North State Journal Vol. 9, Issue 9

Elizabeth City o cer fatally shoots suspect

Elizabeth City

A police o cer in Elizabeth City fatally shot a man suspected of killing another man early Saturday, authorities said. The o cer was on foot patrol just before 2 a.m. when he heard gunshots, the police department said in a news release. Shortly afterward, he approached Bryan Christopher White, 33, of Belvidere, who police allege had just shot Cory Christopher Revelle, 39, of Elizabeth City. The o cer shot White after he refused to comply with an order to drop his weapon, police said. White and Revelle were taken to a hospital, where both died of their injuries. The Elizabeth City Police Department is investigating the initial shooting and asked for members of the public to o er any information about both shootings. The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating White’s death.

Judge orders ACC, Florida State to mediation

Tallahassee, Fla.

A Tallahassee judge has ordered Florida State and the Atlantic Coast Conference to enter mediation in hopes of settling a high-pro le lawsuit that could dramatically impact the future of the league. Judge John C. Cooper technically approved the ACC’s motion to dismiss Monday but gave FSU seven days to amend its complaint because the university needs more speci city regarding key facts in a case he said “is worth up to half a billion dollars.” The conference would have 20 days to respond afterward, and another hearing would be set. Cooper ordered the sides to begin mediation within 120 days. But a mediator cannot force an agreement, so the case could end up back in court. The Seminoles are pushing to exit the ACC and explore a more lucrative landing spot, potentially the Big Ten Conference. The hearing Monday was the latest in dueling lawsuits lodged in December. They include back-and-forth arguments pertaining to jurisdiction, a highly guarded grant-of-rights agreement between member schools and the league, and a con dential TV deal between the ACC and ESPN. The ACC wants the case heard in Charlotte, where the league is headquartered, and doesn’t want the broadcasting contract made public. Florida State wants to move the venue to Tallahassee and prefers the documents be unsealed for nancial transparency.

Annual statewide audit ags several agencies the BRIEF this week

Scuttled by the storm

Council of State seats, NC-13 on May 14 second primary ballot

The second primary in the state features all Republican candidates

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

27.38%, and second place went to Brad Knott with 18.68%.

The yearly inspection examined $35 billion in funding spent across 618 programs

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina O ce of the State Auditor conducted its annual Statewide Single Audit, examining how $35 billion in federal funds were spent across 618 programs managed by 103 state entities, including the university and community college systems, in scal year 2023.

Last December, Holmes was appointed as state auditor by Gov. Roy Cooper following longtime State Auditor Beth Wood’s resignation. Wood announced she would resign following an indictment related to her December 2022 hit-andrun while driving a state vehicle that occurred in downtown Raleigh following a Christmas party. Holmes, a Democrat, is running to keep the position this November.

Key ndings of the SSA included inadequate monitoring of programs in multiple agencies.

In the N,C, Department of Commerce (NCDOC), issues were found with monitoring of Community Development Block Grant and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds.

The NCDOC failed to conduct risk assessments, monitor activities and review reimbursement requests properly, resulting in misuse of federal

The Single Statewide Audit (SSA) ensures compliance with federal regulations and identi es areas for improvement. “This is an essential audit to ensure federal tax dollars are being spent appropriately and in the most e cient way possible,” said State Auditor Jessica Holmes in a press release. “By identifying areas for improvement, the state can serve as better stewards of taxpayer dollars and resources.”

RALEIGH — Absentee ballots have begun going out for the second primary in certain North Carolina races, which is set for May 14. Early voting will begin Thursday. Second primaries are being held for Republican candidates in North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District as well as statewide races for Council of State seats that include lieutenant governor and state auditor. In the 14-person race for the NC-13 seat, no candidate secured the 30% plus one vote needed to avoid a runo . Republican Kelly Daughtry was the top vote-getter in the rst primary with

“Our aim is to win. Our resolve is to win.”

Hal Weatherman, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor

“Since the Primary, two major things have happened,” Knott campaign adviser Jonathan Felts said. “Kelly Daughtry, who had already confessed to donating to Cheri Beasley and Josh Stein, was outed as an Obama/Biden supporter and Brad Knott was endorsed by President Donald Trump who also said that Daughtry is ‘no friend to MAGA.’ “It’s hard to break out in a crowded primary but now voters have a clear choice between two very di erent candidates. Brad Knott is a proven Conservative and Kelly Daughtry is a squishy RINO.” “On March 5th I was the top vote getter and on May 14th I am con dent we will be equally successful,” said Daughtry. “The

UNC BOG takes step toward repealing DEI policy

The full Board of Governors will consider the change in May

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — During its April 17 meeting, the UNC Board of Governors Committee on Governance unanimously voted to repeal its diversity, equity and inclusion policies for the entire UNC System.

The new superseding policy emphasizes the university’s commitment to equality, nondiscrimination, institutional neutrality, and the protection of freedom of speech and academic freedom while at the same time ensuring compliance with federal and state laws regarding discrimination and harassment.

“The University shall continue to ensure that diverse persons of any background, from North Carolina and beyond,

are invited, included, and treated equally,” the policy proposal reads in part. “Diversity means the ways in which individuals vary, including, but not limited to, backgrounds, beliefs, viewpoints, abilities, cultures, and traditions that distinguish one individual from another.”

The new policy would prohibit discrimination in employment practices and educational programs, and maintain institutional neutrality on political and social issues. The policy also seeks to uphold the principles of treating individuals with “dignity” and “respect.”

Supporters of former President Donald Trump le out of Saturday’s rally after it was canceled due to threatening weather in Wilmington.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

ROBERT WILLETT / THE NEWS & OBSERVER VIA AP

State Auditor Jessica Holmes, pictured in November, released the Statewide Single Audit earlier this month.

The opening of the Bible in Genesis 1 is not just a mere historical account, but a profound declaration of faith: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” This simple yet profound statement sets the stage for understanding our origin through divine action, not human conjecture. It declares the existence of God as an undeniable fact, a rming a creator distinct from His creation. This opening line introduces God as eternal, omnipotent, and personal — capable of creating from nothing, which only an in nite being can do.

Genesis does not dwell on the speci cs of creation’s timing or methods, whether it spanned moments or millennia. Instead, it emphasizes the theological truth of God’s ultimate authority over all creation, contrasting sharply with human-centered philosophies that start with man and attempt to reason up to God.

Genesis 1:1 also underscores the Bible’s divine inspiration, asserting the scriptures were penned under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This divine in uence extends to the concept of salvation and new creation. Just as God initiated the physical creation, He also foresaw and provided for humanity’s redemption, exempli ed by Christ, the “Lamb foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1 Pet. 1:20).

The narrative then shifts to the state of the earth after its initial creation. Certainly, the earth, on the morning of its creation, must have been vastly di erent from its chaotic state as described in Genesis 1:2. “And the earth was without form and void” must refer to a condition of the earth much later than what is before us in the preceding verse. Thomas Chalmers called attention to the fact that the word “was” in Genesis 1:2 should be translated “became,” and that between the rst two verses of Genesis, some terrible catastrophe must have intervened. That this catastrophe could have been the apostasy of Satan. That some catastrophe did occur is certain from Isaiah 45:18, which expressly declares the

earth was not created in the condition in which Genesis 1:2 views it.

This restoration serves as a metaphor for the spiritual regeneration in believers. Just as the earth was formless before God’s spirit moved upon it, human beings are spiritually desolate until touched by the Holy Spirit. The sequence in Genesis mirrors the stages of spiritual awakening and growth: from the initial chaos of sin to the new birth in Christ, culminating in a life that re ects God’s original intent for creation.

Scripture emphasizes the power of God’s word in both creation and spiritual life. It states God’s declarations during creation brought light, separated the elements, and initiated life.

The account of creation in Genesis goes beyond the origins of the earth and becomes a blueprint for understanding the work of new creation in the life of a believer.

The physical order laid out in Genesis corresponds to spiritual truths applicable

NC Court of Appeals: Cooper violated state constitution with bar closures

The opinion stated the governor applied di erent reopening standards to similar businesses during the pandemic

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A recent opinion by the North Carolina Court of Appeals says Gov. Roy Cooper’s pandemic orders related to bar closures violated the state’s “equal protection” rights under Article I of the North Carolina Constitution.

Judge April Wood delivered the decision, with Judges Donna Stroud and Je erson Gri n concurring. “It is illogical and arbitrary to attempt to achieve Defendant’s stated health outcomes by applying di erent reopening standards to similarly situated businesses that could have complied with those standards,” Wood wrote. “In other words, if restaurants serving alcohol could operate at fty percent capacity and keep groups six feet apart with both food and alcohol at the customers’ tables, Defendant has failed to present any forecast of evidence of any reason bars would not be able to do the same with alcohol service.”

The April 16 opinion was not a cut-and-dried ruling as it both

“Defendant cannot reasonably rely on his own assertion within an executive order as though it were itself a scienti c study.”

N.C. Court of Appeals Judge April Woods

a rmed and reversed portions of the trial court’s ruling.

While the court ruled against the North Carolina Bar and Tavern Association’s claim for nancial compensation that includes attorney fees, it upheld its claim that Cooper violated the association’s right to equal protection under the law by closing bars through two executive orders.

Executive Order No. 118 shut down all bars selling “alcoholic beverages for onsite consumption.”

Executive Order No. 141 singled out private bars to remain closed, treating those types of bars di erently from other establishments serving alcohol.

Cooper’s attorneys argued the governor based his decisions on “science and data” when determining what types of bars could operate. The Court of Appeals disagreed and found that Cooper’s

decision lacked scienti c evidence and was based mainly on news articles and reports of incidents worldwide. “Our careful review of the Record does not reveal the existence of any scienti c evidence demonstrating Plainti s’ bars, as opposed to the bars located in other establishments serving alcohol, posed a heightened risk at the time Executive Order No. 141 was issued,” Woods wrote. Examples used by Cooper’s attorneys as proof private bars should stay closed were rejected in the opinion.

“Defendant cannot reasonably rely on his own assertion within an executive order as though it were itself a scienti c study,” wrote Woods.

“Overall, the articles and data submitted by Defendant entirely fail to address any di erences in the risk of spread of COVID-19 between the bars he allowed to reopen and Plainti s’ bars which remained closed,” Woods wrote.

“Defendant has not demonstrated any logic in the complete closure of bars for on-premises service when the same measures that allowed other types of bars, such as hotel and restaurant bars, to open could have been applied to the operation of those businesses.”

The Court of Appeals’ opin-

ion remanded the case back to the trial court for further proceedings.

to the Christian faith, where chaos is transformed into order, darkness into light, and death into life through the redemptive power of Christ.

Genesis 1 is not to be seen as an allegorical or scienti c discourse but as a theological foundation that asserts God’s sovereignty, the truth of divine creation, and the model for spiritual regeneration. It challenges believers to view the Bible as the ultimate authority, superior to human wisdom and scienti c inquiry, and to uphold its teachings as the de nitive guide for faith and practice. This scriptural perspective provides not only an understanding of the physical universe but also a profound insight into the spiritual dynamics at work in the life of every believer.

ArthurW.Pink(1886-1952)wasborn in Nottingham, England and pastored churchesinColorado,California,Kentucky, and South Carolina. This work is in the public domain.

we were rewarded for that approach on election night.”

people in the 13th district want to elect someone who lives in the district, which I do, in contrast to Brad Knott who does not live in the district and cannot vote for himself.

“I stand with President Trump and will, on day one, work with him to secure the border, reduce in ation, and start putting the American people rst again.” Daughtry said.

The winner of the May 14 runo for the NC-13 seat will face Democrat Frank Pierce. Cook Political Report ranked the seat as leaning plus-11 Republican. North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District would have had a second primary between Trump-endorsed Addison McDowell and former Congressman Mark Walker, however Walker announced after the rst primary was held that he was joining the Trump campaign to work with faith groups and minority communities.

Before entering the race for the NC-06 seat, Walker had previously announced a gubernatorial bid. McDowell has no Democratic challenger and will be headed to Congress following the November general election.

In Council of State races, Hal Weatherman will face Jim O’Neill for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. Weatherman garnered 19.59% of the vote in the rst primary and O’Neill brought in 15.84%.

In an interview with North State Journal, Weatherman said his campaign was pleased with the March 5 primary results and is in a good position by having won 62 counties. “Our aim is to win. Our resolve is to win,” Weatherman said. “I feel good about our chances because we’re not stopping. We are not taking our foot o the gas. I was the only candidate in the 11-man eld that went to all 100 counties. I think

North State Journal reached out to O’Neill multiple times but did not receive a statement by press time.

In the state auditor race, Jack Clark and Dave Boliek were the top two Republican vote-getters with 23.24% and 22.10%, respectively.

“I’m spending my time crisscrossing the state,” Boliek told North State Journal. “I’ve been from one end of the state to the other, from the coast to the mountains, and I have met with primary voters where they live, and the feedback that I’ve gotten on our campaign has been fantastic.”

Boliek said that if he wins on May 14, he is looks forward to communicating the message to voters that the state auditor role should be “not only looking after taxpayer dollars but looking for ways to make state government more e cient and more customer friendly.”

“My message to the voters hasn’t changed: I’m the most quali ed candidate who led, and I intend to make North Carolina the best run state in the country,” Clark said in a statement to North State Journal. The winner will face Democrat Jessica Holmes, who was appointed to the position by Gov. Roy Cooper after State Auditor Beth Wood resigned. Wood’s resignation came after her indictment in a December 2022 hit-and-run accident occurred in downtown Raleigh following a Christmas party while she was driving a state vehicle.

Two other runo s set for May 14 are local races: in South Point Township District on the Gaston County Board of Commissioners between

Hal Weatherman, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, speaks at a January rally in Roxboro.

ALLEN G. BREED / AP PHOTO

An employee at White Street Brewing Company in Wake Forest lls a “crowler” can of beer in March 2020.

that apnight.” reached times but statement by race, Jack were the vote-getters 22.10%, retime crissBoliek told “I’ve been state to coast to the met with they live, I’ve gothas been he wins on forward to message to auditor role looking afbut looking state governand more the voters the most who led, North Carstate in the a stateJournal. face Demwho was position by after State resigned. came afDecemaccident downtown Raleigh Christmas party state veset for May South Point the GasCommisBailey and Republiseat on the Schools’ between Bonnie

NC legislative committee holds rst America 250 meeting

Suggestions for lectures, and interactive and educational events were discussed

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The General Assembly’s committee tasked with planning celebrations and commemorations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, held its inaugural meeting on April 16.

The America’s Semiquincentennial Committee is cochaired by Sen. W. Ted Alexander (R-Cleveland) and Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke).

Public members of the committee include Troy L. Kickler, Kyle J. Luebke, Jason E. Luker, Charles Batcheller Neely and Cary F. Poole.

Suggestions on possible ac-

tivities were the focus and purpose of the meeting, which kicked o with a presentation given by Andrew J. Taylor, director of the Free and Open Societies Project at NC State.

Taylor’s presentation detailed North Carolina’s journey from declaring independence to supporting the U.S. Constitution, beginning with an outline of the state’s “crucial role in the drive towards independence” through the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence/Resolves and the Halifax Resolves.

Discussion included how the state should commemorate America’s 250th anniversary and included a variety of suggestions, such as raising public awareness of North Carolina’s role in declaring independence and highlighting key battles that took place in the state.

Other suggestions were to emphasize the importance of

the country’s founding, civic engagement and to highlight in uential or key gures, such as John Locke, Nathanael Greene, William Lenoir and John Ashe, and founders like William Blount, William Richardson Davie and Hugh Williamson.

Kickler proposed holding lectures at historic sites, highlighting historical markers and their stories to draw interaction and interest from local communities to America’s 250 and North Carolina’s role in it. He also thought teacher workshops would help to engage students.

Kellie Nothstine, Campbell University associate vice president for student life, also brought up an educational angle, asking, “How do we engage students and get their attention?” and “Who are the women in history we may not have highlighted previously?” Nothstine told the commit-

tee “not to be afraid of technology and social media” and the power of those platforms to engage citizens, especially younger ones. She suggested interactive ways that could engage younger people such as Instagram reels and the use of QR codes.

“There has to be an ‘expe -

Case of teen vaccinated without permission appealed to North Carolina

The federal PREP Act is at the heart of the appeal

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A case involving a Guilford County teen who was vaccinated against their will and without parental permission may be heading to the N.C. Supreme Court based on an appeal led on April 4.

The case, Happel v. Guilford County Board of Education, was brought in 2022 by Emily Happel, the mother of Tanner Smith. Attorney Steven Walker of Walker Kiger is representing the family.

Happel’s case contends that Smith was “illegally vaccinated without his or his mother’s consent by the Old North State Medical Society, which was working in conjunction with Guilford County Schools.” Smith was supposed to receive a COVID-19 test only but instead was vaccinated.

Trial court Judge Lora Cubbage had dismissed the case, citing the federal PREP Act as keeping the district and Old North State Medical Society from being held liable.

Cubbage’s ruling in essence said the PREP Act superseded a 2021 state law that stated parental consent was required before a “vaccine granted emergency-use authorization may be administered to a minor.”

The plainti s appealed the ruling to the N.C. Court of Appeals, which rendered a decision on March 5, 2024, siding with the trial court’s dismissal ruling.

rience element’ to pull in the younger generation,” Nothstine said, adding that people are looking for that “Instagram-able moment.” The committee’s next meeting has not yet been scheduled, however, the members indicated another meeting was likely before the end of May.

Supreme Court

“Plainti s argue that the PREP Act does not cover their claims because they do not arise because of COVID-19, but merely happen to relate to COVID-19. We would be inclined to agree if the PREP Act did not de ne the scope of immunity so broadly,” wrote N.C. Court of Appeals Judge April Wood. “Because there does not appear to be any Fourth Circuit or North Carolina federal district cases on point, ONS Medical Society draws our attention to three out-of-state cases.” N.C. Court of Appeals Judges Allegra Collins and Je Carpen-

AUDIT from page A1

funds meant for housing, economic expansion for low-income families and employment services. This mismanagement led to questioned costs of $426,260 for the Community Development Block Grant. For the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), the audit found incorrect use of foster care funding, de ciencies in the adoption assistance and Medicaid eligibility determination processes, and inadequate subrecipient monitoring of State Opioid Response and Substance Abuse Block Grant funds.

NCDHHS reimbursed counties $28.8 million for foster care costs, but auditors discovered improper use of funds. Foster care money was used for a bene ciary also receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), against program rules. This re -

sulted in increased costs for both state and federal governments, with NCDHHS potentially owing $26,050 back to the federal government. Auditors also found NCDHHS had failed to submit complete and timely subaward information for subrecipients of the Foster Care Title IV-E Program to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Subaward Reporting System (FSRS). Out of 329 subawards totaling $88.5 million, 246 subawards worth $65.2 million were not reported at all, and 83 subawards totaling $23.3 million were reported 134 days late.

NCDHHS was also found to have issued Adoption Assistance Title IV-E bene t payments to adoptive parents based on inaccurate eligibility determinations.

Auditors reviewed a sample of 93 bene ciaries and found

ter concurred in the decision.

The appeal to the N.C. Supreme Court led by Walker takes aim at the immunity issues presented by the PREP Act.

“It’s a very important case, the jurisprudence of the state and how we handle immunity issues and con icts between state and federal law,” Walker told North State Journal in an interview. “And I hope the court will take it up so that we can give a full argument.”

one (1.01%) ineligible beneciary, along with an ineligible sibling. This led to $12,336 ($9,042 federal share) in payments to adoptive parents on behalf of these ineligible beneciaries, increasing costs for both state and federal governments.

NCDHHS attributed some issues to sta turnover and the pandemic but lacked federal oversight approval.

Recommendations by the auditor’s o ce included analyzing errors, providing additional training and establishing procedures to prevent future mistakes. Inadequate reporting for subawards and lack of monitoring for opioid and substance abuse funds were also highlighted.

An audit report on the Department of Public Instruction “disclosed no instances of noncompliance that are required to be reported in accordance with the Uniform Guidance,” but some re-

Walker said he didn’t believe Congress ever intended for the PREP Act to mean procedures could be performed without the required consent under state law.

“I just don’t think the PREP Act was ever intended by Congress to apply to something like this,” he said. “Where you’re claiming a constitutional violation of parents’ rights and the right of a minor — who said he did not want to receive the vac-

porting needed correcting.

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) failed to submit accurate and timely reports under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) for various educational programs, including ESSER, SEI and Title I grants. Numerous subawards were not reported as required, including 394 ESSER subawards totaling $85.8 million and 140 SEI subawards totaling $63.0 million.

Additionally, errors were found in reported Title I subawards, including some not reported at all, others reported late with insu cient project descriptions and some reported twice. DPI cited technical di culties and a lack of experienced sta for the reporting lapses.

The FFATA mandates reporting of rst-tier subawards of $30,000 or more to the FSRS within a speci c timeframe.

cine and who received it anyway

— I don’t think that’s what the PREP Act was ever meant to cover.”

Eight North Carolina House lawmakers have led an amicus curiae with the state Supreme Court in support of the plainti s.

The eight legislators, led by Rep. Neal Jackson (R-Randolph), include Reps. Brian Biggs (R-Randolph), Mark Brody (R-Union), Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort), Donnie Loftis (R-Gaston), Joseph Pike (R-Harnett), Frank Sossamon (R-Granville) and Je Zenger (R-Forsyth).

“This case presents a major question regarding preemption of state constitutional protections for parents’ fundamental liberty interests,” the brief reads.

The brief also says the Court of Appeals decision siding with the trial court “calls out for further review and correction by this Court, not only because the case presents a substantial question of constitutional law, but also because discretionary review should be granted on the grounds of signi cant public interest and the presence of legal principles of major significance to the jurisprudence of the state.”

The lawmakers’ brief argues the lower courts “failed to correctly analyze the question of federal preemption,” and that the lower courts’ decisions “permit the federal government to unconstitutionally commandeer local governments.”

While the N.C. Supreme Court is not obligated to hear the case, the brief argues the subject matter of the appeal is one of “high public interest” and underscores that point by citing 2023 comments made by U.S. Supreme Justice Neal Gorsuch.

“Since March 2020, we may have experienced the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country,” Gorsuch said of the nation’s COVID-19 response and restrictions.

The audit says DPI inaccurately reported Education Stabilization Fund — Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) data to the U.S. Department of Education. During the annual reporting period, 272 public school units (PSUs) spent $1.5 billion on the program.

Auditors found errors in the reported expenditures for a sample of 60 PSUs, including inaccurate expenditure amounts for 20

The North Carolina Supreme Court has the option of hearing the case of a teenager who was vaccinated without parental permission.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

King Joe Biden and the student loan Jubilee

Joe Biden has singlehandedly, without any input from Congress or Republicans, increased the national debt by $1 trillion all by himself.

STUDENT LOANS have been a problem for a long time. Every policymaker in Washington, D.C., has known it.

Universities pocket full tuition from loans even if a student drops out after one day of class. Universities have become dependent on students being saddled with enormous amounts of debt to keep their doors open. Government-subsidized student loans have helped push up higher education costs 500% since 1985, almost twice the rate of general inflation.

During the Great Recession of 200910, President Barack Obama essentially nationalized the student loan program by taking banks and private lenders out of the process. He said it was because banks and lenders were making too much money providing financing for students who wanted to go to college.

All that did was set the stage for what President Joe Biden is doing today regarding student debt cancellation. It was a small hop, skip and a jump from direct financing of student loans to canceling them outright. When the authority governing student loans was transferred from the banking and tax laws of the private sector to our centralized government authority in Washington, it was like giving catnip to a feral cat.

Prior to 2010, federal loan guarantees were used to take risk out of loaning to college students. Sallie Mae and banks would issue loans to students which would be backed by the federal government. In case of default by the student, the federal government would take over the loan at a discount from the bank and use a guaranty agency to service the loan and try to collect payments from the

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

student borrower.

Congress actually did a responsible thing by including credit reform in the 1990 Budget Agreement. Credit reform called for a present value accounting to be made of the future inflows and match them against the current year outflow of cash to determine the inherent subsidy cost of each federal loan program every year. The subsidy wound up being typically 3% of the total amount of student debt issued each year.

Direct federal funding of student loans opened up the possibility for the irresponsible actions Biden is doing right now ― using his executive power to cancel debt, interest on debt and past penalties for students in favored groups of his choosing. It is a blatant exercise at buying votes unlike anything seen in the past, including in Chicago under Mayor Daley and in New York’s Tammany Hall.

The Supreme Court overturned an earlier Biden effort to cancel student debt, which he has blatantly ignored. Biden has canceled student debt for 9% of all student debtors, which is estimated to cost the U.S. taxpayer $750 billion (with a capital B).

The real kicker is this: In the private sector, if a loan is forgiven, the amount forgiven is counted as current income to the recipient and taxes are due on that amount. If a loan for $100,000 is forgiven, then roughly $30,000 in federal taxes is due.

Under the American Rescue Plan Act, which Biden signed into law on March 11, 2021, all student loan forgiveness after Dec. 31, 2020, and before Jan. 1, 2026, was declared free from federal taxation. The presumption behind this provision was

Coddled by Democrats, leftist agitators become even more aggressive

Democrats were on record as making excuses for them and downplaying their destructive actions.

IN THE AFTERMATH of the death of George Floyd in May 2020 after he was subdued by police, Black Lives Matter agitators, joined by the radical far-left group Antifa, took to the streets in what would be a summer of pure rage.

In Democrat-run cities like Minneapolis and Los Angeles, there were widespread riots and looting. Minneapolis in particular, which is where the incident between Floyd and the police occurred, looked like a war-torn country, with entire city blocks destroyed by the res that were intentionally set, with all that was left being the smoldering remains of what once was.

In the roughly two-week period between May 26 and June 8, “the arson, vandalism and looting” that occurred resulted “in at least $1 billion to $2 billion of paid insurance claims,” according to a report from the Axios news outlet at the time, which took their data from the Property Claim Services company.

The protests went on much longer than that, with demonstrators in some cities actually setting up “occupied” territories that spanned city blocks complete with encampments, setting up their own systems of “justice.” In some, like Seattle, violent crimes like murder and sexual assault reportedly occurred.

Federal courthouses were also targeted with Molotov cocktails, as we saw in Portland, Oregon.

As all of this was going down, the media and powerful Democrats were on record as making excuses for them and downplaying their destructive actions, with the operative phrase for many of them being “peaceful protesters” whenever they talked about the rioters.

Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), for instance, shrugged and said, “People will do what they do” when asked about protesters tearing down statues.

Congressional Democrats also repeatedly refused to sign on to statements and resolutions condemning mob violence.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) has been on the frontlines of encouraging aggressive action that borderlines on violence. Waters, for instance, told Black Lives Matter activists in 2021, “We’ve got to stay in the streets. We’ve got to get more confrontational. We got to make sure they know that we mean business.”

She also urged people to “ ght in the streets” after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

That same month, a man was arrested for an assassination attempt on conservative Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, one of the justices who voted to overturn the 1973 abortion ruling.

Emboldened, the tactics of left-wing agitators have gotten even more aggressive over the last several years, as we’ve seen during

to grant full loan and tax forgiveness to people who might have been economically devastated by COVID, not every person who took out a student loan in the past.

COVID officially ended May 23, 2023. If Biden is reelected, he will keep on canceling student debt until 2026.

Biden and his minions have taken a very expansive view of this ill-conceived provision and applied it to any category of voter holding student loans they think will help him win reelection this fall. It is like he thinks he is a king from the Book of Leviticus who can declare a year of Jubilee and cancel debt without any regard for fairness to other borrowers or any sort of personal responsibility.

There may be close to $250 billion of unpaid federal taxes on the $750 billion of canceled debt Biden has done so far. Add them together and Biden has singlehandedly, without any input from Congress or Republicans, increased the national debt by $1 trillion all by himself.

Forty-eight million current student debtors have not been granted Jubilee by Biden, primarily because they took loans out before the student loan guarantee program was abolished in 2010. Every one of them, plus the 100 million-plus people who have paid off their student loans fair and square ― Republican, Democrat and Independent ― should vote against him simply for this blatant injustice and abuse of presidential power.

Biden canceling student loans for political power has all the markings of a socialist strongman such as Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, not an American president.

the anti-Israel protests and climate change protests.

Just last week, demonstrators in cities like San Francisco used concrete- lled barrels to strap themselves together and block tra c on major roadways and bridges including the Golden Gate Bridge, potentially preventing emergency vehicles from getting through.

Antisemitic chants were also yelled during an ongoing anti-Israel protest at Columbia University, with some expressing support for the terrorist group Hamas. “Hamas, we love you. We support your rockets too!” was among the chants heard.

Elsewhere, violence erupted after radical climate change activists stormed the stage during an event honoring Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

Democrats have spent a lot of time since Donald Trump’s 2016 election warning about “right-wing violence” and painting anyone who opposes them as a “radical extremist.” But they often turn a blind eye to it when it comes from their side, which happens far more often than we’ve been led to believe by the mainstream media.

Here’s an idea: Instead of gaslighting and equivocating, why not call this stu out in no uncertain terms and support the book being thrown at the people causing all the problems?

I know, that would be too easy, right? Not to mention how many false narratives coming from the left/media it would knock down in the process.

North Carolina native Stacey Matthews

written

Biden and the ‘blame America first’ Democrats

WHEN PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN warned Iran not to attack Israel with the single word “don’t,” he was setting himself up to look foolish and weak.

The Iranian theocratic dictatorship pays no heed to Biden. Iran’s leaders have taken Biden’s measure over months of proxy warfare. Iran and its proxies have killed Americans, routinely fired at American bases and ships, and enthusiastically ignored every American effort to appease them. Biden’s done nothing.

When he said “don’t,” Iran did — with 335 drones and missiles. We might have expected some serious reaction from a president who had publicly instructed Iran not to attack. Instead, we got a pathetic, desperate, all-out Biden administration effort to convince the Israelis to claim a defensive victory and do nothing.

Just as Biden ignored the Chinese Communist spy balloon gradually crossing the United States, he thought the Israelis should ignore 335 drones and missiles fired at their country.

Watching the bizarre performance, it hit me that the Biden Doctrine is to cripple your allies and help your enemies.

Consider the facts.

As soon as Biden took office, he implemented policies that helped the anti-American Iranian dictatorship. They could chant “death to America,” but he would send them money, release them from sanctions, and tolerate their strategy of waging war through proxies with no consequence. Even then, the Iranians and their puppets fired drones and missiles at American bases — killing some American military and wounding many more. There was no strong response from Biden.

When the U.S. military warned Biden that leaving Afghanistan too quickly would collapse the pro-American government we spent 22 years developing, he ignored the advice. He moved so quickly it guaranteed the Taliban would win the war. Then he claimed the disaster was the best evacuation in history.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, Biden said supportive words about Ukraine but slow-walked equipment and help. Furthermore, the Biden Doctrine demonstrated it was OK for Vladimir Putin to wage war on civilians, kidnap Ukrainian children and destroy Ukrainian infrastructure. But Biden opposed any Ukrainian response that would involve attacking Russia. Defense was OK,

| STEPHEN MOORE

but a serious offensive to win the war by hitting targets inside Russia was off-limits.

When the Iranian-planned, trained, equipped and financed Hamas terrorist assault of Oct. 7 horrified decent people everywhere, Biden was briefly positive about helping Israel. However, as is typical of the Biden Doctrine, once our ally began to win, Biden shifted away from Israel and expressed concern for Hamas and the people of Gaza who had sheltered and supported Hamas.

Following the Biden Doctrine of undermining our allies and comforting our enemies, Biden proposed that the city of Rafah should become a sanctuary city. This would allow the remainder of Hamas and its leadership a safe place to recoup and avoid being destroyed by Israeli forces.

The tension shifted into a confrontation between our ally and the American president.

Meanwhile, Biden supports aid to Ukraine and Israel — so long as it is not offset by spending cuts elsewhere and nothing is done to protect the American border. Keeping the American border open is such a high priority for Biden and the left that stalling aid to Israel and Ukraine is an acceptable price. Illegal immigrants coming into the United States is a higher value to Biden than protecting our allies.

Forty years ago, at the 1984 Republican Convention, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick presciently described what Biden and the Democrats have become. She called them the “blame America first” Democrats.

She said no matter what happens around the world “they always blame America first.”

Kirkpatrick described the Democrat doctrine as being “less like a dove or a hawk than like an ostrich — convinced it would shut out the world by hiding its head in the sand.” Quoting the great French analyst Jean Francois Revel, she said, “Clearly, a civilization that feels guilty for everything it is and does will lack the energy and conviction to defend itself.”

Today, there are American fanatics in Chicago chanting “Death to America.” In four cities, there are other fanatics occupying Google offices demanding that Google drop its contract that is helping Israel defend itself. It is easy to see the damage the Democrats’ moral relativism is doing.

If the Biden Doctrine continues, we won’t have any more allies — and our enemies will be much stronger.

Why small businesses hate Bidenomics

IF THE ECONOMY is so good, why do small business leaders feel so bad?

The latest Small Business Optimism Index from the National Federation of Independent Business could hardly be more depressing. It nds that the men and women who run our 33 million small businesses and hire more than half of American workers are in a somber mood. The survey nds that small-business con dence has reached its lowest point in 12 years.

Amazingly, small company CEOs are even more fearful of the future today than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when most businesses were shuttered. The con dence numbers have decreased every year President Joe Biden has been in o ce. Here are the numbers, according to NFIB:

March 2020 — 102.0

March 2021 — 98.2

March 2022 — 93.2

March 2023 — 90.1

March 2024 — 88.5

Why are small-business owners feeling so dour even at a time when the GDP is growing? I asked that question to David Malpass, former World Bank president and U.S. Treasury undersecretary under former President Donald Trump. Malpass has observed all over the world what factors make small businesses successful and put their owners in a frame of mind to expand.

“Smaller businesses are being crowded out by complex regulations and direct competition from the $35 trillion national debt,” Malpass concludes. “The Treasury borrowed $23 trillion in 2023 alone, much of it in the expensive short maturities needed by smaller businesses for working capital.”

The NFIB data is merely a survey, and sometimes business owners and investors act di erently than they say they will. But there is more real data on how small companies are expanding. The latest Federal Reserve data through March shows that commercial and industrial loans, a key resource for small business dynamism, fell over 5% in the last year in nominal terms, down over 8% after adjusting for in ation. Yikes. Without investment, it’s hard for businesses to grow.

I asked Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of the Job Creators Network, which represents tens of thousands of small-business owners, what he sees in terms of the business climate.

“Our members feel as though Biden has declared war on small businesses,” Ortiz says. He also mentioned they’re worried that a second Biden term would mean higher taxes, more regulations and a continuation of high prices.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration seems frustrated and even indignant that more businesses aren’t supporting the White House program. But remember: Neither Biden nor nearly any of his top o cials have ever started or even worked for a small or medium-sized business. They don’t have any feel for how their own policies impact the nation’s employers.

As an example, the Biden administration wants to put in serious jeopardy the franchise model where thousands of small entrepreneurs can start their own McDonald’s, Arby’s or retail store representing well-known and trusted brands. They want the parent companies to be on alert that they can be sued for violations of labor laws, EPA edicts or federal “diversity” requirements, or can be on the hook for lawsuits against their franchises.

This could be the death of thousands of small, independent-owned franchises. The Labor Department wants small businesses to allow unions to run their stores.

What is so sinister here is that the franchise model for opening new businesses is an almost entirely unique American model of business growth. Entrepreneurial immigrants can come into the country, pool money as a family, then own and operate a Popeyes or a clothing store.

Biden also wants to nearly double the capital gains tax, which will scare away angel investors in small startup companies. If owners of a small or medium-sized business put the pro ts back into the company so it can expand, Biden would tax the “unrealized capital gains” on that investment.

Meanwhile, Biden is happy to give a big head start in the form of billions of dollars of grants and low-interest loans for large corporations such as General Motors and chipmaker Intel so they can expand their operations on the taxpayers’ dime. These corporate welfare programs tilt the playing eld in favor of the sharks, not the small-business minnows.

It’s no wonder that men and women who put their life savings on the line to build their businesses from scratch feel they’re under assault. They are being taxed and regulated to death while too often in ation eats away their modest pro ts.

No one in Washington is going to be “forgiving” their loans when the business conditions get rough, and high interest rates make it tough to get emergency loans. There is no safety net — and no “too big to fail” aid package — for the heroes of our economy, who have become the punching bag of big government.

Stephen

Maybe larger families will produce better leaders, as in the early US

WHY WAS AMERICA in the Revolutionary War era, with 3 million people, able to generate leaders of the quality of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, while today’s America, with 333 million people, generates the likes of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump?

That’s a question I keep asking as I alternate between writing about current a airs in this space and reading about the Revolution and the early republic for my book “Mental Maps of the Founders.”

I think I’ve found clues to answers in a seemingly unrelated quarter, in my Washington Examiner colleague Tim Carney’s book “Family Unfriendly.” Carney argues that more people should have more children, that governments and employers should make that easier, and that parents should, as the title of his rst chapter reads, “have lower ambitions for your kids.”

My research on the Founders produced several surprises, including the fact that most of them did not come from cultures of rigid primogeniture — in which not only inheritances but families’ hopes were concentrated on oldest sons.

On the contrary, among large families — seven children seems to have been the median family size — parents and even the children themselves were on the lookout for brothers with exceptionally high talents and concentrated on developing them. Many outstanding leaders had such backgrounds.

Washington, for example, was the son of a second marriage and, after his father died when he was 11, did not get the English education his older half-brothers did. But he became the favorite of his oldest brother, Lawrence, who, when he died of tuberculosis, left George in line to inherit the house above the Potomac River he named after his Royal Navy commander, Adm. Edward Vernon.

Franklin was the 15th of 17 children of a Boston candlemaker who was apprenticed to an older brother who was a printer. Underappreciated for the droll, anonymous essays he wrote, Franklin absconded while a teenager to Philadelphia, set up his own print shop, started founding civic associations and retired a rich man at 42. An example of Carney’s argument: If Franklin’s father had stopped after his 14th child, there’d have been no “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” no electricity experiments and no original proposals for Colonial unity.

Or take Andrew Jackson. His mother, though an immigrant to the frontier, was from a landholding family and literate though characteristically irregular in her spelling. She spotted her third son, Andrew, as something special and wanted him educated for the ministry. Wrong profession, but he excelled as a general. He was smarter than opposition caricatures made him out to be, and the Democratic Party, the world’s oldest political party, was founded to elect him president.

His precise contemporary, occasional ally and frequent opponent, John Quincy Adams, was the rst-born of several brothers, raised to be president, chided by his mother for his laziness and indolence, though he was uent in seven languages and kept a daily diary from age 12 to his death at 81. With no political air, he was elected president once and had an important public career from 1794 to 1848.

Sometimes an extended family chipped in to provide an advanced education and early political backing for what they considered a dazzlingly talented younger son. That’s the story of John C. Calhoun, whose grandmother in upcountry South Carolina was killed in a Cherokee raid and who was sent to Yale College and, subsequently, law school in Connecticut. Similarly, James A. Gar eld, born in a log cabin in Ohio, was schooled and promoted by admiring parents and older siblings.

I nd Calhoun an unattractive character, not just because he defended slavery as a positive good, and Gar eld’s promising career as a supporter of civil rights was cut short by a crazed assassin and a doctor who refused to wash his own hands. But both were able and consequential political actors with positive achievements whose careers were made possible by family members who perceived their exceptional talents.

None of these leaders would ever have been born if their parents, like typical people today, had no more than two children. Today’s aspirational upscale parents, Carney writes, “worry that they are failing if their kids are not prodigies by age 8, or aren’t on the path to dominance in violin, tennis, or math.” But the odds that any one child will — like Washington and Franklin, Jackson and Adams, Calhoun and Gar eld — have exceptional talents are less than if their parents had had a houseful of children.

Demographers worry that adults aren’t producing enough taxpayers to pay for Social Security and Medicare. Reading Carney and about the Founders has me worried that people, unlike their forebears, aren’t producing enough exceptional leaders. Michael

Moore is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a senior economic adviser to Donald Trump.

COLUMN

No charges after viral video shows mishandling of bear cubs

Buncombe County Charges will not be led against a group of people caught on video in Ashville pulling two bear cubs out of a tree. A spokesperson for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said o cers made this decision because the cubs were immediately released. The state agency is reminding everyone to leave bear cubs alone. The public should contact NCWRC if they suspect they’ve encountered an orphaned bear cub.

WLOS

Grand opening marks

state’s rst medical cannabis dispensary

Cherokee County North Carolina’s rst medical cannabis dispensary held its grand opening in Cherokee this Saturday. The Great Smoky Cannabis Dispensary is located in the Qualla Boundary, and people from all across the mountains were lined up outside waiting to purchase the Eastern Band of Indians’ packaged cannabis. The tribe will only accept EBCI’s Cannabis Control Board, another tribe’s Medical Cannabis Patient Card or a reciprocal state’s medical patient card. You must also be at least 21 to enter the dispensary and sign in.

WBTV

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

Third-year UNC medical resident killed in crash

NC illegal gambling houses targeted in federal sting

Mecklenburg County

A multiagency operation involving federal, state and local law enforcement resulted in several North Carolina businesses being raided and more than 800 charges being led, according to a statement from the CharlotteMecklenburg Police Department. The CMPD assisted along with o cers and agents from North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, along with neighboring county departments. A total of 496 charges were led in Mecklenburg County, and 304 charges were led in Gastonia. Authorities say the operation involved raids on illegal “ sh arcades,” which are locations where customers are given cash payouts for credits won on gaming machines. They involve games of chance and promote sweepstakes through entertaining displays, all of which violate North Carolina law. Detectives executed search warrants at two locations related to illegal gambling in Charlotte where they seized 117 gambling stations, approximately $18,000 in cash and two rearms.

Lee County A man was killed in a car crash Saturday night on NC-87 in Lee County, according to troopers with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. O cials said Davis Anugo, 32, a third-year medical resident at UNC Chapel Hill, was traveling south when a man traveling north traveled left of center, hitting Anugo head-on.

Anugo died at the scene, troopers said. Troopers said the collision is still under investigation.

WGBH

Man arrested for entering elementary school with long gun

Guilford County

The Greensboro Police Department said they are continuing to investigate a break-in at an elementary school. On April 13, o cers said 26-year-old Jonathan Coley broke into Irving Park Elementary School shortly before 6 a.m.

O cers responded to the burglary alarm at the school and conducted a sweep of the property with no results. Video reviewed by school o cials allowed o cials last week to trace a car to Coley, detain him at a tra c stop, and charge him with multiple weapons and drug counts.

NSJ

Man charged with breaking into church, theft and damaging property

Surry County

The Surry County Sheri ’s O ce said Monday it had responded to Calvary Baptist Church in Mount Airy about a breaking and entering. At the scene, o cers found “extensive damage” inside. They investigated and identi ed Johnathon Samuel Nichols, 34, of Mount Airy, as a suspect. Nichols allegedly damaged the doors, windows and walls of the church. According to reports, he stole an electric guitar, costume white angel wings, an electric microphone, a crown of thorns, a collectible framed script and business documents. Shortly after the initial call, the suspect was found at the Food Lion in Mount Airy, and some of the stolen items were recovered. He was charged with breaking and entering a place of worship, larceny after breaking and entering, injuring a building/fence/wall, possessing stolen goods, injury to personal property and larceny. Nichols received a $63,500.00 secured bond.

WGHP

17th annual PirateFest

celebrates hometown pride

Pitt County Pirates from all across North Carolina united at Greenville’s Town Common and the rest of the downtown area for the 17th annual PirateFest. The “North Carolina Event of the Year” did not disappoint, featuring more than 50 food vendors, live entertainment and many, many pirates. Entertainers dazzled with sword ghts and their creative costumes. The event started with the Pirate Parade and has grown into an all-day, allinclusive family event.

WNCT

Seymore-Johnson jets helped intercept Iranian missiles

Wayne County As Iran launched drones and missiles toward Israel last week, ghter jets from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro helped shoot them down, o cials said. The 335th Fighter Squadron is part of the 4th Operations group and stationed at Seymour Johnson. According to the o ce of Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC), the junior senator praised the e orts of the F-15E Strike Eagles of the 335th Fighter Squadron during a Senate Armed Services Committee last week.

NSJ

All-girls team crowned champs in national robotics competition

Johnston County An all-girls robotics team out of Johnston County is being celebrated as they return home national champs. A group of friends and family showed up at RDU Sunday to surprise the girls of G Force Robotics as they arrived home from an exciting few days at the FIRST World Championship in Houston. “So they’re tired, but they’re coming home, you know, winners. So we’re very proud for them,” said Karen Nolte, whose daughter is on the team. G Force competed against teams from more than two dozen countries, battling it out with their 125-pound robot. The teammates also competed earlier this year for the Engineering Inspiration Award, which recognizes a team for spreading appreciation of engineering in their community. Team leaders say that community outreach is a big part of G Force’s mission, as they focus especially on getting young girls interested in robotics, engineering and STEM.

NSJ

that gives priority to lowerincome families and current scholarship recipients. Medicaid expansion is also going to need more funds to the tune of $400 million. The state has seen approximately 400,000 of an estimated 600,000 enroll since the expansion went live Oct. 1, 2023.

Lawmakers are also expected to take a look at diversity, equity and inclusion, known as DEI, as it is being applied in academics.

The idea of tackling DEI rst popped up during a UNC Board of Trustees meeting in March in remarks by member Jim Blaine, the former senior adviser to Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden). Blaine called it “an elephant in the room” and said either the UNC Board of Governors or the General Assembly will “follow Florida’s path” by dismantling DEI on college campuses.

Speaker of the House Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) has indicated he wants to address rising antisemitism in the state, immigration concerns such as sheri s complying with Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers on illegal migrants, and ways to help citizens struggling due to in ation. Moore has said he doesn’t foresee the prospect of any new abortion laws or legislation regarding in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in light of recent legal developments related to Alabama’s Supreme Court decision on frozen embryos used for IVF that The Associated Press reported had led to legislative action there about protecting IVF clinics. Marijuana legislation that didn’t make it through the previous long session is a “maybe,” Moore said, however, other drug-related items may be addressed.

The House Select Committee on Substance Abuse has taken an interest in regulating “gas station heroin,” a substance containing tianeptine and often involves products found in gas stations and convenience stores found under names like Tianna, Pegasus, Neptune’s Fix or Zaza. The items can be bought without an ID or prescription with no age restrictions. A bill run last session looked to regulate such items and reclassify them as a Schedule 1 drug. The General Assembly could also look at state regulations on deepfakes, particularly in election ads. North Carolina saw its rst encounter with deepfakes in the state’s 6th Congressional District race in March. Digital privacy laws, particularly those aimed at protecting children on social media platforms, may also be on the table.

In its meeting on April 17, the UNC Board of Governors Committee on Governance unanimously voted to repeal its DEI policies for the entire UNC System. The policy change will be heard by the full BOG at its upcoming May meeting.

NATION & WORLD

The change could open the door for male athletes identifying as female in women’s sports

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The U.S. Department of Education has nalized its Title IX rules that was paused last June.

The new rule rede nes sex by adding “gender identity” as a protected group, e ectively opening the door for transgender women to play on women’s sports teams and use women’s spaces in schools.

“The rule prohibits discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics in federally funded education programs, applying the reasoning of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County,” per the U.S. Department of Education’s “fact sheet.”

Title IX was established in 1972 to protect women against discrimination based on sex in education. The law applies to all colleges and K-12 schools that receive federal money.

“For more than 50 years, Title IX has promised an equal opportunity to learn and thrive in our nation’s schools free from sex discrimination,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a press release. “These nal regulations build on the legacy of Title IX by clarifying that all our nation’s students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights.”

“No one should face bullying or discrimination just because of who they are, who they love,” Cardona told media outlets, per The Associated Press. “Sadly, this happens all too often.”

The Biden administration’s

new Title IX rules are meant to “clarify schools’ obligations,” per the fact sheet and other documents published by Cardona’s agency.

The rule was rst proposed in 2022, and the Department of Education reviewed more than 240,000 comments, most in opposition to the changes.

Critics say Congress never intended these types of protections under Title IX, and in 2022 nearly two dozen states sued the Biden administration over the changes. The same year, in July, a federal judge blocked the proposed guidance.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC05), chair of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, ripped the new regulation as threatening the decades of advancement for women and girls.

“This nal rule dumps kerosene on the already raging re that is Democrats’ contemptuous culture war that aims to rad-

ically rede ne sex and gender,” Foxx said in a statement.

North Carolina State Superintendent Catherine Truitt fought back against the rules in a letter to Cardona in May 2023, calling attention to the intent of Title IX and the inherent physical di erences between male and female athletes.

“Under no circumstance can we assume that Congress, when crafting this important law forty years ago, fathomed a biological male playing competitive sports in an all-female league or competition at any level,” Truitt said in the letter to Cardona. “The current proposed rule from the Department of Education would undermine the intent of Title IX, which was to increase opportunities for female athletes.”

Former Trump Education Secretary Betsy Devos reacted in a post on X to Biden’s “radical re-write” of Title IX, stating, “I never thought I’d see the day where Title IX would be used to harm women, but sadly, that day has come.”

Female athletes and women’s groups that oppose the changes quickly red back at the new rules.

“The president and his administration can’t act like they care about women or our opportunities and then go and wipe out women’s protections under the country’s landmark sex equality law,” said Riley Gaines, a 12-time All-American swimmer out of the University of Kentucky with ve SEC titles who is also a two-time Olympic trial quali er.

Gaines — who has become a major opposition gure in the debate over transgender athletes — testi ed in North Carolina in support of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which bars those considered biologically male or assigned male at birth to compete in women’s sports in the

state. The bill passed into law after an override of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto.

“Title IX was passed over fty years ago to end unjust discrimination in education, including athletics,” Gaines said. “I experienced this law (being) undermined when female athletes like myself were told to keep quiet when a male swimmer took home a title in the women’s division and deprived female athletes of awards, honors, and the opportunity to compete.

“With its new Title IX rewrite, the Biden administration is unilaterally erasing fty years of equal opportunity law for women.”

The nonpro t group Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) slammed the move by the Biden administration, saying it strips away protections for women.

“This new rule turns Title IX on its head through extra-statutory regulations that require schools to allow males to self-identify into women’s spaces, opportunities, and athletics,” the IWF said in a statement

The IWF and the Independent Women’s Law Center (IWLC) are joining a coalition of organizations to sue the Biden administration to enjoin the action.

“Title IX was designed to give women equal opportunities in academic settings. It forbids discrimination on the basis of ‘sex,’ which it a rms throughout the statute is binary and biological,” May Mailman, the director of the IWLC said in a statement.

“The unlawful Omnibus Regulation re-imagines Title IX to permit the invasion of women’s spaces and the reduction of women’s rights in the name of elevating protections for ‘gender identity,’ which is contrary to the text and purpose of Title IX. Because this is illegal, we plan to sue.”

The new rules take e ect Aug. 1, 2024, and will likely see additional legal challenges.

The Associated Press’ Colin Brinkley, along with Geo Mulvihill, Annie Ma and Moriah Balingit contributed to this report.

Biden admin nalizes Title IX rule; adds ‘gender identity’ language Supreme Court weighs bans on sleeping outdoors

There are an estimated 650,000 homeless in the United States

By Lindsay Whitehurst and Claire Rush

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court wrestled with major questions about the growing issue of homelessness on Monday as it considered whether cities can punish people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking.

The case is the most significant to come before the high court in decades on the issue and comes as record numbers of people are without a permanent place to live in the United States.

It started in the rural Oregon town of Grants Pass, which began ning people $295 for sleeping outside as the cost of housing escalated and tents sprung up in the city’s public parks. The town appealed to the high court after the San Francisco-based U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that banning camping in places without enough shelter amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

DEI from page A1

Under the revision, student-led organizations are allowed certain exceptions regarding freedom of expression.

Additionally, the policy requires annual certi cation of compliance from each constituent institution and outlines reporting requirements.

Man dies from injuries following NYC self-immolation

The man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on re outside the courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial has died. The New York City Police Department said early Saturday that the man was declared dead by sta at an area hospital.

O cials and witnesses say the man was in Collect Pond Park around 1:30 p.m. Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on re. A large number of police o cers were nearby when it happened.

Terry Anderson, reporter held captive for years, dies New York

Terry Anderson, the correspondent for The Associated Press who became one of America’s longestheld hostages, died Sunday. Anderson was snatched from a street in war-torn Lebanon in 1985 and held for nearly seven years. Anderson, who was tortured and chained to a wall, wrote about his experiences in the best-selling memoir, “Den of Lions.” After returning to the United States in 1991, Anderson gave public speeches, taught journalism and, at various times, operated a blues bar, Cajun restaurant, horse ranch and gourmet restaurant. He also struggled with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Earthquakes shake Taiwan again

Taipei, Taiwan

law identical to this? Where are they supposed to sleep? Are they supposed to kill themselves, not sleeping?” she said.

Solving homelessness is a complicated policy question, said Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who raised questions about both the role of federal courts and camping bans. “How does it help if there are not enough beds for the number of homeless people in the jurisdiction?” he said.

Other conservative justices questioned how far Eighth Amendment legal protections should extend as cities struggle with managing homeless encampments that can be dangerous and unsanitary.

Homelessness in the United States grew a dramatic 12% last year to its highest reported level, as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined with a lack of access to mental health and addiction treatment put housing out of reach for more people.

A cluster of earthquakes struck Taiwan early Tuesday, the strongest measuring 6.1 magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblors struck after a magnitude 7.4 quake hit the island earlier this month, killing 13 people and injuring more than 1,000. That earthquake was centered along the coast of the rural and mountainous Hualien County. It was the strongest earthquake in the past 25 years in Taiwan and was followed by hundreds of aftershocks. According to the USGS, Tuesday’s quake of 6.1 magnitude had its epicenter 17.5 miles south of the city of Hualien at a depth of 6.6 miles. The half-dozen other quakes ranged from magnitude 4.5 to magnitude 6, all near Hualien.

Biden announces $7B in solar grants on Earth Day

“Where do we put them if every city, every village, every town lacks compassion and passes a

The justices appeared to be leaning toward a narrow ruling in the case after hearing arguments that showed the stark terms of the debate over homelessness in Western states like California, which is home to one-third of the country’s homeless population. Sleeping is a biological necessity, and people may be forced to do it outside if they can’t afford housing or there’s no space in shelters, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said.

More than 650,000 people are estimated to be homeless, the most since the country began using the yearly point-intime survey in 2007.

The court is expected to decide the case by the end of June.

Triangle, Virginia

Preparing for possible legislative action on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) was previously brought up at the UNC Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting held on March 27.

The topic was raised by UNC

Trustee Jim Blaine, the former senior adviser to Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden), who said

The policy change would be e ective immediately upon adoption by the full UNC Board of Governors, which will consider the committee’s policy change proposal at its upcoming May meeting.

it’s “an elephant in the room” that either the UNC Board of Governors or the General Assembly will “follow Florida’s path” dismantling DEI bureaucracies on college campuses.

“I actually think that’s the right decision,” Blaine said. “DEI creates and exacerbates problems on a college campus, it doesn’t solve them.”

BOT discussion on the topic noted the millions of dollars channeled into sta ng and ad-

ministrative positions like “chief diversity o cers,” who integrate DEI concepts — which, at times, include components of Critical Race Theory — into every aspect of university life, from curricula to campus culture.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts include ideas like inherent racial superiority, inherent racism based on race or sex, and the assignment of particular traits, victimhood status or values based on race or sex.

President Joe Biden marked Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects serving 900,000-plus households in low- and middle-income communities while criticizing Republicans who want to gut his policies to address climate change. The solar grants are being awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency, which unveiled the 60 recipients. The projects are expected to eventually reduce emissions by the equivalent of 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and save households $350 million annually.

JOSE LUIS MAGANA / AP PHOTO

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) speaks on Capitol Hill last week in opposition to new Title IX regulations enacted by the Biden administration.

J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP PHOTO

Activists demonstrate at the Supreme Court on Monday as the justices consider a challenge to rulings that found punishing people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking amounts to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment.

catastrophe

about when normal

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

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

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

we begin to get back to normal

WALTER E. WILLIAMS

Fixing college corruption

How China will pay for this COVID-19 catastrophe

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

Perhaps COVID-19 is China’s Chernobyl.

The 3 big questions nobody

The comfort

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

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

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

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

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

Sponsored by App oved Logos

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

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

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

The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority recently approved 31 grant requests to local governments totaling $10,982,835. The requests include commitments to create a total of 565 jobs, 135 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $211 million in public and private investment.

Not one little bit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah RedState and Legal Insurrection.

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

The authority has 17 members, with eight appointed by the governor, four appointed upon the recommendation of the president pro tempore of the Senate, four upon the recommendation of the speaker of the House and the secretary of Commerce. Members of the authority, except the secretary of Commerce, must come from the 80 N.C. counties ranked by the Department of Commerce as the most economically distressed. Grants support a variety of activities, including infrastructure development, building renovation, expansion and demolition, and site improvements. The RIA approved nine grant requests under the state’s Building Reuse Program, with ve projects focused on vacant buildings and four projects assisting existing businesses. The largest grant in this category ($500,000) went to Rockingham County to support the reuse of a vacant 451,624-square-foot building in Reidsville. The building will be occupied by Drylock Technologies, a manufacturer of hygiene products for baby, feminine and adult care. Drylock will create 113 jobs in the project, with 50 jobs and an investment of more than $2.35 million tied to this grant. Another $500,000 grant will support a 41,000-square-foot expansion of IFAB Corporation’s facility in Gastonia. Other cities and counties receiving grants were Forsyth County ($250,000), City of Hickory (Catawba County, $240,000), City of Rocky Mount (Nash County, $450,000), Pasquotank County ($200,000), City of Fayetteville (Cumberland County, $120,000), Gaston County ($250,000) and Pitt County ($100,000). The RIA also approved four grant requests under the state’s

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

Republican governors say unions threaten jobs and local values

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

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

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

North State Journal sta

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

RALEIGH — The rst automotive factory to unionize in the South since the 1940s has union leaders calling for a broader ght to bring in more factories in other states. The United Auto Workers’ union won a vote to organize workers last week at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee with 73% of the vote. It was the union’s rst win in a Southern assembly plant owned by a foreign automaker. Union President Shawn Fain said the pundits all told him the UAW couldn’t win in

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The result: a reduction in expected hospitalization

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

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

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

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

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

Medical marijuana sales begin at Cherokee store n.c.

The Great Smoky Cannabis Co. opened on April 20

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

The Associated Press

CHEROKEE — Medical marijuana can now be legally purchased in North Carolina with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opening its longplanned dispensary this weekend on tribal land.

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

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

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

Hundreds of people, many with approved medical patient cards to purchase items, celebrated the historic opening of the Great Smoky Cannabis Co. on Saturday within the Eastern Band land known as the Qualla Boundary, the Asheville Citizen-Times reported. Saturday was April 20, which is also known as “420 Day,” or an annual day for the celebration of marijuana.

The ceremony marks the latest liberalization of marijuana rules by the tribe, which in 2021 decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana within its 89 square miles of land in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The tribe also formed a medical marijuana system that included a tribe-created business to grow cannabis and sell it, reaping nancial rewards for

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nor th State Journa l for Wednesday, Apr il 15,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The comfort and hope

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

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

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

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

Labor movement shifts focus to South after union claims victory in Tenn.

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

the South. “But you all said, ‘Watch this,’” he told a cheering group of VW organizers at a union hall in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Friday night. “You guys are leading the way. We’re going to carry this ght on to Mercedes and everywhere else.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leaders at the local and can be with those answers with details that give their

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

We should all continue ourselves, and our communities to ask questions about the measures are understandable,

The governors of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas issued a joint statement ahead of the vote expressing concern about the unionization campaign, saying it was “driven by misinformation and scare tactics.” The coalition of governors also said unions “seem more focused on helping President Biden get reelected than on the autoworker jobs being cut at plants they already represent.”

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

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

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

Despite the governors’ state -

ment, the UAW won the vote and will seek to negotiate new contracts with VW. Last year, the UAW announced a drive to represent nearly 150,000 workers at nonunion factories largely in the South. The union is targeting U.S. plants run by Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda, Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW and Volvo, along with factories operated by electric-vehicle makers Tesla, Rivian and Lucid.

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

the tribal members and assisting those with medical conditions.

“This project will change the trajectory of their lives forever,” Forrest Parker, general manager for Qualla Enterprises, the tribal company that manages the dispensary, said during the opening ceremony. “It will be a conduit to generations of social, economic and spiritual growth, unlike anything that’s ever been witnessed.”

The Eastern Band, with about 14,000 members, can pass rules permitting cannabis as a sovereign nation and federally recognized tribe. Marijuana use remains illegal in the rest of North Carolina. Still, Republican U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd have raised concerns with federal and state law enforcement about whether drug laws will continue to be carried out in light of the dispensary. A statewide medical marijuana

The UAW’s next target is the Mercedes-Benz plants in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. A ve-day election is scheduled to start May 13, where the union’s campaign has already become heated. The UAW has accused the German carmaker of violating U.S. and German labor laws with aggressive anti-union tactics, which the company denies. “They are going to have a much harder road in work sites where they are going to face aggressive management resistance and even community resistance than they faced in Chattanooga,” said Harry Katz, a labor-relations professor at Cornell University. “VW management did not aggressively seek to avoid unionizaSee UNION, page A10

This is all new to Americans, shape, or form. So while the same time we shouldn’t normal.”

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

Not one little bit.

Stacey Matthews has also and is a regular contributor

bill has been considered in recent years by the North Carolina General Assembly.

Adults at least 21 years of age with a tribe medical cannabis patient card or an out-of-state approved medical marijuana card can purchase items at Great Smoky Cannabis Co.

The scope of marijuana sales could become much greater. A majority of Eastern Band voters backed in a referendum last September the adult, recreational use of marijuana on tribal land. The question also asked whether voters supported the tribal council to develop legislation to regulate such a market.

The dispensary could generate more than $200 million in gross sales revenues in its rst year if limited to medical patients, compared with $385 million if the product is available to all adult users, according to gures from Qualla Enterprises released before last year’s adult-use referendum. Saturday’s ceremony featured tribal translator Myrtle Driver Johnson purchasing the rst medical marijuana in a transaction made in English and Cherokee. She said that she had named and translated the di erent strains of cannabis into Cherokee.

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Jason

Phish using Sphere’s technology to give fans new experience

The Las Vegas venue is hosting a four-night stay for the band

By Josh Corn eld

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Phish opened its four-night stay at the Sphere last Thursday with a four-hour show that used the advanced technology in the $2.3 billion arena to deliver a show that even the band’s most ardent fans have never experienced before.

“We came in really wanting to do a show that was a great Phish show,” said Abigail Rosen Holmes, who is running the visual show. She said the band and its creative team wanted to mix the Sphere’s technical capabilities and consider “what can we do for Phish that we maybe couldn’t do for any other artist?”

While Phish shows usually get their visual punch from lighting guru Chris Kuroda’s massive lighting rig, these shows are completely di erent as the band uses custom visuals on the 160,000-square foot 16K-by-16K LED screen.

Three-dimensional blue bars moving and spinning in time and growing to meet beams of light falling from the ceiling. Live video of the band playing, cut into pieces. A wall of psychedelic-colored cars blinking their lights with a long improvisational jam. Easter eggs from

UNION from page A9

tion. Mercedes is going to be a good test. It’s the deeper South.”

The union had su ered two defeats at VW in Chattanooga before last week’s historic win. A vote in 2019 — a narrow loss by 57 votes — came during a federal investigation into bribery and embezzlement at the UAW. Gary Jones, the former president of the UAW, was sentenced to 28 months in prison in 2021 for conspiring with other UAW o cials to embezzle UAW funds and to defraud the United States, according to a U.S. Department of Justice release.

Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit who studies the UAW, said the union ipped the script by installing new leadership, touting the rich contracts it won last year from Detroit automakers after strikes at targeted factories, and exploiting a climate that is now more favorable to unions.

“Now the public and media eyes are going to be on Chattanooga and how quickly the UAW can translate this into a contract,” he said. If the union can’t quickly get a good contract, it risks losing some of the momentum it gained with Friday’s election win, he said.

Unions in other industries are already moving ahead with organizing campaigns in the South and trying to learn from the UAW’s playbook.

The Association of Flight Attendants, which has tried and failed to win over cabin crews at Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, hopes to force another election at Delta by year end. In the meantime, crews at startup Breeze Airways, many of whom live in the South, will vote next month whether to join the union.

The White House issued a

Phish’s history — like the vacuum cleaner drummer Jon Fishman sometimes plays — falling from the ceiling. A naturescape that then morphs into a fantasy world.

Holmes sits in the center of the arena controlling the visuals in real-time, mixing the elements created with Montreal-based entertainment studio Moment Factory to match the band’s performance.

Kuroda sits beside her, using six light towers behind the stage plus spotlights to nd the right moments to bring people back to the band on stage.

Toward the end of Thursday night’s show, Kuroda started to spotlight individual members of the band, sending a simple black silhouette onto the wall. The silhouette then burst into a reddened eld of 20 silhouettes throughout the arena.

There are 1,600 permanent speakers, along with 300 mobile speaker modules, that use a 3D audio beamforming and wave eld synthesis technology to spread sound throughout the venue. The system allows for individual instruments to be heard from di erent parts of the arena. “It’s like pinpoints of sound and thousands and thousands of them,” says Phish’s Trey Anastasio.

There are 17,500 seats inside the Sphere, every one of which was lled with a Phish fan for the shows, along with about 2,500 standing on the oor. The seats use haptic technolo -

statement from President Joe Biden congratulating the UAW. Biden — who joined a UAW picket line in Michigan during the union’s strike against Ford, GM and Stellantis plants last year — praised the success of unions. “Together, these union wins have helped raise wages and demonstrate once again that the middle class built America and that unions are still building and expanding the middle class for all workers,” Biden said.

But, Republican governors in several Southern states say the UAW’s presence will negatively impact their states. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee was joined by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a joint statement issued through each of their o ces ahead of the VW union vote. “We have worked tirelessly on behalf of our constituents to bring good-paying jobs to our states,” the governors said. “Unionization would certainly put our states’ jobs in jeopardy — in fact, in this year already, all of the UAW automakers have announced layo s.”

The governors also expressed concerns about the long-term impact of the UAW’s campaign against automakers in the South. “We’ve seen it play out this way every single time a foreign automaker plant has been unionized; not one of those plants remains in operation,” said the governors. “And we are seeing it in the fallout of the Detroit Three strike with those automakers rethinking investments and cutting jobs. Putting businesses in our states in that position is the last thing we want to do.”

Additional reporting by

David Koenig of The Associated Press.

gy, so every bass line and drum kick from the band can be felt from your chair — for those actually sitting and not standing up and dancing. The arena was inspired by a sketch made by James Dolan, the executive chair of Madison Square Garden who sought to give the entertainment venue industry a facelift in Las Vegas. Now the massive spherical venue, standing 366 feet high, lights up the Las Vegas skyline.

“It really is a new medium,” said Dolan, speaking to the media during a walkthrough of the venue in 2023. “When you’re in the Sphere, you don’t get told what to look at. The audience decides what they want to focus on.”

Inside the Sphere, a high-resolution LED screen wraps halfway around the 17,500-seat au-

dience. The venue is equipped with thousands of speakers that deliver a multilayered experience. The venue features an array of technology attractions, including ve interactive humanoid robots named Aura.

U2 performed 40 shows to open the Sphere. Phish sold out its four shows within minutes and considered doing more, but the band decided it wanted to create four unique visual and music experiences to match the band’s history of never repeating the same show twice.

“I don’t know that we could have done it any other way,” said Page McConnell, Phish’s piano/organ/keyboard player. “We do it for us. We do it for the audience. It keeps it interesting for us and it keeps it interesting for them. And it’s what people like about us.”

There are 1.2 million LED “pucks” that make up the 580,000-square feet exosphere, each of which can display more than 1 billion colors. The display has become an instant tourist attraction in Las Vegas, seen from hotel rooms around the Strip and from planes above. It cycles through various funky visuals, including a giant yellow blinking smiley face and a furry creature. Last week it included a digital billboard for Phish. The Sphere is the most expensive entertainment venue built in Las Vegas, eclipsing the approximately $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium sports facility that opened in 2020.

Jonathan Landrum Jr. and Ken Ritter of The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Feds hit convenience store chain Sheetz with discrimination

Regulators have taken issue with the way the chain, which operates in N.C., uses criminal background checks to screen job seekers

By Michael Rubinkam

Associated Press

The

NEW YORK — The Sheetz convenience store chain has been hit with a lawsuit by federal o cials who allege the company discriminated against minority job applicants. Sheetz Inc., which operates more than 700 stores in six states, discriminated against black, Native American and multiracial job seekers by automatically weeding out applicants whom the company deemed to have failed a criminal background check, according to U.S. o cials.

President Joe Biden stopped by a Sheetz for snacks this week while campaigning in Pennsylvania.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission led suit in Baltimore against Altoona, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz and two subsidiary companies, alleging the chain’s longstanding hiring practices have a disproportionate impact on minority applicants and thus run afoul of federal civil rights law.

Sheetz said Thursday that it “does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.” “Diversity and inclusion are

essential parts of who we are. We take these allegations seriously,” company spokesperson Nick Ru ner said in a statement. “We have attempted to work with the EEOC for nearly eight years to nd common ground and resolve this dispute.” The privately held, family-run company has more than 23,000 employees and operates convenience stores and gas stations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina. The lawsuit was led in federal court last Wednesday, the day Biden stopped at a Sheetz market on a western Pennsylvania campaign swing, buying snacks, posing for photos and chatting up patrons and employees. Federal o cials said they do not allege Sheetz was motivated by racial animus but take issue with the way the chain uses criminal background checks to screen job seekers. The company was sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion and national origin. “Federal law mandates that employment practices causing a disparate impact because of race or other protected classi cations must be shown by the employer to be necessary to ensure the safe and e cient performance of the particular jobs at issue,” EEOC attorney Debra M. Lawrence said in a statement. “Even when such necessity is proven, the practice remains un-

lawsuit

lawful if there is an alternative practice available that is comparably e ective in achieving the employer’s goals but causes less discriminatory e ect,” Lawrence said. It wasn’t immediately clear how many job applicants have been a ected, but the agency said Sheetz’s unlawful hiring practices date to at least 2015. The EEOC, an independent agency that enforces federal laws against workplace discrimination, is seeking to force Sheetz to o er jobs to applicants who were unlawfully denied employment and to provide back pay, retroactive seniority and other bene ts. The EEOC began its probe of the convenience store chain after two job applicants led complaints alleging employment discrimination.

The agency found black job applicants were deemed to have failed the company’s criminal history screening and were denied employment at a rate of 14.5%, while multiracial job seekers were turned away 13.5% of the time and Native Americans were denied at a rate of 13%.

By contrast, fewer than 8% of white applicants were refused employment because of a failed criminal background check, the EEOC’s lawsuit said.

The EEOC noti ed Sheetz in 2022 that it was likely violating civil rights law, but the agency said its e orts to mediate a settlement failed, prompting this week’s lawsuit.

President Joe Biden’s limousine parks outside a Sheetz in Pittsburgh last week.

Hawaii lawmakers take aim at vacation rentals

The aftermath of the Lahaina wild re has ampli ed the Maui housing crisis

By Audrey Mcavoy The Associated Press

HONOLULU — A town where most people work in the tourism and hospitality industry is facing a housing crisis the governor of Hawaii says is caused by short-term rentals. An Aug. 8 wild re killed 101 people and destroyed housing for 6,200 families in Lahaina, a town on the island of Maui. The property losses ampli ed Maui’s already acute housing shortage.

Some state politicians in Hawaii have identi ed short-term rentals as an issue across Hawaii in the aftermath of the res and are considering bills that would give counties the authority to phase them out.

Gov. Josh Green (D-Hawaii) got so frustrated he blurted an expletive during a recent news conference on the topic.

“This re uncovered a clear truth, which is we have too many short-term rentals owned by too many individuals on the mainland and it is b------t,” Green said. “And our people deserve housing, here.”

Vacation rentals are a popular alternative to hotels for those seeking kitchens, lower costs and opportunities to sample everyday island life. Supporters say they boost tourism, the state’s biggest employer. Critics revile them for in ating housing costs, upending neighborhoods and contributing to the forces pushing locals and native Hawaiians to leave Hawaii for less expensive states.

This migration has become a major concern in Lahaina. The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, a nonpro t, estimates at least 1,500 households — or a quarter of those who lost their homes — have left since the August wild re.

The blaze burned single family homes and apartments in and around downtown, which is the core of Lahaina’s residential housing. An analysis by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization found a relatively low 7.5% of units there were vacation rentals as of February 2023.

Lahaina neighborhoods spared by the re have a much higher ratio of vacation rentals: About half the housing in Napili, about seven miles north of the burn zone, is short-term rentals. Also outside the burn zone are dozens of short-term rental condominium buildings erected decades ago on land zoned for apartments.

In 1992, Maui County explicitly allowed owners in these buildings to rent units for less than 180 days at a time without short-term rental permits. Since November, activists have occu-

pied the beach in front of Lahaina’s biggest hotels to push the mayor or governor to use their emergency powers to revoke this exemption.

A 2016 report prepared for the state found a Honolulu vacation rental generates 3.5 times the revenue of a long-term rental.

State Rep. Luke Evslin (D-Kauai), the Housing Committee chair, said Maui and Kauai counties have su ered net losses of residential housing in recent years thanks to a paucity of new construction and the conversion of so many homes to short-term rentals.

“Every alarm bell we have should be ringing when we’re literally going backwards in our goal to provide more housing in Hawaii,” he said.

In his own Kauai district, Evslin sees people leaving, becoming homeless or working three jobs to stay a oat.

The Democrat was one of 47 House members who co-sponsored legislation that would allow short-term rentals to be phased out. One objective is to give counties more power after a U.S. judge in 2022 ruled Honolulu violated state law when it attempted to prohibit rentals for less than 90 days. Evslin said that decision left Hawaii’s counties with limited tools, such as property taxes, to control vacation rentals.

Lawmakers also considered trying to boost Hawaii’s housing supply by forcing counties to allow more houses to be built on individual lots. But they watered down the measure after local ofcials said they were already exploring the idea.

Short-term rental owners said a phase-out would violate their property rights and take their property without compensation, potentially pushing them into

Speakers include Kwame Alexander (New York Times Bestselling Author, Emmy Award Winner, and Newbery Medal Winner) and W. Kamau Bell (Stand-Up Comedian, Director, Producer, and Dad)

foreclosure. Some predicted legal challenges.

Alicia Humiston, president of the Rentals by Owner Awareness Association, said some areas in West Maui were designed for travelers and therefore lack schools and other infrastructure families need.

“This area in West Maui that is sort of like this resort apartment zone — that’s all north of Lahaina — it was never built to be local living,” Humiston said.

One housing advocate argues that just because a community allowed vacation rentals decades ago doesn’t mean it still needs to now.

“We are not living in the 1990s or in the 1970s,” said Sterling Higa, executive director of Housing Hawaii’s Future. Counties “should have the authority to look at existing laws and reform them as necessary to provide for the public good.”

W.KAMAU BELL KWAME ALEXANDER

LINDSEY WASSON / AP PHOTO

BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupé

The ‘I’ve made it’ car

By Jordan Golson North State Journal

BOSTON — BMW makes a bewildering amount of vehicles. To go through them all would take most of this column, so I will try (and likely fail) to make it brief.

The cars are available in numbered series from 1 through 8. For example, there’s the four-door BMW 330i sedan or the large, luxurious 740i sedan. Odd-numbered cars typically have four doors while even-numbered ones have two — but not always; we’ll get to that.

The SUVs have an X at the front, plus a number denoting size, but from 1 through 8. X3, X5, everything from X1 through X7. Then there are the M cars, which signify something special from BMW’s M performance division: M2, M3, M5, M6 and so on. There’s one for each number from 2 through 8, except for 7.

Now, things get weird.

Though the 3-series typically has four doors and the 4-series comes as a two-door coupe, BMW also makes a four-door 4-series called the Gran Coupe. Get it? Big coupe. These look like a coupe but have four doors, albeit with a severely sloping roof. They look great, sacricing rear-seat headroom for beautiful lines.

That brings us to my test car this week, which, even more confusingly, has a B designator at the front and the name Alpina. In the same way that the M division denotes performance, B denotes extreme luxury. Alpina used to be a separate company, but BMW bought it recently and brought things in-house,

keeping the name. Incidentally, Volvo did something similar with Polestar a few years back before spinning that o into an electric car maker.

With all that gured out, it’s time to review the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe. To decipher the name, it’s the enlarged, extra-lux, four-door version of the two-door BMW 8-series, which itself can be thought of as the two-door, driver-focused variant of the 7-series.

To simplify it further, the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is one of the best cars I’ve ever driven.

Where the M8 coupe is meant to be a hard-core track monster, the B8 is soft and comforting, yet rm in all the right places. It’s perfect for a long-distance cruise on the autobahn and almost ideal for a spirited drive down a curvy backroad.

Would the track day-focused M8 be better on that backroad?

Maybe, by about two percent, but it would be far worse the rest of the time. And, if we’re honest, anyone driving this car wouldn’t be able to tell the difference anyway.

Under the hood is an absurdly good 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, making 612 horsepower and 590 torque from just 2,000 rpm. This is a large, heavy automobile, but those were supercar numbers a generation ago.

It’ll launch to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and on to the quarter mile in 11.5. Max speed? 201 mph. As I said, the B8 is perfect for a long-distance cruise. At warp speed.

And unlike the M8, which howls and screams to let you know it’s very fast and sporty, the B8 will quiet down, if you want it to, with a simple switch

between Comfort and Sport.

With that single toggle, the whole car changes personality, like a sleepy golden retriever who loses his mind when you say “dog park?”

The engine, the transmission, the whole chassis and everything else are extraordinarily good, combining to deliver a masterful driver’s car with nearly all the comfort you’d ever need. To be sure, something like the 7-series will be more comfortable, but it’s not nearly as fun.

And this is where the B8 shines. It’s something special, a near-perfect balance of sport and comfort, with a toggle switch that allows you to switch between them.

The regular 8-series isn’t exactly roughing it, but Alpina’s leather is buttery soft, with exquisite quilting and a fantastic tan and white combination that impressed everyone who saw it. The exterior was coated in an Alpina-speci c green metallic paint that worked similarly. Alpina ts it with a custom exhaust, special aerodynamic elements, tweaks to the suspension, brakes, steering and transmission calibration, different logos and more. Without driving the regular 8 and the B8 back to back, it’s tricky to tell how much di erence the software tweaks make, so I trust that they’ve made it better.

The BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is an “I’ve Made It” car. It’s so you can go into your garage ahead of a long day at the o ce and have a moment to think: “Oh, right. This is why I work so hard.”

Then you re up that V8, switch to Sport and smile. You earned it.

PHOTOS

Remembering Roman Gabriel, B4

Hurricanes score twice in 9 seconds, shock Islanders to take Game 2

NCAA BASKETBALL

Ingram opts for NBA Draft

North Carolina starting wing Harrison Ingram is entering the NBA draft. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Ingram announced his plans with a statement and video posted on social media. Ingram arrived after averaging 10.5 points in two seasons at Stanford. He was the No. 3 scorer at 12.2 points and No. 2 rebounder at 8.8 boards for the Tar Heels, who won the ACC regular-season title.

Payne rejoins Calipari at Arkansas

Kenny Payne has been hired as associate head coach at Arkansas under John Calipari. Payne was red last month after going 12-52 in two seasons as the head coach at Louisville. Before that, he spent 10 years as an assistant at Kentucky under Calipari, helping the Wildcats win the national championship in 2012 and reach four Final Fours. As associate head coach at Kentucky from 2014 to 2020, Payne helped the Wildcats consistently land highly ranked recruiting classes.

NBA

Moyer-Gleich becomes rst female ref in playo s since 2012

Ashley Moyer-Gleich became only the second woman in NBA history to referee a playo game. She was one of 36 referees announced by the league as its referee selections for Round 1 of the playo s. She joins Violet Palmer as the only women picked by the NBA for a playo assignment. Palmer worked nine playo games between 2006 and 2012. Moyer-Gleich was promoted to the full-time NBA o ciating ranks in November 2018. She’s worked more than 200 regular-season games in her six seasons.

Carolina leads the series 2-0 after its 5-3 win Monday

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour often talks about moments, players making memories together that will last a lifetime.

Brind’Amour has been a part of most of those Hurricanes’ memories, and what happened Monday at PNC Arena — with the Hurricanes rallying from three goals down and blindsiding the Islanders with two goals in nine seconds to turn a decit into the resulting 5-3 win and a 2-0 series lead over the shellshocked visitors — will go down as one of those moments.

Jordan Martinook, the ember that often ignites Carolina’s re, used the momentum

from Sebastian Aho’s tying goal — with Frederik Andersen (9 saves) on the bench for an extra attacker with 2:15 remaining in the third period — to emblazon a memory of his own.

After Aho’s redirection of an Andrei Svechnikov shot tied the game 3-3, Martinook chugged in on the ensuing faceo — “I don’t really know how to describe it,” Martinook said of the emotions after Aho’s tying goal. “You get a whole, like juice that hits you.” — knocked Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson aside and stu ed the puck past a disoriented Semyon Varlamov (34 saves) to give the Hurricanes an improbable lead.

Martinook’s goal — a new memory that will live forever in Hurricanes lore — was oddly reminiscent of three other memories Brind’Amour had a part in.

The rst was his winning goal in Game 1 of the 2006

Late start but plenty for Panthers to do in 2024 NFL Draft

Carolina doesn’t have a rst-round pick but will ll needs after day one

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

THE CAROLINA Panthers are not on the clock, yet. The NFL Draft starts on Thursday night, and, after nishing last season with the worst record in the NFL, the Panthers earned the right to choose rst overall. However, the Panthers traded away the opportunity to do that this year in order to take Bryce Young rst overall in last year’s draft.

While the Bears happily use the pick traded to them by the Panthers, Carolina will be poring over the draft board, looking at who to choose rst overall when the draft continues with

round two on Friday night. The Panthers have ve picks spread over the nal six rounds—two in the second, both in the top seven picks of the round, one in the third and fourth, a pair of fth rounders and one in round seven. While the team has been busy addressing needs and upgrading positions during free agency, there are still plenty of areas of the roster that need attention.

The most glaring need is likely at wide receiver. Since the Panthers traded DJ Moore to Chicago in last year’s trade that netted them Young, Carolina has needed to upgrade the receiver unit. While the Panthers traded for Pittsburgh’s Diontae Johnson, they still need to add quality and depth to the targets available for their second-year passer.

Stanley Cup nal when Ty Conklin misplayed a puck and failed to get back to his net for an eerily similar stu -in.

The other two were postgoal celebrations that mirrored Martinook’s: Scott Walker’s overtime winner in Game 7 of Carolina’s 2009 second-round series against the Bruins, and Brock McGinn’s Game 7 double-overtime winner a decade later that dethroned the Capitals.

“It’s a special night, for sure,” Brind’Amour said. “It’s one of those games that we’ll probably look back on for a long time. Just a special game overall, especially the way it unfolded. So yes, it’s pretty special.” Carolina was certainly deserving. Despite spotting the Islanders a 3-0 lead, the Hurricanes dominated much of the game — particularly the nal two periods. New York was credited

with just nine 5-on-5 shot attempts in the nal 40 minutes to Carolina’s 62, and the Hurricanes nished the game with a 39-12 advantage in shots on goal.

Islanders captain Anders Lee pushed New York’s lead to 3-0 at 3:54 of the middle frame with a power play goal, but Carolina nally broke through later in the period with a man advantage goal of its own at 13:01 when Jake Guentzel tapped the puck to Teuvo Teravainen for a shot into the vacant net.

“They got ahead, and I’m sure they just thought that should have been enough,” Brind’Amour said.

From there, the Hurricanes surged. Seth Jarvis scored the biggest goal of his young and blossoming career, ripping a shot from the left circle past Varlamov to cut the lead to one See HURRICANES, page B4

The consensus among mock draft experts is that the Panthers will use their early second-round picks to get at least one receiver. Among the potential pass catchers who could be available then are Ladd McConkey of Georgia, who has been the most popular projected pick for Carolina to kick o round two. Other names to watch are Ja’Lynn Polk, of Washington, South Carolina’s Xavier

Legette, Florida State’s Keon Coleman and Xavier Worthy, of Texas.

McConkey battled back and ankle injuries last season, which limited him to nine games and 30 catches. That likely will cost him a spot in the rst round and make him available to Carolina. He is projected as a slot receiver, not a game-breaker, and his

KARL

Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook (48) celebrates after his winning goal with teammates Jack Drury (18), Jordan Staal (11) and Brent Burns (8) during Carolina’s 5-3 win Monday over the Islanders in Game 2 of their rst-round series in Raleigh. The Hurricanes lead the series 2-0.

TRENDING

Buddy Hield: The 31-year-old Philadelphia 76er made his NBA playo s debut this season after 632 regular season games without making the postseason. Hield had the longest active playo drought and fourth-longest in league history.

Utah’s Lauri Markkanen (403 games) now inherits the longest postseason-free streak. Current Hornet Miles Bridges (360) and former Hornet PJ Washington (333) are in the top ve.

Darlinstone Dubar: The 6-foot-8 Charlotte native signed with Tennessee, transferring from Hofstra for his nal year of college. Dubar started at Iowa State and transferred after his freshman year. He averaged 11.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in four seasons. He’s a 52.3% shooter, 38.1% from 3, and just posted his best season, averaging 17.8 points and 6.8 rebounds.

Aroldis Chapman: The Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander was suspended two games — later reduced to one — and ned an undisclosed amount for his “inappropriate actions” last week. Chapman, a Carolina Mudcat in 2011, was ejected for arguing with plate umpire Edwin Moscoso in the eighth inning of the Pirates’ 6-3 loss to the New York Mets.

Beyond the box score

“If they want blood, well, I’m ready.”

Racing legend Mario Andretti after Formula One denied his family’s application to join the circuit. Andretti was the 1978 F1 champion.

“Man I wish”

Jeremy Roach, on X, responding to rumors that Baylor promised him $1.5 million in NIL money to transfer from Duke. He added “smh” (shaking my head) and crying and facepalm emojis.

Tyler Reddick stole a victory at Talladega Superspeedway when front-runner Michael McDowell, swerving up and down the track trying to block Brad Keselowski, wound up crashing with the nish line in sight. It was a typical Talladega nish — and set o a raucous celebration on pit road with Reddick’s team owner, Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. Reddick sped by the crash to win by 0.208 seconds.

Jaromir Jagr returned to action for the rst time since turning 52 and surpassed Gordie Howe to become the oldest player taking regular shifts in professional ice hockey. The 13-time NHL All-Star rejoined the Kladno Knights, a top-division team in Czechia, for a playo game, and scored on his rst shift.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

The number of underclassmen in the 2024 NFL Draft, the fewest since 2011. After a peak of 128 in 2020, the number has fallen every year since. The chance to earn NIL money in college is believed to be causing the drop.

A former Augusta National Golf Club warehouse coordinator is charged with stealing millions of dollars worth of Masters memorabilia over a 13-year span. Richard Globensky, 39, allegedly took the items, including the green jacket won by Arnold Palmer (shown here in a 2017 ceremony honoring his death), to resell them.

Dontrez Styles announced he is transferring to NC State. Styles, who will be a senior, considered the Wolfpack when he transferred out of UNC last year. He instead went to Georgetown, averaging 12.8 points. He will become the rst player to suit up for Carolina and State since Bones McKinney, Bernie Mock and Fred Swartzberg in the late 1940s.

NHL GOLF

PETR DAVID JOSEK / AP PHOTO DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP PHOTO

MICHAEL CONROY / AP PHOTO

LM OTERO / AP PHOTO

DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP PHOTO

Charlotte women’s basketball program begins search for new coach

Longtime coach Cara Consuegra departs for Marquette

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — After 13 seasons with the Charlotte 49ers women’s basketball team, Cara Consuegra has decided to take the head coaching job at Marquette, where she was a former assistant for the Golden Eagles between 2004 and 2011.

Charlotte’s athletic department announced on April 17 that a national search for Consuegra’s replacement will begin immediately.

Consuegra, 45, led the Niners in three di erent conferences, playing in the Atlantic 10 from 2011-13, Conference USA from 2013-23, and then the American Athletic Conference in 2023-24.

She held a 225-169 win-loss record during her decade-plus with the Niners, becoming the program’s all-time wins leader and the Conference USA Coach of the Year during the 2021-22 season. Her teams were particularly e ective in Charlotte’s Halton Arena, where she coached the Niners to a 129-53 home record (.709).

Charlotte achieved four 20win seasons and appeared in six WNITs during Consuegra’s tenure. “Cara Consuegra’s impact on this program is remarkable,” Charlotte athletic director Mike Hill said in a press release. “Not only is she the winningest coach in Charlotte 49ers history, but she is a leader of the highest character and a treasured mem-

ber of our university family.” “We have already begun our search for our next head coach and are committed to building upon the great foundation in place to compete for championships.”

Now back at Marquette, Consuegra will take over a Golden Eagles team that was 110-46 with three NCAA tournament appearances under predecessor Megan Du y, who is now at Virginia Tech. Charlotte will be receiving a $260,000 buyout and a homeand-home with the Golden Eagles, due to contract stipulations.

Two years ago, Consuegra led Charlotte to a 22-10 overall record (15-3 C-USA) and a trip

to the NCAA Tournament after winning both the conference regular season title and tournament championship.

In the Niners’ rst season in the American Athletic Conference that wrapped up earlier this year, they had a 16-15 record and a 9-9 sixth-place record in the AAC standings. “Charlotte has been home to our family for 13 incredible years,” Consuegra said in a team press release. “We will forever be indebted to the university and community for the opportunity to represent this rstclass program.”

As a player, she was a fouryear letterwinner at Iowa from 1997 to 2001, later playing for

the WNBA’s Utah Starzz in 2001.

“I want to especially thank Chancellor Gaber, Mike Hill and their predecessors Phil Dubois and Judy Rose for their belief and support,” Consuegra continued. “Thank you to all our players for allowing me to be their coach. It has been a privilege. While I am excited for new things ahead, Charlotte will always hold a special place in my heart.”

During her time coaching the 49ers, the team had 10 1,000-point scorers and 30 all-conference players, including two conference Players of the Year awardees in Jennifer Hailey (2012-13) and Octavia

Overview of NC’s rst three weeks of legal sports betting and what’s to come

The Lottery Commission released the rst monthly report on April 16

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

THE NORTH Carolina State Lottery Commission released the rst monthly report of sports betting activity on April 16, and it’s safe to say, North Carolinians indulged in their new freedom.

The report consists of a breakdown of the money wagered, paid as winnings and earned by sportsbooks from the start of legalized sports betting on March 11 at noon to March 31.

The Lottery Commission reported a handle of $659.3 million, which is the amount of paid wagers and promotional wagers made by North Carolina’s mobile sports bettors.

Bettors won $590.7 million in amounts paid as winnings, and sports betting operators brought in just under $66.5 million in gross wagering revenue. Gross wagering revenue is the sports betting operator’s total earnings after winnings and cancelled or void wagers are deducted.

Carolina, instead saw a larger debut in its rst month in January 2023. The state reported a $1 billion handle and more than $209 million in revenue generated by sportsbooks.

Although North Carolina didn’t have the largest debut, it’s opening numbers already exceed or rival some of the most recent reports from states that have had legalized mobile sports betting for years.

It helps that North Carolina launched online sports betting right before the start of the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments, which both featured UNC, Duke and NC State.

But, how will North Carolina do in other sports seasons?

Jett-Wilson (2021-22).

“I am a builder of programs. I was at Charlotte for 13 years and we went through three conferences,” Consuegra said in her introductory press conference for Marquette. “I also build relationships. The relationships that I’ve had with my players, my sta , my colleagues. They mean more to me than anything else.”

Looking ahead to Charlotte’s next season, the team’s next coach will become the ninth head coach in the 49-year history of the Niners’ women’s basketball program.

On April 12, Charlotte announced the arrival of Florida Atlantic transfer and sophomore center Dyllan Hanna.

However, following Consuegra’s departure to Marquette, a trio of key Charlotte players — the top three on the team in minutes played — have decided to enter the transfer portal: senior wing Jacee Busick, redshirt junior guard Dazia Lawrence, and sophomore guard Olivia Porter.

Lawrence averaged a teambest 18.2 points with 4.2 rebounds last season, while Porter led the team with 3.3 assists per game.

“These last ve years have been nothing but amazing,” Lawrence said in a social media post announcing her entrance in the portal. “Through everything, Charlotte has made me into the woman I am today. I am so grateful for everyone I’ve met here during my time in Charlotte.”

For Charlotte, the development of players such as sophomore forward Keanna Rembert, junior guard Imani Smith and sophomore guard Nia Young will be crucial to the team’s next chapter following a coaching change and exit of notable players. The team will be looking for its rst set of back-to-back winning seasons since 2018-19 and 2019-20.

the more popular sports are in their o -seasons, less taxable revenue from a lesser amount of money wagered leads to less tax revenue for the state.

Tax rates on sportsbooks’ earnings vary in states with legalized online sports betting, but in the summer months, most of the states see tax revenue decline all in the same. For example, in June 2023, Virginia brought in $3.9 million in tax revenue, the lowest out of any month that year. By September 2023, that number jumped up to $6.7 million.

For North Carolina, it won’t be surprising if that $11.9 million in tax revenue dwindles as the summer approaches. Should the state look to supplement that drop in revenue, it shines a spotlight on the state lacking a Major League Baseball team, which could help bring in additional sports betting revenue alongside Charlotte FC in the months where football and basketball are down.

Compared to the rst-month reports from other states that have legalized online sports betting, North Carolina’s numbers, for the most part, exceeded expectations.

According to Play Michigan, Michigan, a state with a similar population to North Carolina, reported a $325.5 million handle and $9.3 million in gross gaming revenue (the amount

According to state law, North Carolina taxes the gross wagering revenue at 18%, meaning the state will bring in $11.9 million in tax revenue from just three weeks of legalized sports betting.

DRAFT from page B1 hands have been questioned by some scouts after a high number of drops.

wagered minus winnings) for its rst full month of legal online sports betting in February 2021 (online sports betting went live on Jan. 22, 2021).

Bet Virginia reported a $265.7 million handle for Virginia’s rst full month of mobile sports betting (online sports betting went live on Jan. 21, 2021), and for Tennessee, the state reported $131.4 million in gross wagers for its rst month in November 2020.

Ohio, a state with a slightly larger population than North

The Lottery Commission did not make any projections for the future months, but the monthly reports from other states provide a consistent look at how sports betting activity uctuates throughout the year.

Handles and revenue tend to be at their highest from the months of September to May, and they usually take a dip from June to August. Looking at the sports calendar in the United States, the peak times for sports betting seem to align with football season, March Madness and the intersection of football, basketball and baseball in the early fall, as expected.

Yet, in the summertime when

MLB Raleigh, a grassroots campaign pushing for an MLB team in the Triangle, believes that online sports betting could help the vision become reality one day.

The MLB plans on expanding to 32 teams in the near future, and at the same time the league is tapping into the sports betting business through partnerships with sportsbooks. With sportsbooks opening physical locations at MLB ballparks, MLB Raleigh sees the league prioritizing locations where sportsbooks can operate, bringing more attention to the game and more people to the ballparks as a whole.

Polk, who started his college career at Texas Tech, is a physical wide receiver who should win plenty of battles for contested balls, although his speed has been agged as a potential concern. Legette has promising talent but is a work in progress. His ability to run crisp routes and go full out every snap have been brought up as issues. Coleman is an exciting talent who was named all-ACC at receiver, return man and all-purpose back. His leaping ability and physical play make him a likely slot receiver at the next level. Like most of the physical receivers believed to be on the Panthers’ board, his burst may be the biggest concern.

also use at least one later pick on receiver depth. Mentioned in some of the seven-round mocks are Alabama’s Jermaine Burton and Michigan’s Cornelius Johnson.

Worthy is at the opposite extreme. He set the Combine record for fastest 40-yard dash and, like Coleman, was all-Conference at return man and all-purpose. His slight frame is the biggest red ag at the NFL level. The Panthers are expected to

The next biggest priority on o ense appears to be tight end. Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott has been mentioned in several mocks, either with a second-round pick or possibly a third, if he’s still around. Texas tight end Ja’tavion Sanders is also an early possibility.

Despite the attention paid to the o ensive line during free agency, the Panthers can always

use more help up front. Many mocks have the team looking to bring in a center to challenge

Austin Corbett. West Virginia’s Zach Frazier could be available with one of the second-round picks. NC State’s Dylan McMahon, Penn State’s Hunter Nourzad and Georgia’s Sedrick Van Pran have also been mentioned in later rounds. On defense, the Panthers will likely be looking to add help at edge rusher and cornerback. If they choose to address that side of the ball with a second-round pick, Rutgers corner Max Melton has been mentioned.

NFL.com’s mock draft has the Panthers looking hard at defense in later rounds, taking Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat to start the fourth round, and Washington safety Dominique Hampton, Oregon corner Khyree Jackson, Cal linebacker Jackson Sirmon and East Stroudsburg pass rusher Deshawn McCarthy on the nal day of the draft. Utah’s Jonah Elliss (projected third round) and Colorado State’s Mohamed Kamara (projected fth) have also been mocked to the Panthers to ll edge rushing needs.

LM OTERO / AP PHOTO

Former Charlotte coach Cara Consuegra waves the net next to her son Jace after winning the 2022 Conference USA.

DAVID DERMER / AP PHOTO

Screens display betting information inside a Caesars Sportsbook in Cleveland shortly after Ohio legalized sports gambling in 2022. North Carolina is just over a month into legalized sports betting.

Spring games around NC highlighted by quarterback battles

NC State and App State are the only teams settled on a starter

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

SPRING IS IN the air, which, for local college football fans, means one quick taste of the sport before the long wait for fall camp to begin. Each of the state’s FBS teams wrapped up their spring practices with spring games during April, the nal programs holding their scrimmages over this past weekend. There are still questions to be answered for every program. Position battles will carry over into July camp, and there are still freshmen who haven’t stepped foot on campus yet. Still, the spring game is an excellent opportunity to check in and see where each team stands, halfway through the o season—three and a half months after bowl season and four months before regular season games begin.

UNC: No heir apparent?

Since Mack Brown returned as head coach, UNC has had a superstar quarterback. Sure, there were competitions for the starting job, but very quickly, a favorite emerged— rst Sam Howell, then Drake Maye. Now, the Heels have a true quarterback battle as redshirt sophomore Conner Harrell—Maye’s backup last season—battles Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson.

By all accounts, neither quarterback seized the job during the spring, and the competition will continue into fall camp. The uncertainty at that position, as well as changes on defense, led to Mack Brown pulling the spring game o of the ACC Network. Fans were still allowed to watch in person, but widespread access to a team that seems to be a work in progress was limited.

Duke: New direction

With Mike Elko o to Texas A&M, Duke’s spring practice gave new coach Manny Diaz a chance to put his stamp on the team.

Like Elko, Diaz built his reputation as a defensive coordinator, and he inherits a world class secondary that looked every bit as good in the brief spring glimpse of it. Defensive backs Chandler Rivers, Vontae Floyd and Terry Moore all made big plays in the spring game.

Of course, when a team’s defense looks good in the spring game, it raises concerns about the other side of the ball. Duke is looking to replace Riley Leonard at quarterback, and the position is far from settled as spring ends.

Henry Belin IV, a backup as a freshman for part of last season, wasn’t available for the spring game, but Grayson Loftis, another freshman backup, got equal time at quarterback, along with Texas transfer Maalik Murphy. Neither appears to be the clear cut QB1 as spring closes.

NC State: No QB battle here

Spring gave Wolfpack fans their rst look at Grayson McCall, who arrived from Coastal Carolina to give State a sure re starter at quarterback. McCall led the o ense to scores on every rst-half possession in the spring game and nished with 205 yards on 16of-20 passing.

Lex Thomas and CJ Bailey also had big days behind McCall, so depth at the quarterback position appears to be a strength heading into preseason. State should also have a strong running game with a pair of transfers in former Duke Blue Devil Jordan Waters and ex-Oklahoma Sooner Hollywood Smothers. The pair combined for more than 140 rushing yards in the scrimmage.

Wake Forest: Wide open at QB

Being wide open is great if you’re a wide receiver. Not so much if the term is used to describe a quarterback competition. For the rst time since before Sam Hartman stepped on campus, there is a true quarterback battle for the Deacs. Even last year, after Hartman left, former backup Mitch Gri s was considered the heavy favorite to re -

place him.

Now, the situation was unsettled before spring ball and is just as muddled, if not more, after the spring game. The battle was expected to come down to Hank Bachmeier, who is entering his sixth year as a college quarterback— rst at Boise State, then at Louisiana Tech, and Michael Kern, a redshirt senior who has served as a backup during his career at Wake.

The spring game show, however, was stolen by true freshman Jeremmy Hecklinksi, who passed for 204 yards and three touchdowns.

Bachmeieier topped 300 yards, making his case that he should be the man. Kern missed the game due to injury.

Charlotte: 49ers have their QB1

Charlotte was unsettled at quarterback all last season, but Florida transfer Max Brown is the clear-cut starter heading into the season this year, with teammates describing him as “dominant” during the spring.

Charlotte has plenty of new faces this year as former UNC assistant Tim Brewster has helped the team recruit the transfer portal. The team also landed another former Mack Brown coach in Dre Bly this month, so look for the team to continue to reload.

App State: First in, rst out

The Mountaineers wrapped up spring practice in March, several weeks before the other teams in the state. Unlike the other programs in North Carolina, the only quarterback uncertainty is at the backup spot, behind Joey Aguilar. Coach Shawn Clark was pleased with the team’s defense and said that App is still shopping the portal to add help at o ensive line.

ECU: One more QB battle

The Pirates unveiled their new o ense, which looks to be up tempo and aggressive. It’s still not clear who will run it. A pair of transfers ended spring with their battle for the starting job unsettled. Both Missouri transfer Jake Garcia and Michigan State transfer Katin Houser made big plays in the spring game.

Then Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Roman Gabriel poses during a preseason photo shoot in 1975. Gabriel, the former NC State quarterback who was the 1969 NFL MVP with the Los Angeles Rams, died Saturday, April 20, 2024. He was 83.

Roman Gabriel, legendary Wolfpack QB, dies at 83

The record-setting NC State passer became MVP and the NFL’s rst Filipino-American quarterback

The Associated Press

ROMAN GABRIEL had big size and a big arm when he was the No. 2 draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1962. Even while playing in an era of grinding it out on the ground, he still holds the Rams’ team record with 154 touchdown passes.

pounds, big for a quarterback in that era. Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi once described him as “a big telephone pole,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Gabriel played 11 years for the Rams and ve years with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was traded after the Rams acquired John Hadl.

“Gabe was an amazing player and an even better mentor. Words can’t explain my thanks for what a great teammate he was,” retired quarterback Ron Jaworski, whom Gabriel backed up on the Eagles in his nal season, posted on X. “A special player and a better man!”

Gabriel, the rst Filipino-American quarterback in the NFL and the league MVP in 1969, died Saturday. He was 83. His son, Roman Gabriel III, announced his father’s death on social media, saying he died peacefully at home of natural causes.

Ron Jaworski, former Eagles quarterback UNC quarterback Conner Harrell, shown here scoring a touchdown against Campbell last season, is locked in a battle for the starting job, one of several that continue across the state as spring practice wraps up.

“Words can’t explain my thanks for what a great teammate he was.”

HURRICANES from page B1

just past the midway point of the third period. “For Jarvy to get that — and it was a beautiful goal — it got the place rockin’,” Martinook said.

Then with Andersen on the bench, Aho stationed himself to Varlamov’s left and was able to redirect Svechnikov’s one-timer in for his rst point of the series.

“You just try to help the team to win any way you can,”

Aho said. That set the stage for Martinook to send the Islanders back to Long Island with a two-game de cit and not-aspleasant memories.

“It’s crazy,” Martinook said. “So you just need to get home, take a deep breath and maybe rewatch it because that was a fun one.”

Notes: Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce left the game at the midway point of the second period and did not return with a lower-body injury.

Brind’Amour said he would be evaluated Tuesday but Pesce is “not looking good.” … Seven Islanders and three Hurricanes received 10-minute misconducts in the nal minute of the game. New York’s 83 penalty minutes were the most by a Hurricanes opponent since relocation to North Carolina, topping the previous high of 38 in Saturday’s Game 1. The only game in franchise history with more was Quebec with 123 PIMs (to Hartford’s 118) in Game 3 of their series in 1987.

In 2021, the elder Gabriel told the Los Angeles Times, “I am retired with heart problems and arthritis but happy.” He said he split time between Wilmington, North Carolina, and Little River, South Carolina. “We mourn the loss of Rams legend and football pioneer, Roman Gabriel,” the Rams said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Gabriel, who played at North Carolina State and was a twotime player of the year in the Atlantic Coast Conference, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989. Gabriel was named an All-American in 1960 and 1961. He led the ACC in total o ense and passing yards as a senior and led the nation in completion percentage as a sophomore. His jersey was retired, and he was named to the school’s ring of honor. When he left the Wolfpack, he held virtually every school single season and career passing record and remained atop the lists for more than a dozen years. He was named as NC State’s representative in the inaugural class of ACC Football Legends in 2005. The Wilmington native played both ways, also starring in the defensive secondary for the Wolfpack early in his college career. He was 6-foot-5 and 235

Gabriel was such a hot prospect that the Rams made him the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft, and the Oakland Raiders of the rival AFL selected him No. 1. Gabriel wound up signing with the Rams, though it took until George Allen was hired as coach in 1966 for Gabriel to start leaving a mark. From 1967 to 1970, Gabriel led the Rams to a 41-14-4 record and two division titles, though never a playo game. He was voted MVP in 1969 after throwing for 2,549 yards with 24 touchdown passes and ve rushing scores.

Allen left for Washington after the 1970, and Gabriel was shipped to the Eagles in 1973. He was the NFL comeback player of the year, leading the league with 23 touchdown passes and 3,219 yards, as he tried to help revive the Eagles’ o ense.

After retiring, Gabriel worked brie y for CBS, calling NFL games. He went into coaching, with stints at Cal Poly Pomona, the Boston Breakers of the USFL and Raleigh-Durham in the World League of American Football. Gabriel also dabbled in acting. His movie credits included “Skidoo” starring Jackie Gleason in 1968, and 1969’s “The Undefeated” starring John Wayne and Rock Hudson. He appeared in such TV shows as “Gilligan’s Island,” “Perry Mason,” “Ironside” and “Wonder Woman.” He also joined Bob Hope on a USO tour of Vietnam.

RUSTY KENNEDY / AP PHOTO

NELL REDMOND / AP PHOTO

Asheville Ideas Fest

O ering an ‘intellectual vacation’

The event will feature renowned speakers and intimate civil discourse

By Abby Cavenaugh North State Journal

YOU MIGHT be able to tell from the name, but Asheville Ideas Fest is not your average summer conference. It’s a gathering of some big names — and some names you may not know but should — designed to create a conversation and a sharing of differing viewpoints.

“It’s something I refer to as an intellectual vacation,” said the event’s co-founder and executive director, Kirk Swenson. “We try to get people thinking about the biggest issues of the day and then spoil the hell out of them.”

Previous speakers at the Ideas Fest include Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and chief medical correspondent for CNN; PBS News Hour Co-Anchor Amna Nawaz; author and Newberry Award winner Kwame Alexander; Kizzmekia Corbett, a lead researcher at the National Institutes for Health Vaccine Research Center; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham; Thomas Friedman, foreign a airs columnist for The New York Times; and many more. The idea behind the event is to o er thought leaders speaking on topics about which everyone may not agree. But at Asheville Ideas Fest, the disagreements don’t devolve into shouting matches or arguments; rather, it’s more of a civil discourse.

“When you disagree about something,” Swenson explained, “you might get mad, but then you could ask, ‘What is it that makes you see this di erently?’ It’s better than immediately thinking someone’s a moron because they disagree with you.”

For instance, one issue discussed at the 2023 Ideas Fest was the Second Amendment. “We had a gun rights advocate, we had a person whose mother was killed in the Emanuel shooting in Charleston,” Swenson said. “And after our discussion, we found that 85% of our audience agreed where we need to be as a country when it comes to gun rights. We tend to focus on where we disagree, but we need to be more focused on what we agree on.” Ideas Fest is all about “leaning into those conversations and learning from them,” Swenson said. The conference spans three full

days of speakers, Q&As, workshops and entertainment. In the mornings, there are panel discussions because, Swenson said, “lectures are boring. We want a conversation.”

There are ample opportunities for the audience — never more than 400 people — to ask questions of the panelists. The afternoons include workshops that are designed by the morning’s speakers. In the evenings, there is a keynote speaker and entertainment.

Last year, for example, actor and storyteller Bryan Terrell Clark performed Broadway standards with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra during a sunset concert at the Grove Park Inn. “We try to create wow moments, but really we’re focused, too, on a-ha moments,” Swenson said. “Asheville Ideas Fest is really rooted in creating opportunities for that civil discourse.”

The program for 2024 is still being nalized, but there will be three main themes for each day of the conference.

First will be thriving communities and cities. “What are the challenges these communities face?” Swenson said. “What makes a city fair and equitable?”

The keynote speaker will be Keisha Lance Bottoms, who served as the mayor of Atlanta from 2018-21 during the COVID pandemic and protests following the death of George Floyd. She will be talking about the les-

“We try to create wow moments, but really we’re focused, too, on a-ha moments.”

Kirk Swenson, Asheville Ideas Fest co-founder and executive director

sons learned during those historic events, Swenson said. The thriving communities topic will also tackle homelessness, using the city of Houston as an example. “They have made real headway on that challenge,” Swenson said.

Celebrity chef Katie Bottoms is also scheduled to appear and will talk about her “di erent approach to compensation for service workers,” Swenson said. “She’s created a system that is more equitable and creates a career path.”

Alexander will return this year and speak on book banning. “He’s launching a national conversation on banning books, and he will launch that conversation at Asheville Ideas Fest,” Swenson said. The conversation will also include W. Kamau Bell, host of “The United Shades of America,” and, Swenson hopes, an potentially some combination of educator, parent or school board member who can speak to why some books have been taken out of schools. Day 2 will focus on exploration

of the unknown, with physicist and author Michio Kaku leading a panel titled, “Looking Beyond Our Galaxy: How the James Webb Space Telescope is Helping to Unravel the Mysteries of the Cosmos.”

The third day is set to focus on democracy, Swenson said. “We’re heading into election season, so we know that will be a big topic for us,” he said. “This will be the rst presidential election in the age of AI, so we will have a discussion on that.”

Religion and politics will also be a big point of discussion during Day 3 with host of “The Run Up” podcast, Astead W. Herndon joind by a rabbi, a professor on religion and democracy, and an author and researcher speaking on Islam.

The keynote for the third day will be Amna Nawaz, who will be doing a live taping of an interview with two key political leaders, who have not yet been con rmed to appear. “They are from states where bipartisanship thrives,” Swenson said. “They’re very purple states, where the parties have learned to work together.”

The 2024 Asheville Ideas Fest is planned for June 17-20, and is limited to 400 attendees. To learn more, visit ashevilleideasfest.com.

“I’m super proud of what we’ve created,” Swenson said. “I think it’s not only important for the Asheville area, but it’s important for the world.”

Guests pair up for conversation during a panel discussion at the 2023 Asheville Ideas Fest. This year’s event

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHEVILLE IDEAS FEST

A live taping of “The Waters and Harvey Show” from the 2022 Ideas Fest featuring a discussion on the renaissance of historically black colleges and universities.

Rock & Rock Hall of Fame announces 2024 class

The late Jimmy Bu ett will be honored with a musical excellence award

By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Eight new musical acts will soon call themselves rock ‘n’ roll hall of famers after an announcement

Sunday. Singers Mary J. Blige, Cher, Peter Frampton and Ozzy Osbourne, and bands Foreigner, Dave Matthews Band, A Tribe Called Quest and Kool & The Gang make up the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class.

Alexis Korner, John Mayall and Big Mama Thornton earned the Musical In uence Award, while the late Jimmy Bu ett, MC5, Dionne Warwick and Norman Whit eld will re -

CUMBERLAND

ceive the Musical Excellence Award. Pioneering music executive Suzanne de Passe won the Ahmet Ertegun Award. “Rock ‘n’ roll is an ever-evolving amalgam of sounds that impacts culture and moves generations,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement. “This diverse group of inductees each broke down musical barriers and in uenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”

The induction ceremony will be held Oct. 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It will stream live on Disney+ with an airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day.

Thw music acts nominated this year but not making the cut included Mariah Carey, Lenny

Kravitz, the late Sinéad O’Connor, soul-pop singer Sade, Britpoppers Oasis, hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim and alt-rockers Jane’s Addiction. There had been a starry push to get Foreigner — with the hits “Urgent” and “Hot Blooded” — into the hall, with Mark Ronson, Jack Black, Slash, Dave Grohl and Paul McCartney all publicly backing the move. Ronson’s stepfather is Mick Jones, Foreigner’s founding member, songwriter and lead guitarist.

Osbourne, who led many parents in the 1980s to clutch their pearls with his devil imagery and sludgy music, goes in as a solo artist, having already been inducted into the hall with metal masters Black Sabbath.

Four of the eight nominees — Cher, Foreigner, Frampton and

Kool & the Gang — were on the ballot for the rst time.

Cher — the only artist to have a No. 1 song in each of the past six decades — and Blige, with eight multi-platinum albums and nine Grammy Awards, will help boost the number of women in the hall, which critics say is too low.

Artists must have released their rst commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction.

Nominees were voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals. Fans voted online or in person at the museum, with the top ve artists picked by the public making up a “fans’ ballot” that was tallied with the other professional ballots.

Last year, Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius, Kate Bush and the late George Michael were some of the artists who got into the hall.

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO Cher performs at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on April 1 in Los Angeles.

At the nish line

West Stanly high graduate Le er McManus (left, bib 13449) ran the tortuous Boston Marathon last week, nishing in 3:13:06 to place 699th amongst women runners and earning our Athlete of the Week honors. Turn to page 4 for more sports.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

VinFast signs

12 new dealers Vietnamese EV startup VinFast, which is building a large facility in Chatham County, has signed up 12 new dealers to sell its vehicles. This brings the company’s total US dealer network up to 18 outlets across seven states.

In addition to Leith VinFast in Raleigh, previously announced, Greensboro gains its own dealership in Triad VinFast. The company’s other new dealers are scattered across Florida, Texas, New York, Connecticut, Kentucky and Kansas.

NCDOT distributing free bicycle helmets for kids

This spring, NCDOT is set to distribute approximately 12,500 bicycle helmets to organizations across the state, bolstering safety for young cyclists. Launched in 2007, the Bicycle Helmet Initiative focuses on educating children about the importance of helmet usage to prevent severe brain injuries. “Wearing a helmet signi cantly reduces the risk of head injuries,” said Brennon Fuqua, interim director of NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division.

Funded by federal grants and “Share the Road” specialty license plates, the helmets are provided during public safety events by participating community groups and schools. Applications will open next year in January.

In Stanly County, the City of Albemarle was awarded 100 helmets in small, medium and large to distribute to the community.

A two-phase consolidation plan is under consideration

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — Tasked with a request from county commissioners to create a longterm plan for the local school system, the Stanly County Board of Education took a step forward in its internal planning last week.

The Stanly school board voted 6-1 at its April 16 work session meeting to approve a two-phase plan for the school district that would potentially result in some major changes to

Loch Badin Celtic Festival slated to return District may combine three schools into new Eastern Stanly High

The fourth-annual festival is scheduled for May 11

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

Honoring a traditional celebration that dates back to 11th century Scotland, the fourth-annual Loch Badin Celtic Festival and Highland Games are returning to Stanly County next month.

This year’s festivities are set for May 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 107 Spruce Street in Badin.

Since 2018, Better Badin, Inc. has organized a free Celtic festival that has welcomed locals and drawn in visitors wanting to experience a selection of cultural activities, entertainment and vendors.

“Make plans now to join us in Badin on May 11th, and en-

the current system.

Vice Chair Bill Sorensen was the lone nay vote, with Chair Carla Poplin and Board Members Dustin Lisk, Robin Whittaker, Vicky Watson, Rufus Leer and Glenda Gibson each voting in favor.

In the rst phase of the board’s plan, Albemarle High, North Stanly High and South Stanly High would each be shut down and combined into a new 1,400-student high school — oated under the “Eastern Stanly High” moniker — in the eastern part of the county.

Additionally, a new Oakboro elementary school and a new football stadium, baseball eld and softball eld at West Stanly High are also included in this plan.

“We do not currently have land to build any school,” Whittaker said. “A lot of school systems and county commissioners will acquire land and hold that land until they need another school building… We are looking at if we have any high schools where there is enough acreage already there where we’d be able to build a school.”

Because West Stanly’s property has enough room for a new school, its current building would then be demolished and turned into a parking lot area for a completely new building in the second phase of the school board’s plan.

The potential changes on the county’s high school landscape would also a ect local middle and elementary schools.

“It just seems to make more sense to build one new high school down there, bring the other schools in with the redistricting, and then do a shift,” Lisk said. “So Albemarle Middle goes to the high school, East (Albemarle Elementary) goes over to the middle school, and now we’ve got a campus at East that we could sell. If you bulldoze the building, that’s still a prime piece of real estate.” While the school board indicated that it doesn’t have any intentions to include Ridgecrest Elementary’s empty building in its two-phase plan — and questioning how much jurisdiction the district has over that property — others have said that the

joy not only the music of the highlands, but also the games, the Highland cows, vendors offering Celtic merchandise, plus delicious food and drink,” Better Badin said in a promotional advertisement for the event.

“It’s a whole jam-packed day of fun! Festival parking at the Alcoa parking lot on Rt. 740.”

Beginning last year, the festival o cially entered the traditional Scottish Highland Games circuit by joining the Southeastern Highland Athletic Group (SHAG) and linking up with North American Scottish Games Athletics (NAGSA) to keep track of the results and rankings.

The all-day games o ered by the festival — centered around strength, balance, speed and agility — include stone throwing, caber toss, sheaf toss, heavy and light weight throwing for distance, as well as heavy and

light weight hammer throwing.

“Better Badin is proud to be partnered with SHAG to facilitate the games,” the non-profit organization announced. “SHAG is rst and foremost an athletic organization created for the betterment of heavy athletics through the use of trained, certi ed judges, and the use of safe, well-maintained equipment. SHAG was founded by and continues to be run by current and former Scottish highland heavy athletes.”

The athletic events hosted by the Badin Celtic Festival aren’t the only highlight of the day.

Festivities also include performances at 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. from the Highland dancers of the Annadale Center for Scottish Dance. Historically, modern Highland dancing was created from the Gaelic folk dance repertoire and emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries.

During the middle of the day, the festival will host a bagpipe and drum performance from NC State University’s An Gorta Mor Memorial Pipe Band, which will lead into a Military Appreciation Council Parade with the help of the Scottish American Military Society. Raglan Road — an acoustic Celtic fusion duo consisting of musicians Trip Rogers and Neil Anderson Raglan — is then set to hit the stage at 3 p.m. and

COURTESY LEFLER MCMANUS

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

SCHOOLS from page 1

board is not taking advantage of the school that closed its doors in 2012.

Meghan Almond, who will begin her four-year school board term for the county’s At-Large seat in December, is opposed to the two-phase plan supported by the majority of the current board members.

“School consolidation is not the answer. We have an empty building (Ridgecrest) begging for students to ll it!” Almond said in a social media post. “We need to contact the board and let them know that this is not the direction we need to take.”

The Stanly County Board of Education is scheduled to hold its next regular meeting on May 7 at 6:15 p.m. inside the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.

CELTIC from page 1

will be followed up by a 4 p.m. performance from Celtic folk and Americana band Mountain Muse.

Event attendees can also see the Highland cows brought by the Asheboro-based Cellar Creek Farm or do a shuttle tour of the Narrows Dam, which was built by Alcoa in 1917 as the world’s highest over ow type dam and the largest of any type dam in the state.

Shuttle buses will leave at regular intervals from the Better Badin information tent on Falls Road, from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Tickets will be

Love, Lowriders, Latinos

Car show brings crowds to celebrate lowrider culture

By Ena Sellers North State Journal

PITTSBORO — Crowds dropped in on Saturday for the Lowrider Show at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center.

The event, now in its fourth year, is the brainchild of Manuel Araiza, who along with his brothers Francisco, and Jose, and their dad, also Francisco, bring it to life to highlight the Latino culture. The event attracts lowriders — a moniker that applies to both the cars and their owners — from Georgia, South Car-

olina, Virginia and all parts of North Carolina to share the love for these meticulously customized vehicles.

City Knights Lowriders Car Club in Fayetteville was one of the clubs that came to support the event. Daniel Castañeda, president of the club, is a Special Forces veteran and says the club was started to help unite Latinos in the military serving in and around Fort Bragg. Through that, he met Manuel and comes to Chatham County to support him every year.

“The common denominator for us was the love for the lowrider car, which is embedded in our culture, for the Latinos, the Chicanos,” said Castañeda in an interview. “You know, we started building low riders as a re-

semblance of our culture here in North Carolina. … Regardless of background, race or creed, this event unites us by the love for the lowrider car.”

Castañeda’s pride and joy is a true classic: the ‘67 Impala. “When you look at this car, you see a 1967 Chevy Impala Super Sport, but it is much more than that, you see La Raza in this car. You see my Mexican culture in this car,” he said.

Lowriders come in many varieties, from iconic 1960s Impalas with hydraulics, to older classics from the 40s and 50s called Bombitas. Newer rides are welcomed too, of course.

“It doesn’t really depend so much on the type, but the style and how you present the vehicle that matters the most,” Castañe-

da told North State Journal. “That you pour your love, and you can represent yourself, represent your family, represent your club, represent your background through your vehicle.”

He emphasized the importance of shedding old stereotypes and focusing on building a larger community.

“This culture is about respect. It’s about love for the community. We’ve had such a bad stigma or reputation for the lowrider being associated with gangbangers and thugs, and at some point, that might have been the truth,” he admitted. “But today, when we look at cars like this, we see pride. We see love. We see culture and that’s what we share. We spread it out across the community. Everyone we encounter, we respect, and we pour our love into it to show them that we are men of honor.”

“We are lowriders.”

CRIME LOG

April 16

• Jonathan Nathaniel Gibson, 43 yearsold, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of contempt of court.

• Meagan Renee Luther, 27 years-old, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of driving while impaired.

• Nicki Leann Woody, 38 years-old, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on charges of simple assault and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

April 17

• Jared Astin Talbert, 19 years-old, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on charges of simple assault and damage to property.

• Ayden Matthew Smith, 19 years-old, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on charges of misdemeanor larceny and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

• James Dakota Martin, 35 years-old, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on charges of assault inflicting serious injury in the presence of a minor, assault on a female, and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

April 18

• Ronnie Dale Quates, 54 years-old, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of possessing methamphetamine.

• Kenneth Ray Ferrell, 41 years-old, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of simple assault.

April 19

• Alonzo Emmanuel Brown, 29 yearsold, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on charges of assault by strangulation, discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling or moving vehicle, attempted first-degree murder, assault by pointing a gun, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, communicating threats, and injury to personal property.

• Marcus Dwayne Sturdivant, 49 yearsold, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on charges of assault by strangulation, assault causing physical injury to a detention employee, communicating threats, and false imprisonment.

• Shelly Lynn Masters, 54 years-old, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on charges of trafficking in methamphetamine (two counts), possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver Schedule II controlled substances, possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, maintaining a vehicle/dwelling/place for controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

April 20

• Marcus Dwayne Sturdivant, 49 yearsold, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on charges of attempted first-degree murder and habitual misdemeanor assault.

• Tiffany Shuntee` Davis, 36 years-old, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on charges of driving while impaired, reckless driving to endanger, driving while license revoked, failure to stop at a steady red light, and speeding.

April 21

• Christopher Lane Kimrey, 41 years-old, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony larceny, possession of stolen goods or property, fictitious or altered title/ registration card/tag, operating a vehicle with no insurance, driving or allowing a motor vehicle with no registration, expired registration card/tag, and expired or no inspection.

• Charles Wayne Childers, 37 years-old, was arrested by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office on charges of assault on a government official or employee, resisting a public officer, disorderly conduct, and domestic criminal trespass.

ENA SELLERS / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Daniel Castañeda, president of the City Knights Lowriders Car Club in Fayetteville, and his son Daniel stand in front of their 1967 Chevy Impala at the Lowrider Show, Saturday in Pittsboro.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Communists everyone

The most obvious example is the support of major feminist organizations for men who say they are women participating in women’s sports.

THE COMMUNIST Party of the Soviet Union — like most communist parties — came to power as the great defender of workers.

In reality, the Soviet Communist Party didn’t give a hoot about Russian workers. The party was nothing more than a totalitarian organization that used workers to gain power — and then suppressed the proletariat, just as it suppressed every other group. One of the rst things the Communist Party did after attaining power was disband independent labor unions and prohibit workers’ strikes. Yes, the “workers’ party” banned strikes.

The one major exception was the Chinese Communist Party, which came to power as the great defender of peasants. And the CCP slaughtered about 60 million of them.

This has been the modus operandi of every left-wing group everywhere: Claim concern for some group, and use that group to fool people — speci cally, naive liberals, who share few values with the Left but have frequently served as useful idiots for the Left. Liberals do so to this day.

Teachers unions are nothing more than left-wing groups that use alleged concern for students to attain and retain power. The reality, however, is while they care about teachers, they harm students far more than they help them.

One example is teachers unions’ opposition to school choice. Those who actually care about students support the right of parents to choose their children’s schools — just as many teachers do when they send their own children to schools of their choice.

A second example is teachers unions’ making it nearly impossible to re incompetent teachers.

A third example was teachers unions’ demands that schools lock down for nearly two years during the COVID-19 era. The unions did so despite there being no scienti c evidence in support of school lockdowns and despite ample warnings that many children would su er intellectually, scholastically, emotionally and psychologically.

COLUMN

O.J.’s legacy

Do blacks commit disproportionate numbers of violent crimes?

POLITICS WAS TO BLAME , in the form of racism and sexism. His lawyers put the LAPD on trial for racism, even though Simpson himself was not a victim of the police department’s racism. That was Rodney King, who was brutally beaten by LAPD o cers who were acquitted by a white jury in Simi Valley. Simpson was a member of the special class of celebrities that in Los Angeles transcended race, and it was ironic that he of all people exploited the injuries of real racism. And of the sexism that applied a double standard when it came to domestic violence, still treating it as if it is not real violence, as if it were something that beloved celebrities were not capable of.

What was perhaps most stunning about the Simpson trial was the depth of the racial divide in the reaction to it. There were two di erent realities. Pictures captured the reactions of whites and blacks, and they could not have been more di erent. How could what was so obviously wrong to whites be a cause for

The last point brings us to a fourth example: Teachers rob young students of their sexual innocence with premature talk of, and books that deal with, overt sexual activity, and the infamous use of drag queens to perform in front of children as young as 6 years old.

Just how left-wing teachers organizations are was made clear by the sympathetic leftwing magazine The Nation in January: “A rank-and- le campaign inside the National Education Association is demanding the president stop ‘sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel.’ ... But the rank-and- le campaign goes beyond (that). ... Members want the NEA (National Education Association) to revoke its endorsement of Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential race until the president ... stops ‘sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel.’”

That was only two months after Oct. 7.

Most civil rights organizations are also essentially left-wing groups. They use alleged concern for blacks to attain and retain power, but they harm blacks considerably more than they help them.

A glaring example is the near-universal opposition of civil rights groups to school choice despite the fact that black Americans overwhelmingly support it. According to a 2023 RealClear Opinion Research poll, 73% of blacks support school choice — two points more than whites. They do so because large majorities of black students in public schools perform far below grade-level standards.

The reason the largest civil rights organization, the NAACP, opposes school choice has nothing to do with concern for blacks. It is that the left-wing position — again, the NAACP is a left-wing organization — on school choice is dictated by teachers unions.

Feminist organizations are additional examples of essentially left-wing organizations. The group they use to attain and retain power is women. Just as other left-wing interest groups, they harm the group on whose behalf they allegedly ght — in this case, women — far more than they help them.

The most obvious example is the support of major feminist organizations for men who say they are women participating in women’s sports.

From the website of the National Women’s Law Center: “The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) unequivocally supports the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports. And if you call yourself a feminist, you should too.”

From the website of The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF): “The Women’s Sports Foundation supports the right of all athletes, including transgender athletes, to participate in athletic competition.”

In 2022, the WSF wrote a letter to the NCAA protesting any diminution of the right of biological males who say they are females to participate in women’s athletics. The letter was cosigned, as expected, by LGBTQIA+ organizations but also by two major feminist organizations in addition to the Women’s Sports Federation: the National Organization for Women and the National Women’s Political Caucus.

Damaging women has been the primary legacy of organized feminism for the last half-century. That there are more depressed women, especially young women, today than at any other time in modern American history is directly attributable to left-wing in uence generally (no religion, no country, no future) and to feminist doctrines speci cally: Career is more important than marriage and family, and women can do just ne without a man to love and be loved by.

Perhaps the ultimate example of left-wing contempt for the groups they claim to represent is “Queers for Palestine.” Palestinian queers have no rights; they face persecution and even death if they expose themselves to their society. Israeli queers are by far the safest, happiest and freest in the Middle East. But hating Israel is the left-wing position. At any cost.

celebration for blacks? Did we see the world so di erently? We did. It would be nice to assume that everything has changed since then. Has it?

Certainly, there have been changes in our outlook on domestic violence. New laws have been passed. Police department policies have changed. Federal funding of domestic violence initiatives, now on the chopping block according to advocates, grew, the Violence Against Women Act was passed, and state and local departments trained o cers and prosecutors to deal with domestic violence. But women continue to be murdered by their intimate partners — between a third and a half of women homicide victims are killed by expartners, a percentage that has remained constant for the past three decades even as the number of homicides has dropped from 23,000 in 1994 to 18,000 in 2023.

And the progress that has been made is in jeopardy. California is facing a 43% cut in funding for domestic violence programs. “It’s about to fall apart. All that we built since O.J. can go away,” says Patti Giggans, executive director of Peace over Violence, previously the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women.

Shelters are overcrowded. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness: According to a study last summer by the Urban Institute, almost half of all unhoused women in Los Angeles have experienced domestic violence, and roughly 25% left their last residence because of it. Most domestic violence cases are still prosecuted as misdemeanors, if they are prosecuted at all.

Meanwhile, race and racism continue to infect the criminal justice system, where Black men crowd prisons and unanswered questions shape attitudes of why that is so. Do Blacks commit disproportionate numbers of violent crimes, or does the system disproportionately target them?

Or both?

We give lip service to prohibitions on racial pro ling, but it is a reality of policing, even as forces have themselves become more diverse. And when we see white o cers who have targeted Black men, we remain divided about what we see and how we react. A system that is racist, or is perceived by parts of the community to be so, is ripe for jury nulli cation — refusing to convict even when the facts establish guilt.

Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist.

COLUMN | DENNIS PRAGER

| SUSAN ESTRICH

STANLY SPORTS

Pfei er softball continues historic season with perfect home record

The Falcons have clinched a share of the USA South title

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

MISENHEIMER — With four games remaining in the regular season, Pfei er University’s softball team is wrapping up the nal stretch of one of its most successful seasons in program history.

The Falcons have an overall record of 35-1 and a 13-1 rstplace record in the USA South Conference standings as they sit at the No. 12 spot in the NFCA Division III Top-25 Coaches Poll. Ranked as high as 12th in the poll last season, Pfei er has jumped to that same spot after sitting at No. 17 in the rankings earlier in April.

With a school-best 25-win streak already accomplished this season, Pfei er has now carried on in its historic season with a new 10-game win streak and a perfect 22-0 record playing at Jack Ingram Field in Misenheimer.

The team’s current winning percentage of .929 is the high-

est the team has ever attained in a full-length schedule. Following back-to-back home wins over Greensboro (20-12, 9-5 USAS) on Saturday, Pfei er clinched at least a share of the USA South regular season championship — the team could clinch the title outright with one more victory.

The Falcons have a fourgame lead in the conference standings over Greensboro and N.C. Wesleyan (19-15, 9-5 USAS).

For ninth-year coach Monte Sherrill, the championship extends his conference title streak to 35 consecutive seasons during his coaching career at Pfei er University, Alexander Central and Central Cabarrus High Schools.

Boasting 35 wins already, the Falcons have already tied the amount of victories they accumulated in total last season. That team achieved a conference-best 35-13 (15-3 USA South) record and won the USA South Tournament championship, eventually earning the program’s rst wins in the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament. Senior Kali Morton was re -

cently awarded USA South Pitcher of the Week honors after posting a 3-0 record in four starts last week for the Falcons.

In 19.1 total innings, she had three complete-game shutouts — against USA South foes William Peace, Methodist and Guilford — and allowed two unearned runs and nine hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts.

With pitching duties split between Morton and junior Kenzi Lyall, the two pitchers each have an ERA of 0.75 and have co-starred as Pfei er’s formidable duo on the mound.

At the plate, junior in elder Emma Bullin and junior outelder Alyssa Broaddus both lead the Falcons with a .457 batting average, while Lyall (52) and junior out elder Gracie Gri n (49) lead the squad in total hits.

Pfei er will now host Meredith (15-17, 6-8 USAS) in a home double-header on Wednesday before rounding out the regular season with two matchups at Brevard (6-27, 0-14 USAS) on Saturday.

The 2024 USA South Tournament is set to begin on May 2 and run until the championship game on May 11.

O spring of several former NFL stars ready to carve own path into league through draft

should hear their names called

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. wears his dad’s No. 54, plays the same position and celebrates sacks and big tackles with the same signature axe swing.

Now, he’s ready to make a name for himself in the NFL. So are several top prospects who play the same positions their fathers played in the league. They’ll nd out where they’re going when the NFL draft kicks o this week in Detroit.

“I’ve never been the type to shy away from being the son of Jeremiah Trotter,” Trotter Jr. said. “I appreciate him. He’s always taught me a lot at the position and really helped me to get to this point today.”

Jeremiah Trotter was a fourtime Pro Bowl middle linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington and Tampa Bay during an 11-year career.

His son is projected to be drafted out of Clemson as high

as the second round.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Joe Alt, Frank Gore Jr., Brenden Rice, Luke McCa rey and Kris Jenkins are also turning this NFL draft into a family a air. Harrison Jr. and Rice both are wide receivers like their Hall of Fame dads. Harrison Jr. excelled at Ohio State and is expected to go in the top ve. Rice, who caught passes from projected No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams at USC, is viewed as a mid-rounder. His father, Jerry Rice, is known as the greatest wide receiver of all-time.

“The standard is ridiculous so you can see what you’re expecting from me,” Brenden Rice said. Frank Gore was a ve-time Pro Bowl running back. His 16,000 rushing yards are third in NFL history. His son embraces the pressure of following his path. “It’s a blessing and it’s an opportunity,” said Gore Jr., who played at Southern Mississippi and set an NCAA bowl record with 329 yards in 2022. “I’m not going to shy away from my name. I am who I am. It’s a blessing to have this name. He had this name, he made it what it is. Now, I have the responsibil-

ity to take it further.”

Joe Alt’s dad, John Alt, was a two-time Pro Bowl o ensive tackle during a 13-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs. The younger Alt, an All-American at Notre Dame, is considered the best left tackle in the draft. He’s projected to be a top-10 pick.

Luke McCa rey, a wideout from Rice, has strong bloodlines. His dad, Ed McCa rey, made a Pro Bowl and won three Super Bowls with San Francisco and Denver. His older brother, Christian McCa rey, was the 2023 AP NFL O ensive Player of the Year. Luke McCa rey is considered a mid-round pick.

Kris Jenkins was a two-time All-Pro defensive tackle during 10 seasons with Carolina and the New York Jets. His son was an All-American and team captain for national champion Michigan as a senior and is considered a Day 2 choice.

Having grown up with a dad in the league gives all these prospects di erent advantages. They’re prepared for the spotlight and they understand the sacri ces it takes to succeed.

“Being a son of an NFL player, you have to mature a lot faster than a normal kid,” Gore Jr. said.

The sons of Jerry Rice and former Panther Kris Jenkins

MICHAEL WYKE/AP PHOTO

Wide receiver Luke McCa rey during his college career at Rice. Luke has strong bloodlines. His dad, Ed McCa rey, made a Pro Bowl and won three Super Bowls with San Francisco and Denver. His older brother, Christian, was the 2023 AP NFL O ensive Player of the Year. Luke is considered a mid-round pick.

SIDELINE REPORT

MLB FAA investigating cockpit visit by Rockies’ coach Denver, Col. Federal o cials are investigating an unauthorized in ight cockpit visit by a coach for the Colorado Rockies during a United Airlines charter ight. Video surfaced that appears to show Rockies hitting coach Hensley Meulens sitting in a pilot’s seat while the April 10 ight from Denver to Toronto was at cruising altitude. The airline said Friday that the visit was “a clear violation of our safety and operational polices” and was reported to the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency has increased oversight of United amid recent mishaps that included an engine re and a tire falling o a plane.

OLYMPICS

Chinese swimmers allowed to compete despite positive drug tests

Sydney, Australia

The Daily Telegraph in Sydney and the New York Times reported that 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics despite testing positive for a banned heart medication because world governing bodies agreed with Chinese authorities and ruled that the tests had been contaminated. The swimmers tested positive for heart medication trimetazidine at a training camp months before the start of the 2020 Tokyo Games. Chinese anti-doping authorities found the results of the tests were Adverse Analytical Findings but cleared the swimmers without penalty after nding the samples were agged as positive as a result of contamination.

NCAA Lawyers reach $100M deal with Justice Department for Nassar assault survivors

The U.S. Justice Department has agreed to pay approximately $100 million to settle claims with about 100 people who say they were sexually assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar. A source with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press about the deal on Wednesday. The deal has not been nalized, and no money has been paid. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak before a formal announcement. An internal investigation found that FBI agents mishandled abuse allegations before Nassar was arrested in 2016.

COLLEGE HOCKEY

Tennessee State hires

coach in preparation to be rst HBCU with hockey Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee State has taken its biggest step toward becoming the rst historically Black college and university to introduce ice hockey by hiring Duanté Abercrombie as head coach. Tennessee State o cials rst announced the university’s plans in June 2023 during the NHL draft in Nashville. The hope has been to play this year at the club level and eventually eld Division I men’s and women’s teams. Abercrombie is an inaugural member of the NHL’s Coaches’ Association’s BIPOC Coaches Program. He spent the 2022-23 season with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and their minor league a liates.

Reddick steals win at Talladega for 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan

year. But his topsy-turvy e orts to block Keselowski — another Ford driver — wound up costing them both.

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Tyler

Reddick stole a NASCAR Cup victory at Talladega Superspeedway when front-runner Michael McDowell, swerving up and down the track trying to block Brad Keselowski, wound up crashing with the nish line in sight Sunday.

It was another wild Talladega nish — and set o a raucous celebration on pit road with one of Reddick’s team owners, Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

“This is like an NBA playo game,” Jordan said in Victory Lane. “I’m so ecstatic.”

McDowell, the pole-sitter, dominated the closing laps and was in position to give Ford its much-needed rst victory of the

McDowell spun out, Keselowski had to check up and Reddick sped by to claim his sixth career Cup victory by 0.208 seconds.

A pile of cars behind them was taken out, as well. Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 machine slid across the nish line on its side, pinned against the wall in front the massive grandstands. Reddick climbed out of his No. 45 car and scurried up the fence like Spider-Man.

“That was crazy, fans,” he screamed. “Chaos. Typical Talladega.”

Keselowski settled for the runner-up spot, failing again to pick up his rst win since 2021 at this 2.66-mile trioval in east Alabama.

“We went to make a move and Michael covered it,” Keselowski said. “We went the other way and had nowhere to go when

Michael came back down. It’s just the way this stu goes.”

Reddick’s victory redeemed a botched strategy that knocked out a bunch of Toyota contenders, including his team co-owner, Denny Hamlin.

All three Toyota teams pitted in tandem with 37 laps to go, going with a strategy that would’ve allowed them to push the pace on the rest of the fuel-saving eld — with an idea of drafting all the way to the front for the checkered ag.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep their cars straight.

Just four laps later, with the Toyota train running at a blistering, single- le pace and chasing down the lead pack, John Hunter Nemechek appeared to get into the bumper of Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 machine, which clipped Erik Jones and sent him smashing hard into the outside wall.

Nemechek then slid down the track and took out Hamlin, as well.

“We had a plan,” Wallace said. “We just didn’t execute it as well as we should have. I hate it. It doesn’t make us look good at all.”

Jones took the brunt of the blow, a crash that would’ve been much worse without the sturdy cars and foamy barriers.

“I’m a little sore, but I’m all right,” Jones said after exiting the in eld care center. “If you’re gonna be dumb, you’ve got to be tough.”

Reddick was at the front of the pack and avoided the crash.

In the end, he was able to celebrate an improbable win.

Clean racing

Unlike the wacky nish, the rst two stages were caution-free — the rst time that’s happened at Talladega since the stage system was instituted in 2017. Finally, on lap 132, with the cars three-wide and tightly bunched in the middle of a huge train, the rst occurred.

GM Mike Dunleavy, Warriors look to regroup

Golden State missed playo s despite having all its longtime stars

By Janie McCauley The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO— General

manager

Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the rest of Golden State’s front o ce sta had a feeling this season would wind up short of the ultimate goal for a franchise that has won four NBA championships over the past decade. That’s the way the season went for Stephen Curry and Co. — losing big leads, making costly mistakes, repeatedly unable to deliver the big defensive stop when it mattered most.

The 10th-seeded Warriors were eliminated in the play-in round prior to the NBA Playo s. “I think the overarching emotion right now is disappointment. We’re still sort of settling in on what happened,” Dunleavy said. “But on the whole, we knew this season no matter how long it went along, was going to end at some point probably disappointing us and so not a shocking surprise. But I think as far as what we need to do, it’s pretty straightforward. It’s to get better. I think that presents a really good challenge for everybody.” Now, they regroup and evaluate how much of the roster to keep intact.

the summer.

The 34-year-old Thompson becomes a free agent in July when his ve-year contract worth nearly $190 million expires.

“Certainly we want Klay back rst and foremost. I expressed that to him yesterday,” Dunleavy said. “I think our players have expressed that, our coach, front o ce, ownership, look, everybody wants Klay back. He’s still a really good player and I think we have enough good players in our system, we have enough assets to acquire good players and we have the ability to keep getting better.”

The question for Dunleavy is whether the Warriors can make another title run while led by the core trio of Thompson, the 36-year-old Curry and Draymond Green, who is 34.

“There’s a lot of value in our three guys being Warriors for life,” Kerr said. “There’s a lot of value in ending with dignity.” Dunleavy said of Green, “fully expect him to be back.”

“We won 46 games in a loaded conference. It’s usually enough. It’s not enough,” said Kerr, who will shift gears to coaching rsttime Olympian Curry and the U.S. team at the Paris Games. “It’s way harder now than it was nine years ago to succeed in this conference. This summer will be a lot of self-re ection.”

GODOFREDO

This marked a tough nish to Dunleavy’s rst season since taking over for Bob Myers, but it was also a year that saw rookies Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski make sizeable contributions and Jonathan Kuminga emerge as a reliable rising star. “We know clearly what this team was. It wasn’t good enough,” Dunleavy said. “There’s no doubt about that, there’s no what-ifs.” Dunleavy expressed his disappointment that the veterans —

and the young players — aren’t playing deep into the postseason.

“That’s what everybody wants to see not only here in the Bay Area but frankly around the world, to see those compete at the highest level, so for them not to be able to do that is really disappointing,” Dunleavy said. “I feel for them. But it is what it is, it’s our own undoing. We’ve got to live with it.”

A. VÁSQUEZ / AP PHOTO

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry sits on the court during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball play-in tournament loss to the Sacramento Kings.

The race leader crashed with the nish line in sight

MIKE STEWART/AP PHOTO

Tyler Reddick celebrates his win after a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, 2024 in Talladega. Ala.

European Space Agency adds 5 new astronauts

It’s just the fourth class since 1978

By David McHugh The Associated Press

COLOGNE,

Germany

— For the past year, ve t, academically superior men and women have been spun in centrifuges, submerged for hours, deprived temporarily of oxygen, taught to camp in the snow, and schooled in physiology, anatomy, astronomy, meteorology, robotics and Russian.

On Monday, the ve Europeans and an Australian graduated from basic training with a new title: astronaut.

At a ceremony in Cologne, Germany, ESA added the ve newcomers to its astronaut corps eligible for missions to the International Space Station, bringing the total to 11.

ESA has negotiated with NASA for three places on future Artemis moon missions, although those places will likely go to the more senior astronauts, according to ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. The agency is also supplying the service module for the Orion crew capsule. ESA relies on NASA and others to get its astronauts to space.

biomedical engineer and neuroscientist who has researched degenerative diseases of the nervous system, and also ies hot-air balloons and gliders; Marco Alain Sieber, a Swiss emergency physician who achieved sergeant rank as a paratrooper during his service with the Swiss army.

The group was joined by Katherine Bennell-Pegg from Australia, who underwent training under a cooperation agreement between Australia and ESA. She remains an employee of the Australian Space Agency. It’s up to the Australian agency to nd a way for her to travel in space.

Their yearlong basic training included preparation for the hostile environment encountered in space. They were exposed to multiple times the force of gravity in a centrifuge and spent hours underwater using scuba gear to oat around mockups of space station modules to simulate working in zero gravity.

It is only the fourth astronaut class since 1978 for the 22-country agency, chosen from among 22,500 applicants. Another 12 were selected as reservists but were not sent to basic training. Not surprisingly, the ve have resumes studded with advanced scienti c and medical degrees, military training, experience ying planes, helicopters, gliders and balloons, and “leisure” activities like rowing, scuba diving, hiking, skydiving, cycling, sailing and kayaking, The group formed “a very good team” devoid of personal rivalry, said Aschbacher. “I told them, one of you will y rst and one will y last, and they accepted that of course, but from the heart, not just lip service ... the team spirit is very pronounced.”

struck her the most was leaving the airlock for underwater spacewalk simulation when the instructor said, “Welcome to space.” “And for me it was mind-blowing, I had goosebumps. ... In a few years, it is going to be me in space, not in the water with safety divers.”

Sophie Adenot, a French air force helicopter test pilot, said the group was “a fantastic crew and a fantastic team.” The moment that

When she was a girl dreaming of space travel, “I couldn’t count the number of people who told me, this dream will never come true. You have unrealistic dreams, and it will never happen. ... Listen to yourself and don’t lis-

ten to people who don’t believe in you.”

In addition to Adenot, the ESA class consists of: Pablo Alvarez Fernandez, a Spanish aeronautical engineer who has worked on the Rosalind Franklin Mars rover intended for a joint mission with Russia that was suspended after the invasion of Ukraine; Rosemary Coogan, a British astronomer who has researched radiation emissions from black holes; Raphael Liegeois, a Belgian

They learned how to recognize symptoms of hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, by experiencing it themselves in a low-pressure chamber. Survival training included dealing with potential splashdown in the ocean and staying warm in winter while waiting to be recovered in case a landing goes o course. On top of that came academic work on scienti c topics and learning about the space station’s modules and equipment.

Intensive Russian language is still part of the program, even though ESA has suspended work with Russia except for the space station, where one of the working languages is Russian.

Iran attacks likely hit little in Israel

The ayatollah dismissed discussing the nation’s attempted strike

By Jon Gambrell

Associated Press

The

JERUSALEM — Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday dismissed any discussion of whether Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel hit anything there, a tacit acknowledgment that despite launching a major assault, few projectiles actually made it through to their targets.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments before senior military leaders didn’t touch on the apparent Israeli retaliatory strike on Friday on the central city of Isfahan, even though air defenses opened re and Iran grounded commercial ights across much of the country.

Analysts believe both Iran and Israel, regional archrivals locked in a shadow war for years, are trying to dial back tensions

following a series of escalatory attacks between them as the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip rages on and in ames the wider region.

Khamenei, 85, made the comments in a meeting attended by the top ranks of Iran’s regular military, police and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a powerful force within its Shiite theocracy. “Debates by the other party about how many missiles were red, how many of them hit the target and how many didn’t, these are of secondary importance,” Khamenei said in remarks aired by state television. “The main issue is the emergence of the Iranian nation and Iranian military’s will in an important international arena.

This is what matters.”

Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles that sought to overwhelm Israel’s air defenses in the April 13 attack — the rst on Israel by a foreign power since Iraqi dictator Saddam

Hussein launched Scud missiles at Israel in the 1991 Gulf War.

However, Israeli air defenses and ghter jets, backed by the U.S., the United Kingdom and neighboring Jordan, shot down the vast majority of the incoming re.

Satellite images analyzed Saturday by The Associated Press showed the Iranian attack caused only minor damage at the Nevatim air base in southern Israel, including taking a chunk out of a taxiway that Israel quickly repaired.

Iran’s attack came in response to a suspected Israeli strike on April 1 targeting a consular building next to the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, which killed two Guard generals and others.

“Today, thanks to the work done by our armed forces, the Revolutionary Guard, the army, the police, each in its own way, praise be to Allah the image of the country around the world has become commendable,” added Khamenei, despite Iran fac-

ing public anger over its economy and crackdowns on dissent.

In other developments, Iraqi security forces in the western Nineveh province area were searching for “outlaw elements” who red missiles across the border into Syria late Sunday, targeting a base for U.S.-led coalition forces, Iraq’s Security Media Cell said.

The searchers had found and destroyed a missile launcher, the statement added.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the reported attack. Maj. Gen. Tahseen al-Khafaji, head of the Security Media Cell, said about ve missiles were launched across the border but it was unclear if they had hit or caused any damage at the targeted base. U.S. o cials did not comment on whether any U.S. facility had been speci cally targeted. One o cial said a coalition ghter destroyed a launcher in self-defense after reports of a failed rocket attack near a coalition base at Rumalyn, Syria. No U.S. personnel were injured, according to the o cial, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that were not yet public.

Two nights earlier, an explosion struck a base in Iraq belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.

Militia o cials initially described the explosion at the Kalsu military base north of Babylon as an airstrike that they blamed on U.S. forces. The U.S. Central Command denied it had carried out any airstrikes in Iraq, and Iraq’s Security Media Cell said the country’s air defense command had not detected any drones or warplanes near Babylon before or during the explosion.

The PMF is designated as an “independent military formation” within the Iraqi armed forces.

In recent months, some of the coalition’s member groups have staged attacks on U.S. forces based in the region, which they said was in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza. Those attacks halted after three U.S. soldiers were killed in a strike on a base in Jordan, near the Syrian border in late January, prompting U.S. retaliatory strikes in Iraq.

MARTIN MEISSNER / AP PHOTO

Marco Sieber of Switzerland speaks in a Columbus training module after the candidates of Monday’s Class of 2022 graduation ceremony at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany.

OFFICE OF THE IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER VIA AP

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, speaks during a Sunday meeting with a group of senior military leaders, in Tehran, Iran.

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye

Rachel Furr Helms

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

May 7, 1944 – April 17, 2024

Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.

Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor. She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor. Survivors include children, Debbie (Mike) Williams of Albemarle, Teresa (Tom) Curry of Oakboro, Douglas (Tammy) Drye of Oakboro; grandchildren, Melissa (Don) Parrish of Albemarle, Samantha (Destiny) Smith of Oakboro, Bradley Smith of Oakboro, Jonathan Stover of Peachland, and Jessie Stover of Lylesville; sisterin-law, Beatrice Goodman; many nieces and nephews; and her beloved cats, Bo and Gar eld.

Barbara was a member of Oakboro Baptist Church for over 60 years. She worked over 30 years at Stanly Knitting Mills. After just two years of retirement, she began managing the Oakboro Senior Center and did that for 18 years until this past week. Barbara was known for her good cooking and always taking care of others. She also loved going on day long shopping trips - she could out walk and out shop people half her age. She kept her mind and body active through gardening, word searches, and various other hobbies.

Rachel Ann Furr Helms, 79, of Charlotte, passed away peacefully at home with her loving family by her side on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Rachel was born on May 7, 1944, in Concord, North Carolina; the youngest of six children born to the late Lum Croson Furr and the late Ruby Lee Helms Furr. She was also preceded in death by her brothers, J.C. "Buster" Furr, and Bobby Furr; brother-inlaw, Alfred "Al" McDonald; sisters-in-law, Francis Furr and Lora Faye Furr; niece, Nova Furr; and former husband, and father to their children, and best friend, Ronda Helms. Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Rebecca (Mike) Russell; son, Rodney (Janet) Helms; grandchildren, Ashley (Jamie) Hatley, Ariana- Michael Russell, Autumn Russell, Haley Whittemore, Brittany (Patrick) Clark; great-grandchildren, Jaxson Hatley, Maiden Clark; sisters, Avie (Lewis) Helms, Geneva (Don) Garmon, Lucille McDonald; and many nieces and nephews.

Lela Maxine Sexton

May 15, 1944 – April 19, 2024

Lela Maxine Sexton, 79, of Albemarle, passed away Friday, April 19, 2024.

Maxine was born May 15, 1944 in North Carolina to the late Daniel Monroe Furr and the late Lela Pauline Furr Davenport. She was also preceded in death by husband, Ronnie Joe Sexton, brothers, Roger Daniel Furr, Larry Keith Shepherd, Marshall Monroe Furr, Joseph Carroll Furr, and Walter Ray Furr. Maxine was a devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She loved gardening in her ower beds and traveling to the beach.

Survivors include daughters Margie W. Britt of Norwood, NC, Tracie R. Barbee of Concord, NC, and Teresa W. Stegall; brother, Darrell Furr of Albemarle, NC, step-son Scottie (Peggy) Sexton. She is also survived by eight grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

Dwight Farmer

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

Judy Funderburk Holley McLester

September 23, 1949 –April 15, 2024

Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.

Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran. He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheri ’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.

Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.

He is survived by his wife Hilda Whitley Farmer; one son D. Britten Farmer Jr. (Mary) of McLeansville, NC; one daughter Sharon Farmer Lowe (David) of Norwood; one sister Geraldine Dennis of Troy; two grandchildren, Dwight Britten “Dee” Farmer III and Whitley Rose Hui

Lowe.

He was preceded in death by his son Alex, brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, sisters, Nancy, Cornelia Annabell, Glennie Mae, and Betty. Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Cemetery or Choir Fund c/o Pam Smith 36071 Rocky River Springs Road, Norwood, NC 28128.

Judy Funderburk Holley McLester, 74, of Oakboro, passed away Monday, April 15, 2024.Judy was born September 23, 1949, in Union County to the late Boss and Virginia Funderburk. She was also preceded in death by her beloved husband Mackie McLester; son, Ricky Len Mills; and two brothers, Buster and Roger Funderburk. Judy loved animals and enjoyed rescuing dogs. She also enjoyed watching and feeding her hummingbirds. Judy was a lot of fun. She always spoke her mind. You always knew where you stood with her. Most of all, Judy would spoil the grandkids. Survivors include her son, Eddie (Angie) Mills of Monroe; stepson Neal (Marnee) McLester of Huntersville; step-daughter, Chris Ann (Jimmy) Johnson of Oakboro; sisters, Ann Funderburk Helms of Oak Island and Terry Funderburk (Danny) Helms of Monroe; three grandchildren, Timothy (Meredith Epps) Mills, Taylor (Tyler) Tobin, Chloe Mills; four great-grandchildren, Anna Mills, Rylee Tobin, Caelan Mills, and Peyton McLester; and dear friends, Gail Parnell, Renea E rd, and Lisa Wright.

Sharri Davis McMillian

April 11, 1961 – April 15, 2024

A beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Sharri Lynn Davis McMillian, passed away on April 15, 2024, at her home in Stan eld at the age of 63. Sharri was born on April 11, 1961, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to the late Johnny Lee Davis and the late Martha Ann Davis. Deeply empathetic, Sharri’s ability to connect with others was unique, exempli ed by the enjoyment she found in nding and giving the perfect present to those she loved. Sharri’s greatest joy came in the form of her two grandkids, whose glee and humor mirrored hers. Sharri is survived by her husband, Harper Lee McMillian, Jr., son, John (Jennifer) McMillian. Also surviving are her two grandsons, Harper and Leo McMillian.

James Roseboro

John B. Kluttz

Stephen Lamar Ward

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.

May 9, 1950 – April 18, 2024

Mr. Roseboro was born on June 23, 1967 to the late Robert and Delena Shipp Roseboro. He graduated from South Stanly High School and was employed by Triangle Brick. He enjoyed watching football and basketball, especially the Carolina TarHeels and Miami.

In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his brothers and sisters: Barbara Lee Roseboro, Dorothy Brown, Verna Roseboro, Henrietta Ingram, and Harold Roseboro.

Stephen Lamar Ward, 73, of Albemarle, passed away Thursday, April 18, 2024, in his home. Born May 9, 1950, in Stanly County, Stephen was the son of the late James E. Ward Sr. and the late Mary Ruth Burleson Ward. Stephen attended Albemarle High School and went to work at the age of 16.

Steve will never be forgotten nor the things he stood for; he will be missed by all whoever knew him. He is survived by his nephews, James Michael Ward (Amy) of Mt. Pleasant, NC, Todd Smith (Susie) of Albemarle, and David Smith (Jane) of Winston, GA, sister, Linda Forsythe (Bob) of Norwood, and niece, Mary Beth Ringgenberg of Harrisburg, NC. In addition to his parents, Stephen is preceded in death by his brother, James E. Ward, Jr.

He is survived by his sisters: Helen (James) Roseboro Edwards of Albemarle, Mary Roseboro of Washington DC, and Marion Morrison of Albemarle; brothers: Thomas D. Roseboro of Charlotte, Robert Roseboro (Patricia) of Norwood, and Van Horne; a special friend of over 40 years, Michelle McLendon of the home; special nieces: Nybrea Montague, Knya Little, and Laquanza Crump; special nephews: Robert Jr., Desmond Roseboro, and Marcus Lilly; and God daughter, Daphne Johnson; and special friends, Vetrella Johnson and Ben McLendon.

Mary Anna Dunn Furr

Darrick Baldwin

November 9, 1945 –April 14, 2024

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

Darrick Vashon Baldwin, age 50, entered eternal rest, Sunday, January 8, 2023, Albemarle, North Carolina. Born January 7, 1973, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Darrick was the son of Eddie James Baldwin Sr. and the late Phyllis Blue Baldwin. Darrick enjoyed life, always kept things lively and enjoyed making others smile. His presence is no longer in our midst, but his memory will forever live in our hearts.

He was educated in the Stanly County public schools and attended Albemarle Senior High School, Albemarle.

He was a great conversationalist and loved meeting people. Darrick never met a stranger and always showed love and compassion for his fellowman. He also loved his dog, Rocky.

He is survived by his father, Eddie J. Baldwin Sr.; sisters: Crystal (Eric) Jackson, LaFondra (Stoney) Medley, and Morgan Baldwin; brothers: Eddie Baldwin Jr., Anton Baldwin, and Lamont Baldwin; a host of other relatives and friends. A limb has fallen from our family tree. We will not grieve Darrick’s death; we will celebrate his life. We give thanksgiving for the many shared memories.

Mary Anna Dunn Furr, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on April 14, 2024, at the age of 78. Mary Anna is preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, George Washington Furr, Jr.; brothers, Ray Dunn and J.R. Dunn; parents, Mary and Joseph Dunn. She is survived by her children, Danny and wife Janet Furr, Joey Furr, Jackie Furr Robinson and husband Donny, Susan Furr Helms and husband Scott, Amanda Furr Daniels and husband Timmy; brothers, Raymond Dunn and Ricky Leggins. Mary Anna is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 15 greatgrandchildren, who brought her immense joy and happiness throughout her life. Mary Anna is also survived by her partner Greg Hu man. Mary Anna was a devoted mother, grandmother, and friend who will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her. Her love, laughter, and legacy will live on in the hearts of those she touched.

Ruth Ann Lewis Alexander

March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023

July 14, 1959 – April 19, 2024

John grew up in the Millingport community where he drove a school bus and worked at the local gas station during his High School years. He graduated from Millingport High in 1954 and entered into service with the US Airforce immediately afterward. Upon return from the service, he and his high school sweetheart Julie were married in 1956. He graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College later in 1959 and began his career as a diesel mechanic at Mitchell Distributing Company, moving his growing family to Charlotte where they lived until their retirement.

When John purchased his rst Model A Ford at the age of 17, he said that he took the car to the community mechanic when he had a small problem.The mechanic told him that if he was going to keep the car, he needed to learn to work on it. This is when John’s passion for Model A Fords began and how he spent his happiest days with his best friends from around the globe for the rest of his life!

At age 50, after years as a Detroit Diesel Mechanic he and Julie decided to take the plunge and open a full Model A Restoration Shop. They thrived at their shop in Cornelius, NC until their retirement in 1998 when they moved back to Cabarrus County. John once again set up shop in his back yard garage where he attracted a loyal group of friends who visited almost daily. While on the farm in Gold Hill, John also began a lifelong love with Alis Chalmers tractors after he restored his Dad’s tractor and began amassing his collection of tractors as well.

John restored many cars of his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Awardthe highest award given to members at the national level.

This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men. John is survived by his wife Julie Ussery Kluttz, for 66 years of the home. He is also survived by a son John David Kluttz (Kim) of Oakboro, NC; two daughters, Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and Betsy Tusa (John) of Lafayette, CO; three grandchildren, Bonnie Kluttz Sammons (Ben) of Rich eld, NC

John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; ve great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Meredith, Grant, Victoria and Ronan. John is also preceded in death by his parents, J.S. Kluttz and Mary Wyatt Clayton Kluttz; a large and loving group of brothers and sisters, Jack Methias Kluttz, Annie Lou Kluttz Honeycutt, Jake Nelson Kluttz, Julius Kluttz, Mary Patricia Phillips and a grandson, Kevin Fowler Kluttz.

Ruth Ann Lewis Alexander, 64, of Kannapolis, NC, passed away on Friday, April 19, 2024, at Novant Medical Center In Huntersville. She was the daughter of the late Rev. Jack Monroe Lewis & Mary Ann Hurley Lewis. Early on in her life, Ruth had to learn how to overcome great obstacles & developed strong character & resilience through those trials. Her senior year in high school she su ered severe burns from a stove re that would have caused many to withdraw from life & become angry & bitter. The outward, physical scars however were nothing in comparison to the inner strength & determination that she possessed. She surprised everyone by showing up at her high school graduation just a few weeks later in bandages & a wheelchair & went across the stage with her fellow seniors to receive her diploma. To Ruth, there was no other option. Ruth worked at many jobs in her life; doing secretarial work in a real estate appraisal o ce & later in churches, delivering owers for Byrum's Florist in Charlotte, working in day cares & as a nanny. Her passion & greatest joy, however, was her home & her children. She was always very active in church & loved serving her Savior, Jesus Christ, & telling others about Him. She was most recently a member of Connect Christian Church in Concord, NC. Ruth was married to Billy Frank Alexander on September 20, 1986, at Oakhurst Baptist Church in Charlotte. On December 10, 1988, she & Billy were blessed with the arrival of their triplets who were her pride & joy. She loved being their mother & fought ercely to provide whatever they may need. Ruth is survived by her loving husband, Billy Frank Alexander of Kannapolis, NC, & her children, Brianna Alexander of Kannapolis, Brian Alexander of Charlotte, & Brent Alexander (Kellie) of Wellford, SC; her brother, Tim Lewis & sisters Sarah Beachum (Charles), & Rachel Lewis, all of Oakboro, In addition, she leaves behind nieces Emily Musick (Brandon) of Mebane, NC, & Maddie Stephens (Carson) of Oakboro, & a nephew, Daniel Beachum of Oakboro as well as some very special cousins from Knoxville, TN. This tribute from her son Brent sums it up well: "My Mom may have been small in stature but don't be fooled. She was a warrior. She walked through re & emerged victorious. Her soul radiated strength, determination, & resilience. Her tireless dedication to us was unwavering & she fought for us every second of every day."

Doris Jones Coleman

Terry Chriswisser

June 17, 1959 – April 16, 2024

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

Terry Lynn Chriswisser, 64, of Norwood, passed away Tuesday afternoon, April 16, 2024 at his home. Terry was born June 17, 1959 in Aurora, Colorado to the late Robert Lee and Betty Brizendine Chriswisser. He was a graduate of Boulevard Baptist School, Burleson, Texas.

Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, went home into God’s presence on January 10 after a sudden illness and a valiant week-long ght in ICU. Doris was born on October 11, 1944, in the mountains of Marion, NC while her father was away ghting in the US Navy during World War II. Raymond Jones was so proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Durham High School. She furthered her studies at Watts Hospital School of Nursing in Durham and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1966.

Terry was a Customer Service Representative with Universal Forest Products and worked many years in the mobile home manufacturing business. Terry was a member of Freedom Tabernacle Baptist Church in Norwood. In his spare time Terry enjoyed gol ng, cooking, traveling, & spending time with his family. Terry was a proud supporter and dedicated coach for Special Olympics Stanly County.

He is survived by his wife, Kim Lo in, his 6 children, Christopher Chriswisser (wife: Ashley) ;Rob Bailey (wife: Heather Bailey) of Berlin, MD; Danyel Reville (husband: Bobby Reville) of Wilmington, NC; Tina Holt (husband: Josh Holt) of Albemarle, NC; Mike Bailey (wife: Tara Bailey) of Wilmington, NC; Adam Lo in (Kathryn) and 13 grandchildren: Reagan, Rory, Keegan, Billy, Peyton, Camden, Becket, Raya, Derek, Kenna,Tessa, Asher and Jaxson; brothers, Allen Chriswisser, Steve Barger, Johnnie Chriswisser; sisters, Jeanne Graham and Jo Ann Berger-Woodall; stepmother, Brenda Chriswisser of Wills Point, TX. Those who knew Terry knew he had a heart of gold and his sense of humor will be missed by all.

Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC. Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion. The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over 40 years of nursing. Doris was a gentle and sweet spirit and loved her Lord. She never met a stranger, and she always left you feeling uplifted after talking with her. She would often claim that she had “adopted” friends into her immediate family, and honestly, she never made a distinction between the two. Positivity radiated from her like sunlight. She was sel ess, funny, smart, and sentimental. During her lifetime she was an active member of First Baptist Church of Durham, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Augusta, and Palestine United Methodist Church in Albemarle. She especially loved helping at church with older adults, youth, and children.

She was especially talented at sewing from a young age and made gifts for friends, Christmas ornaments, Halloween Costumes, doll clothes, pageant dresses, prom dresses, coats, tote bags, scarves, out ts for Amy and Laura, and Christening gowns for each of her grandchildren.

Doris was preceded in death by her father Arthur Raymond Jones, her mother Mary Ellen Cameron Jones, and her sister Maryanne Jones Brantley.

Survivors include her two precious daughters: Amy Cameron Coleman (partner Dr. Edward Neal Chernault) of Albemarle, NC, and Laura Lindahl Coleman Oliverio (husband David) of Cincinnati, Ohio; seven grandchildren: Cameron David Oliverio, Stephanie Jae Dejak, Luca Beatty Oliverio, Coleman John Dejak, Carson Joseph Oliverio, Ryan Nicholas Dejak, and Jadon Richard Oliverio; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones.

STATE & NATION

No charges after investigation into harassment of bear cubs in Asheville

The North Carolina Wildlife Commission said people pulled the animals from a tree

The Associated Press

ASHEVILLE — A video of people pulling two bear cubs from a tree in North Carolina as one person posed for a photo with one of the wild animals prompted an investigation, but a state wildlife o cial said Friday that no charges will be led.

When North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission sta responded to a report of people harassing bear cubs at an Asheville apartment complex Tuesday, they were told the two cubs escaped after one bit a person, according to a commission news release. One cub was found later in a retention pond, o cials said.

In the video posted online by the commission, people are not only seen pulling cubs from a tree, but one person poses for a photo. Then, after a loud screech, they drop the cub, who runs for a nearby fence.

It is illegal to capture and keep black bears in North Carolina, but these cubs were immediately released and commission o cers determined no charges should be led, commission spokesperson

Columbia cancels in-person classes amid Israeli War protests

Demonstrations have been sprouting up at college campuses across the U.S.

By Nick Perry and Dave Collins

Press

Associated

The

Columbia University canceled in-person classes Monday and new demonstrations broke out on other U.S. college campuses as tensions continue to grow over Israel’s war in Gaza.

Protesters rallied throughout the weekend at the Ivy League school’s New York City campus, where police last week arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had set up an encampment.

Since those arrests, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have set up encampments on other campuses around the country, including at the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University, where several dozen protesters were arrested Monday morning after o cials said they de ed warnings to leave.

The developments came hours before the Monday evening start of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Columbia President Minouche

Sha k said in a message to the school community Monday that she was “deeply saddened” by what was happening on campus. “To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,” Sha k wrote. She said faculty and sta should work remotely, when possible, and that students who don’t live on campus should stay away.

Protests have roiled many college campuses since Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. In response, Israel has targeted Hamas during the sixmonth war, with Israel claiming more than 10,000 Hamas militants have been killed while the local health ministry claims more than 34,000 have died, not

Anna Gurney said in an email on Friday.

“O cers with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission have investigated this incident, and, while dangerous and unfortunate, it appears to be an isolated event,” Gurney said. O cers and biologists spoke with the people involved about the importance of leaving bear cubs alone, she said.

Ashley Hobbs, the commission’s coordinator for BearWise, a program aimed at helping people “live responsibly with black bears,” captured the cub, who was in poor condition. The cub was taken to a rehabilitation facility with the goal of releasing it back into the wild later this year, the commission said.

“The cub appeared to be lethargic and frightened. It looked to be favoring one of its front paws and was wet and shivering,” Hobbs said in a news release.

Sta searched unsuccessfully for the second cub.

“Our hope is it was able to reunite with the mother because it would not survive on its own at this young age,” Mountain Operations Supervisor James Tomberlin said.

At this time of year, mother bears are emerging from dens with cubs, who are dependent on their mother to feed and protect

distinguishing between combatants and noncombatants.

The demonstrations on U.S. campuses have tested the line between free speech and inclusivity. They’ve also stoked friction, with some Muslim students and their allies calling for schools to condemn the Israeli assault on Gaza and some Jewish students saying they no longer feel supported or safe on campus, with antisemitic sentiment running high.

Prahlad Iyengar, an MIT graduate student studying electrical engineering, was among about two dozen students who set up an encampment of more than a dozen tents on campus Sunday evening to call for a cease re and to protest what they describe as MIT’s “complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

“MIT has not even called for a cease re, and that’s a demand we have for sure,” he said.

Iyengar also said the Cambridge, Massachusetts, school has been sending out confusing rules about protests.

“We’re out here to demonstrate that we reserve the right to protest. It’s an essential part of living on a college campus,” he said, adding that they have received support from both graduate and undergraduate students.

On Sunday, Elie Buechler, a rabbi for the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative at Columbia, sent a WhatsApp message to nearly 300 Jewish students recommending they go home until it’s safer for them on campus.

them, Game Mammals and Surveys Supervisor Colleen Olfenbuttel said in the release. By the time they are ready to emerge into spring, cubs, under 1 year old, typically weigh around 5 pounds, according to the National Park Service.

“People who try to capture or handle a cub are not only risking the cub’s safety but their own if the mother bear is nearby, as she may try to defend her cubs,” Olfenbuttel said.

One resident told The Asheville Citizen-Times that she was walking around her apartment complex Tuesday afternoon when she saw what was happening, recorded it and alerted maintenance for the complex. Rachel Staudt said she has seen bears near the complex before but that people usually leave them alone.

“I tried telling them to stop, but they wouldn’t listen so I thought recording it might help get justice for the sweet bear cub,” Staudt said. “I’m not sure how long it went on for, but far too long.”

Hobbs told WLOS-TV that she felt frustrated after watching the video because she often preaches about the need to coexist with animals and to give them the space they need.

“We did follow up with the people who pulled the bear out of the tree,” Hobbs said. “We did confront them on site that day and let them know how irresponsible and potentially deadly it could be for that cub to be separated from its mom, especially ripped out of a tree like that.”

Nicholas Baum, a 19-year-old Jewish freshman who lives in a Jewish theological seminary building two blocks from Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus, said protesters over the weekend were “calling for Hamas to blow away Tel Aviv and Israel.” He said some of the protesters shouting antisemitic slurs were not students.

“Jews are scared at Columbia. It’s as simple as that. There’s been so much vili cation of Zionism, and it has spilled over into the vili cation of Judaism,” he said.

The protest encampment sprung up at Columbia last Wednesday, the same day that Sha k faced bruising criticism at a congressional hearing from Republicans who said she hadn’t done enough to ght antisemitism. Two other Ivy League presidents resigned months ago following widely criticized testimony they gave to the same committee.

In her statement Monday, Sha k said the Middle East conict is terrible and that she understands that many are experiencing deep moral distress.

“But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view,” Sha k wrote.

Over the coming days, a working group of deans, school administrators and faculty will try to nd a resolution to the university crisis, noted Sha k, who didn’t say when in-person classes would resume.

NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION VIA AP

A bear cub was captured after people pulled two cubs from a tree in Asheville and one person posed for a photo with one of the wild animals, prompting an investigation. No charges will be led.

STEFAN JEREMIAH / AP PHOTO

Pro-Israel demonstrators chant “Shame” in support of Columbia University assistant professor Shai Davidai.

Randolph record

Teamwork makes the dream work

JROTC cadets pull a truck during a Raider Challenge event at Southwestern Randolph High School on Saturday. More than 120 cadets from several counties competed head to head at a variety of physical challenges, including a 5K team run, rope bridge and tug of war.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Superintendent presents budget for next school year

VinFast signs 12 new dealers

Vietnamese EV startup

VinFast, which is building a large facility in Chatham County, has signed up 12 new dealers to sell its vehicles. This brings the company’s total US dealer network up to 18 outlets across seven states.

In addition to Leith VinFast in Raleigh, previously announced, Greensboro gains its own dealership in Triad VinFast. The company’s other new dealers are scattered across Florida, Texas, New York, Connecticut, Kentucky and Kansas.

NCDOT distributing free bike helmets for kids

This spring, NCDOT is set to distribute approximately 12,500 bicycle helmets to organizations across the state, bolstering safety for young cyclists. Launched in 2007, the Bicycle Helmet Initiative focuses on educating children about the importance of helmet usage to prevent severe brain injuries.

“Wearing a helmet signi cantly reduces the risk of head injuries,” said Brennon Fuqua, interim director of NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division.

Funded by federal grants and “Share the Road” specialty license plates, the helmets are provided during public safety events by participating community groups and schools.

Applications will open next year in January.

In Randolph County, Safe Kids, part of the county’s public health department, was awarded 100 helmets in small, medium and large to distribute to the community.

Salary increases make up bulk of expanded RCSS costs

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Stephen Gainey, superintendent of the Randolph County School System, submitted a proposed budget of nearly $27 million for the 202425 school year, representing an increase of almost 1.1 percent.

The budget as presented last week to the RCSS board of education is listed at $26,846,240.

That’s more than a $2 million increase from the proposal for this school year, which checked in at $24,762,040.

The increase comes primar-

ily, based on a report fromnance o cer Marty Trotter, from continuation costs (such as insurance increases, match in retirement increases, charter school payments, property insurance, utility increases), an additional school resource ocer contribution, 1% supplement increase for employees (equal to $1.2 million), and transportation costs.

Gainey identi ed no additional “capital outlay” funding needed. In a letter to the board of education and Randolph County commissioners, he said that’s the case “due to your high level of support of our school system over the years.”

Here are some other developments from the mid-April board of education meeting:

Love, Lowriders, Latinos

Car show brings crowds to celebrate lowrider

Journal PITTSBORO — Crowds dropped in on Saturday for the Lowrider Show at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center. The event, now in its fourth year, is the brainchild of Manuel Araiza, who along with his brothers Francisco, and Jose, and their dad, also Francisco, bring it to life to highlight the Latino culture. The event attracts lowriders — a moniker that applies to both the cars and their owners — from Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and all parts of North Carolina to share the love for these meticulously customized vehicles.

City Knights Lowriders Car Club in Fayetteville was one of the clubs that came to support the event. Daniel Castañeda,

president of the club, is a Special Forces veteran and says the club was started to help unite Latinos in the military serving in and around Fort Bragg. Through that, he met Manuel and comes to Chatham County to support him every year.

“The common denominator for us was the love for the lowrider car, which is embedded in our culture, for the Latinos, the Chicanos,” said Castañeda in an interview. “You know, we started building low riders as a resemblance of our culture here in North Carolina. … Regardless of background, race or creed, this event unites us by the love for the lowrider car.”

Castañeda’s pride and joy is a true classic: the ‘67 Impala.

“When you look at this car, you see a 1967 Chevy Impala Super Sport, but it is much more than that, you see La Raza in this car. You see my Mexican culture in this car,” he said.

Lowriders come in many varieties, from iconic 1960s Impalas with hydraulics, to older

Gift accepted to aid mechanics program

The Randolph County Economic Development Corporation presented a gift of more than $9,600 to purchase a welder for agriculture mechanics program at three schools.

The impacted programs are at Eastern Randolph Southwestern Randolph and Trinity. Governor’s School selections

Four students from the RCSS have been picked to attend North Carolina Governor’s School this summer in Raleigh or Winston-Salem.

The students are Providence Grove’s Isabella Malpica (English), Southwestern Randolph’s Robert Mason (choral music –bass 2) and Isaac Barlow (mathematics) and Randolph Early

College’s Alexius Flowers (English). The North Carolina Governor’s School is a four-week summer residential program for rising, integrating academic disciplines, the arts, and unique courses. The curriculum focuses on the exploration of the most recent ideas and concepts in each discipline.

A maximum of 335 students will be assigned to either Meredith College in Raleigh or Salem College in Winston-Salem.

Mark the dates

RCSS board of education revised its 2024-25 school calendar by adding four dates with early releases of students. The dates are Sept. 26, Oct. 24, Feb. 6 and March 27 – all Thursdays. The board’s action provides time for school-based professional development for sta members at all schools. Randolph Early College High School won’t be involved with the early releases.

classics from the 40s and 50s called Bombitas. Newer rides are welcomed too, of course. “It doesn’t really depend so much on the type, but the style and how you present the vehicle that matters the most,” Castañeda told North State Journal. “That you pour your love, and you can represent yourself, represent your family, represent your club, represent your background through your vehicle.” He emphasized the importance of shedding old stereo -

types and focusing on building a larger community.

“This culture is about respect. It’s about love for the

The next board of education meeting is scheduled for May 20. See

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

ENA SELLERS / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Daniel Castañeda, president of the City Knights Lowriders Car Club in Fayetteville, and his son Daniel stand in front of their 1967 Chevy Impala at the Lowrider Show, Saturday in Pittsboro.

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

It’s a zoo out here

A petting area with two tiny goats, a tiny pig and a rather large bunny was a hit with attendees at the Zoo City StrEAT Fest on Sunset Avenue in Asheboro on Saturday. The event, held to celebrate the North Carolina Zoo’s 50th birthday, included outdoor dining, live music and more.

The Randolph Guide is a quick look at what’s going on in Randolph County.

April 26

Liberty Antiques Festival

8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

and misdemeanor assault

a female. Bond was denied due to the charges being domestic in nature.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 24

THURSDAY APRIL 25

FRIDAY APRIL 26

SATURDAY APRIL 27

SUNDAY APRIL 28

MONDAY APRIL 29

TUESDAY APRIL 30

April 16

• James Daniel Williams, 34, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony trafficking in cocaine, felony possession with intent to manufacture/sell/ deliver a schedule II-controlled substance, felony possession with intent to manufacture/ sell/deliver marijuana, felony manufacture/sell/deliver/possess controlled substance within 1,000 ft of childcare center, felony maintaining vehicle/dwelling/ place for controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was issued a $15,000 secured bond.

April 17

• Eric William Blevins, 47, of Archdale, was arrested by the Asheboro Police Department on a charge of habitual larceny. He was

• Luis Roberto Amador-Aguirre, 21, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony possession stolen firearm, misdemeanor carrying concealed gun, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana up to ½ oz. He received a $3,000 secured bond.

issued a written promise to appear in court.

• Brantley Joseph Norman, 35, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He received no bond.

April 18

• Marquise Ledell Caviness, 32, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on warrants for two counts of felony fail to register as a sex offender. He was issued a $50,000 secured bond.

April 19

• Pamela Sherrell Maness, 47, homeless, was arrested by the Asheboro Police Department on a charge of defrauding an innkeeper. Bond was denied.

April 20

• Patrick Allen Yountz, 34, of Randleman, was arrested by the Asheboro Police Department on a charge of assault on a female. Bond was denied due to the charges being domestic in nature.

LOWRIDERS from page 1

community. We’ve had such a bad stigma or reputation for the lowrider being associated with gangbangers and thugs,

and at some point, that might have been the truth,” he admitted. “But today, when we look at cars like this, we see pride. We see love. We see culture and that’s what we share.

We spread it out across the community. Everyone we encounter, we respect, and we pour our love into it to show them that we are men of honor.” “We are lowriders.” ENA

Held just twice a year, the Liberty Antiques Festival has 400 dealers from more than 25 states at Pike Family Farm, located at 2855 Pike Farm Rd. in Staley. Dig through the past to nd today’s treasures amongst 18th- to 20thcentury furniture, accessories, pottery, glass, clocks, dolls, toys, military items, advertising memorabilia, decoys, jewelry, quilts, folk art and “in the rough” country Americana. Admission for adults is $10, each; children under 12 years of age are free. Parking is also free.

2nd Annual Child Abuse Prevention Walk

9 – 11:30 a.m.

The Randolph County Department of Social Services (DSS), alongside partners is hosting the Second Annual Child Abuse Prevention “Walk” at the Asheboro Recreational Center to raise public awareness during National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The event will begin with an opening ceremony at 9:30 a.m. followed by a mile walk that will focus on advocating for prevention, building community capacity, and raising awareness to prevent child abuse and neglect, strengthen families, and foster healthy children and youth. For more information on the Child Abuse Prevention Walk contact Randolph County DSS at (336) 683-8000, or visit the website.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Communists everyone

The most obvious example is the support of major feminist organizations for men who say they are women participating in women’s sports.

THE COMMUNIST Party of the Soviet Union — like most communist parties — came to power as the great defender of workers.

In reality, the Soviet Communist Party didn’t give a hoot about Russian workers. The party was nothing more than a totalitarian organization that used workers to gain power — and then suppressed the proletariat, just as it suppressed every other group. One of the rst things the Communist Party did after attaining power was disband independent labor unions and prohibit workers’ strikes. Yes, the “workers’ party” banned strikes.

The one major exception was the Chinese Communist Party, which came to power as the great defender of peasants. And the CCP slaughtered about 60 million of them.

This has been the modus operandi of every left-wing group everywhere: Claim concern for some group, and use that group to fool people — speci cally, naive liberals, who share few values with the Left but have frequently served as useful idiots for the Left. Liberals do so to this day.

Teachers unions are nothing more than left-wing groups that use alleged concern for students to attain and retain power. The reality, however, is while they care about teachers, they harm students far more than they help them.

One example is teachers unions’ opposition to school choice. Those who actually care about students support the right of parents to choose their children’s schools — just as many teachers do when they send their own children to schools of their choice.

A second example is teachers unions’ making it nearly impossible to re incompetent teachers.

A third example was teachers unions’ demands that schools lock down for nearly two years during the COVID-19 era. The unions did so despite there being no scienti c evidence in support of school lockdowns and despite ample warnings that many children would su er intellectually, scholastically, emotionally and psychologically.

COLUMN

O.J.’s legacy

Do blacks commit disproportionate numbers of violent crimes?

POLITICS WAS TO BLAME , in the form of racism and sexism. His lawyers put the LAPD on trial for racism, even though Simpson himself was not a victim of the police department’s racism. That was Rodney King, who was brutally beaten by LAPD o cers who were acquitted by a white jury in Simi Valley. Simpson was a member of the special class of celebrities that in Los Angeles transcended race, and it was ironic that he of all people exploited the injuries of real racism. And of the sexism that applied a double standard when it came to domestic violence, still treating it as if it is not real violence, as if it were something that beloved celebrities were not capable of.

What was perhaps most stunning about the Simpson trial was the depth of the racial divide in the reaction to it. There were two di erent realities. Pictures captured the reactions of whites and blacks, and they could not have been more di erent. How could what was so obviously wrong to whites be a cause for

The last point brings us to a fourth example: Teachers rob young students of their sexual innocence with premature talk of, and books that deal with, overt sexual activity, and the infamous use of drag queens to perform in front of children as young as 6 years old.

Just how left-wing teachers organizations are was made clear by the sympathetic leftwing magazine The Nation in January: “A rank-and- le campaign inside the National Education Association is demanding the president stop ‘sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel.’ ... But the rank-and- le campaign goes beyond (that). ... Members want the NEA (National Education Association) to revoke its endorsement of Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential race until the president ... stops ‘sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel.’”

That was only two months after Oct. 7.

Most civil rights organizations are also essentially left-wing groups. They use alleged concern for blacks to attain and retain power, but they harm blacks considerably more than they help them.

A glaring example is the near-universal opposition of civil rights groups to school choice despite the fact that black Americans overwhelmingly support it. According to a 2023 RealClear Opinion Research poll, 73% of blacks support school choice — two points more than whites. They do so because large majorities of black students in public schools perform far below grade-level standards.

The reason the largest civil rights organization, the NAACP, opposes school choice has nothing to do with concern for blacks. It is that the left-wing position — again, the NAACP is a left-wing organization — on school choice is dictated by teachers unions.

Feminist organizations are additional examples of essentially left-wing organizations. The group they use to attain and retain power is women. Just as other left-wing interest groups, they harm the group on whose behalf they allegedly ght — in this case, women — far more than they help them.

The most obvious example is the support of major feminist organizations for men who say they are women participating in women’s sports.

From the website of the National Women’s Law Center: “The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) unequivocally supports the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports. And if you call yourself a feminist, you should too.”

From the website of The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF):

“The Women’s Sports Foundation supports the right of all athletes, including transgender athletes, to participate in athletic competition.”

In 2022, the WSF wrote a letter to the NCAA protesting any diminution of the right of biological males who say they are females to participate in women’s athletics. The letter was cosigned, as expected, by LGBTQIA+ organizations but also by two major feminist organizations in addition to the Women’s Sports Federation: the National Organization for Women and the National Women’s Political Caucus.

Damaging women has been the primary legacy of organized feminism for the last half-century. That there are more depressed women, especially young women, today than at any other time in modern American history is directly attributable to left-wing in uence generally (no religion, no country, no future) and to feminist doctrines speci cally: Career is more important than marriage and family, and women can do just ne without a man to love and be loved by.

Perhaps the ultimate example of left-wing contempt for the groups they claim to represent is “Queers for Palestine.” Palestinian queers have no rights; they face persecution and even death if they expose themselves to their society. Israeli queers are by far the safest, happiest and freest in the Middle East. But hating Israel is the left-wing position. At any cost.

celebration for blacks? Did we see the world so di erently? We did. It would be nice to assume that everything has changed since then. Has it?

Certainly, there have been changes in our outlook on domestic violence. New laws have been passed. Police department policies have changed. Federal funding of domestic violence initiatives, now on the chopping block according to advocates, grew, the Violence Against Women Act was passed, and state and local departments trained o cers and prosecutors to deal with domestic violence. But women continue to be murdered by their intimate partners — between a third and a half of women homicide victims are killed by ex-partners, a percentage that has remained constant for the past three decades even as the number of homicides has dropped from 23,000 in 1994 to 18,000 in 2023.

And the progress that has been made is in jeopardy. California is facing a 43% cut in funding for domestic violence programs. “It’s about to fall apart. All that we built since O.J. can go away,” says Patti Giggans, executive director of Peace over Violence, previously the Los Angeles

Commission on Assaults Against Women. Shelters are overcrowded. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness: According to a study last summer by the Urban Institute, almost half of all unhoused women in Los Angeles have experienced domestic violence, and roughly 25% left their last residence because of it. Most domestic violence cases are still prosecuted as misdemeanors, if they are prosecuted at all.

Meanwhile, race and racism continue to infect the criminal justice system, where Black men crowd prisons and unanswered questions shape attitudes of why that is so. Do Blacks commit disproportionate numbers of violent crimes, or does the system disproportionately target them? Or both?

We give lip service to prohibitions on racial pro ling, but it is a reality of policing, even as forces have themselves become more diverse. And when we see white o cers who have targeted black men, we remain divided about what we see and how we react. A system that is racist, or is perceived by parts of the community to be so, is ripe for jury nulli cation — refusing to convict even when the facts establish guilt.

Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist.

COLUMN | DENNIS PRAGER

| SUSAN ESTRICH

PAC softball race tightens after upset

The regular-season title will be determined in the nale

Randolph Record

FOURTH-PLACE Eastern Randolph muddled the Piedmont Athletic Conference softball race by defeating rst-place Southwestern Randolph 4-1 last week with Addie Flinchum striking out seven in the road victory.

Uwharrie Charter Academy closed within a half-game of Southwestern Randolph by week’s end. The teams will meet April 25 at Southwestern Randolph to end the regular season.

UCA nipped host Eastern Randolph 5-4 behind Mollie Bulla’s pitching. Jayla Hurley and Aubrie Kau man both doubled and scored a run. Earlier in the week UCA, upended host Randleman 15-5 with Kenzie Hill driving in six runs.

UCA fell 4-2 in a non-conference game at Southern Alamance.

Southwestern Randolph recovered for a 7-0 non-league triumph at Chatham Charter with Macie Crutch eld’s nine-strikeout shutout and Alyssa Harris’ four hits, including two doubles.

• Randleman had an 8-2 non-conference home victory against Western Alamance with Kenzie Ivey striking out 12.

• Ruby Caudle threw a pair of PAC no-hitters for Providence. There was a ve-inning version when the Patriots beat visiting Wheatmore 10-0. Caudle also homered. Then there was a 15-0 whipping of Trinity, aided by Cailyn York’s triple and double.

• Asheboro’s 23-5 non-league romp at Western Guilford came with winning pitcher Addison Allen’s home run, giving the Blue Comets their second victory of the season.

Girls’ soccer

PAC leader Wheatmore notched a couple of 2-1 victories.

The Warriors edged visiting Providence Grove 2-1 with Natalie Bowman scoring both goals and then topped visiting Trinity with Ellie Garrison scoring twice.

• Jazmin Palma scored four goals as Uwharrie Charter Academy whipped host Southwestern Randolph 9-0.

• Two goals apiece from Patience Keller, Taryn Waugh and Anaeli Puente Garza propelled Providence Grove’s 7-0 road victory against Southwestern Randolph. The Patriots notched another shutout with a 5-0 road stumping of Randleman as Waugh notched two more goals.

• Asheboro scored the nal three goals in a 3-1 home victory against Ledford in Mid-Piedmont Conference play with goals from Itzel Macias, Penny Smith and GiGi Flores. The Blue Comets later lost 6-0 at North Davidson.

Baseball

Carter Brown drove in four runs as Uwharrie Charter Academy beat visiting Wheatmore on Friday. Trey Kennedy homered and Brett Smith was the winning pitcher.

Earlier in the week, UCA stymied Wheatmore in a 5-0 road victory.

Wheatmore racked up a 5-2 non-league road victory against Thomasville with Carson Work throwing 5 1/3 innings and Parker Kines supplying three hits.

• Providence Grove edged visiting Eastern Randolph 2-1 behind pitching from Jayten Beasley, Trevor Kirkman and Jacob Flinchum to split the PAC series. Eastern Randolph’s Alex Kivett posted three hits. Eastern Randolph won the

week’s rst matchup with winning pitcher Samuel Asbill driving in two runs in a 4-3 home decision.

Eastern Randolph notched a 7-4 non-league triumph against visiting Greensboro Page will Stalker contributing three runs batted in and Cade McCallum and Asbill both scoring two runs. Chance Holdaway worked into the seventh inning for the pitching victory

• Southwestern Randolph claimed a 10-4 non-conference victory at Jordan-Matthews with Jake Lunsford’s triple helping him to ve runs batted in. The Cougars followed that by topping visiting South Stanly 14-9 with Brady Arm eld going 4-for-4 with two doubles and Zack Scruggs scoring three runs. Jonah Campbell and Austin Harvell homered.

Asheboro delivered an 11-1 whipping on Southwestern Randolph with Amara Godwin’s pitching and Ben Luck and Cohen Caviness both driving in two runs.

Tourneys in Asheboro

Next week, Asheboro will be the host school for next week’s semi nal and nal rounds in the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament for both baseball and softball.

Those matchups will come after quarter nal games, which will involve Asheboro, are contested at the site of the higher seeds.

The tournament baseball games will be at McCrary Park.

Tigers conjure more magic for PAC baseball supremacy

Randleman completed a perfect slate in league play

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

RANDLEMAN — Randleman had just enjoyed another one of those de ning moments that seem to come so often for the school’s baseball team.

There were various assessments of what that meant after last week’s 6-5, eight-inning victory against visiting Trinity.

“We got to get better,” shortstop Jake Riddle said. “We got to.”

While it wasn’t the smoothest outing for the Tigers, they again found a way. The result secured another outright Piedmont Athletic Conference regular-season championship and kept Randleman unbeaten in league play.

The Tigers tied the score in the bottom of the seventh and won on Riddle’s bases-load-

ed walk with two outs in the eighth. “Just some sort of magic we got going on over here,” rst baseman / pitcher Braxton Walker said.

It was the rst Trinity / Randleman meeting since the Tigers won last year’s PAC Tournament championship game. While there were naturally personnel changes for the Tigers, much of it looks the same. “I’m not surprised,” coach Jake Smith said. “We had a lot of guys who had to prove themselves. I know the guys believe in themselves and they’re condent.”

Randleman (17-3 overall, 12-0 PAC) nished its conference schedule three nights later by winning 4-1 at Trinity (7-14, 3-7), which has lost ve games in a row.

After the rst game vs. Trinity, Smith kept the Tigers huddled in the out eld for the longest postgame session of the

season. The players understood that they had escaped.

“We all kept our composure and came back and fought,” Walker said. “We live to see another day.”

Randleman led 4-0 on Walker’s third-inning grand slam. It was the junior’s rst varsity home run.

With ace pitcher Seth Way in charge, the Tigers might have thought they’d cruise until some clunky defense gave the Bulldogs life with three runs in the fourth.

In the sixth, Trinity loaded the bases without a hit, with Brody Little drawing a pass after falling behind in the count. Walker Parrish then delivered a two-out, two-run single on a 2-2 pitch to lift the Bulldogs to a 5-4 lead. Randleman put runners on base in the seventh with a hit batter and a pair of bunts. A elder’s choice grounder cut down a runner at the plate before Way’s tying sacri ce y.

THE WEEK

Carlisle Dozier

Asheboro, girls’ soccer

Dozier has provided an ideal nal layer of defense for the Blue Comets.

The senior goalkeeper has averaged nearly 10 saves per game this season. Her six saves helped the Blue Comets defeat Ledford last week.

She also was credited with a late-game tip save to preserve a shutout of Central Davidson earlier this month. In March, she made 23 saves in a game.

Dozier was a Mid-Piedmont Conference all-league selection last year.

With a 9-3-1 record entering this week, the Blue Comets had already matched last season’s win total.

Walker pitched the top of the eighth. There were two outs in the bottom of the inning before an error and two walks set up Riddle for the game-ending walk as the rst batter to face reliever Camden Nelson. Riddle said he wanted to make amends for a missed opportunity in a regular-season loss last year at Trinity. “We work hard enough for that moment,” Riddle said. “It’s always good to win.” It marked Randleman’s rst

late-game comeback for victory this year. “Did what we needed to do to get the win,” Smith said. Way struck out nine and allowed three hits across seven innings. Trinity starter Andon Simmons was spot-on with a couple of exceptions. The rst result last week gave Randleman an 11-game winning streak, a string that ended the next night with a 10-4 nonleague home setback to Class 4-A Northern Guilford.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD Asheboro goalkeeper Carlisle Dozier, right, makes a stop on a shot from Oak Grove’s Victoria Lockamy earlier this month.

BOB SUTTON / RANDOLPH RECORD Randleman’s Braxton Walker had a big impact at the plate and on the mound last week.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD Providence Grove’s Anaeli Puente Garza cuts between Randleman’s Jocelyn Segovia, left, and Lacy Nelson during last week’s girls’ soccer game.

Hitting his Mark: Sprinter gives boosts to Blue Comets

Asheboro’s track star and teammate Lance Everhart, are piling up points

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Valentino

Mark is in a hurry, and that’s showing.

Mark set two personal-best times in a dominating performance in last week’s Randolph County championships.

“Time is ticking,” Mark said of his urgency as a senior.

Mark, the triple jump champion, won the 100 and 200 meters and anchored the winning 400 relay as part of host Asheboro’s team championship.

Teammate Lance Everhart was a four-time winner as the Blue Comets racked up 220 points to runner-up Randleman’s 166, with Wheatmore third at 89 among the seven teams.

“We’re strong in the jumps and the sprints and the relays,” Asheboro coach DeNeal McNair said.

Mark went sub-11 in the 100 preliminaries at 10.95 for his personal best. He posted 10.98 in the nals, ahead of teammate Elijah Woodle (11.28).

Winning the 100 after nishing behind then-senior Adam Cole of Southwestern Randolph a year ago was special for Mark.

“Redeem myself,” he said.

“That’s the main event.”

Dipping below the 11-second level was important as well to Mark, who was wearing new spikes.

“Big deal,” he said. “I knew I could do it. I was already feeling con dent. I slept good last night. I felt good the whole day.”

Mark, a 5-foot-10, 150-pound athlete, later had another personal best in the 200. His 22.51-second time put him ahead of the Wheatmore duo of Sa’Cory Maryland (23.88) and Dakota Ludwick (23.93).

Mark is in his third season on the track and eld team. With

the postseason just a few weeks ahead, he wants to be in top gear. “I got better at it,” he said. “The form, the technique.”

In the triple jump, Mark posted a mark of 42-3½ for the title ahead of a trio of Randleman entrants. Mark joined Jaylon Moore, Woodle and Jalial Timmons on the winning 400 relay (43.68).

Everhart’s victories came in the 110 hurdles (15.44), high jump (6-6), long jump (23-11) and pole vault (11-6), repeating as titlist in the long jump and pole vault. Randleman’s Chase Farlow, who won the high jump in 2023, was a challenger at 6-4.

Asheboro’s 800 relay won in 1:34.53 with Moore, Woodle, Timmons and Luke Brumley. The Blue Comets ran away with the 1,600 relay with Matthews, Zacheus Jones, Cayne Duranceau and Brumley nishing in 3:44.26. Zach Hazelwood of Wheatmore was rst in the 1,600 (5:00.43) and the 3,200

(10:45.21), winning the latter by more than 1½ minutes. He also won both events in last year’s meet.

Trinity’s Giovanni Jaimes was a three-time winner. He won the 800 in 2:17.75, with Hazelwood second at 2:19.54.

In the 400, Jaimes edged Asheboro’s Kai Matthews for the victory with a time of 53.37 (with Matthews at 53.59). To McNair, that race was an example of Asheboro’s depth because Duranceau and Brumley were third and fourth, respectively, allowing the Blue Comets to rack up 19 points in the event.

“It’s a numbers game,” McNair said.

Trinity claimed the 3,200 relay with Riley Foster, Tommy Smithers, Mitchell Marin-Pulido and Jaimes in 9:26.5.

The winner in the 300 hurdles was Randleman’s Jay Richards (43.77).

The top thrower was Randleman’s Ty Moton, who captured the discus (126-7) and shot put (40-4).

Randleman seeks new girls’ basketball coach

Rightmyer’s one season produced another title

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

RANDLEMAN — Randleman will be trying to keep a high winning percentage in girls’ basketball next season after another coaching change.

Steve Rightmyer stepped away from the position after one season, though the Tigers maintained their perch atop the Piedmont Athletic Conference. He referred to the time commitment as being overwhelming in his situation.

“It was a lot,” Rightmyer said. “I knew it would be.”

Randleman went 20-7 last season, including 12-0 in PAC regular-season play before winning both games in the conference tournament.

Rightmyer was named PAC Coach of the Year.

The Tigers reached the sec -

ond round of the Class 2-A state playo s. “It was a fun year,” Rightmyer said. “I really enjoyed coaching them.”

But with sons ages 7 and 4, he decided the responsibilities connected to the varsity job were too much at this time. He has maintained his position as an assistant with Randleman Middle School’s football team.

Randleman athletics director Jake Smith learned shortly before spring break that a replacement for Rightmyer would be needed.

“We’re trying to get it right,” Smith said.

Rightmyer followed Brandon Varner in the coaching position. Varner’s teams went 103-20 across ve seasons.

The Tigers excelled after Christman and produced a 15game winning streak.

“Our girls weren’t really fazed and it took o from there. It really started clicking,” Rightmyer said, noting

the grind of the season that developed. “It was hard to turn o . The coaching part was fun.” Junior Gracie Beane missed a chunk of the season with a dislocated elbow sustained in a preseason scrimmage. She and underclassmen Chenleigh Robinson and Bella Byman, who were both all-conference selections, along with Kadie Green and Camden Scott could form the core of the 2024-25 team. Gone will be Audra Petty, the PAC Player of the Year.

“It was a pretty young team,” Rightmyer said. “They should have some good talent coming back next year.”

The goal will be keeping the winning tradition.

“That’s a big part of it,” Smith said.

Rightmyer, 36, was in his rst season as a girls’ coach. He previously was boys’ basketball coach at Randleman Middle School, and he expects to return to that role.

Rightmyer has been in Randleman schools for a decade. He’ll remain at the middle school as physical education and health teacher.

“I already had a great job,” he said. “I’m happy here.”

Showers propelled the Blue Comets in the county meet

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Jalaya

Showers has been a headliner for the Asheboro girls’ track and eld team.

She’s not alone among the Blue Comets.

“This team is gunning for all the records,” coach Vincent Cable said. Asheboro set a brisk pace in many events in capturing the Randolph County Championships last week. Showers, a sophomore who recently became a school record-holder sprinter, won the 100 and 200 meters and participated on two winning relays. Asheboro had an overwhelming edge in points among the seven teams, scoring 184 to runner-up Providence Grove’s 111 even though the teams tied during a trimeet earlier this season. Randleman placed third with 92.

“We expected to do well,” Cable said. “The big meets like this, we throw the full force.”

In the 100, Showers led a 1-2-3 Asheboro sweep, winning in 12.44 seconds, sprinting ahead of Sion Murrain (12.95) and Ey’Mya Cheek (13.45). Showers won the 200 in 26.11. Showers set the Asheboro school record in the 100 earlier in the month in the Timberwolf Invitational at Montgomery Central. She posted a time of 12.25.

“I was hoping to get it,” she said. “I’ve just been working to break it since I was a freshman.” That shattered a 12-year-

old record that had been held by Kyosha Lowery. Showers has been growing in prominence.

“Every meet I go to, they’re like ‘that’s that girl,’ ” she said. “I’ve been running since I was 9, I’m kind of used to it.”

In the county meet, Asheboro also gained individual victories from Nyla Price in both the 100 hurdles (18.56) and 300 hurdles (53.25). Teammate Lai George won the pole vault at 6-6. The Blue Comets won the 800 relay in 1:49.88 with Sayre Smith, Murrain, Cheek and Showers.

In the 400 relay, Annissa Goldston joined Murrain, Cheek and Showers to win in 50.67. That marked Goldston’s debut with the track team as she also plays for Asheboro’s girls’ soccer team.

Randleman’s Gracie Beane was the meet’s top scorer in individual events, winning three of those.

Beane was the top high jumper at 5 feet, 2 inches, long jumper at 16-7 and triple jumper at 36-10. She placed second in the 200 (27.46).

Auman Jensen of Providence Grove had nearly a 20-second edge in the 1,600 with a time of 6:19.66 and she won the 3,200 by more than two minutes in 13:04.33.

Providence Grove’s Laurel

Bernhardt, Aaliyah Burpee, Auman and Abbey Lewis were on the winning 3,200 relay (12:02.98). The Patriots won the 1,600 relay in 4:50.01 with Kenzi Mundy, Bernhardt, Reese Davis and Lewis. Eastern Randolph’s Mirianna Corea won the throws, tossing the discus 95-6 and the shot put 31-10. Randleman’s Aubri Hill was rst in the 800 (2:52.57) and Trinity’s Kayla Franklin captured the 400 in 1:06.00.

BOB SUTTON / RANDOLPH RECORD

Jalaya Showers of Asheboro has remained speedy.

BOB SUTTON / RANDOLPH RECORD Asheboro’s Valentino Mark was all smiles last week.

Steve Rightmyer had the Randleman girls’ basketball team going in the right direction for much of his one season as coach.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Caraway alters schedule for Late Models

SOPHIA – Changes are coming to the Late Models division just a few weeks into the Caraway Speedway season.

After the division was scratched from the racing card for the rst slated race of April because of low entry numbers, track o cials revised the plan for that class.

“We are not giving up on the division,” speedway owner Darren Hackett said, making it clear the class won’t be eliminated. “We will however, rework the 2024 schedule to give more teams the chance to compete with us without having a schedule that con icts with other tracks as much as possible while o ering our fans a quality event.”

The net schedule means the rst of four remaining Late Models races will begin with June 15’s Summer Showdown of 100 laps with $2,000 to the winner.

There will be the Rusty Harpe Memorial on July 6 with $3,000 to win before the Sam Ard Memorial 100 on July 20 and the Mid-Atlantic 125 on Oct. 26.

Late Models also will be on hand for the CARS Tour visit July 3.

The purse on at least the next two Late Models races will including $400 or $500 for drivers starting those races.

“To this point in the 2024 season, car counts have been disappointing, especially since we followed the suggestions of the competitors and made the rules change.”

Darren Hackett, Caraway Speedway owner

The track will honor commitments made to teams that competed in the rst two Late Models races this year. A Late Models champion will be determined and recognized at next January’s annual awards banquet.

There were concerns raised and online chatter expressing frustration when Late Models were removed from the April 13 docket. Track o cials said the Late Models have been a staple for the speedway.

“We have tried for the past few years to eld the Late Model division as a quality division and to a point that has worked out for us,” Hackett said. “But after last season, we had several competitors come to us with the suggestion of going with a ‘true’ Late Model stock car as the feature class. While Caraway Speedway is not a NASCAR-sanctioned track, we have adopted the NASCAR (Late Models) rules package for competitors. To this point in the 2024 season, car counts have been disappointing, especially since we followed the suggestions of the competitors and made the rules change.”

On Saturday night, when women are admitted free to the grandstands and trackside, the racing card is slated to include Mod 4s, 602 Modi eds, UCARs and twin features for both Challengers and Bootleggers. There also will be qualifying heats for UCARs.

Reddick steals win at Talladega for Michael Jordan

The race leader crashed with the nish line in sight

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Tyler Reddick stole a NASCAR Cup victory at Talladega Superspeedway when front-runner Michael McDowell, swerving up and down the track trying to block Brad Keselowski, wound up crashing with the finish line in sight Sunday. It was another wild Talladega finish — and set off a raucous celebration on pit road with one of Reddick’s team owners, Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

“This is like an NBA playoff game,” Jordan said in Victory Lane. “I’m so ecstatic.”

McDowell, the pole-sitter, dominated the closing laps and was in position to give Ford its much-needed first victory of the year. But his topsy-turvy efforts to block Keselowski — another Ford driver — wound up costing them both.

McDowell spun out, Keselowski had to check up and Reddick sped by to claim his sixth career Cup victory by

0.208 seconds.

A pile of cars behind them was taken out, as well. Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 machine slid across the finish line on its side, pinned against the wall in front the massive grandstands.

Reddick climbed out of his No. 45 car and scurried up the fence like Spider-Man.

“That was crazy, fans,” he screamed. “Chaos. Typical Talladega.”

Keselowski settled for the runner-up spot, failing again to pick up his first win since 2021 at this 2.66-mile trioval in east Alabama.

“We went to make a move and Michael covered it,” Keselowski said. “We went the other way and had nowhere to go when Michael came back down. It’s just the way this stuff goes.”

Reddick’s victory redeemed a botched strategy that knocked out a bunch of Toyota contenders, including his team co-owner, Denny Hamlin.

All three Toyota teams pitted in tandem with 37 laps to go, going with a strategy that would’ve allowed them to push the pace on the rest of the fuel-saving field — with an idea of drafting all

the way to the front for the checkered flag. Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep their cars straight.

Just four laps later, with the Toyota train running at a blistering, single-file pace and chasing down the lead pack, John Hunter Nemechek appeared to get into the bumper of Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 machine, which clipped Erik Jones and sent him smashing hard into the outside wall. Nemechek then slid down the track and took out Hamlin, as well. “We had a plan,” Wallace said. “We just didn’t execute it as well as we should have. I hate it. It doesn’t make us look good at all.” Jones took the brunt of the blow, a crash that would’ve been much worse without the sturdy cars and foamy barriers.

“I’m a little sore, but I’m all right,” Jones said after exiting the infield care center. “If you’re gonna be dumb, you’ve got to be tough.” Reddick was at the front of the pack and avoided the crash.

In the end, he was able to celebrate an improbable win.

“This is like an NBA playo game. I’m so ecstatic.”

Michael Jordan

MIKE STEWART / AP PHOTO

Tyler Reddick celebrates his victory after a NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

Donald Ray Allen

June 18, 1955 – April 14, 2024

Donald Ray Allen Sr., age 68, of Biscoe passed away after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer on April 14, 2024, at home surrounded by loved ones. He was born

June 18, 1955, in Montgomery County, North Carolina, one of 16 children, son of the late Ervin Allen and Bertie Dunn Allen. He is also preceded in death by his grandson, Jacob Tyler Allen; brothers, Robert Allen, Clinton Allen and Walter Allen; and sisters, Frances Jane Allen, Shirley Marie Adkins, and Gladis Magdaline She eld. Donald loved spending time in the company of his family. His main hobby was shing with his family. He also found great joy in the simple act of mowing lawns with his son. He was known for his kindness, generosity, and integrity. His legacy will live on through his family, friends, and the countless memories shared on the water and live on forever in the hearts of those who knew him. Left to cherish his memory are his son, Donald Ray Allen Jr. and wife Ginger; grandchildren, Dylan Allen and Rylee Raegan Allen; brothers, Thomas Allen, Bill Allen, Clyde Allen, Gary Allen, Junior Allen, and Stevie Allen; sisters, Linda Greene, Annie Mae Perkins and Annie Grace Lemonds; and numerous other beloved family and friends.

Bertha Curtis Wood

October 23, 1923 –April 14, 2024

Bertha Marie Curtis

Wood, age 100, passed away Sunday, April 14, 2024, at her daughter's home. Mrs. Wood was born October 23, 1923 in Randolph County to Albert and Lydia Curtis. She was a member of Central Falls Baptist Church and retired from the hosiery industry. Mrs. Wood had a wonderful sense of humor, loved to laugh and have fun. Her heart was lled with her love for Jesus Christ, family, friends and of course the Tarheels. She had great memories of going on trips with the Senior Group at her church. She loved Oak Island and Charlies Place. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Wood was preceded in death by husband, Lonnie James Wood; son, Larry Wood; grandson, Je Wood; son-inlaw, Tony Trogdon; siblings, Floyd Allred, Clarence Allred, Dewey Allred, A. G. Allred, Worth Allred, Arche Allred, Bessie Mae Hussey, Ruby Coley, Lillian Rush and Ray Curtis. Mrs. Wood is survived by her daughters, Sondra Trogdon of Franklinville, Sheila Rice and husband Frankie of Asheboro; grandchildren, Dale, Thomas, Jaime, Justin, Britany, Bethany, Dallis; 10 great grandchildren and 8 great great grandchildren.

obituaries

Brenda Kay Norman

November 20, 1953 –April 14, 2024

Brenda Kay Stone Norman, age 70, of New London, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at Autumn Care of Biscoe, NC. Brenda was born in Stoneville, NC on November 20, 1953 to the late Leonard Lee Stone and the late Azzie Irene Norman Stone. She was a seamstress in the upholstery business and a beautician for over 40 years. She loved camping outdoors at the lake, her ower gardens, watching HGTV, and most of all, she loved her family. Brenda is survived by her husband: William H. Norman of the home; daughter: Tina Woody (Sean Powell) of New London; son: William Thomas Norman (Cathy) of New London; three grandchildren: Aaron (Audrey) Norman, Dylan (Evelyn) Woody, and Abby Woody; two great grandchildren: Payton Norman and Waylon Norman; two brothers: Raymond Stone and Keith Tucker; one sister: Nancy Burton; favorite Aunt, Ruby; special friend, Pam Morgan and caregiver, Paula Forrest. She was preceded in death by her brother Steve Tucker.

Donald Leslie York

October 15, 1938 –April 16, 2024

Donald Leslie York passed away, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, surrounded by loved ones at Randolph Hospice House. Donald was born to Clyde and Lucille York. Donald served time in the U.S. Navy. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Donald met the love of his life, Mary, and they were together for over 66+ years. He was a hard worker and a handy man even after his retirement. He loved mowing his yard. When he was sitting still he would twiddle his thumbs and drink his coca colas. He also had the best Donald Duck impression. Donald was a family man. He loved to feed and watch the birds. Donald is preceded by his Parents, son Rick, sister Melba, brothers Charles, Danny, John, Bobby, and Clyde. Donald is survived by his wife Mary of the home; daughter Sherri Peery; son Ronald York (Thao) Wilmington, NC, Steve (Annie) Palm Desert, CA; brother Lewis York; sister Carol York, Linda York; Granddaughter: Melody York; Grandsons: Michael York, Nicholas York, Dylen York, Jeremy Johnson; Great grandchildren: Ava McGann, Aundreya McGann.

Tawana Elaine Smith Voncannon

August 31, 1966 –April 14, 2024

Tawana Elaine Smith Voncannon, 57, of Sophia passed away surrounded by loved ones on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at Randolph Hospital. Tawana was born August 31, 1966, in Rowan County, NC to James Ray Smith and Ruth Whitaker Smith. Tawana was a beloved and adored wife, mother, sister, and friend. She was graduate of Randleman High School and earned her degree as a Dental Assistant from Guilford Technical Community College. Tawana was a faithful member of South Plain eld Friends Meeting. She worked for many years with Dr. Robert Loftin, DDS as well as being a Med Tech at Meadow View in Greensboro. She loved watching cooking shows, going to the beach or the mountains, and loved spending time and talking with friends and family. Aside from her caring and compassionate ways to other people, she loved animals, especially her dogs. Tawana is survived by her husband of 14 years, Paul Voncannon of the home; son, Forrest Rich of Sophia; daughter, Ashlyn Rich of Manhattan, NY; father, James Ray Smith of Sophia; brother Donald Hipp; sister, Cathy. Tawana is preceded in death by her mother, Ruth Whitaker Smith.

Lela Mae McClearyBradley

July 12, 1943 – April 16, 2024

Lela Mae McCleary - Bradley passed at her home in Oak Ridge N.C. on April 16, 2024.Lela was born to Willard and Sarah Washington McCleary. She was a nurse for 45 years. A creative person, very giving of herself, loved her family, and a wonderful gardener (roses). Lela graduated from the class of 1961 Albuquerque, N.M. and also the Albuquerque University of Nursing school. Lela is survived by her Sons; James Bradley of New Mexico, Jason(Anne) Bradley of Tempe, Arizona Daughters: Wyetta Bradley of Santa Fe, New Mexico Candace(Steve) McDonald of Oakridge.

Herman Ford Lowder Jr.

May 19, 1949 – April 13, 2024

Herman “Herbie” Ford Lowder Jr., age 74, of Trinity, passed away April 13, 2024, at his home. He was born May 19, 1949, in High Point, North Carolina the son of the late Herman Ford Lowder Sr. and Rachel Odessa Russell Lowder. He is also preceded in death by his beloved wife, Mary Catherine Lowder; brothers, Joe Lowder and Otis Lowder; and sister Sylvia Blakely. He was a gifted carpenter and was last employed with Lowder Construction Company. Herbie loved his family and especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. Left to cherish his memory are his daughters, Vickie Reep, Tammie Owens, and Angelia Greenwood; grandchildren, Dustin Mathena, Caleb Reep, Jack Reep, Audreyahna Reep, Samuel Hayes, Cheyenne Ashby, Chance Owens, Carleigh Kremer and Constance Ashby; brothers, Randy Lowder and Johnny Lowder (Frances); sister, Polly Nora Johnson; and numerous other beloved family and friends.

Floyd Edward Parks

August 16, 1934 –April 17, 2024

Floyd Edward Parks, age 89, of Ramseur, passed away Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at Asheboro Health and Rehab.

Mr. Parks was born in Asheboro on August 16, 1934, to George and Ella Parks. He was a member of Whispering Pines Presbyterian Church where he was a deacon and elder and also attended Giles Chapel Church.

Mr. Parks was retired from Standard Trucking where his CB handle was Big Foot. Even though his was gone alot he still made the most of his time spent with his family. He was very active in the Boy Scouts and his two sons became Eagle Scouts. He was a loving, caring husband and father who could also be stern when needed.

Mr. Parks was a ham radio operator, enjoyed watching the Carolina basketball, Boston Red Sox and the Celtics. In addition to his parents, Mr. Parks was preceded in death by his daughter, Susan Hope. Mr. Parks is survived by his wife of 67 years, Ramona Parks; sons, Timothy Corrie Parks of the home and George Randall Parks and wife Doris Ann of Charleston, SC; grandchildren, George Orion Parks and Trinity Shea Parks of Summerville, SC.

Susan Lee Sinkewicz

January 14, 1942 –April 14, 2024

Susan Lee Schors Sinkewicz, age 82 of Thomasville, passed away Sunday, April 14, 2024, at the Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro. A native of Andover Connecticut, Susan was born January 14, 1942 to the late Harry and Gloria Porter Schors. She is survived by her loving husband, John, of Thomasville as well as many other family members.

Janet Ina Dorsett

May 23, 1952 – April 17, 2024

Janet Ina Dorsett, age 71, of Asheboro, NC, passed away Wednesday, April 17, 2024, after several years of declining health. Janet was born to Ina Mae Bunting Dorsett and Olan Dorsett on May 23, 1952. Janet graduated from Asheboro High School in 1970 and Louisburg College in 1971 and immediately began her career with Acme McCrary, Inc. in Asheboro where she worked in the data processing o ce for 40 years. She also worked part-time jobs throughout the years including Grimes Jewelry Store and Prevo Drugs. Janet was a kind and sweet soul who loved people. She enjoyed many trips to Holden Beach, NC where she loved walking the beach and collecting shells. She also enjoyed reading, jogging/exercise, working in her yard/ owers, and cooking. She had participated in several marathons over the years. She loved spending time with her family and friends and was so proud of her nephew, Andrew, and her niece, Katelyn. They all made many special memories together. Janet was a lifelong and faithful member of West Chapel United Methodist Church in Asheboro, NC.

Janet is survived by her brother, Michael Dorsett, of Gibsonville; nephew Andrew and his family-Kate, Addison, Paige, Charlotte; niece Katelyn and her family-Tim, Leia, Freya. She is also survived by many cousins and friends who loved her very much. Janet was preceded in death by her parents, Olan and Ina Mae Dorsett, her sister-in-law Patti Love Dorsett, her beloved canine "Raggles", and her special friend Sidney Elliott.

pen STATE & NATION

No charges after investigation into harassment of bear cubs in Asheville

The North Carolina Wildlife Commission said people pulled the animals from a tree

The Associated Press

ASHEVILLE — A video of people pulling two bear cubs from a tree in North Carolina as one person posed for a photo with one of the wild animals prompted an investigation, but a state wildlife o cial said Friday that no charges will be led.

When North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission sta responded to a report of people harassing bear cubs at an Asheville apartment complex Tuesday, they were told the two cubs escaped after one bit a person, according to a commission news release. One cub was found later in a retention pond, o cials said.

In the video posted online by the commission, people are not only seen pulling cubs from a tree, but one person poses for a photo. Then, after a loud screech, they drop the cub, who runs for a nearby fence.

It is illegal to capture and keep black bears in North Carolina, but these cubs were immediately released and commission o cers determined no charges should be led, commission spokesperson

Columbia cancels in-person classes amid Israeli War protests

Demonstrations have been sprouting up at college campuses across the U.S.

By Nick Perry and Dave Collins

The Associated Press

Columbia University canceled in-person classes Monday and new demonstrations broke out on other U.S. college campuses as tensions continue to grow over Israel’s war in Gaza.

Protesters rallied throughout the weekend at the Ivy League school’s New York City campus, where police last week arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had set up an encampment.

Since those arrests, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have set up encampments on other campuses around the country, including at the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University, where several dozen protesters were arrested Monday morning after o cials said they de ed warnings to leave.

The developments came hours before the Monday evening start of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Columbia President Minouche

Sha k said in a message to the school community Monday that she was “deeply saddened” by what was happening on campus. “To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,” Sha k wrote. She said faculty and sta should work remotely, when possible, and that students who don’t live on campus should stay away.

Protests have roiled many college campuses since Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. In response, Israel has targeted Hamas during the sixmonth war, with Israel claiming more than 10,000 Hamas militants have been killed while the local health ministry claims more than 34,000 have died, not

Anna Gurney said in an email on Friday.

“O cers with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission have investigated this incident, and, while dangerous and unfortunate, it appears to be an isolated event,” Gurney said. O cers and biologists spoke with the people involved about the importance of leaving bear cubs alone, she said.

Ashley Hobbs, the commission’s coordinator for BearWise, a program aimed at helping people “live responsibly with black bears,” captured the cub, who was in poor condition. The cub was taken to a rehabilitation facility with the goal of releasing it back into the wild later this year, the commission said.

“The cub appeared to be lethargic and frightened. It looked to be favoring one of its front paws and was wet and shivering,” Hobbs said in a news release.

Sta searched unsuccessfully for the second cub.

“Our hope is it was able to reunite with the mother because it would not survive on its own at this young age,” Mountain Operations Supervisor James Tomberlin said.

At this time of year, mother bears are emerging from dens with cubs, who are dependent on their mother to feed and protect

distinguishing between combatants and noncombatants.

The demonstrations on U.S. campuses have tested the line between free speech and inclusivity. They’ve also stoked friction, with some Muslim students and their allies calling for schools to condemn the Israeli assault on Gaza and some Jewish students saying they no longer feel supported or safe on campus, with antisemitic sentiment running high.

Prahlad Iyengar, an MIT graduate student studying electrical engineering, was among about two dozen students who set up an encampment of more than a dozen tents on campus Sunday evening to call for a cease re and to protest what they describe as MIT’s “complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

“MIT has not even called for a cease re, and that’s a demand we have for sure,” he said.

Iyengar also said the Cambridge, Massachusetts, school has been sending out confusing rules about protests. “We’re out here to demonstrate that we reserve the right to protest. It’s an essential part of living on a college campus,” he said, adding that they have received support from both graduate and undergraduate students.

On Sunday, Elie Buechler, a rabbi for the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative at Columbia, sent a WhatsApp message to nearly 300 Jewish students recommending they go home until it’s safer for them on campus.

them, Game Mammals and Surveys Supervisor Colleen Olfenbuttel said in the release. By the time they are ready to emerge into spring, cubs, under 1 year old, typically weigh around 5 pounds, according to the National Park Service.

“People who try to capture or handle a cub are not only risking the cub’s safety but their own if the mother bear is nearby, as she may try to defend her cubs,” Olfenbuttel said.

One resident told The Asheville Citizen-Times that she was walking around her apartment complex Tuesday afternoon when she saw what was happening, recorded it and alerted maintenance for the complex. Rachel Staudt said she has seen bears near the complex before but that people usually leave them alone.

“I tried telling them to stop, but they wouldn’t listen so I thought recording it might help get justice for the sweet bear cub,” Staudt said. “I’m not sure how long it went on for, but far too long.”

Hobbs told WLOS-TV that she felt frustrated after watching the video because she often preaches about the need to coexist with animals and to give them the space they need.

“We did follow up with the people who pulled the bear out of the tree,” Hobbs said. “We did confront them on site that day and let them know how irresponsible and potentially deadly it could be for that cub to be separated from its mom, especially ripped out of a tree like that.”

Nicholas Baum, a 19-year-old Jewish freshman who lives in a Jewish theological seminary building two blocks from Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus, said protesters over the weekend were “calling for Hamas to blow away Tel Aviv and Israel.” He said some of the protesters shouting antisemitic slurs were not students.

“Jews are scared at Columbia. It’s as simple as that. There’s been so much vili cation of Zionism, and it has spilled over into the vili cation of Judaism,” he said.

The protest encampment sprung up at Columbia last Wednesday, the same day that Sha k faced bruising criticism at a congressional hearing from Republicans who said she hadn’t done enough to ght antisemitism. Two other Ivy League presidents resigned months ago following widely criticized testimony they gave to the same committee.

In her statement Monday, Sha k said the Middle East conict is terrible and that she understands that many are experiencing deep moral distress.

“But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view,” Sha k wrote.

Over the coming days, a working group of deans, school administrators and faculty will try to nd a resolution to the university crisis, noted Sha k, who didn’t say when in-person classes would resume.

NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION VIA AP

A bear cub was captured after people pulled two cubs from a tree in Asheville and one person posed for a photo with one of the wild animals, prompting an investigation. No charges will be led.

STEFAN JEREMIAH / AP PHOTO

Pro-Israel demonstrators chant “Shame” in support of Columbia University assistant professor Shai Davidai.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

The shot heard round the world

Confederate Gen. Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Bennett Place in 1865

The Associated Press

APRIL 18

1775: Paul Revere began his famous ride from Charlestown to Lexington, Massachusetts, warning colonists that British Regular troops were approaching.

1865: Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman at Bennett House near Durham Station in North Carolina, bringing further closure to the Civil War, which had formally ended.

1906: A devastating earthquake struck San Francisco, followed by raging res; estimates of the nal death toll range between 3,000 and 6,000.

1923: The rst game was played at the original Yankee Stadium in New York; the Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-1.

1978: The Senate approved the Panama Canal Treaty, providing for the complete turnover of control of the waterway to Panama on the last day of 1999.

APRIL 19

1775: The American Revolutionary War began with the battles of Lexington and Concord in what became known as “the shot heard round the world.”

1897: The rst Boston Marathon was held; winner John J. McDermott ran the course in two hours, 55 minutes and 10 seconds.

1993: The 51-day siege at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ended as re destroyed the structure after federal agents began

smashing their way in. About 80 people, including two dozen children and sect leader David Koresh, were killed.

On the same date in 1995, Timothy McVeigh, seeking to strike at the government he blamed for the Waco deaths, destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. (McVeigh was convicted of federal murder charges and executed in 2001.)

APRIL 20

1812: The fourth vice president of the United States, George Clinton, died in Washington at age 72, becoming the first vice president to die while in office.

1861: Col. Robert E. Lee resigned his commission in the United States Army. (Lee went on to command the Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War and eventually became general-in-chief of the Confederate forces.)

1999: The Columbine High School massacre took place in Colorado as two students shot and killed 12 classmates and one teacher before taking their own lives.

APRIL 21

1649: The Maryland Toleration Act, providing for freedom of worship for all Christians, was passed by the Maryland assembly.

1836: An army of Texans led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans at San Jacinto, assuring Texas independence.

1926: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was born in Mayfair, London; she was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and the Queen Mother. 2016: Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis; he was 57.

APRIL 22

1915: The first full-scale use of deadly chemicals in warfare took place as German forces unleashed chlorine gas against Allied troops at the start of the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium during World War I; thousands of soldiers are believed to have died.

2000: In a dramatic predawn raid, armed immigration agents seized 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban boy at the center of a custody dispute, from his relatives’ home in Miami; Elian was reunited with his father at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C.

2004: Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who’d traded in a multimillion-dollar NFL contract to serve in Afghanistan, was killed by friendly fire; he was 27.

ED ANDRIESKI / AP PHOTO

Left, Bennett Place, pictured in 2008, was the site of the largest Confederate surrender during the Civil War. Right, news media gather near Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, on April 21, 1999.

ILDAR SAGDEJEV / CC BY-SA 4.0

MIKE HASKEY / COLUMBUS LEDGER ENQUIRER VIA AP

Specialist Pat Tillman marches as he performs the honor of being the guidon bearer during graduation ceremonies on Oct. 25, 2002, on Sand Hill at Fort Benning, Georgia.

‘Nothing But the Bones’: noir novel with breakneck pace

The book is a prequel to Brian Panowich’s critically acclaimed Bull Mountain

series

By Bruce Desilva The Associated Press

NELSON “NAILS” McKenna isn’t very bright, stumbles over his words and often says what he’s thinking without realizing it. We rst meet him as a boy reading a superhero comic on the banks of a river in his backcountry hometown in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. There, a bully picks on him and then does the same to a pretty girl Nails secretly fancies. Enraged, Nails, ignorant of his own strength, gives the bully a fatal beating.

Nails’ friend Clayton Burroughs, who watches it happen, doesn’t call the police. Instead, he calls his brutal father, Gareth, who runs the rackets on Bull Mountain, to cover it up.

So begins “Nothing But the Bones,” a prequel to the rst three Southern noir novels in Brian Panowich’s critically acclaimed Bull Mountain series.

After the killing, the story

when he gets to Jacksonville, Florida. As Nails speeds away, he discovers the young woman, a fellow outcast who calls herself Dallas, hiding in the backseat. She persuades a reluctant Nails to take her with him, and as they drive on, an unlikely love story emerges. As readers learn Dallas’s backstory, it becomes clear they need each other.

skips forward nine years and nds history repeating itself. Nails, now working as an enforcer for Gareth, is drinking apple juice in a seedy bar when he sees a punk mistreating a young woman. Moments later, the punk lies dead on the barroom oor.

There are too many witnesses for Gareth to x things this time. Instead, he hands Nails a bag of cash, orders him to head south and gives him a phone number to call

Kevin Bacon dances back to ‘Footloose’ high school

When Clayton hears what’s happened, he knows his father, who avoids legal entanglements at all costs, hasn’t sent Nails away for a new start. Nails is driving to his death. So, in de ance of his father, Clayton heads for Jacksonville to save his friend. Their friendship may remind readers of George Milton and Lennie Small in John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella, “Of Mice and Men” — although Nails isn’t as limited as Lennie. The compelling tale, its tone alternately brutal and tender, unfolds at a breakneck pace. The character development is superb, the settings are vivid, and the prose is as tight as a noose. The plot is full of twists. Among them is a startling revelation about Dallas’s identity, introducing a sensitive subject that Panowich handles with understanding and grace. Payson High School was the site of lming for the cult classic lm

The Associated Press

PAYSON, Utah — Actor Kevin Bacon on Saturday returned to the Utah high school where the cult classic movie “Footloose” was lmed more than 40 years.

Bacon danced his way to a stage on a Payson High School athletic eld Saturday to greet students before what likely was the nal prom held at the school, which is set to be torn down next spring.

“You talked me into it,” Bacon said, according to video posted by Salt Lake City’s ABC 4. “It’s great to see that kind of commitment to anything. I also think that it’s amazing to see the power that this movie has had to bring people together.”

Bacon starred in “Footloose” as a Chicago teen who moved to a small town and fought its ban on dancing. Payson High School

students ended Saturday with a “Footloose”-themed prom, just as the movie ended. About 21,000 people live in Payson, which is about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City. Principal Jesse Sorenson said students for years have tried to persuade Bacon to visit.

What started as lighthearted appeals on social media turned into a community wide campaign to partner with Bacon’s

charity, Sorenson said. Students agreed to help put together 5,000 care packages for the charity, SixDegrees, to convince Bacon to visit.

Students for weeks wrote hopeful messages for the eventual owners of each of the care packages and worked with the Utah Film Commission and SixDegrees to raise money and donations of toiletries, clothing and other items to go in the backpacks, Sorenson said.

On Saturday, Bacon helped ll the bags alongside what Sorenson estimated was about 700 students and 300 community members. Sorenson, who graduated from Payson High School in 1995, said DJs always play the song “Footloose” at proms, and students recreate the lm’s iconic dance. Older residents tell stories of being an extra in the lm and delight in pointing out spots in Payson shown in the movie, he said.

“It’s something they can be proud of, and it’s fun for them,” the principal said.

ST. MARTIN’S PUBLISHING GROUP VIA AP “Nothing But the Bones” by Brian Panowich.

JESSE SORENSON VIA AP

Actor Kevin Bacon, visits the Utah high school where cult classic "Footloose," was lmed.

famous birthdays this week

The Associated Press

April 21

Singer Iggy Pop is 77. Actor Tony Danza is 73. Actress Andie MacDowell is 66. Comedian Rob Riggle is 54. Actor James McAvoy (“Atonement”) is 45.

April 23

Actor Lee Majors (“Six Million Dollar Man”) is 85. Director Michael Moore is 70. Actress Valerie Bertinelli is 64. Wrestler-turned-actor John Cena is 47. Actor Kal Penn (“House M.D.,” “Harold and Kumar”) is 47. Model Gigi Hadid is 29.

April 25

Actor Al Pacino is 84. Actor Hank Azaria (“The Simpsons”) is 60. Bassist Eric Avery (Jane’s Addiction) is 59. Actress Renee Zellweger is 55. Actor Jason Lee (“My Name Is Earl,” ″Almost Famous”) is 54.

April 26

Actress-comedian Carol Burnett is 91. Singer Maurice Williams of Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs is 86. Actor Giancarlo Esposito (″Breaking Bad” and “The Mandalorian”) is 66. Actor-comedian Kevin James (″The King of Queens”) is 59. Actor Channing Tatum (“Magic Mike”) is 44.

April 27

Singer Sheena Easton is 65. Guitarist John Osborne of Brothers Osborne is 42. Singer Lizzo is 36.

Shirley MacLaine waits backstage at the Palace Theater where she was performing in a solo revue in 1976.

PHOTO

Nicholson pictured arriving at the 1974 Academy Awards, turned 87 Monday. REED SAXON / AP PHOTO

Actress and comedian Carol Burnett, pictured posing at Los Angeles’ Pantages Theatre in 2000, turns 91 Friday.

Blockbuster ‘Anyone But You’ hits Net ix

A new documentary on Bon Jovi hits the highs and lows of the great American rock band

The Associated Press

This week the Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell romantic comedy “Anyone But You” hits Net ix and a Bon Jovi documentary premieres on Hulu. Here’s a look at the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.

MOVIES TO STREAM

The Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell romantic comedy “Anyone But You” is nally on Net ix starting Tuesday. The movie is about two young singles, whose magical one-night stand ends in miscommunication and hurt feelings, nding themselves both in a small family wedding party and staying in the same house. It’s loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” Reviews were mixed and the box o ce started out tame, but it became a slow burn sleeper hit in theaters, earning more than $218 million worldwide. If you’ve been holding out to see what the fuss was about, now is your low stakes chance (it’s also not a bad plane option, which is where this lm critic nally watched it). And afterward, if you need a romcom palate cleanser, “You’ve Got Mail” is also currently on Netix. Another stealth box o ce hit, everyone’s favorite dancing demon doll “M3GAN” is coming back to Peacock starting Wednesday. Is it great cinema? Probably not, but everyone who watches it seems to have a fun time (in spite of themselves). Entertainment Weekly’s Leah Greenblatt wrote in her review: “This is not the morose, carnage-soaked horror of dank basements and clammy night terrors; most of the movie happens in bright daylight, every maniacal head tilt, ungodly hip swivel, and murder-by-gardening-tool calibrated for screams that end not with a gasp but a giggle. M3GAN came to play, and possibly reboot her motherboard for a sequel. Are you not entertained?”

Finally, if you’ve exhausted all your “Tortured Poets” analysis, you can pivot to watching a Joe Alwyn movie instead. He stars in Claire Denis’ 2022 romantic thriller “Stars at Noon,” which comes to Hulu on Sunday. Based on the 1986 Denis Johnson novel, Margaret Qualley plays an American journalist

MUSIC TO STREAM

Shot through the heart, and they’re to blame: Forty years after a bunch of kids from New Jersey got together and formed a great American rock band, a documentary detailing their early days, rise to fame, and — best of all — breakups and breakdowns, has arrived. The only Bon Jovi documentary series to feature all members past and present, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” premieres on Hulu Friday in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories. Binge all four-parts one after the other or dole them out slowly. However you do it, expect to have “Livin’ On A Prayer” stuck in your head for the next week.

SHOWS TO STREAM

“The Big Door Prize,” a sweet,

silly

of a small town turned upside down by the arrival of a machine that reveals a person’s true calling, returns for a second season on Apple TV+. Starring Chris O’Dowd as a local high school teacher, “The Big Door Prize” is based on a book by M.O. Walsh and was one of The Associated Press’ TV shows worth watching in 2023. Season two of “The Big Door Prize” debuts Wednesday. Season one is also still available on the streamer. Two teen ghost detectives who appear in DC comic books star in their own series called “Dead Boy Detectives.” The story follows Edwin and Charles, two long-dead teens who spend their afterlife still on Earth and investigating paranormal cases. They’re assisted by a living teen named Crystal Palace who is a clairvoyant. “Dead Boy Detectives” also features Lukas Gage in an over-the-top, comedic role of the Cat King. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” actor David Iacono plays a demon. The ghostly investigations be -

gin Thursday on Net ix. Idris Elba and Adam Pally reprise their “Sonic the Hedgehog” characters for the new animated series “Knuckles” on Paramount+. Elba plays Knuckles, an Echidna with super strength, who is adjusting after moving to Earth at the end of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” Pally is Wade Whipple, a not-sobright deputy sheri . “Knuckles” is part of Paramount’s e orts to expand the popular “Sonic” brand. Ben Schwartz and Tika Sumpter also reprise roles from the lms. All six episodes of “Knuckles” stream Friday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Sony’s Stellar Blade takes place on an Earth that’s been mostly abandoned after an invasion by hordes of mysterious monsters called the Naytiba. Enter Eve, a sword- and gun-wielding warrior who has returned to her home planet to help out the few people left, including a scavenger named Adam. The Biblical references

pile up — for example, the last city standing is Xion — but the real in uence is the popular hack-and-slash epic Bayonetta. If you’ve been craving another amboyant adventure with a beautiful woman battling hideous beasts, Korean studio Shift Up hopes it’s got you covered. Start swinging Friday on PlayStation 5. Electronic Arts’ Tales of Kenzera: Zau is less campy and more down to earth. Its protagonist, Zau, aims to become a healer and, maybe, bring his father back from the Land of the Dead. The aspiring shaman has some nifty parkour skills as well as sun and moon masks, which allow him to, respectively, launch spears and manipulate time as he ghts evil spirits. Tales of Kenzera is the debut title from Surgent Studios, which was founded by voice actor Abubakar Salim, and he says it was inspired by Bantu folklore as well as his own experience with grief. The journey begins Tuesday on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.

in Nicaragua during COVID-19 who starts an a air with a mysterious British guy, played by Alwyn.

dramedy about the residents

Glen Powel and Sydney Sweeney pose at the premiere of “Anyone But You” on

WHAT’S HAPPENING HOKE

COUNTY

Hoke school board honors employee for regional award

Seeing the sights

Sixty- ve East Hoke Middle School eighth graders took a trip to Washington, D.C., last week, accompanied by almost a dozen chaperones consisting of both parents and sta .

“This is a really special trip for our students and they were able to see the White House, Capitol, Smithsonian Museum and witness the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery,” Hoke Middle School Principal Antonio Covington told NSJ.

“It was a truly moving experience to see all the monuments and war memorials.”

VinFast signs

12 new dealers

Vietnamese EV startup VinFast, which is building a large facility in Chatham County, has signed up 12 new dealers to sell its vehicles. This brings the company’s total US dealer network up to 18 outlets across seven states.

In addition to Leith VinFast in Raleigh, previously announced, Greensboro gains its own dealership in Triad VinFast. The company’s other new dealers are scattered across Florida, Texas, New York, Connecticut, Kentucky and Kansas.

NCDOT distributing free bicyle helmets for kids

This spring, NCDOT is set to distribute approximately 12,500 bicycle helmets to organizations across the state, bolstering safety for young cyclists. Launched in 2007, the Bicycle Helmet Initiative focuses on educating children about the importance of helmet usage to prevent severe brain injuries.

“Wearing a helmet signi cantly reduces the risk of head injuries,” said Brennon Fuqua, interim director of NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division. Funded by federal grants and “Share the Road” specialty license plates, the helmets are provided during public safety events by participating community groups and schools. Applications will open next year in January.

For Moore County, the Cumberland County Department of Public Health and Spring Lake PD are the nearest agencies awarded helmets, in youth sizes small, medium and large, to distribute.

The award was given by the N.C. Association of Career and Technical Education

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

AT THE HOKE COUNTY Board of Education meeting on April 16, the school board recognized a district sta member who had recently been honored with a regional award. Anita Grove, a 27-year employee with Hoke County Schools, was named the Sandhills Region’s Curriculum and Instructional Management Coordinator (CIMC) of the Year by the North Carolina Association of Career and Technical Education. Grove works for the school district’s career and technical education (CTE) department in a

role focusing on curriculum and instructional management.

“I just want to say it is a genuine honor to be recognized by my peers, yet what I’m most proud of is being a part of the Hoke County Schools educational community,” Grove said to the school board members. “In addition to my mother, I want to thank all of you that have contributed to my growth.”

At the board meeting, the award was presented by Dana Chavis, who serves as the career and technical education executive director for Hoke County Schools and works alongside Grove in the district’s CTE department.

“Dr. Grove was recognized by the Sandhills Region as the representative for our whole region as the Curriculum and Instructional Management Coordinator,” Chavis said. “Dr. Grove has dedicated her past 27 years to

Hoke County Schools. She has consistently exempli ed excellence in every aspect of her role. Her unwavering dedication and compassion and expertise is evident in our department.”

Chavis continued: “Throughout her tenure as a CTE business educator, career development coordinator, special populations coordinator, and currently our curriculum and instructional management coordinator, Dr. Grove has demonstrated steadfast commitment to both her colleagues and her students.”

In an o cial statement from Hoke County Schools, the district wrote that Grove “epitomizes the essence of excellence within our educational institution” because of her dedication to the students, friendly demeanor, and unique instructional techniques.

“Her innovative teaching methods and nurturing demean-

or have set high standards for educational excellence and inspire those around her to strive for greatness,” Chavis said. “Dr. Grove’s legacy of excellence will continue to in uence the future of our district, guiding it towards continued success for years to come.”

Riding a surge of popularity on a national level, CTE programs are designed to allow students to explore speci c options for their future — both inside and outside of the classroom — by guiding them towards personalized careers with experience, college credits and more.

The North Carolina Association of Career and Technical Education (NCACTE) was established to honor exceptional CTE educators and leaders in statewide public schools and public charter schools.

According to the association’s website, recipients of its various awards have all made signi cant contributions toward innovative programs that are serving to improve and promote career and technical education.

The Hoke County Schools Board of Education will hold its next meeting on May 14.

Love, Lowriders, Latinos

Car show brings crowds

Saturday for the

at

& Confer-

now in its fourth year, is the

of Manuel Araiza, who along with his brothers Francisco, and Jose, and their dad, also Francisco, bring it to life to highlight the Latino culture. The event attracts lowriders — a moniker that applies to both the cars and their owners — from Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and all parts of North Carolina to share the love for these meticulously customized vehicles.

City Knights Lowriders Car Club in Fayetteville was one of the clubs that came to support the event. Daniel Castañeda, president of the club, is a Special Forces veteran and says the club was started to help unite Latinos in the military serving in and around Fort Bragg. Through that, he met Manuel and comes to Chatham County to support him every year.

“The common denominator for us was the love for the low-

See LOWRIDERS, page 2

PHOTO COURTESY HOKE MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ANTONIO COVINGTON

ENA SELLERS / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Daniel Castañeda, president of the City Knights Lowriders Car Club in Fayetteville, and his son Daniel stand in front of their 1967 Chevy Impala at the Lowrider Show on Saturday in Pittsboro.

LOWRIDERS from page 1

rider car, which is embedded in our culture, for the Latinos, the Chicanos,” said Castañeda in an interview. “You know, we started building low riders as a resemblance of our culture here in North Carolina. … Regardless of background, race or creed, this event unites us by the love for the lowrider car.”

Castañeda’s pride and joy is a true classic: the ‘67 Impala.

“When you look at this car, you see a 1967 Chevy Impala Super Sport, but it is much more than that, you see La Raza in this car. You see my Mexican culture in this car,” he said.

Lowriders come in many varieties, from iconic 1960s Impalas with hydraulics, to older classics from the 40s and 50s

“When we look at cars like this, we see pride. We see love. We see culture and that’s what we share.”

Daniel Castañeda, president of the City Knights Lowriders Car Club

called Bombitas. Newer rides are welcomed too, of course. “It doesn’t really depend so much on the type, but the style and how you present the vehicle that matters the most,” Castañeda told North State Journal. “That you pour your love, and you can represent yourself, represent your fami-

ly, represent your club, represent your background through your vehicle.”

He emphasized the importance of shedding old stereotypes and focusing on building a larger community.

“This culture is about respect. It’s about love for the community. We’ve had such a bad stigma or reputation for the lowrider being associated with gangbangers and thugs, and at some point, that might have been the truth,” he admitted. “But today, when we look at cars like this, we see pride. We see love. We see culture and that’s what we share. We spread it out across the community. Everyone we encounter, we respect, and we pour our love into it to show them that we are men of honor.”

“We are lowriders.”

April 17

• Douglas, Namir Javorionta, 20, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of breaking and entering auto larceny, possession of a stolen firearm. Bond was set at $70,000.

• Demetris Jones, 40, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of possessing cocaine. No bond was set.

April 18

• Stevie Ray Chavis, 27, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on a charge of possession of stolen vehicles. Bond was set at $15,000.

• Sparticus Ray Hunt, 47, has a warrant for failing to appear on a charge of injury to personal property. No bond was set.

• Justin Cole Stoudt, 24, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of second-degree sexual exploitation and two counts of third-degree sexual exploitation. Bond was set at $50,000.

April 19

• Montrez Tirell Gordon, 28, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of assault on a female and interfering with emergency communication. Bond was set at $3,200.

April 20

• Donnie Ray Smith, 41, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on a charge of assault on a female. Bond was set at $2,000.

April 21

• Christina Danielle Walder, 34, was booked into the Hoke County Jail for a probation violation. Bond was set at $5,000.

April 22

• Billy S Butler, 60, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on a charge of possession of stolen goods or property. Bond was set at $400.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Communists everyone

The most obvious example is the support of major feminist organizations for men who say they are women participating in women’s sports.

THE COMMUNIST Party of the Soviet Union — like most communist parties — came to power as the great defender of workers.

In reality, the Soviet Communist Party didn’t give a hoot about Russian workers. The party was nothing more than a totalitarian organization that used workers to gain power — and then suppressed the proletariat, just as it suppressed every other group. One of the rst things the Communist Party did after attaining power was disband independent labor unions and prohibit workers’ strikes. Yes, the “workers’ party” banned strikes.

The one major exception was the Chinese Communist Party, which came to power as the great defender of peasants. And the CCP slaughtered about 60 million of them.

This has been the modus operandi of every left-wing group everywhere: Claim concern for some group, and use that group to fool people — speci cally, naive liberals, who share few values with the Left but have frequently served as useful idiots for the Left. Liberals do so to this day.

Teachers unions are nothing more than left-wing groups that use alleged concern for students to attain and retain power. The reality, however, is while they care about teachers, they harm students far more than they help them.

One example is teachers unions’ opposition to school choice. Those who actually care about students support the right of parents to choose their children’s schools — just as many teachers do when they send their own children to schools of their choice.

A second example is teachers unions’ making it nearly impossible to re incompetent teachers.

A third example was teachers unions’ demands that schools lock down for nearly two years during the COVID-19 era. The unions did so despite there being no scienti c evidence in support of school lockdowns and despite ample warnings that many children would su er intellectually, scholastically, emotionally and psychologically.

COLUMN

O.J.’s legacy

Do blacks commit disproportionate numbers of violent crimes?

POLITICS WAS TO BLAME , in the form of racism and sexism. His lawyers put the LAPD on trial for racism, even though Simpson himself was not a victim of the police department’s racism. That was Rodney King, who was brutally beaten by LAPD o cers who were acquitted by a white jury in Simi Valley. Simpson was a member of the special class of celebrities that in Los Angeles transcended race, and it was ironic that he of all people exploited the injuries of real racism. And of the sexism that applied a double standard when it came to domestic violence, still treating it as if it is not real violence, as if it were something that beloved celebrities were not capable of.

What was perhaps most stunning about the Simpson trial was the depth of the racial divide in the reaction to it. There were two di erent realities. Pictures captured the reactions of whites and blacks, and they could not have been more di erent. How could what was so obviously wrong to whites be a cause for

The last point brings us to a fourth example: Teachers rob young students of their sexual innocence with premature talk of, and books that deal with, overt sexual activity, and the infamous use of drag queens to perform in front of children as young as 6 years old.

Just how left-wing teachers organizations are was made clear by the sympathetic leftwing magazine The Nation in January: “A rank-and- le campaign inside the National Education Association is demanding the president stop ‘sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel.’ ... But the rank-and- le campaign goes beyond (that). ... Members want the NEA (National Education Association) to revoke its endorsement of Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential race until the president ... stops ‘sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel.’”

That was only two months after Oct. 7.

Most civil rights organizations are also essentially left-wing groups. They use alleged concern for blacks to attain and retain power, but they harm blacks considerably more than they help them.

A glaring example is the near-universal opposition of civil rights groups to school choice despite the fact that black Americans overwhelmingly support it. According to a 2023 RealClear Opinion Research poll, 73% of blacks support school choice — two points more than whites. They do so because large majorities of black students in public schools perform far below grade-level standards.

The reason the largest civil rights organization, the NAACP, opposes school choice has nothing to do with concern for blacks. It is that the left-wing position — again, the NAACP is a left-wing organization — on school choice is dictated by teachers unions.

Feminist organizations are additional examples of essentially left-wing organizations. The group they use to attain and retain power is women. Just as other left-wing interest groups, they harm the group on whose behalf they allegedly ght — in this case, women — far more than they help them.

The most obvious example is the support of major feminist organizations for men who say they are women participating in women’s sports.

From the website of the National Women’s Law Center: “The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) unequivocally supports the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports. And if you call yourself a feminist, you should too.”

From the website of The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF):

“The Women’s Sports Foundation supports the right of all athletes, including transgender athletes, to participate in athletic competition.”

In 2022, the WSF wrote a letter to the NCAA protesting any diminution of the right of biological males who say they are females to participate in women’s athletics. The letter was cosigned, as expected, by LGBTQIA+ organizations but also by two major feminist organizations in addition to the Women’s Sports Federation: the National Organization for Women and the National Women’s Political Caucus.

Damaging women has been the primary legacy of organized feminism for the last half-century. That there are more depressed women, especially young women, today than at any other time in modern American history is directly attributable to left-wing in uence generally (no religion, no country, no future) and to feminist doctrines speci cally: Career is more important than marriage and family, and women can do just ne without a man to love and be loved by.

Perhaps the ultimate example of left-wing contempt for the groups they claim to represent is “Queers for Palestine.” Palestinian queers have no rights; they face persecution and even death if they expose themselves to their society. Israeli queers are by far the safest, happiest and freest in the Middle East. But hating Israel is the left-wing position. At any cost.

celebration for blacks? Did we see the world so di erently? We did. It would be nice to assume that everything has changed since then. Has it?

Certainly, there have been changes in our outlook on domestic violence. New laws have been passed. Police department policies have changed. Federal funding of domestic violence initiatives, now on the chopping block according to advocates, grew, the Violence Against Women Act was passed, and state and local departments trained o cers and prosecutors to deal with domestic violence. But women continue to be murdered by their intimate partners — between a third and a half of women homicide victims are killed by expartners, a percentage that has remained constant for the past three decades even as the number of homicides has dropped from 23,000 in 1994 to 18,000 in 2023.

And the progress that has been made is in jeopardy. California is facing a 43% cut in funding for domestic violence programs. “It’s about to fall apart. All that we built since O.J. can go away,” says Patti Giggans, executive director of Peace over Violence, previously the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women.

Shelters are overcrowded. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness: According to a study last summer by the Urban Institute, almost half of all unhoused women in Los Angeles have experienced domestic violence, and roughly 25% left their last residence because of it. Most domestic violence cases are still prosecuted as misdemeanors, if they are prosecuted at all.

Meanwhile, race and racism continue to infect the criminal justice system, where Black men crowd prisons and unanswered questions shape attitudes of why that is so. Do Blacks commit disproportionate numbers of violent crimes, or does the system disproportionately target them?

Or both?

We give lip service to prohibitions on racial pro ling, but it is a reality of policing, even as forces have themselves become more diverse. And when we see white o cers who have targeted Black men, we remain divided about what we see and how we react. A system that is racist, or is perceived by parts of the community to be so, is ripe for jury nulli cation — refusing to convict even when the facts establish guilt.

Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist.

COLUMN | DENNIS PRAGER

| SUSAN ESTRICH

HOKE SPORTS

Hoke spring teams close in on end of regular season

North State Journal Sta

HOKE COUNTY saw many of its spring sports teams play the penultimate week of their regular seasons. The Bucks will try to get into position for upcoming conference tournaments and, potentially, state playo s, as the regular season winds down.

Softball

Hoke County saw its losing streak extend to four games with three losses last week.

The Bucks fell to Southern Lee, 11-6, then hit the road for a 13-1 loss at Scotland and a 6-0 loss at Union Pines.

Freshman Niya Jones started all three games, recording eight strikeouts. She also helped herself at the plate, going 2-for-3 against Union Pines and driving in a run against Southern Lee.

Alyssa Cascavilla had two hits and two runs against Southern Lee, drove in the only run against Scotland and recorded Hoke’s only two hits and also turned in two innings on the mound.

Hoke is 10-9 on the season and will try to clinch a winning regular season record this week with a league game against Pinecrest. The Bucks are 3-8 in the Sandhills Conference.

Baseball

Hoke County baseball had a rough week, losing all three games. Their losing streak was extended to seven straight defeats, heading into the nal week of the regular season.

The Bucks fell to Red Springs, 11-1, then got swept

in a home-and-home against Pinecrest, losing 9-1 on the road and 15-0 at home. The baseball team got swept by Union Pines last week, extending their losing streak to four straight.

Eric (EJ) Carter got the Bucks’ only hit and drove in the team’s only run in the Red Springs game, plating Reynell Capellan Reyes. Carter also doubled and scored against Pinecrest. Capellan Reyes, Caleb Slocumb, Carson Hewitt and X’Zavier Stephens-McIntosh all added hits in the opener against Pinecrest. Connor Oldham got the Bucks’ only hit in the second Pinecrest game. Hoke is now 2-19 on the season, 0-12 in the Sandhills conference. They’ll close the regular season with a non-conference game at Purnell Swett this week.

Girls’ soccer

There are still two weeks left in the soccer season, so things

Junior Connor Oldham attempts to evade a tag during the rst of Hoke’s two games against Pinecrest this week.

Eric (EJ) Carter

aren’t winding down quite as quickly on the pitch. The Hoke girls went 0-2-1 last week. They lost, 7-2, at Union Pines, fell at Lee County, 7-0, then earned a 1-1 tie with Richmond. Sophomore Jaelyn Gimenez scored two goals on the week, including the only score of the game against Richmond. Senior Sachi Mathews had an assist against Union Pines, while Evalynn Groemm had a foursteal game in the Richmond tie.

The Bucks are packing four league games into this week, with a home-and-home against Southern Lee and home games against Union Pines and Pinecrest.

Also on the schedule

Boys’ varsity golf had a meet on Monday, at Whispering Pines Boys’ tennis hosted Lee County on Monday. Track will compete in the SAC Championships at Pinecrest over the weekend.

Hoke County, baseball

Eric (EJ) Carter is a junior on the Hoke County baseball team.

Carter saved the Bucks from getting no-hit in a loss to Red Springs last week, getting Hoke’s only hit of the game. He went 1 for 2 and also drove in Hoke’s only run. In a game against Pinecrest, Carter went 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored.

Carter is second on the Bucks in batting, slugging and doubles. He is third in hits and is tied for the team lead in RBIs.

The sons of several former NFL stars are ready to carve their path into the league through the draft

Sons of Jerry Rice, former Panther Kris Jenkins should hear their names called during NFL Draft

By Rob Maaddi

The Associated Press

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. wears his dad’s No. 54, plays the same position and celebrates sacks and big tackles with the same signature axe swing. Now, he’s ready to make a name for himself in the NFL. So are several top prospects who play the same positions their fathers played in the league. They’ll nd out where they’re going when the NFL draft kicks o this week in Detroit.

“I’ve never been the type to shy away from being the son of Jeremiah Trotter,” Trotter Jr. said. “I appreciate him. He’s always taught me a lot at the position and really helped me to get to this point today.”

Jeremiah Trotter was a fourtime Pro Bowl middle linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington and Tampa Bay during an 11-year career. His son is projected to be drafted out of Clemson as high as the second round.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Joe Alt, Frank Gore Jr., Brenden Rice, Luke McCa rey and Kris Jenkins are also turning this NFL draft into a family a air.

Harrison Jr. and Rice both are wide receivers like their Hall

of Fame dads. Harrison Jr. excelled at Ohio State and is expected to go in the top ve. Rice, who caught passes from projected No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams at USC, is viewed as a mid-rounder. His father, Jerry Rice, is known as the greatest wide receiver of all-time.

“The standard is ridiculous so you can see what you’re expecting from me,” Brenden Rice said.

Frank Gore was a ve-time Pro Bowl running back. His 16,000 rushing yards are third in NFL history. His son embraces the pressure of following his path.

“It’s a blessing and it’s an opportunity,” said Gore Jr., who played at Southern Mississippi and set an NCAA bowl re-

cord with 329 yards in 2022. “I’m not going to shy away from my name. I am who I am. It’s a blessing to have this name. He had this name, he made it what it is. Now, I have the responsibility to take it further.”

Joe Alt’s dad, John Alt, was a two-time Pro Bowl o ensive tackle during a 13-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs. The younger Alt, an All-American at Notre Dame, is considered the best left tackle in the draft. He’s projected to be a top-10 pick.

Luke McCa rey, a wideout from Rice, has strong bloodlines. His dad, Ed McCa rey, made a Pro Bowl and won three Super Bowls with San Francisco and Denver. His older brother, Christian McCaf-

frey, was the 2023 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Luke McCa rey is considered a midround pick.

Kris Jenkins was a two-time All-Pro defensive tackle during 10 seasons with Carolina and the New York Jets. His son was an All-American and team captain for national champion Michigan as a senior and is considered a Day 2 choice.

Having grown up with a dad in the league gives all these prospects di erent advantages. They’re prepared for the spotlight and they understand the sacri ces it takes to succeed.

“Being a son of an NFL player, you have to mature a lot faster than a normal kid,” Gore Jr. said.

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

SIDELINE REPORT

MLB FAA investigating cockpit visit by Rockies’ coach

Denver, Col. Federal o cials are investigating an unauthorized in ight cockpit visit by a coach for the Colorado Rockies during a United Airlines charter ight. Video surfaced that appears to show Rockies hitting coach Hensley Meulens sitting in a pilot’s seat while the April 10 ight from Denver to Toronto was at cruising altitude. The airline said Friday that the visit was “a clear violation of our safety and operational polices” and was reported to the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency has increased oversight of United amid recent mishaps that included an engine re and a tire falling o a plane.

OLYMPICS

Chinese swimmers allowed to compete despite positive drug tests

Sydney, Australia

The Daily Telegraph in Sydney and the New York Times reported that 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics despite testing positive for a banned heart medication because world governing bodies agreed with Chinese authorities and ruled that the tests had been contaminated. The swimmers tested positive for heart medication trimetazidine at a training camp months before the start of the 2020 Tokyo Games. Chinese anti-doping authorities found the results of the tests were Adverse Analytical Findings but cleared the swimmers without penalty after nding the samples were agged as positive as a result of contamination.

NCAA Lawyers reach $100M deal with Justice Department for Nassar assault survivors

The U.S. Justice Department has agreed to pay approximately $100 million to settle claims with about 100 people who say they were sexually assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar. A source with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press about the deal on Wednesday. The deal has not been nalized, and no money has been paid. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak before a formal announcement. An internal investigation found that FBI agents mishandled abuse allegations before Nassar was arrested in 2016.

COLLEGE HOCKEY Tennessee State hires coach in preparation to be rst HBCU with hockey

Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee State has taken its biggest step toward becoming the rst historically Black college and university to introduce ice hockey by hiring Duanté Abercrombie as head coach. Tennessee State o cials rst announced the university’s plans in June 2023 during the NHL draft in Nashville. The hope has been to play this year at the club level and eventually eld Division I men’s and women’s teams. Abercrombie is an inaugural member of the NHL’s Coaches’ Association’s BIPOC Coaches Program. He spent the 2022-23 season with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and their minor league a liates.

Reddick steals win at Talladega for 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan

year. But his topsy-turvy e orts to block Keselowski — another Ford driver — wound up costing them both.

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Tyler

Reddick stole a NASCAR Cup victory at Talladega Superspeedway when front-runner Michael McDowell, swerving up and down the track trying to block Brad Keselowski, wound up crashing with the nish line in sight Sunday.

It was another wild Talladega nish — and set o a raucous celebration on pit road with one of Reddick’s team owners, Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

“This is like an NBA playo game,” Jordan said in Victory Lane. “I’m so ecstatic.”

McDowell, the pole-sitter, dominated the closing laps and was in position to give Ford its much-needed rst victory of the

McDowell spun out, Keselowski had to check up and Reddick sped by to claim his sixth career Cup victory by 0.208 seconds.

A pile of cars behind them was taken out, as well. Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 machine slid across the nish line on its side, pinned against the wall in front the massive grandstands.

Reddick climbed out of his No. 45 car and scurried up the fence like Spider-Man.

“That was crazy, fans,” he screamed. “Chaos. Typical Talladega.”

Keselowski settled for the runner-up spot, failing again to pick up his rst win since 2021 at this 2.66-mile trioval in east Alabama.

“We went to make a move and Michael covered it,” Keselowski said. “We went the other way and had nowhere to go when

Michael came back down. It’s just the way this stu goes.”

Reddick’s victory redeemed a botched strategy that knocked out a bunch of Toyota contenders, including his team co-owner, Denny Hamlin.

All three Toyota teams pitted in tandem with 37 laps to go, going with a strategy that would’ve allowed them to push the pace on the rest of the fuel-saving eld — with an idea of drafting all the way to the front for the checkered ag.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep their cars straight.

Just four laps later, with the Toyota train running at a blistering, single- le pace and chasing down the lead pack, John Hunter Nemechek appeared to get into the bumper of Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 machine, which clipped Erik Jones and sent him smashing hard into the outside wall.

Nemechek then slid down the track and took out Hamlin, as well.

“We had a plan,” Wallace said. “We just didn’t execute it as well as we should have. I hate it. It doesn’t make us look good at all.”

Jones took the brunt of the blow, a crash that would’ve been much worse without the sturdy cars and foamy barriers.

“I’m a little sore, but I’m all right,” Jones said after exiting the in eld care center. “If you’re gonna be dumb, you’ve got to be tough.”

Reddick was at the front of the pack and avoided the crash.

In the end, he was able to celebrate an improbable win.

Clean racing

Unlike the wacky nish, the rst two stages were caution-free — the rst time that’s happened at Talladega since the stage system was instituted in 2017. Finally, on lap 132, with the cars three-wide and tightly bunched in the middle of a huge train, the rst occurred.

GM Mike Dunleavy, Warriors look to regroup

the summer. The 34-year-old Thompson becomes a free agent in July when his ve-year contract worth nearly $190 million expires.

By Janie McCauley The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO— General manager

Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the rest of Golden State’s front o ce sta had a feeling this season would wind up short of the ultimate goal for a franchise that has won four NBA championships over the past decade.

That’s the way the season went for Stephen Curry and Co. — losing big leads, making costly mistakes, repeatedly unable to deliver the big defensive stop when it mattered most. The 10th-seeded Warriors were eliminated in the play-in round prior to the NBA Playo s. “I think the overarching emotion right now is disappointment. We’re still sort of settling in on what happened,” Dunleavy said. “But on the whole, we knew this season no matter how long it went along, was going to end at some point probably disappointing us and so not a shocking surprise. But I think as far as what we need to do, it’s pretty straightforward. It’s to get better. I think that presents a really good challenge for everybody.”

Now, they regroup and evaluate how much of the roster to keep intact.

“Certainly we want Klay back rst and foremost. I expressed that to him yesterday,” Dunleavy said. “I think our players have expressed that, our coach, front o ce, ownership, look, everybody wants Klay back. He’s still a really good player and I think we have enough good players in our system, we have enough assets to acquire good players and we have the ability to keep getting better.”

The question for Dunleavy is whether the Warriors can make another title run while led by the core trio of Thompson, the 36-year-old Curry and Draymond Green, who is 34.

“There’s a lot of value in our three guys being Warriors for life,” Kerr said. “There’s a lot of value in ending with dignity.” Dunleavy said of Green, “fully expect him to be back.”

“We won 46 games in a loaded conference. It’s usually enough. It’s not enough,” said Kerr, who will shift gears to coaching rsttime Olympian Curry and the U.S. team at the Paris Games. “It’s way harder now than it was nine years ago to succeed in this conference. This summer will be a lot of self-re ection.”

This marked a tough nish to Dunleavy’s rst season since taking over for Bob Myers, but it was also a year that saw rookies

Golden State Warriors

Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski make sizeable contributions and Jonathan Kuminga emerge as a reliable rising star. “We know clearly what this team was. It wasn’t good enough,” Dunleavy said. “There’s no doubt about that, there’s no what-ifs.” Dunleavy expressed his disappointment that the veterans —

GODOFREDO A. VÁSQUEZ / AP PHOTO

and the young players — aren’t playing deep into the postseason.

“That’s what everybody wants to see not only here in the Bay Area but frankly around the world, to see those compete at the highest level, so for them not to be able to do that is really disappointing,” Dunleavy said. “I feel for them. But it is what it is, it’s our own undoing. We’ve got to live with it.”

Golden State missed the playo s despite having all its longtime stars

The race leader crashed with the nish line in sight

MIKE STEWART/AP PHOTO

Tyler Reddick celebrates his win after Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. It was Reddick’s sixth career Cup win and third with 23XI Racing.

European Space Agency adds 5 new astronauts

It’s just the fourth class since 1978

By David McHugh

Associated Press

The

COLOGNE,

Germany

— For the past year, ve t, academically superior men and women have been spun in centrifuges, submerged for hours, deprived temporarily of oxygen, taught to camp in the snow, and schooled in physiology, anatomy, astronomy, meteorology, robotics and Russian.

On Monday, the ve Europeans and an Australian graduated from basic training with a new title: astronaut.

At a ceremony in Cologne, Germany, ESA added the ve newcomers to its astronaut corps eligible for missions to the International Space Station, bringing the total to 11.

ESA has negotiated with NASA for three places on future Artemis moon missions, although those places will likely go to the more senior astronauts, according to ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. The agency is also supplying the service module for the Orion crew capsule. ESA relies on NASA and others to get its astronauts to space.

It is only the fourth astronaut class since 1978 for the 22-country agency, chosen from among 22,500 applicants. Another 12 were selected as reservists but were not sent to basic training. Not surprisingly, the ve have resumes studded with advanced scienti c and medical degrees, military training, experience ying planes, helicopters, gliders and balloons, and “leisure” activities like rowing, scuba div-

ing, hiking, skydiving, cycling, sailing and kayaking, The group formed “a very good team” devoid of personal rivalry, said Aschbacher. “I told them, one of you will y rst and one will y last, and they accepted that of course, but from the heart, not just lip service ... the team spirit is very pronounced.”

Sophie Adenot, a French air force helicopter test pilot, said the group was “a fantastic crew and a fantastic team.” The moment that struck her the most

was leaving the airlock for underwater spacewalk simulation when the instructor said, “Welcome to space.” “And for me it was mind-blowing, I had goosebumps. ... In a few years, it is going to be me in space, not in the water with safety divers.”

When she was a girl dreaming of space travel, “I couldn’t count the number of people who told me, this dream will never come true. You have unrealistic dreams, and it will never hap -

Iran attacks likely hit little in Israel

The ayatollah dismissed discussing the nation’s attempted strike

By Jon Gambrell The Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday dismissed any discussion of whether Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel hit anything there, a tacit acknowledgment that despite launching a major assault, few projectiles actually made it through to their targets.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments before senior military leaders didn’t touch on the apparent Israeli retaliatory strike on Friday on the central city of Isfahan, even though air defenses opened re and Iran grounded commercial ights across much of the country.

pen. ... Listen to yourself and don’t listen to people who don’t believe in you.”

In addition to Adenot, the ESA class consists of:

Pablo Alvarez Fernandez, a Spanish aeronautical engineer who has worked on the Rosalind Franklin Mars rover intended for a joint mission with Russia that was suspended after the invasion of Ukraine; Rosemary Coogan, a British astronomer who has researched radiation emissions from black

lic anger over its economy and crackdowns on dissent.

holes; Raphael Liegeois, a Belgian biomedical engineer and neuroscientist who has researched degenerative diseases of the nervous system, and also ies hot-air balloons and gliders; Marco Alain Sieber, a Swiss emergency physician who achieved sergeant rank as a paratrooper during his service with the Swiss army.

The group was joined by Katherine Bennell-Pegg from Australia, who underwent training under a cooperation agreement between Australia and ESA. She remains an employee of the Australian Space Agency. It’s up to the Australian agency to nd a way for her to travel in space.

Their yearlong basic training included preparation for the hostile environment encountered in space. They were exposed to multiple times the force of gravity in a centrifuge and spent hours underwater using scuba gear to oat around mockups of space station modules to simulate working in zero gravity.

They learned how to recognize symptoms of hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, by experiencing it themselves in a low-pressure chamber. Survival training included dealing with potential splashdown in the ocean and staying warm in winter while waiting to be recovered in case a landing goes o course. On top of that came academic work on scienti c topics and learning about the space station’s modules and equipment.

Intensive Russian language is still part of the program, even though ESA has suspended work with Russia except for the space station, where one of the working languages is Russian.

details that were not yet public.

“Debates by the other party about how many missiles were red, how many of them hit the target and how many didn’t, these are of secondary importance,” Khamenei said in remarks aired by state television.

“The main issue is the emergence of the Iranian nation and Iranian military’s will in an important international arena. This is what matters.”

Analysts believe both Iran and Israel, regional archrivals locked in a shadow war for years, are trying to dial back tensions following a series of escalatory attacks between them as the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip rages on and in ames the wider region. Khamenei, 85, made the comments in a meeting attended by the top ranks of Iran’s regular military, police and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a powerful force within its Shiite theocracy.

However, Israeli air defenses and ghter jets, backed by the U.S., the United Kingdom and neighboring Jordan, shot down the vast majority of the incoming re.

Satellite images analyzed Saturday by The Associated Press showed the Iranian attack caused only minor damage at the Nevatim air base in southern Israel, including taking a chunk out of a taxiway that Israel quickly repaired.

Iran’s attack came in response to a suspected Israeli strike on April 1 targeting a consular building next to the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, which killed two Guard generals and others.

“Today, thanks to the work done by our armed forces, the Revolutionary Guard, the army, the police, each in its own way, praise be to Allah the image of the country around the world has become commendable,” added Khamenei, despite Iran facing pub -

Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles that sought to overwhelm Israel’s air defenses in the April 13 attack — the rst on Israel by a foreign power since Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein launched Scud missiles at Israel in the 1991 Gulf War.

In other developments, Iraqi security forces in the western Nineveh province area were searching for “outlaw elements” who red missiles across the border into Syria late Sunday, targeting a base for U.S.-led coalition forces, Iraq’s Security Media Cell said.

The searchers had found and destroyed a missile launcher, the statement added. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the reported attack.

Maj. Gen. Tahseen al-Khafaji, head of the Security Media Cell, said about ve missiles were launched across the border but it was unclear if they had hit or caused any damage at the targeted base.

U.S. o cials did not comment on whether any U.S. facility had been speci cally targeted. One o cial said a coalition ghter destroyed a launcher in self-defense after reports of a failed rocket attack near a coalition base at Rumalyn, Syria. No U.S. personnel were injured, according to the o cial, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide

Two nights earlier, an explosion struck a base in Iraq belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.

Militia o cials initially described the explosion at the Kalsu military base north of Babylon as an airstrike that they blamed on U.S. forces. The U.S. Central Command denied it had carried out any airstrikes in Iraq, and Iraq’s Security Media Cell said the country’s air defense command had not detected any drones or warplanes near Babylon before or during the explosion.

The PMF is designated as an “independent military formation” within the Iraqi armed forces.

In recent months, some of the coalition’s member groups have staged attacks on U.S. forces based in the region, which they said was in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza. Those attacks halted after three U.S. soldiers were killed in a strike on a base in Jordan, near the Syrian border in late January, prompting U.S. retaliatory strikes in Iraq.

MARTIN MEISSNER / AP PHOTO

Marco Sieber of Switzerland speaks in a Columbus training module after the candidates of Monday’s Class of 2022 graduation ceremony at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany.

obituaries

Owen Finkley

June 7, 1973 – April 12, 2024

Mr. Owen Finkley age, 50 departed this earthly life on April 12, 2024. He leaves to cherish his loving memories his children: Katrella Johnson, Alexia Black, Malik Black, Braylon Finkley; parents: William McBryde and Pastor Flora Esther Flora Finkley Johnson; sisters: Linette Lathen, Suzette McBryde, Mary McBryde, Tasha McBryde, Ruby Pegues, Renee Woodberry; brothers: William McBryde Jr., Floyd Wall, Claude Jr. Wall; six gradchildren along with a host of other family and friends. Owen will be greatly missed.

Belinda (Baldwin) Evans

August 8, 1960 – April 16, 2024

Mrs. Belinda Evans age, 63 transitioned from Earth to Glory on April 16, 2024. She leaves to cherish her loving memories her husband, Arthur Curtis Evans; children: Keonda Arne' Evans, Kendrick Derell Baldwin; father, Mr Hosea Baldwin; sisters: Shirley A. McLaughlin, Alice Faye Baldwin two grandchildren along with a host of other family and friends. Belinda will be greatly missed.

Betty Jean (Stephens) Sechrist

July 20, 1944 – April 17, 2024

Ms. Betty Jean Stephens Sechrist, of Raeford, NC passed away on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at the age of 79. She was born on July 20, 1944, to the late Younger and Minnie Stephens. Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Charles Faircloth, Jr.; and her 13 siblings. She was a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church. Betty was a homemaker and mother to three children. She is survived by her children, Kathy McCraney (John) and Herbert Wayne Faircloth; grandchildren, Kevin McCraney (Erin) and Ashley Stewart (Billy), Joshua Faircloth and Justin Faircloth; great grandchildren, John R. McCraney and Anna McCraney.

William Keith Gardner, Sr.

January 25, 1951 –April 17, 2024

Mr. William Keith Gardner, Sr., of Red Springs, NC passed away on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in his home, surrounded by his family. William was born in Cumberland County on January 25, 1951, to the late Augusta Wayne Gardner, Jr. and Geraldine Burns Gardner. He was preceded in death by his brother, Wayne Gardner. He was a member of the Raeford Masonic Lodge #306, where he received his 50 year pin. William is survived by his wife, Retha P. Gardner, of Red Springs; daughter, Janet G. Thrower and her husband Hal, of Raeford, NC; son, Keith Gardner and his wife Kimberly, of Fayetteville, NC; granddaughter, Abigail Gardner, of Fayetteville, NC; brother, Bruce Gardner and his wife Wanda, of Goldsboro, NC; sister, Peggy Balance and her husband Jerry, of Goldsboro, NC; and multiple nieces and nephews.

Joseph Lee Flowers

July 19, 1936 – April 18, 2024

Mr. Joseph Flowers age, 87 went home to rest with his Heavenly Father on April 18, 2024. He leaves to cherish his loving memories his wife, Barbara Flowers; children: Jerry L. Jackson, Joann McLean, Marchelle McLeod, Keith Shaw, Larry D. Miller; sister, Rosetta Thompson, sixteen grandchildren, eleven Great grandchildren along with a host of other family and friends. Joe will be greatly missed.

Javares McLaughlin

January 27, 2004 –April 13, 2024

Mr. Javares McLaughlin age, 20 departed this earthly life on April 13, 2024. He leaves to cherish his loving memories his parents: Eugenia Miller and Whynell Rodriguez; siblings: Janiyah McLaughlin, Brittney Brown, Wizdom Rodriguez, Bryan Brown along with a host of other family and friends. Javares will be greatly missed.

Joyce Patrick Faircloth

October 1, 1942 – April 16, 2024

Joyce Patrick Faircloth was born on October 1, 1942, and departed this earthly world on April 16, 2024. She was the daughter of Sarah Catherine Atkinson Lee and Charlie Lee. Joyce was proceeded in death by her parents, her husband Howard Faircloth, and her siblings Priscilla Lee, Carl Lee, Carol Beasley and Tracy Beasley. She is survived by her only daughter Dana Haglund, and two grandchildren Ava and Tucker Haglund along with her brother Buddy Lee (wife Rosie) and many nieces and nephews. By nature, Joyce was a caregiver, and loved people of all ages. She truly wore her heart on her sleeve and would do anything for anyone. She loved to spend time with family and friends, enjoy a milkshake on hot summer days, and do crossword puzzles while looking out at the scenery and foliage around her. Joyce would always tell her loved ones “see you later, I love you” because she didn’t like the word “goodbye”.

STATE & NATION

No charges after investigation into harassment of bear cubs in Asheville

The North Carolina Wildlife Commission said people pulled the animals from a tree

The Associated Press

ASHEVILLE — A video of people pulling two bear cubs from a tree in North Carolina as one person posed for a photo with one of the wild animals prompted an investigation, but a state wildlife o cial said Friday that no charges will be led.

When North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission sta responded to a report of people harassing bear cubs at an Asheville apartment complex Tuesday, they were told the two cubs escaped after one bit a person, according to a commission news release. One cub was found later in a retention pond, o cials said.

In the video posted online by the commission, people are not only seen pulling cubs from a tree, but one person poses for a photo. Then, after a loud screech, they drop the cub, who runs for a nearby fence.

It is illegal to capture and keep black bears in North Carolina, but these cubs were immediately released and commission o cers determined no charges should be led, commission spokesperson

Columbia cancels in-person classes amid Israeli War protests

Demonstrations have been sprouting up at college campuses across the U.S.

By Nick Perry and Dave Collins

The Associated Press

Columbia University canceled in-person classes Monday and new demonstrations broke out on other U.S. college campuses as tensions continue to grow over Israel’s war in Gaza.

Protesters rallied throughout the weekend at the Ivy League school’s New York City campus, where police last week arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had set up an encampment.

Since those arrests, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have set up encampments on other campuses around the country, including at the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University, where several dozen protesters were arrested Monday morning after o cials said they de ed warnings to leave.

The developments came hours before the Monday evening start of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Columbia President Minouche

Sha k said in a message to the school community Monday that she was “deeply saddened” by what was happening on campus. “To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,” Sha k wrote. She said faculty and sta should work remotely, when possible, and that students who don’t live on campus should stay away.

Protests have roiled many college campuses since Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. In response, Israel has targeted Hamas during the sixmonth war, with Israel claiming more than 10,000 Hamas militants have been killed while the local health ministry claims more than 34,000 have died, not

Anna Gurney said in an email on Friday.

“O cers with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission have investigated this incident, and, while dangerous and unfortunate, it appears to be an isolated event,” Gurney said. O cers and biologists spoke with the people involved about the importance of leaving bear cubs alone, she said.

Ashley Hobbs, the commission’s coordinator for BearWise, a program aimed at helping people “live responsibly with black bears,” captured the cub, who was in poor condition. The cub was taken to a rehabilitation facility with the goal of releasing it back into the wild later this year, the commission said.

“The cub appeared to be lethargic and frightened. It looked to be favoring one of its front paws and was wet and shivering,” Hobbs said in a news release.

Sta searched unsuccessfully for the second cub.

“Our hope is it was able to reunite with the mother because it would not survive on its own at this young age,” Mountain Operations Supervisor James Tomberlin said.

At this time of year, mother bears are emerging from dens with cubs, who are dependent on their mother to feed and protect

distinguishing between combatants and noncombatants.

The demonstrations on U.S. campuses have tested the line between free speech and inclusivity. They’ve also stoked friction, with some Muslim students and their allies calling for schools to condemn the Israeli assault on Gaza and some Jewish students saying they no longer feel supported or safe on campus, with antisemitic sentiment running high.

Prahlad Iyengar, an MIT graduate student studying electrical engineering, was among about two dozen students who set up an encampment of more than a dozen tents on campus Sunday evening to call for a cease re and to protest what they describe as MIT’s “complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

“MIT has not even called for a cease re, and that’s a demand we have for sure,” he said.

Iyengar also said the Cambridge, Massachusetts, school has been sending out confusing rules about protests. “We’re out here to demonstrate that we reserve the right to protest. It’s an essential part of living on a college campus,” he said, adding that they have received support from both graduate and undergraduate students.

On Sunday, Elie Buechler, a rabbi for the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative at Columbia, sent a WhatsApp message to nearly 300 Jewish students recommending they go home until it’s safer for them on campus.

them, Game Mammals and Surveys Supervisor Colleen Olfenbuttel said in the release. By the time they are ready to emerge into spring, cubs, under 1 year old, typically weigh around 5 pounds, according to the National Park Service.

“People who try to capture or handle a cub are not only risking the cub’s safety but their own if the mother bear is nearby, as she may try to defend her cubs,” Olfenbuttel said.

One resident told The Asheville Citizen-Times that she was walking around her apartment complex Tuesday afternoon when she saw what was happening, recorded it and alerted maintenance for the complex. Rachel Staudt said she has seen bears near the complex before but that people usually leave them alone.

“I tried telling them to stop, but they wouldn’t listen so I thought recording it might help get justice for the sweet bear cub,” Staudt said. “I’m not sure how long it went on for, but far too long.”

Hobbs told WLOS-TV that she felt frustrated after watching the video because she often preaches about the need to coexist with animals and to give them the space they need.

“We did follow up with the people who pulled the bear out of the tree,” Hobbs said. “We did confront them on site that day and let them know how irresponsible and potentially deadly it could be for that cub to be separated from its mom, especially ripped out of a tree like that.”

Nicholas Baum, a 19-year-old Jewish freshman who lives in a Jewish theological seminary building two blocks from Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus, said protesters over the weekend were “calling for Hamas to blow away Tel Aviv and Israel.” He said some of the protesters shouting antisemitic slurs were not students.

“Jews are scared at Columbia. It’s as simple as that. There’s been so much vili cation of Zionism, and it has spilled over into the vili cation of Judaism,” he said.

The protest encampment sprung up at Columbia last Wednesday, the same day that Sha k faced bruising criticism at a congressional hearing from Republicans who said she hadn’t done enough to ght antisemitism. Two other Ivy League presidents resigned months ago following widely criticized testimony they gave to the same committee.

In her statement Monday, Sha k said the Middle East conict is terrible and that she understands that many are experiencing deep moral distress.

“But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view,” Sha k wrote.

Over the coming days, a working group of deans, school administrators and faculty will try to nd a resolution to the university crisis, noted Sha k, who didn’t say when in-person classes would resume.

NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION VIA AP

A bear cub was captured after people pulled two cubs from a tree in Asheville and one person posed for a photo with one of the wild animals, prompting an investigation. No charges will be led.

STEFAN JEREMIAH / AP PHOTO

Pro-Israel demonstrators chant “Shame” in support of Columbia University assistant professor Shai Davidai.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Love, Lowriders, Latinos

VinFast signs 12 new dealers

Vietnamese EV startup VinFast, which is building a large facility in Chatham County, has signed up 12 new dealers to sell its vehicles. This brings the company’s total US dealer network up to 18 outlets across seven states.

In addition to Leith VinFast in Raleigh, previously announced, Greensboro gains its own dealership in Triad VinFast. The company’s other new dealers are scattered across Florida, Texas, New York, Connecticut, Kentucky and Kansas.

NCDOT distributing free bicycle helmets for kids

This spring, NCDOT is set to distribute approximately 12,500 bicycle helmets to organizations across the state, bolstering safety for young cyclists. Launched in 2007, the Bicycle Helmet Initiative focuses on educating children about the importance of helmet usage to prevent severe brain injuries.

“Wearing a helmet signi cantly reduces the risk of head injuries,” said Brennon Fuqua, interim director of NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division.

Funded by federal grants and “Share the Road” specialty license plates, the helmets are provided during public safety events by participating community groups and schools.

Applications will open next year in January.

For Moore County, the Cumberland County Department of Public Health and Spring Lake

PD are the nearest agencies awarded helmets, in youth sizes small, medium and large, to distribute.

Car show brings crowds to celebrate lowrider culture

By Ena Sellers North State Journal

PITTSBORO — Crowds dropped in on Saturday for the Lowrider Show at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center. The event, now in its fourth year, is the brainchild of Manuel Araiza, who along with his brothers Francisco, and Jose, and their dad, also Francisco, bring it to life to highlight the Latino culture. The event attracts lowriders — a moniker that applies to both the cars and their owners — from Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and all parts of North Carolina to share the love for these meticulously customized vehicles.

City Knights Lowriders Car

Club in Fayetteville was one of the clubs that came to support the event. Daniel Castañeda, president of the club, is a Special Forces veteran and says the club was started to help unite Latinos in the military serving in and around Fort Bragg. Through that, he met Manuel

and comes to Chatham County to support him every year. “The common denominator for us was the love for the lowrider car, which is embedded in our culture, for the Latinos, the Chicanos,” said Castañeda in an interview. “You know, we started building low riders

as a resemblance of our culture here in North Carolina. … Regardless of background, race or creed, this event unites us by the love for the lowrider car.”

Castañeda’s pride and joy is a true classic: the ‘67 Impala. “When you look at this car, you see a 1967 Chevy Impala Super Sport, but it is much more than that, you see La Raza in this car. You see my Mexican culture in this car,” he said. Lowriders come in many varieties, from iconic 1960s Impalas with hydraulics, to older classics from the 40s and 50s called Bombitas. Newer rides are welcomed too, of course.

“It doesn’t really depend so much on the type, but the style and how you present the vehicle that matters the most,” Castañeda told North State Journal. “That you pour your love, and you can represent yourself, represent your family, represent your club, represent your background through your vehicle.”

He emphasized the impor -

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No charges after investigation into harassment of bear cubs in Asheville

The

The Associated Press ASHEVILLE — A video of people pulling two bear cubs from a tree in North Carolina as one person posed for a photo with one of the wild animals prompted an investigation, but a state wildlife o cial said Friday that no charges will be led.

When North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission sta responded to a report of people harassing bear cubs at an Asheville apartment complex Tuesday, they were told the two cubs escaped after one bit a person, according to a commis-

sion news release. One cub was found later in a retention pond, o cials said.

In the video posted online by the commission, people are not only seen pulling cubs from a tree, but one person poses for a photo. Then, after a loud screech, they drop the cub, who runs for a nearby fence.

It is illegal to capture and keep black bears in North Carolina, but these cubs were immediately released and commission o cers determined no charges should be led, commission spokesperson Anna Gurney said in an email on Friday. “O cers with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission have investigated this incident, and, while dangerous and unfortunate, it appears to be an

isolated event,” Gurney said. O cers and biologists spoke with the people involved about the importance of leaving bear cubs alone, she said.

Ashley Hobbs, the commission’s coordinator for BearWise, a program aimed at helping people “live responsibly with black bears,” captured the cub, who was in poor condition. The cub was taken to a rehabilitation facility with the goal of releasing it back into the wild later this year, the commission said.

“The cub appeared to be lethargic and frightened. It looked to be favoring one of its front paws and was wet and shivering,” Hobbs said in a news release.

Sta searched unsuccessfully for the second cub.

“Our hope is it was able to reunite with the mother because it would not survive on its own at this young age,” Mountain Operations Supervisor James Tomberlin said.

At this time of year, mother bears are emerging from dens with cubs, who are dependent on their mother to feed and protect them, Game Mammals and Surveys Supervisor Colleen

BEAR , page 2

Daniel Castañeda, president of the City Knights Lowriders Car Club in Fayetteville, and his son Daniel stand in front of their 1967 Chevy Impala at the Lowrider Show, Saturday in Pittsboro..

WEDNESDAY

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

O.J.’s legacy

Do Blacks commit disproportionate numbers of violent crimes?

POLITICS WAS TO BLAME , in the form of racism and sexism. His lawyers put the LAPD on trial for racism, even though Simpson himself was not a victim of the police department’s racism. That was Rodney King, who was brutally beaten by LAPD o cers who were acquitted by a white jury in Simi Valley. Simpson was a member of the special class of celebrities that in Los Angeles transcended race, and it was ironic that he of all people exploited the injuries of real racism. And of the sexism that applied a double standard when it came to domestic violence, still treating it as if it is not real violence, as if it were something that beloved celebrities were not capable of.

What was perhaps most stunning about the Simpson trial was the depth of the racial divide in the reaction to it. There were two di erent realities. Pictures captured the reactions of whites and Blacks, and they could not have been more di erent. How could what was so obviously wrong to whites be a cause for celebration for Blacks? Did we see the world so di erently? We did.

It would be nice to assume that everything has changed since then. Has it?

Certainly, there have been changes in our outlook on domestic violence. New laws have been passed. Police department policies have changed. Federal funding of domestic violence initiatives, now on the chopping block according to advocates, grew, the Violence Against Women Act was passed, and state and local departments trained o cers and prosecutors to deal with domestic violence. But women continue to be murdered by their intimate partners — between a third and a half of women homicide victims are killed by ex-partners,

a percentage that has remained constant for the past three decades even as the number of homicides has dropped from 23,000 in 1994 to 18,000 in 2023.

And the progress that has been made is in jeopardy. California is facing a 43% cut in funding for domestic violence programs. “It’s about to fall apart. All that we built since O.J. can go away,” says Patti Giggans, executive director of Peace over Violence, previously the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women.

Shelters are overcrowded. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness: According to a study last summer by the Urban Institute, almost half of all unhoused women in Los Angeles have experienced domestic violence, and roughly 25% left their last residence because of it. Most domestic violence cases are still prosecuted as misdemeanors, if they are prosecuted at all.

Meanwhile, race and racism continue to infect the criminal justice system, where Black men crowd prisons and unanswered questions shape attitudes of why that is so. Do Blacks commit disproportionate numbers of violent crimes, or does the system disproportionately target them? Or both?

We give lip service to prohibitions on racial pro ling, but it is a reality of policing, even as forces have themselves become more diverse. And when we see white o cers who have targeted Black men, we remain divided about what we see and how we react. A system that is racist, or is perceived by parts of the community to be so, is ripe for jury nulli cation — refusing to convict even when the facts establish guilt.

tance of shedding old stereotypes and focusing on building a larger community. “This culture is about re -

Olfenbuttel said in the release.

By the time they are ready to emerge into spring, cubs, under 1 year old, typically weigh around 5 pounds, according to the National Park Service.

“People who try to capture or handle a cub are not only risking the cub’s safety but their own if the mother bear is near-

spect. It’s about love for the community. We’ve had such a bad stigma or reputation for the lowrider being associated with gangbangers and thugs, and at some point, that might

have been the truth,” he admitted. “But today, when we look at cars like this, we see pride. We see love. We see culture and that’s what we share. We spread it out across the

community. Everyone we encounter, we respect, and we pour our love into it to show them that we are men of honor.” “We are lowriders.”

by, as she may try to defend her cubs,” Olfenbuttel said.

One resident told The Asheville Citizen-Times that she was walking around her apartment complex Tuesday afternoon when she saw what was happening, recorded it and alerted maintenance for the complex. Rachel Staudt said she has seen bears near the complex before but that people usually leave them alone. “I tried telling them to stop, but they wouldn’t listen so I thought recording it might help get justice for the sweet bear cub,” Staudt said. “I’m not sure how long it went on for, but far too long.”

Hobbs told WLOS-TV that she felt frustrated after watching the video because she often preaches about the need to coexist with animals and to give them the space they need.

“We did follow up with the people who pulled the bear out of the tree,” Hobbs said. “We did confront them on site that day and let them know how irresponsible and potentially deadly it could be for that cub to be separated from its mom, especially ripped out of a tree like that.”

ENA SELLERS / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Forsyth SPORTS

SIDELINE REPORT

MLB

FAA investigating cockpit visit by Rockies’ coach Denver, Colo.

Federal o cials are investigating an unauthorized in ight cockpit visit by a coach for the Colorado Rockies during a United Airlines charter ight. Video surfaced that appears to show Rockies hitting coach Hensley Meulens sitting in a pilot’s seat while the April 10 ight from Denver to Toronto was at cruising altitude. The airline said Friday that the visit was “a clear violation of our safety and operational polices” and was reported to the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency has increased oversight of United amid recent mishaps that included an engine re and a tire falling o a plane.

OLYMPICS

Chinese swimmers allowed to compete despite positive drug tests

Sydney, Australia

The Daily Telegraph in Sydney and the New York Times reported that 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics despite testing positive for a banned heart medication because world governing bodies agreed with Chinese authorities and ruled that the tests had been contaminated. The swimmers tested positive for heart medication trimetazidine at a training camp months before the start of the 2020 Tokyo Games. Chinese antidoping authorities found the results of the tests were Adverse Analytical Findings but cleared the swimmers without penalty after nding the samples were agged as positive as a result of contamination.

NCAA Lawyers reach $100M deal with Justice Dept. for Nassar assault survivors

The U.S. Justice Department has agreed to pay approximately $100 million to settle claims with about 100 people who say they were sexually assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar. A source with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press about the deal on Wednesday. The deal has not been nalized, and no money has been paid. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak before a formal announcement. An internal investigation found that FBI agents mishandled abuse allegations before Nassar was arrested in 2016.

Reddick steals victory at Talladega for 23XI co-owner Jordan

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Tyler Reddick stole a NASCAR Cup victory at Talladega Superspeedway when front-runner Michael McDowell, swerving up and down the track trying to block Brad Keselowski, wound up crashing with the nish line in sight Sunday.

It was another wild Talladega nish — and set o a raucous celebration on pit road with one of Reddick’s team owners, Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

“This is like an NBA playo game,” Jordan said in Victory Lane. “I’m so ecstatic.”

McDowell, the pole-sitter, dominated the closing laps and was in position to give Ford its much-needed rst victory of the year. But his topsy-turvy e orts to block Keselowski — another Ford driver — wound up costing them both.

McDowell spun out, Keselowski had to check up and Reddick sped by to claim his sixth career Cup victory by 0.208 seconds.

A pile of cars behind them was taken out, as well. Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 machine slid across the nish line on its side, pinned against the wall in front the massive grandstands. Reddick climbed out of his No. 45 car and scurried up the fence like Spider-Man.

“That was crazy, fans,” he screamed. “Chaos. Typical Talladega.”

Keselowski settled for the runner-up spot, failing again to pick up his rst win since 2021 at this 2.66-mile trioval in east Alabama.

“We went to make a move and Michael covered it,” Keselowski said. “We went the other way and had nowhere to go when Michael came back down. It’s just the way this stu goes.”

Reddick’s victory redeemed a botched strategy that knocked out a bunch of Toyota contenders, including his team co-owner, Denny Hamlin. All three Toyota teams pitted in tandem with 37 laps to go, going with a strategy that would’ve allowed them to push the pace on the rest of the fu-

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jack Vest

el-saving eld — with an idea of drafting all the way to the front for the checkered ag.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep their cars straight.

Just four laps later, with the Toyota train running at a blistering, single- le pace and chasing down the lead pack, John Hunter Nemechek appeared to get into the bumper of Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 machine, which clipped Erik Jones and sent him smashing hard into the outside wall.

Nemechek then slid down the track and took out Hamlin, as well.

“We had a plan,” Wallace said. “We just didn’t execute it as well as we should have. I hate it. It doesn’t make us look good at all.”

Jones took the brunt of the blow, a crash that would’ve been much worse without the sturdy cars and foamy barriers.

“I’m a little sore, but I’m all right,” Jones said after exiting the in eld care center. “If you’re gonna be dumb, you’ve got to be tough.”

Reddick was at the front of the pack and avoided the crash.

In the end, he was able to celebrate an improbable win.

CLEAN RACING

Unlike the wacky nish, the rst two stages were caution-free — the rst time that’s happened at Talladega since the stage system was instituted in 2017. Finally, on lap 132, with the cars threewide and tightly bunched in the middle of a huge train, the rst occurred.

West Forsyth, baseball

Jack Vest is a senior on the West Forsyth baseball team. The 6-foot-1 righthander is committed to East Tennessee State.

Vest plays out eld in the games he doesn’t pitch, and he is as skilled at the plate as on the mound. For the second time this season, he didn’t need any help in pitching and hitting the Titans to a win.

In a win over Mount Tabor last week, he threw a one-hit shutout. He also went deep at the plate, providing enough o ense for West Forsyth to win (although he did have help from teammates, as the Titans put up 21 runs.)

In the season opener, he also went the distance, throwing a shutout and homering in a 1-0 victory.

Dunleavy, Warriors look to regroup after lost season

By Janie McCauley The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO— General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the rest of Golden State’s front ofce sta had a feeling this season would wind up short of the ultimate goal for a franchise that has won four NBA championships over the past decade.

That’s the way the season went for Stephen Curry and Co. — losing big leads, making costly mistakes, repeatedly unable to deliver the big defensive stop when it mattered most. The 10th-seeded Warriors were eliminated in the play-in round prior to the NBA Playo s.

“I think the overarching emotion right now is disappointment. We’re still sort of settling in on what happened,” Dunleavy said. “But on the whole, we knew this season no matter how long it went along, was going to end at some point probably disappointing us and so not a shocking surprise. But I think as far as what we need to do, it’s pretty straightforward. It’s to get better. I think that presents a really good challenge for everybody.”

Now, they regroup and evaluate how much of the roster to keep intact. Working to bring back Klay Thompson — at the right price —

will be a priority going into the summer.

The 34-year-old Thompson becomes a free agent in July when his ve-year contract worth nearly $190 million expires.

“Certainly we want Klay back rst and foremost. I expressed that to him yesterday,” Dunleavy said. “I think our players have expressed that, our coach, front o ce, ownership, look, everybody wants Klay back. He’s still a really good player and I think we have enough good players in our system, we have enough assets to acquire good players and we have the ability to keep getting better.”

The question for Dunleavy is whether the Warriors can make another title run while led by the core trio of Thompson, the

36-year-old Curry and Draymond Green, who is 34. “There’s a lot of value in our three guys being Warriors for life,” Kerr said. “There’s a lot of value in ending with dignity.” Dunleavy said of Green, “fully expect him to be back.” “We won 46 games in a loaded conference. It’s usually enough. It’s not enough,” said Kerr, who will shift gears to coaching rsttime Olympian Curry and the U.S. team at the Paris Games. “It’s way harder now than it was nine years ago to succeed in this conference. This summer will be a lot of self-re ection.”

This marked a tough nish to Dunleavy’s rst season since taking over for Bob Myers, but it was also a year that saw rookies Trayce

Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski make sizeable contributions and Jonathan Kuminga emerge as a reliable rising star.

“We know clearly what this team was. It wasn’t good enough,” Dunleavy said. “There’s no doubt about that, there’s no what-ifs.”

Dunleavy expressed his disappointment that the veterans — and the young players — aren’t playing deep into the postseason.

“That’s what everybody wants to see not only here in the Bay Area but frankly around the world, to see those compete at the highest level, so for them not to be able to do that is really disappointing,” Dunleavy said. “I feel for them. But it is what it is, it’s our own undoing. We’ve got to live with it.”

The race leader crashed with the nish line in sight

MIKE STEWART / AP PHOTO

Tyler Reddick celebrates his win in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway for his sixth career victory and third with 23XI Racing.

Golden State missed the playo s despite having all its stars available

GODOFREDO A. VÁSQUEZ / AP PHOTO

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry sits on the court during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball play-in tournament loss to the Sacramento Kings.

STATE & NATION

Columbia cancels in-person classes amid Israeli War protests

Demonstrations have been sprouting up at college campuses across the U.S.

By Nick Perry and Dave Collins

Associated Press

The

Columbia University canceled in-person classes Monday and new demonstrations broke out on other U.S. college campuses as tensions continue to grow over Israel’s war in Gaza.

Protesters rallied throughout the weekend at the Ivy League school’s New York City campus, where police last week arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had set up an encampment.

Since those arrests, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have set up encampments on other campuses around the country, including at the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University, where several dozen protesters were arrested Monday morning after o cials said they de ed warnings to leave.

The developments came hours before the Monday evening start of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Columbia President Minouche

Sha k said in a message to the school community Monday that she was “deeply saddened” by what was happening on campus.

“To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,” Sha k wrote. She said faculty and sta should work remotely, when possible, and that students who don’t live on campus should stay away.

Protests have roiled many college campuses since Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. In response, Israel has targeted Hamas during the sixmonth war, with Israel claiming more than 10,000 Hamas militants have been killed while the local health ministry claims more than 34,000 have died, not

Iran attacks likely hit little in Israel

The ayatollah dismissed discussing the nation’s attempted strike

By Jon Gambrell The Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday dismissed any discussion of whether Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel hit anything there, a tacit acknowledgment that despite launching a major assault, few projectiles actually made it through to their targets.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments before senior military leaders didn’t touch on the apparent Israeli retaliatory strike on Friday on the central city of Isfahan, even though air defenses opened re and Iran grounded commercial ights across much of the country.

Analysts believe both Iran and Israel, regional archrivals locked in a shadow war for years, are trying to dial back tensions following a series of escalatory attacks between them as the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip rages on and inames the wider region.

Khamenei, 85, made the comments in a meeting attended by the top ranks of Iran’s regular military, police and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a powerful force within its Shi-

ite theocracy. “Debates by the other party about how many missiles were red, how many of them hit the target and how many didn’t, these are of secondary importance,” Khamenei said in remarks aired by state television.

“The main issue is the emergence of the Iranian nation and Iranian military’s will in an important international arena. This is what matters.”

Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles that sought to

overwhelm Israel’s air defenses in the April 13 attack — the rst on Israel by a foreign power since Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein launched Scud missiles at Israel in the 1991 Gulf War.

However, Israeli air defenses and ghter jets, backed by the U.S., the United Kingdom and neighboring Jordan, shot down the vast majority of the incoming re.

Satellite images analyzed Saturday by The Associated Press showed the Iranian at-

distinguishing between combatants and noncombatants.

The demonstrations on U.S. campuses have tested the line between free speech and inclusivity. They’ve also stoked friction, with some Muslim students and their allies calling for schools to condemn the Israeli assault on Gaza and some Jewish students saying they no longer feel supported or safe on campus, with antisemitic sentiment running high.

Prahlad Iyengar, an MIT graduate student studying electrical engineering, was among about two dozen students who set up an encampment of more than a dozen tents on campus Sunday evening to call for a cease re and to protest what they describe as MIT’s “complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

“MIT has not even called for a cease re, and that’s a demand we have for sure,” he said.

Iyengar also said the Cambridge, Massachusetts, school has been sending out confusing rules about protests.

“We’re out here to demonstrate that we reserve the right to protest. It’s an essential part of living on a college campus,” he said, adding that they have received support from both graduate and undergraduate students.

On Sunday, Elie Buechler, a rabbi for the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative at Columbia, sent a WhatsApp message to nearly 300 Jewish students recommending they go home until it’s safer for them on campus.

tack caused only minor damage at the Nevatim air base in southern Israel, including taking a chunk out of a taxiway that Israel quickly repaired.

Iran’s attack came in response to a suspected Israeli strike on April 1 targeting a consular building next to the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, which killed two Guard generals and others.

“Today, thanks to the work done by our armed forces, the Revolutionary Guard, the army, the police, each in its own way, praise be to Allah the image of the country around the world has become commendable,” added Khamenei, despite Iran facing public anger over its economy and crackdowns on dissent.

In other developments, Iraqi security forces in the western Nineveh province area were searching for “outlaw elements” who red missiles across the border into Syria late Sunday, targeting a base for U.S.-led coalition forces, Iraq’s Security Media Cell said.

The searchers had found and destroyed a missile launcher, the statement added.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the reported attack.

Maj. Gen. Tahseen al-Khafaji, head of the Security Media Cell, said about ve missiles were launched across the border but it was unclear if they had hit or caused any damage at the targeted base.

U.S. o cials did not comment on whether any U.S. facil-

Nicholas Baum, a 19-year-old Jewish freshman who lives in a Jewish theological seminary building two blocks from Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus, said protesters over the weekend were “calling for Hamas to blow away Tel Aviv and Israel.” He said some of the protesters shouting antisemitic slurs were not students.

“Jews are scared at Columbia. It’s as simple as that. There’s been so much vili cation of Zionism, and it has spilled over into the vili cation of Judaism,” he said.

The protest encampment sprung up at Columbia last Wednesday, the same day that Sha k faced bruising criticism at a congressional hearing from Republicans who said she hadn’t done enough to ght antisemitism. Two other Ivy League presidents resigned months ago following widely criticized testimony they gave to the same committee.

In her statement Monday, Sha k said the Middle East con-

ict is terrible and that she understands that many are experiencing deep moral distress.

“But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view,” Sha k wrote.

Over the coming days, a working group of deans, school administrators and faculty will try to nd a resolution to the university crisis, noted Sha k, who didn’t say when in-person classes would resume.

ity had been speci cally targeted. One o cial said a coalition ghter destroyed a launcher in self-defense after reports of a failed rocket attack near a coalition base at Rumalyn, Syria. No U.S. personnel were injured, according to the o cial, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that were not yet public.

Two nights earlier, an explosion struck a base in Iraq belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight. Militia o cials initially described the explosion at the Kalsu military base north of Babylon as an airstrike that they blamed on U.S. forces. The U.S. Central Command denied it had carried out any airstrikes in Iraq, and Iraq’s Security Media Cell said the country’s air defense command had not detected any drones or warplanes near Babylon before or during the explosion.

The PMF is designated as an “independent military formation” within the Iraqi armed forces.

In recent months, some of the coalition’s member groups have staged attacks on U.S. forces based in the region, which they said was in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza. Those attacks halted after three U.S. soldiers were killed in a strike on a base in Jordan, near the Syrian border in late January, prompting U.S. retaliatory strikes in Iraq.

STEFAN JEREMIAH / AP PHOTO

Pro-Israel demonstrators chant “Shame” in support of Columbia University assistant professor Shai Davidai.

OFFICE OF THE IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER VIA AP

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, speaks during a Sunday meeting with a group of senior military leaders, in Tehran, Iran.

Curving it in

North Moore sophomore Isaac Parsons pitches at Seaforth High School in Pittsboro on Saturday.

The Mustangs fell 5-1 to the Hawks, who remain on top of the Mid-Carolina standings.

WHAT’S HAPPENING CCCC car show supports automotive programs

VinFast signs

12 new dealers

Vietnamese EV startup

VinFast, which is building a large facility in Chatham County, has signed up 12 new dealers to sell its vehicles.

This brings the company’s total US dealer network up to 18 outlets across seven states

In addition to Leith VinFast in Raleigh, previously announced, Greensboro gains its own dealership in Triad VinFast.

The company’s other new dealers are scattered across Florida, Texas, New York, Connecticut, Kentucky and Kansas.

NCDOT distributing free bicycle helmets for kids

This spring, NCDOT is set to distribute approximately 12,500 bicycle helmets to organizations across the state, bolstering safety for young cyclists. Launched in 2007, the Bicycle Helmet Initiative focuses on educating children about the importance of helmet usage to prevent severe brain injuries.

“Wearing a helmet signicantly reduces the risk of head injuries,” said Brennon Fuqua, interim director of NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division.

Funded by federal grants and “Share the Road” specialty license plates, the helmets are provided during public safety events by participating community groups and schools. Applications will open next year in January.

For Moore County, the Cumberland County Department of Public Health and Spring Lake PD are the nearest agencies awarded helmets, in youth sizes small, medium and large, to distribute.

The show is free, but donations are accepted

By Robert Owens North State Journal

Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) will host its 7th annual Car and Motorcycle Show on Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school’s Main Campus in Sanford.

The show is the school’s platform to showcase its automotive programs, with free admission and no registration fee. Donations are encouraged with all proceeds supporting CCCC’s automotive restoration and motorcycle mechanics programs. All vehicle makes and models can compete, with awards and door prizes available for registered vehicles. Food trucks will be on hand, with countless opportunities to meet other motorcycle and auto enthusiasts while supporting an essential community program.

Love, Lowriders, Latinos

Car show brings crowds to celebrate lowrider culture

By Ena Sellers North State Journal

PITTSBORO — Crowds

dropped in on Saturday for the Lowrider Show at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center. The event, now in its fourth year, is the brainchild of Manuel Araiza, who along with his brothers Francisco, and Jose, and their dad, also Francisco, bring it to life to highlight the Latino culture. The event attracts lowriders — a moniker that applies to both the cars and their owners — from Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and all parts of North Carolina to share the love for these meticulously customized vehicles.

City Knights Lowriders Car Club in Fayetteville was one of the clubs that came to support the event. Daniel Castañeda, president of the club, is a Special Forces veteran and says the club was started to help unite Latinos in the military serving in and around Fort Bragg. Through that, he met Manuel and comes to Chatham County to support him every year. “The common denominator for us was the love for the low-

rider car, which is embedded in our culture, for the Latinos, the Chicanos,” said Castañeda in an interview. “You know, we started building low riders as a resemblance of our culture here in North Carolina. … Regardless of background, race or creed, this event unites us by the love for the lowrider car.”

Castañeda’s pride and joy is a true classic: the ‘67 Impala.

“When you look at this car, you see a 1967 Chevy Impala Super Sport, but it is much more than that, you see La Raza in this car. You see my Mexican culture in this car,” he said.

Lowriders come in many varieties, from iconic 1960s Impalas with hydraulics, to older classics from the 40s and 50s called Bombitas. Newer rides are welcomed too, of course.

“It doesn’t really depend so much on the type, but the style and how you present the vehicle that matters the most,” Castañeda told North State Journal.

“That you pour your love, and you can represent yourself, represent your family, represent your club, represent your background through your vehicle.” He emphasized the importance of shedding old stereotypes and focusing on building a larger community.

“This culture is about respect. It’s about love for the communi-

The restoration program includes training on metalworking, fabrication, painting, upholstery, electrical systems, engines, woodworking and welding. Students gain useful practical knowledge for a growing and lucrative eld, learning methods and techniques for the restoration of antique and classic cars.

The motorcycle mechanics program trains students in the diagnosis, adjustment, inspection and repair techniques of motorcycles and ATVs.

Both diplomas and certicates are o ered, and you can get more information at cccc.edu or by stopping by the car show.

Funds raised by the show will help support the CCCC automotive restoration education and motorcycle mechanics programs. The programs provide comprehensive training for aspiring restoration technicians and motorcycle mechanics.

ty. We’ve had such a bad stigma or reputation for the lowrider being associated with gangbangers and thugs, and at some point, that might have been the truth,” he admitted. “But today, when we look at cars like this, we see pride. We see love. We see culture and that’s what we share. We spread it out across the community. Everyone we encounter, we respect, and we pour our love into it to show them that we are men of honor.” “We are lowriders.”

ENA SELLERS / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Daniel Castañeda, president of the City Knights Lowriders Car Club in Fayetteville, and his son Daniel stand in front of their 1967 Chevy Impala at the Lowrider Show, Saturday in Pittsboro.

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

COLUMN | DENNIS PRAGER

Communists everyone

The most obvious example is the support of major feminist organizations for men who say they are women participating in women’s sports.

THE COMMUNIST Party of the Soviet Union — like most communist parties — came to power as the great defender of workers.

In reality, the Soviet Communist Party didn’t give a hoot about Russian workers. The party was nothing more than a totalitarian organization that used workers to gain power — and then suppressed the proletariat, just as it suppressed every other group. One of the rst things the Communist Party did after attaining power was disband independent labor unions and prohibit workers’ strikes. Yes, the “workers’ party” banned strikes.

The one major exception was the Chinese Communist Party, which came to power as the great defender of peasants. And the CCP slaughtered about 60 million of them.

This has been the modus operandi of every left-wing group everywhere: Claim concern for some group, and use that group to fool people — speci cally, naive liberals, who share few values with the Left but have frequently served as useful idiots for the Left. Liberals do so to this day.

Teachers unions are nothing more than left-wing groups that use alleged concern for students to attain and retain power. The reality, however, is while they care about teachers, they harm students far more than they help them.

One example is teachers unions’ opposition to school choice. Those who actually care about students support the right of parents to choose their children’s schools — just as many teachers do when they send their own children to schools of their choice.

A second example is teachers unions’ making it nearly impossible to re incompetent teachers.

A third example was teachers unions’ demands that schools lock down for nearly two years during the COVID-19 era. The unions did so despite there being no scienti c evidence in support of school lockdowns and despite ample warnings that many children would su er intellectually, scholastically, emotionally and psychologically.

and retain power, but they harm blacks considerably more than they help them.

A glaring example is the nearuniversal opposition of civil rights groups to school choice despite the fact that black Americans overwhelmingly support it. According to a 2023 RealClear Opinion Research poll, 73% of blacks support school choice — two points more than whites. They do so because large majorities of black students in public schools perform far below grade-level standards.

The reason the largest civil rights organization, the NAACP, opposes school choice has nothing to do with concern for blacks. It is that the leftwing position — again, the NAACP is a left-wing organization — on school choice is dictated by teachers unions.

Feminist organizations are additional examples of essentially leftwing organizations. The group they use to attain and retain power is women. Just as other left-wing interest groups, they harm the group on whose behalf they allegedly ght — in this case, women — far more than they help them.

The most obvious example is the support of major feminist organizations for men who say they are women participating in women’s sports.

From the website of the National Women’s Law Center: “The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) unequivocally supports the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports. And if you call yourself a feminist, you should too.”

From the website of The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF):

“The Women’s Sports Foundation supports the right of all athletes, including transgender athletes, to participate in athletic competition.”

April 17

• Danny Ray Kennedy, 48 years old, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of felony probation violation.

• Stephen Marcus Lopez, 35 years old, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of child support.

April 18

• Latoya Kizzy Davis-Grant, 47 years old, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of felony larceny.

April 19

• Nicolas Hugh Crawley, 22 years old, was arrested by the Taylortown Police Department on a charge of failing to heed light or siren.

• Cotey Lee Dunlap, 28 years old, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of probation violation.

• Joshua Adam Grooms, 18 years old, was arrested by the Southern Pines Police Department on a charge of fleeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle.

• James Michael Hinson, 41 years old, was arrested by the Taylortown Police Department on a charge of felony probation violation.

• Melinda Faye Hopkins, 53 years old, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of misdemeanor larceny.

• Erick Vicente Ortiz, 28 years old, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of assault on a female.

The last point brings us to a fourth example: Teachers rob young students of their sexual innocence with premature talk of, and books that deal with, overt sexual activity, and the infamous use of drag queens to perform in front of children as young as 6 years old.

Just how left-wing teachers organizations are was made clear by the sympathetic left-wing magazine

The Nation in January:

“A rank-and- le campaign inside the National Education Association is demanding the president stop ‘sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel.’ ... But the rankand- le campaign goes beyond (that).

... Members want the NEA (National Education Association) to revoke its endorsement of Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential race until the president ... stops ‘sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel.’”

That was only two months after Oct. 7.

Most civil rights organizations are also essentially left-wing groups. They use alleged concern for blacks to attain

In 2022, the WSF wrote a letter to the NCAA protesting any diminution of the right of biological males who say they are females to participate in women’s athletics. The letter was cosigned, as expected, by LGBTQIA+ organizations but also by two major feminist organizations in addition to the Women’s Sports Federation: the National Organization for Women and the National Women’s Political Caucus.

Damaging women has been the primary legacy of organized feminism for the last half-century. That there are more depressed women, especially young women, today than at any other time in modern American history is directly attributable to left-wing in uence generally (no religion, no country, no future) and to feminist doctrines speci cally: Career is more important than marriage and family, and women can do just ne without a man to love and be loved by.

Perhaps the ultimate example of left-wing contempt for the groups they claim to represent is “Queers for Palestine.” Palestinian queers have no rights; they face persecution and even death if they expose themselves to their society. Israeli queers are by far the safest, happiest and freest in the Middle East. But hating Israel is the left-wing position. At any cost.

Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist.

becoming a vendor? Email carthagencfarmersmarket@gmail.com. The market is held 1 to 5 p.m. each Friday yearround.

Blood Drive:

“In Honor of Avery”

2 – 8 p.m.

This blood drive is in Honor of Avery Slatcher, who required roughly 30 units of blood to save her life one year ago. This year she wants to pay it forward by collecting 10 times that amount of blood to ensure critical blood is available for those who need it. Donors will receive a $20 eGift card and OneBlood gift. Takes place at Red’s Corner, located at 801 SW Broad St. in Southern Pines.

Many Moore County teams head into nal week of regular season

North Moore su ered back-toback losses in conference games. The Mustangs fell to Bartlett Yancey, 103, then lost at Seaforth, 5-1. North Moore enters the nal week of the season at 11-6. Their 11 wins are more than the Mustangs have had in four of their last 10 seasons.

With two games to play in the Mid-Carolina Conference, North Moore is in fourth place, with a onegame lead over Chatham Central, their opponent for a home-and-home conference series to close out the regular season schedule.

Pinecrest won three games to extend its winning streak to nine games. They swept a home-and-home series with Hoke County, winning on Senior Night, 9-1, then taking a 15-0 road win over the Bucks. In between, Pinecrest pulled out a 7-6 non-conference win over West Stanly, scoring ve late runs to come back for the victory.

The Patriots are 18-3, 8-1 and atop the Sandhills Conference. Their magic number to clinch the regular season conference title is one as they lead Lee County by two games in the standings. Pinecrest closes out the regular season with a home-and-home against Union Pines.

Union Pines continued its late-season run by winning two of three last week. After losing at home to Southern Lee, 14-0, Union Pines rebounded to pound St. Pauls, 16-4, then got revenge against Southern Lee on the road by a 9-4 margin. The Vikings have now won six of their last seven games and stand at 10-9 on the season, 4-5 in the Sandhills.

The Vikings have three games this week and plenty to play for. Two wins would clinch a winning regular season. Union Pines hasn’t nished with a winning record since 2021. Sweeping all three games would produce the most wins in a season since 2018.

Currently fth in the Sandhills standings, Union Pines could nish as high as second and as low as sixth. A home-and-home this week against Pinecrest and a conference road trip to Richmond will decide it.

Softball

Union Pines won a pair of games to extend its winning streak to four in a row. The Vikings won at Richmond, 5-1, then shut out Hoke, 6-0.

The Vikings are now12-4 on the

year and need one win to post their winningest season since 2017. At 8-1 in the Sandhills, Union Pines is in second, a game behind Scotland. The Vikings nish with three conference games, at Southern Lee, at Pinecrest and home against Scotland in what may decide the regular season crown.

North Moore split four league games last week, falling at home to Seaforth, 6-5, then beating Graham, 16-0. The Mustangs then hit the road, beating Chatham Central, 14-8 in extras and losing at Southeast Alamance, 3-2. Tate Allred had a pair of 3-RBI games, Sydney Russell drove in seven in a game, and Ansley Preslar drove in four.

North Moore is now 10-6, reaching double digits in wins for the rst time since 2018. The Mustangs will look to clinch the rst winning nonCOVID shortened season since 2015. At 9-4, North Moore is in third in the Mid-Carolina Conference.

This week, North Moore hosts Chatham Charter in a non-conference game and nishes the league schedule against Chatham Central.

Pinecrest posted its rst two wins of the year in a 2-2 week. The Patriots lost at Lee County, 6-1, then broke through with a road win at Montgomery Central, 10-8. After losing, 17-0 to Scotland, Pinecrest got its rst home win, 15-11 in extras over Purnell Swett.

The Patriots are now 2-13, 0-10 in the Sandhills. They close with conference games at Hoke County and home against Union Pines. Girls’ soccer

Girls soccer still has two weeks left in its regular season, so the situation is not as urgent as in other spring sports this week.

Union Pines enters the week atop the Sandhills at 7-1, a half game ahead of Lee County. The Vikings are 10-31 overall. They’re on a six match winning streak after winning both contests last week. Union Pines won 7-2 over Hoke County, then blasted Scot-

Pinecrest’s Kamden Lewis (8), celebrates a goal with Anna Depenbrock. Both players netted goals in the Patriots’ 9-0 win over Southern Lee.

land, 10-0 on the road. Taryn Pekala had three goal outings in both games. Grace queen scored two against Scotland and one against Hoke. This week, Union Pines has three games, two in the Sandhills. League tilts against Richmond and at Hoke are sandwiched around a non-conference game at Cape Fear. Pinecrest moved back over .500 with two wins last week, 1-0 in overtime at Richmond and 9-0 against Southern Lee. Jadyn Lamielle scored the only goal against Richmond and had three against Southern Lee. The Patriots are now 7-6, 5-2 in the Sandhills.

Pinecrest has three road games this week, home against Lee County and trips to Scotland and Hoke County. North Moore celebrated its rst win of the season, with a 4-1 win at Bartlett Yancey. The Mustangs also lost at Grace Christian, 5-1 and 3-2 at Jordan-Matthews. They are now 1-72, 1-3-1 in the Mid-Carolina.

The Mustangs have three league games this week—a home-and-home with Seaforth and a trip to Graham.

Lacrosse

Pinecrest’s boys won all three games last week to extend their winning streak to 14. They’re now 16-2, 9-0 in conference. The Patriots close the regular season with a home game against Jack Britt and a trip to Willow Spring.

The Pinecrest girls won all three games last week and have now run together four victories in a row.

At 12-3-1, 5-2 in conference, the Patriots close the regular season with a game against Jack Britt.

The Union Pines boys won four games last week to improve to 9-6, 8-2 in the league. The Vikings nish the regular season schedule with a trip to Garner. The Union Pines girls took all three games last week and are now 12-0, 8-0 in conference. They close things out at Middle Creek.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Allie Hirst

Pinecrest girls’ lacrosse

Allie Hirst is a senior for the Pinecrest girls’ lacrosse team.

The Patriots are 11-3-1, 5-2 in the Sandhills Conference and riding a three-game winning streak and ve-game unbeaten streak, including a pair of victories last week.

Hirst came up big in both games. In a 12-10 win over Wake eld, Hirst scored ve goals and added another four assists. Two days later, in an 18-4 win at Terry Sanford, she did it again, scoring another ve goals and assisting on another four. On the season, Hirst leads Pinecrest in goals, assists and ground balls. She also ranks in the top 20 nationally in scoring and assists and leads the state in scoring.

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

obituaries

Geo rey Johann Gerschwiler

October 22, 1957 –April 14, 2024

Geo rey Johann Gerschwiler

October 22, 1957 - April 14, 2024. Geo passed away peacefully on a beautiful Sunday in North Carolina. He was a gifted carpenter, taking great pride in his workmanship. Geo was passionate about auto racing, especially Nascar and Formula One. Above all else, he adored his nieces and nephews and cherished his time them. He is survived by his loving mother Nancy Jane Gerschwiler, and his sisters, Lynn Labbett, Jill Steck, and brother Hans Gerschwiler.

Marjorie Arlene Kennedy Ritter

May 19, 1928 – April 20, 2024

Marjorie Arlene Kennedy Ritter, 95, passed away Saturday, April 20, 2024, at her home in Southern Pines with her children by her side. Mrs. Ritter was a native of Moore County, born to the late Alexander McKinley and Mary Belle M. Kennedy. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dewey L. Ritter, Jr; and siblings, Willie Kennedy, Anne K. Bryant, Louise Kennedy, Maxine K. Blue and Walter Kennedy. She is survived by her son, Dewey L Ritter, III; daughter, Rebecca Ritter Shands; brother, Mack Kennedy; grandchildren, Philip Shands and Amanda Ritter; great-grandchildren, Cohen and Kiley; and many nieces and nephews.

An avid walker, she enjoyed gardening, beach trips, and spending time with her family. She was a much beloved wife, mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother and sister. She will be sorely missed.

David Michael Wilson

October 12, 1937 –April 14, 2024

David Michael Wilson, 86, of West End, passed peacefully surrounded by his family on Sunday, April 14th.

A life long resident of Moore County, he was born October 12, 1937 to the late David Henderson and Helen Windle Wilson.

On April 13, 1968, he married Emma Jean Lawrence. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son David Mark Wilson, daughter Cheryl Denise Oestry and grandson Nicholas Mabe. He was the husband of 56 years to Emma Wilson. He was the father of John Michael Wilson, wife Natalie, and Lawrence Matthew Wilson, wife Layla. David was a father gure to Joe Burdick, who spent much of his school years in the Wilson home. He is also survived by his grandchildren: John David Wilson, Amanda Jill Wilson, Nathan Oestry, and Meagan Oestry, husband Dan Nelson. David is also survived by his great – grandson Benjamin. Three life – long friends, Dwayne, Doyle and Dwight Parsons hand built a pine casket for his nal journey, a tting tribute for a man that loved his pine trees.

Sandra Judith Studer

January 8, 1939 –April 19, 2024

Sandra Judith Studer, 85, of Pinehurst, NC passed away peacefully on Friday, April 19, 2024, at her residence. Judy was born January 8, 1939, in Detroit, MI to the late Leroy and Ruth Lake Allen. She is survived by her loving companion, Joseph Murphy; stepdaughter, Sara Studer; stepson, David Studer; and nephew, John Holder. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Wayne Studer.

Dr. Newton “Bud” Jackson

April 28, 1940 – April 15, 2024

Dr. Newton “Bud” Jackson, age 83, died on April 15, 2024 of congestive heart failure and multi-lobal pneumonia. As Bud transcended this earth he was holding hands with the love of his life, Mary. Much could be written about Bud’s intellect, his illustrious career in the eld of Forensic and Clinical Psychology. But better it be to know Bud has a most winning smile, disarming personality and gentle spirit. Bud loved his wife, kids and grandkids and enjoyed chess, tennis, golf and was an avid reader. He also treasured the time he and Mary played pinochle with their more relaxed rules of play. Bud is preceded in death by his parents and older sister. Those he left behind, his wife Mary, children David and Debra, stepson (though never treated like one) Aaron (wife Emilie); three grandkids, a nephew, niece and one cousin.

Dorothy Mazurkiewicz

June 13, 1938 – April 12, 2024

Originally from Wayne, NJ, Dorothy moved to Seven Lakes, NC. in 2000. She is survived by her husband Edward, her two sons, Michael and Edward, their wives Laura and Kim, and her grandchildren, Eric, Emily, and Matthew.

Linda Barber

July 1, 1958 – April 14, 2024

Linda Barber, of Southern Pines, NC passed away unexpectedly on April 14, 2024, at her home. She was born Yasako Kawakami on July 1, 1958, in Okinawa, Japan to the late Robert L. Barber Sr. and Atsuko (Kitty) Barber. Linda was preceded in death by her beloved husband Mark Barber. She is survived by her daughter and best friend Ti any. Ms. Barber was always thinking of her students and others, constantly on the hunt for treats and goodies while shopping. She was a “teacher of the heart” to all the young people in her life. She supported their academic and athletic pursuits, encouraging and guiding them whenever they needed it.

Jean Marie Higgins

January 4, 1937 –April 14, 2024

Jean Marie Higgins, age 87 of Southern Pines, NC passed away at her home on April 14, 2024. Jean was born in New York City January 4, 1937, to Robert Bouchoux and Josephine LaPointe. As a young woman, Jean worked on Wall Street, and caught the eye of Paul while commuting to work on the Staten Island Ferry. They married in 1958 and began life together in a whirlwind of travel and military assignments across the country and around the world.

Jean is survived by her devoted husband of 65 years, Paul Higgins, son Dennis, sisters Carol Yost and Elaine (Susan) Kimball, brother Donald Bouchoux, grandsons Ian and Collin Higgins, and many nieces and nephews. Jean was preceded in death by her parents.

Howard C. Johnson

January 13, 1934 –April 13, 2024

Howard C. Johnson, 90, passed away peacefully at his home in Pinehurst on Saturday, April 13, 2024. He was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 13, 1934 to Clarence and Loretta Johnson. He attended Lane Tech High School and University of Illinois at Navy Pier. He served in the Army in Germany in the 1950’s. Most of his working life was spent in the printing industry, retiring in 1994, as Vice President of the printing department at CCH in Clark, New Jersey, publishers of topical law reviews. He is survived by his wife Betty of 64 years, his sister Carole, beloved niece Kimberly Seaman and family of Streator, Ill., and numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by an only child, Je rey in 2013. He and Betty retired in Pinehurst in 1994 and have enjoyed their many years here. During these years they traveled to Great Britain and Italy as well as many U.S. destinations. Howard was an avid woodworker who created many original pieces of furniture in his workshop.