into e ect for the upcoming academic year.

radiofrequency with respect to human exposure limits.”

“As long as the public is kept out of an area which is 200 feet in the air and 60 feet away from the tower, no one can be exposed to levels that exceed the exposure limit, which is the standard that’s set by the [Federal Communications Commission],” Butcher said. “On the ground, the level is less than 0.05% of that exposure limit.”

While commissioners raised questions about whether or not this tower could be located even further from any current homes, Butcher downplayed those concerns.

“I don’t know that I’ve seen a site that is further away from a household than this one,” Butch-

er told the board. “The operators are trying to serve people in this area and their homes and businesses, and this is quite a large distance from any household.” There is no scienti c evidence that cell towers located near homes cause health issues.

Rich Kirkland of Kirkland Appraisals, a state-certi ed general appraiser with more than 30 years of experience, addressed concerns about property values. He claimed that he could nd no speci c examples or statistically signi cant impacts on property values for homes close to cell towers.

Experts heard from, commissioners referred the matter back

See BOARD, page A3

Financial issues drove the choice to cut programs at UNC UNC, Panthers great Peppers drew motivation from hot NC summers

See DEGREE, page A3

The defensive end will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend

By Steve Reed The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Julius Peppers remembers the long, grueling dawn-until-dusk summer days he spent working in the cotton and cucumbers elds of North Carolina’s Nash County and dealing with the heat. It wasn’t easy at the time, spending every summer from when he was 9 years old until

he graduated high school in the 90-degree conditions.

But he doesn’t regret it for a minute.

Peppers realized early on it wasn’t what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, and he said

See PEPPERS, page A3

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Left, Roberson is sworn in as president by Rep. Robert Reives, with his wife Annette Roberson at his side.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Man shoots tree workers, suspect injured during arrest

The workers were clearing trees on a power company right-of-way

The Associated Press

GREEN MOUNTAIN — A man seriously wounded three workers who were clearing trees for a power company before he was injured during his arrest Wednesday, authorities said.

Lucas Murphy, 36, suffered an injury that was not life-threatening during his arrest by Yancey County deputies, sheri ’s o cials said in a Facebook post.

Authorities said Murphy confronted three con-

Deputies responding to the shooting encountered gun re as they attempted to arrest Murphy and they red shots.

tract workers who were clearing trees in a right-of-way for a power company and shot them. The workers were taken to area hospitals for treatment.

Deputies responding to the shooting encountered gun re as they attempted to arrest Murphy and they red shots,

the sheri ’s o cials said. The type of injury Murphy su ered was not immediately clear. He also was taken to a hospital.

Murphy has been charged with three counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon, one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and four countes of assault with a deadly weapon on law enforcement o cers, the District Attorney’s o ce in Burnsville said in a statement. At the request of the Yancey County Sheri and the DA, the NC State Bureau of Investigation will be the lead agency on the case. Murphy was found guilty of misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon in 2021.

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

Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

with “Correction request” in the subject line.

CRIME LOG

July 21

• Travis Lashaun Spinks, 43, of Pittsboro, was arrested for breaking and entering to terrorize/injure and assault with serious bodily injury.

July 22

• Christin Renee Poe, 39, of Bear Creek, was arrested for larceny of a rearm.

• Donald Allen Fleming, 24, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for injury to real property.

July 23

• Travis Lashaun Spinks, 43, of Pittsboro, was arrested for violation of pretrial release.

July 24

• Maranda Shannell Gilmer, 29, of Randleman, was arrested for habitual larceny, possession of stolen goods/property, and misdemeanor conspiracy.

• Justin Alexander Martin, 39, of Hillsborough, was arrested for assault on a female, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, and injury to personal property.

Chatham public library rolls out new checkout policies

Adjusted limits on holds and items checked out at once

Chatham News & Record sta

THE CHATHAM PUBLIC Library is changing some of its polices around checking out items and holds. Among the changes:

• New Item limit for checking out materials: 50 items at one time

• New limit for placing holds on library materials: 10 holds at one time

• Renewal limit: library materials will automatically renew 2 times unless there is a hold on an item

• DVDs: patrons can check out up to 10 DVDs at one time

• Library accounts with $15.00 or more in nes will be blocked (up from $5.00)

• No checkout limit for new library materials

• Library holds: items will be held for a maximum of 7 days

• New items and adult audiobooks can be checked out with a child’s library card

• The library will also accept Faith IDs as a valid form of photo identi cation. The changes are in e ect beginning today.

died, the highway patrol said. They were identi ed as William and Elizabeth Tucker of Hephzibah, Georgia; Edward and Martha Davis of Greenville; and Linda Whitehurst of Robersonville.

Our Annual revival will be held on Sunday, Aug. 4 at Terrells Chapel. The guest speaker will be Rev. Brodwyn Roberts of Holland Chapel. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m. and morning worship at 11 a.m. Lunch will be served. There will be no afternoon service.

The orange juice-hauling truck crashed into two SUVs in a construction zone

The Associated Press

KENLY — A truck driver is facing manslaughter charges after ve people died in a crash that shut down northbound Interstate 95 in Wilson County for nine hours Wednesday, ac-

Asheville, which had 2,925 students enrolled in fall of 2023. The university predicted a $6 million de cit by June 30, which was partially caused by an enrollment decline of more than 900 students in ve years, according to a UNC Asheville academic portfolio review document.

Similar problems face UNC Greensboro, an institution with more than 17,700 enrolled students last fall. The university has tried for years to stay away from making cuts to the “academic core,” but Chancellor Franklin Gilliam said during an earlier committee meeting on Wednesday that UNC Greensboro needs change after losing 2,500 students in four years.

The board vote a ects the ancient Mediterranean studies, drama, philosophy and religious studies bachelor’s degrees at UNC Asheville. The decision could also mean the removal of concentrations in French and German for students pursuing language degrees.

More than 60 students are estimated to be a ected by the program discontinuations

PEPPERS from page A1

it’s ultimately what drove him to work so hard on the football eld and helped him earn a football scholarship to UN Chapel Hill.

It’s what drove him to become the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers, starting a 17-year NFL career that included three All-Pro selections and nine Pro Bowls.

And, it’s what led to Peppers receiving what he called his ultimate achievement, being selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“That was a huge motivating factor for me because I wanted a better life,” Peppers told The Associated Press.

“But I’m grateful for that because that is something that instilled work ethic, perseverance and things like that to help me get to Chapel Hill and then into the league.”

It didn’t hurt that Peppers was a gifted athlete. At 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds, he possessed incredible strength and quickness — he could run the 40-yard dash in 4.74 seconds. To watch Peppers practice was a sight to behold as he tossed around blocking dummies like pillows, always a step or two faster and stronger than the other edge rushers.

Longtime NFL quarterback Andy Dalton remembers walking out to mid eld at Chicago’s Solider Field for the coin toss before

cording to the state Highway Patrol.

The crash happened about 1:30 p.m. in an area where a lane was closed for maintenance, N.C. Highway Patrol said in a news release. A Freightliner tractor-trailer hauling orange juice failed to reduce speed as tra c slowed and hit a Chevy Tahoe, a Toyota RAV-4 and two other tractor-trailers, then caught re, o cials said.

Five people in the two SUVs

at UNC Asheville, Chancellor Kimberly van Noort said.

“We simply cannot always provide every opportunity to every student at every institution,” van Noort said during the committee meeting.

Cuts at UNC Greensboro affected 14 degrees at various educational levels including bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and physics, and master’s degrees in nursing and math, and a doctorate in communication sciences and disorders.

Individualized study programs have been created for many students already enrolled in the eliminated degrees. For some programs, decisions on what happens to faculty haven’t been made.

Many board members praised the chancellors’ choices, some calling it “courageous.”

One board member, Cameron Brown, was more skeptical about the cuts, saying the decision seemed “removed from having student opinion.”

“I think that if I was a student enrolled there, I would feel like I was shorted in my experience,” said Brown, who is a master’s student at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The drivers of the three tractor-trailers were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. After the Freightliner driver was released, he was arrested and charged with ve counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, the highway patrol said. His bond was set at $25,000.

The preliminary investigation indicates that speed was a factor in the crash, but alcohol or drug impairment was not suspected, the highway patrol said.

Faculty at UNC Asheville gave their input to the board by submitting a letter in response to the proposed program eliminations. The letter outlined a three-step plan that addresses faculty retirement, combines departments and reassesses curriculum, and establishes a more collab

orative method to conduct academic program reviews in the future.

“Making curricular and personnel decisions under duress creates a context of fear and uncertainty among all campus actors: students, faculty, and sta alike,” read the letter, which was signed by 24 department chairs and directors.

The anticipated cuts at both universities might be only the beginning of the “tough work” needed to manage budgets at every public university in North Carolina, board member Sonja Phillips Nichols said. There are 17 schools within the UNC system.

“We have to do this on every single campus,” Nichols said. “I hope everybody else is getting ready for this very hard and very necessary road that we need to travel.”

the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2013 season opener against the Bears and shaking hands with Peppers.

“I remember thinking that guy is di erent than everybody else on this eld,” Dalton said. From that point on, Dalton made sure to know exactly where Peppers was at all times — because he didn’t want to get hit by him.

“One time we had protection where the tight end was supposed to go backside and block him, and I’m like, ‘Please, get your job done,’” Dalton said. “When you were playing him, there was always this, ‘OK, where is he at?’

And he wasn’t ever hard to nd.”

Former NFL defensive end

Mike Rucker spent six seasons in the locker next to Peppers at Carolina’s Bank of America Stadium and found himself the bene ciary of plenty of sacks because Peppers was commanding so many double teams on the other side of the line, leaving him with one-on-one matchups. Rucker said Peppers was “Reggie White and Kevin Greene rolled into one,” and he doesn’t think there has been another player in the league like him since his retirement in 2018.

Dom Capers coached Peppers

to the planning board for anal decision.

The board reviewed the progress made on the Recode Chatham project, which aims to update the Chatham County Uni ed Development Ordinance (UDO).

“We’re getting close to the end of our road here,” said White and Smith, LLC Director of Planning Kelly Cousino. “This project kicked o in the last quarter of 2021, and we are still shooting for the adoption process to start this fall, so our next target date is the end of August for a consolidated draft of the UDO and then meeting in the fall with hopefully an adoption by the end of the year.”

The Recode Chatham Proj-

in Green Bay when he was asked to switch to outside linebacker.

Capers said not only was Peppers supremely talented physically, but he would regularly nd him in the front row of team meetings. While Peppers was never a rahrah player, Capers said he was extremely well respected in the locker room.

“He didn’t say a whole lot, but when he spoke, everybody listened,” Capers said. “He had a combination of rare physical abilities and all of the intangibles you look for in a Hall of Famer. Such a deserved honor.”

Peppers chased opposing quarterbacks for nearly two decades, racking up 1591⁄2 sacks — fourth most in NFL history. He had 10 double-digit sack seasons, forced 52 fumbles and had 11 interceptions. He was a member of two all-decade teams.

It seemed only tting that the Panthers would draft the Bailey native and keep him in his home state after the then-expansion Houston Texans passed on him and selected quarterback David Carr rst overall in 2002.

Peppers spent his rst eight seasons in Carolina, but the Panthers opted not to use the franchise tag on him after his fth Pro Bowl selection. He signed with the Bears as a free agent, a move that stunned Panthers fans.

He played four seasons in Chicago then three more with the

ect aims to “rewrite the landuse regulations, including zoning and subdivision regulations based on the policy direction in the Plan Chatham Comprehensive Plan,” to result in a UDO “that serves as the primary regulatory document guiding all development and land use within the county.”

It promises a UDO that is “user-friendly” for residents, elected o cials, appointed boards, and the development community, complete “with a streamlined development review process tailored uniquely to Chatham County. The goal is that the UDO will develop clear procedures and guidelines that are simple, exible, and easily administered.”

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will next meet Aug. 19.

Green Bay Packers before returning to Carolina for two seasons.

Leaving Carolina in 2009 didn’t sit well with some Panthers fans, who felt the home state kid had betrayed his team. But Peppers said he never regretted the move and welcomed the opportunity to nally see what life was about outside of North Carolina after playing high school, college and professional ball there.

“I needed to make that change, not just for football reasons but for my own personal growth and development,” Peppers said. “I felt like I needed a change of scenery and it was time. I don’t have any regrets about that.”

He also was intrigued by the idea of playing as a “stand up” pass rusher in a 3-4 defense in Chicago, an opportunity he was never a orded in Carolina.

But things came full circle when Peppers returned to Carolina.

He called it a “perfect ending” to his career.

On Saturday, Peppers will become the rst player drafted by the Panthers to be inducted into the Hall of Fame — making it on the rst ballot — since the team came into the league in 1995.

“I’m sure there will be a few more Carolina Panthers that will be drafted into the Hall soon, but to be the rst one I think is always kind of special to do something,” Peppers said. “Anytime you’re the rst, it’s a special thing.”

JULIE JACOBSON / AP PHOTO

Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers reacts after sacking New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning in a December 2009 NFL game.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Paid in sunsets: heroic park rangers

Don’t we often dismiss or belittle people we know little about? Mea culpa.

DURING MY SABBATICAL this summer, I took my family to several national parks. While the topography changed from desert to forest, the rocks from sandstone to granite, and the ora from cacti to giant sequoias, there was at least one constant: park rangers.

I confess I had a fuzzy idea that these uniformed employees were glori ed Boy Scouts — nothing more than adult hall monitors. Don’t we often dismiss or belittle people we know little about? Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

For starters, there were far more young women than men. These role models inspired my own daughter to consider a new profession.

Every park ranger I encountered was courteous, knowledgeable and friendly. This despite how I had whining children in tow and, I suspect, that a park ranger is asked about the location of the restroom facilities 721 times a day. Rangers were also willing to snap a family photo and actually knew their way around an iPhone.

More than customer relations specialists, park rangers are teachers. They know the writings of John Muir and the calls of local birds. They hold an abiding respect for the Native American tribes who lived upon the land. Park rangers set up tables outside restaurants and along trails to display various animal bones and pelts.

My kids learned facts such as that in order for our eyesight to be as sharp as an owl’s, our eyeballs would need to be the size of tennis balls! While instructing a range of ages, the knowledgeable rangers

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

gave special attention to the younger visitors. Who knows how many countless children they inspire every day? Probably even more than they direct to the restrooms.

There’s a saying among rangers that they are paid in sunsets. This is as much a lament about a paltry salary as it is an appreciation of the beauty of the landscape. Our society pays teachers and protectors of public property far too little. Such public servants serve the common good in incalculable ways, and some make the di erence of a lifetime in tragic circumstances.

The week before we visited Yosemite, a freak storm arose with fury over the park, and hikers atop the famous Half Dome were forced to hurry down the cable ladder. As the rain poured, the rock became slippery, and a young woman fell to her death. Her father had been right with her. I cannot imagine a more horrible experience for any parent. This father had to hike seven miles to get back down the mountain.

And a park ranger walked with him. Try to imagine.

I can only assume that dad was overwhelmed with grief as he numbly put one foot in front of the other. Yet, I imagine he will always remember that ranger. I believe that I will, too.

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

If you have to ﬂy, go some other way

I might as well have told him my grandfather’s dog ran away, since he ignored me.

LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY in another galaxy, I had a job that required me to travel somewhat extensively around this great land of ours.

Times were good then. I wore a younger man’s clothes, my energy level had not slipped below neutral, all the parents in my family were living, my children were small and at home, gas was 35 cents a gallon and Washington had not yet outgrown its britches.

And ying was fun.

All of that has now changed. That young man has run o , now even neutral looks pretty good sometimes, my folks and my in-laws are precious memories, my children are no longer teenagers who used to live at my house, a ll-up of gas requires a bank loan and only Heaven knows how much more intrusive and dangerous Big Brother is going to get unless and until someone not only clips his wings but pulls the dang things out by their roots. And ying is not fun anymore.

Granted, not all of America ies, has ever own or even wants to. The reasons are plentiful — don’t need to get to Zimbabwe, costs too much for the ol’ family budget or just plain don’t want to. And for some folks, it’s like my boyhood friend Bobby Joe High’s grandma Katherine (Kitty) Litter used to say to us children (when we were children): “If God had wanted you to y, you’d have wings.”

Still, there were times I needed to take advantage of Orville and Wilbur’s best day’s work and needed the Great Silver Bird. Several times, it fell my lot to travel to Chicago when that was still a reasonably safe thing to do. It was much quicker that way than, say, thumbing. Fortunately, the speed of life has come to mean something di erent for me in these golden years. It’s no longer the most important thing going, especially when it comes to going somewhere. There are, I think, many reasons ying is no longer fun. The seats are smaller and closer than they once were. That means plenty of legroom for a grasshopper but not much for any adult taller than 3-foot-2. Airplane food once was — hold your breath — good. It was plentiful and complimentary (although no doubt the price of your ticket included your meal) and tasteful, and most of the folks who served it were gracious. Ditto for soft drinks and snacks. The only noticeable expense was if someone wanted George or Jack to accompany him from one of those little bottles the airlines used to have. The recent computer issue that shut down most airlines gave folks time to examine the restrooms after their ights were delayed for two weeks.

But of all the reasons it’s not fun anymore, I think the biggest one is the e ort it takes to get on the plane. Actually, it’s more a matter

of getting “in” (or, to use good English, getting “into”) the plane, but that’s another day, story and column.

It’s been my experience that most of the folks who are employed by Big Brother’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have either unked out of Dale Carnegie’s course on How To Be Nice or never bothered to sign up. I know they’ve got that speech memorized about “Step this way … you may be subject to a body search … etc.” I think there are more words to their speech, but they just don’t say them ... words like “I’m in a bad mood — again” or “I’m going to touch you in places even your doctor doesn’t and I may invite some of my buddies to do the same, and it’ll be out here in the general public area where everybody can see” and such.

I once went through a screening, and before walking through the metal detector and after taking o my belt and emptying my pockets, I told Mr. Congeniality, “I’ve had hip replacement surgery and have a foot of metal in my leg, and I’m going to make your little machine go crazy.”

I might as well have told him my grandfather’s dog ran away, since he ignored me. As soon as I walked through the detector and the bells started clanging, and lights started ashing, and the SWAT team came running. He stuck me in the taped-o area while everyone else moved far away so I wouldn’t blow them up when my fanny bomb went o . Then he started Part Two of the o cial TSA harassment. “Sir, are you carrying any concealed weapons?” If I were a criminal and had been guilty of such, did he really think I’d admit to it?

“Do you remember eight seconds ago,” I asked, “ when I told you I had a stainless steel rod in my leg? Would you like to see the 6-inch scar on my hip since you folks love your naked body scan machine so much?” Reluctantly he let me pass, ensuring that I would almost miss my ight and that my luggage and I would be on separate planes — another reason not to love ying the “friendly skies” anymore.

Maybe I look like a terrorist; I don’t know. I do know I’ve been known to terrorize the bu et at Kentucky Fried Chicken from time to time. All I do know is I tend to agree with something ol’ Ben Franklin said years ago, namely, more or less: “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

Quite a prophet, Ben was.

Take the train ... unless you need to get to Zimbabwe.

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

Living in the ‘hood…

I MOVED to my 50-year-old, 136-home, tree-shrouded neighborhood in 2002. Fortunately, I had a couple of aces up my sleeve for easing my way in. I was a walker and had an absolutely handsome dog (the luck of mutt genetics.)

Walkers, who were also dog lovers, wanted to stop, pet the big boy, and ask about him. And yes, some actually got around to asking about me. (And some, not. Clearly the star of the show was at the end of the leash.)

Segueing from my beloved four-legged to our neighborhood’s two-leggeds. Election season in the early oughts brought with it a profusion of yard signs, or laying down the scent of one’s political beliefs. Some of those so-called “scents” were complete 180s from my preferred scent trail.

A signi cant lesson awaited my scent orientation and its accompanying judgments. Our neighborhood’s private listserv was the avenue for disseminating SOSs from neighbors who needed help with minor house disasters. I hopped on that vehicle several times, and twice, the rst neighbor to show up was someone whose yard signs I would have been thrilled to see stolen! He was wonderful each time, supplying a quick x in di cult situations. Absolutely and incredibly sweet about his interventions. (Is there an emoji for hanging one’s head in shame?)

Also, not forgotten is the “Oh no, oh no, megadevelopment invasion.” I was serving on the Homeowners Association Board (sucker! sucker!) and received a “courtesy” call from a representative of a megadevelopment. Just wanted to let us know that the megadevelopment proposed opening, to their multitudinous tra c, a previously closed state road through our neighborhood. Our quiet, non-sidewalked, everyone using the streets for walking, running, biking, pet-walking and having wine on occasion neighborhood. “Hey, have a nice day!” End of call. And down went my heart.

Talk about feeling powerless. My lovely passive neighborhood, which I’d tried unsuccessfully to galvanize in the past for food drives and other charitable e orts, was going to become roadkill for a wealthy developer. At

COLUMN | PETER DANIEL

that moment, “spitting in the wind” was one of my more printable thoughts.

When the peace and safety of our neighborhood were threatened, folks dug deep and found their inner Davids, replete with accompanying slingshots. Goliath was unaware of the slingshot load of public shaming headed its way. I do not believe in shaming on a personal level. However, when it comes to a corporate Tyrannosaurus Rex, I reframe shaming as the teaching of public accountability.

Oh my, this monolith received an unexpected education about accountability from its new neighbors! They were shamed where it counted — negative PR about a development with many (expensive) new homes to sell. Shamed for using their money to try steamrolling our long-existing, smaller country neighborhood. Whoops, let me not forget that the developers were tutored regarding the gifts of neighborliness, an essential element for building community.

Nearby neighborhoods submitted letters from their Homeowners’ Associations to our elected County decision-making body in support of our ‘hood. Neighbors who didn’t know each other organized carpools to meetings of elected county decision-making bodies. Hoards of our neighbors (also known as VOTERS) showed up at County Commissioner meetings with their kids, using their attendance as civics lessons. Smile. We won. No road-opening.

Neighbors who originally felt we didn’t stand a chance now had the wonderful experience of feeling empowered. Empowered! Got that? Our little neighborhood found its inner “David’s,” and who knows where that discovery took each person in their own lives. I’ll likely never know, but rejoice that seeds of personal empowerment were planted.

Go ‘hood!

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

Democrat Ag commissioner candidate Sarah Taber’s farm plans economically unsound

THIS NOVEMBER, North Carolinians will decide again who will lead the Department of Agriculture for the next four years: current Republican Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, who owns Guilford County’s Troxler Farms, or Democrat Sarah Taber, who has put forward some … unusual views about farming.

North Carolina’s ag sector has boomed during Commissioner Troxler’s tenure. But Taber says she wants transform the entire industry, from the crops we grow to how we grow them (under what legal authority she would do this, we don’t really know).

She launched her campaign with a lengthy opinion piece in the left-wing outlet The Nation, targeting something she calls “farm radicalization.” Taber apparently believes that rural farmers are a threat to democracy.

Here’s what she wrote: “Farm radicalization isn’t just a local problem. Farm out ts that hire undocumented workers put serious money behind hard-right legislators and sheri s who pledge to collaborate with ICE. That means local country politics can get ugly. And those ugly politics don’t stay local. They can undermine democracy for the whole state.”

That’s a wild unsubstantiated accusation.

Having trouble keeping up? So are we.

But that’s not even the most bizarre thing Taber has put forward. On her website, Taber calls for replacing North Carolina staple crops of tobacco, soybeans and corn with alternative crops. While her ideas may look nice to an ivory tower academic sipping tea while reading Taber’s white paper through bifocals, North Carolina farmers already know that the real world of farming is much more complex and her unproven academic ideas will not work.

First, most farmers cannot obtain crop insurance at a reasonable rate to cover these alternative crops if it exists at all, risking the long-term nancial health of family farms.

Second, it seems apparent that Taber’s preferred policy agenda is replacing corn, soybeans and tobacco with alternative crops. Taber claims that if everything goes perfectly her plan would generate $7 billion over a decade, or about $700 million per year.

The problem is the crops she proposes replacing generate way more revenue than that. According to a 2019 study, tobacco alone contributes $688 million annually, corn contributes $456 million annually and soybeans contribute

COLUMN | DAN LAMONTAGNE

So long, farewell

I HAVE WORKED with Chatham County government for the past 14 years and have served in either state or local government for over 24 years. As of September of this year, I will be eligible for full retirement under the local government employee retirement system.

It’s with mixed emotions that I inform you of my intention to retire on Dec. 27, 2024. I wanted to give you ample notice so that you can select the next manager before I leave to ensure a smooth transition for our sta .

I’m thankful for all the friendships along the way and the hard work and dedication of my co-workers and sta in Chatham County along with all other units of government I’ve worked with. I’m very grateful for the elected board members who I’ve had the pleasure of serving with over the years and the many opportunities

$608 million annually to North Carolina’s economy. It makes no sense to replace $1.7 billion worth of crops for $700 million worth of crops.

No wonder North Carolina farmers haven’t adopted her approach.

It should also go without saying that the commissioner of Agriculture doesn’t just tell farmers what to produce on their farms. It’s not clear to us that Taber knows this.

Finally, Taber doesn’t seem to have a plan to promote North Carolina pork and poultry. Our state leads the nation in hog farming and chicken production. These sectors power North Carolina agriculture’s tremendous growth. Voters deserve to know how the next commissioner of Agriculture plans to interact with these family farmers.

Meanwhile, under Commissioner Troxler’s leadership for the past 20 years, North Carolina’s agriculture sector has grown from $59 billion to record-breaking amounts seen today. In 2023, ag had an economic impact of $111.1 billion, surpassing the record of $103.2 billion set the year before.

The economic data tells one story: North Carolina agriculture is growing and there is room for everyone to bene t from this growth.

A 2017 study found that agriculture supported over 700,000 jobs across the Tar Heel state, employing people in all 100 counties. We’re the top producer of sweet potatoes and ue-cured tobacco. We’re second in poultry and egg production, not to mention all of the cat sh, burley tobacco, peanuts, blueberries, pumpkins, cotton, apples, tomatoes, and many more fruits and vegetables that Americans nd at the supermarket.

However, this election cycle, instead of championing policies that led to 188% growth in economic activity, Democrat Sarah Taber is pushing out-of-touch policies that risk agriculture’s future.

North Carolina voters face a choice this November. Stay the course with a family farmer in Commissioner Steve Troxler who has helped growth North Carolina’s agriculture sector ourish.

Or select an academic whose policies may lead to economic catastrophe.

Peter Daniel Sr. is chairman of the NC Ag Partnership.

Republicans need a new set of talking points

FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER Kevin McCarthy is right. He called two of the most popular talking points Republicans are using right now “dumb” and “stupid.” This is what he said to NBC News:

“Two attacks I’ve heard Republicans give that are totally stupid and dumb to do is the DEI attack, OK? The other attack that I would not do is saying that the president has to resign. That would be an advantage for Kamala. Air Force One is very powerful when it lands somewhere. And you know what? Something will happen between now and the election. A hurricane or something else. And she’ll be able to present herself as a leader. Or maybe there’s some foreign policy. That is a mistake for any leader to go out and say that on the Republican side. This DEI, that seems like a petty — look, I disagree with DEI, but she is the vice president of the United States. She is the former U.S. senator. These congressmen that are saying it, they’re wrong in their own instincts.”

Mispronouncing her name, which Donald Trump has taken to doing, is equally stupid and dumb, and certainly not a reason to vote against her. So is name calling (a “lunatic”), saying she shouldn’t be “allowed to run” and accusing her of “committing crimes.”

What is striking is that the Trump team, which has had three weeks to prepare for this moment, has come out so at-footed in dealing with it. The attacks so far have only energized the Democratic base and underscored Trump’s own weaknesses.

And there are more: Attacking the Democrats for being “undemocratic” in replacing the nominee who won the primaries is a dog that won’t hunt, particularly when coming from someone who tried everything — up to and including violating the Constitution and inciting violence — to undermine the results of the last presidential election.

To be explicit, primary voters from each state did not select the nominee; they elected delegates from each state who would do that. Those delegates, under Democratic Party rules in force since the 1980s, have been free to vote their consciences. They are. An overwhelming majority have made clear that they intend to vote for Harris, and there is nothing undemocratic about that. No phony slates of electors in sight, which is more than what Trump tried to put in place of the Electoral College in 2020. Indeed, it is Republicans who are lawyering up even now in what is certain to be a doomed e ort to keep Harris, once she is nominated, o state ballots. So much for democracy.

But the fact that Republicans have yet to get their acts together about how to run against Harris doesn’t mean that they won’t. Most Americans in fact know very little about the next Democratic nominee. Trump they know. He didn’t get a convention bounce from being nice, and he’s made clear that he isn’t about to start, but he is a known quantity, and the tens of millions of voters who say they plan to vote for him probably will. That still means a close election.

The question — for the next three months and change — is who will get to de ne Harris rst, and who will get together the organization on the ground in swing states that will turn out the lower-propensity voters who will decide this election. No one should expect the Republicans to continue the blunderbuss e orts they have made so far to try to name call their way to success.

Even now, they must be knee-deep in negative research about Harris, and they will use anything and everything they can to try to de ne her before she can de ne herself. And for all the criticism Trump has leveled at absentee ballots and early voting and the other tools of imaginary election fraud that he has conjured up, Democrats should expect the Trump organization to be embracing them in an e ort to turn out their voters.

Convincing President Joe Biden to step aside was the rst step to defeating Trump, but the really hard part starts now, and as James Carville — who has been arguing all along that Biden needs to step aside — said on “Morning Joe,” “We got to be a little careful” about all the enthusiasm now because “it’s tough sledding ahead.”

Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political commentator.

provided to me in my time with the county.

Chatham County government is a truly special place to work with many talented sta . I hope that my tenure here is remembered for the team that I have built and the collaborative relationships I have fostered with towns and counties.

I also hope that my time is marked by the amazing economic development projects that I was fortunate enough to help bring to the county and the extension of broadband to more than 5,000 homes and businesses in Chatham County. I leave the county knowing that we are poised for incredible opportunities with a professional sta that is extremely capable of adapting as the Chatham community grows into a thriving economic and residential destination in the region.

Chatham County Manager Dan LaMontagne made this speech at a recent recent meeting of the Chatham County Commissioners, announcing his retirement at the end of the year.

obituaries

Janice Alexander Poston

Oct. 9th, 1931 – July 4th, 2024

Janice Alexander Poston, age 92, passed away on July 4, 2024 at Pennybyrn at Mary eld in High Point, North Carolina. Born on October 9, 1931, in Siler City, she was the daughter of James Houston and Louise Marley Alexander. Janice was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Fred Haskal Poston.

Janice was a graduate of Siler City High School and went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Greensboro College. She loved her time on campus where she made lifelong friends who continued to reunite yearly for many decades. While home on a college break, she met her future husband, Fred, who had recently begun a career in Siler City as a teacher and coach. After graduation, Janice returned home to teach rst grade. She and Fred were married on December 26, 1954. They later welcomed a daughter, Jan, who was then followed by twin sons, Charles and Thomas. In addition to being a wife, mother, and teacher, Janice had a wide variety of interests. She enjoyed her bridge club and music club. She was a lifelong member of Siler City United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir for nearly 70 years and served on numerous boards and committees. She spent many happy days on the golf course and tennis court. She never tired of her love of reading and could always be found with a good book. After retiring, she and Fred enjoyed traveling and volunteering in the community.

Janice became a grandmother

Dec. 22nd, 1942 –July 24th, 2024

Allie Ruth Johnson Smith, 81, of 2501 Mt. Vernon-Hickory Mountain Road, Siler City passed away Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at her son’s home. Mrs. Smith was born in Chatham County on December 22,1942, the daughter of the late David A. and Allie (Burke) Johnson. She was a member of Mount Vernon Global Methodist Church and faithfully worked over 50 years at the same textile company through four di erent ownerships: Siler City Hosiery, Kellwood Textiles, Glendale, and Acme McCrary.

with the birth of grandson Robert, who gave her the name MeMom. She would hear that name often as she went on to welcome eight more grandchildren. She and Fred took great joy in spending time with the grands. There were many camping trips, beach vacations, and wonderful holidays spent making memories together with three generations. Lots of family traditions were started that will continue to be celebrated in the future. In recent years, Janice was thrilled to add nine great grandchildren to the family.

Janice is survived by daughter, Jan Guenther (Mark), and sons, Charles Poston (Kathy), and Thomas Poston (Debbie). Grandchildren include Robert Guenther (Allison), Andrew Guenther (Melissa), Page Gleeson (Ryan), Marley Bellows, Cal Poston, Michael Poston (Morgan), Chaney Poston, Rachel Poston, and Stephen Poston. Great grandchildren include Georgia, Olivia, and Wells Guenther, Evie and Alice Gleeson, Colbie Bellows, Savannah Guenther, and twins, Hunter and Baker Poston.

Janice was a strong believer in the importance of education. With a combination of over sixty years working in the Chatham County school system, Janice and Fred touched the lives of many young people in Siler City. Following her retirement, Janice continued to volunteer as a tutor helping children develop reading skills. Several years ago in an attempt to honor Janice and Fred, their children and grandchildren started a fund through the church to bene t children’s programs and assist with nancial needs of college bound students. There have been a number of worthy recipients to date. Please join us in celebrating Janice’s life on Sunday, July 21 at 3 o’clock at the First United Methodist Church (1101 W Raleigh Street) in Siler City. A reception in the fellowship hall will follow the service.

In lieu of owers, the family requests that contributions be made to FUMC designated for the Poston Memorial Fund at P. O. Box 212, Siler City, NC 27344.

To send owers or a memorial gift to the family of Janice Alexander Poston please visit our Sympathy Store.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Carl Camp “Yak” Smith, brothers, Charles Junior Johnson, Johnathan (Buck) Johnson; and sisters, Alma Lineberry and Magaline Allred. She is survived by her children, Linda S. Montgomery and husband, Andrew and Carl Vance Smith and wife, Teresa; grandchildren, David Smith, Penny, and Ann Caviness; great-grandchildren, Sarah Whiteside, Bladen Skeen, Ivy Cagle, Thomas Hancock and Natalieah Skeen; sisters, Shirley Thompson, Linda Welch, Judy Luther, and Toni Coore; brothers, Archie Junior Johnson, Johnny Johnson, and Keith Johnson. A Celebration of Ruth’s Life will be held 10:00AM, Saturday, August 3rd, 2024, at Mt. Vernon Global Methodist Church, 3631 Mt. Vernon-Hickory Mountain Road, Siler City. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Mt. Vernon Global Methodist Church, 3631 Mt. Vernon-Hickory Mountain Road, Siler City. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Smith family. Online condolences may be made at www.smithbucknerfh.com

Lester Washington Scott Jr.

May 19th, 1935 –July 24th, 2024

Lester Washington Scott, Jr. went home to be with the Lord Wednesday, July 24th, 2024, surrounded by family. Lester was born in Chatham County on May 19th, 1935, to the late

Jane Womble Tripp

April 23rd, 1941 –July 23rd, 2024

Jane Womble Tripp, 83, of Siler City passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024, at the SECU Jim & Betsy Bryan Hospice House of Pittsboro. A native of Chatham

James Edward “Ed” Goldston

June 8th, 1926 –July 10th, 2024

James Edward “Ed” Goldston, 98, of Wilmington, NC completed his journey on this earth on July 10th, 2024. He was born in Siler City, NC on June 8th, 1926, to Marvin and Rettie Goldston. Ed was a veteran of World War II as a Navy photographer. He was an Eagle Scout with Bronze and Silver palms and a former scoutmaster.

Lester Washington Scott, Sr., and Maudie Andrews Scott. He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Sabra Jan Scott; his sister, Lillian Moore; two great granddaughters, Landrie Scott and Winona Tally; and a great grandson, Weston Tally. Lester was a cattlehorse rancher and loved working with the animals. He was associated with the Stockyard Cowboy Church. He was also a lifetime member of The National Cutting Horse Association. He loved spending time with his family and friends. He is survived by two daughters, Patricia Dowdy and her husband, Earl, and Sheila Tally and her husband, John; two sons, Scotty Scott and his wife, Kathy, and Larry Scott and his wife, Susan; a stepson, Marty Allen and his wife, Janet; his grandchildren,

County, she was born on April 23rd, 1941, the daughter of the late Lloyd R. Womble and Louise Ivey Womble. Jane retired from the NC Cooperative Extension after 30 years. A member of Loves Creek Baptist Church, the Dig & Dream Garden Club, she enjoyed crafts of all types and needlework, she taught craft class at CCCC in Pittsboro, and she loved reading novels. Jane is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, John Henry Tripp, and her stepson, Robert Wayne Tripp. She is survived by her brother, Robert Womble and his wife, Lisa of Sheridan, Wyoming; her nephew, Todd Womble of Ramseur; and many inlaws, cousins, and friends;

In addition to his parents, Ed is preceded in death by his step-father, Yellott Willoughby; rst wife, Viola Cross Goldston; second wife, Imogene Goldston; and brother Welford Goldston. He is survived by his daughter, Gloria Gail Hucks; son, James E. “Jim” Goldston and his partner, Jane Sutton of Greensboro, NC and her daughter, Caroline; grandson, Rodger Hucks; great-grandson, Clayton Hucks, all of N. Myrtle Beach, SC, and his special friend/caregiver Phyllis Kosicki.

John Scott Tally, Daniel Tally, Erica McLeod, Taylor Scott, Amy Scott, Kasie Nichole Tague, Erin Kraftchick, and Jessie McLeod; fifteen great grandchildren; and his sister, Mattie Jackson Stutts.

A graveside service will be held Saturday, July 27th, 2024, at 2 PM, at Hope Cemetery in Bonlee. Visitation will be Friday evening, July 26th, 2024, from 6-8 PM, at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home in Siler City. Services Saturday will be officiated by Pastor Willie Pickard. Memorials can be made to Stockyard Cowboy Church, PO Box 345, Siler City, NC 27344. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Scott family. Online condolences can be made at www. smithbucknerfh.com

several stepchildren and step grandchildren. A graveside service will be held Saturday, July 27th, 2024, at 11 am, at Loves Creek Baptist Church, officiated by Reverend Toddy Brooks and Reverend Bob Wachs. Jane will lie in repose at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home Friday, July 26th, 2024, from 1 – 5 pm. A special thank you to Dr. Hoffman and his staff and hospice in Pittsboro. Memorials to SECU Jim & Betsy Bryan Hospice House, 100 Roundtree Way, Pittsboro, NC 27312, and Dig & Dream Garden Club. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Tripp family. Online condolences can be made at www. smithbucknerfh.com

Mr. Goldston owned and operated Goldston Studio and Camera Shop while living in Siler City. After selling the studio, he worked with Delmar Studios of Charlotte, NC as an area manager doing school photography, selling and planning yearbooks at schools and colleges. After leaving Delmar, worked with Hunter Publishing Company of Winston-Salem, NC as a district manager doing the same work in schools and colleges in central North Carolina until his retirement. Hunter Publishing Company was later sold to Josten›s, Inc. After leaving Siler City, he lived at Wrightsville Beach for many years. He was a member at Wrightsville United Methodist Church.

In honor of Ed’s memory, memorial donations can be made to Lower Cape Fear Lifecare or Wrightsville United Methodist Church on his obituary page at www.wilmingtoncares. com. A celebration of Ed’s life will be held at Wrightsville United Methodist Church located at 4 Live Oak Dr, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480 on August 3rd, 2024, starting at 2:00 PM. Care entrusted to Wilmington Funeral & Cremation – Wilmington Chapel – 1535 S. 41st Street Wilmington, NC 28403 910-791-9099

Allie Ruth Johnson Smith

Joan Bolmeier Boling

Oct. 2nd, 1931 –July 26th, 2024

Our marvelous mother, Joan Bolmeier Boling, 92, passed away peacefully on July 26th, 2024, at Pennybyrn. She had many accomplishments but none so great as being a wonderful mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. She leaves her family with such lovely memories and smiles. What a life she had to be so loved.

Joan was born in Cook

County, IL on October 2nd, 1931, to the late Dr. Edward Claude and Hazel Gladys Schroeder Bolmeier. She is preceded in death by her parents and her twin sister, Jane Bolmeier; and her husband of 66 years, Floyd Jackson “Jack” Boling. Joan was a 1953 graduate of Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in Art. She was active in the Presbyterian church while living in Siler City. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. She is survived by her son, Edward Jackson “Jackie” Boling and his wife, Wanda of Siler City; three daughters, Susan B. Reece and her husband, Buddy of New London, NC, and Ann B. Langer and her husband, Steve of Lafayette, CO, and Sarah B. Bouchelle and her husband, Dave of Suwanee, GA; her grandchildren, Gardner Reece and his wife, Angela, Miles Boling and his wife, Miranda, Jamie Langer Safulko and her husband, Andy, Ian Langer and his wife, Ali, and Anna and Mia Bouchelle; her great

grandchildren, Clara and Evan Jackson Reece and Merritt & Miller Jackson Boling. Joan was active in her children’s lives by being involved in school activities, scouting, garden club, and the North Carolina history associates.

A celebration of life service will be held, Saturday, August 3rd, 2024, at 11 AM, at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home. A visitation will take place at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home Chapel from 10:30 – 11 am on Saturday, August 3rd, 2024. Inurnment will follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Siler City. O ciating the services will be Reverend Richard LaDue.

Memorials can be made to UNC Hospice, 100 Roundtree Way, Pittsboro, NC 27312, or First Presbyterian Church 720 W. Third St., Siler City, NC 27344. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Boling family.

Online condolences can be made at www. smithbucknerfh.com

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Chatham News & Record at obits@chathamrecord.com

Martin Indyk, former US diplomat, dies at 73

Indyk devoted his life to nding a path toward peace in the Middle East

By Susan Haigh The Associated Press

NORWICH, Conn. — Veteran diplomat Martin S. Indyk, an author and leader at prominent U.S. think tanks who devoted years to nding a path toward peace in the Middle East, died Thursday. He was 73.

His wife, Gahl Hodges Burt, con rmed in a phone call that he died from complications of esophageal cancer at the couple’s home in New Fair eld, Connecticut.

The Council on Foreign Relations, where Indyk had been a distinguished fellow in U.S. and Middle East diplomacy since 2018, called him a “rare, trusted voice within an otherwise polarized debate on U.S. policy toward the Middle East.”

A native of Australia, Indyk served as U.S. ambassador to Israel from 1995 to 1997 and from 2000 to 2001.

He was special envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations during former President Barack Obama’s administration, from 2013 to 2014.

When he resigned in 2014 to join The Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, it had symbolized the latest failed e ort by the U.S. to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. He continued as Obama’s special adviser on Mideast peace issues.

“Ambassador Indyk has invested decades of his extraordinary career to the mission of helping Israelis and Palestinians achieve a lasting peace. It’s the cause of Martin’s career, and I’m grateful for the wisdom and insight he’s brought to our collective e orts,” then-Secretary of State John Kerry said at the time, in a statement.

Indyk also served as special assistant to former President Bill Clinton and senior director for Near East and South Asian a airs at the National Security Council from 1993 to 1995. He served as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern a airs.

Feds sign o on NC Medicaid plan to help eliminate medical debt

The plan would pay hospitals to forgive some outstanding bills

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Federal Medicaid regulators have signed o on a proposal by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration to o er scores of hospitals in the state a nancial incentive to eliminate patients’ medical debt and carry out policies that discourage future liabilities.

Cooper’s o ce said Monday that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services late last week approved the plan submitted by the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Cooper and health department leaders have described the plan as a rst-of-its-kind proposal in the country to give hospitals a new nancial carrot to cancel debt they hold on low- and middle-income patients and to help residents avoid it. The e ort also received praise Monday from Vice President Kamala Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee.

Cooper’s administration has estimated the plan has the potential to help 2 million low- and middle-income people in the state get rid of $4 billion in debt. Cooper has said hospitals wouldn’t recoup most of this money anyway.

“This debt relief program is another step toward improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians while supporting nancial sustainability of our hospitals,” state Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley said in a release.

The proposal, which DHHS will now work to carry out, focuses on enhanced Medicaid reimbursement payments that acute-care, rural or university-connected hospitals can receive through what’s called Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program.

The General Assembly approved this program last year along with provisions sought by Cooper for years that expanded Medicaid coverage in the state to working adults who couldn’t otherwise qualify for conventional Medicaid.

Any of the roughly 100 hospitals participating in the program are now poised to receive even higher levels of reimbursement if they volun-

tarily do away with patients’ medical debt going back to early 2014 on current Medicaid enrollees — and on non-enrollees who make below certain incomes or whose debt exceeds 5% of their annual income. Going forward, the hospitals also would have to help low- and middle-income patients — for example, those in a family of four making no more than $93,600 — by providing deep discounts on medical bills. The hospitals would have to enroll people automatically in charity care programs, agree not to sell their debt to collectors or tell credit reporting agencies about unpaid bills. Interest rates on medical debt also would be capped.

When Cooper unveiled the proposal July 1, the North Carolina Healthcare Association — which lobbies for nonpro t and for-pro t hospitals, said the group and its members needed more time to review the proposal and awaited the response from the federal government.

Speaking last week at a roundtable discussion in Winston-Salem about the e ort, Cooper said hospitals have “reacted somewhat negatively” to the e ort. But many hospitals have engaged with us and and given us advice on how to write the procedures in order to help them if they decided to adopt this,” Cooper added.

State o cials have said debt relief for individuals under the program would likely occur in 2025 and 2026. Cooper’s term ends in January, so the program’s future could depend on who wins the November gubernatorial election.

Other state and local governments have tapped into federal American Rescue Plan funds to help purchase and cancel residents’ debt for pennies on the dollar.

The vice president’s news release supporting North Carolina’s e ort didn’t specifically mention Cooper, who is considered a potential running mate for Harris this fall. Harris highlighted e orts with President Joe Biden to forgive more than $650 million in medical debt and to eliminate even more.

“Last month, I issued a call to states, cities, and hospitals across our nation to join us in forgiving medical debt,” she said. “I applaud North Carolina for setting an example that other states can follow.”

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HELP WANTED

CHATHAM MONUMENT COMPANY has an immediate job opening. This is a fulltime position and involves placing monuments in the cemetery in Chatham and surrounding counties. Job requirements are:

Must have a valid NC driver’s license, must be able to lift 75 pounds if necessary. Must have a good attitude, the ability to work well with others and be willing to learn. Also needs reliable transportation to and from work. Pay will be based on the individual and their ability to do the work. Apply in Person to 227 N. 2nd Ave. Siler City, NC 27344 My23,rtfnc

or Hunter Glenn at hunter.glenn@chathamcountync.gov.

The public hearing may be continued to another date at the discretion of the Board. The purpose of the Public Hearing is to receive input, both written and oral, on the issues listed below: Alex Culpepper on behalf of Sunrock Group and Chatham Resources LLC has requested a

hearing for an amendment to the Town of Goldston Zoning Map to

CD-IH Conditional District Heavy Industrial 639.66 acres located o Goldston Glendon Road and Bonlee Carbonton Road (parcels 8335,74836,80056). Alex Culpepper on behalf of Sunrock Group and Chatham Resources LLC has requested a legislative public hearing for an amendment to the Town of Goldston Watershed Map to add 639.66 acres of WS-IV PA watershed located o Goldston Glendon

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

23E000597

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of JOHN

NATHAN BEIDLER, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before October 31, 2024, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment.

This the 1st day of August 2024.

c/o Elinor J. Foy, Attorney for Eliana M. Perrin, Executor of the Estate of John Nathan Beidler Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton, LLP 4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of ELVA LOU GARNER MANESS, deceased, late of CHATHAM County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at: 1139 Gurney W. Road, Eagle Springs, NC 27242, on or before the 14th day of OCTOBER, 2024 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 2nd day of July, 2024.

GREGORY VAN MANESS

Co-Personal Representative

CHRISTOPHER MANESS

Co-Personal Representative For the Estate of ELVA LOU GARNER MANESS Frank C. Thigpen Thigpen and Jenkins, L.L.P. Attorney for Estate Post O ce Box 792 Robbins, NC 27325 PUBLICATION DATES: July 11, 18, 25 and August 1 NOTICE

LEGISLATIVE PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

TOWN OF PITTSBORO, NC

On Monday, August 12, 2024, at 6:00 pm, the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will hold the following legislative public hearings in person at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center at 1192 Hwy 64 Business West, Pittsboro:

PB-24-266 – A legislative request by Bourbonandwine LLC petitioning for a map amendment rezoning parcel 8231 from its current classi cation, R10 (Residential 10,000 sf lot minimum) to C2 (Highway Business). The parcel is approximately 0.47 acres and is located next door to Al’s Diner. The owner intends to repurpose the current structure and the property for future commercial use.

PB-24-127 – A legislative request by Pittsboro Place WEH LP, has been submitted a petition for map amendment rezoning 208.78 acres - parcels 87611, 87607, 87608, 87610, 83080, 83078, 83082, 83081, 83083, 7317, 60741, 73513, 85076, 87604, 87605, 87606, 87612, 87613, 87614, 83084, 87609, and 81979 from their current classi cation, M2 (Heavy Industrial) to C2-CZ (Highway Business Conditional) and MR-CZ (Multifamily Residential Conditional). The developer intends to utilize the site property for highway business (Pod E – 19.5 acres) and mixed-use residential use (townhomes and single family; Pods B, C & D – 111.9 acres). An area identi ed as Pod A (approximately 72.67 acres) will be donated to the Town as a public park. The hearing will be held in person. The public can also watch the hearing live on the Town’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@townofpittsboronc/ streams. Members of the public must attend in person if they wish to speak at the hearing. Contact the Town Clerk, Carrie Bailey, by 4 pm on August 12, 2024, with written comments or to sign up to speak at the legislative hearing. You can contact Carrie Bailey at cbailey@pittsboronc.gov, (919) 5424621 ext. 1104, or PO Box 759, Pittsboro, NC 27312.

NOTICE

North Carolina

Chatham County Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of NEAL COVINGTON TUTTLE, deceased, late of 95 Tuttle Lane, Siler City, NC 27344, Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of Benjamin Spence Albright, Attorney at Law, 3157 Old Coleridge Road, Siler City, NC 27344 on or before the 15th day of October, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 11th day of July, 2024.

Keith Alton Tuttle Executor of the Estate of NEAL COVINGTON TUTTLE

Benjamin Spence Albright Attorney At Law 3157 Old Coleridge Road Siler City, NC 27344 (336) 824-4802 ( Publish: The Chatham News: 4X (7/11/24)(7/18/24) (7/25/24)(8/1/24)

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Administrator of the Estate of Jonathan Barbee Burke, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 31st day of October, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

This the 25th day of July, 2024. Melanie Faye Burke, Administrator of the Estate of Jonathan Barbee Burke 1203 S. Second Avenue Siler City, North Carolina 27344

MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed in Chatham County on the 22nd day of July, 2024, as Limited

Personal Representative of the Estate of Lee William Walker, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 25th day of October, 2024, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 25th day of July 2024

Gwendolyn C. Brooks Kennon Craver, PLLC 4011 University Drive, Suite 300 Durham, North Carolina 27707 Claire Mai Walker, Limited Personal Representative of the Estate of Lee William Walker Post O ce Box 57579 Durham, North Carolina 27717 THE CHATHAM NEWS: 7/25/2024, 8/1/2024, 8/8/2024, and 8/15/2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of Josephine Bryson Sears, deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to the undersigned co-Executor on or before the 22nd day of October, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This is the 25th day of July, 2024.

Lora Schlosser, co-Executor 480 Quail Ridge Dr. Apex, NC 27523 Published By Chatham News and Record July 25, August 1,8,15, 2024.

NOTICE

North Carolina Chatham County Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Christopher Larry Hipp, deceased, late of 4053 Moncure Pittsboro Rd. Moncure NC 27559, Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned, Mildred Hipp, Executor, on or before the 23rd day of October 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 25th day of July, 2024. Mildred T. Hipp, Executor 4697 Moncure Pittsboro Rd. Moncure, NC 27559

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

FILE NO: 24E001359-180

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Seth Francis Cuni, deceased, of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before October 19, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 18th day of July 2024. Amy Cuni, Executrix, C/O Ashley Fox, Attorney W.G. Alexander & Associates 3717 Benson Drive Raleigh, NC 27609

Chatham News and Record July 18, 25, Aug 1, 8, 2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

24-E-1364 NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

The undersigned, Brian Inman having quali ed as Administrator CTA of the Estate of Annette Inman deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of October 23rd 2024, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 25th of July 2024.

Brian Inman Administrator CTA c/o Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312

NOTICE OF HEARINGS

Town of Siler City

The following item will be considered by the Siler City Board of Commissioners as a legislative hearing. The hearing will be conducted during the Board’s regular meeting on August 5, 2024, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the court room located in the Siler City Town Hall at 311 N. 2nd Ave.

The Town of Siler City Board of Commissioners will consider a text amendment to the Town’s Uni ed Development Ordinance (UDO). The proposed text amendment, to Article XI “Supplementary Use Regulations”; Section 162 – Noise, will provide for updated noise regulations compatible with the uses allowed by-right in Light Industrial (L-I) and Heavy Industrial (H-I) zoning districts.

Legislative Hearing

The proposed item is available for review by contacting Timothy Mack at tmack@silercity.org or 919-726-8626. All persons interested in the outcome of this item are invited to attend the legislative hearing and present comments, testimony, and exhibits on the above referenced item.

Interested parties may also submit written comments. Written comments can be submitted by email to tmack@silercity.org. Individuals desiring to speak may sign up by registering their name and information on the sign-up sheet, located outside the entry doors to the court room.

The Town of Siler City will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that disabled persons are provided other accommodations, such arrangements may include, but are not limited to, providing interpreters for the deaf, providing taped cassettes of materials for the blind, or assuring a barrier-free location for the proceedings.

This information is available in Spanish or any other language upon request. Please contact Kimberly Pickard at 919-726-8620, 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344, or kpickard@ silercity.org for accommodations for this request. Esta información está disponible en español o en cualquier otro idioma bajo petición. Por favor, póngase en contacto con Kimberly Pickard al kpickard@silercity. org o 919-726-8625 o en 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344 de alojamiento para esta solicitud.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

A public hearing will be held by the Goldston Town Board on Monday, August 5th 2024, beginning at 7:00 p.m. The hearing will be held at the Goldston Town Hall located at 40 Coral Avenue, Goldston, NC 27252.

Additional information is available at the Chatham County Planning Department o ce. Speakers are requested to sign up at the meeting prior to the hearing. You may also request to speak by contacting the town clerk Annie Kay King Gaines at akkgaines@ americansouthgc.com, Ben Townsend at ben. townofgoldston@gmail.com, or Hunter Glenn at hunter. glenn@chathamcountync.gov.

The public hearing may be continued to another date at the discretion of the Board.

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

A legislative public hearing request by the Goldston Town Board to consider amendments to the Goldston Uni ed Development Ordinance; speci cally, chapters 1.2, 2.8, 3.4, and the addition of a ninth chapter for ood damage prevention regulations.

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

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

If you have any questions or comments concerning these issues, please call Hunter Glenn with the Chatham County Planning Department at 542-8284 or write to P.O. Box 54, Pittsboro N.C. 27312.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against JANET T. HALE, deceased, of Chatham County, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before October 25, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the Estate will please make immediate payment.

This 25th day of July, 2024.

CONSTANCE HALE BOOTH, EXECUTRIX

ESTATE OF JANET T. HALE

c/o Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130 Chapel Hill, NC 27514

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, Annabelle Stein, having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Irma S. Stein deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons, rms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of October 23 2024, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 18th day of July 2024. Annabelle Stein, Executor, 997 Rock Rest Road, Pittsboro NC 27312

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Lois Anita Durr, deceased, of Chatham County, NC are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before October 16th, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This July 18, 2024. Jennifer Simis, Administrator 104 Avella Court, Cary, NC 27519

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E000045-180

The undersigned, MARTHA REGAN HEFNER, having quali ed on the 16TH day of JULY 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of HELEN A MCNAMARA, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 30TH Day of OCTOBER 2024, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 1ST DAY OF AUGUST 2024.

MARTHA REGAN HEFNER, ADMINISTRATOR 81415 ALEXANDER

CHAPEL HILL, NC 27517

Run dates: A1,8,15,22p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E00163-180

The undersigned, WILLIAM HYDE, having quali ed on the 18TH day of MARCH 2024, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of ELIZABETH SHINNICK CALDWELL, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16TH Day of OCTOBER 2024, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 18th Day of JULY 2024.

WILLIAM HYDE, EXECUTOR 333 TENNEY CIRCLE

CHAPEL HILL, NC 27514

Run dates: J18,25,A1,8c

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

23-E-202 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

The undersigned, Constance Darlynn Arnold having quali ed as Limited Personal Representative of the Estate of Maggie Faye Wingo deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of October 23rd 2024, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 25th of July 2024.

Constance Darlynn Arnold Limited Personal Representative

real property by the estate’s Administrator to pay debts. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than August 27, 2024, and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought. Take notice that a hearing has been scheduled in the above-entitled action on September 18th, 2024, at 10:00 AM at the Chatham County Courthouse, located in Pittsboro, North Carolina. This, the 18thth day of July 2024 by: STEPHENSON & STEPHENSON, PA Deirdre M. Stephenson Attorney for Petitioner P.O. Box 1433 Sanford, NC 27331

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E001340-180

The undersigned, HUBERT GARY OAKLEY, having quali ed on the 25TH day of JUNE 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of MARJORIE LUNSFORD OAKLEY, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 9TH Day of OCTOBER 2024, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 11th Day of JULY 2024.

HUBERT GARY OAKLEY, EXECUTOR 355 POLKS LANDING RD. CHAPEL HILL, NC 27516

Run dates: Jy11,18,25A1c

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed on the 3rd day of July, 2024, as Executor of the Estate of Carolyn B. Sturgess aka Carolyn Bennett Sturgess aka Virginia Carolyn Bennett, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of October, 2024, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 11th day of July 2024 Daniel Carroll Lee, Executor of the Estate of Carolyn Bennett Sturgess Post O ce Box 57579 Durham, North Carolina 27717 Gwendolyn C. Brooks Kennon Craver, PLLC 4011 University Drive, Suite 300 Durham, North Carolina 27707 THE CHATHAM NEWS: 7/11/2024, 7/18/2024, 7/25/2024, and 8/1/2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E001393-180 The undersigned, OTTO STEVE GREEN, having quali ed on the 23RD day of JULY 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of MARY LOU ALICE GREEN, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 30TH Day of OCTOBER 2024, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 1ST DAY OF AUGUST 2024.

OTTO STEVE GREEN, EXECUTOR 422 PITTSBORO GOLDSTON RD. PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: A1,8,15,22p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E001360-180 The undersigned, KATHLEEN S. DICKINSON, having quali ed on the 11TH day of JULY 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of NATALIE PHELPS TENNANT, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 23RD Day of OCTOBER

Ooh la la! Rollo, Lupin and Josephine: What connects them?

The Olympics are in Paris this summer and Air France takes you there from Raleigh-Durham; Why not go?

By Erika Ho man For Chatham News & Record

TRAVEL ENHANCES what you already know and makes you curious to learn more about things you previously didn’t care about. Here’s an example: Before I voyaged to Rouen and entered the Notre Dame Cathedral on Oct. 27, 2023, I associated Rouen with one historical gure only — Joan of Arc or Jeanne d’Arc, as the French call her. Schoolchildren have heard of Saint Joan and how she was burned at the stake by the British in the main square of Rouen back, well, in the Middle Ages, 1431, a long time ago.

Had I realized that Gustave Flaubert, the famous writer of Madame Bovary, hailed from Rouen? Yeah, maybe. Did I know that Claude Monet created a series of renowned impressionist paintings of the façade of the cathedral at di erent times of day as the light waned? Oui! Oui! I knew that. I recollected seeing prints of those oeuvres d’art.

Yet, what did I recall about the Vikings and their explorations in Normandy? Not much. When I gazed at the tomb of Rollo in Rouen’s Notre Dame Cathedral, I discovered, from the guide, that this famous Viking became the rst ruler of Normandy, Robert: Rollo made a deal with the French to control all the other marauding Viking tribes in exchange for becoming the ruler of the region, with the caveat that he had to become Catholic. Although I didn’t know this, many in our group knew this story. How? Vikings! They’d watched a Net ix program called “Vikings.” I must tune in and get educated!

When we visited Etretat to see the chalky cli s that Monet, Courbet and countless other Impressionists painted as they created “en plein air,” we trekked through the town to the seashore and passed by a sign and a massive home that reminded me of Mark Twain’s “loveliest home that ever was” in Hartford, Connecticut.

This Normandy home be-

23 SP 173 AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, CHATHAM COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Je rey P. Grivalski to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), which was dated March 14, 2017 and recorded on March 14, 2017 in Book 1911 at Page 986 and rerecorded/modi ed/corrected on March 14, 2017 in Book 1911, Page 09860999, Chatham County Registry, North Carolina. Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located,

This view looks west from Notre Dame Cathedral, showing Paris’ left bank and the Seine

longed to Maurice LeBlanc, who wrote the rst French detective mysteries, somewhat like those by Doyle — the Sherlock Holmes stories. LeBlanc’s featured a gentleman thief, Arsene Lupin. Again, I had no idea there was a series about this gentleman burglar. It’s called Lupin.

On the last day of our cruise on the Seine, we visited Chateau de Malmaison, Josephine Bonaparte’s home, where she resided during her marriage and after her divorce until her death. Outside the house are huge placards featuring photos of Jackie Kennedy visiting the place while she

or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on August 8, 2024 at 01:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Chatham County, North Carolina, to wit: All of Lot 8 containing 6.285 acres as shown on plat entitled “SURVEY FOR GEORGE FRANK BURNS ESTATE PHASE II” dated April 7, 1997, revised May 8, 1997, prepared by Van R. Finch--Land Surveys, P.A., and recorded in Plat Slide 97-169, Chatham County Registry. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as 2622 Nc Highway 902, Pittsboro, NC 27312-8089. A certi ed check only (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY

THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are JEFFREY P. GRIVALSKI, UNMARRIED.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the

was rst lady; it made the mansion seem much more relatable to me as an American, who suddenly recalled watching on TV as our rst lady on the back of a convertible’s trunk reached for help. Did I visit Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris? Yes and no. I’ve been inside it before. They were refurbishing it after the catastrophic re, trying to restore it before the Olympic Games. Huge placards with photos of the inferno showed what it looked like immediately after the re. Also, these photos showed the cleaning process of the sooty statues within. Did I visit Montmartre, where the artists hang out? Did I enter the dazzling white Sacre Coeur Church atop the mountains of stairs? Sure, but we took a trolley up. Stairs are for teens and sadists. It’s much more crowded now than decades ago, and the artists who sketch your likeness are Chinese. What did I do di erently from my other trips? For starters, I went to the catacombs. Sometimes, Paris is called Lutece because Romans in the third century before Christ named it after the swampy, muddy area around the Seine River. The beautiful limestone buildings like Notre Dame came from rock quarried below the city. Paris is riddled with ancient quarries. There

clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)].

were 132 spiral steps down, no lavatories and six miles of tunnels lined with countless bones. “No one with a heart condition should try it,” warned the guidebooks. My nerves weren’t calmed when I turned to my husband. “I’m not as young as I look. Can I do this?” I asked.

“I’m not carrying you back up.” They allow folks down — only a certain number of people — every 15 minutes. You must reserve your place a week ahead but no earlier than a week before. As we marched along, it didn’t help my mental state when an American family came up behind us, and the 11-yearold girl continuously shrieked: “Mommy, we’re going to die down here!” I plastered myself along the narrow walls, careful not to dislodge antique bones or hollowed-out eye socket skulls so the unsettling family could squeeze by.

Grisly. Yes. Macabre. Denitely. Halloween was approaching. It’s not a holiday they practice much in France, which is surprising when you visit this site. They say the remains of 6 million people are housed down there. It all began because the cemeteries housed bodies in unsanitary ways.

Clearing these churchyards also gave more land to the living. It also provided a purpose for the vast underground labyrinth of corridors caused by mining, which lay below the city. The bones have commemorative slabs engraved with the origin of the remains and the year they were transferred to the catacombs. As you walk along, you will nd “comforting messages” engraved, such as: “If perchance you have seen men die, know that the same fate awaits you.” Sometimes, it’s better not to be able to translate French! When my husband and Inally emerged after spying a huge sinkhole overhead, which you see in the Lupin series, I suggested we see something more uplifting. We crossed the street and descended underground again to the Metro, which would carry us to the Cite to visit Sainte Chapelle, which has the most beautiful stainedglass windows in the world. Speaking of beautiful, that night, we taxied over to the Moulin Rouge and saw extravagantly perfect female bodies wearing only the skimpiest thongs ever created. While smiling, they danced, strutted and performed gymnastic contortions I’d not thought humanly possible. En route back to the hotel, I told my husband and other companions in the cab, “Those girls had the most beautiful teeth I’ve ever seen.”

sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. The sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, and any Land Transfer Tax as required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). Third party, must pay the full bid amount, less any deposit that has been paid to the Commissioner, immediately upon demand after the conclusion of the nal upset bid period.

party, the Commissioner, in its/ their sole discretion, if it/they believe(s) the challenge to have merit, may declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice where the Real Property is Residential with less than 15 Rental Units: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the County in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or/after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the Notice that is at least ten (10) days,

REMY DE LA MAUVINIERE / AP PHOTO

Chateau Bois-Preau, in Rueil Malmaison, west of Paris, was the home of Napoleon Bonaparte and Empress Josephine.

JACQUES BRINON / AP PHOTO

River.

CHATHAM SPORTS

drives

hoop to score during a game against Carrboro last season. Along

will battle for the title of best player in the county this year.

West Chatham 12U All-Stars

third in Dixie Softball Ponytails X-Play World Series

The North Carolina state champions went 2-2 in the World Series

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE WEST CHATHAM

12U All-Stars nished third in the 2024 Dixie Softball Ponytails X-Play World Series, which was held in Disputanta, Virginia from July 21-23.

In the double-elimination tournament, which faced multiple cancellations and rescheduled games due to rain, West Chatham, playing under the title of “North Carolina,” went 2-2 and won the sportsmanship award. It lost its rst-round game to Prince George (Virginia), 3-2, and followed that with two straight wins over Alabama and Florida.

With a trip to the title game on the line against South Carolina, the eventual world series champions, West Chatham ended its journey with an 8-3 loss.

West Chatham’s Presley Walters went 1-for-2 from the plate in the nal game and led her team with two RBIs. Five other batters, including Aubrey Covington, Kaylin Allen, Paisley Hutchins, Katherine Purvis and Sadie Lu-

ther also recorded a hit, with Covington knocking in one run.

West Chatham head coach

Bucky Josey said his team “played with a lot of heart” as multiple players played through injuries and had to adapt to schedule changes throughout the tournament.

The team’s best performance of the world series came in an 11-0 run rule win over Alabama in the rst loser bracket game.

Allison Lineberry was lights out from the mound as she threw a one-hit shutout in just 70 pitches and struck out six batters across four innings.

Hutchins, Covington, Walters and Adie Beck all went 3-for-3 at the plate, and Hutchins directed the scoring attack with four RBIs.

Walters had one of the hottest bats for West Chatham throughout the tournament as she also went 3-for-3 in the close, 8-7 win over Florida. Maddie Wingerter also had a perfect day from the plate with three hits, including a double, to keep West Chatham alive.

Not all close games went West Chatham’s way during the tournament, though. West Chatham lost its world series opener to Prince George on a walk o sin-

gle which put the team at risk of elimination immediately.

Prior to the world series, West Chatham won the North Carolina Dixie Softball State Tournament for the Ponytails X-Play division earlier in July. That was West Chatham’s second 12U state title in three years with the 12U team earning a trip to the world series in 2022. Against South Brunswick, the defending state champions, in the championship round, West Chatham had to climb itself out of a deep hole.

West Chatham beat South Brunswick earlier in the tournament, 11-3, but when they met again in the nal round, South Brunswick got its revenge in a 15-0 rout.

Down 5-0 to South Brunswick in the fth inning of the winnertake-all game, West Chatham pulled o a late-game rally and sealed the win after Covington hit a go-ahead double.

Piper Josey led the way for West Chatham in the state tournament, batting a .627 average with 10 RBIs and six stolen bases. Beck and Allen were a force on the mound as Beck threw 12 strikeouts and nished with a 0.95 earned run average, and Allen struck out 18 batters.

See the top storylines to follow during the new sports season

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE 2024-25 high school sports season has nally arrived.

North Carolina High School Athletic Association member schools held their rst o cial practices for the fall sports season Wednesday. Chatham County is gearing up for the second straight year of its four traditional high schools — Seaforth, Northwood, Chatham Central and Jordan-Matthews — competing against each other in the same conference (Mid-Carolina 1A/2A), which will likely be for the last time in the coming

years with NCHSAA realignment coming for the 2025-26 season.

With Chatham Charter and Woods Charter also making noise in the Central Tar Heel 1A conference, Chatham County enjoyed a highly entertaining sports season last year with impressive individual performances, heated rivalries, numerous state contenders and signi cant milestones being reached.

But now, it’s time to do it all over again, this time with a different story. A good mix of familiar and new faces will enter the competition this year, shaking up what’s known and expected of Chatham County’s sports landscape. Here’s a look at what storylines to look out for as a new year gets underway:

The Jordan-Matthews community recalls a special basketball mentor

By Asheebo Rojas Randolph Record

SILER CITY — Jordan-Matthews Hall of Famer Je Stutts, the former girls’ basketball coach who led the Jets to the 2012 2A state title, died July 20 at the age of 62. Stutts lost his battle to cancer, per an update posted on Facebook by the Jordan-Matthews Booster Club.

Before being inducted into the Jordan-Matthews athlet-

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Seaforth’s Nate Emerson

to the

with Chatham Central’s Reid Albright and Jordan-Matthews’ Brennen Oldham, Emerson

BUCKY JOSEY FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

The West Chatham 12U team nished in third place in the Dixie softball World Series.

White nds ‘perfect t’ with Virginia women’s basketball

White announced her commitment to the Cavaliers on Thursday

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

GABBY WHITE , a rising senior for the Seaforth girls’ basketball team, announced her commitment to Virginia on social media Thursday.

The 5-foot-10 combo guard became Virginia’s rst verbal commit in the class of 2025 after former 2025 recruits Kamryn Kitchen and Payton Dunbar reclassi ed to join the Cavaliers this upcoming season.

During her recruitment, White held a plethora of o ers across multiple conferences, including, but not limited to, the ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big 10, AAC and Big East. She chose Virginia, which o ered her a scholarship in June 2023, because she felt it was a “perfect t.”

“Right when we got on the campus my rst visit there, I just knew there was something di erent about (Virginia),” White said. “They believed in me for quite some time now. Getting to know the sta and the team for who they are, the location of Virginia, the education and everything like that, it was just the best place for me.”

White said it’s been “great” building relationships with the coaching sta , and part of that was speaking with Virginia head coach Amaka “Mox” Agugua-Hamilton about what her college career could look like.

“One of the things that I talked to (Agugua-Hamilton) about is how I’m going to impact the team and how she’s going to help me to accomplish the things that I want, whether it’s freshman player of the year or defensive player of the year,” White said. “She’s always really honest with me…She always tells me I have to work really hard, and I’m not afraid of that. Just knowing that there’s someone that’s rooting for me and will do anything to help me succeed is really special.”

Agugua-Hamilton isn’t the

only ACC coach in White’s corner, though. Although she’s playing for the rival school, White will also have support from her mother Joanne Aluka-White, an assistant coach for the UNC women’s basketball team.

“She’s happy for me,” White said. “She has a personal relationship with (Agugua-Hamilton) as well. They’re friends from way back. So, it’s just all like a full circle.”

Said White, “She’s really proud of the decision that I made and she’s just excited to see how my career goes.”

Unfortunately for Aluka-White, White’s career may come with her hitting a big shot over the Tar Heels as she’s already been preparing for the opportunity.

“Usually when I work out sometimes with my dad, at the end, we’ll do a half court shot playing against UNC and stu like that,” White said. “We love to just tease it, and now that it’s about to become a reality, it’s just really cool to think about.”

Although there’s plenty of time until White will suit up against UNC, White said her whole family, even her mom, will be on her side when the day comes. But, for now, the White family will have one more year to support her in the same colors.

White is coming o a junior season in which she averaged 17.2 points (career-high), 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game while leading the Hawks to their second straight nal-four appearance in the 2A playo s. After calling herself one of the best guards in the country following the loss to North Pitt in last season’s playo s, White wants to leave Seaforth with a state title.

“My focus coming into this season is just one, to have fun, and two, play for my team, play to win and hopefully win the state championship,” White said. “That’s something I think we wanted to do since freshman year once we noticed the potential we had. The urge to get back there and win it is what’s pushing me right now.”

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Seaforth’s Gabby White surveys the defense in a game against St. Pauls last season.

Boys’ soccer schedules for Chatham County’s varsity teams, key matchups

The rst game of the season will kick o on Aug. 12

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE BOYS’ soccer season is making its return to Chatham County this month.

Last year, all ve county teams made the state playo s with Jordan-Matthews making the deepest run. After a dominant 2023 in which they ran through the conference, the Jets will have a target on their backs this season, facing many of the same opponents they handily beat last year.

With exciting matchups ahead from intra-conference, intra-county and non-conference play, here’s a look at the county’s soccer schedules with dates, opponents and a look at key matchups this season:

Jordan-Matthews

Aug. 15 (vs. NW Guilford (at Bryan Park)); Aug. 17 (vs. Ragsdale (at Bryan Park)); Aug. 23 (vs. Hobbton (at Wake Med Park)); Aug. 28 (at Cummings); Aug. 29 (vs. Franklin Academy); Sept. 4 (vs. Eastern Randolph); Sept. 9 (vs. North-

wood); Sept. 11 (vs. North Moore); Sept. 16 (vs. Southeast Alamance); Sept. 19 (at Southern Alamance); Sept. 23 (at Bartlett Yancey); Sept. 25 (vs. Seaforth); Sept. 30 (at Graham); Oct. 2 (vs. Cummings); Oct. 9 (at Northwood); Oct. 14 (at North Moore); Oct. 16 (at Southeast Alamance); Oct. 23 (vs. Bartlett Yancey); Oct. 24 (at Southern Lee); Oct. 28 (at Seaforth); Oct. 30 (vs. Graham)

Northwood

Aug. 21 (vs. Southern Alamance); Aug. 23 (vs. Neuse Charter (at Wake Med Park)); Aug. 24 (vs. North Johnston (at Wake Med Park)); Aug. 26 (at Southern Alamance); Aug. 28 (at North Moore); Sept. 4 (vs. Southeast Alamance); Sept. 9 (at Jordan-Matthews); Sept. 11 (vs. Bartlett Yancey); Sept. 12 (vs. Southern Lee); Sept. 16 (vs. Seaforth); Sept. 18 (at Graham); Sept. 23 (vs. Cummings); Sept. 24 (at Southern Lee); Sept. 26 (vs. Lee County); Oct. 2 (vs. North Moore); Oct. 3 (at Lee County); Oct. 7 (at Southeast Alamance); Oct. 9 (vs. Jordan-Matthews); Oct. 14 (at Bartlett Yancey); Oct. 16 (at Seaforth); Oct. 21 (vs. Graham); Oct. 23 (at Cummings)

All ve county teams made the playo s last year

Seaforth

Aug. 12 (at Apex Friendship); Aug. 20 (vs. Cary Academy); Aug. 26 (vs. Grace Christian School-Sanford); Aug. 28 (vs. Western Alamance); Sept. 4 (vs. Graham); Sept. 9 (at Cummings); Sept. 16 (at Northwood); Sept. 18 (at North Moore); Sept. 23 (vs. Southeast Alamance); Sept. 25 (at Jordan-Matthews); Sept. 30 (vs. Bartlett Yancey); Oct. 2 (vs. East Chapel Hill); Oct. 3 (at Grace Christian School-Sanford); Oct. 7 (at Graham); Oct. 9 (vs. Cummings); Oct. 14 (at Clinton); Oct. 16 (vs. Northwood); Oct. 21 (vs. North Moore); Oct. 23 (at Southeast Alamance); Oct. 28 (vs. Jordan-Matthews)

Chatham Charter

Aug. 13 (at Eastern Guilford); Aug. 20 (vs. Eastern Ran-

dolph); Aug. 23 (vs. Henderson Collegiate); Aug. 26 (at Southeast Guilford); Aug. 27 (vs. Cornerstone Charter); Aug. 29. (vs. Uwharrie Charter); Sept. 4 (at Woods Charter); Sept. 5 (at Cornerstone Charter); Sept. 9 (vs. Triangle Math & Science); Sept. 10 (at Eastern Randolph); Sept. 11 (at Clover Garden School); Sept. 16 (at Uwharrie Charter); Sept. 18 (vs. Southern Wake Academy); Sept. 20 (at Research Triangle); Sept. 23 (at River Mill); Sept. 25 (vs. Ascend Leadership); Oct. 2 (vs. Woods Charter); Oct. 8 (at North Moore); Oct. 14 (at Triangle Math & Science); Oct. 16 (vs. Clover Garden School); Oct. 21 (at Southern Wake Academy); Oct. 23 (vs. River Mill); Oct. 28 (at Ascend Leadership)

Woods Charter

Aug. 28 (vs. River Mill); Sept. 4 (vs. Chatham Charter); Sept. 11 (vs. Ascend Leadership); Sept. 13 (at Excelsior Classical Academy); Sept. 18 (vs. Triangle Math & Science); Sept. 20 (vs. American Leadership Academy-Johnson); Sept. 23 (at Clover Garden School); Sept. 25 (vs. Southern Wake Academy); Sept. 30 (at River Mill); Oct. 2 (at Chatham Charter); Oct. 7 (vs. Franklin Academy); Oct. 16 (at Ascend

Leadership); Oct. 21 (at Triangle Math & Science); Oct. 23 (vs. Clover Garden School); Oct. 28 (at Southern Wake Academy)

KEY GAMES

Jordan-Matthews vs. North Moore Sept. 18 and Oct. 14

North Moore was one of the two conference opponents that gave Jordan-Matthews trouble last year and competed with the Jets for the conference title in the nal few weeks of conference play. It’ll be interesting to see if these two teams once again emerge as the best in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference. Seaforth vs. Northwood Sept. 16 and Oct. 16

Seaforth and Northwood split last year’s series and gave fans two close games, including a 1-0 double overtime nish. The Hawks have made improvements year after year, which could hint at Seaforth taking control of the rivalry this season.

Woods Charter vs. Chatham Charter Sept. 4 and Oct. 2

Woods Charter and Chatham Charter nished right next to each other in last year’s conference standings, making for an interesting battle for playo position. With both teams hoping to nish higher, these meetings could mean more toward the end of the season.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Aidan Allred

Aidan Allred, a shortstop for the Sandhills Bogeys in the Old North State League, earns athlete of the week honors for the week of July 22.

Allred had his best batting game of the season in the Bogeys’ 8-2 series-clinching win over the Brunswick Sur n’ Turfs in the rst round of the ONSL playo s Saturday. He went 2-for-4 from the plate and knocked in one RBI while getting walked in another plate appearance.

That was Allred’s rst two-hit game since June 24 when he went 2-for-5 and recorded two RBIs. In his rst season with the Bogeys, the former Chatham Charter standout has batted an average of .228 with 18 hits, 14 RBIs and 10 runs as of Sunday.

Stanford, Cal ready for cross-country ights this football season in their new ACC home

The California schools left the crumbling Pac-12 and make the ACC a coast-to-coast conference

By Aaron Beard

The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — California’s Fernando Mendoza and Stanford’s Ashton Daniels are quarterbacks for rival football programs in the Golden State, part of the long history of a rivalry known as simply as the “Big Game.”

Last summer, they were united in their dismay at watching the Pac-12 disintegrate as a power conference, leaving their schools brie y without a home.

“Unsettling,” Daniels recalled.

“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t scary,” Mendoza said.

Yet last Tuesday, they were sitting in a hotel across the country representing their programs at the preseason football media days in their new Atlantic Coast Conference home.

The next step comes this fall, as Stanford and Cal — along with SMU from the American Athletic Conference — integrate themselves into ACC play amid frequent- ier miles and

ALL-STARS from page B1

New coaches establish themselves

For the football season, Dalton Brown and Kermit Carter will take over their alma maters of Northwood and Jordan-Matthews, respectively. Both programs are in completely di erent spots in terms of recent success, but both will share a common goal on building on the year before.

In Jordan-Matthews’ case, the Jets are looking to take small steps toward the winning days of the past, which could play out as more competitive performances and one to two more wins than last season’s 2-8 campaign.

For Brown and the Chargers, it won’t be easy replicating last year’s seven-win season and playo appearance, especially without key players Gus Ritchey and Cam Fowler. However, there’s still plenty of o ensive repower, including receivers Isaiah Blair and Antoine Brewington and running back Robert Tripp, that can lead Northwood back to the postseason.

No other new head coach in the county may be under a bigger spotlight than John Berry of Seaforth boys’ basketball, though. Despite having a talented roster, the Hawks didn’t have the best start to the post-Jarin Stevenson era last year and failed to make the playo s. Berry was hired after the resignation of Leo Brunelli, and he has now put the pressure on himself to get the team to show improvement this season.

Seaforth baseball’s next head coach will also be an interesting storyline to watch as the program’s next leader will inherit a young, but talented and experienced team that made a deep playo run with mostly underclassmen in 2024.

The best in boys’ basketball post-Drake Powell?

With former Northwood basketball star Drake Powell moving on to the next level, there’s now room for a new top dog to

STUTTS from page B1

ics Hall of Fame in 2018, Stutts taught at Jordan-Matthews from 1984-2013, serving as the head coach for girls’ basketball and track and track and eld. He had a stint as athletics director from 1989-91.

“He was the best friend I could have had,” said John Phillips, a former Jordan-Matthews coach and athletic director. “We got to (Jordan-Matthews) the same year. We even vacationed together. … We just had a connection that’s hard to articulate.”

Following his time with Jordan-Matthews, Stutts coached

recon gured travel plans.

Then again, longer travel beats the alternative when it comes to the Cardinal and Bears keeping their seat at the power conference table, with Stanford coach Troy Taylor saying the school was grateful to nd “safe harbor.”

“I couldn’t imagine that the Pac-12 would ever disintegrate like that,” the former Cal quarterback said of the moves that scattered schools to the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 while leaving behind Oregon State and Washington State.

“We’re a Power Four team.

We want to remain that in our school’s future. So we’re just excited to be in the ACC. … We feel very grateful.”

The ACC’s move to 17 football-playing members required a new scheduling model, which had the new schools facing one another as annual opponents in the league’s no-division format to protect the Stanford-Cal rivalry and o er regular games against their closest-proximity peers.

But Cal and Stanford each ended up with three trips to the Eastern Time Zone in their rst league slate; the Bears visit Florida State, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest; while the Cardinal will face Syracuse, Clemson and NC State. And that means changing normal routines that would have teams arrive for a game the day before kicko . Instead, Taylor and Cal coach Justin Wilcox both said they’d travel on Thursdays to give extra acclimation time. Wilcox added that the Bears would get “the biggest plane that Delta makes” with lie-down seating.

“We’ve got our strength and conditioning sta ,” he said. “They’ll be doing their little (exercise). We’ll get them up once during the trip. They’ll also be

able to utilize the time for lm study or schoolwork. It’s not going to be a thing.”

Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said the Hokies have already been planning their trip to Stanford on Oct. 5, too. They’re also following the Thursday model.

“A lot of planning already has gone into the Stanford trip, to make sure that we’re going to give our guys the best chance to play well, to feel good,” Pry said. “There’s not a lot of experience with it, but there are some folks out there that have made those types of trips. So we’ve reached out to a lot of people. We’ve had multiple meetings about what that trip’s going to look like.”

Cal and Stanford players, meanwhile, shrugged o worries about the multiple cross-country ights in league play. Mendoza volunteered that he sleeps on planes anyway and added: “If you let it a ect you mentally, it’s going to a ect you mentally.”

“It’s similar to the NFL in a way because NFL teams do that all the time — just travel from state to state, coast to coast,” fellow Bears quarterback Chandler Rogers said. “And it’s really preparation for the next level, I believe.”

take the title of “the best in the county.”

Northwood has a strong chance of maintaining their hold over the county on the team level, mainly because it’ll have two of the county’s best on the individual level in Fowler and Chad Graves.

Other players in the running for the county’s top player are Chatham Central’s Reid Albright, Jordan-Matthews’ Brennen Oldham and Seaforth’s Nate Emerson, should they all return for their respective programs. With transfers also a possibili-

Asheboro’s girls’ basketball team. He lived Asheboro.

Stutts was a multifaceted man known for his deep passion for researching and teaching history and the care he took to get the best out of his athletes.

“Anybody who attended Jordan-Matthews from 1984-2013 will certainly remember a man who worked hard, had impeccable integrity and was just a real professional,” Phillips said.

Stutts reached four regionalnals with the Jets’ girls’ basketball team, including the 2011-12 season when he led the team to a 31-0 overall record and a state title victory against Wilkes Central.

ty, there may even be a surprise player in the mix.

New shortstops at Jordan-Matthews

The 2024 Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference baseball and softball players of the year, shortstops Ian McMillan and Logan Gunter, played their last season in Jets uniforms in the spring. This coming season, both Jordan-Matthews’ baseball and softball teams will have to replace their production at the plate and their defensive impact, especially

“We never discussed the accolades, the championships or the wins until it was over,” Mylia Garner, a member of the 201112 team who scored a team-high 22 points in the championship game, said in a Facebook post honoring Stutts. “It was about being the best version of yourself. … The intangibles he instilled in us won those games and, they won the championships. I just hope he knows he changed my life.”

Once a month, a group of mostly former Jordan-Matthews coaches meet with in Siler City. In July, Stutts delivered a touching speech on his condition and

as the softball team tries to build on its deep playo run in 2024.

Both teams already have solid pieces that can step into larger playing and leadership roles which will be crucial, especially for the baseball team which wants to improve from an underwhelming season.

Seaforth going for back-toback Wells Fargo Cup titles?

Seaforth is bringing back many of its exceptional athletes from across every sports season this year. The Hawks will return

the reality of being in his nal days.

“He gave a (Jim) Valvano-esque inspirational speech about how he had faith,” Phillips said. “He understood that he probably wasn’t going to be here much longer, but he accepted that.”

Phillips added: “We were kind of speechless. Although Steve Lowman said, ‘Well Stutts, just stay as stubborn as you were when you were coaching.’ You know, you have to stand by your principles, and he had integrity.

… I mean people were very emotional.”

Stutts, a 1980 graduate of Trinity High School, graduated

state-title contenders and state champions in girls’ basketball, volleyball, boys’ and girls’ wrestling, golf, swimming and all of the running sports, setting them up for a shot at a second consecutive 2A Wells Fargo Cup title. The Hawks won 13 individual and team state titles last season, and with many individual athletes hoping to repeat or add on to the state championship total, it’ll be interesting to see if Seaforth can dominate the Wells Fargo Cup standings even more than it did in the 2023-24 season.

from UNC Chapel Hill. He’s survived by his wife, Kim, four sons (Andrew, Matthew, John, William) and four grandchildren.

“While his illness and passing is a tragedy, he was secure in his faith in God and his hope in Jesus and wanted everyone he met during his ght to know and to see the blessings he had received,” his obituary by the Pugh Funeral Home said. “He was always giving praise for what God had given him and was able to use his gifts to touch the lives of his family and countless students and players. It was truly a life of impact and fullness and one worthy of celebration.”

GENE GALIN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Isaiah Blair (4), shown here running after a catch against Cummings last season, will be one of the senior leaders on this year’s Northwood football team.

MATT KELLEY / AP PHOTO

California head coach Justin Wilcox speaks during ACC media days in Charlotte.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Georgia receiver Thomas suspended following arrest on cruelty to children, battery charges

Athens, Ga.

Georgia wide receiver Rodarius “Rara” Thomas has been suspended inde nitely following his arrest on charges of cruelty to children and battery, adding to the team’s recent legal woes. Athens-Clarke County jail records show Thomas was booked on felony charges of cruelty to children and misdemeanor battery charges. It is the second arrest for Thomas in two years. Thomas, a transfer from Mississippi State, was arrested by University of Georgia police in 2023 on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor count of family violence battery. The charges were dropped.

NBA Veteran guard Westbrook agrees to 2-year deal with Denver Nuggets

Denver Point guard Russell Westbrook has agreed to a two-year deal with the Denver Nuggets. The move had been expected for several weeks. Westbrook was traded from the Clippers to the Jazz in mid-July. The Jazz bought out his contract and waived him, and the Nuggets began negotiations to bring him in as Jamal Murray’s backup. The Nuggets lacked depth in the playo s and then found themselves in dire need of help at guard after parting with veterans Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson earlier this month.

MLB Angels’ Trout hasn’t started running again after setback in rehab from knee injury

Anaheim, Calif.

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout has yet to begin running, two days after an MRI on his left knee showed no new injury. Trout had surgery on May 3 to repair a torn meniscus in the knee. The three-time MVP began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake but exited after just two innings because of soreness in the knee. Trout said that turned out to be some scar tissue that broke up while he was jogging on the eld. He said then he hoped to resume running “any day now.”

OLYMPICS

Chinese-Chilean table tennis player makes Olympics debut at age 58 in Paris Games

Paris Table tennis player Zeng Zhiying left China in 1989 to teach the sport in northern Chile. Fast-forward 35 years, she will debut in the Olympic Games at age 58 under the name she adopted in the South American nation: Tania. Tania Zeng, who became famous in Chile after winning a bronze medal at the Pan-American Games in Santiago last year, retired from table tennis long ago to have more time to dedicate to a business she opened and eventually start a family. Her dream of becoming a professional athlete returned during the pandemic.

UNC’s Maye could be QB answer Patriots have been seeking

hustled in Polk’s direction to congratulate him.

By Brendan Mcgair

The Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — At times, Drake Maye looked like the answer to the quarterback conundrum the New England Patriots have been seeking since Tom Brady’s departure in 2020.

Drafted third overall in this year’s NFL Draft, Maye made the play of the day during Friday’s training camp practice when he connected with fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk, who leaped over two defenders to make the down- eld catch. The reception prompted loud cheers from the crowd watching from the stands. Maye’s o ensive teammates were also impressed as they

Edge

“It wasn’t a great throw. Looked o the safety a little bit. He (Polk) made a nice catch. Great player. Just give those guys a chance. Looking to see more from JP,” said Maye, who spoke to the media for the rst time since training camp opened. There were also reminders on Friday that Maye is no di erent from the majority of rst-year quarterbacks. There are going to be mistakes, like when he was intercepted by edge rusher Matthew Judon on a pass that was intended for running back Rhamondre Stevenson during an 11-on-11 period. It was the rst time Maye was picked o in camp.

“Just a rookie mistake, no pun intended,” Maye said. “I had a deep shot and was going to throw it to the at late. You have to make sure you look before you throw it.”

The University of North Carolina product immediately bounced back after the interception, hitting receiver Jalen Reagor on an in-route.

“You can’t ride the ups and downs. Every play is a new play. It’s about bouncing back in this league and I’m trying to learn that, but that’s what practice is for,” Maye said. “Got to keep your head up and go back out there and sling it around.” Jacoby Brissett, the quarterback currently ahead of Maye on New England’s quarterback depth chart, lauded the rookie’s ability to bounce back after his mis re.

“Those are the wide-end curves and NFL moments that you need out here,” Brissett said. “I’m doing that myself out here — trying to bounce back with a good play after a bad one.” Maye believes he’s maintained an even-keeled approach

at a time when plenty is getting thrown at him and his teammates.

“Getting a lot of reps and a lot of learning experiences. It’s a fun time to come out here and face the defense. They give us a lot of great looks,” Maye said. “I feel I have a good grasp, but a lot more plays are coming so you have to keep those in mind. There are some plays where I’m doing a good job and others where I can do better.”

Bringing the fans to their feet with a deep pass has been part of an NFL training-camp experience that represents a far cry from what Maye was used to when he was in college.

“It chills the nerves a little bit before going out there for a game. They’re out here every day and give you a grasp of what it’s like,” Maye said. “You see a little kid in the crowd and sign an autograph. That’s what it’s about.”

rusher Burns enjoying rst camp with Giants

The former Panthers star was traded in blockbuster o season deal

By Tom Canavan The Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.

— Training camp days tend to be very long for coaches and their assistants.

There are meetings, practices, more meetings, planning the next day’s workouts and watching seemingly endless lm of the players.

The lm work can be tedious, unless something catches their eye.

Coach Brian Daboll has had that experience since the New York Giants opened camp last week, watching outside linebacker Brian Burns going against left tackle Andrew Thomas on a daily basis.

Burns, the linebacker New York acquired from Carolina, going against the Giants top lineman.

“We say that a lot when we’re watching as a coaching sta ,”

Daboll said Sunday. “Man, that’s a fun matchup to watch. Those guys go at it. They make each other better. They’re both really good football players, so I think it helps us as a team.” Burns said his competition with Thomas has been fairly even.

“I embrace the opportunity,” Burns said. “Ever since he got back, because you know he wasn’t practicing in the beginning of OTAs, but ever since he got back, I’ve been on his

side. We’re de nitely going to get each other better. Today, he kind of got me a little (ticked) o . He edged me out today. So tomorrow we got a battle.”

Monday was the rst day in full pads for the Giants.

“That’s a big step for this whole team to see where everybody’s at, physically, and their mentality,” Burns said. “It’s going to tell a lot about our defense, how we come out and go against our o ense. It’s denitely a big step, and I’m going to put a lot of emphasis on that to our defense.”

General manager Joe Schoen gave up draft picks in 2024 and 2025 and then agreed to give the linebacker a ve-year, $141 million contract with $87 million guaranteed. The Giants now have two outstanding edge rushers with Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. In his ve seasons with the Panthers, he had 46 sacks, including eight last season when Carolina was often trailing in a 2-15 season. Thibodeaux had 111⁄2 sacks last season in his second season and they will bene t having Pro

Bowl tackle Dexter Lawrence creating a push in the middle. Burns has played the right side since camp opened but he said he can play the other. He and Thibodeaux share thoughts on the eld and push one another. “We had a competition yesterday in that last call-it ‘period,’” Burns said. “Whoever got the rst sack had to do 25 pushups or something like that and he got it. I’ll give it to him for now. But yeah, we’re still having that friendly competition. It’s going to help us get better.”

SETH WENIG / AP PHOTO

New York Giants’ Brian Burns participates in a drill during the NFL football team’s training camp.

The former Tar Heels passer is a rookie in New England’s camp

CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) raps knuckles with team owner Robert Kraft during training camp.

Canadian trio Wild Rivers’ elegant harmonies soar on new album, ‘Never Better’

“Never Better” veers more toward pop than most of its previous work

By Scott Stroud The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Canadian folk-pop trio Wild Rivers takes the name of its new album from the opening cut, “Never Better,” but the implied assertion is at least debatable. The band’s last full album, “Sidelines,” landed in 2022 as a no-skip masterpiece, combining memorable, original hooks with angsty lyrics that made the band’s rise to top-tier status seem inevitable. This album, released July 26, doesn’t sustain those heights all the way through, but that’s a high bar. It does contain enough of the band’s secret sauce, the poignant lyrics and elegant harmonies of singers Khalid Yassein and Devan Glover, to qualify as a worthy follow-up.

Of course, it’s never smart for a band to keep doing the same things over again, and Wild Rivers hasn’t done that. The trio,

It contains enough of the band’s secret sauce, the poignant lyrics and elegant harmonies of singers Khalid Yassein and Devan Glover.

whose third member is Andrew Oliver, has always operated on the fault line between folk-Americana and pop. “Never Better” probably veers more toward pop than most of its previous work. Produced by Gabe Wax, who helped the indie band Soccer Mommy develop its appealing jangle-pop sound, the album sometimes allows production to overshadow the band’s real strengths.

Take the title cut, “Never Better.” It’s a ne song, but the opening lick and the song’s main hook sound a little too much like Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars.”

That’s not the worst thing, despite the beating that the band

has taken from some critics, and the lyrics are compelling enough to sustain the groove. But it does leave you waiting for the moments that have set Wild Rivers apart since they emerged from Queen’s University in Ontario less than a decade ago.

And the moments do come. The voices of Yassein and Glover blended together have an uncanny multiplier e ect that takes the songs they sing to breathtaking heights. On “Everywhere I Go,” Yassein takes the lead as Glover shadows him with understated elegance. On “Dance” and “Back re,” they switch it up and let Glover lead the way.

“Back re,” a poignant ballad about the delicate balance between friendship and love, begins with perhaps the rawest moment on the album: Glover begins: “From the second we met, I knew you’d be significant.” It’s unadorned and vulnerable, and her voice meets the moment. He waits until midway through to come in underneath her, happy to help her soar.

So yeah, Wild Rivers is at its best when Yassein and Glover are allowed to rise above the sound. Both are amazing singers, and it would be hard to nd a band with more complementary voices working on each other’s behalf.

Never better? Not necessarily. But it’s still good enough to keep a really good band ying high.

this week in history

MTV, World Wide Web, American Bandstand premiere

Columbus set sail for the New World 532 years ago

“This Week” looks back at the key events from this week in history.

AUG. 1

1936: The Olympics opened in Berlin with a ceremony presided over by Adolf Hitler.

1966: Charles Joseph Whitman, 25, went on an armed rampage at the University of Texas in Austin that killed 14 people.

1971: The Concert for Bangladesh, an all-star bene t organized by George Harrison of The Beatles and sitar player Ravi Shankar, was held at Madison Square Garden in New York.

1981: MTV began its American broadcast; the rst music video aired on the new cable TV network was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles.

AUG. 2

1876: Frontiersman “Wild Bill” Hickok was shot and killed while playing poker at a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, by Jack McCall.

AUG. 3

1492: Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, on his rst voyage to the present-day Americas.

1936: Jesse Owens of the United States won the rst of four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics as he took the 100-meter sprint.

AUG. 4

1790: The U.S. Coast Guard began when President George Washington signed a measure authorizing a group of revenue cutters to enforce tari and trade laws.

1916: The United States agreed with Denmark to purchase the Danish Virgin Islands for $25 million.

1944: Fifteen-year-old dia-

rist Anne Frank was arrested with her sister, parents and four others by the Gestapo after hiding for two years inside a building in Amsterdam.

AUG. 5

1957: The teenage dance show “American Bandstand,” hosted by Dick Clark, made its network debut on ABC-TV.

1962: Movie star Marilyn Monroe, 36, was found dead in her Los Angeles home; her death was ruled a probable suicide from “acute barbiturate poisoning.” South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was arrested on charges of leaving the country without a passport and inciting workers to strike; it was the beginning of 27 years of imprisonment.

AUG. 6

1945: During World War II, the U.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb code-named “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, Japan, resulting

in an estimated 140,000 deaths. (Three days later, the United States exploded a nuclear device over Nagasaki; ve days after that, Imperial Japan surrendered.)

1991: The World Wide Web made its public debut as a means of accessing webpages over the Internet. TV newsman Harry Reasoner died in Norwalk, Connecticut, at age 68.

AUG. 7

1789: Congress established the U.S. Department of War.

1882: The famous feud between the Hat elds of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky erupted into full-scale violence.

1942: U.S. and other allied forces landed at Guadalcanal, marking the start of the rst major allied o ensive in the Paci c during World War II. (Japanese forces abandoned the island the following February.)

AUG. 8

1815: Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena to spend the remainder of his days in exile.

1963: Britain’s “Great Train Robbery” took place as thieves made o with 2.6 million pounds in banknotes.

The costume became famous when Carrie Fisher wore it at the start of the 1983’s “Return of the Jedi”

By Juan A. Lozano

The Associated Press

HOUSTON — The gold bikini-style costume that Carrie Fisher wore as Princess Leia while making “Return of the Jedi” in the “Star Wars” franchise has sold for $175,000, according to the auction house that handled the sale.

The costume became famous when Fisher wore it at the start of the 1983 lm when Leia was captured by Jabba the Hutt at his palace on Tatooine and forced to be a slave. The costume, one of the most memorable in the “Star Wars” movies, was sold last Friday by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.

Joe Maddalena, Heritage’s executive vice president, said the costume that was sold was screen-tested and worn by Fisher on the movie’s set. However, it ultimately did not make it into the nal version of the lm as it was switched out for a more comfortable one.

The auction house said the costume sparked a bidding war among collectors.

Maddalena said he wasn’t surprised by the attention bidders gave to the costume and a model of a Y-wing ghter that took on the Death Star in the

A bikini-style costume, like the one seen at right, worn by actor Carrie Fisher in “Return of the Jedi” sold at auction for $175,000 on July 26.

original “Star Wars” lm, which sold for $1.55 million. He said “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” have avid fan bases.

“The power of ‘Star Wars’ proves itself again. These movies are just so impactful,” Maddalena said.

In a November 2016 interview with NPR’s “Fresh Air,” Fisher said wearing the costume was not her choice.

“When (director George Lu-

cas) showed me the out t, I thought he was kidding, and it made me very nervous. I had to sit very straight because I couldn’t have lines on my sides, like little creases. No creases were allowed, so I had to sit very, very rigid straight,” said Fisher, who died about a month after the interview.

Richard Miller, who created the costume, said in an interview for a “Star Wars” box set that he

used soft material to build it so that Fisher could move around more freely.

“However, she still didn’t like it. I don’t blame her,” said Miller, the chief sculptor for Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects company founded by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas. “I put leather on the back to help it feel better.”

The costume had its share of critics, who thought it sexual-

ized Fisher for the franchise’s male fan base.

In “Interview” magazine in 2015, Fisher told actor Daisy Ridley, who starred in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “You’re going to have people have fantasies about you. That will make you uncomfortable, I’m guessing.” She pushed back against the idea of being a sex symbol and told Ridley to “ ght for your out t.”

“We

famous birthdays this week

Martha Stewart is 83, The Edge rocks 63, Charlize Theron hits 49

The Associated Press

Aug. 2: Keyboardist Garth Hudson of The Band is 87. Singer Kathy Lennon of The Lennon Sisters is 81. Actor Joanna Cassidy is 79. Actor Butch Patrick (“The Munsters”) is 71. Actor Victoria Jackson (“Saturday Night Live”) is 65. Actor Mary-Louise Parker is 60.

Aug. 3: Actor Martin Sheen is 84. Singer Beverly Lee of The Shirelles is 83. Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart is 83. Movie director John Landis is 74. Actor JoMarie Payton (“Family Matters”) is 74. Actor Jay North (“Dennis the Menace”) is 73. Actor John C. McGinley (“Scrubs”) is 65. Singer-guitarist James Het eld of Metallica is 61.

Aug. 4: Actor Tina Cole (“My Three Sons”) is 81. Actor Billy Bob Thornton is 69. Actor Kym Karath (“The Sound of Music”) is 66. Actor Lauren Tom (“Joy Luck Club,” “Men In Trees”) is 65.

Aug. 5: Actor Loni Anderson is 79. Actor Maureen McCormick (“The Brady Bunch”) is 68.

Aug. 6: Children’s music performer Ella Jenkins is 100. Actor-director Peter Bonerz is 86. Actor Louise Sorel (“Days of Our Lives”) is 84. Actor Ray Buktenica (“Rhoda”) is 81. Actor Dorian Harewood is 74. Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan (“The Sixth Sense”) is 54. Actor Soleil Moon Frye (“Sa-

brina the Teenage Witch,” “Punky Brewster”) is 48.

Aug. 7: Humorist Garrison Keillor is 82. Actor John Glover (“Smallville”) is 80. Actor David Rasche (“Sledge Hammer!”) is 80. Country singer Rodney Crowell is 74. Actor Wayne Knight (“Seinfeld”) is 69. Actor David Duchovny (“Californication,” “The X-Files”) is 64. Actor Charlize Theron is 49.

Aug. 8: Actor Nita Talbot is 94. Actor Dustin Ho man is 87. Actress Connie Stevens is 86. Country singer Phil Balsley of The Statler Brothers is 85. Actor Larry Wilcox (“CHiPS”) is 77. Actor Keith Carradine is 75. News anchor Deborah Norville is 66. Guitarist The Edge of U2 is 63.

JIM MONE / AP PHOTO

Garrison Keillor turns 82 on Friday.

REBECCA BLACKWELL / AP PHOTO

Charlize Theron, pictured on the eve of the Paris Olympics, turned 49 on Wednesday.

JOHN SALANGSANG / AP PHOTO

Guitarist The Edge, left, pictured with Bono and Adam Clayton of U2, turned 63 on Thursday.

the stream

Zendaya hits aces, Orville Peck unveils duets, Elizabeth Taylor sparkles

“The Lost Tapes” documentary on HBO lets Elizabeth Taylor tell her story

The Associated Press

STREAMING THIS WEEK, director Luca Guadagnino’s sweaty, synthy “Challengers” makes its streaming debut on MGM, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” lands on Hulu, and the new 30-minute talk show “In uenced” comes to Prime.

MOVIES TO STREAM

Luca Guadagnino’s sweaty, synthy “Challengers” is streaming on MGM+ on Monday for Olympics fever. Even if you missed it in theaters, it’d be hard not to be at least aware of it, what with the teasing photo of Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor perched suggestively on that bed and the ubiquitous “I TOLD YA” T-shirt in paparazzi photos. For the few uninitiated, “Challengers” is set in competitive tennis, where all three are rising stars until an injury forces Zendaya’s character o the court.

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” also arrives on Hulu on Friday. Set generations after the death of Andy Serkis’s Caesar (though he looms large as a gure), the smart apes are now running society, and humans are the primitive ones. This installment introduces a young ape, Noa, played by Owen Teague, whose peaceful village is attacked by some bad actors who have twisted Caesar’s legacy. Mark Kennedy wrote in his 3½-star review for The Associated Press that “this franchise has somehow found new vibrancy” and that “director Wes Ball nicely handles all the thrilling sequences — though the two-and-a-half hour runtime is somewhat taxing.” All nine of the prior lms in the franchise are currently available on Hulu as well.

Léa Seydoux and George MacKay (“1917”) lead the intriguing French sci- “The Beast,” loosely based on the Henry James story “The Beast in the Jungle.” The time-jumping story has Seydoux, as Gabrielle, leading three di erent lives in three di erent time frames (1910 Paris, 2014 Los Angeles and 2044 in which the world is being run by arti cial intelligence and humans desperate for a leg up to try to purify their DNA). The lm, which has shades of horror and romance, was written and directed by Bertrand Bonello and is now streaming on the Criterion Channel.

MUSIC TO STREAM

On his third full-length album, “Stampede,” the masked cowboy Orville Peck tries his hand at the great country tradition of duet albums. A collection of new material, Americana staples and unexpected twists on the genre, “Stampede” features everyone from Willie Nelson and Elton John to Kylie Minogue, Diplo and Mickey Guyton. Nelson and Peck harmonize beautifully on a cover of the queer classic “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other,” and “Papa Was a Rodeo” is an unexpected bluegrass cover of the Magnetic Fields’ song, now featuring Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway. Country-turned-pop singer Maren Morris is readying a new EP, “Intermission,” leading with the singles “Cut!,” a collaboration with Julia Michaels, and the dreamy “I hope I never fall in love,” which slows down the instantly-identi able drum pattern of the Ronettes’ “By My Baby.” Heartbreak, growth and self-discovery are strong themes across “Intermission.”

It’s been less than a year since Morris led for divorce from

her husband, Ryan Hurd, citing the prominent country music couple’s “irreconcilable di erences” after ve years of marriage. Whether that informed the songwriting on this EP or not — these ve tracks are all open-hearted, big-voiced Morris.

On Friday, Los Angeles punk heroes X will release theirnal album, “Smoke & Fiction.” After nearly 50 years — with some intermittent breaks — the band has embarked on their North American farewell tour. “Smoke & Fiction” follows 2020’s “Alphabetland,” their rst album with their original lineup in 35 years — that’s singer Exene Cervenka, vocalist and bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer DJ Bonebrake. There’s much to celebrate here, primarily the band’s enduring sense of immediacy. The lead single from “Smoke & Fiction,” “Big Black X,” is energetic rockabilly punk, which is exactly what you want to hear from their swan song.

SHOWS TO STREAM

A new Spanish-language crime drama called “Women in Blue” (“Las Azules”) start-

ed streaming on Apple TV+ on Wednesday. Based on a true story, it follows four women in Mexico’s rst female police force, established in 1970. They soon discover the step forward in equality is a publicity stunt to distract the public from a serial killer who is targeting women.

When Net ix rebooted the creepy crime favorite “Unsolved Mysteries” in 2020, it was an immediate hit, but there was no lockdown uke. The series dedicated to cold cases and unexplained paranormal activity has fascinated viewers since its inception in 1987. The show uses reenactments and interviews to shed light on unsolved cases and returned with new episodes on Wednesday.

A new 30-minute talk show on Prime Video gives internet personalities a TV platform to delve further into their areas of expertise. “In uenced” is co-hosted by social stars Achieng Agutu, Eyal Booker, Te Pessoa, Taryn Delanie Smith and Cyrus Veyssi. It debuted Thursday. Rob and John Owen Lowe star in the second season of their workplace comedy “Unstable” for Net ix. Out Thursday,

Rob Lowe plays the eccentric founder of a biotech company whose consuming grief over the loss of his wife leads to behavior that threatens the business. Enter John Owen as his socially awkward but more stable son to right the ship.

A new documentary lets Elizabeth Taylor tell her story by relying on 40 hours of recently discovered audio with the late Oscar winner as she recounted her rise to fame. It also features archival footage, personal photos and home videos. “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes” premieres Saturday on HBO and streams on Max.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

When World of Goo oozed onscreen in 2008, it was at the crest of a wave of indie productions that rede ned what it took to make a smash-hit video game. It’s surprising that it’s taken 16 years for a sequel to emerge, but World of Goo 2 is nally on its way. The developers, a tiny studio called 2D Boy, promise that the follow-up is just as puzzling, unpredictable and squishy as the original. It’s out on Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac.

AMY HARRIS / AP PHOTO

Orville Peck, pictured performing in 2022, drops “Stampede” this week.

20TH CENTURY / MGM / HISTORY

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” from left, “Challengers,” and “American Godfathers: The Five Families” stream this week.