Chatham News & Record Vol. 147, Issue 3

the BRIEF this week

Rescued dogs soon ready for adoption

85 dogs and puppies rescued from a suspected Chatham County puppy mill will soon be ready for adoption, the Chatham County Sheri ’s O ce says.

The animals received comprehensive care and support at Animal Rescue Corps’ Rescue Center in Tennessee, and will soon nd their forever homes at three adoption agencies in North Carolina:

Pawfect Match Rescue and Rehabilitation in Holly Springs

Forsyth Humane Society in Winston-Salem Humane Society of Charlotte

Visit the social media channels of those shelters for updates.

Cooper rescinds order setting NIL guidelines

Gov. Roy Cooper rescinded an executive order from 2021 that established guidelines for allowing college athletes to pro t from their fame.

The order originally came as the NCAA cleared the way for college athletes to make money o the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). It was designed as “a standard for for individual institutions to use as they formalize their own policies and procedures” while multiple states passed their own varying NIL laws.

A federal judge recently barred the NCAA from enforcing NIL rules in a case involving the states of Tennessee and Virginia, a ruling that was cited in the decision.

“While these rules were helpful earlier in the process they are no longer necessary and I want to thank our colleges and universities for working with us so closely,” Cooper said in a statement.

Athletic directors at the state’s four ACC schools — Duke, UNC, NC State and Wake Forest — expressed support for the move.

O cials who work for and with booster-funded collectives that handle NIL deals with college athletes nationally have said lifting rules will bring more clarity and simply make permissible what was formerly against NCAA rules regarding athlete compensation.

Cold for a cause

Sheri Mike Roberson poses with,

Attorney

Burnham, Jared Gallaher, John Nieman and Sean Cavanaugh of top fundraising group “I Was In The Pool.” The team raised more than $3,500 for Special Olympics North Carolina in Chatham County Sheri ’s O ce’s annual Polar Plunge on Feb. 24 at Jordan Lake State Park. “Although taking the plunge may sound a little daunting, I chose to participate in this event because the act symbolizes much more than fundraising to me,” said Roberson. “It sends a message that nothing can stop our quest to make a di erence in our community.”

Chapel Hill spends $3M more on Rosemary parking deck

Policies and procedures of advisory boards to be overhauled

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

THE TOWN of Chapel Hill will spend another $3 million on the Rosemary Street Parking

Deck. The funding was approved by Town Council at its March 6 meeting, alongside other matters.

“This is to cover the remaining costs for completing the deck due to materials cost escalation and so forth,” said deputy town manager Mary Jane Nirdlinger. “We started working on this project during a global pandemic as the cost of materials and labor began to rise. We’ve continued to

21-year-old bests longtime Rep. in NC House primary

By James Pollard The Associated

operate in a really unprecedented environment with global disruptions to the construction industry, changes in the cost of the labor market and general cost ination.”

According to director of business management Amy Oland, the additional spending will be temporarily funded through debt service and the town is currently investigating installment nanc-

ing options. The additional costs will also delay the revenue generation of the facility.

“The positive annual cash ow may be pushed, with the additional borrowing, up to scal year 2030, due to the additional amount we need to borrow, the rising interest rates and the delayed opening,” Oland said. “That would mean a total cumulative positive cash ow would be some time in scal year 2033.”

“I know we’re all frustrated by the challenges, delays and cost overruns associated with this project,” Anderson said. “It is an important part of our East Rosemary renovation and innovation

Chatham schools launch teletherapy program for students

By Robert Owens For Chatham News & Record CHATHAM

COUNTY

Schools are now providing students with free teletherapy, virtual mental health consults via a new partnership with Daybreak, a company that specializes in remote mental health care.

“All K-12 students will have access to Daybreak’s evidence-based teletherapy programs,” said an announcement from the company. They aim to help kids understand their emotions, while learning new skills and strategies to manage them.

The program launched last month and within two weeks, nearly 30 students had been referred to Daybreak. Students receive up to 12 weeks of free teletherapy, with programs vary by grade and tailored to be age appropriate.

Elementary aged students will have parents or guardians included in the teletherapy sessions. Children older then 10 have the option to meet privately with their therapist.

“We are dedicated to supporting the holistic well-being of our students,” said Superin-

tendent Anthony Jackson in a statement. The district aims to have mental health services readily available for students.

“Most kids don’t have access to these mental health supports and that schools play a critical role in reaching children in need,” said Daybreak Health CEO Alex Alverado. “I commend Chatham’s school counselors and social workers who worked hard to bring these services into their schools and have been incredible partners and collaborators in quickly getting students into care.”

According to the company, 81% of students who participate see better anxiety and depression scores, with improvements also observed concurrently by teachers and parents.

PHOTO COURTESY SHERIFF MIKE ROBERSON

from left, District

Je Nieman, Steve

THE

House primary winner and East Carolina University student Wyatt Gable.

ers nationwide express misgivings about the older ages of the frontrunners in the 2024 presidential race. Gable, who described himself as a “big Trump supporter,” said he hopes that his candidacy injects youthful energy into a Republican Party that is often dominated by “older people” at county meetings.

While some voters told him he was too young to hold o ce, Gable said, others considered his opponent too old.

“A lot of people were just ready for a fresh face,” Gable said in an interview.

Gable is the president of East Carolina’s chapter of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth group founded by rightwing provocateur Charlie Kirk. In addition to his political advocacy against causes like gender-expansive restroom access, the business management major said he runs club track and plays intramural sports.

The education system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic compelled Gable to pursue elected o ce. As an unvaccinated freshman in college, Gable said, he was required to test every week for the disease. Failure to do so risked the deactivation of his student identi cation card, which meant no access to dining halls. He perceived the policy, which sought to limit the spread of the disease, as “total control.”

While sitting in a microeco-

nomics class one day, Gable said, he sent an email about the issue to Cleveland, the lawmaker he defeated this week. Gable said he never got a response.

“I felt like no one really cared or didn’t want to do anything,” he said. “So, I’m going to be the one that does something.”

Gable hopes one day those ambitions could propel him to the governor’s mansion.

Cleveland, a former Marine Corps drill instructor who leads a budget subcommittee for dozens of state agencies, did not return a message seeking comment.

Cleveland represented his constituents well, Onslow County GOP chair Christine Card said. But she thinks the national conversation around politicians’ ages left voters wanting someone new.

“I don’t think it’s a vote against Rep. Cleveland,” she said. “It’s a vote for change and a vote for youth.” Card commended Gable for taking the race seriously, noting that he even enlisted his buddies to help contact voters. Gable estimates that he alone knocked on 1,000 doors and made 400 phone calls. Supporters handed out campaign materials at almost every voting precinct on election day, Gable added.

He will face Democrat Carmen Spicer in November. He is expected to win the general election in rural Onslow County, home to Camp Lejeune and 120 miles southeast of Raleigh,

the capital. Donald Trump won three out of every ve votes cast in the district for the 2020 presidential election. In the North Carolina General Assembly, Gable plans to tackle education. He said high school students should take more home economics, shop and carpentry classes so they’re “prepared for the real world.” He also wants to put more emphasis on physical activity.

“I’m still in college, so who better to work on the education system than someone that’s a part of it?” Gable said.

Any rst-year representative will face a “learning curve,” Card said. But Gable’s determination to challenge a longtime incumbent “shows something about what he’s made of,” she said, and his inexperience won’t be a problem.

Gable stressed that he would represent constituents of all ages, but that it’s important to include younger voices in public service. He wants to use his platform to improve turnout among people ages 18-29 and encourage that demographic to vote Republican. He acknowledged that the last goal needs a lot of work. The GOP has performed poorly in every election cycle since 2016, he said, and voters don’t always believe the party o ers many solutions.

“Rebranding as a party and not electing the same cookie-cutter candidates,” he said, “is going to be a big part of it.”

CHATHAM happening

SPONSORED BY

mosaicatchathampark.com

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

March 16

EGGstreme Spring Fling | 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Come and celebrate springtime with Chatham County Parks and Recreation at The EGGstreme Spring Fling held at Central Carolina Community College. Community members are welcome to come participate in an egg hunt, eld games, springtime crafts, take a picture with the Easter Bunny, glitter tattoos, and other festivities. Parks and Recreation will also be joined by other departments and organizations to celebrate the season! Be sure to bring your Easter Basket to collect your eggs and other goodies!

“No, We Don’t Eat Grass!: An Introduction to a Plant-Based Diet” | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Dan FitzSimmons a certi ed Food for Life educator with the highly regarded Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine will speak at the Holmes Family Meeting Room at the Chatham Community Library (197 NC Hwy 87 N in Pittsboro). Dan is passionately committed to being a facilitator between nutrition science and the public. By understanding the research, FitzSimmons believes individuals must assume more personal responsibility for their health. He feels that sharing what he has learned is a joyful obligation. For more information call (919) 545-8084.

Creek Geeks Field Day | 12 - 3 p.m.

Join the Siler City Parks & Recreation and Chatham Soil, Water Conservation District, and Loves Creek Watershed Stewards for Creek Geeks Field Day at the end of the Loves Creek Greenway at Bray Park located at 800 Alston Bridge Road, Siler City. Search for macro invertebrate critters living in the creek, measure chemical and physical parameters to assess the water quality, learn more about the natural history of Loves Creek, help clean up trash in the area. Volunteers should expect to wear comfortable shoes for walking throughout the event and prepare clothing that might get wet or dirty. This event is free and open to the public. If you have any questions, please contact Brandy Oldham, Chatham Soil & Water Conservation District Administrator and Education Coordinator at (919) 545-8440 or brandy.oldham@ chathamcountync.gov.

Includes 18 events across a variety of disciplines

By Robert Owens Chatham News & Record

SILVER-HAIRED residents of Chatham County, or at least those 50 and over, will soon have the opportunity to showcase their athletic abilities in the 2024 Chatham County Senior Games and SilverArts competition.

The competition is comprised of 18 events including archery, track and eld, football throw, softball throw, fun walk, golf, croquet, disc golf, swimming, cycling, bocce, bowling, table tennis, basketball shooting, cornhole, pickleball, tennis, and horseshoes. Tennis, pickleball and table tennis events include singles,

Both competitions saw record participation in 2023, with 315 entrants between the two.

doubles, and mixed doubles. Events will be held across the county, including at Carolina Meadows, Carolina Preserve, Pittsboro Center for Active Living, Siler City Center for Active Living, Siler City Country Club, Paul Braxton Gym, Union Grove Church of Hillsborough, Cates Creek Park in Hillsborough, Central Carolina Community College (Pittsboro), Bu aloe Lanes of Cary, and Paddles Swim & Pickleball Club.

The weeklong conservation-focused program includes staying in NC State dorms

Chatham News & Record

THE CHATHAM Soil and Water Conservation District is accepting applications from high school students for the Resource Conservation Workshop, scheduled for June 16-21, 2024, at North Carolina State University.

The weeklong workshop o ers students the opportunity to study and participate in handson activities covering a wide range of conservation topics. Participants will be housed in NC State University campus dormitories under the guidance of live-in counselors. The primary objective of the workshop is to help students learn about natural resources and their management in today’s global environment.

Eligible students include rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have demonstrated an interest in natural resource conservation. High school graduates and previous workshop attendees are not eligible to apply. The workshop can accommodate up to 104 students, and awards and scholarships are available through several programs.

Applications can be found online at the NC Agriculture website or by contacting Brandy Oldham, Education Coordinator, at 919-5458440 or brandy.oldham@chathamcountync. gov.

The deadline for submitting applications is March 22, 2024. Applications should be mailed to 1192 US 64 W Business, Suite 200, Pittsboro, NC 27312, or emailed with all required information attached.

For the artistically, rather than athletically inclined, SilverArts brings together competitors across visual, literary, performing and heritage arts. Both competitions saw record participation in the 2023 games, with 315 entrants between the two. Top competitors will move on to the North Carolina Senior Games and SilverArts. The $20 registration fee will cover an unlimited number of events for participants and includes a Senior Games T-shirt. Register online at torch. ncseniorgames.org through March 29th, or pick up printed registration forms may be picked up at the Pittsboro or Siler City Centers for Active Living, or at Chatham County Parks and Recreation, Carolina Meadows or Siler City Parks and Recreation.

March 3

Brannon Eugenne

Cobb, 48, of Raleigh, was arrested for fleeing from police, reckless driving to endanger, driving with a revoked license.

March 4

Eddie Leon Alston, 41, of Bear Creek, was for

trafficking in opioids and other various drug offenses, felony conspiracy and felony larceny.

Julia Christine Sheets, 26, of Moncure, was arrested for possession of meth and other drug offenses, and trespassing.

March 6th

Krista Anne Tyndall, 41, of Pittsboro, was arrested for DUI.

Perry Lance Locklear, 36, of Bear Creek, was arrested for stealing a catalytic converter and breaking and entering.

THE CONVERSATION

VISUAL VOICES

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

A party of convergence

Last week was also Election Day. Citizens were divided into two warring political camps. On both sides, there was degradation and even demonization of the other.

I AM NOT a Duke basketball fan, but the Cameron Crazies make me smile. Crazy face paintings. They are in the game together; individual hearts rise and fall together with every made and missed basket. I don’t have to cheer for their school to appreciate the feeling of being swept up in a group.

The night before the big game with the Tar Heels, I was one of the spectators at a school play at the Hawbridge School in Saxapahaw. Our friends invited us to the performance of The Wizard of Oz. What a gift! From Dorothy and the Wicked Witch to the large chorus of Munchkins, the students were all amazing. The stage sets were beautiful, and the costumes were superb.

Chatham County is my home, and I have attended equally terri c theater performances at our local high schools. This is not a competition between theater departments, such as the one between colleges on Tobacco Road. The unity I felt was not against any rival. As an outsider to the school and town, I still felt part of the team. Though I didn’t have a child in the show, I rooted for those young people as if they were indeed my own.

Last week was also Election Day. Citizens were divided into two warring political camps. On both

EDITORIAL | BOB WACHS

sides, there was degradation and even demonization of the other. More than eighty years ago, French philosopher Simone Veil questioned the premise of political parties. “A political party is a machine, an organization designed to exert collective pressure upon the minds of all its members. The ultimate goal of any political party is its own growth.” Those are sobering words, which seem as relevant today in America as in Weil’s Europe. The growth of one party may even come at the expense of the country’s overall good.

Weil, however, was not hopeless. “Contradiction,” she wrote, “is a lever of transcendence.” This seems paradoxical, yet diversity might break the social pressures that, like gravity, seem to pull us into the same groups of people who think like us and vote like us. In sharing experiences with those who are di erent from us, we might just discover we share more in common.

As an outsider at Hawbridge School, I felt a spirit of transcendence. Another writer, Flannery O’Connor, claimed, “Everything that rises must converge.” I experienced a new community by being lifted out of my typical tribe. The key was the collective support of the younger generations, a goal that we should all share. Are not all children nally our children?

Better get hoppin’; spring is here

As I came across the back yard toward the house, after putting wood into the heater since a little warmth still feels good, there in the twilight darkness I saw my rst hoppy toad.

I KNOW we haven’t gotten to it yet on the calendar but let me be among the first to say to us all that spring has sprung, arrived and also now is here.

And, yes, I know we’ve had some Winter weather in March and even April through the years. I remember when but a mere lad the famous March of 19somethingoranother when it snowed every Wednesday for three – or was it four – weeks and we went to school on Saturdays, at Midnight and for the month of July.

Then there is the famous April of some other year, which at the moment escapes my memory, which, by the way, is a much shorter trip now than it was when I was on my “A” game just a few short years ago. That particular April it snowed and then snowed some more and then for good measure snowed some more. And there was the Easter of another year when we had snow on the ground . . . or maybe it was that year.

Anyway, depending on which groundhog or TV weather geek you trust, there is a fair to middlin’ chance we won’t have any of the white stuff, which will make it hard to make snow cream. But, if by some chance if we do, fortunately for Shirley, there is a good supply of wife-sized wood for her to stuff into the heater.

But despite the recent weather past as well as the possibility for the future, spring has now reared its head with an unmistakable sign.

It is not the rounds of some daytime temps out of the 40’s and lows below 28 at night, which make the unhooking and draining of hoses for the cattle water tubs a necessity. Neither is it the days when the thermometer has traveled into the 60s and even higher.

It is not the first mowing of grass, something I’ve seen recently as large amounts of clippings lay spread across some rural roads in our corner of the world. Nor is it Mother Nature’s glorious perfume of mowed

wild onions that often accompany first cuttings.

Neither is it the greening of the pasture grass, made that way by the recent heavy rains and warm temperatures and appearances of Mary Sunshine. And it is not the frolic of the spring calves and lambs as they discover they do have much to say about how their extremities move.

It is not the song of the birds outside my bedroom and bathroom windows as they go from limb to limb in the nearby trees, apparently searching out just the right neighborhood for their upcoming families. And it’s not the nightly serenade from the katydids, crickets, tree frogs and other assorted creatures, most of whom are unseen and unnamed, as I listen to them from my back porch as their show goes on down toward the pond. So, you may ask (or maybe not), if the sign of spring is none of these things, then what is it.

Today, tonight really, as I came across the back yard toward the house after putting wood into the heater since a little warmth still feels good, there in the twilight darkness I saw my first hoppy toad.

And I knew: It’s spring.

He was a little fellow, maybe the size of a quarter, and he gave it all he had to get out of my way. But no way was I going to molest him. I’ll leave that to the dogs, who still haven’t figured out the reason toads don’t taste good when they get them in their mouths and then spit them out has something to do with Mr. Toad’s survival instincts as they relate to his bodily functions.

Pretty soon the Toad family will be everywhere, hopping and jumping and hiding from the canines. But for just a moment, this second full week of March, Mr. Toad served a very real and significant purpose –a very gentle reminder that if winter comes (and then goes) can Spring be far behind?

So let it be…

Oh, come on, let the light in!

ME?

Angry? No!!!

My just-wantsan-easy-answer self so wishes I could Google and check o little boxes suggesting self-help items regarding temper mitigation.

Of course not!! No! I’m just…. Well, OK, I’m angry and it’s wisping out of my ears (which means my anger is evident and in direct contrast to my avowed image of being a peaceful Quaker.)

What is wrong with me? I should have greater emotional control. Making barbed comments do not align with my self-image of peaceful communication.

(Excuse me, thou art human; just a minor detail, of course.)

As you might have surmised, I’m struggling with temper control. Me! Temper control! Heretofore I would have considered loss of temper and Jan to be an oxymoron. And yet, today, I’m incredibly self-critical because I seem unable to fully inhabit my value of not displaying uncalled for anger.

Calling a time-out. Do some exploring…

Several years ago, I was diagnosed with the C-word. You know what I’m referring to, right? It’s not a word I like and do find toxic, but cutting to the chase - cancer. Now, we’re all on the same page. Yes? Great.

Since finishing treatment and maintaining ongoing visits with multiple MD providers, I’ve had a much sharper edge to my temper. The kind of edge which, to some degree, mystifies me. My distance from being emotionally grounded to suddenly being pulled along by the temper rapids is, well, very short. Sort of the proverbial 0 to 60 mph in seconds flat. And to top it off, braking my anger is a real challenge. Like trying to contain flood waters, topping a dam.

As someone who has a life-long belief in maintaining self-control, this “0 to 60” emotional propulsion is perplexing and a bit scary. I’ve yet to be completely

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

The State of the Union

THE REPUBLICANS should be mortified. In fact, by all accounts, they are.

Does he still have it in him to do this for four more years?

Rolling Stone featured an entire article quoting their reactions to Alabama Sen. Katie Britt’s embarrassing response to the president’s State of the Union speech. Describing the speech as “feeling more like a rejected audition tape for a supporting role on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’” delivered from a kitchen in Alabama, the magazine recounted being “inundated, sometimes completely unprompted, with messages from longtime GOP operatives, right-leaning pollsters, conservative Capitol Hill staff, MAGA lawyers, and even some senior members of Trump’s own 2024 campaign absolutely torching Britt’s absurdly overdramatic rebuttal.”

As Charlie Kirk tweeted, “Joe Biden just declared war on the American right and Katie Britt is talking like she’s hosting a cooking show whispering about how Democrats ‘don’t get it.’”

In fact, it was Republicans who didn’t get it. They remained glued to their chairs as the president called on his audience to stand up for a procedure that allows American women to choose life — to stand up for reproductive freedom and IVF, in response to the justices from Katie Britt’s home state. It was Joe Biden who looked straight at the justices from the United States Supreme Court and warned them of the political power that women will exercise in the next election. “With all due respect, justices, women are not without electoral and political power,” he said. “You’re about to find out just how much they have.”

Indeed, the IVF decision has shifted the debate about Roe v. Wade and made clear how hypocritical the right is, boxing them in as being against those who are, often desperately, pro-life. This isn’t about abortion, after all, but about reproductive freedom, which Republicans are stubbornly against.

Even Republicans were forced to acknowledge that Joe Biden was at his best. “I’ll give Biden this — he at least gave a better speech than Katie Britt,” a national Republican consultant told Rolling Stone. I’ll give him more than that. He

submerged in the rapids of temper, but what an EFFORT it takes to dog paddle away from the edge (and I was never a strong swimmer to begin with.)

OK, OK, here’s a question I’ve asked myself about this phenomenon. Am I angry due to the ol’ c-diagnosis? (That would be pretty straightforward, wouldn’t it?) And the answer is “I don’t think so.” The initial propulsion of angry emotions first occurred 2 months prior to the diagnosis. (Although, I’m guessing my body’s innate wisdom was already aware of the c-word, but my conscious mind was not.)

Where the heck does this leave me in my inability to fully control my temper? And yes, my less-than-compassionate stance toward myself for actually having these bouts with temper? Oy!

I would love a straightforward answer.

I don’t have one. Sigh. What I do have are these deeply hopeful words from Rainer Maria Rilke, the late German poet:

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves…Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing, live some distant day into the answer.”

My just-wants-an-easy-answer self so wishes I could Google and check off little boxes suggesting self-help items, regarding temper mitigation. It just isn’t happening. Looks like I’ll need to persist in discerning answers, answers that include, oh yes, you’re still a good person, Jan, even if you’re occasionally falling short of your values. OK…..

It’s rainy and overcast outside today and I’m sounding rather cranky about yet another challenging internal journey of discovery. (Enough already!) Time for a reframe.

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” (Leonard Cohen.)

Oh, my, so much more uplifting to my spirit. A reframe worth embracing.

answered the question that even Democrats have been asking. Does he still have it in him to do this for four more years? Does he have the vigor?

The man on the podium on Thursday night does. For an hour, he commanded the audience and the nation. No stumbling. No shaking. He was forceful and articulate, very much the leader in control and the commander in chief.

When was the last time you saw Donald Trump in that role?

The general election campaign began last night. Up to now, to be sure, Biden and Trump have both been in the position of winning every Tuesday, but Biden has been running against no one. That doesn’t really count. Trump had real opponents, which turned him into a real winner. That gave him momentum, the appearance of being on a roll, of triumph in a MAGAesque sea of believers. The sea changes now. That contest is over.

This month, the winner becomes the defendant. The defendant in chief must take on the commander in chief; the man in the Oval Office goes up against the man sitting at the defense table every day addressing hush money payoffs to his mistress. During the primaries, Trump managed to use his courtroom appearances as he chose: coming when it suited him, lambasting his opponents, raising money from his base. The rules change in criminal trials. He must appear every day. He is facing financial troubles. He will lose the fundraising competition. The MAGA base can’t compete with what Biden has been raising or will continue to raise. The steps of a courthouse compare poorly to the photo opportunities a president can command. The appeal of a whining victim flanked by a changing cast of lawyers is largely limited to the faithful. And with issues like hush money and posting bonds and paying E. Jean Carroll, not to mention surrogates like Katie Britt, Trump’s ability to control the agenda is drastically limited.

Joe Biden needs more opportunities like Thursday night to show that he has the right stuff. But the State of the Union was an important step in reassuring Democrats and giving Republicans cause for worry about just what comes next.

RAVIKANT VARANASI

March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month

COLORECTAL CANCER (CRC), or cancer of the colon or rectum, is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that almost 153,000 Americans will be diagnosed with CRC in 2024, and about 53,000 people will lose their lives to this preventable disease. In North Carolina alone, nearly 3,500 people will be diagnosed.

CRC is a terrible disease, but there is a silver lining. Unlike other lethal cancers originating in the lung, breast, and pancreas, CRC is the only cancer which can be prevented at the same time screening is performed.

About 95% of colon cancers begin as benign but precancerous growths in the colon called polyps. Over time, mutations in their DNA can occur, causing them to grow, spread deeper into the colon wall, and transform into malignant tumors which can spread to lymph nodes around the colon and even distant sites throughout the body. Fortunately, this process takes many years, allowing ample opportunity to detect and remove these polyps before becoming cancerous.

Colonoscopy has become a common cancer screening procedure over the last several decades. Because of the increasing use of colonoscopy for CRC screening, decreased smoking, and improved treatments, the good news is that death rates from CRC have decreased in women by 60% since 1969 and by 55% in men since 1980.

While CRC deaths have dropped, the unfortunate fact is that only 72% of Americans are up to date with colon cancer screening. North Carolinians fare slightly better than the national average, as 75% of NC residents have been screened for CRC. Certain subgroups of people, including Asians, Hispanic/Latinos, and Native Americans, have screening rates well below average.

In recent years, there has been an alarming rise in CRC among young people. Overall, the lifetime risk of Americans developing CRC is about 1 in 23, but the rate of CRC is rising precipitously in those under 55 years of age. Since the mid-1990s, the incidence of CRC in people under 55 has risen by 1 to 2% per year. Since the mid-2000s, the death rate from CRC in people under 50 years of age has increased by 1% annually. Today, CRC is the leading cause of cancer death in men and the second leading cause of cancer death in women under age 50. Unfortunately, due to delayed detection, younger people often have more advanced disease and are less likely to respond to treatment. While many theories exist about the cause of this disturbing trend, it is likely a combination of factors. A sedentary lifestyle and being overweight or obese may be important. Smoking and excessive alcohol use may factor in. Eating a diet low in ber and high in fats, meats, and ultra-processed foods may contribute. Genetics also plays a role in certain cancers, as a family history of CRC and genetic syndromes (such as Lynch syndrome) increase risk. Like any other disease, detecting CRC early improves survival. The ACS recommends everyone aged 45 and older be screened for CRC. People with risk factors, such as family history, may need to be screened sooner. Discuss your medical and family history with your primary care provider to determine when to begin colon cancer screening.

The US Preventive Services Task Force, a national group of experts in disease prevention, has approved several types of screening tests. It is important to understand the di erences between them to know which type of screening is most appropriate for you. Colonoscopy remains the gold standard of screening and is the only test that can screen for and prevent colon cancer simultaneously. Colon cancer develops silently, so an absence of symptoms should never discourage screening. It is common, deadly, and becoming more prevalent among younger people. BUT

IT IS PREVENTABLE! Disgust for the bowel preparation, a busy schedule, or any other excuse is no reason to be at risk because undergoing CRC screening just may save your life.

Dr. Ravikant V. Varanasi, MD, AGAF practices at the Pinehurst Medical Clinic.

BE IN TOUCH

Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 1201 Edwards Mill Rd., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.

Frankie Louise Cockman

Mueller

April 19th, 1932 – March 5th, 2024

Frankie Louise Cockman

Mueller, 91, went home to be with her Lord and savior on

Tuesday, March 5th, 2024, surrounded by family.

She was born in Chatham County to Atlas Franklin Cockman and Lizzie McIver Cockman on April 19th, 1932. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Joseph L. Mueller; daughter, Rebecca Louise Jordan; her brothers, Pete, Otis, Bill, Allen, and Buddy Cockman.

She is survived by her sons, Je Mueller and his wife Dawn of Pittsboro, Terry Mueller and his wife, Jackie of China Grove; her daughter, Judy Seymore of Rockwell; her sister, Mary Hartshorn

Claxton Leonard Johnson

March 12th, 1941 – March 9th, 2024

Mr. Claxton Leonard Johnson, 82, passed away Saturday, March 9, 2024, at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC. Claxton was born in Chatham County, March 12th, 1941, and remained a citizen of Siler City, NC and member of Loves Creek Baptist Church through his lifetime. Claxton was known by people nationwide as the owner of Johnson’s Restaurant and its

of California; grandchildren, Joseph, Emilee, and Je ery Mueller, Bryan and Jayme Jordan, Melinda Hamilton, Kathy Smith, Robert Dixon, Ashley Gainey, and Courtney Needham; multiple great grandchildren and nieces and nephews; and her dear friend, Nancy Underwood.

Frankie was a graduate of Appalachian State University and was a national certi ed esthetician. She was the owner/ operator of Hair World Beauty Shop and she taught at Central Carolina Community College. Frankie was the past president of NCANC and was a member of First Baptist Church. She was a member of the Rachel Allred Sunday School class. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, owers, and traveling. She loved her grandchildren and spending time with family.

A visitation will be held Thursday, March 21st, 2024, from 4 to 5 pm at First Baptist Church, with memorial service following at 5 pm. O ciating the service will be Reverend Scott Faw, Reverend Tony Capehart, and Reverend Bob Wachs.

In lieu of owers, family would like memorials made to UNC Hospice. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Mueller family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com

famous cheeseburgers. Started in 1946 by his parents, from the age of 5 until his retirement he could be found behind the grill cooking and chatting with his many friends and patrons. Claxton was an expert marksman and served our nation in the Army National Guard with an honorable discharge on March 31, 1967. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clyde Leonard Johnson and Evelyn Christine Johnson. He is survived by his wife, Frances Johnson; daughter Carolyn Johnson Routh and son in law Daniel Routh; grandsons Tristan Stuart and Caemon Stuart.

A visitation will be held from 6-8pm, Monday, March 11, 2024, at Smith and Buckner Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held at Loves Creek Baptist Church in Siler City, NC on March 12, 2024, at 2:00 PM, with Lee Callicutt o ciating. Burial to follow in the church cemetery. Online condolences may be made at: www. smithandbucknerfh.com

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

SHIRLEY MAE SALMON

DEC.13TH, 1935 – MARCH 4TH, 2024

Shirley Mae Salmon, age 88, of Sanford, NC, passed away Monday, March 4, 2024 at home surrounded by her family.

She was born in Lee County, NC on December 13, 1935, to the late Richard Hall, Sr. and Inez Holder Hall. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Richard Hall, Jr. She enjoyed cooking, visiting friends and neighbors, and eating seafood and drinking her Bojangles’s sweet tea. She loved attending her ladies bible study group. Most of all she loved her family, and was extremely blessed by her children, grandchildren, great-children, and great-great-grandchildren, reaching a 5th generation.

She is survived by her daughters Cindy Johnson and husband Mike of Sanford, Kay Britt of West End, Mary Thomas and husband Dave of Sanford, and sister Jenny Spainhour.

She is also survived by grandchildren Crystal Hennings and husband Bryan, Justin Britt and wife Briana, Eric Britt and wife Tara, Stacey McElveen and husband Brian, Dustin Lett and wife KayTea, stepgranddaughter Stephanie Liverett, great-grandchildren Michaela Kirby, Dylan Barreras, Ava Grace, Hudson, and Holden Britt, Mason, Isabella, and Colton McElveen, Della Mae Lett, step-great grandsons Gabriel, Mason, and Sebastian Liverett; great-great granddaughter Fineley Paige Barreras and a very special friend and adopted grandson Travis Corley.

Family will receive friends Friday, March 8, 2024, at Tramway Baptist Church from 1:30-2:45 PM

Funeral Service will follow at 3:00 PM at Tramway Baptist Church, with the burial at Grace Chapel Church Cemetery.

DOUGLAS ALLEN HAYES

Douglas Allen Hayes, 71, passed away peacefully Sunday morning with family. He is survived by his wife, Pam C. Hayes, daughter, Salena Smith, son-in-law, Zach Smith, grandchildren, Emily and Oliver Smith and sister, Brenda Cooley of Fla.

JOHN MATTHEW THOMAS

OCT.26TH, 1974 – MARCH 7TH, 2024

John Matthew Thomas, age 49, of Broadway, NC, passed away at his home on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

He was born in Moore County, NC on October 26, 1974, to the late Johnie Darrell Thomas and Lorace Olivia Jones Thomas. Matthew retired from Lowes Foods where he enjoyed greeting customers and making certain that their purchases were bagged just the right way. He loved driving his car to work and chau euring his Daddy around town. Matthew’s very favorite place to be was outside where he enjoyed his daily walks around the neighborhood.

Matthew is survived by his sister Stephanie Thomas Green of Sanford; uncle Walter Richard Jones and wife Sununta of Southern Pines; aunt Sandra Shope of Sanford and cousins Marc Shope and wife Wendy of Raleigh and Corbett Shope and wife Mary of Apex.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, from 2:30 PM until 4:30 PM at Bridges-Cameron Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held on Thursday, March 14, 2024, at 11:00 AM at Morris Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery with Rev. Kevin Seymour o ciating.

LARRY CARLTON THOMAS

AUG.27TH, 1934 – MARCH 9TH, 2024

Larry Carlton Thomas, age 89, of Bear Creek, died Saturday, March 9, 2024, at First Health Hospital in Moore County.

Larry was born in Chatham County, on August 27, 1934, to the late Sam Thomas and Dora Ray Thomas. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Ann Thomas, three brothers, Ed Thomas, Melvin Thomas, and Carson Thomas, and one sister, Lilla Foushee.

Surviving relatives include two sons, Curtis Thomas of Pittsboro, Kenneth Thomas, and wife Vickie of Pittsboro, one daughter, Tonya Thomas of Bear Creek, six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and one brother, Julian Thomas of Siler City.

The family will receive friends Friday, March 15, 2024, from 6PM to 8PM at Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory Gri n Chapel.

The family has requested no owers. In lieu of owers any donations that are made in Larry’s memory would be greatly appreciated to the Thomas family.

Condolences may be made at www.donaldsonfunerals.com.

Pauline Garza

Andrew

Sept.20th, 1934 – March 8th, 2024

A loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Pauline Garza Andrew passed away peacefully, at home, on March 8, 2024, with her six children by her side. She was born on September 20, 1934, in Poth, Texas, the daughter of Cristino and Rosa Sauceda

Garza, deceased. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Phillip Rader Andrew; sisters Nora Altamirano (Alfred), Sara Garza, and Andrea Garza; and sons-in-law, John F. Clayton and Russell Thomas.

Pauline is survived by her children: Judy Cobb (Roger), Carmen Woody (Charles), Carol Thomas, Paula Davis (Gary), Lori Brewer (Jack) and Bryan Andrew; 8 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. She is also survived by a brother, Cristino Garza, Jr. (Connie) and a sister, Rose Hedges, of Texas, along with many nieces and nephews.

Pauline grew up in San Antonio, Texas and treasured her Texas roots. She was a homemaker for many years, as she raised her children. Later, she worked in textiles, including several years at Boling Chair in Siler City. Pauline enjoyed travel, ower gardening, music, antiques, and quilts. She will be remembered

for her generous heart, laughter, and loving spirit.

Special thanks to Dr. Kyle Jon Melvin and the UNC Hospice Team. The family also thanks the Silk Hope Emergency Responders for their assistance. A funeral service is scheduled for 2:00PM on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at South Fork Friends Church, with Daniel Thames and Andrew Needham o ciating, burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive visitors following the service, in the church fellowship hall, and other times at the residence.

In memory of Pauline, you are invited to plant something that will bloom in your landscape for years to come. Memorials may be made to The Assistance Fund/Parkinson’s, 8427 Southpark Circle Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32819. Smith & Buckner funeral home is assisting the Andrew family.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in NSJ at obits@northstatejournal.com

Betty Lou Betts

Bristow

Sept.8th, 1939 – Feb.29th, 2024

Betty Lou Betts Bristow passed peacefully from this world February 29, 2024, at her home, after a year of declining health. Betty was born September 8th, 1939, in Buckhorn in Harnett County NC to Josiah Dexter (J.D.) Betts and Clara Florence Baker. Betty spent her younger years in both Harnett and Lee counties, graduating from Benhaven High School in Harnett County in 1957. In 1961, Betty was introduced to Larry Wilson Bristow by mutual friends. The couple fell madly in love, marrying shortly thereafter on October 8th, 1961, in Bennettsville SC.

The Bristow’s made a life in Sanford where children Anthony (Tony) and Kimberly (Kim) were born. In 1967, shortly after Larry began working at Kellwood Company, the family moved to Siler City. Two more children, Michelle, and Tracy were born after the family settled in Siler City. Betty spent the early years of her children’s lives as a homemaker and caregiver for her children, as well as caring for other children in their home. Once the kids grew older, Betty became employed outside the home, working at both LoMark and McDonalds. In her early forties, Betty decided to pursue her dream of becoming a hairdresser and obtained her cosmetology degree from CCTC in Sanford. She then worked at several beauty shops in Siler City for over two decades. Even after retirement, she continued to cut hair for her family and close friends until her arthritis in her hands made it impossible. Betty enjoyed family

Louise Gaines Mclaughlin

Jan.7th, 1927-March 5th, 2024

Louise Gaines McLaughlin, 97, of Siler City passed away Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at her home.

Lou was born on January 7, 1927, in Goldston, NC to John and Mattie Hancock Gaines. As one of 10 children and among the oldest, she was often the go to person for counsel for a large family even late into her life.

After graduating Goldston High School, Lou worked at several Siler City firms including A.J. Schneierson’s where she developed a special and lasting friendship with co-worker, Mary Stout. Louise Gaines married Buddie Cleo McLaughlin Jr., February 20, 1953, together they raised a beautiful family including three children, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Their enduring love and support for one another is a lasting gift to all. As an active and loyal member of Loves Creek Baptist Church, she worked to support children’s programs and was a dedicated deacon’s wife. She

vacations, cooking for her family, playing in the snow, planting owers, watching wildlife (especially birds) and traveling with her husband.

In addition to her parents, Betty was predeceased by her younger sister, Shirley Betts, mother-in-law Minnie Ruth McRae, sister-in-law Janette Ashley and husband Bobby, and brother-in-law John Harold Tyson.

Left to cherish Betty’s memory are her husband of 62 years, Larry of the home; and 4 children: son Tony (Stretch) Bristow and wife Donna of Siler City; Kimberly (Kim) B. Gaines and husband Ricky of Bear Creek; Michelle Bristow of Siler City; and Tracy Bristow and girlfriend Kimberly Thomas of Pittsboro.

Grandma Betty (Gma) also leaves behind 7 grandchildren whose lives were very much shaped by her love and constant presence: Marlene Gaines of Je erson; Jedidiah (Jed) Bristow and wife Abby of Siler City; Shelby G. Stitcher and husband Nathan of Hays, KS; Erin Bristow Spear and husband Justin of Newland; Luke Pierce and wife Kaitlin of Siler City; Emily Pierce of Siler City; and Madison Gaines of Bear Creek.

Betty is also survived by great-granddaughters Marlee Stonecipher of Je erson, and Ellie Spear of Newland. Another Spear great-grandchild is expected in July.

Betty also leaves behind brother-in-law Tommy Tyson and wife Jackie of Robbins, sister-in-law Janice Tyson of Asheboro and several nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors and friends.

The family will receive friends and family from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday 3/2/2024 at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home. A celebration of life service will be held at Brookdale Baptist Church on Sunday 3/3/2024 at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. John Klink, Jr. o ciating. A private burial service will follow at Lee Memory Gardens in Sanford. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Brookdale Baptist Church P.O. Box 428 Siler City, NC 27344. Smith & Buckner Funeral Homes is assisting the family. Online condolences can be made at www. smithbucknerfh.com

was assertive in sharing her faith with family and friends. Lou loved beautiful things and delicious food. She was an excellent cook and mother. She spoke truths from her heart and will be remembered for her wisdom. She was preceded in death by her husband Buddie, parents, and siblings: Oren Gaines, Mary Lee Gaines Powers, Fred Gaines, Alton Gaines, Bill Gaines, Betty Gaines Stone, John Gaines, Jr, Ella Gaines Brower

She is survived by her children: Linda McMasters of Siler City, Jan Brewer of Siler City and Tommy McLaughlin of Ocean Isle; Sister: Frankie Bridges of Siler City; Grandchildren: Carla McMasters Murray, Ashley Brewer, Grant McMasters, Mary Brewer, Blair Brewer Baxter, and Chandler McLaughlin; Great-grandchildren: Cole and Owen Murray, Harrison and Hadley Brewer, Hailey and Olivia McMasters, Ella and Nora Baxter; and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to: Pam White, Jasmine Basilio, and Any Arita Palma for their loving and dedicated care.

A graveside service will be held Friday, March 8, 2024, at Loves Creek Baptist Church in Siler City at 1pm with Reverend Kenny Black officiating.

Memorials may be made to Loves Creek Baptist Church, 1745 E 11th Street, Siler City, NC 27344. Smith and Buckner Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Online condolences can be made at www. smithbucknerfh.com

CLASSIFIED ADS

REAL ESTATE

LEARN ABOUT LAND - Chatham Land Experts, www.learnaboutland.com919-362-6999

LAND FOR SALE

7 ACRES FOR SALE-360 FT FRONTAGE-3794 North Hwy.87, Pittsboro, NC-$235,000 OR Partnership with grading company. Call or text Thomas at 704-650-0348.

RENTALS, APARTMENTS

Home For Rent-3 bedroom, 1 ½ bath brick ranch home located at 500 Eden Hills, Siler City, NC, for lease on a yearly basis at $1,400 per month, yard maintenance year around included. All appliances remain, no pets and no more than two adults and two children. Call Meacham Realty at 336-622-1998 in Liberty for more information.

POWELL SPRINGS APTS. Evergreen Construction introduces its newest independent living community for adults 55 years or older, 1 and 2 bedroom applications now being accepted. O ce hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 919-5336319 for more information, TDD #1-800735-2962, Equal housing opportunity, Handicapped accessible

RENTALS, APARTMENTS

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

AUTOS FOR SALE

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

WANTED

Seeking to rent two parking spaces for car sharing services in the general Pittsboro/Siler City Area. Please call or text 919-5032021.

YARD SALES

PITTSBORO CHRISTIAN VILLAGE, 1825 East St., Pittsboro

HUGE ANNUAL YARD SALE, Fri & Sat

March 22nd 8 am - 5 pm.

March 23rd 8 am – 1 pm. Furniture, Kitchen Appliances, Cookware, Bakeware, Home Décor, Linens, Craft items, and much more!

AUCTIONS

RICKY ELLINGTON AUCTIONEERS

- Equipment, business, liquidation, estates, land, houses, antiques, personal property, coins, furniture, consignments, bene ts, etc., NCAL #7706, 919-548-3684, 919-6633556, rickyellingtonauctions@yahoo. com,

SERVICES

RAINBOW WATER FILTERED

VACUUMS, Alice Cox, Cox’s

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

SERVICES

JUNK CARS PICKED UP Free of charge. Due to many months of low steel prices and unstable steel markets, we cannot pay for cars at this time. Cars, trucks, and machinery will be transported and environmentally correctly recycled at no charge. 919-542-2803.

SERVICES

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

DIGGING AND DEMO-Land improvements, mini-excavating, stump removal, mobile home and building tear-down, all digging. Call John Hayes, 919-548-0474.

HELP WANTED

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

34 Winston Way Pittsboro, NC

Apartment Community (Located behind Lowes)

Three Bedroom Units

Rental Assistance Available

based on income

Please call 919-533-6198

TDD/TYY # 800-735-2962

This institution is an equal opportunity provider & employer

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 919-726-8620 o en 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344 de alojamiento para esta solicitud.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned LEIGH ANN GALLUCCI, having quali ed on the 6TH day of MARCH, 2024, as

of the Estate of CHARLES RICHARD

PARKING , from page A1

hub endeavors.”

The council also heard a presentation on a new framework for the town’s numerous advisory boards following a review and assessment of the current system of boards and commissioners.

A team of town sta was put together last year to assess the boards and answer questions for the council around cost-to-benet, the role of the boards, whether any can be consolidated or done away with, and how to ensure that the town’s population is properly represented.

The main ndings included that meetings were too long and the hours sta spent in pre- and post-meeting work was considerable, translating to a cost of around $10,000 per month, explained Susan Brown, executive director of strategic communications and marketing for the town.

The sta panel’s recommendation is to implement a new set of best practices, including a uniform naming policy, a de ned charge as policy advice to Council, increases in membership to seven per board, consistent membership practices and terms of o ce, de ned roles for chair, vice chair and liaison, consistent agenda structure and content, guidelines to meet only while council is in session from September

Título I (Ayuda a los niños desfavorecidos a alcanzar altos estándares)

Título II (Maestros y directores de alta calidad)

Título III (Adquisición del Lenguaje)

Título IV A (Apoyo al Estudiante y Enriquecimiento Académico) McKinney-Vento (Educación para personas sin hogar) Programa de Educación para Familias Migrantes (MEP, por sus siglas en Inglés)

Carreras y Educación Técnica (CTE, por sus siglas en Inglés)

Los estudiantes de preparatoria pueden inscribirse, sin costo, en clases de créditos universitarios a través del programa Career and College Promise. .Esto incluye vías de estudio de Educación Técnica y Profesional. IDEA (Estudiantes con Discapacidades) Actualmente se encuentra en proceso de modi cación el Proyecto de Ley de Educación para Personas con Discapacidad (IDEA-Parte B, Ley Pública 108.446). El Proyecto describe los programas de educación especial que las Escuelas del Condado Chatham proponen para nanciamiento federal para el año escolar 2024-2025. Se anima a las personas interesadas a revisar las enmiendas al Proyecto y hacer comentarios sobre la implementación de la educación especial bajo este Programa Federal. Todos los comentarios serán considerados antes de la presentación del Proyecto modi cado al Departamento de Instrucción Pública de Carolina del Norte en Raleigh, Carolina del Norte. Estos proyectos describen los programas que las Escuelas del Condado Chatham proponen para nanciamiento federal para el año escolar 20242025. Se anima a las escuelas privadas sin nes de lucro y a las personas interesadas a revisar estas pautas federales para los proyectos enumerados anteriormente e indicar su interés en participar en los proyectos si cali can. Estos proyectos se están desarrollando durante abril y mayo y deben entregarse al Departamento de Instrucción Pública de Carolina del Norte el 30 de junio de 2024. La reunión inicial de Servicios Equitativos para Escuelas Privadas se llevará a cabo el 26 de marzo de 2024 a las 2:00 PM, en persona en la dirección listada abajo. Se anima a las partes interesadas a comunicarse con la o cina de Carol Little, Directora Ejecutiva de Programas Federales y Mejoramiento Escolar, en la Junta de Educación del Condado de Chatham, P. O. Box 128, 468 Renaissance Dr, Pittsboro, N.C.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

The undersigned ALEXIS COOKSLEY, having quali ed on the 11TH day of MARCH, 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of TRACY SCOTT COOKSLEY, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms

through June, having at least four meetings per council session and to have Board 101 training including on diversity, equity and inclusion or DEI.

A series of “equitable” practices were also recommended including recruitment e orts towards under-represented populations; changing applications to learn more about skills, interests and lived experiences; coming up with more objective ways to evaluate applicants and make appointment recommendations; and an annual calendar for recruitment, selection, appointment and training.

The council felt they needed more discussion on the matter before making anal decision.

“We have done some amazing things in trying to address equity issues and representation on our boards,” said council member Paris Miller-Foushee. “Despite those e orts, we have not seen the needle really move, and so investing in a structure that is not serving a value that we have and trying to x it is an issue.”

“We need to be very clear.” said council member Camille Berry. “For us not to have clarity for that long and beyond is criminal to everyone who participates. We are abusing their time, especially the sta .” The Town of Chapel Hill Council will next meet March 20.

accolades CCCC Fall 2023

The following Chatham County students were named to the Central Carolina Community College President’s List or Dean’s List last semester.

President’s List students received A’s in at least 12 semester hours of classes, with no incomplete grades.

Dean’s List students earned a +3.5 GPA for the term across at least 12 semester hours of class, with no grade lower than a C and no incompletes.

President’s List

Kelsey Meredith Andrews

Samantha Leigh Andrews

Pietra Presente Baccarelli

Lucas Gaston Beaulieu

Sawyer Elizabeth Beavers

Allison Kay Bender

Isabelle Lauren Blair

Hunter Adrian Brown

Mary Grace Brown

Thomas Mitchell Campbell

Caitlin Elea Carter

William Corbett Carter

Andraya Dream Church

Haley E Corley

Crozes Sebastian Crean

Brandon Douglas Downs

Paulette Garcia

Vielka Ninel Gonzalez

Gomez

Brookelyn Marie Hall

Kyle James Hickey

Luc Elijah L. Horne

Troy Dale Howard

Nathaniel Dean Hull

Ellie Isgett

Martin Gallegos Jaime

Taylor Makenzie Jones

Joseph Samuel King

Estefani Merida Lopez

Faith Lydia Mallard

Aniya Samor Martin

Jayley Carolyn Martin

Nayeli Martinez

Arianna Marie Massie

Marc Anton Miller

Ethan Hunter Aubrey

Mitchell

Mackenzie Erin Mize

Abigail Grace Motteler

Quan Minh Nguyen

Morgan Tyler Oestereich

Conor Patrick Oleary

Andrew Rives Parker

Lindsay Hearn Parker

Aleah Christine Powell

Ava Marie Prete

Ashlee Renee Rains

Amanda K Rohn

Dana C Schouten

Elizabeth Wrenn Spillman

Eva Rose Stackpole

Austin Kyle Tate

Katelyn Nicole Tijerina

Jack Matthew Triglianos

Andrew Charles Trotter

Michael Benitez Vasquez

Anna Gabriela Ichel Vicente

Kaylee Rose Watt

Ava Madeline Winn

Annastasia Ryan Woody

Alena Morgan Wray

Ania Isabella Yarish

Kathryn Grace Zucker

Dean’s List

Hannah Jolene Bain

Brianna Gail Beard

Wyatt Lucas Blanton

Maie Justine Blythe

Justin Wesley Brown

Grantham Hudson Buchanan

Mattie Kay Buckner

Natalie Clair Cajado

Matthew Ray Cheek

Caleb Edward Cleary

Naya Makenna Cole

Isabella Reese Collins

Haley Lynn Culberson

Trinity Maria-Min Dean

Rachel DominguezParedes

Skylar Rose Donner

Ava M E rein

James Sawyer Elkins

Johanna Ricardo Flores

Tanner Jacob Fogle

Eduardo Gonzalez

Jasmine Faith Graham

Nautica Star Graham

Natalie Kail Hamel

Carlee Diane Harris

James Liam Harrison

Avery Grace Headen

Alanna Sage Ho man

Kasey Christopher Holder

Ashlynn Jade Humphrey

Michelle Erika Kirkman

Gabriel Lee Klier

Kyle Taylor Leach

Kevin Ray Lee Jr

Gage Lucas Lindley

Ryan Marie Linkhorn

Penelope Escobedo

Escobedo Lopez

Manuel Enrique Mata

Riley Nicole Maynor

Amanda Jayde Miller

Jesse Wayne Mitchell

Reagan Tess Mize

Sebastian Nava-Plata

Dylan Lamb O’Daniel

Samantha M Padro

Meredith Renee Reese

Jocelyn Renne Rickman

Leah Naomi Riggsbee

Mitchell Gabriel Rist

James Kent Roberton

Lindsey Dare Russell

Katelyn Ruth Sche er

Haley Nova Schouten

Cedric Matthew Schwartz

Jacob Brian Shaw

Sarah Catherine Shireman

Lucas William Smith

Corey Kim Snell

Juan Felipe Hernandez Soto

Lexi Jaylin Spivey

Lillian Elise Sylvia

Dana Claire Szpunar

Rosalba Jaimes Tapia

Jordan Nicole Jewel Taylor

Chase Montgomery Toy

Paul Joseph Trageser

Joshua Cole Vickrey

Keaghan Faith Wilcox

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Brianna Marie Barner

Sabrina Ashley Black

Megan A Brissette

Jewel Elizabeth Castonguay

Susell Zoe Castro

Eric William Dale

Valerie M Damasin

Kaitlyn Elizabeth Daniels

Ryan Thomas Davis

Taylor Michelle Gallow

Joshua Len Harrelson

Charles Thomas Hildreth

Jessica Jimenez

Judith Anne King

Deja Sterling

Caitlin Lily Wildman

CHATHAM SPORTS

Northwood comes up short in fourth round, loses to Farmville Central, 77-70

The Chargers nished their season with a 27-4 overall record

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

NORTHWOOD’S QUEST to avenge last year’s state nal defeat came to an early end Friday night.

In a 2A East fourth round showdown in front of a packed crowd between No. 1 Farmville Central and No. 4 Northwood, the Chargers fell just short of making a regional appearance, 77-70.

Led by junior guard MJ Williams, Farmville Central lit the net on re, hitting 13 threes at a 59 percent three-point shooting clip throughout the night.

A few buckets from Williams and a solid defensive e ort gave the Jaguars a small lead to open the game, but Northwood sophomore Cam Fowler came o the bench and scored six quick points to get the Chargers right back in it.

The game went back and forth in the nal minutes of the rst quarter as both teams were tied at 17 going into the second.

Northwood also got some solid production from seniors Fred Whitaker and Jake Leighton and junior Beau Harvey, as they

combined for 21 points in the rst half. Their contributions were much needed, for Farmville Central did a good job of containing senior Drake Powell in the rst half, holding him to just six points.

Williams’ hot hand was just too much for the Chargers in the rst half, though. He made six three pointers himself and scored 24 points to help Farmville Central to a 44-33 lead at halftime.

After the break, Williams’ scoring slowed signi cantly with Powell matched up on him for multiple possessions. Northwood slowly but steadily chipped away at the de cit in the third quarter by getting necessary defensive stops and converting on the offensive end.

Powell also started to heat up in the third quarter as he scored nine of Northwood’s 16 points in the period. Down 54-49 going into thenal quarter, the Chargers continued to climb back into the game. They closed to gap to just three points with seven minutes left to go, but a few turnovers leading to more threes for the Jaguars brought the de cit right back to 10 points with just over four minutes left to play.

With Powell continuing to attack and getting to the freethrow line, Northwood contin-

ued to ght and even got the lead down to just six with 25 seconds remaining. However, the Chargers just couldn’t make the necessary shots to complete the comeback in the nal ticks.

“I thought it came down to a couple of plays and balls here and there not bouncing our way that ultimately decided the game,” head coach Matt Brown said. “They just made a couple of more plays than we did down the stretch.”

Powell nished as the leading scorer for Northwood, pouring in 22 points in his nal game as a Charger. Farmville Central’s Williams was the highest scorer for both teams, recording 35 points.

Northwood nished its season with a 27-4 overall record and a 16-0 conference record, claiming the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A regular season and tournament titles.

The senior class consisting of Powell, Whitaker, Leighton, Gri n Hobbs, Ashton Elliott and Jayden Holder went 93-14 in four years, made two Elite Eights, two Final Fours and were two-time state runner ups.

“I was a very blessed coach to have been able to be on the court with these six seniors the past four years,” Brown said. “I will never forget these boys for as long as I live. I know it wasn’t how we wanted to end it, but that’s sports. That’s how it goes sometimes.”

Seaforth’s girls end Northwood’s season, make regionals

Seaforth avenges loss from conference tourney

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — After Northwood took the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference tournament championship from its grips just two weeks prior, the Seaforth girls basketball team made sure its cross-town rivals didn’t also spoil a state playo run on March 5. In the 2A East third round matchup featuring the season’s fourth meeting between the No. 3 Hawks and No. 11 Chargers, Seaforth mixed a stellar rst half three-point shooting performance with a smothering defensive showing to top Northwood at home, 54-36. Trying to avoid a repeat of the previous meeting in which Northwood’s Skylar Adams torched the Hawks with 22 points, Seaforth didn’t make it

easy for Adams and the Chargers’ o ense to get into rhythm. Northwood had to ght for its seven rst quarter points as the Hawks, playing primarily out of a zone defense, closed driving lanes, leading to numerous empty possessions for the Chargers. Things weren’t any easier in the second quarter, as Northwood could only muster ve more points and nished the rst half shooting 16 percent from the oor.

Seaforth also missed plenty of shots from two-point land to start the game, but they continued to let it y from beyond the arc, making seven threes in the rst half. The Hawks jumped out to a 28-12 lead at halftime behind senior guard Hannah Ajayi, who was by far their best o ensive option up to that point. She made all four of her shot attempts, including two threes, for 10 points in the opening half.

See

Jordan-Matthews plays rst-ever boys’ volleyball game

The Jets win their rst game against an undermanned Carrboro team

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

CHAPEL HILL — Volleyball doesn’t end in the fall anymore at Jordan-Matthews. In the Culbreth Middle School gym Thursday, Jordan-Matthews’ boys volleyball team made history. The Jets, playing in their rst ever game as a program, won their inaugural competition by beating

Carrboro in straight sets, 3-0.

“It feels pretty great,” junior Angelo Vera said. “I feel like we did pretty good, and we could have done better.”

Although Carrboro was at a disadvantage by competing with only four players, Jordan-Matthews had to overcome its inexperience to put points on the board. With some overzealous serves, playable balls that hit the ground and some confusion over the rules and customs of the game, the Jets gave their undermanned opponents some life early in

ASHEEBO ROJAS | CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

The Northwood bench watches Drake Powell (with ball) work in a NCHSAA playo game against the Farmville Central Jags. The Chargers saw their season end in a 77-70 loss.

ASHEEBO ROJAS | CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

the net, it became hard for Carrboro to cover its unoccupied space. Carrboro’s players tried to cover extra ground to save balls from falling to the oor, but the return attempts often went out of bounds or fell short of going over the net, especially when coupling a lack of personnel with beginner’s skills.

Thus, all three sets were determined by double-digits.

“It was a learning experience,” head coach Johnny Alston said. “Some of the stu we did today, we had never done in practice, so we sort of practiced while we played and tried to get everything going.”

Alston, who is also the head coach for the girls’ team in the fall, said the boys had 10 o cial practices before their rst game. Most of the roster is made up of soccer players who didn’t have any prior experience in volleyball, with the exception of a few players that used to play in parks outside of school.

Because he feels it’s important to learn multiple positions on the court, Alston had the boys rotate positions often during the game, and numerous players got an opportunity to serve.

“It’s been a learning experience for them and me, too, because it’s the rst time I’ve ever worked with guys,” Alston said. “The girls come with pri-

or experience. A lot of them have played before, and some of them came to camp, and they just had a better volleyball background. Whereas the guys, it feels like you’re starting 10 below zero just trying to get to zero.”

Said Alston, “Some of them want to come to the gym just to knock the stu ng out the ball, and I say no, it’s not like that. You’ve got to play with a little bit more poise, a little more control and everything.”

Regardless of the mistakes during the game, the players had fun. It’s also promising that they want to get better, as they’re aware that they need to improve on the basic fundamentals and communicating as a team if they want to continue winning.

Jordan-Matthews has a full season to go with games scheduled through the end of April. The team competes in the North Carolina Boys High School Volleyball Association, as boys volleyball is a club sport not sanctioned by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

But just after the rst game, the biggest thing Alston wants his players to learn is to be “ready.”

“You can’t take a play o ,” Alston said. “You have to expect the other team to hit the ball back because there were a couple of times when we were just out there, and they sent the ball back, and it went uncalled, or they were late reacting to it. So, learn how to just keep that mental attention to the game.”

ASHEEBO ROJAS | CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Angelo Vera (10) prepares to serve during JordanMatthews’ rst boys’ volleyball game in history.

VOLLEYBALL from B1

Chatham Central, Jordan-Matthews split rivalry baseball series

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

Baseball

Chatham Central and Jordan-Matthews split their two game series during the week with the Bears winning, 10-2, on March 5 and the Jets winning, 9-7, Friday.

Seaforth lost to Williams Thursday, 4-3. The Hawks bounced back in big way, beating Carrboro, 16-3, Monday.

Northwood swept Southeast Alamance, beating them, 6-3, on March 5 and 3-0 Friday.

Chatham Charter started its season with an 18-0 win over Triangle Math and Science on March 5. The Knights then dominated Ascend Leadership in a double-header Thursday, winning, 18-2, in the rst game and 14-0 in the second game. However, Chatham Charter su ered a tough, 12-1 loss to Williams Friday.

Softball

Chatham Central beat Bartlett Yancey, 14-3, on March 5, and the Bears defeated Seaforth, 10-5, Friday.

Seaforth beat Graham on March 5, 15-0.

Jordan-Matthews beat Northwood on March 5, 110, and the Jets topped North Moore, 11-8, Friday.

Northwood lost to Bartlett Yancey, 13-3, Friday.

Girls’ Soccer

Woods Charter beat Cornerstone Charter, 6-1, on March 5. The Wolves followed that with a 9-0 win over River Mill Monday.

Jordan-Matthews su ered three losses during the week, losing to Asheboro, 7-0, Southeast Alamance, 7-1, and Southern Alamance, 6-0. The Jets bounced back by beating Cummings, 9-0, Monday.

Northwood beat North Moore, 7-0, Monday.

Seaforth lost to Western Alamance, 3-1, Monday.

Boys’ Lacrosse

Seaforth beat Eastern Alamance, 18-4, Thursday. Sophomore Ivan Grimes led the team with five goals in the win. The Hawks lost to Orange, 17-3, Friday.

Northwood lost to Leesville Road, 10-2, Thursday. The Chargers won over Southern Alamance, 15-0, Friday but lost to East Chapel Hill, 13-4,

Monday.

Girls’ Lacrosse

Seaforth lost to Chapel Hill Thursday, 21-0, but the Hawks made it up with a 10-2 win over Riverside-Durham Monday. Northwood beat Jordan on March 6, 8-7. Senior Ryan Tinervin scored four goals in the win.

Track and Field

Here are the rst place nishers at Woods Charter’s home meet Thursday:

Boys

100 meter dash (Tristan Evans, Northwood, 11.44 seconds); 200 meter dash (Tequone

Moore, Northwood, 25.64); 400 meter dash (Lucas Smith, Chatham Charter, 52.44); 800 meter run (Ezra Roebuck, Woods Charter, 2 minutes, 10.50 seconds); 1600 meter run (Alexander Serrone, Woods Charter, 4:51.30); 3200 meter run (Alexander Serrone, Woods Charter, 11:01.10); 4x200 meter relay (Chatham Charter, 1:38.70); 4x400 meter relay (Northwood, 4:09.20); 4x800 meter relay (Woods Charter, 10:23.00); Long jump (Kaleb Powell, 19 feet, 2 inches); Discus (Noah Matthews, Northwood, 9904.25); Shot put (Noah Matthews, Northwood, 36-03.00)

Girls

100 meter dash (Hannah Headen, Chatham Charter, 13.24); 200 meter dash (Han-

nah Headen, Chatham Charter, 27.74); 400 meter dash (Julia Hall, Northwood, 1:06.94); 800 meter run (Anna Peeler, Woods Charter, 2:36.20); 1600 meter run (Sydney Gray, Northwood, 5:50.90); 3200 meter run (Julia Hall, Northwood, 12:11.20); 4x100 meter relay (Chatham Charter, 56.64); 4x400 meter relay (Woods Charter, 5:10.30); Long jump (Olivia Meza, Chatham Charter, 12-04.00); Triple jump (Jordyn Garner, Chatham Charter, 28-00.00); Discus (Jordyn Garner, Chatham Charter, 76-06.50); Shot put (Amari Bullett, Northwood, 29-08.50)

Jordan-Matthews’ rst place nishers at the Asheboro meet

Friday: Boys 110 meter hurdles (Emir Vargas, 16.64), Boys 4x400 meter relay (3:55.00), Boys triple jump (Brennen Oldham, 4107.00), Girls 800 meter run (Athena Dispennette, 3:00.00), Girls 100 meter hurdles (Cassidy Deshazo, 17.64), Girls 4x400 meter relay (4:56.00), Girls 4x800 meter relay (12:33.00), Girls long jump (Rachael Woods, 17-02.00), Girls triple jump (Rachael Woods, 3311.00)

Boys’ Tennis

Chatham Charter beat Northwood on March 5, 6-3, and the Knights won over Cornerstone Charter Thursday, 6-1.

Seaforth lost to Raleigh Charter, 8-1, Thursday, but the Hawks beat Northwood, 9-0, Monday. Jordan-Matthews beat Asheboro, 5-4, on March 5.

Central Electric sponsoring two youth to attend basketball camp

Central Electric awards two Touchstone Energy Sports Camp Scholarships annually to local students in Chatham, Harnett, Lee, Moore, or Randolph counties. A young man will be selected to attend the Carolina Basketball School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a young woman will be selected to attend the Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp at N.C. State University in Raleigh.

Drake Powell

Northwood, boys’ basketball

Northwood boys’ basketball’s Drake Powell earns athlete of the week honors for the week of March 4.

In what became his nal two games as a Charger against Southeast Alamance and Farmville Central in the 2A state playo s, Powell averaged 22.5 points per game, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out eight assists just against the Stallions.

Down 11 points at halftime against the Jaguars in the fourth round, Powell scored 16 points and grabbed four steals in the second half to help the Chargers cut the lead down to just three in the fourth quarter.

To be eligible to apply, the student must be in the sixth or seventh grade during the upcoming school year, have permission from a parent or guardian to attend the overnight camp and must provide their own transportation if selected to attend. Scan the QR code or visit CEMCPower.com for more information or to apply. e deadline for applications to both camps is March 31.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

FILE, CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Northwood’s Julia Hall, shown here at a meet last year, won a pair of events at last week’s track & eld meet.

Christopher Bell pulls out emotional victory at Phoenix Raceway

The Associated Press

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Christopher Bell surged into the lead when Martin Truex Jr. was forced to pit and pulled away for an emotional NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s victory comes on the heels of a pair of heartbreaks in the desert.

Two years ago, JGR vice chairman Coy Gibbs was found dead in his hotel room following his son Ty’s X nity season championship. Bell made it to the Cup Series championship four in November, but a broken rotor spoiled his championship hopes in the season nale at Phoenix.

Bell’s win in the No. 20 Toyota also ended Chevrolet’s perfect start to the season after winning the rst three races. He is the eighth di erent winner in eight races at Phoenix Raceway’s mile tri-oval.

Chris Buescher nished second and Ty Gibbs was third. Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top ve.

The Phoenix race marked the

debut of NASCAR’s new aerodynamics package for short tracks in hopes of producing more passing on tracks of a mile or less and road courses. Goodyear also produced tires with thicker treads designed to retain heat and increase lap-time fallo .

Starting 13th, Bell took advantage of the changes, overcoming two slow pit stops to charge back to the front. Bell moved into the lead with 50 laps to go when leader Truex had to pit for fuel and tires. Bell led the rest of the way for

his seventh career Cup Series victory — and rst since Homestead in October. Truex and his crew made calculated gamble on lap 217, opting to stay out when most of the leaders went into the pits. The JGR driver stayed in

Report: Giants acquiring star rusher Brian Burns from the Panthers

Panthers add second, fth-round draft picks

The Associated Press

THE NEW YORK Giants have bolstered their pass rush with one of the top edge rushers in the NFL.

The Giants agreed to acquire Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday.

Burns is getting a ve-year contract worth up to $150 million with $87.5 million in guarantees, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be completed until Wednesday.

The Panthers will receive a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fth-rounder, according to another person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal isn’t nalized. Burns, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, will sign his franchise tag to facilitate the deal. Burns be -

comes the second-highest paid defensive end in NFL history.

The Giants had only 34 sacks last season.

The Giants landed a marquee defensive player on a day they lost star running back Saquon Barkley to the Eagles. The Giants quickly replaced Barkley by agreeing to terms with Devin Singletary.

Burns, who turns 26 next month, had 46 sacks in ve seasons in Carolina. Only recent Hall of Fame selection Julius Peppers had more sacks in his rst ve seasons with the Panthers. Burns had 50 tackles and eight sacks in 2023 after moving from defensive end to outside linebacker with the Panthers moving to a 3-4 scheme.

The compensation for Burns is much less than what the Panthers would have received had they traded him last summer when the Los Angeles Rams offered two rst- round picks for the 2019 rst-round draft pick.

Last year’s general manager Scott Fitterer has since been red.

The decision to move on

the lead, hoping he would have enough fuel and his tires would hold out long enough to reach the checkered ag. Neither happened and Truex was forced to the pits. He nished seventh.

HAMLIN SPINS

Pole sitter Denny Hamlin took advantage of having the rst stall to twice take the lead out of the pits, but ran into trouble with about 100 laps left.

Trying to pass Reddick, Hamlin’s No. 11 car got loose and he spun out, causing a caution that sent most of the cars to the pits. Hamlin dropped to 23rd after a pit stop and nished 11th.

CINDRIC’S BAD LUCK

Austin Cindric had an early end to his day, a week after a spinout knocked him well back in the pack at Las Vegas.

Cindric completed six laps at Phoenix Raceway before being involved in a wreck with Austin Dillon and Derek Kraus. Dillon and Kraus were able to return to the track, but Cindric’s car was damaged too much.

Cindric nished 29th at Las Vegas and was in contention at the Daytona 500 before getting caught up in a late wreck.

UP NEXT

The Cup Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee next weekend.

from Burns will save the Panthers $24 million under the salary cap this season — the money he would have been paid as their franchise tag player. The Panthers had tried to work out a long-term deal with Burns last year and most recently at the NFL combine, but failed to come to terms on an agreement.

The Panthers were able to restock their draft capital.

They now have seven overall picks this April, including two picks (No. 33 and 39) in the second round.

However, the Panthers traded away their rst-round pick in 2024 — what turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick after nishing 2-15 — when they moved up to get quarterback Bryce Young last year.

Carolina also lost its other productive starting outside linebacker Frankie Luvu, who agreed to terms with the Washington Commanders on Monday. Those won’t be easy losses to overcome for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who agreed to return to Carolina after failing to land a head coaching job.

The Panthers did agree to terms with free agent guard Robert Hunt from the Miami Dolphins on a whopping veyear, $100 million contract, that includes $63 million in guaranteed money

IAN MAULE | AP PHOTO

Christopher Bell, center, celebrates after his NASCAR Cup Series auto race win at Phoenix Raceway, Sunday, March 10, 2024, in Avondale, Ariz.

BUTCH

Carolina Panthers linebacker Brian Burns walks on the eld following a game against Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Panthers agreed to trade Burns to the New York Giants, according to a person familiar with the deal.

Sophomore Mia Moore also hit two threes, and sophomore Jocelyn Gesner and junior Peyton Collins each had one a-piece.

“It was just great movement,” Ajayi said. “We did things that we practiced for everyone, and the movement paid o .”

Seaforth cooled down from three-point land signi cantly in the third quarter, but even after Northwood outscored the Hawks, 9-7, in the period, the Chargers still found themselves down double-digits.

White, who only scored three points in the rst half but impacted the game with numerous rebounds and hustle plays, began to heat up late in the second half in which she scored 17 of her 20 points. As she continued to attack the rim, White found herself at the free throw line often, where she made six second half free throws.

“It means a lot to me as a player and to my team that even me not

Seaforth’s Gabby White (3) made rst-team all-district after averaging 15.9 points and 7.9 points.

scoring doesn’t impact the game,” White said. “I can get assists, rebounds, steals, anything that they need. Just having that mindset going into the second half knowing that my shot wasn’t falling like I would like, and still, being able to get rebounds and others involved would help.”

Seaforth never let up its stout defensive pressure, allowing just nine points once again to Northwood in the fourth quarter to close out the win.

“It feels really good,” junior guard Gabby White said. “Being able to bounce back from that and handle Northwood the way we did and be able to advance to the next round was really awesome.”

Seaforth beat No. 15 St. Pauls Friday, 66-48, to advance to Wednesday’s regional championship game against No. 1 North Pitt.

That game will be the Hawks’ second consecutive regional championship appearance after beating North Pitt in the same round last year, 53-41.

Eight Chatham County basketball players earn NCBCA all-district

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

EIGHT CHATHAM County high school basketball players made the cut for the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association’s 2023-24 all-district teams released Sunday.

The NCBCA all-district teams and awards are voted on my member coaches, and only players whose coaches are members can be awarded. The association splits the state into 12 districts, naming three all-district teams and coach and player of the year

Jaguar Premier Sponsors

Chapel Hill

winners for each one. Chatham County falls into District 4.

The NCBCA will release its all-state teams after the completion of the state playo s. Here are the Chatham County basketball players that received all-district honors.

BOYS

District 4

First Team: Drake Powell (Northwood, 17.8 points, 7.6 rebounds per game), Reid Albright (Chatham Central, 22.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG)

Third Team: Cam Fowl-

er (Northwood, 11.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG), Brennen Oldham (Jordan-Matthews, 16.3 PPG, 9.1 RPG), Nate Emerson (Seaforth, 15.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG)

GIRLS

District 4

First Team: Gabby White (Seaforth, 15.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG (regular season))

Second Team: Skylar Adams (Northwood, 10.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG)

Third Team: Meah Brooks (Chatham Charter, 20.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG)

Family

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Caracal Class Sponsors

Stalvey

Serval Circle Sponsors

PHOTO COURTESY SEAFORTH ATHLETICS SOCIAL MEDIA

The Seaforth girls’ basketball team posed for a team photo while celebrating a playo win over St. Pauls that sent the Eagles to the regional nal.

PJ WARD-BROWN | CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

‘The Woman in the Sable Coat’ is part thriller, part war romance

By Donna Edwards The Associated Press

IN A CHANCE meeting in 1934, Nina hosts a dinner party. She’s 14, trying on womanhood for the rst time, and even the drunken foolery of Guy Nicholson and his friend can’t outweigh the growing importance of his gaze. Before she knows it, she’s smitten.

“The Woman in the Sable Coat” primarily takes place in a small village outside of English author Elizabeth Brooks’ native Chester, though reaching as far as Canada. And, recalling elements from her previous three novels, women take the spotlight in family dramas backlit by World War II with occasional ickers toward thriller or mystery as chapters ip between Guy’s wife, Kate, in the rst person, and Nina in the third.

Years after that disaster of a dinner party, when war is de-

Women take the spotlight in family dramas backlit by World War II

clared, Nina follows Guy to the Royal Air Force by joining the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. It takes a while, but she gets her chance — her leaving behind her widower father and a string of boyfriends claimed by the war; him leaving behind a doomed marriage and a son.

Kate, meanwhile, diverts her worried thoughts away from her own predicament and toward Nina’s father, Henry, who may know more about the town’s secrets than he lets on. What unfolds next is a surprising series of turns that chip away at murky pasts and halftruths until everything is nally revealed.

“The Woman in the Sable Coat,” while full of rewarding surprises, is truly made by Brooks’ voice, in which every word has value and helps shape the exact texture of the moment.

Viewing a slice of the world through Nina’s and Kate’s eyes, it’s surprisingly easy to get swept up into the story. It’s an exceptionally vivid picture, both of scenery and the inner workings of the characters’ minds. Emotions and motives are painted with rich colors that draw your eye to the most delicious details, when they matter, like an updated and more approachable Jane Austen.

A story of betrayal and unlikely friendships lled with re ective tidbits of wisdom, the novel blends WWII ction with idyllic romance drama and a touch of macabre thriller for a polished addition to Brooks’ works.

this week in history

McArthur says ‘I shall return’ and Bell patents telephone

Frazier wins ‘Fight of the Century’

Key events from this week in history:

MARCH 7

1876: Alexander Graham Bell received a U.S. patent for his telephone.

1911: President William Howard Taft ordered 20,000 troops to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border in response to the Mexican Revolution.1966: John Lennon of The Beatles was quoted in the London Evening Standard as saying, “We’re more popular than Jesus now,” a comment that caused an angry backlash in the United States.

1916: Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) had its beginnings in Munich, Germany, as an airplane engine manufacturer.

1926: The rst successful trans-Atlantic radio-telephone conversations took place between New York and London.

1999: Movie director Stanley

Kubrick, whose lms included “Dr. Strangelove,” “A Clockwork Orange” and “2001: A Space Odyssey,” died in Hertfordshire, England, at age 70, having just nished editing “Eyes Wide Shut.”

MARCH 8

1817: The New York Stock & Exchange Board, which had its beginnings in 1792, was formally organized; it later became

known as the New York Stock Exchange.

1965: The United States landed its rst combat troops in South Vietnam as 3,500 Marines arrived to defend the U.S. air base at Da Nang.

1971: In the rst of three ghts between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, Frazier defeated Ali by decision in what was billed as “The Fight of the Century” at Madison Square Garden in New York.

2000: President Bill Clinton submitted to Congress legislation to establish permanent normal trade relations with China.

MARCH 9

1997: Rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) was killed in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles at age 24. 1964: The U.S. Supreme Court, in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, raised the standard for public o cials to prove they’d

been libeled in their o cial capacity by news organizations.

MARCH 10

1496: Christopher Columbus concluded his second visit to the Western Hemisphere as he left Hispaniola for Spain.

MARCH 11

1942: As Japanese forces continued to advance in the Paci c during World War II, U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur left the Philippines for Australia, where he vowed on March 20, “I shall return” — a promise he kept more than 2 1/2 years later.

1997: Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

MARCH 12

1864: Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assumed command as General-in-Chief of the Union armies in the Civil War.

1912: The Girl Scouts of the USA had its beginnings as Juliette Gordon Low of Savannah, Georgia, founded the rst American troop of the Girl Guides.

1947: President Harry S. Truman announced what became known as the “Truman Doctrine” to help Greece and Turkey resist Communism.

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ hits season 20 and Taylor Swift hits Disney+

The Associated Press

THE LAUNCH of season 20 of “Grey’s Anatomy” and albums from Justin Timberlake and Kacey Musgraves are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time: The dramedy “The Girls on the Bus” starring Melissa Benoist that follows female reporters embedded on a presidential campaign, Taylor Swift’s concert lm “The Eras Tour” landing on Disney+ and the comedy “Girls5Eva” jumps from Peacock to Net ix for its third season.

NEW MOVIES TO STREAM

Taylor Swift’s concert lm

“The Eras Tour” is coming to Disney+ on Thursday, a day earlier than originally announced. The streaming cut features ve new songs, including “Cardigan.”

“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” was a phenomenon at the theatrical box o ce, grossing over $262 million worldwide in a groundbreaking deal with AMC Theaters, which released the lm instead of a traditional Hollywood studio. In her review, AP Music Writer Maria Sherman wrote

that the lm is, “a near exact replica of her blockbuster concert performance, which recaps all 10 of her studio albums across 17 years of recorded work,” adding “it is the opportunity to have every seat in the house transform into the best seat in the house.” Nicolas Cage embraces the drab in Kristo er Borgli’s “Dream Scenario” as Paul Matthews, a perfectly average college professor, husband and father whose life is turned upside down when millions of strangers start seeing him in their dreams.

In her AP review Jocelyn Noveck wrote that “Borgli, the Norwegian writer-director making his English-language debut here, is

solutions

aiming for a broader statement about the nature of fame. It begins streaming on Max on Friday, March 15. For the kids, “Trolls Band Together” arrives on Peacock on March 14.

NEW SHOWS TO STREAM

Over the years, the characters on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” have achieved medical breakthroughs, crisis situations, o ce romances, sta ng shakeups and three hospital name changes. We’ll see what’s in store for season 20 when the popular medical drama returns Thursday after lming was delayed due to the

Hollywood strikes. This season, Ellen Pompeo — who plays Dr. Meredith Grey — will not be a series regular but will appear periodically. Shonda Rhimes’ other ABC show, the re ghter drama “Station 19,” also returns Thursday for its seventh and nal season. Both shows stream next day on Hulu.

Another Liane Moriarty novel has gotten the TV treatment. In Peacock’s “Apples Never Fall,” Annette Bening plays a wife and mother who goes missing, leaving her adult kids suspicious of their father (played by Sam Neill). All episodes of the limited series drop Thursday.

The comedy “Girls5Eva” has jumped from Peacock to Net ix for its third season. The musical comedy is about a girl group from the nineties who achieved a tiny bit of fame and are hoping to revive their celebrity status decades later. All six episodes of season three stream Thursday. Seasons one and two are also available for viewing on Net ix.

A new Apple TV+ limited series called “Manhunt” has made the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth into a political thriller. The show is based on the book “Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer” by James L. Swanson. It premieres Friday, March 15.

Just in time for this election year, a new dramedy follows female reporters embedded on a presidential campaign. “The

Girls on the Bus” stars Melissa Benoist (“Supergirl”) as Sadie McCarthy, a newspaper reporter who is enamored with old school journalism and idolizes Hunter S. Thompson. “The Girls on the Bus” debuts Thursday on Max.

Cozy PBS staple “Call the Midwife” returns for its 13th season on Sunday, March 17 on PBS. The period drama, narrated by Vanessa Redgrave, follows nurses, midwives and nuns working in London’s East End and is based on a memoir called “Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s” by Jennifer Worth. The new season is set in 1969. “Call the Midwife” will be able to stream to PBS station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS App.

NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Most pro sports simulators offer gradual upgrades from season to season, but Sony’s MLB The Show 24 is going for something truly revolutionary: You’ll be able to play as a woman. In the “Women Pave Their Way” storyline, you’ll be able to create a female baseball player from scratch and see if she can ful ll her dream of playing in the major leagues. If you order the digital deluxe edition, you’ll be able to throw out the rst pitch Friday, March 15, on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox X/S/One or Nintendo Switch.

She a Chatham

Justin Timberlake and Kacey Musgraves have albums out this week

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP

Taylor Swift performs during “The Eras Tour” which broke concert and cinema box o ce records and is now headed to Disney+.

Connolly has 11

famous birthdays this week

The Associated Press

March 10: Actor Chuck Norris is 84. TV personality-businesswoman Barbara Corcoran (“Shark Tank”) is 75. Actor Sharon Stone is 66. Magician Lance Burton is 64. Actor Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) is 53. Rapper-producer Timbaland is 52. Actor Je Branson (“The Young and the Restless”) is 47. Singer Robin Thicke is 47. Singer Carrie Underwood is 41. Actor Olivia Wilde is 40. March 11: TV journalist Sam Donaldson is 90. Singer Bobby McFerrin is 74. Movie director Jerry Zucker (“Airplane!” ″Ghost”) is 74. Recording executive Jimmy Iovine (“American Idol”) is 71. Singer Lisa Loeb is 56. Actor Johnny Knoxville is 53. March 12: Actor-singer Liza Minnelli is 78. Singer-songwriter James Taylor is 76. Singer Marlon Jackson of The Jackson Five is 67. Actor Aaron Eckhart (“The Dark Knight”) is 56. March 13: Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka is 85. Actor William H. Macy is 74. Actor Dana Delaney (“Body of Proof” ″China Beach”) is 68. Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard is 62. Rapper Common is 52. March 14: Actor Michael Caine is 91. Composer-conductor Quincy Jones is 91. Comedian Billy Crystal is 76. TV and radio personality Rick Dees is 73. Actor Gary Anthony Williams (“Boston Legal,” ″Malcolm in the Middle”) is 58. Drummer Michael Bland of Soul Asylum is 55. Singer Kristian Bush of Sugarland is 54. Actor Chris Klein is 47. March 15: Actor Judd Hirsch is 89. Bassist Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead is 84. Singer Mike Love of the Beach Boys is 83. Model Fabio is 63. Singer Bret Michaels of Poison is 61. Singer Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray is 56. Singer-guitarist Matt Thomas of Parmalee is 50. Actor Eva Longoria (“Desperate Housewives”) is 49. Musician will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas is 49.

March 16: Game show host Chuck Woolery is 83. Actor Erik Estrada is 75. Rapper Flavor Flav of Public Enemy is 65. Singer Blu Cantrell is 48. Actor Brooke Burns (“Baywatch”) is 46.

AP PHOTO Eva Logoria

AP PHOTO

James Taylor

AP PHOTO North Carolina native Matt Thomas, of Martin County