North State Journal Vol. 9 Issue 3

the BRIEF this week

Simmons aims to succeed Whatley at NCGOP

Raleigh Jason Simmons, executive director of the North Carolina Republican Party, has declared his candidacy to replace Michael Whatley as NCGOP chairman. Simmons joined NCGOP following the 2020 election after serving on Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020. Whatley left the role last week after being handpicked by Trump to serve as chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Trump’s daughter-in-law, Wilmington native Lara Trump, was named cochair. U.S. Sen. Ted Budd has already endorsed Simmons for the position, and the NCGOP executive committee will vote on March 26. No other candidates have yet emerged for the position.

RNC res 60 sta ers Washington, D.C.

Just days after taking over at the Republican National Committee, Michael Whatley and Lara Trump cut dozens of sta as former president Donald Trump reimagines the GOP’s political and fundraising machinery, The Associated Press reported. More than 60 people were red in all, including senior sta in the political, data and communications departments inside the committee’s Washington headquarters. The cuts also included sta that ran the committee’s celebrated community centers, which were focused on building relationships with minority groups in some Democraticleaning states. The overhaul was con rmed by multiple people with direct knowledge of the cuts who told the AP on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the moves publicly.

The Republican National Committee members approved former NCGOP chairman Whatley and the former president’s daughterin-law for the RNC’s top two positions. Whatley replaced Ronna McDaniel as the chair. The cuts are designed to eliminate duplication as the Trump campaign and the RNC work to become essentially one organization, said Chris LaCivita, a Trump campaign senior adviser who took over as the RNC chief of sta after Friday’s vote. Sta ers were noti ed of the cuts in an email Monday afternoon from the committee’s new chief operating o cer, Sean Cairncross, who o ered people an opportunity to reapply for their jobs.

NC

gubernatorial race between Stein, Robinson

The state’s attorney general and lieutenant governor will face o in November after easily winning their primaries

Winners, losers, runo s in congressional races

Two primary contests are headed to May 14 runo s

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Incumbents came out on top by strong margins while races with multiple candidates were much tighter in the North Carolina March 5 congressional primaries. With ve seats in Congress open this year, certain races had multiple Republicans vying for a spot. Democrats Je Jackson, Kathy Manning, and Wiley Nickel opted not to run again for their seats following congressional map redistricting.

Republican U.S. Reps. Patrick McHenry and Dan Bishop also decided not to run for reelection. McHenry retired, while Bishop opted to run for state attorney general — as did Jackson, who secured the Democratic nomination in his primary race. Bishop had no Republican primary challenger.

In contrast to the maps crafted by state judges for the 2022 elections, which saw Democrats and Republicans each getting seven congressional seats, the current maps suggest a high probability of the GOP securing at least 10 of the 14 seats.

Two races ended up in a runo — Districts 6 and 13. The runo election date is set for May 14.

The results will not be ofcial until after the 10-day canvass period is completed. Overseas and military ballots returned by the deadline won’t be added to the mix until the canvass period after county boards of election have approved them.

Voter turnout this year was lower than that of the last primary held during a presidential election year despite over a half-million more registered voters on the rolls.

Across the state’s 2,600 polling places, 1,790,838 ballots were cast out of a possible

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina governor’s race matchup has been decided: Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Attorney General Josh Stein will face o in the November general election. Republican Mark Robinson, the rst black man to serve as lieutenant governor in the state, cruised to a win with an uno cial vote tally of 663,917, or more than 64%.

Both of Robinson’s primary opponents nished far behind — State Treasurer Dale Folwell had just over 19% of the vote, and businessman Bill Graham nished with 16%.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Robinson’s bid for governor at a campaign rally in Greensboro the weekend before the Super Tuesday election.

Both the NCGOP and Chairman Michael Whatley praised Robinson’s win. The NCGOP, in a post on X, called

Robinson’s win a “historic victory,” and a “man of the people, not the elites.”

Stein, currently in his second term as North Carolina’s attorney general, defeated the four other challengers with just under 70% of the vote with an uno cial 476,448 votes.

Stein’s win was met with congratulatory posts on social media, including a post on X by Gov. Roy Cooper that read, “The work starts now. Let’s come together and do all we can to elect @JoshStein_ as our next Governor.”

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Clayton Anderson congratulated Stein in a statement that read, in part, “As Governor, he will continue delivering for North Carolinians to build a North Carolina with strong public schools, safe communities, and economic opportunity for every person.”

Turnout across the state was lower this presidential election year cycle than it was in 2020 despite the state having more registered voters this year.

Uno cial results show a ballot cast rate of 24.02%. That translates to 1,790,838 out of 7,456,236 possible votes. In 2020, the rate was 31.19% or 2,164,731 votes cast out of 6,940,995 possible votes.

Greensboro child migrant facility o cially operational March 15

While “operational,” the facility will not house children on that date

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Greensboro In ux Care Facility (ICF) for unaccompanied minor children will be operational soon, per a post by Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughn on the social media platform X.

“Today we were noti ed that the Greensboro Children’s Center will be operational on March 15th,” Vaughn wrote in a March 1 post. “This means the Greensboro Children’s Center will be ready to house children.

It is important to note that no children will be placed at the facility at this time.”

Vaughn’s X post and formal statement follow a March 1 press release by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ O ce of Refugee Resettlement (DHS ORR) that says the agency “is working diligently with its interagency

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, right, greets his supporters with his wife, Yolanda, during his primary election party last Tuesday at the Koury Convention Center Sheraton in Greensboro. Robinson won the Republican nomination for governor and will face Attorney General Josh Stein in the general election.

See CONGRESSIONAL, page A2

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Addison McDowell, pictured at the Donald Trump rally in Greensboro on March 2, will face former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker in the May 14 runo for the right to represent North Carolina’s 6th District in Congress since no one entered the Democratic primary.

This series explores the Ten Commandments through the words and admonishments of Arthur Pink.

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” (Exodus 20:16).

Take these words simply at their face value and they prohibit only the horrible crime of perjury or the giving of false testimony in a court of law. But as with the previous Commandments, so it is here: much more is implied and inculcated than is speci cally stated.

As we have so often pointed out, each of the Ten Commandments enunciates a general principle, and not only are all other sins forbidden which be allied to the one named and prohibited, together with all causes and tendencies thereto, but the opposite virtue is de nitely required, with all that fosters and promotes it. Thus, in its wider meaning, this ninth commandment reprehends any word of ours which would injure the reputation of our neighbor, be it uttered in public or in private. This should scarcely need any arguing, for if we restrict this commandment to its literal terms it would have no bearing on any save that small minority who are called upon to bear witness in a court of justice.

In its widest application this commandment has to do with the regulation of our speech, which is one of the distinguishing and ennobling faculties that God has bestowed upon man. Scripture tells us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), that “a wholesome tongue is a tree of life” (Proverbs 15:4), and that an unbridled one is “an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8).

Our words should not to be uttered lightly or thoughtlessly for “every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justi ed, and by your words you shall be condemned” (Matthew 12:36, 37).

As the eighth commandment provides for the security of our neighbor’s property, so this one is designed to preserve his good name by our speaking the truth about him in love. Negatively, this ninth commandment forbids all false and injurious speeches respecting our neighbor; positively, it inculcates the conservation of truth.

The importance and necessity of truth is evident from the fact that almost all that mankind knows is derived from communications. The value of those statements which we accept from others depends entirely on their verity and accuracy. If they are false, they are worthless, misleading, and evil. Veracity is not only a virtue, but it is also the root of all other virtues and the foundation of all right character. In Scripture, “truth” is often synonymous with “righteousness.” The positive form of this ninth commandment is found in these words: “Speak you every man the truth to his neighbor” (Zechariah 8:16). Thus, the rst sin prohibited therein is that of lying. Now a lie, properly speaking, consists of three elements or ingredients: speaking what is not true; deliberately doing so; and doing so with an intent to deceive. Every falsehood is not a lie; we may be misinformed or deceived and sincerely think we are stating facts, and consequently have no design of misleading others. On the other hand, we may speak that which is true and yet lie in so doing, as in the following examples: we might report what is true, yet believe it to be false and utter it with an intention to deceive; or we might report the gurative words of another and pretend he meant them literally, as was the case with those who bore false witness against Christ (Matthew 26:60). The worst form of lying (between men) is when we maliciously invent a falsehood for the purpose of damaging the reputation of our neighbor, which is what is more especially in view

“What

in the terms of the ninth commandment.

It is a sin which makes a person most like the Devil. The Devil is a spirit, and therefore gross carnal sins do not correspond to his nature. His sins are more re ned and intellectual, such as pride and malice, deception and falsehood. “He is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44), and the more malice enters into one composition of any lie, the more nearly one resembles him.

It remains for us to point out that we may violate this ninth commandment even when we speak the truth, if we speak it unnecessarily and from improper motives. “We injure the character of our neighbor when we retail his real faults without any call to divulge them, when we relate them to those who have no right to know them, and when we tell them not to promote any good end but to make him lose his estimation in society.” (John Dick). Flattering a person is another form of violating this precept. To compliment another merely for the sake of pleasing him or gratifying his vanity is to perjure your soul and imperil his safety. To give a false testimony of character or to recommend a friend to another when we know him to be unworthy of the testimonial is to bear “false witness.”

Arthur W. Pink, born in Nottingham, England, in 1886, pastored churches in Colorado, California, Kentucky and South Carolina. He moved to Sydney, Australia, and then returned to England in 1934. Pink relocated to Lewis, Scotland, in 1940 and remained there until his death in 1952 at the age of 66.

Cooper makes unannounced visit to state Board of Education

The governor spoke out against the Opportunity Scholarship program and called for more funding for schools

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper promoted his “Year of the Public School” proclamation at an unannounced visit to the N.C. State Board of Education last week.

During his remarks, he emphasized the importance of “fully funding” public schools while criticizing the Republican-led General Assembly, claiming it provides insu cient state funding for public schools. Cooper cited statistics from the National Education Association, one of the two largest national teacher unions, on low starting teacher pay and a below-average investment per student.

Cooper also highlighted the achievements of public schools, such as high graduation rates and the number of nationally board-certi ed teachers, before

CONGRESSIONAL

7,456,236, or 24.02%. During the primary in 2020, there were 2,164,731 ballots cast out of 6,940,995, or 31.19%.

The only race rated as a “toss-up” by Cook Political Report (CPR) was District 1. The 2nd, 4th and 12th districts are ranked “solid Democrat,” while the remaining districts have Republican leans ranging between 8-plus and 11-plus percentage points.

District 1: Republican Laurie Buckout won 52.49% of the vote, defeating Sandy Smith. Buckout now faces incumbent Democrat Don Davis. As of March 5, Cook Political Report (CPR) rates this race as a tossup.

District 2: Deborah Ross, the Democratic incumbent, easily won reelection with more than 93% of the vote over chal-

going on to condemn the expansion of the Opportunity Scholarship program, stating it could divert “$200 million” in funds from public schools.

“That’s wrong, particularly when most private schools are not better than our public schools,” Cooper said of the scholarship program spending. He went on to make several claims that private schools are “unaccountable.”

“They don’t have to tell taxpayers what they teach, how their students perform, which students they will reject or whether students even show up at all,” said Cooper. “That is a reckless, reckless waste of taxpayer money.”

He then called for a “moratorium” on the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program until public schools are adequately funded.

Cooper’s call for a moratorium follows a record number of 72,000 applications for the program as of February. During the rst ve days of the application cycle, 31,603 applications were submitted.

The program’s expansion became law last year after the leg-

lenger Michael Camero. She will now face Alan D. Swain in November. Swain emerged as the Republican winner with nearly 60% of the vote over Eugene F. Douglass and Robert Morales Vergara.

District 3: Incumbent Republican Rep. Greg Murphy had no primary challenge and will have no Democratic opponent in the fall election. Instead, he will face Libertarian Gheorghe Cormos.

District 4: Republican Eric Blankenburg easily defeated Mahesh (Max) Ganorkar with more than 70% and moved ahead to challenge former state legislator and incumbent Freshman Democrat Rep. Valerie Foushee for her seat.

District 5: Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, an incumbent who has held her seat for the past 19 years, easily defeated her challenger Ryan Mayberry

islature overrode Cooper’s veto of the bill. The scholarships were expanded to all families and awarded with priority toward low-income households on a sliding income scale.

Cooper told board members to talk with the public, educators, administrators and parents and put pressure on the legislature by telling lawmakers four things.

“One, great things are happening in our public schools,” he said. “Two, put a moratorium on private school vouchers until we fully fund our public schools. Three, pay teachers like the professionals they are. And four, expand access to early childhood education, more pre-K more quality child care.”

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt addressed some of Cooper’s comments about funding.

“I would like to make a suggestion to this board, and that is that the (Leandro) Comprehensive Remedial Plan was created well before the pandemic, did not include the Science of Reading, did not address the very speci c x that needed to be made in the way that our preservice teachers were learning to teach children

by taking in nearly 69% of the vote. Foxx will face Chuck Hubbard, who was uncontested in the Democratic primary.

District 6: Donald Trumpbacked Addison McDowell and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker will have a rematch in the May 14 runo election.

District 7: Incumbent Republican Rep. David Rouzer will face Democrat challenger Marlando Pridgen. The seat is considered plus-8 Republican by CPR.

District 8: Former District 9 Republican candidate Mark Harris managed to earn over 30% of the vote midway through the night and kept it, avoiding a runo against second-place nisher Allan Baucom. In that primary, John R. Bradford nished third, followed by Don Brown, Leigh Brown and Chris Maples. Harris will move on to face Democrat Justin Dues in

to read, and the way that our current teachers were teaching children to read,” Truitt said. Truitt went on to say that because of the bipartisan Excellent Public Schools program, “students are seeing double-digit gains in reading pro ciency,” including all minority students, and “that was not a part of the comprehensive remedial plan.”

She also noted that more money does not equal better student outcomes.

“Right now, spending and education in the United States has increased even when adjusted for in ation, however, gains are at,” said Truitt. “New York is now spending $30,000 per student, and they’ve seen no movement in NAEP scores in reading pro ciency or math pro ciency between 2002 and 2020.”

“Now, I know we need to spend more on education, but we don’t have a road map to do that right now,” Truitt said while going on to describe di culties in attracting teachers to rural areas, while teacher pay is “stuck in another era,” but also that teacher compensation in the state that has “grown 79%” since 2002. “A decade ago the bene ts

November. District 9: Incumbent Rep. Richard Hudson defeated challenger Troy L. Tarazon with more than 83% of the vote. Hudson is heavily favored against Democrat Nigel Bristow in the general election.

District 10: Pat Harrigan won the race with Republican primary with more than 41% of the vote, beating incumbent Grey Mills (39%) and three other candidates. Harrigan will face newcomer Democrat Ralph Scott Jr. in November.

District 11: Incumbent Freshman Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards beat Christian Reagan with just under 69% of the vote. Edwards took over the District 11 seat after defeating Madison Cawthorn in the 2022 primary. Edwards will now face Democrat Caleb Rudow.

District 12: Nine-year incumbent Democrat Alma Ad-

package for a teacher was 11%, now it’s 36%,” Truitt said. “It costs $60 million to raise teacher pay 1%. While I don’t disagree that we need to spend more, it’s how we spend the money that matters, and the comprehensive remedial plan is not going to get us there.”

Cooper responded to Truitt’s remarks by saying, “There’s a lot to unpack there, but I think, yes, there’s going to be a lot of debate on how we invest the funds.”

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson weighed in on the conversation, saying he believes the path to education excellence lies with parental control.

“If we forget about the fact that we need to give parents the right to have absolute control over their children’s educational destiny, we are failing here,” said Robinson. I’ve heard a lot about the public education system. I’m concerned about the students and the parents inside of that system, and I’m not concerned so much about a sound, basic education. What we want is excellence. We don’t want just a sound, basic education, we want a world-class system that delivers in every corner of this state.”

ams will face Republican challenger Addul Ali, a Charlotte area businessman, podcaster and past chair of the Cabarrus GOP.

District 13: In the 14-person all-Republican race, no candidate secured more than 30% of the vote needed to avoid a runo . On May 14, Kelly Republicans Kelly Daughtry, the top vote-getter with 27.38%, and second-place Brad Knott (18.68%) will have a rematch. The winner of the May 14 runo will face Democrat Frank Pierce.

District 14: On the Democrat side, Pam Genant defeated Brendan K. Maginnis. She will face Republican North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, who secured his spot against Je Gregory and Lillian Joseph by winning more than 75% of the vote. Earlier this month, Trump endorsed Moore’s bid.

Truitt upset highlights Council of State primaries

There will be a new state superintendent, while other races mix incumbents and newcomers

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Council of State primaries on March 5 yielded two races that will head to a runo in May, a couple of blowouts and one upset.

The Council of State consists of 10 seats that include the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, attorney general, and the commissioners of agriculture, labor and insurance.

Here are the general election matchups, based on uno cial results, for each seat.

Lieutenant governor — Hunt vs. runo winner: Democrat and current state legislator Rachel Hunt, daughter of former Gov. Jim Hunt, defeated Ben Clark and Mark H. Robinson with more than 70% of the vote.

On the Republican side, no candidate reached the 30% plus one vote threshold, resulting in a runo between Hal Weatherman, the former chief of sta for Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, and Forsyth District Attorney Jim O’Neill. Weatherman unocially pulled in 19.61% of the

vote to O’Neill’s 15.85%.

Attorney general — Jackson vs. Bishop: U.S. Rep. Je Jackson (D-14th) will face U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-8th), who had no primary challenger, in November for the attorney general spot. Jackson won his race with nearly 55% of the vote over Durham District Attorney Satana Deberry and attorney Tim Dunn.

Commissioner of agriculture

— Troxler vs. Tabor and Haugh: With more than 69% of the vote, 19-year Republican incumbent Steve Troxler fended o his primary challenger Colby (Bear) Hammonds. Democrat Sarah Tabor and Libertarian Sean Haugh will challenge Troxler in the general election.

Commissioner of insurance

—Causey vs. Marcus: Democrat and state senator for Mecklen-

U.S. Rep. Je Jackson (D-14th), pictured during his run for the U.S. Senate in 2021, will face fellow Congressman Dan Bishop (R-8th) in the race for North Carolina attorney general.

burg County Natasha Marcus won her primary over business owner David Wheeler with over 77% of the vote. Republican incumbent Mike Causey secured victory with more than 60% of the vote, defeating attorney Andrew Marcus and former North Carolina House member Robert Brawley.

Commissioner of labor - Farley vs. Winston: Luke Farley avoided a runo in the Republican primary for labor commissioner with nearly 37% of the vote over the three other candidates — North Carolina House Rep. Jon Hardister (Guilford), Chuck Stanley and Travis Wilson. Farley will face Democrat Braxton Winston II, a former Charlotte city council member, in the general election.

Secretary of state — Marshall

Incumbent Riggs wins NC Supreme Court primary

Court of Appeals Judge Hunter Murphy was beaten by Chris Freeman in the Republican primary

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Primary wins in the top judicial races for the North Carolina Supreme Court

and Court of Appeals were decided on March 5. For the Supreme Court Seat 6, Democrat Associate Justice Allison Riggs decisively fended o her challenger, Guilford County Superior Court Judge Lora Cubbage, winning 69% of the vote. Riggs will face Republican Court of Appeals Judge Je erson Grifn in the general election.

Gri n has been in his role

for three years and was among the Republican candidates who swept the state’s top judicial races in 2020.

Riggs, formerly an attorney with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, was elevated to the top court on Sept. 11, 2023, by Gov. Roy Cooper to replace former Associate Justice Michael Morgan, who departed his position early to run for gover-

vs. Brown: Republican Chad Brown was the victor in the secretary of state primary against Christine Villaverde and Jesse Thomas. Brown brought in just over 43% of the vote over his opponents and will face Democratic incumbent Elaine Marshall, who has held the role for the last 28 years. State auditor — Holmes vs. runo winner: Democrat candidate for state auditor Jessica Holmes will have to wait to nd out who her opponent will be as the ve-way Republican primary is headed for a runo . Republicans Jack Clark edged Dave by just 1.12%, and they will go head to head for the chance to face Holmes in November. Charles Dingee was third in the Republican primary, followed by Je Tarte, Anthony Wayne Street and Jim Kee.

Treasurer — Harris vs. Briner: Democrat Wesley Harris will match up with Republican Brad Briner in November. Harris, a three-term House state legislator from Mecklenburg County, defeated his opponent Gabe Esparza with more than two-thirds of the vote. Briner nished with almost 40% over Rachel Johnson and A.J. Daoud. Superintendent of public instruction — Green versus Morrow: In arguably the biggest upset of the night, Republican Michele Morrow defeated rstterm incumbent State Superin-

nor. Just nine months prior, Cooper had appointed Riggs to the Court of Appeals. Sitting Associate Justice Anita Earls and Riggs were partners at that rm prior to Earls winning her seat. The North Carolina Supreme Court currently sits at a 5-2 Republican majority. Should Riggs fall to Gri n, that majority would increase to 6-1. Republican District Court Judge Chris Freeman unseated incumbent Court of Appeals Judge Hunter Murphy in the

tendent Catherine Truitt.

“I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to our volunteers and supporters from Murphy to Manteo,” Morrow said in a brief post on X. “Teamwork made the dream work!”

On her o cial superintendent Facebook page, Truitt wrote about being “singularly focused on doing what is best for students and their families” since she took o ce.

“I assembled the best educational team in the history of our state and the results we achieved in just a few years have been striking: We bounced back from the pandemic faster than the rest of the nation, we put phonics-based reading back in classrooms, we prioritized workforce readiness to align the K-12 system with our rapidly changing job market, and we championed and delivered choice for families,” wrote Truitt.

Morrow, who has never held a political o ce and lost a 2022 Wake County school board race, will now face Democrat Maurice (Mo) Green in November.

Green easily won his primary race with just under 66% of the vote. Green easily outdistanced Katie Eddings, who nished at just under 25%, in the three-person race.

Green was the rst black superintendent for Guilford County Public Schools (2008-15) and was the director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (2016-23).

primary for seat 15 on the Court of Appeals, claiming 62% of the vote. Murphy held the seat since rst being elected in 2016. Picking up a primary challenger was not totally unforeseen given that the Supreme Court censured Murphy over a “toxic work environment” in 2020. The censure involved allegations that Murphy had failed to intervene when an assistant of his reportedly threatened and sexually harassed other clerks working in the o ce.

GERRY BROOME / AP PHOTO

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Anti-semitic lies versus the boots of truth

If you want truth to go round the world you must hire an express train to pull it.

AT A TIME WHEN the Democratic Party has not yet universally condemned the heinous Oct. 7 Hamas attack on innocent Jewish women, children and citizens without reservation, it takes a lot of chutzpah on their behalf to accuse anyone of being “antisemitic.”

And yet, that is exactly what Democrats have done with North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. They have called him the “AntiSemitic GOP nominee for Governor Who Likes to Quote Hitler!” based on statements they and their friends in the news media have deliberately distorted and politicized.

“Rumour, than whom no other evil thing is faster,” wrote the Roman poet Virgil in “The Aeneid” two decades before the birth of Christ. “Fama, malum qua non aliud velocius ullum.”

How fast did it take a false “rumour” to get around the known world back then ― a year; a decade; a century? Lies and rumors circumnavigate the world in a nanosecond today. No one in the mainstream media who fans the ames to push them out ever corrects them ― because by then, it is too late.

Jonathan Swift, an Anglo-Irish political writer in 1710, ampli ed what Virgil observed two millennia previous:

“Besides, as the vilest Writer has his Readers, so the greatest Liar has his Believers; and it often happens, that if a Lie be believ’d only for an Hour, it has done its Work, and there is no farther occasion for it. Falsehood ies, and the Truth comes limping after it; so that when Men come to be undeceiv’d, it is too late; the Jest is over, and the Tale has had its E ect…”

Not to be outdone, British preacher C.H. Spurgeon simpli ed the work of deceit in his 1855 sermon, “Joseph Attacked by the Archers”:

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

San

“If you want truth to go round the world you must hire an express train to pull it; but if you want a lie to go round the world, it will y; it is as light as a feather, and a breath will carry it. It is well said in the old Proverb, ‘A lie will go round the world while truth is pulling its boots on.’”

The following are two statements from a Facebook post and a speech by Robinson. Sentences in italics are the next lines which were selectively left out to make him look like a fascist dictator, which he is not.

The rst is from his speech at the Moms for Liberty Conference in Philadelphia in July 2023:

“Here’s the thing. Whether you’re talking about Adolf Hitler, whether you’re talking about Chairman Mao, whether you’re talking about Stalin, whether you’re talking about Pol Pot, whether you’re talking about Castro in Cuba, or whether you’re talking about a dozen other despots all around the globe, it is time for us to get back and start reading some of those quotes.”

“It’s time for us to start teaching our children about the dirty, despicable, awful things that those communist and socialist despots did in our history.”

He is right. Children need to learn how murderous Hitler, Stalin and Mao were so they don’t fall in love with the promises of undiluted socialism which can turn into communism overnight.

The fact-checkers at Reuters news service in London ― of course, not from a North Carolina news source ― were one of the very few to point out the selective editing of Robinson’s speech. It did not matter ― leftwing political types ran with the “Robinson quotes Hitler!” trope on social media which persists today.

The second is from one of Robinson’s

Francisco voters experience ‘stunning’ wake-up call on crime

It’s time the reign of criminals who are destroying our city, it is time for it to come to an end.

SAN FRANCISCO has long been considered one of the main epicenters of farleft, over-the-top progressivism in the United States. Known in part for its infamous poop maps, open-air drug use issues, needle exchange programs and rampant homelessness, there is no issue San Francisco has undertaken over the last several decades without consideration for how “o ended” its population would get if city leaders simply put their feet down and said, “We will not tolerate nor enable this any longer.”

So it was an interesting turn of events last Tuesday when voters took to the polls in the City by the Bay and approved two anti-crime measures that had their leading paper, the San Francisco Chronicle, declaring in a headline “Voters make it clear: San Francisco can no longer be called a progressive city.”

I’m not sure if I would go that far, but on the crime situation, voters there clearly have been mugged by reality, a “stunning” development according to the Los Angeles Times, which went with “San Francisco ties welfare to drugscreening, boosts police powers in stunning tough-on-crime shift” in their headline. Both measures were strongly backed by

the city’s mayor, London Breed, a “woke” Democrat who back in 2020 boasted of slashing funding for the police department in the midst of the George Floyd riots and the “Defund the Police” lunacy that Democrats latched onto at the time.

A year and a half later, however, Breed experienced a wake-up call of sorts of her own on defunding the police after an epidemic of slash-and-grab crimes and property thefts caused (and is still causing) businesses and residents alike to head for the exits.

“It’s time the reign of criminals who are destroying our city, it is time for it to come to an end,” she stated during a December 2021 presser. “And it comes to an end when we take the steps to be more aggressive with law enforcement. More aggressive with the changes in our policies and less tolerant of all the (BS) that has destroyed our city.”

Six months later, the city’s voters showed times were changing in San Francisco when they successfully recalled then-District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a radical leftist and staunch proponent of soft-on-crime criminal justice reforms whose reign of terror lasted just over two years before residents sent him packing.

Facebook posts in March 2018:

“The center and leftist leaning Weimar Republic put heavy gun ownership restrictions on German citizens long before the Nazis took power. This foolishness about Hitler disarming MILLIONS of Jews and then marching them o to concentration camps is a bunch of hogwash.

Repeating that hogwash makes the conservative argument against the current attempts by liberal Marxists to push Unconstitutional gun control measures in the Nation look FOOLISH.

The “hogwash” to which Robinson was referring was not implying the Holocaust never occurred as his detractors say. He was admonishing a conservative in a gun rights forum to stop saying Hitler disarmed the Jews since the Weimer Republic under the Kaiser instituted very strict gun control laws for every citizen starting in 1928 long before Hitler seized control in 1933. The argument he was trying to make, perhaps in an inartful manner, was that the Weimar Republic set the conditions where a murderous megalomaniac such as Hitler could take control since the German citizenry was not able to defend itself from Nazi oppression, including the 6 million Jews who were later exterminated.

Which is the same sort of thinking behind the Second Amendment when it was added to the Constitution in 1791 by our American founders.

Political hacks love to jump on quotes by candidates from the other side they wish to destroy, humiliate and defeat ― that is part of the blood sport of politics and pretty much expected. But before you get all wrungout worrying about AI distorting the news, worry more about supposedly self-described “independent, unbiased” journalists doing the same thing behind a facade of objectivity.

As to whether or not the measures voters approved last Tuesday help improve the situation there remains to be seen.

But what has become increasingly clear over the last two and a half years is that a growing number of city leaders and residents alike have become fed up with the rampant lawlessness to the point they’re saying “Enough is enough.”

As far as I’m concerned, that is as strong a signal as any to the criminal elements in the area that their days of victimizing law-abiding citizens by taking advantage of lax laws are fast coming to an end, a point emphasized by a spokesman for Breed’s o ce after Super Tuesday.

“Prop E makes common-sense changes to city rules to get more o cers on the street ghting crime,” spokesman Joe Arellano said according to Fox News.

“It provides police with helpful new tools such as cameras and drones and expanded power to pursue criminals. Over the last few years, the city’s policies swung too far to the left. Now, it’s time to send a message that San Francisco is closed to criminals and brazen theft will not be tolerated,” he also noted, according to the report.

That’s welcome news to voters in San Francisco. Now if we could just get them to move to the right on other issues…

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

The seven keys to President Trump’s triumph

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP had a remarkable showing on Super Tuesday. He won 11 of the rst 12 contests. This is all the proof you need that the Republican Party is now the Trump Party.

No nonincumbent has so decisively dominated and shaped his party since Andrew Jackson.

President Jackson reacted to what his supporters regarded as the theft of the presidency by John Quincy Adams in 1824. As Robert Remini outlined in his classic work, “The Election of Andrew Jackson,” the Jacksonian movement was determined to defeat the oligarchy which had been dominating American politics and the economy, through the Bank of the United States.

Like President Jackson, President Trump is far more than a candidate. He is the leader of a national movement. As the movement’s champion, he can survive attacks and legal assassination attempts that would destroy normal candidates.

Winning 24 of the rst 26 primaries and caucuses is an historic achievement.

How has a businessman from New York come to dominate the GOP so thoroughly?

There are some obvious answers. However, they involve practical, common-sense analysis which Trump Derangement Syndrome seems to block most reporters and analysts from recognizing. There are at least seven unique personal characteristics that have led to President Trump’s Triumph.

President Trump is smart.

Many people are put o by President Trump’s tweets and his occasional angry outbursts. They can’t admit that he is a deeply smart man. Look at the facts. He is a billionaire. He beat 15 other Republicans to become the GOP nominee in 2016 — and Hillary Clinton — when all the so-called experts said this was impossible. President Trump survived eight years of unending lies against him by the deep state and the elite media. He has endured the greatest e ort of legal assassination in American history. And during all this, he increased his control of the GOP. Analysts ought to read President Trump’s remarkable book, “The Art of the Comeback,” to get a sense of how he recovers when times get tough.

President Trump works.

President Trump believes in — and has spent a lifetime focusing on — principles and approaches that work. Because he is an entrepreneur, he understood how to relaunch the American economy. His life before politics was all about negotiating successfully. So, he was able to deal with foreign countries e ectively to achieve his goals. Sometimes his tactics are tough. Many of the European nations who had been hiding behind America’s strength disliked being lectured by President Trump. But they have now increased their defense spending.

President Trump is deeply strategic.

President Trump thinks strategically all the time. Part of his mind is always focused on the immediate — whether it is speechmaking, gol ng or chatting with people — but part of his mind is

constantly analyzing data and thinking about what it means for the long run.

President Trump loves what he is doing.

President Trump gains energy from people. He is amazingly existential and focused on the present in a way that gives him authenticity and allows him to focus his energy and e orts on the immediate. This ability to compartmentalize and focus on the immediate is part of the secret of his surviving eight years of endless news media, bureaucratic and legal assaults. Analysts can’t bring themselves to think through the implications of President Trump knowing people in all 50 states. But that is one of the keys to his enormous grip on the Republican Party. He combines President Ronald Reagan’s charismatic appeal with President Richard Nixon’s detailed knowledge of every state. It is an awesome combination.

President Trump is tough.

I don’t know of any other American leader who could have taken the beating he has taken and still be standing. Yet he is always enthusiastic and ready to ght through another day. He sees himself as engaged in a historic mission to save America — and he accepts that the leader who wants to save the country must be prepared to pay the price for patriotism.

President Trump is not a traditional conservative.

President Trump did not grow up reading National Review or studying Friedrich Hayek. However, he is the most e ective anti-left politician of my lifetime (and that includes President Reagan). The simple act of waking up every day, thinking like an entrepreneurial businessman and applying common sense is devastating to left-wing ideology. Left-wing ideology exists in a fantasy world. It is built on principles that simply don’t work and can’t produce acceptable results. President Trump understands this and rejects it every day to the rage of his critics and the joy of his supporters.

President Trump focuses on achievements.

President Trump’s mind moves from achievement to achievement. This focus on getting things done has been true for his business, political and governmental experiences. When he has a moment of downtime, he starts thinking, “What else can I get done?” He doesn’t focus on personalities or building circles of friends. Those occur because of his work to achieve things. His focus on achievement and accomplishment during his four years in the White House clearly impressed the American people. It is clear how much better things were under President Trump than President Joe Biden.

Because of all these qualities, President Trump has assembled a campaign team led by Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, which may be running the most thoughtful and competent campaign seen in decades.

Super Tuesday was President Trump’s triumph. His election in November will be the American people’s triumph.

The dirty little secret of the 2024 campaign

THIS WEEK, new polling showed what Democrats have long feared: Donald Trump is now in commanding position to defeat Joe Biden and win reelection in 2024. According to the latest New York Times/Siena poll, Trump is up 48-43 over Biden; what’s more, Biden is actually underwater among Hispanics, earns just two-thirds of Black votes, and has cratered among independents. According to the RealClearPolitics polling average, Trump now leads in every swing state but Pennsylvania and is within the margin of error there, too. Nationally, Trump has not trailed Biden since September 2023.

We all know what’s going wrong for Biden: He’s widely perceived as too old to be running again; Americans remain unhappy with the economy, deeply enraged over border policy and alarmed by the brush fires around the world. Biden came into office promising normalcy, and he has instead delivered chaos.

But there’s something else going on, too.

Joe Biden is losing to Donald Trump because of a dirty little secret: Donald Trump is actually the moderate in this race.

On nearly every issue, Trump is closer to the median voter than Biden. Biden won the Democratic primaries over Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2020 because voters thought he would tack toward the center, away from the insanity of The Squad in Congress — borderline psychotics like Reps. Cori Bush, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. Instead, he entered office believing that he had a mandate for transformation, that he could become our age’s FDR or LBJ.

And so Biden abandoned the middle.

And median voters are now abandoning Biden. As election analyst Nate Silver rightly observes, The New York Times poll shows that “only 83 percent of voters who say they chose Biden in 2020 plan to vote for him this year, whereas 97 percent who voted for

Trump plan to vote for Trump again. These are swing voters, in other words — people who are explicitly stating to pollsters that they are switching their vote from 2020. There are a substantial number of them.” Because the legacy media are monolithically radical on matters of politics, they keep encouraging Biden to double down on the left-wing base, hoping that by steering toward the radicals, he can boost voter turnout. But that strategy is leaving independent voters behind. Meanwhile, Trump is winning over more and more vote-switchers. That’s because his positions are moderate. On abortion, for example, he may support a federal 16week ban. By polling data, 48% of Americans support such a ban, compared with 36% who oppose such a ban. Only 24% of Americans support Biden’s position — availability of abortion without limits. On immigration, Biden is underwater by over 20 points. On inflation and spending, Americans favor lower inflation and lower spending — both propositions that cut against Biden’s preferred policies. On national security, Americans broadly favor Israel over Hamas — and yet Biden’s administration has steered toward the pro-Hamas voters in Dearborn, Michigan. For some reason, Biden and his team think that their echo chamber strategy — shouting “Jan. 6!” over and over while demonizing their political opposition as insurrectionists and traitors — is likely to jog enough base turnout to overcome their loss of the middle. But that’s a chimerical proposition. Biden, in other words, has been suckered by the very people who want him to win most — the radicals in the media who keep ramming him toward the far left, even as he falls further and further behind in the polling.

Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+.

The Supreme Court is the last properly functioning institution in America

IN A 9-0 DECISION, the Supreme Court ruled states cannot use Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to kick former President Donald Trump o state ballots over his alleged “insurrectionist” actions on Jan. 6, 2021.

Learning that state o cials aren’t empowered to simply toss leading presidential candidates o ballots came as a great surprise to many incredulous left-wingers. Once you’ve convinced yourself Trump led a Hitlerian putsch that nearly overthrew democracy, every crackpot legal theory aimed at stopping him sounds not only morally justi ed but legally sound.

Just last week, progressives were fuming that the Supreme Court hasn’t expedited Trump’s immunity claims to t with President Joe Biden’s campaign schedule.

The deeper problem, though, is that the Left — but, really, anyone who is Trump-obsessed — can’t seem to comprehend the notion of neutrality in law or principle. Here, for instance, is how The Associated Press framed the court’s decision: “Supreme Court restores Trump to ballot, rejecting state attempts to hold him accountable for attack on Capitol in 2021.”

That is, most de nitely, not what happened. SCOTUS ruled on the constitutional question. Whether Colorado thinks it’s holding Trump accountable — and the contention that he engaged in “insurrection” is, let’s just say, highly debatable — is another story.

In any event, the case is another reminder that the Supreme Court is perhaps the only functioning institution of government. By “functioning,” of course, I don’t mean the court “moves the country forward,” “upholds democracy,” “keeps us safe” or any of the other twaddle leftists insist constitutes good governance. I mean a court majority takes its constitutional mandate, as written, seriously.

No, SCOTUS doesn’t get every case right. Sometimes, led by the chief justice, it is perplexingly Solomonic. But it is wrong within the contours of normal. Congress, on the other hand, has handed its responsibilities on war, spending and governing to the executive branch. At this point, we are far more likely to see a congressman dunking on someone on social media than acting to defend the document he swore to uphold.

Worse, Democrats are often cheerleaders for more executive abuse. The White House, also abnormally, feels unfettered in regulating the economy and our lives with no oversight from the legislative branch or voters. Biden openly ignores the court. The most obvious example is the unconstitutional student loan “forgiveness” plan, a transparent e ort to bribe younger voters.

Sure, the Colorado ballot case was so weak that even Justice Sonia Sotomayor couldn’t go along with Democrats. That’s rare. If it weren’t for originalists (for lack of a better word), the country would have been plunged into chaos long ago, and not only on the political front.

In July 2020, the Supreme Court’s approval rating stood at 58 percent. A few months earlier, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer threatened justices with a “whirlwind” if they ignored the will of the Democratic Party. Democrats have been ratcheting up their attacks on the court since former President Barack Obama used his State of the Union to publicly castigate it upholding the First Amendment.

Since that time, a concerted project among donors, politicians and major media organizations to smear and delegitimize the high court has been underway. It’s working. As of the last poll taken, the court’s approval rating had fallen to 41% and its disapproval was at 58%, most of the change driven by left-wing voters.

Most of the justices have been impressively resistant to the pressures of politics. The court, obviously, was conceived to be impervious to the vagaries of public opinion. This is an upsetting notion for people like Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), one of the nation’s leading conspiracy theorists, who believes low poll numbers are proof of a legitimacy problem. What, one wonders, does that say about the 12% approval of Congress?

Every time the Left su ers a setback at SCOTUS, they accuse justices with long histories of consistent judicial philosophy of corruption. When the conservatives lose — as they did recently with North Carolina redistricting and the case covering gender dysphoria under disability laws — the media act like it is some huge surprise that the court didn’t act re exively partisan. This, like so many of the contemporary Left’s accusations, is just projection.

The reason the Left has a poor record in front of the court — and the trend goes back to Obama’s historic string of losses — isn’t that SCOTUS is bought. It’s that the contemporary Left’s vision of governance con icts with the Constitution. If the Left doesn’t destroy the court, it is likely blue states will begin ignoring it.

But for now, SCOTUS remains perhaps the last institutional bulwark against lawlessness and nuttery.

David Harsanyi is a senior editor at The Federalist.

NC counties, new and old

Of North Carolina’s 100 counties, rst county established was Albermarle in the northeastern corner of the state. It was incorporated in 1668 and abolished in 1739. Covering a large part of the upper coastal region of the state, four counties came to be in its place: Chowan County, Currituck County, Perquimans County and Pasquotank County. The newest counties in North Carolina are Avery County in the western part of the state and Hoke County in the central coastal plain, both established in 1911. Avery County was formed from parts of Caldwell County, Mitchell County and Watauga County. Hoke County came from Cumberland County and Robeson County.

WEST

with the McDowell County Drug Enforcement Team conducted a narcotics search warrant at a home last week, charging a man and a woman with multiple felony possession and intent to sell narcotics charges, and for maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of

WLOS

OLDEST NEWEST

Albemarle County 1664-1696

Avery County

Original Counties: Caldwell, Mitchell, Watauga Chowan County

Currituck County

Perquimans County

Pasquotank County

Hoke County

Original Counties: Cumberland, Robeson

Murphy Blount

Tuberculosis exposure at Gardner-Webb Cleveland County A tuberculosis case was con rmed in a student at Gardner-Webb University, according to a university representative. The case was reported March 4 to the Cleveland County Health Department. According to o cials, a “relatively small” number of people are likely to have been exposed. They also told local outlets no one is immediately at risk for health problems and everyone identi ed as a contact will be noti ed directly. By law, the health department will investigate the case and will o er free tests to those who were contacted. “TB generally develops over weeks to months and is completely curable if detected early and treated properly with medication,” said department o cials.

WBTV

Man involved in stando implicated in double homicide

Iredell County A double homicide followed by an eighthour stando ended with the death of a suspect, who was killed by Iredell County Sheri ’s Deputies after ring at them with an AR-15. Local media outlets report deputies responded to a shooting on Saturday night, nding two men dead and a third critically injured. According to o cials, the suspect had barricaded himself inside a nearby home with four teenagers. “He spoke to us throughout the night … and he said certain statements to us,” o cials said. After nearly eight hours, deputies decided to deploy gas, and the suspect, wearing a bulletproof vest, exited after the teenagers and red upon deputies. They returned re, killing him.

NSJ

hour fatalities than several other cities, the percentage of fatal crashes during rush hour remains the highest in the nation, according to the data.

NSJ

regional athletic tournament play, which, in turn, can help generate revenue for local businesses. The courts project is expected to be complete by this fall.

WXII

Missing man found after drive to Mexico

Randolph County A man who had been missing for nearly a month has been found, Randolph County o cials told local outlets. The Randolph County Sheri ’s O ce received a missing persons report for 43-year-old Craig Wesley Cox, who was last seen on Feb. 12 on Craven Branch Road in the area of Siler City and Coleridge at around 7:30 a.m. Cox was veri ed to have entered the state of Texas on Feb. 13 and crossed the border into Mexico, according to investigators. He reentered the United States, still driving the Ford F-150, and had last been seen in the Tuscaloosa, Alabama, area on Feb. 13 and Feb. 15. Cox was entered into the National Missing and Unidenti ed Persons System and was considered a missing person nationwide.

WGBH

Sheri , deputies sued for ‘storming’ wrong address, injuring elderly man

Stokes County A lawsuit has been led against the Stokes County sheri and multiple deputies claiming investigators illegally entered a man’s home and assaulted him in 2021, according to local news outlets. The lawsuit, led by Larry Gray Blakley Sr. on March 4, contends that numerous o cers within the department were attempting to serve a warrant for 53-year-old Larry Gray Blakley Jr. but instead “stormed” into the home of Blakley Sr., then 75, who lived three miles away from the address for Blakely Jr. listed on their warrant. The deputies then allegedly used “excessive force” against Blakley Sr., breaking multiple bones.

WGHP

general of Fort Liberty, said. O cials have long noted that the Army is relying more on sophisticated technology, like drones, for combat rather than boots on the ground for modern warfare.

candy and turned what was left over to police. Both children were treated and released from the hospital, and no arrests have been made at this time.

WITN

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Man caught with fake patrol car, impersonating an o cer

Johnston County Johnston County police say a man was caught pretending to be a Smith eld police o cer and using a fake patrol car, the police department said last week. In a statement, o cials said a Smith eld o cer spotted a fully marked Crown Victoria car that said “POLICE” and “K-9 UNIT” on the side while on patrol. Police also said the car was fully equipped with functional blue lights, a siren and ctitious tags. According to the police department, the driver of the vehicle was identi ed as Terry McLeod, who has been charged with possession of a rearm by felon, possession of cocaine, impersonating a police o cers, possession of blue lights and displaying ctitious tags.

WNCN

East Carolina announces military leadership development program

Pitt County East Carolina University and the Institute for Defense and Business (IDB) are joining forces to provide specialized training for some of the country’s top decision-makers. According to a press release, IDB programming o ers customized continued education and leadership development opportunities to military, government and industry leaders. Retired USMC Lt. Gen. Mark Faulkner, an ECU alumnus and president of IDB, said: “Leaders in the U.S. military deeply value and appreciate the importance of being lifelong learners. IDB has provided executive and advanced education to thousands of graduates from across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard.

Several notable results from NC primaries

a liations with the N.C. Association of Educators, American Federation of Teachers, State Employees Association of N.C., and as having served on the Governor’s Teacher Advisory Committee. His LinkedIn pro le says he is currently a middle school social studies teacher in Northampton Pierce was also endorsed by the NCDP’s Progressive Caucus as well as Carolina Forward and education historian Diane Ravitch’s education nonpro t Network for Public Education.

the 21-year-old Gable 95 votes, or 1.96% of the vote, ahead of Cleveland, who is 84. Primary night also saw three moderate Democrats targeted by progressives in the party. Three Democrats — Sen. Mike Woodard (Durham), Rep. Cecil Brockman (Guilford) and Rep. Michael Wray (Northampton) — were accused by progressives in their party for voting with Republicans to override several of Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes. Two of the three lost their primary race.

42

Number of votes

Rodney Pierce

Woodard lost to challenger Sophia Chitlik, who said on her website that she had worked for the Department of Labor under former President Barack Obama.

In her bid, Chitlik received the backing of the N.C. Democratic Party’s Progressive Caucus. She also received endorsements from far-left political organizations such as the Durham People’s Alliance.

Wray lost to Rodney Pierce, but just barely — by only 42 votes — and there may be a recount called. If not, Pierce wins the seat since no Republican is running to oppose the Democrat in the race. Pierce describes himself as an “award-winning educator” and “a historian” who touts

As for Brockman, the Guilford lawmaker beat challenger Jay Adams by just 83 votes, according to uno cial results. Brockman next faces Republican Joseph Perotta in November. Another noteworthy highlight was Mecklenburg County Commissioner Pat Cotham, a Democrat who is typically the top vote-getter, coming in fourth out of ve candidates on the ballot. She is the mother of state Rep. Tricia Cotham, who controversially switched parties from Democrat to Republican last year to give the GOP a supermajority in the N.C. House. Leigh Altman and Arthur Gri n nished rst and second, respectively, and newcomer Yvette TownsendIngram had just over 13,000 more votes than Cotham — who was rst elected to the council in 2012 — for third. Altman, Gri n and Townsend-Ingram will become at-large council members. Turnout across the state was lower this presidential election year cycle than it was in 2020 despite the state having more registered voters this year. Uno cial results show a ballot cast rate of 24.02%. That translates to 1,790,838 out of 7,456,236 possible votes. In 2020, the rate was 31.19%, or 2,164,731 votes cast out of 6,940,995 possible votes.

NATION & WORLD

Trump wants NY trial delayed until SCOTUS rules on immunity

The former president’s hush money trial is set to begin March 25

By Michael R. Sisak

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Donald Trump is seeking to delay his March 25 hush money trial until the Supreme Court rules on the presidential immunity claims he raised in another of his criminal cases.

The Republican former president’s lawyers on Monday asked Manhattan Judge Juan Manuel Merchan to adjourn the New York criminal trial indenitely until Trump’s immunity claim in his Washington, D.C., election interference case is resolved. Merchan did not immediately rule.

Trump contends he is immune from prosecution for conduct alleged to involve o cial acts during his tenure in o ce. His lawyers argue some of the evidence and alleged acts in the hush money case overlap with his time in the White House and constitute o cial acts.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments April 25, a month after the scheduled start of jury selection in Trump’s hush money case. It is the rst of

partners to ensure that unaccompanied migrant children are placed with vetted family members or other sponsors in the U.S. as quickly and safely as possible.”

The release includes a list of four “operating” in ux care facilities, including the Greensboro location which is described as having no children on site and “no activation date.”

Vaughn’s formal statement echoed the one on social media, adding that, “ORR will notify stakeholders before children are placed at the ICF.”

Greensboro falls under the 6th Congressional District currently held by Democrat Rep. Kathy Manning, whose o ce is aware of the March 15 opening but also indicated that “children will not arrive on that date.”

Last December, North State Journal was turned away from the facility and guards at the entrance refused to answer any questions or provide access to sta in charge.

According to DHS ORR, the Greensboro ICF is intended to house, feed and educate up to 800 migrant children.

The Biden administration’s HHS signed a ve-year contract for more than $49.7 million to begin on June 9, 2022, and end on July 8, 2027. It remains unclear why no children have yet been placed at the Greensboro ICF as the nearly $50 million contract quickly approached two years old and questions about the facility from North Carolina Congressional members to the Biden administration have yet to be answered.

Federal contract data lists the group hired to operate the facility as “Deployed Services” under a blanket purchase agreement from DHS for $139.4 million. The organization is headquartered in Rome, New York.

Despite no children being housed at the site, security and other personnel with Deployed Services have been on the property for at least a year. Following the contract award, employment ads for up to 800 workers to start work in July 2022 were allegedly placed by Deployed Services.

Earlier this year, North State Journal learned that the ownership of the Greensboro ICF property changed hands in early 2023 and that the companies have ties to China.

According to Guilford County real estate records, the $26 million loan documents for the American Hebrew Acade-

his four criminal cases slated to go to trial as he closes in on the Republican presidential nomination in his quest to retake the White House.

The Manhattan district attorney’s o ce declined to comment. Prosecutors are expected to respond to Trump’s delay request in court papers later this week.

Trump rst raised the immunity issue in his Washington, D.C., criminal case, which involves allegations that he worked to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the runup to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The hush money case centers on allegations that Trump falsi ed his company’s internal records to hide the true nature of payments to his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who helped Trump bury negative stories during his 2016 presidential campaign. Among other things, Cohen paid porn actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to suppress her claims of an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump years earlier.

Trump’s lawyers argue that some evidence Manhattan prosecutors plan to introduce at the hush money trial, including messages he posted on social

my (AHA) campus, now called the Greensboro ICF, had been assigned from Puxin Ltd. to Metabroad International Group and Heyi Holdings in January 2023. Records show Metabroad’s representative Wei Yang was the rst to notarize his documents in Virginia on Dec. 27, 2022. Yang is also a former AHA board member.

The following month, loan change paperwork was executed by “Ling Tie” on behalf of Heyi Holdings in Honolulu on Jan. 6, 2023. Six days later, Puxin’s CFO Peng Wang certi ed his part of the contract at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

“Hush money paid to an adult lm star is not related to a President’s o cial acts.”

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, in an earlier ruling on Donald Trump claiming the payments were o cial acts and gave him immunity

media in 2018 about money paid to Cohen, were from his time as president and constituted ocial acts.

Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He has denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels, and his lawyers argue the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses and not part of any cover-up.

A federal judge last year rejected Trump’s claim that allegations in the hush money indictment involved o cial duties, nixing his bid to move the case from state court to federal court. Had the case been moved to federal court, Trump’s lawyers could’ve tried to get the charges

dismissed on the grounds that federal o cials have immunity from prosecution over actions taken as part of their o cial duties.

“The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the matter was a purely a personal item of the President — a cover-up of an embarrassing event,” U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein wrote last July. “Hush money paid to an adult lm star is not related to a President’s o cial acts. It does not re ect in any way the color of the President’s o cial duties.”

Trump’s lawyers appealed Hellerstein’s ruling but dropped the appeal in November. They said they were doing so with prejudice, meaning they couldn’t change their minds.

The question of whether a former president is immune from federal prosecution for o cial acts taken in o ce is legally untested.

Prosecutors in the Washington, D.C., case have said no such immunity exists and that, in any event, none of the actions Trump is alleged to have taken in the indictment charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden count as o cial acts.

The trial judge in Washington and a federal appeals court have both ruled against Trump, but the high court agreed last month to give the matter fresh consideration — a decision that delays the federal case in Washington and injects fresh uncertainty as to when it might reach trial.

The Greensboro In ux Care Facility, pictured in December 2023, will be “operational” this week but children will not yet be placed at the site.

US man gets life in prison in German murder

Berlin

An American man was convicted of murder and other charges on Monday for attacking two American women near Germany’s famed Neuschwanstein castle last summer and pushing them into a ravine, fatally injuring one of them. He was sentenced to life in prison. The Kempten state court also convicted the 31-year-old of attempted murder and rape with fatal consequences, the German news agency dpa reported. In line with German privacy laws, German authorities did not identify the perpetrator and the victims, however, family and friends identi ed the victims as 21-year-old Eva Liu, who died, and Kelsey Chang, 22, who survived.

Sperm whale dies after beaching on Fla. Coast Venice, Fla. A sperm whale that became famous after beaching itself on a sandbar has died, Florida o cials said. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement that the whale died around 3 a.m. Monday. Police and wildlife o cials began trying to free the whale from the shallow sandbar o the beach in Venice on Sunday morning. By Sunday evening, the 44-foot-long whale was su ering from labored breathing. Biologists had a di cult time helping it because of water conditions.

5 dead in apparent murder-suicide in Honolulu

Honolulu

STIP Project No. P-2918F

CHARLOTTE - The N.C. Department of Transportation is hosting a public meeting to discuss the proposal to construct a new passenger rail facility southwest of uptown Charlotte to support the growth of intercity passenger rail and the new Charlotte Gateway Station in Mecklenburg County.

Project details and maps can be found on the NCDOT project web page https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/charlotte-passenger-rail-facility

The information will be presented at the meeting allowing for one-on-one discussions

The meeting will be held Mar. 25 at Pritchard at South End Church, 1117 South Boulevard, Charlotte. The public is invited to attend at any time between 5 - 7 p.m Caldwell Street and Lexington Avenue.

People may also submit comments by phone at 512-580-8850 project code 6193 email charlotte-passenger-rail@publicinput.com below by April 25, 2024

By Mail: Mathew Potter

NCDOT Rail Division – Project Development Engineer Consultant 1553 Mail Service Center

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled people who wish to participate in this meeting. Anyone magallagher@ncdot.gov as early as possible so arrangements can be made.

Honolulu police said Sunday they were investigating what appears to be the murdersuicide of a family, including three children, at a Manoa home. When police entered the residence, they found four people — appearing to be a wife and three children aged 10, 12 and 17 — fatally stabbed. The husband also was found dead. A preliminary investigation showed the husband fatally stabbed his wife and children, Thoemmes said. She added the husband’s cause of death was under investigation when asked whether he stabbed himself. Witnesses reported there had been an argument in the home early Sunday morning, police said.

Whooping crane death prompts $5K reward

Mamou, La. Federal o ered a $5,000 reward to nd out who killed a whooping crane in southwest Louisiana in January. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the reward for information regarding the endangered bird which was found dead Jan. 9 in Mamou, Louisiana. A necropsy determined that the juvenile bird was shot. State o cials and groups like the Audubon Nature Institute have gone to great lengths to reintroduce the species. As of 2023, 85 whooping cranes exist in Louisiana. Each bird reintroduced into the wild takes months of care, and nearly $33,000 is spent caring per bird, Dunn said.

FACILITY from page A1

SCOTT PELKEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

catastrophe

questions about when normal

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

A7

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

we begin to get back to normal

pay

for this COVID-19

The comfort

nobody

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.

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

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 to treat those start getting back are people who sick. levels become a bad society were supposed course, is my family. I’m worried I will. After 2009 pandemic, of this brings up prefer not to repeat. most everyone has

WALTER E. WILLIAMS

Perhaps

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.

COVID-19 is China’s Chernobyl.

n.c.

Fixing college corruption

FAST FACTS

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.

State Wild ower Program in bloom

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.”

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.

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a

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.

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.”

Not one little bit.

RALEIGH — In 1985, the North Carolina Department of Transportation launched its Wild ower Program with just 12 acres of roadside land adorned with wild ower beds. First Lady Dottie Martin, wife of former Gov. Jim Martin, had the idea for the state program after reading an article in the Wall Street Journal about wild ower beds in Texas. Almost four decades later, the program features hundreds of acres of wild owers on roadsides statewide. The NCDOT plants annuals, perennials and N.C. native wild owers with a goal of having one-third of the owers in each category. The native species planted include Clasping Cone ower (Rudbeckia amplexicaulis), Bur-Marigold (Bidens aristosa), Common Sun ower (Helianthus annuus) and Maximilian Sun ower (Helianthus maximiliani).

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

In 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.

Last week, the NCDOT honored the employees who made roadsides beautiful in 2023 just as the 2024 blooms are beginning to peak from behind the drab colors of winter.

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.

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.”

“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.

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

Producers have pushed back on the data saying sales of higher-quality Italian extra virgin olive oil are actually up

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

By Colleen Barry The Associated Press

MILAN — One-third of Italians have reduced their consumption of extra virgin olive oil, a mainstay of the Mediterranean diet, due to

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.

President Joe Biden is still seeking to cancel student debt after the Supreme Court ruled his rst attempt violated federal law

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.

By Adriana Morga and Collin Binkley The Associated Press

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

NEW YORK — More than 75 million student loan borrowers have enrolled in the U.S. government’s newest repayment plan since it launched in August.

President Joe Biden recently announced that he was canceling federal student loans for nearly 153,000 borrowers enrolled in the plan, known as the SAVE plan. Forgiveness was granted to borrowers who had made payments for at least 10 years and originally borrowed $12,000 or less.

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

The cavalier manner in virus, covered up its spread

(Psalm

“THIS IS in it”

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

3,341 related deaths has millions of Americans needlessly

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

Lenten and Easter seasons provide a message of

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.

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

The result: a reduction in expected hospitalization

The crisis has cost the debt plus trillions more in markets and nancial outlets. currency, we would not be measures without immediate depreciation.

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

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

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.

The SAVE plan was created last year to replace other existing income-based repayment plans o ered by the federal government. More borrowers are now eligible to have their monthly payments reduced to $0, and many will qualify for lower payments compared to

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.

If you are re ect on this God’s example this di cult con dent we

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

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

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

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

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

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

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a bad thing? That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed

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

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.

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

Sponsored by pr il 15, 2 l, senior

The comfort and hope

“THIS IS THE DAY the lord has made,

orders thanks to local or state governments, a majority of Americans are having to adjust to what is being called the “new normal.”

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.

ANTONIO

fallen into place. I understand to take precautions, but I’m questions about the data, normal are treated in some

by the Piepoli independent research institute. Nearly half of those questioned said they were substituting olive oil with cheaper seed oil. The survey of 500 Italian adults had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

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

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

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.

skyrocketing prices, according to a survey released Friday.

But Italian producers are pushing back against the data, saying the snapshot of consumer sentiment does not give a full picture — and that sales of higher-quality Italian extra virgin olive oil are actually up. Consumers reported cutting back consumption of extra virgin olive oil by at least 30% to as much as half as average supermarket prices have risen from 4 euros to 9 euros a bottle, according to a survey

Greece and Spain have both seen olive oil sales plummet by one-third over the last year

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.

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.

The reported drop in consumption is much less of a hit than in other olive oil-producing Mediterranean Sea countries, as two years of drought has drastically cut production in Spain, the world’s largest olive oil producer, and pushed up global prices. Greece and Spain have both seen olive oil sales plummet by one-third over the last year, according to industry estimates.

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

have helped clarify the market, separating lower-quality extra virgin olive oils from premium extra virgin olive oils.

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.

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

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.

Even the softer Italian numbers are too much for the industry to take quietly. David Granieri, president of the Unaprol olive-growing consortium that represents half of Italy’s production, said the higher prices

Federal program will lower student loan payments for many

While the Piepoli survey showed consumers buying less oil from supermarket shelves, Granieri said industry data indicates domestic sales of extra virgin olive oil produced in Italy, which can cost up to 14 euros a liter, were up 8% in the rst two months of this year.

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.

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

other repayment plans. For Lauran Michael and her husband, the SAVE plan has reduced student loan payments by half.

Since getting married, they’ve both been paying o her husband’s student loans, which would have amounted to about $1,000 a month when payments resumed after a pause during the pandemic. Under the SAVE plan, their payments are now

$530 a month. “We don’t want our loans dictating our life choices, and us not being able to do other things because we’re paying so much money. The SAVE plan is de nitely a game changer for us,” said Michael, a 34-year-old interior designer in Raleigh, North Carolina. Michael’s family is paying for daycare for their two children using the money they saved from

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.

“The Italian consumer has been under the illusion that olive oil is a commodity,’’ Granieri said, aided by low super-

See OLIVE OIL, page A11

“We don’t

want our loans dictating our life choices.”

Michael, from Raleigh

Stacey Matthews has also and is a regular contributor

not making payments during the pandemic and the reduced payments under the SAVE plan.

The U.S. Education Department o ers several plans for repaying federal student loans. Under the standard plan, borrowers are charged a xed monthly amount that ensures all their debt will be repaid after 10 years. But if borrowers have di culty paying that amount, they can enroll in one of several plans that o er lower monthly payments based on income and family size. Those are known as income-driven repayment plans.

Income-driven options have been o ered for years and generally cap monthly payments at 10% of a borrower’s discretionary income. If a borrower’s earnings are low enough, their bill is reduced to $0. And after 20 or 25 years, any remaining debt gets erased. The plan won’t require borrowers to make payments if they earn less than 225% of the federal poverty line — $32,800 a year for a single person. The cut-

2023 Wild ower Awards were sponsored by The Garden Club of North Carolina and given to the best ower beds in each region of the state. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and NC State University are also key partners to the DOT. The Wild ower Awards were given for beds that bloomed in 2023. The winners are: Best Overall Wild ower Program First Place: Division 9, which includes Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Rowan and Stokes counties Second Place: Division 7, which includes Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Orange, and Rockingham counties William D. Johnson Daylily Award First Place: Division 4, US 264 at Downing Street in Wilson County Second Place: Division 7, I-85 at Grandover Resort in Guilford County Best Region, Eastern Region First Place: Division 2, NC 58 at NC 24 Cape Carteret in Carteret County Second Place: Division 6, I-95 South in Robeson County Best Region, Central Region First Place: Division 7, US 29 at Barnes Street in Rockingham County Second Place: Division 9, US 52 exit 129 Perch Road in Stokes County Best Region, Western Region First Place: Division 12, I-40 at exit 138 Oxford School Road in Catawba County Second Place: Division 13, US 25/70 at South Windy Ridge Road in Madison County business & economy JACQUELYN MARTIN/AP Protesters opposing the Supreme Court’s decision that the President can’t cancel student loan debt without action from Congress.

Pencils down

The SATs are going all digital, and students have mixed reviews of the new format

By Carolyn Thompson and Rebecca Griesbach The Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — As SAT season kicks o this weekend, students across the U.S. for the rst time will take it with computers and tablets — and not the pencils they’ve used since the college admissions test was introduced nearly a century ago.

It’s not unfamiliar territory for today’s digital natives, but some are still warming up to the idea.

“I’ve always been the type to do things on paper, so at rst I didn’t really like it, but it’s not terrible,” said Rachel Morrow, a junior at Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School in Birmingham, where students have been practicing with a digital version. She likes a timer function that keeps her on track without having to watch the clock.

The digital SAT’s launch comes as its administrator, the College Board, and backers of standardized tests hope to win over schools and critics who are skeptical of its place in college admissions.

The COVID-19 pandemic canceled a full SAT testing season and intensi ed longstanding questions about whether the exams favor students from high-income families. Many colleges dropped test requirements, and today most still leave it up to students to decide

whether to submit scores.

Recently, a small number of highly selective colleges including Dartmouth and Brown announced they would resume requiring SAT or ACT scores. They say the tests allow them to identify promising students who might otherwise be overlooked — students from schools that don’t o er advanced coursework and extracurriculars, and whose teachers may be stretched too thin to write glowing letters of recommendation.

Many students see upsides to taking the SAT, even if colleges don’t require their scores.

“A lot of people are going test-optional now but if you do put your scores in, you most likely will have an advantage,” Morrow said.

Her class has been practicing on the digital version of the SAT. The school four years ago took the unusual step of introducing a mandatory SAT prep course for juniors in partnership with CollegeSpring, a nonpro t that provides in-school preparation to help students from low-income backgrounds position themselves better for college.

The SAT also can unlock scholarships, but scoring well enough to qualify often requires intense test preparation.

The digital test is an hour shorter but set up and scored the same way, with two sections — one math, the other reading and writing — worth up to 800 points each. It adapts to students’ performance, with questions becoming slightly easier or harder as they go. Test-takers can use their own laptops or tablets but they still have to

Texting and learning

Teachers say parent and student texting is a distraction from learning

By Jocelyn Gecker The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Virginia high school teacher Joe Clement keeps track of the text messages parents have sent students sitting in his economics and government classes:

“What did you get on your test?”

“Did you get the eld trip form signed?”

“Do you want chicken or hamburgers for dinner tonight?”

Clement has a plea for parents: Stop texting your kids at school.

Parents are distressingly aware of the distractions and the mental health issues associated with smartphones and social media. But teachers say parents might not realize how much those struggles play out at school.

One culprit? Mom and Dad themselves, whose stream-of-consciousness questions add to a climate of constant interruption and distraction from learning. Even when schools regulate or ban cellphones, it’s hard for teachers to enforce it. And the constant buzzes on watches and phones are occupying critical brain space regardless of whether kids are sneaking a peek.

Many parents stay in touch with their child by texting, but school is a place for focusing on learning and developing independence. Teachers say you can still reach your child if you have a change in plans or a family emergency: Just contact the front ofce.

A9

o for other plans, by contrast, is 150% of the poverty line, or $22,000 a year for a single person. The plan also prevents interest from piling up. As long as borrowers make their monthly payments, their overall balance won’t increase. Once they cover their adjusted monthly payment — even if it’s $0 — any remaining interest is waived.

BUTCH DILL/AP

Students are digital rst these days, so using pencils to take the SAT seems almost antiquated.

“A lot of people are going test-optional now, but if you do put your scores in, you most likely will have an advantage.”

Rachel Morrow, high school junior

sit for the test at a monitored testing site or in school, not at home. To prevent cheating, students can’t work in any other program or application while the test is running.

Test administrators say the digital SAT has a built-in advanced calculator for use during the exam, and free full-length practice exams are being o ered to interested students.

About 1.9 million students in the class of 2023 took the SAT at least once, up from 1.7 million in 2022, according to the College Board.

Emerson Houser, 17, a test taker in Columbus, Ohio, said she is planning to submit her scores to colleges she applies to regardless of whether they are required. Judging from her online practice tests, she prefers the digital version.

“We didn’t have to ll in the bubble sheet so we just had to focus on our screens the entire

time,” she said. “It made it easier to read the prompts and respond.”

At Holy Family Cristo Rey, Ashley Chávez-Cruz, a junior, said there are features that make the digital test feel familiar, like a highlighting option. But she said it’s harder to mark up problems and passages because you can only make notes in the digital version in a text box o to the side.

But there’s also something less nerve-wracking about taking a test digitally.

“With the paper test, especially because you’re in a quiet room with the clock ticking up there silently, it de nitely brings in the sense of an exam,” she said. “With the digital SAT, I still knew it was an exam in my mind, but I was less anxious.”

If the message is not urgent, it can probably wait.

Think of it this way: “If you came to school and said, ‘Can you pull my child out of calculus so I can tell them something not important?’ we would say no,” central Virginia school counselor Erin Rettig said.

“When your children are texting you stu that can wait — like, ‘Can I go to Brett’s house ve days from now?’ — don’t respond,” said Sabine Polak, one of three mothers who co-founded the Phone-Free Schools Movement. “You have to stop engaging. That’s just feeding the problem.”

Many parents got used to being in constant contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, when kids were home doing online school. They have kept that communication going as life has otherwise returned to normal.

“We call it the digital umbilical cord. Parents can’t let go. And they need to,” Clement said.

Parents might not expect their kids to respond immediately to texts (though many do). But when students pull out their phones to reply, it opens the door to other social media distractions.

Some teachers say they get emails from parents right after returning graded exams, before the class is over, because kids feel the need (or are told) to report grades immediately to parents.

Dr. Libby Milkovich, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, says she asks parents to consider what kids miss out on by having parents at arms’ reach during school hours.

“By texting back and forth with a parent, a child is unable to practice either self-calming or problem-solving skills,” Milkov-

Other major changes will take e ect in July 2024. Payments on undergraduate loans will be capped at 5% of discretionary income, down from 10% now. Those with graduate and undergraduate loans will pay between 5% and 10%, depending on their original loan balance.

The maximum repayment period is capped at 20 years for those with only undergraduate loans and 25 years for those with any graduate school loans.

“Forty percent of my students have at least one earbud in when they walk into class.”

Beth Black, high school English teacher

ich said. “It’s easy to text, but if I don’t have a phone, I have to go ask the teacher or I have to gure it out on my own.”

Beth Black, a high school English teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, tells parents to consider con scating their child’s old phones.

Her school requires students

The SAVE plan is available to all student loan borrowers in the Direct Loan Program who are in good standing on their loans.

Borrowers can apply to the SAVE plan using the Income-Driven Repayment Plan request through the Education Department’s website.

Several categories of borrowers would be eligible for relief under Biden’s second try at widespread cancellation after the Supreme Court rejected his rst

to put phones in a special cellphone holder when they enter classrooms. But she has seen students stash their old, inactive phone there, and hold onto the phone that works.

Like many teachers, she says phones aren’t the only problem. There’s also the earbud issue.

“Forty percent of my students have at least one earbud in when they walk into class,” Black said. “The kids will set their phone in the holder to music and they’ll listen to music in class in one earbud.”

Many studies have found students check their phones frequently during class. A study last year from Common Sense Media found teens get bombarded with as many as 237 noti cations a day. About 25% of them pop up during the school day, mostly

plan last year. His proposed plan includes relief for borrowers who have been paying their loans for at least 20 or 25 years, automatic forgiveness for borrowers who are eligible for income-driven repayment plans but are not enrolled, and loan cancellation for borrowers who attended a for-pro t college that left them unable to pay their student loans, among others. Whether any of the relief will materialize is a looming question

from friends on social media.

“Every time our focus is interrupted, it takes a lot of brain power and energy to get back on task,” said Emily Cherkin, a Seattle-based teacher-turned-consultant who specializes in screentime management.

Teachers say the best school cellphone policy is one that physically removes the phone from the child. Otherwise, it’s hard to compete.

“When the phone vibrates in their pocket, now their focus is on their pocket. And they’re wondering, ‘How do I get it out to the table? How do I check it?’” said Randy Freiman, a high school chemistry teacher in upstate New York. “You ask them a question and they haven’t heard a word you’ve said. Their brain is elsewhere.”

as conservatives vow to challenge any attempt at mass student loan cancellation. The new proposal is narrower, focusing on several categories of borrowers who could get some or all of their loans canceled, but legal challenge is almost certain.

Currently, borrowers who are eligible for forgiveness under the SAVE program will get their loans discharged on a rolling basis, according to the Education Department.

RICK BOWMER/AP

Some schools are using phone lockers to store students’ phones during class.

LOANS from page

Microsoft hasn’t been able to shake Russian state hackers

The world’s largest software company has been dealing with an email break-in by the Russians since November

By Frank Bajak

The Associated Press

BOSTON — Microsoft said Friday it’s still trying to evict the elite Russian government hackers who broke into the email accounts of senior company executives in November and who it said have been trying to breach customer networks with stolen access data.

The hackers from Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service used data obtained in the intrusion, which it disclosed in mid-January, to compromise some sourcecode repositories and internal systems, the software giant said in a blog and a regulatory ling.

A company spokesman would not characterize what source code was accessed and what capability the hackers gained to further compromise customer and Microsoft systems. Microsoft said Friday that the hackers stole “secrets” from email communications between the company and unspeci ed customers — cryptographic secrets such as pass-

words, certi cates and authentication keys —and that it was reaching out to them “to assist in taking mitigating measures.”

Cloud-computing company Hewlett Packard Enterprise disclosed on Jan. 24 that it, too, was an SVR hacking victim and that it had been informed of the breach — by whom it would not say — two weeks earlier, coinciding with Microsoft’s discovery it had been hacked.

“The threat actor’s ongoing attack is characterized by a sustained, signi cant commitment of the threat actor’s resources, coordination, and focus,” Microsoft said Friday, adding that it could be using obtained data “to accumulate a picture of areas to attack and enhance its ability to do so.”

Cybersecurity experts said Microsoft’s admission that the SVR hack had not been contained exposes the perils of the heavy reliance by government and business on the Redmond, Washington, company’s software monoculture — and the fact that so many of its customers are linked through its global cloud network.

“This has tremendous national security implications,” said Tom Kellermann of the cybersecurity rm Contrast Security. “The Russians can now leverage supply chain attacks against Microsoft’s customers.”

Amit Yoran, the CEO of Tenable, also issued a statement, expressing both alarm and dismay. He is among security professionals who nd Microsoft overly se-

Rivals seek halt to online sports gambling o tribal lands in Florida

Computer servers are the only connection many bets have to tribal land

By Mike Schneider The Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — The state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida will be raking in hundreds of millions of dollars from online sports betting this decade thanks to a compact between the tribe and Gov. Ron DeSantis that gave the tribe exclusive rights to run sports wagers as well as casino gambling on its reservations.

But are these online wagers on the outcome of sporting events legally on tribal land, when really only the computer servers are located there, accepting bets made using mobile phones and computers from anywhere in Florida?

That’s a question two of the tribe’s gaming competitors are hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will take up soon and answer with a de nitive “no.”

A decision by the nation’s highest court would be of “massive importance” for the future of online gaming across the U.S. since leaving in place an appellate ruling in the tribe’s favor would set a precedent for other end-runs around state prohibitions against gaming o tribal lands, said two rms, West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corporation, which operate racetracks and poker rooms in Florida.

The companies sued Deb Haaland, secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior, which oversees tribal gambling. After a trial court victory, a federal ap -

market prices. “Olive oil is not a commodity. It is a nutrient that is at the heart of the Mediterranean diet and that plays a fundamental role also socially. … This is something that is keenly felt in Italy.”

Piepoli CEO Sara Merigo underlined that the survey mea-

pellate panel reversed a decision which prompted the two rms to appeal to the Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court accepts a tiny percentage of such petitions each year. The two pari-mutuel rms say the compact signed by the governor and the tribe in 2021 gives the tribe a sports gambling monopoly and creates a “backdoor” way out of the state’s requirement, passed by voters in 2018 as an amendment to the Florida Constitution, that a citizens’ initiative is needed to expand casino gambling outside tribal land.

“Through this arti ce, the Compact transparently attempts to get around the Florida Constitution,” the rms’ attorneys said. “The whole point of the Compact is to provide a hook

sured consumer sentiment, which is distinct from sales. The pushback over the ndings, she said, was due to Italians’ close relationship with olive oil.

“It is not just a product. It represents us on the international stage and is part of our diet for centuries,’’ she said, factors that made the data, “striking.”

cretive about its vulnerabilities and how it handles hacks.

“We should all be furious that this keeps happening,” Yoran said. “These breaches aren’t isolated from each other and Microsoft’s shady security practices and misleading statements purposely obfuscate the whole truth.”

Microsoft said it had not yet determined whether the incident is likely to materially impact its nances. It also said the intrusion’s stubbornness “re ects what has become more broadly an unprecedented global threat landscape, especially in terms of sophisticated nation-state attacks.”

The hackers, known as Cozy Bear, are the same hacking team behind the SolarWinds breach.

When it initially announced the hack, Microsoft said the SVR unit broke into its corporate email system and accessed accounts of some senior executives as well as employees on its cybersecurity and legal teams. It would not say how many accounts were compromised.

At the time, Microsoft said it was able to remove the hackers’ access from the compromised accounts on or about Jan. 13. But by then, they clearly had a foothold. It said they got in by compromising credentials on a “legacy” test account but never elaborated. Microsoft’s latest disclosure comes three months after a new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule took e ect that compels publicly traded companies to disclose breaches that could negatively impact their business.

Surprising job gains in February

Washington, D.C.

America’s employers delivered another healthy month of hiring in February, adding a surprising 275,000 jobs and again showcasing the U.S. economy’s resilience in the face of high interest rates. Last month’s job growth marked an increase from a revised gain of 229,000 jobs in January.

At the same time, the unemployment rate ticked up two-tenths of a point in February to 3.9%. Yet despite sharply lower in ation, a healthy job market and a record-high stock market, many Americans say they are unhappy with the state of the economy — a sentiment that is sure to weigh on President Joe Biden’s bid for reelection.

OpenAI has

‘full con dence’ in CEO Altman

for dodging Florida’s constitutional requirement of a popular referendum to approve o -reservation sports betting.”

A lot of money is at stake. The tribe launched its online sports betting operation late last year, and Florida’s share of 2024 revenues is already more than $120 million. State economic forecasters predict the revenue sharing from tribal gaming could total $4.4 billion through the end of this decade.

The two rms also sued DeSantis and leaders of the Florida Legislature, which authorized the compact, in a case pending before the Florida Supreme Court. The tribe argued the legislature has the authority to decide where online gambling is initiated, and the amendment doesn’t change that.

Price increases and demand uctuations come as the United States overtook Spain in 2023 becoming the world’s second-largest consumer of olive oil after Italy.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the International Olive Council and European Commission, the U.S. consumed

“The 2021 Compact is an historic agreement between the Tribe and State that settled years of disputes,” the Seminole Tribe said in a court ling.

The tribe now counts about 5,000 members, descended from the Native Americans who survived in the Florida Everglades, resisting federal e orts to remove them in the 19th century. The sovereign tribe operates seven casinos across Florida and owns the Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos business, with locations in 76 countries.

Attorneys for DeSantis and the legislative leaders argue sports betting is di erent from casino gambling and therefore isn’t prohibited by the amendment. They also note that rivals can get in on the action — and get paid a revenue share — by allowing their customers to make online bets from their properties to the tribe’s servers.

“As an important source of revenue for both the Seminole Tribe and the State — and even the Tribe’s competitors — the 2021 compact serves the public interest and has been upheld in federal court,” attorneys for DeSantis and the legislative leaders told the state justices.

The rms’ latest petition before the U.S. Supreme Court was led Feb. 8, after an appellate panel reversed a federal district court decision in their favor. If the justices don’t weigh in, Florida’s example could inspire other states to allow tribes to expand online gaming, Daniel Wallach, a South Florida attorney and sports betting law expert said in a high court brief. Miami resident Jason Molina started sports betting recently after he learned about it from a friend. He says he loves it and has placed bets on everything from Russian slap ghting to Korean pingpong matches.

“It’s something new to my world,” Molina said. “It’s just a way to have more on the game and be more enthusiastic about it.”

375,000 tons of olive oil in 2023. Global olive oil prices have exceeded $10,000 per metric ton which is an all-time high and comes after the global price plummeted to less than $1,500 per metric ton in late 2020 and early 2021, according to date from the International Monetary Fund.

San Francisco OpenAI is reinstating CEO Sam Altman to its board of directors and said it has “full con dence” in his leadership after the conclusion of an outside investigation into the company’s turmoil. The ChatGPT maker tapped the law rm WilmerHale to look into what led the company to abruptly re Altman in November, only to rehire him days later. After months of investigation, it found that Altman’s ouster was a “consequence of a breakdown in the relationship and loss of trust” between him and the prior board, OpenAI said Friday. OpenAI also announced it has added three women to its board of directors.

Biden signs spending bills before shutdown deadline

Washington, D.C.

President Joe Biden signed into law a package of spending bills passed by the Senate in time to avoid a shutdown of many key federal agencies. He signed the legislation Saturday while o ering thanks to leaders and negotiators from both parties. The vote Friday night gets lawmakers about halfway home in wrapping up their appropriations work for this budget year. Lawmakers are now negotiating a second package of six bills, including defense, in an e ort to have all federal agencies fully funded by March 22. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the rst bill’s passage enables the hiring of more air tra c controllers and more support for homeless veterans, among other things.

Saudi oil giant announces $121B pro t last year

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Saudi oil giant Aramco says it made $121 billion pro t last year, down from its 2022 record due to lower energy prices. Aramco made the announcement in a ling in Riyadh’s Tadawul stock market. It reported a $161 billion pro t in 2022, likely the largest ever reported by a publicly traded company. It said in the ling Sunday: “The decrease mainly re ects the impact of lower crude oil prices and lower volumes sold, and weakening re ning and chemicals margins.”

BRYNN ANDERSON / AP PHOTO

The guitar-shaped Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in

JOAN MATEU PARRA/AP

The Microsoft logo.

Dropping the top on the last great Jag

By Jordan Golson North State Journal

BOSTON — The Jaguar F-Type was one of the rst sports cars I drove when I was but a cub automotive journalist a decade ago.

It was at a media event in the mountains of Colorado, and I was smitten. First launched in 2013, the F-Type hasn’t changed much since. It saw a facelift in 2019, with a few changes to the powertrain, tweaks to the exterior and not much else.

With an iconic look crafted by legendary Jaguar designer Ian Callum, the F-Type evoked speed, luxury, and sex appeal — at least, that was the hope of the old men who bought it to drive to the country club.

The F-Type is on the way out after 2024, more than a decade after its launch. As car companies are wont to do, Jaguar has created a series of Special Editions to price gouge — I mean, make a collector’s item for its loyal fans.

This brings us to the 2024 Jaguar F-Type R75, my test car for the week. A fully-loaded convertible with a fully-loaded price tag that is a nice bottle of wine short of $120,000, it’s a pricey goodbye. The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, which I absolutely adore, is more powerful, more comfortable, and has more seats, is more than $15K cheaper. Perhaps it’s tting that I drove them on consecutive weeks, then.

In other words, it’s time for the F-Type to go. But I’ll still be

sad because this is a soul-stirring car. There were a variety of engine options over the years, but the R75 has a glorious supercharged 5-liter V8 that makes 575 horsepower and 516 torque and, more importantly, a jaw-dropping exhaust noise.

That exhaust note is eye-shatteringly loud with the top down, even more so when driving spiritedly on a leaf-strewn backroad. Every upshift comes with a resounding WHAP, not unlike the crack of a whip, echoing o the surrounding trees.

It also features the most unnecessary button I’ve ever found in a car, emblazoned with a small emblem of the F-Type’s shotgun-esque exhaust pipes — when pressed, it makes the exhaust louder (or, I suppose, quieter).

There’s no need for it, as I would smash it every time I got in the car and then leave it on forever. Like so many sports cars, the exhaust sound of the V8-equipped F-Type reaches deep into the primitive recesses of your brain, hooking up to the same adrenaline generators that lit up when your ancestors heard the sound of a Jaguar (the feline kind) on the prowl.

And that’s what the F-Type is all about, particularly in the convertible guise. It looks exceptionally excellent from the back, and for folks who don’t know better, it looks extremely fast. And it’s not exactly slow, going from zero to 60 mph in under four seconds, but it’s slower than the competition in the same

price range.

In my review notes, I wrote, “Steering is old, suspension is old, design is old, interior is old, engine is wicked good, sound is wicked good, interior design is awful, cargo space is awful. There’s a reason this is the last F-Type.”

Upon climbing in, it’s immediately obvious that the interior was designed before the advent of smartphones. There is no place to put your phone, which is ironic because it does have (wired) CarPlay, which worked approximately half the time. The USB port is in a tiny storage cubby in the armrest, large enough for the USB cable itself but not the phone, so I ended up plugging in my phone and dropping it on the passenger seat.

It’s cramped inside, with little room for your legs and even less for your head when the top is up. There are far too many buttons, and visibility is poor.

But when you lower the top, turn up the exhaust, and drop it into sport mode, the F-Type comes alive. It’ll never end up on a race track or at an autocross event, but for a blast down an empty, leaf-strewn road in the golden hour sunshine, I don’t know if there’s a better car out there.

But when you turn o that road and hit some tra c or the highway, you’ll wish you had something a bit more modern, a bit more comfortable, and a bit less old.

Part of the journey is the end, and it’s time to park the F-Type for good — and, if rumors are to be believed, the entire Jaguar brand with it. That would be sad for British car fans, but perhaps this is how it was always meant to be: A nal V8-powered goodbye, roaring o into the distance.

Hurricanes active at deadline, B3

Plenty at stake as ACC Tournament returns to DC

NFL

Former Tar Heels quarterback Trubisky signs with Bu alo

Bu alo

Former North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback MItchell Trubisky is returning to Bu alo as Josh Allen’s backup after signing a two-year contract with the Bills. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft, following one season as UNC starter, rejoins the Bills after two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Trubisky was cut by Pittsburgh last month after going 2-5. Trubisky spent the 2021 season in Bu alo, appearing in six games.

NCAA BASKETBALL

Coastal Carolina hires Western Carolina’s Justin Gray as men’s basketball coach

Conway, S.C. Coastal Carolina has hired former Western Carolina coach Justin Gray as its men’s basketball coach. The school announced Gray’s addition on Monday. Gray takes over the full-time job from Cli Ellis, who led four schools to the NCAA Tournament over 49 seasons and stepped down last December. Benny Moss had been interim coach the rest of the season. Gray spent the past three seasons with Western Carolina. He’s also served as a Winthrop assistant coach and the director of basketball operations at Wake Forest, his alma mater.

NFL Russell Wilson announces he will sign with Steelers

Pittsburgh Quarterback Russell Wilson has agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. A source close to the negotiations added Wilson will receive the veteran’s minimum of $1.21 million while the Denver Broncos pay the remainder of his $39 million salary. Wilson was 11-19 in two seasons with the Broncos.

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

THE ACC Tournament returns to Washington, D.C. for the rst time since 2016. North Carolina cut down the nets that year, on its way to the national championship game. The Tar Heels hope to get another running start to their postseason in the nation’s capital this time around.

The Heels won the ACC regular season, and a top seed in the tournament, outright with a win over Duke in the regular season nale. UNC swept the Blue Devils in the regular season, and, with Duke taking the No. 2 seed, there’s a strong possibility the rivalry could go back for a third helping in D.C.

That sets up the possibility for a rarity in Duke-Carolina series—a three-game sweep. It hasn’t happened since 2002, when Duke did the trick in Chapel Hill, Durham and Charlotte. The Heels haven’t pulled it o since 1967. Overall, Duke has pulled o the trifecta ve times in the history of the rivalry, Carolina just the once.

Three times, Duke has won in the tournament after losing both regular season matchups, the last time in 1984. The Blue Devils will be trying to repeat that feat in Washington.

Planting the seeds

Outside of bragging rights, which are not insigni cant in this rivalry, UNC and Duke will be playing for seeding and location in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

Most bracketology predictions have the Tar Heels slot-

ted as a 2-seed, opening play in nearby Charlotte, then going to Boston for the second weekend. That’s about as favorable as venue options get this year. An ACC Tournament title would give the Heels a reason to argue for a top seed, although it would likely also require early upsets in conference tournaments by some of the teams ahead of them. An early upset loss by UNC could have the Tar Heels traveling farther in the tournament’s second weekend.

NCAA positioning is more crucial for Duke, who has the two losses to UNC on its ledger. Right now, the Blue Devils are expected to be a 3-seed, playing in either Brooklyn or Pittsburgh. They’d also likely be headed to Detroit or Dallas for the regionals. There’s also an outside chance that a poor showing in D.C. could have Duke in the West bracket, which in recent years has been a death knell for Blue Devil tournament runs. If Duke can cut down the nets and avenge a loss to the Heels, they might also get sent to Charlotte in the NCAA’s hard-to- gure pod system.

Urgency increases down the bracket

While Duke and Carolina are worried about NCAA travel plans, other teams in the ACC will be playing just to make it to the dance. The ACC has had a down year, in the eyes of national observers, so the league has a large number of teams on the bubble.

According to ESPN, Virginia and Pitt both need at least See ACC, page B4

Local mid-majors hunt for bid to Big Dance

Conference tournaments are must-win scenarios

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

WITH conference tournament action already underway for the state’s crop of mid-major Division I teams, this week brings opportunities for local schools to lock down an automatic bid into the Big Dance.

Despite strong seasons overall, multiple North Carolina teams with winning records, such as the Appalachian State men (27-6, 16-2 Sun Belt) and UNC Asheville men (22-12, 12-4 Big South), have already seen their NCAA Tournament hopes crumble to dust from inopportune losses in their respective conference tournaments. The top-seeded Mountaineers secured the Sun Belt regular season title but fell to No. 4 Arkansas State (18-15, 11-7 Sun Belt) in a 67-65 buzzer-beater loss on Sunday. App is rat-

Former Tar Heels quarterback Trubisky signs with Bu alo

BEN MCKEOWN | AP PHOTO

Fighting for history: Elliot Cadeau (left) and Jared McCain battle for a loose ball during UNC’s win over Duke last Saturday. The Heels swept both regular season games over the Blue Devils and may have a chance to go 3-0 against Duke for just the second time in the history of the rivalry.

Charlotte head coach Aaron Fearne reacts to a play earlier this season. The

head coach will take his third-seeded

TRENDING

Lincoln Riley:

The USC head coach was inadvertently mentioned by President Joe Biden during the State of the Union address. Republicans in Congress called on Biden to mention Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student killed by an illegal immigrant recently. Biden mentioned her during his speech but accidentally called her “Lincoln.”

Coach Riley, who was ECU’s o ensive coordinator from 2010-14, has not commented publicly on the president’s ga e.

Cole Brauer:

The 29-year-old sailor became the rst American woman to race nonstop around the world by herself. Brauer is the youngest sailor and only woman to compete in the Global Solo Challenge, which set sail in October from A Coruna, Spain. The 130-day race took Brauer around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, Australia and the southern tip of South America.

Ángel Hernández:

The umpire ejected Cardinals’ pitcher Lance Lynn, who was making his rst spring training start, on Friday. Hernández and Lynn had words, leading to the ejection with one out in the third inning. Hernández then threw Lynn out of the bullpen, where he went to nish his throwing, and also ejected Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol.

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES NBA

“I’m not taking another ne. … I can’t be baited.”

Tar Heels coach Courtney Banghart when asked about the o ciating in UNC’s ACC Tournament loss.

“An absolute joke that we had to play today. … In my opinion, an absolute disgrace.”

Los Angeles FC coach Steve Cherundolo after his team lost in a game delayed by snow and lightning.

PRIME NUMBER

10,000

The number of college football players who have accepted an NIL o er to appear in an EA Sports video game. The company said 11,000 athletes were o ered a minimum of $600 and a copy of the game.

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was called for a technical foul in the closing seconds of regulation Friday night against Cleveland when he rubbed his ngers together several times, using a “money sign” implying that referee Scott Foster might be on the take. Gobert didn’t deny what he did after the game and went further, saying gambling could be having a major impact on the outcome of games. The NBA ned Gobert $100,000 for the gesture but did not suspend him.

BOXING

Social media star-turned-boxer Jake Paul, 27, will ght former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, 57, July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Net ix will stream the bout. Tyson hasn’t fought since a draw with Roy Jones Jr. in 2020. Paul, who fought his second pro ght on that undercard, is now 9-1.

NASCAR

A Missouri hospital con rmed that some fans at January’s Kansas City Chiefs playo game had to undergo amputations after su ering frostbite. The amputations involved mostly ngers and toes. The temperature for the Jan. 13 Dolphins-Chiefs wild-card game was minus 4 degrees with a wind chill of minus 27.

Christopher Bell surged into the lead when Martin Truex Jr. was forced to pit and pulled away for an emotional NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway. Bell’s win in the No. 20 Toyota also ended Chevrolet’s perfect start to the season after winning the rst three races. He is the eighth di erent winner in as many races at Phoenix Raceway’s mile tri-oval.

NFL

ASHLEY LANDIS | AP PHOTO

DARRYL WEBB | AP PHOTO

REED HOFFMANN | AP PHOTO

KARL

MICHAEL WYKE | AP PHOTO

SUE OGROCKI | AP PHOTO

Hurricanes add Guentzel, Kuznetsov at trade deadline

Carolina loaded up with hopes of winning its rst Stanley Cup since 2006

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — You could argue that Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov should both have a Conn Smythe in their trophy case.

Guentzel ran shotgun to Sidney Crosby for eight seasons and led the Penguins in playo goals as a rookie in 2016 when they won their last Stanley Cup. He then built a career as one of hockey’s best goal scorers, piling up 219 of them in 503 games in Pittsburgh.

Kuznetsov also played in the shadow of a legend, existing near the bright spotlight on Alexander Ovechkin in Washington. That didn’t stop the Capitals center from doing some shining on his own, especially in the 2018 playo s when he led Washington in assists and points en route to the Stanley Cup.

Now the former arch-rivals have joined forces on another Metropolitan Division team that is also pursuing its second Stanley Cup after the Hurricanes acquired both in trades ahead of last Friday’s NHL trade deadline.

It was a shocking 18 hours for a franchise that has thrived

er on the market, in our opinion, and the price was right.”

Guentzel, 29, has 22 goals and 30 assists in 50 games this season but hasn’t played since Valentine’s Day with what Waddell said was an oblique injury. Guentzel is “trending in the right direction” with his injury, he said, and could play as soon as Tuesday’s after-press home game against the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers.

Kuznetsov was acquired for a 2025 third-round pick, with Washington retaining $3.9 million of the 31-year-old center’s $7.8 million salary for the rest of this season and next. He will look to reestablish himself as an impact center after being placed on waivers by the Capitals last week and assigned to the AHL.

I’m in a position (where) a win means more for me.”

The acquisition of Guentzel is out of character for the Hurricanes, who have generally avoided rentals — Guentzel will be a free agent after the season and the two sides have not discussed a contract extension.

Kuznetsov, however, ts Carolina’s pro le — a depreciated asset who o ers a low-risk, high-reward opportunity.

“The talent that Kuzy has, it’s evident,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Sunday night. “I’m glad he’s on our team.”

The moves also provided a boost to the locker room full of players who now see their team as all-in on winning.

“It means they have a lot of belief in us, belief in the team,” Hurricanes winger Stefan Noesen said.

Defenseman Jalen Chat eld echoed that following the win over the Flames.

“I feel that energy in the room,” he said. “The trade deadline, it’s a big part of the year. To pick up those two guys, it’s huge for our team.”

on patience and meme-worthy “we like our group” messaging around recent deadlines.

“I’ll start o by saying I really like our group, but I like it even better today,” Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell said with a smirk at a Friday press conference.

For Guetzel (and defenseman

Ty Smith), Carolina gave up Michael Bunting and three prospects — Ville Koivunen, Vasily Ponomarev and Cruz Lucius — and two conditional draft picks. The 2024 second-round pick (Philadelphia’s from the Tony DeAngelo trade two summers

ago) would become the Hurricanes’ rst this year should Carolina reach the Stanley Cup nal. The fth-round pick is only sent to Pittsburgh should the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup.

Guentzel’s $6 million cap hit was o set by the Penguins retaining 25% of his salary, making the swap of him and Bunting — who costs $4.5 million against the cap for this season and two more — a wash.

“We knew we needed goal scoring,” Waddell said at a press conference after the 3 p.m. trade deadline passed. “Guentzel was obviously the premier goal scor-

“This is my last opportunity. This is my last chance,” Kuznetsov saod. “And everything is in my power right now. There is nothing outside coming, and I’m pretty sure the guys are going to be supportive and help early and all that stu . But I need to perform on the ice.”

Kuznetsov has six goals and 17 points in 43 games this season and last played on Jan. 27. He played well in wins over the Devils and Flames over the weekend but not not register a point in either game.

“The points will come,” Kuznetsov said following Sunday’s 7-2 win over Calgary, “and

Now it will be Brind’Amour’s job to bring his two new players into the fold and maximize a roster that looks more like a Stanley Cup contender than perhaps any team in franchise history — including the 2006 championship team.

“Everyone’s all Kumbaya now, right?” Brind’Amour said. “And then we gotta go to get to work. And there’s gonna be guys having to move around a little and gure out how it all ts to do the ultimate thing, which is to be the best team. I mean, that’s what we’re trying to do. So it’s a positive day because I think it we got better, and that’s what you want.”

No surprises for local teams at ACC Women’s Tournament

N.C. teams nish about where expected, now await NCAA selections

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

THE ACC WOMEN’S Basketball Tournament came to a close Sunday afternoon with the No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish knocking o the No. 2 NC State Wolfpack to claim their rst title since 2019.

Entering the tournament, the four North Carolina teams ran the spectrum from the top of the conference to the bottom and in the end, that’s about where they shook out too.

No. 14 Wake Forest

Despite entering the tournament as the second worst team, the Deacons pulled o a surprising 58-55 win over No. 11 Virginia in their rst round matchup on Wednesday.

Junior guard Elise Williams willed Wake to victory as she went o for 25 points and nine rebounds in the win, but that was as far she could take the team, as the Demon Deacons lost to No. 6 FSU 70-53 in the following round.

Wake Forest has now won at least one game in each of the last ve tourneys and perhaps that’s something that new coach Megan Gebbia can build o of whether that’s into next season or later this month in the WNIT.

MID-MAJORS from page B1

ed No. 78 in KenPom, similar to teams on the at large bubble like Memphis and Syracuse. The Sun Belt is generally considered a one-bid league, however. So, App got its one and only shot in the conference tournament.

The pendulum swings both ways, allowing teams that have underachieved all season a chance to get hot at the right time, but also eliminating the NCAA odds for stronger squads that happen to slip up against a weaker conference opponent.

One might call it a trial dose of March madness before the actual March Madness begins.

With at-large bids highly unlikely for any of the state’s mid-major teams, it will take a conference championship for any of them to make it to the Dance. So who stands a chance to actual-

No. 8 UNC

The Tar Heels were the lone North Carolina team to not pick up a single win at the ACC Tournament this year, losing their rst game 60-59 to No. 9 Miami.

Despite the star power of senior guards Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby, UNC couldn’t nd enough scoring down the stretch as Miami overcame a 14-point de cit to knock o the Heels.

A big issue for the Heels was o the glass as Miami outrebounded them 41-32, with Ustby only managing to grab four boards.

UNC has the talent to make a run, but the consistent struggle to close out games this season has cost them on more than a few occasions.

No. 7 Duke

The Duke Blue Devils cruised through their second-round matchup, crushing No. 10 Georgia Tech 70-58 before nearly pulling o the upset against No. 2 NC State in the quarter nals.

Despite ultimately losing 5451 to the Pack, the Blue Devils gave NC State a run for their money and if not for a scoreless ve-minute stretch at the end, they might have been the ones moving on.

Despite the o ensive struggles, the strong team defense that they relied on all season was present and it could bode well for them if they make the NCAA Tournament.

ly win their tournament?

As a clinched No. 3 seed with a double-bye, the Charlotte 49ers men’s team (19-11, 13-5 AAC) is set to travel to Fort Worth, TX, to play against a No. 6 seed in the quarter nals of the American Athletic Conference tournament on Friday.

In their regular-season nale under rst-year head coach Aaron Fearne, the Niners rattled o a 82-72 road victory over the East Carolina Pirates (14-17, 7-11 AAC), who received a No. 8 seed in the tournament and squared o with No. 9 Tulsa (16-14, 7-11 AAC) in Tuesday’s second-round matchup, played after press time.

“The thing that I’m the most proud of is the energy we’ve been able to bring back into the program,” Fearne said on Monday. “People are excited about the program, the way we play and how hard the guys compete. I’m ex-

Duke also has to like what they’ve seen from their promising freshman guard, Oluchi Okananwa, who led the team in scoring in both of their tournament games despite coming o the bench.

No. 2 NC State

The Wolfpack was minutes away from its fourth ACC title in just the last ve seasons, but the same issues that have plagued them all season, namely sudden and proli c cold spells, reared back up.

The Pack made just one bas-

cited to get in the building and watch us perform…We’ve been able to re-ignite some old memories for our older supportive base and the new energy of the student body.”

With a 29-point, ten-rebound performance from senior Danae McNeal on Monday, the No. 9 ECU women’s team (18-13, 9-9 AAC) made it to the semi nals of its conference tournament with an upset 75-71 win over No. 1 Tulsa (23-9, 13-5 AAC).

“I knew I had to come out here to show something and prove something,” the two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year said after the victory. “We did it last year and we can do it again — defense wins games.”

Last season, ECU won its conference tournament and received a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where it fell to Texas in a 79-40 rst-round loss.

ket in their last nine shots of the game, losing to No. 4 Notre Dame 55-51 in the Championship match Sunday afternoon.

Those same shooting troubles almost cost them in their rst game of the tournament against Duke, but then they dominated FSU in the Semi nals, winning 69-43. The Wolfpack probably would have been the No. 1 seed this season had it not been for these proli c shooting spells, but it’s an issue they have to hope they can limit in the coming weeks.

What’s promising for NC State though is that they have all the

The Pirates played No. 4 UTSA (17-13, 10-8 AAC) on Tuesday in the AAC semi nals.

Over in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, both the men’s and women’s teams North Carolina Central Eagles teams are primed for a title run.

The No. 2 men (17-12, 9-5 MEAC) will play No. 7 Maryland Eastern Shore (9-19, 4-10 MEAC) in the quarter nals on Wednesday while the No. 3 women (15-14, 9-5 MEAC) are set to challenge No. 6 Delaware State (8-19, 4-10 MEAC) in the quarter nals on Thursday. Hoping to win the MEAC tournament to get an automatic bid, the NCCU men’s team is chasing its rst NCAA Tournament rst-round game since 2014 after making the tournament in 2017, 2018 and 2019 but failing to get past the First Four round.

In the Coastal Athletic Asso-

pieces to be great. Graduate center River Baldwin seems to be all the way back from her ankle injury and the junior guard combo of Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers can take over games. It’s just a matter of not letting those droughts snowball out of control.

New Favorite emerges

The Fighting Irish won their rst tourney since 2019 and did it through a di cult bracket, having to knock o Louisville, Virginia Tech and NC State in succession.

Notre Dame, nationally ranked No. 14, has been a consistent threat all season and it seems like things are starting to really fall into place for the Irish.

Freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo has been a game breaker and her 23.3 points per game average is third in women’s college basketball. Add in some veteran presence around her in the likes of Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbald, who both have averaged over 14 points and ve rebounds a game and you have a potent top three.

The ACC is a deep conference, and we could very easily see a few teams from it making some deep runs in the NCAA Tournament later this month, especially if Virginia Tech can get back three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, who did not suit up for the ACC Tournament due to a knee injury.

ciation, two local women’s teams will face o on Thursday in Washington, D.C, as No. 8 Campbell (16-13, 9-9 CAA) plays against No. 9 Elon (11-20, 7-11 CAA); the No. 4 North Carolina A&T Aggies (19-10, 13-5 CAA) received a double-bye in the CAA women’s tournament and will play an opponent (TBA) on Friday, In the Atlantic 10 men’s tournament, the No. 13 Davidson Wildcats (15-16, 5-13 Atlantic 10) played the No. 12 Fordham Rams (12-19, 6-12 Atlantic 10) on Tuesday in the rst round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Brooklyn. The AAC should get multiple bids, so there’s a slim safety net for teams in that tournament. For everyone else gearing up for conference tournament games in the mid-majors, their most important matchups of the season await.

KARL B. DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO

The Hurricanes traded for Washington center Evgeny Kuznetsov, right, and Pittsburgh winger Jake Guentzel before last Friday’s trade deadine.

AP PHOTO/CHUCK BURTON

Notre Dame players celebrate as NC State leaves the oor following the ACC Championship Game in Greensboro

Sports gambling to have major impact on NC economy

chase equipment and upgrade public facilities to bene t youth sports.

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

ON MONDAY, sports betting became legal in North Carolina with NC House Bill 347 going into e ect just in time for the start of the men’s ACC basketball tournament and the NCAA tournaments.

But, although the month of March is arguably the most important time for sports in this hoops-crazy state, sports wagering won’t stop there.

According to BetCarolina sports betting expert Steve Bittenbender, North Carolina is projected to generate a handle of $6.47 billion in its rst year of sports betting, placing it among the top 10 markets in the United States.

Interest in the Panthers, Hurricanes, Hornets and NASCAR should ensure sports betting will have lasting impacts on the state’s bottom line year round.

Here’s an idea of how sports betting will a ect North Carolina as it takes full e ect:

More money for the state

The Fiscal Research Division of the NC General Assembly estimates that sportsbooks will generate $64.6 million in tax revenue for the state during the rst year, with projections rising to $100.6 million by the fourth year.

North Carolina lawmakers detailed a clear plan of what will be done with the money collected from license fees and taxes imposed on sportsbooks, which includes more money to state departments, local governments and nonpro t organizations.

Annually, the state will allocate $2 million to the Department of Health and Human Services for gambling addiction education and treatment programs.

Another $1 million will be given to North Carolina Amateur Sports, which will give grants to local governments or nonpro t organizations to pur-

The state will also allocate $300,000 to the athletic departments of the following universities: Appalachian State, East Carolina, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, UNC Asheville, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, UNC Pembroke, UNC Wilmington, Western Carolina and Winston-Salem State.

Then, another $1 million will annually go to the North Carolina Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council for grants to help local sports teams travel and to attract sporting events to the state.

Of the remaining funds, 20% will be allocated to the athletic departments at the schools listed above, 30% will go to the North Carolina Major Events, Games and Attractions Fund and 50% will go to the state’s General Fund.

Consumer protections

Now that sports betting is regulated by the state, gone should be the days of going across state lines or doing business with o shore sportsbooks to bet on a game.

Last year, GeoComply, a company that helps sportsbooks locate its bettors, shared data indicating North Carolinians made 1.75 million attempts from within the state to place bets with online sportsbooks legal in other states during the 2022-23 NFL season. The attempts came from about 166,000 individual accounts.

North Carolinians also indulged in betting with o shore sites, sportsbooks operated outside of the U.S., which can be dangerous due to the lack of regulation and consumer protections that legal sportsbooks provide.

With the legalization of sports betting, the state better monitors sportsbooks and requires policies to assure the “ nancial integrity” of their operations. The state better restricts underage gambling, too, by making sportsbooks responsible for verifying the

“Regarding the $2 million allocated to treating gambling addiction, we are committed to ensuring that these funds are used e ectively.”

N.C. House Rep. Jason Saine

identities of new users and prohibiting advertisements targeted to minors.

Newcomers and new vice?

BetCarolina polled North Carolinians about their interest in betting on sports. Out of 997 responses, the poll found that 81% of the state’s residents do not bet on sports.

However, 1 out of 3 residents said they were “very likely” or “likely” to bet on sports once it became legalized.

It’s not surprising that the number of sports bettors would be expected to increase with its legalization, yet the concern comes with the possibility of more people dealing with gambling addiction.

It’s happened already in states that have recently legalized sports betting. In Connecticut, Dr. Marc Potenza, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, told CT Insider that the state’s Gambling Help Hotline saw a 90 percent increase in calls in 2022, just about a year after the state made sports gambling legal.

With a larger population and a larger sports market, it’s not far-fetched to expect a similar trend in North Carolina.

“Regarding the $2 million allocated to treating gambling addiction, we are committed to ensuring that these funds are used e ectively,” N.C. House Representative Jason Saine said. “We are working closely with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to prevent, treat, and help those experiencing harm related to problem gambling.”

ACC from page B1

Virginia Tech need two.

The Cavaliers nished third in the league and the Panthers fourth, showing just how low in esteem the ACC is currently being held.

And then there’s

Wake Forest

The Demon Deacons should put a sign up at the entrance to Lawrence Joel Coliseum with an arrow 48 inches o the ground. “You must be this tall to watch Wake Forest basketball,” because this season has been a roller coaster.

The Deacs missed the tournament in 2022, coach Steve Forbes’ rst year, because, despite 25 wins, their schedule

wasn’t tough enough. By all accounts, they scheduled tougher last year, and missed the tourney again, because they only had 19 wins. This year, Wake enters the ACC Tournament with 19 wins, and likely plenty of ulcers after a stressful run through the ACC. The Deacs looked on their way to being in after opening 11-3 and winning their rst three ACC games. They then lost four of the next six, followed by a three-game winning streak. After upsetting Duke at home, the consensus was that Wake had played itself into the eld. All the Deacs had to do was … …exactly what they ended up doing. Wake lost at Notre Dame, then 10-17, 5-11 in conference, in their next game.

Panthers hit ground running in free agency

Team

deals Burns, lands o ensive lineman

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

THEY MAY NOT have traded for the top pick in the draft this year, but the Carolina Panthers were plenty busy as the new NFL year opened this week. With teams able to start negotiating trades and free agents on Monday of this week, in advance of full-blown free agency on Wednesday, the Panthers were making deals and rumored to be investigating more as they tried to improve on a 2-15 season. New GM Dan Morgan and rookie coach Dave Canales are hitting the ground running. Last week, the Panthers started making moves by cutting tight end Hayden Hurst and slapping the franchise tag on Brian Burns. They’re also reportedly explored a number of trade options.

Thing move fast in free agency and, when Monday’s “legal tampering period” opened, the team quickly asserted itself. Here’s what went down and what we still might see on the team’s list of priorities.

Figure out what to do with Burns

Check that one o the list. Tagging the elite pass rusher was in anticipation of trying to deal him for draft picks, since the team is without a rst rounder. By Monday evening, the Panthers found a suitor, dealing Burns to the New York Giants for a reported second and fth round pick. That was a better haul than the third rounder many NFL insiders expected them to get.

Hold the defense together

This one is an incomplete, at best.

They followed that with a loss at Virginia Tech (15-13, 7-10 at the time) and at home to Georgia Tech (13-16, 6-12). Their tournament hopes appeared dead, but a season-ending win over Clemson puts the Deacs back on the bubble. According to ESPN, they need to win their rst tournament game to clinch a bid.

What does the future hold?

The last team from the state playing in D.C. is the NC State Wolfpack. They are relegated to opening day Tuesday after ending the regular season with four straight losses, and only ve straight wins appear able to get them into the NCAA Tournament. The Pack may be playing for coach Kevin Keatts’ job, as murmurings of dissatisfaction in the fanbase have gotten louder and louder.

The top name on the list of the Panthers’ own free agents was linebacker Frankie Luvu, a big-time playmaker who has come into his own in Carolina to be one of the top players on the defense. The team now needs to nd a way to replace him after Washington pounced on him at the start of the negotiation period.

The team appears ready to move on from corner Donte Jackson, rumored on the verge of being released. Safety Jeremy Chinn saw his role reduced greatly last season and will likely want to move on as he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos had the best pass rushing season of his career, just in time to hit the unrestricted market. The team would like to keep him, especially with Burns’ fate up in the air.

Find targets for Bryce Young

Wide receiver is the top pri-

ority for the team on o ense.

Carolina has been rumored to be working the trade market to try to nd a way to deal for a pass catcher, rather than bid for one on the free agent market. The Bengals and Colts tagged Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr., respectively, meaning that, like Burns, a trade was a possibility. The Panthers are believed to have inquired about both, as well as Dallas’ Michael Gallup. The Colts extended Pittman on Monday, taking him o the board for Carolina.

If a trade can’t be made, Jacksonville’s Calvin Ridley is likely the top option on the free agent market, although Arizona’s Marquise Brown is also a good option. Call it a success if the Panthers emerge from the week with a new number one receiver.

For receiver depth, the Panthers may look at Kansas City’s Mecole Hardman or Tennessee’s Nick Westbrook-Ihene, who worked with current Carolina receivers coach Rob Moore with the Titans. Another free agent with a connection to a Panthers coach is David Moore, who played with then-coordinator Dave Canales in Tampa Bay last year.

Add a tight end

Nothing helps a young quarterback like having a security blanket at tight end. The Panthers already cut Hurst, and Ian Thomas doesn’t appear to be their choice to ll that role. With the heavy Seattle roots of the Panthers front o ce, Seahawks tight end Colby Parkinson is a natural t. Noah Fant and Will Dissly are other tight end options, and that’s just the options who were on Seattle’s roster last season.

Help the O line

Fans were pushing for the Panthers to add Tyron Smith, but the Cowboy’s tackle is tops on just about every team’s shopping list. David Tepper likes to make a splash, and landing Smith would do that while also letting the team move Ikey Ekwonu inside, providing more protection for Young.

Instead, the Panthers focused on tightening their protection from the inside out, landing Dolphins interior lineman Robert Hunt on the rst day of free agent negotiations. A short time later, Seattle’s Damien Lewis, another highly-rated guard also came aboard. Carolina is also expected to release Bradley Bozeman, so they may be shopping for a center as well. Conner Williams, a teammate of Hunt’s in Miami, may be a top target for the team.

The team has some clear priorities as the bidding war begins, and the new regime appears ready to try to accomplish its goals once the light goes green.

one win in the tourney to secure an at-large bid. Syracuse and

AP PHOTO/ADAM HUNGER

Former Dolphins guard Robert Hunt will now be protecting Bryce Young as the Panthers made him a priority at the start of free agency.

DARREN CUMMINGS | AP PHOTO

The NCAA bracket for the NCAA college basketball tournament is on the side of the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis.

entertainment

‘Oppenheimer’ crowned best picture

Christopher Nolan dominated while Emma Stone cemented her leading lady position and Robert Downey Jr. took home an Oscar for the rst time

By Jake Coyle Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — “Oppenheimer,” a solemn three-hour biopic that became an unlikely billion-dollar box-o ce sensation, was crowned best picture at a 96th Academy Awards that doubled as a coronation for Christopher Nolan.

After passing over arguably Hollywood’s foremost bigscreen auteur for years, the Oscars made up for lost time by heaping seven awards on Nolan’s blockbuster biopic, including best actor for Cillian Murphy, best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr. and best director for Nolan.

In anointing “Oppenheimer,” the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences did something it hasn’t done for more than a decade: hand its top prize to a widely seen, big-budget studio lm. In a lm industry where a cape, dinosaur or Tom Cruise has often been a requirement for such box o ce, “Oppenheimer” brought droves of moviegoers to theaters with a complex, ssion- lled drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb.

“For better or worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world,” said Murphy in his acceptance speech. “I’d like to dedicate this to the peacemakers.”

As a lm heavy with unease for human capacity for mass destruction, “Oppenheimer” also emerged — even over its partner in cultural phenomenon, “Barbie” – as a ttingly foreboding lm for times rife with cataclysm, man-made or not.

Sunday’s Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles unfolded against the backdrop of wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and with a potentially momentous U.S. election on the horizon.

Awards for the documentary winner, “20 Days in Mariupol,” and best international lm, “The Zone of Interest,” brought geopolitics into the Oscar spotlight.

The most closely watched contest went to Emma Stone, who won best actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” In what was seen as the night’s most nail-biting category, Stone won over Lily Gladstone of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Gladstone would have become the rst Native American to win an Academy Award.

Instead, Oscar voters couldn’t resist the full-bodied extremes of Stone’s “Poor Things” performance. The win for Stone, her second best

actress Oscar following her 2017 win for “La La Land,” con rmed the 35-year-old as arguably the preeminent big-screen actress of her generation. The list of women to win best actress two or more times is illustrious, including Katharine Hepburn, Frances McDormand, Ingrid Bergman and Bette Davis.

“Oh, boy, this is really overwhelming,” said Stone, who fought back tears and a broken dress during her speech.

Sunday’s broadcast had razzle dazzle, including a sprawling song-and-dance rendition of the “Barbie” hit “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling, with an assist on guitar by Slash and a sea of Kens who swarmed the stage.

Nolan has had many movies in the Oscar mix before, including “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and “The Dark Knight.” But his win Sunday for direction is the rst Academy Award for the 53-year-old lmmaker. Addressing the crowd, Nolan noted cinema is just over a hundred years old.

“Imagine being there 100

years into painting or theater,” said Nolan, who shared the best-picture award with Emma Thomas, his wife and producer. “We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here. But to know that you think that I’m a meaningful part of it means the world to me.”

Downey, nominated twice before (for “Chaplin” and “Tropic Thunder”), also notched his rst Oscar, crowning the illustrious second act of his up-and-down career.

“I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the academy, in that order,” said Downey, the son of lmmaker Robert Downey Sr. “Barbie,” last year’s biggest box-o ce hit with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales, ultimately won just one award: best song (sorry, Ken) for Billie Eilish and Finneas’ “What Was I Made For?” It’s their second Oscar, two years after winning for their James Bond theme, “No Time to Die.”

In the early going, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Frankenstein-ri “Poor Things” ran away with

Hopkins ‘shows up’ in ‘One Life’

The lm legend says the role is one of the highlights of his career

By Sian Watson

The Associated Press

LONDON — Now that he’s been doing it for well over half a century, Anthony Hopkins believes acting is much “easier” now. “As you get older, you have a little more knowledge of life. When you’re young, you think you know a thing or two, but you don’t. When you get to my age, you know a couple of tricks for a living,” the 86-yearold, who stars as real-life hero

Nicholas Winton in “One Life,” said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

His “tricks” to acting are very simple: “Just learn the lines, show up and try to be real.” To play Winton, a stockbroker responsible for saving more than 600 children during World War II, Hopkins studied the way he walked and talked, watching his interviews and docuseries appearance. His performance was given the seal of approval by Winton’s son.

“It was easy because I didn’t have to act old, I am old,” Hopkins said, smiling. Nevertheless, “One Life” director James Hawes highlights

‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ opens No. 1, ‘Dune: Part Two’ stays strong

By Jake Coyle The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Universal Pictures had a big night at the Academy Awards with “Oppenheimer,” and the studio also celebrated the No. 1 debut of “Kung Fu Panda 4,” which collected $58.3 million in domestic theaters over the weekend, according to estimates Sunday.

“Kung Fu Panda 4,” the rst lm in the DreamWorks Animation franchise since the third installment in 2016, got o to a better start than all but the 2008 original. That “Kung Fu Panda,” which began the mystical adventures of Jack Black’s panda warrior Po, launched with $60.2 million.

Working in favor of “Kung Fu Panda 4”: It’s the rst big family movie since “Migration” and “Wonka” hit theaters in December. “Kung Fu Panda 4” added $22 million internationally.

three prizes for its sumptuous craft, including awards for production design, makeup and hairstyling and costume design. “Poor Things” fared second best to “Oppenheimer,” with a total of four awards.

The night’s rst award was one of its most predictable: Da’Vine Joy Randolph for best supporting actress, for her performance in Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers.” An emotional Randolph was accompanied to the stage by her “Holdovers” co-star Paul Giamatti.

“For so long I’ve always wanted to be di erent,” said Randolph. “And now I realize I just need to be myself.”

Though Randolph’s win was widely expected, an upset quickly followed. Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” won for best animated feature, a surprise over the slightly favored “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.”

Best original screenplay went to “Anatomy of a Fall,” which, like “Barbie,” was penned by a couple: director Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. “This will help me through my midlife crisis, I think,” said Triet.

In adapted screenplay, where “Barbie” was nominated — and where some suspected Greta Gerwig would win after being overlooked for director — the Oscar went to Cord Jefferson, who wrote and directed his feature lm debut “American Fiction.” He pleaded for executives to take risks on young lmmakers like himself.

“Instead of making a $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies,” said Je erson, previously an award-winning TV writer.

The Oscars belonged largely to theatrical- rst lms. Though it came into the awards with 19 nominations, Net ix was a bit player. Its lone win came for live action short: Wes Anderson’s “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” based on the story by Roald Dahl.

and has a continued passion for movies.

“He would sit on an apple box on the edge of set and watch people rigging lights and rigging track because he has a joy for the world he’s in,” Hawes explained.

“One Life” is told in two parts as the young Winton, played by Johnny Flynn, spearheads the extraordinary feat of arranging trains to transport children out of Prague. Hopkins plays the older Winton, looking back on his life but still haunted by images of children he couldn’t rescue — speci cally aboard the nal train that didn’t make it out of Prague. One poignant moment recreated in the lm is Winton’s appearance on the British TV show “That’s Life,” where he was surprised by a studio au-

The news was just as good for last week’s top lm, “Dune: Part Two.” Denis Villeneuve’s sci- epic sequel held strongly in its second week, dropping a modest 44%. It grossed $46 million in its second week, bringing its domestic cumulative total to $157 million for Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures.

Riding strong reviews, great word-of-mouth and plenty of sand worms, “Dune: Part Two” appears well set up for a long theatrical run. Most of Sunday’s Oscar nominees have already moved on to home viewing platforms, but “Dune” could wind up at next year’s Academy Awards. Opening in third place was the Lionsgate, Blumhouse horror release “Imaginary,” about a sinister teddy bear. It debuted with $10 million.

Following it was “Cabrini,” a portrait of the 19th century Catholic missionary Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (played by Cristiana Dell’Anna). The lm, released by the Christian-based company Angel Studios, the studio behind the 2023 surprise hit “Sound of Freedom,” collected $7.5 million.

A24 also debuted the critically acclaimed neo-noir “Love Lies Bleeding,” starring Kristen Stewart, on ve screens in New York and Los Angeles. It grossed $167,463 for a good per-screen average of $33,493.

dience made up of descendants of the children he’d saved. The extras surrounding Hopkins in the recreated scene were also related to the Kindertransport children, with Hopkins calling it a “pretty moving moment.”

Hopkins says playing Winton is one of the highlights of his career, but playing Hannibal Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs,” which won him his rst Academy Award in 1991, “gave him a profound change in the direction of my life.”

“That was a favorite because it was easy to play, doesn’t speak well of my character,” he said.

“I know that I can take no credit for anything, because I couldn’t have gured out my life,” he added. “I don’t even know how I became an actor. It beats working for a living.”

Hopkins’ “young spirit,” adding that the knight of the realm “bloody loves what he does,”

CHRIS PIZZELLO/AP

Robert Downey Jr. won best actor in a supporting role for “Oppenheimer.”

CHRIS PIZZELLO/AP

Christopher Nolan won best director for “Oppenheimer.”

DREAMWORKS ANIMATION/UNIVERSAL PICTURES VIA AP Shifu and Po from “Kung Fu Panda 4.”

PETER MOUNTAIN/BLEECKER STREET

Anthony Hopkins in a scene from “One Life.”

From ‘The Bodyguard’ to ‘Barbie’

Is the movie soundtrack back and bigger than ever?

By Maria Sherman and Gary Gerard Hamilton Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Throughout the billion-dollar “Barbie” lm, an instrumental version of Billie Eilish’s hit “What Was I Made For” weaves in and out, soundtracking the famous doll’s existential crisis. In the nal scene — no spoilers! — Eilish’s crackling, saccharine falsetto is nally heard atop the familiar piano. Cue the waterworks.

It is one of many standout musical moments in a movie stacked with them: from Dua Lipa’s disco-pop “Dance the Night,” with lyrics that perfectly sync up to Margot Robbie’s bespoke choreography, to a reimagination of the 1997 Europop hit “Barbie Girl,” courtesy Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice.

The music of “Barbie” has become its own blockbuster, selling 126,000 copies in its rst week and debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart. “What Was I Made For?” won the Academy Award for best original song on Sunday night. In doing so, Eilish, 22, has become the youngest

person by far to have won two career Oscars. That beats a very old record set by Luise Rainer, who won her second best actress Oscar at 28 in 1938. The second youngest is now Eilish’s 26-year-old brother and co-writer Finneas. The pair

won their rst Oscar for “No Time to Die” in 2021. That year, they beat out some impressive names, including Beyoncé, Van Morrison, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Diane Warren.

“Barbie” music has also earned three Grammy Awards,

one Golden Globe and two Academy Award nominations in the original song category –more than any other lm.

It is hard to pinpoint how long it has been since a soundtrack has dominated conversation the way “Barbie” has, particularly at the Oscars — Lady Gaga’s “A Star is Born” performance comes to mind, with the success of “Shallow.” Then there’s “La La Land,” and “Dreamgirls,” which received three of the ve original song nominations in 2007. But overwhelmingly, there has been a drought in zeitgeist-dening lm soundtracks.

So, is “Barbie” an exception? Or are soundtracks back?

Each decade has produced iconic soundtracks. The alltime best-seller is still 1992’s “The Bodyguard” powered by Whitney Houston and her iconic “I Will Always Love You,” with 45 million copies sold.

And there are many ways soundtracks are created. Often, studios will license recognizable, pre-existing music — likely “the safer play,” as Gary Trust, Billboard’s chart director says — because two-thirds of all music streams are older music.

In the current era, most “successful” soundtracks opt for that — like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and its 2014 “Awesome Mix Vol. 1” soundtrack, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with songs from the Jackson 5, David Bowie and Marvin Gaye. Musicals have also done well, like “La La Land,” and Disney hits like “Moana,” and “Frozen”

— although the genre typically doesn’t crossover to pop radio airplay.

Another option is to use original material, like in “Barbie” — what Trust views as a throwback to movies like “Dirty Dancing,” released during a time when a single soundtrack could produce multiple radio hits from various artists. In “Barbie’s” case, that’s Lipa, Eilish, Minaj and Ice Spice.

The right soundtrack sync has the power to break an artist, like in the case of Post Malone’s “Sun ower” with Swae Lee on the “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” soundtrack — the rst ever double-diamond single.

Soundtracks can also introduce new audiences to an artist.

Take Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2001 indie dance hit “Murder on the Dance oor”; recently, the song went viral because of its use in a very memorable (and very nude) nal scene in the divisive lm “Saltburn.”

In her view, “Murder on the Dance oor” became one of those signi cant movie moments — think Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” in “Almost Famous” — because the right placement “unlocks the next level of emotion in the lm,” she says.

“Music will lead you by the hand to what it is hoping you feel. That’s music’s sole intention. So, a soundtrack is like an extra character... And with a soundtrack, you get a shared, emotional, visual memory.”

COURTESY WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Margot Robbie in “Barbie.”

LAST WEEK

WHAT’S HAPPENING

21-year-old bests longtime Rep. in primary

While his college friends celebrated the end of midterm exams with a spring break trip to Florida, 21-yearold Wyatt Gable entered the home stretch of his bid to oust a 10-term Republican from the North Carolina House.

Weeks spent phone banking and knocking on doors paid o . The East Carolina University junior narrowly beat state Rep. George Cleveland, 84, this week in a primary election in which he cast himself as “the future of the Republican Party.”

While some voters told him he was too young to hold o ce, Gable said, others considered his opponent too old.He will face Democrat Carmen Spicer in November.

He is expected to win the general election in rural Onslow County. In the North Carolina General Assembly, Gable plans to tackle education. He said high school students should take more home economics, shop and carpentry classes so they’re “prepared for the real world.” He also wants to put more emphasis on physical activity.

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

Keep moving forward

Albemarle

junior Jordyn Crump drives the court against Cardinals’ guard Kyleigh Price in the Bulldogs’ 57-42 playo win over East Wilkes on Tuesday, March 5. Albemarle lost their next playo game, 60-41, to Mountain Heritage on Friday, March 8.

Read more local sports on page 5.

School board seeks to tighten parental rights policies

The board will speak with legal counsel at a work session on March 18

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Stanly Board of Education attempted to align district policy with Senate Bill 49, also known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights, at its meeting on March 7.

The changes must be passed by all state public school boards of education in order to comply with the new education reform bill passed last year by the N.C. General Assembly.

While the Stanly school board unanimously approved ve policies aligning with SB-49, the board unanimously tabled Policy 1310/4002 (parental involvement) and Policy 4720 (survey of

students) until a March 18 work session, as the board desired to have additional discussion with its legal representation.

Under the policies, parents of students between kindergarten and third grade would need to provide written consent before a school can administer a well-being questionnaire or health screening form to their children. Board member Dustin Lisk made the initial request to separate the two updates from the rest of the package.

“We have a bit of a gray area under North Carolina law,” Lisk said. “I am of the opinion — as just one board member — that parents should be able to provide consent for their minor child through 12th grade or until they’re 18 or emancipated.”

He questioned why the policy didn’t apply throughout the end of high school, citing that

the district had already made a 12th-grade modi cation on a law banning kindergarten through fourth-grade teachers from using materials related to gender identity, sexual activity and sexuality in the classroom.

Lisk also took issue with policy language that requires schools to notify parents before any changes are made to the names or pronouns used for their children in school records or by school personnel.

“Where is the consent? If the child wants to call themselves another name, what is the school system going to do?” Lisk asked.

“There seems to be a gray area legally with this, and I have a problem with North Carolina law pushing it down and forcing the board to codify.”

Referencing his concerns with the policies, board member Glenda Gibson acknowledged

that school boards across the state have wrestled with the new updates and have tabled votes in order to correspond with legal advisors rst.

“Personally knowing that we have a work session coming up, I would love to just table this one and have some more discussion,” Gibson said. “In the meantime, can we contact our lawyer again or even have our lawyer on the phone as we discuss this in our work session with every board member?”

Stanly Schools Superintendent Jarrod Dennis agreed that pausing was a safe decision, conrming that the district would not face any sanctions over the delay.

“What I’ve asked the attorney to do is to provide us some color around that because the leg-

See SCHOOLS , page 2

Stanly GOP voters pick both fresh, familiar faces

Last week’s primary drew in nearly 13,000 voters throughout the county.

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Republican primary election held on March 5 will see new nominees for state rep., county commissioner and school board member. With a turnout rate of 28.9%, nearly 13,000 ballots were cast in the county, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

In a battle between two Republicans competing for retiring Rep. Wayne Sasser’s seat to represent N.C. General Assembly House District 67 (Stanly and Montgomery counties), Oakboro’s Cody Huneycutt had 64.7% (9,089) of the votes, besting Albemarle resident Brandon

King’s 35.3% (4,953).

Huneycutt received 63.7% (6,906) of Stanly’s votes and 68.2% (2,183) of Montgomery’s votes, while King notched 36.3% (3,935) in Stanly and 31.8% (1,018) in Montgomery.

“It is an honor to be chosen as the Republican nominee for N.C. House District 67 in the General Election this upcoming November,” Huneycutt said in a campaign statement. “I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who came out to cast their ballots for candidates. To those who supported me with your vote, thank you. To those who came out and didn’t support me with your vote, I look forward to earning your support in November.”

Huneycutt will now face Democrat Daniel Quick of Badin for Sasser’s seat in the general election this November.

For Stanly voters, there were two races for the Board of Com-

missioners as well as one for the Board of Education. Commissioner Scott E rd won his primary, while his colleague Peter Asciutto lost his primary to challenger Billy Mills. In the At-Large race, E rd took home 61.2% (6,378) of the votes, overtaking Levi Greene’s 38.8% (2,046). E rd will now challenge Libertarian candidate and former Stanly County Board of Education member Melvin Poole in November. For the District 5 race, Billy Mills had 73.8% (7,746) while Asciutto nished with 26.2% (2,752) of the votes. In the lone school board race — representing the At-Large seat — Meghan Almond’s 54.3% (5,777) was enough to get past incumbent Rufus Le er’s 45.7% (4,863).

“Stanly County, I look forward to working for you. Your voice will be heard,” Almond

said in a post-election statement. “Tonight is just the beginning and I plan to put all that I shared in my videos into action. Here’s to the next two years.”

In the primary race for Stanly County Register of Deeds, incumbent Jennie Helms received 66.7% (6,933) of the votes in comparison to George Burris’ 22% (2,291) and Misty Enoch’s 11.3% (1,170).

Mills, Almond and Helms will each run unopposed as the GOP candidates in the 2024 general election scheduled for Nov. 5.

SETH MABRY FOR STANLY COUNTY JOURNAL

House primary winnerand East Carolina University student Wyatt Gable.

The school board is set to

its work session on March 18 before reconvening for its

meeting

Albemarle’s Gene McIntyre Meeting Room on April 2.

Cooper rescinds order setting NIL guidelines

A federal judge barred the NCAA from enforcing ‘name, image and likeness’ rules

The Associated Press RALEIGH — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper rescinded an executive order from 2021 on Friday that established guidelines for allowing college athletes to pro t from their fame.

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

But a federal judge recently barred the NCAA from enforcing NIL rules in a case involving

the states of Tennessee and Virginia, a ruling cited by Cooper’s o ce in its Friday move.

“While these rules were helpful earlier in the process they are no longer necessary and I want to thank our colleges and universities for working with us so closely,” Cooper said in a statement. The announcement included statements supporting Cooper’s move from athletic directors at the state’s four Atlantic Coast

Conference schools: Duke’s Nina King, North Carolina’s Bubba Cunningham, North Carolina State’s Boo Corrigan and Wake Forest’s John Currie.

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

On March 10th, 2024, Cody Matthew Dixon, 19, was arrested for assault on female in Badin, NC.

On March 9th, 2024, Kirsten Nichole Wilmoth, 27, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, maintaining vehicle/dwelling/place for controlled substances, and possessing drug paraphernalia in Albemarle, NC.

On March 8th, 2024, Derrick Watson Norton, 46, was arrested for nonsupport of a child in Salisbury, NC.

On March 8th, 2024, Kimberly Beth Osborne, 41, was arrested for driving with a revoked license (not impaired revocation), expired registration card/tag,

and expired/no inspection in Norwood, NC.

On March 7th, 2024, Trashun James Willoughby, 25, was arrested for assault on female and discharge firearm in city in Locust, NC.

March 7th, 2024, Donald Worth Cotton, 58, was arrested for possessing methamphetamine in Norwood, NC.

On March 7th, 2024, Victorino Benitez Arce, 46, was arrested for trafficking in cocaine, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver cocaine, maintain vehicle/dwelling/place for controlled substances, possess drug paraphernalia, and possess weapon mass destruct in

Stanfield, NC.

On March 7th, 2024, Shane Reid Hanline, 25, was arrested for possessing methamphetamine and possessing drug paraphernalia in Stanfield, NC.

On March 6th, 2024, Christopher Cortez Watson, 24, was arrested for larceny from the person, felony larceny, obtain property false pretense, obtain property false pretense, attempting to obtain prop false pretense, felony conspiracy, and felony conspiracy in Albemarle, NC.

On March 4th, 2024, Sanford Ray Goins, 46, was arrested for possessing drug paraphernalia, possession of firearm by felon, and domestic violence protection order violation in Albemarle, NC.

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CRIME LOG

CHRIS SEWARD | AP PHOTO

UNC forward Armando Bacot is one of the state’s biggest NIL earners.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

| MICHAEL BARONE

Are voters recoiling against disorder?

Modest-income folks in border counties know that ows of illegal immigrants result in disorder, disease and crime.

THE HEADLINES coming out of the Super Tuesday primaries have got it right. Barring cataclysmic changes, Donald Trump and Joe Biden will be the Republican and Democratic nominees for president in 2024. With Nikki Haley’s withdrawal, there will be no more signi cantly contested primaries or caucuses ― the earliest both parties’ races have been over since something like the current primary-dominated system was put in place in 1972.

The primary results have spotlighted some of both nominees’ weaknesses.

Donald Trump lost high-income, higheducated constituencies, including the entire metro area — aka the Swamp. Many but by no means all Haley votes there were cast by Biden Democrats. Trump can’t a ord to lose too many of the others in target states like Pennsylvania and Michigan. Majorities and large minorities of voters in overwhelmingly Latino counties in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley and some in Houston voted against Joe Biden, and even more against Senate nominee Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas).

Returns from Hispanic precincts in New Hampshire and Massachusetts show the same thing. Biden can’t a ord to lose too many Latino votes in target states like Arizona and Georgia. When Trump rode down that escalator in 2015, commentators assumed he’d repel Latinos. Instead, Latino voters nationally, and especially the closest eyewitnesses of Biden’s open-border policy, have been trending heavily Republican. High-income liberal Democrats may sport lawn signs proclaiming, “In this house, we believe ... no human is illegal.” The logical consequence of that belief is an open border. But modest-income folks in border counties know that ows of illegal immigrants result in disorder, disease and crime.

There is plenty of impatience with

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

The State of the Union

THE REPUBLICANS should be morti ed.

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

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

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

In fact, it was Republicans who didn’t get it. They remained glued to their chairs as the president called on his audience to stand up for a procedure that allows American women to choose life — to stand up for reproductive freedom and IVF, in response to the justices from Katie Britt’s home state. It was Joe Biden who looked straight at the justices from the United States Supreme Court and warned them of the political power that women will exercise in the next election. “With all due

increased disorder in election returns below the presidential level. Consider Los Angeles County, America’s largest county, with nearly 10 million people, more people than 40 of the 50 states. It voted 71% for Biden in 2020. Current returns show county District Attorney George Gascon winning only 21% of the vote in the nonpartisan primary.

He’ll apparently face Republican Nathan Hochman, a critic of his liberal policies, in November.

Gascon, elected after the May 2020 death of counterfeit-passing suspect George Floyd in Minneapolis, is one of many county prosecutors supported by billionaire George Soros. His policies include not charging juveniles as adults, not seeking higher penalties for gang membership or use of rearms and bringing fewer misdemeanor cases.

The predictable result has been increased car thefts, burglaries and personal robberies. Some 120 assistant district attorneys have left the o ce, and there’s a backlog of 10,000 unprosecuted cases.

More than a dozen other Soros-backed and similarly liberal prosecutors have faced strong opposition or have left o ce.

St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner resigned last May amid lawsuits seeking her removal, Milwaukee’s John Chisholm retired in January, and Baltimore’s Marilyn Mosby was defeated in July 2022 and convicted of perjury in September 2023. Last November, Loudoun County, Virginia, voters (62% Biden) ousted liberal Buta Biberaj, who declined to prosecute a transgender student for assault, and in June 2022 voters in San Francisco (85% Biden) recalled famed radical Chesa Boudin.

Similarly, this Tuesday, voters in San Francisco passed ballot measures strengthening police powers and requiring treatment of drug-addicted welfare recipients.

In retrospect, it appears the Floyd video, appearing after three months of COVID-19 con nement, sparked a frenzied, even crazed reaction, especially among the highly educated and articulate. One fatal incident was seen as proof that America’s “systemic racism” was worse than ever and that police forces should be defunded and perhaps abolished.

2020 was “the year America went crazy,” I wrote in January 2021, a year in which police funding was actually cut by Democrats in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Denver. A year in which young New York Times sta ers claimed they were endangered by the publication of Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-Ark.) opinion article advocating calling in military forces if necessary to stop rioting, as had been done in Detroit in 1967 and Los Angeles in 1992. A craven Times publisher even red the editorial page editor for running the article.

Evidence of visible and tangible discontent with increasing violence and its consequences — barren and locked shelves in Manhattan chain drugstores, skyrocketing carjackings in Washington, D.C. — is as unmistakable in polls and election results as it is in daily life in large metropolitan areas. Maybe 2024 will turn out to be the year even liberal America stopped acting crazy.

The disorder in America’s metropolitan centers and wreaked by illegal and undeported immigrants on the border and as far a eld as Athens, Georgia, seems to be politically overshadowing the sickening disorder wreaked by Trump supporters and tolerated if not encouraged by Trump himself.

Chaos and disorder work against incumbents, as they did in 1968 when Democrats saw their party’s popular vote fall from 61% to 43%. It’s unfortunate there’s not a more tting political bene ciary of any such recoil than Trump.

Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of The Almanac of American Politics.

respect, justices, women are not without electoral and political power,” he said. “You’re about to nd out just how much they have.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

the appearance of being on a roll, of triumph in a MAGA-esque sea of believers. The sea changes now. That contest is over.

This month, the winner becomes the defendant. The defendant in chief must take on the commander in chief; the man in the Oval O ce goes up against the man sitting at the defense table every day addressing hush money payo s to his mistress. During the primaries, Trump managed to use his courtroom appearances as he chose: coming when it suited him, lambasting his opponents, raising money from his base. The rules change in criminal trials. He must appear every day. He is facing nancial troubles. He will lose the fundraising competition. The MAGA base can’t compete with what Biden has been raising or will continue to raise. The steps of a courthouse compare poorly to the photo opportunities a president can command.

The appeal of a whining victim anked by a changing cast of lawyers is largely limited to the faithful. And with issues like hush money and posting bonds and paying E. Jean Carroll, not to mention surrogates like Katie Britt, Trump’s ability to control the agenda is drastically limited.

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

COLUMN

SIDELINE REPORT

MLS Toronto FC tops

Charlotte FC 1-0

Toronto, Ont.

Lorenzo Insigne red a right-footed shot from ve yards outside the penalty box into the top right corner in the 80th minute to break a scoreless tie and give Toronto FC a 1-0 victory over visiting Charlotte. Each team collected multiple yellow cards in the physical match. Charlotte’s Kerwin Vargas was shown a yellow card in the 60th and Scott Ar eld and Brecht Dejaegere in the 82nd and 86th, respectively. Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina picked up the nal card in the fth minute of stoppage time. Kahlina had two saves and had no chance at a third on Insigne’s game-winner.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Burlington adds new college league team

Burlington

A second summer collegiate team will play at Burlington Athletic Stadium this summer. The Burlington Sock Puppets have played in the Appalachian League since 2021, following MLB’s elimination of the Single-A professional team that had called the city home for decades. The new team’s name, the Sock Pups, was unveiled last week. The team opens play on May 24 and will add an additional 13 home dates to the schedule in Burlington. The Sock Puppets have won divisional titles each of the last two seasons, and the franchise reports a 70% increase in attendance over the former Burlington Royals’ nal season.

NCAA BASKETBALL

Auburn student wins car on 94-foot putt

Auburn, Ala. An Auburn University student connected on a longdistance shot, draining a length-of-the-basketball court putt on Saturday to win a car from a local Toyota dealership. Conor Boyle made the 94-foot putt, rolling a golf ball from one baseline and through a sign next to the opposite basket during a promotion in the second half of Auburn’s game with Georgia. After the putt found the small opening on the sign, Boyle raced around the court celebrating while fans erupted and TV cameras showed Auburn guard K.D. Johnson looking on from the bench with a stunned expression, mouth wide open. Boyle was the rst winner of the promotion this season.

College football

Early signing period to move three weeks earlier, may add third signing period

College football’s early signing period will move up three weeks from midDecember to the week preceding conference championship games, starting in 2024. The Collegiate Commissioners Association, which oversees and administers the National Letter of Intent program that schools and recruits use to make verbal commitments o cial and binding, announced the change. The start of the traditional signing period will remain on the rst Wednesday of February and continue to run through April 1. The CCA also said it is considering creating a third summer signing period that would being in June of 2025.

STANLY SPORTS

Christopher Bell pulls out emotional victory at Phoenix Raceway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bell led the rest of the way for his seventh career Cup Series victory — and rst since Homestead in October.

Truex and his crew made calculated gamble on lap 217, opting to stay out when most of the leaders went into the pits.

The JGR driver stayed in the lead, hoping he would have enough fuel and his tires would hold out long enough to reach the checkered ag. Neither happened and Truex was forced to

the pits. He nished seventh.

HAMLIN SPINS

Pole sitter Denny Hamlin took advantage of having the rst stall to twice take the lead out of the pits, but ran into trouble with about 100 laps left. Trying to pass Reddick, Hamlin’s No. 11 car got loose and he spun out, causing a caution that sent most of the cars to the pits.

Hamlin dropped to 23rd after a pit stop and nished 11th.

CINDRIC’S BAD LUCK

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

Cindric completed six laps at Phoenix Raceway before being involved in a wreck with Austin Dillon and Derek Kraus. Dillon

and Kraus were able to return to the track, but Cindric’s car was damaged too much.

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

UP NEXT

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

To avoid strikes at Paris Olympics, French

government to pay bonuses to civil servants

Major union warned of potential strikes, including at hospitals

The Associated Press

NICE, France — The French government will o er bonuses to civil servants deployed across the capital during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in a bid to avoid strikes during the events this summer, the country’s Minister for Transformation and Public Administration, Stanislas Guerini, said Saturday. Eligible employees will get a bonus ranging from 500 euros ($547) to 1,500 euros ($1,641) — in addition to their salaries — for working during the Summer Games in Paris and the ensuing Paralympics, Guerini said. He did not provide details on the criteria for the payments.

The announcement came after a major French union warned of possible strikes, including at hospitals, during the Paris Olympics, when massive in ux of people is expected in the French capital.

The social situation in France remains tense, amid recent protests from teachers, police ocers and farmers that followed huge demonstrations last year against the rise in retirement age.

Last month, employees at the Ei el Tower shut down one of the world’s most visited sites for six days with a strike, demanding not only salary hikes but also better maintenance of the historic landmark.

The 135-year-old tower will feature prominently in the Summer Games. The Olympic and Paralympic medals are being embedded with pieces from a hexagonal chunk of iron taken from the historic landmark.

Paris’s tourism o ce estimates that close to 16 million people could visit the region during July-September.

Thousands of workers will be impacted by working longer hours and postponing their holidays.

Sophie Binet, the general secretary of the CGT union, called on the government to take action and ensure the social needs of the employees are met.

“We want the government to take immediate action to ensure the success of the Games,” Sophie Binet said earlier in the week. “For this to happen, our warnings must be heeded and the Games must be prepared from a social point of view. We’ve been saying the same thing for months now, and no one cares. It’s getting very tiresome.”

Paris’ tourism o ce predicts up to 15.9 million people could

visit the Paris region during July-September. Guerini, the transformation and public administration minister, said the government is working on a plan to compensate the employees’ work and ensure their children have proper care.

The government will set up nurseries for civil servants on duty during the Games, and will allocate 1,000 spots in summer camps to help working parents with children on school holidays, the minister said. In addition, employees with children

will receive a bonus of up to 200 euros per child, and 350 euros will be allocated for each child to single-parent families.

“The whole country wants to avoid strikes during the Olympic Games,” Guerini said in an interview with France Info media on Saturday. “The Games have to be a success for the whole nation.”

Binet said the union will give a notice of strike in public services during the Games, which are held in July-August. The Paralympics take place in August-September.

BUTCH

Former NFL and Auburn quarterback, Cam Newton, throws a pass during Auburn Pro Day, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Auburn, Ala.

IAN MAULE | AP PHOTO

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

Albemarle girls stumble in fourth round of state playo s

The Bulldogs su ered a 19-point road loss to Mountain Heritage

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

BURNSVILLE — The Albemarle girls’ basketball team met its match last Friday as it was knocked out of the NCHSAA 1A state playo s in a fourth-round matchup at Mountain Heritage in Burnsville, NC.

Facing the top-seeded Cougars (28-2, 14-0 Western Highlands) in a West Region Elite 8 matchup, the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (25-4, 12-0 Yadkin Valley) saw their postseason run come to a close in a 60-41 road loss, snapping their eight-game win streak and extending their opponent’s streak to 24 games.

The Bulldogs were the only Stanly County basketball team — boys or girls — still alive in their respective playo bracket.

It was a sluggish shooting night for Albemarle throughout the majority of the game, trailing 19-8 after one quarter and 31-17 after the rst half as the Bulldogs went on to nish with their lowest scoring output of the season.

Star point guard Amari Baldin had a team-high 24 points for Albemarle while Mountain Heritage’s Ava Webb notched a team-best 19 points.

“Tough loss tonight in a tough environment but extremely proud of this team and everything they have accomplished,” Albemarle coach Eric Davis said in a post-game social media post. “We as a community should be very proud of this group on and o the oor. They are truly a great group who have put in the work and earned everything they have received.”

Earlier in the state playo s, the Bulldogs (24-3, 12-0 Yadkin Valley) had previously bested the No. 29 Mountain Island Charter Raptors (8-15, 5-9 Catawba Shores) in a 73-19 home nish before getting a 15-point road win over No. 13 Union Academy (20-5, 9-3 Yadkin Valley) in the second round.

In their third-round matchup, the Bulldogs defeated No. 5 East Wilkes Cardinals (23-4, 13-0 Northwest) 57-42. Although Albemarle was only two wins away from making it to the 1A state title game, the team still nished with the most victories it had accumulated in a season since its 26-3 record during the 2018-19 campaign. Adding three extra wins to their record in each of the past two seasons, the Bulldogs can also hang their hat on winning back-to-back Yadkin Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

Albemarle defeated Union Academy 65-57 on Feb. 23 to notch the 2023-24 YVC Tournament championship trophy. On Sunday, the North Caro-

lina Basketball Coaches Association announced its 2023-2024 All-District Teams. Representing District 8, Baldwin was named a rst-team member while junior center Jasmine Brown was named to the third-team roster.

Baldwin currently stands in second place in Albemarle’s alltime scoring list. Late last month, the junior was announced as the 2023-24 Yadkin Valley Conference Player of the Year as Brown and junior forward Bianca Robinson were also added to the All-Conference list.

With three of Albemarle’s top four leading scorers returning next year for their senior season, the Bulldogs are primed to, once again, make a run in the state playo s as they also aim to win their third-consecutive YVC title.

Christian Harris

Christian Harris is a senior for the Albemarle baseball team.

Harris also made all conference as a cornerback and wide receiver for the Bulldogs’ football team and also quali ed for state’s at 120 pounds during wrestling season.

Now it’s spring and Harris, who plays second base and out eld for the Bulldogs, is o to a fast start. In Albemarle’s 16-6 win over Carolina International last week, Harris went 4-for-5 with a double, 2 RBIs and 4 runs scored. He also stole 4 bases.

Temple, Loyola (Md.) men’s basketball programs disclose gambling-related investigations

Temple betting line showed unusual movement, raising red ags

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Temple University said last Friday it will review reports that show at least one game involving its men’s basketball team was agged for unusual betting activity while Loyola (Md.) said it had removed a person from its basketball program after it became aware of a gambling violation.

The separate investigations emerged within hours of each other and a little more than a week before the NCAA tourna-

ments open and in the midst of conference tournaments. It was a stark reminder that the spread of legalized gambling across the country has resulted in a handful of incidents involving college sports programs.

Loyola said in a statement to The Associated Press it had taken swift action when its basketball program was compromised. “Loyola was made aware of an individual’s gambling violation that was promptly reported to the NCAA. The individual was immediately removed from the program, and the NCAA accepted the self-report and took no further action,” the school said without identifying the person or the timing of the move.

Loyola said gambling watchdog U.S. Integrity had analyzed its games and “no anomalies” were discovered. The announcement came only hours after basketball coach Tavaras Hardy stepped down after six seasons; a person with direct knowledge of the situation told the AP on condition of anonymity because details are not being released that Hardy is not the person who was removed from the program over the gambling violation.

In Philadelphia, the betting line for Thursday night’s game between Temple and UAB surged from the Blazers opening as a two-point favorite to reaching as high as eight points, per tracking website http://Covers.com . UAB

covered the spread with a 100-72 win at Temple. “We are aware of the media reports regarding last night’s men’s basketball game,” Temple said. “We will review the reports thoroughly in accordance with university and NCAA policies. While we can’t comment any further at this time, we take this matter very seriously.”

Integrity said it was in the “very early stages of acquiring information” but otherwise declined to comment on an ongoing investigation. A UAB spokesman declined comment, adding “this does not apply to us.”

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said it “received the alert and are reviewing the

matter to see if there’s any impact in Pennsylvania.”

The point spread can dramatically shift when sportsbooks are taking in money on one side of a game. The line could be suspicious if, for example, an overwhelming amount of money came in on UAB — unusual in an otherwise meaningless college basketball game without major injuries or suspensions to key players.

At Westgate, which has sportsbooks in nine states, the line moved from 2 1/2 points to 8 at one point.

The growth of legal sports betting in the U.S., especially among college-aged people, has prompted concerns about increased stress on athletes and raised the potential for wrongdoing. U.S Integrity last May launched a tip line to help athletes, coaches and sta to anonymously report suspicions about gambling activity to regulators and law enforcement.

SETH MABRY FOR STANLY COUNTY JOURNAL

Albemarle’s Amari Baldwin lays it up in front of two Cardinal defenders during the Bulldogs’ win over East Wilkes. Albemarle lost their next playo game, despite 24 points from Baldwin.

Guardsmen, BP agent killed in chopper crash ID’d

Two members of the New York National Guard and a Border Patrol agent were killed when the helicopter crashed in Texas.

The Associated Press

LA GRULLA, Texas — A National Guard soldier from New York who was seriously injured in the crash of a helicopter ying over the U.S.-Mexico border remained hospitalized Sunday while authorities released the names of the two National Guard soldiers and a Border Patrol agent onboard who were killed.

The three killed Friday in the crash in a eld in Texas near Rio Grande City were: Chief Warrant O cer 2 Casey Frankoski, 28, and Chief Warrant O cer 2 John Grassia, 30, both with the New York National Guard; and Border Patrol Agent Chris Luna, 49. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The UH-72 Lakota helicopter was assigned to the federal government’s border security mission when it went down while the helicopter was conducting aviation operations, according to a statement released by Joint Task Force North, a military unit that supports Customs and Border Protection. No other details were provided.

The injured soldier was from the New York National Guard, according to the National Guard Bureau. The soldier, whose name isn’t being released, was the aircraft crew chief. The soldier remained hospitalized, according to a news release posted by the New York State Division of Military & Naval A airs.

Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New

York, said in the release that they are “shocked and devastated” by the deaths of Frankoski and Grassia, and are “praying for the quick recovery” of the injured crew chief.

Troy Miller, acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement that they were “heartbroken” by the death of Luna, who is survived by his wife and two children, parents and brother.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement that they are hoping for the injured national guardsman’s “swift recovery,” and said his thoughts and

the “deepest condolences” of the department were with the families of those killed.

Grassia, who was a New York state trooper, was from Schenectady, New York, and he enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2013 as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter maintenance specialist, according to the New York State Division of Military & Naval A airs. The release said that Frankoski, of Rensselaer, New York, enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2016 and she trained to become a UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopter pilot.

Sweden’s ag raised at NATO HQ

The traditionally neutral country is the 32nd nation to join the military alliance.

By Lorne Cook

The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — Sweden’s ag was raised at NATO headquarters on Monday, cementing the Nordic country’s place as the 32nd member two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine persuaded its reluctant public to seek safety under the alliance’s security umbrella.

Under a steady rain, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Crown Princess Victoria and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg looked on as two soldiers raised the blue banner emblazoned with a yellow cross among the o cial circle of national ags at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.

“The Russian, brutal, fullscale invasion against Ukraine united Sweden behind the conclusion that a full- edged NATO membership is the only reasonable choice,” Kristersson said. Swedish government ministers and party leaders from

The blue-and-yellow ag of Sweden was raised at NATO headquarters for the rst time this week.

across the political spectrum attended in a show of national unity.

Sweden set aside decades of post-World War II neutrality when it formally joined NATO on March 7. The neighboring nation of Finland had already joined in April 2023 in another historic move ending years of military nonalignment.

Finland’s defense ministry welcomed “our brothers and sisters in arms,” saying on X, formerly Twitter, that “now we stand at the beginning of a new era. Together and with other allies in peace, in crisis and beyond.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to order troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022,

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that she was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of Grassia and Frankoski.

“There is no greater calling than service to and defense of your country,” she said. Frankoski and Grassia were assigned to Detachment 2, Company A, 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment. Luna was assigned to the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande City Station. The helicopter that crashed was assigned to the District of Columbia Army National Guard, according to the New York State Division of Military & Naval A airs release.

triggered an about-face in public opinion in both countries and within three months they had applied to join the world’s biggest security organization.

Putin claimed to have launched the war, at least in part, over NATO’s eastward expansion toward Russia. But the war had an adverse e ect, pushing more countries to join the alliance. NATO leaders have promised that Ukraine itself will join one day, although almost certainly not while the con ict rages on.

“When President Putin launched his full-scale invasion two years ago, he wanted less NATO, and more control over his neighbors. He wanted to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign state, but he failed,” Stoltenberg said.

“NATO is now bigger and stronger. Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before, and as the brave Ukrainians continue to ght for their freedom, we stand by their side,” he said.

Sweden’s membership completes a strategic ring of NATO territory around the Baltic Sea. The country now bene ts from the alliance’s collective security guarantee — Article 5 of its treaty — a vow that an attack on one of them will be met by a response from them all.

“We have chosen you, and you have chosen us. All for one, and

VIA AP

The border region is heavily patrolled by both state and federal authorities, including routine aerial surveillance.

In January, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter patrolling the state’s border with Mexico lost power and crashed, o cials said at the time. The co-pilot su ered a minor hand injury and the helicopter was signi cantly damaged. That helicopter was ying as part of Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s nearly $10 billion border mission that has tested the federal government’s authority over immigration.

one for all,” Kristersson said, and he vowed that his country would uphold the values enshrined in NATO’s founding Washington Treaty.

The ag-raising ceremony came as 20,000 troops from 13 countries conduct NATO drills in the high north of new member Sweden as well as its neighbors Finland and Norway.

The Nordic drill is part of wider exercises called Steadfast Defender 24, NATO’s largest in decades, with up to 90,000 troops taking part over several months to show any adversary that the alliance can defend all of its territory from North America up to its borders with Russia.

“We are humble, but we are also proud. We know the expectations for Sweden are high, but we also have high expectations for ourselves,” Kristersson told reporters minutes before the ceremony. “We will share burdens, responsibilities and risks with our allies.”

Sweden brings to the table well-trained and -equipped armed forces. The country has been working in close partnership with NATO during military exercises over the years, and even more since Russia’s all-out war began. Sweden also meets NATO’s defense spending target of 2% of gross domestic product.

KRGV

Border Patrol and other agencies gather near where the helicopter crashed in Texas last week.

GEERT VANDEN WIJNGAERT/AP

(Taylor) Drye

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

Coleman

Jacob "Jake" Vaughn Nance

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.

September 29, 1928 — March 8, 2024

Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor. She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor.

Survivors include children, Debbie (Mike) Williams of Albemarle, Teresa (Tom) Curry of Oakboro, Douglas (Tammy) Drye of Oakboro; grandchildren, Melissa (Don) Parrish of Albemarle, Samantha (Destiny) Smith of Oakboro, Bradley Smith of Oakboro, Jonathan Stover of Peachland, and Jessie Stover of Lylesville; sisterin-law, Beatrice Goodman; many nieces and nephews; and her beloved cats, Bo and Gar eld. Barbara was a member of Oakboro Baptist Church for over 60 years. She worked over 30 years at Stanly Knitting Mills. After just two years of retirement, she began managing the Oakboro Senior Center and did that for 18 years until this past week. Barbara was known for her good cooking and always taking care of others. She also loved going on day long shopping trips - she could out walk and out shop people half her age. She kept her mind and body active through gardening, word searches, and various other hobbies.

Jacob "Jake" Vaughn Nance, 95, of Stan eld, passed away Friday, March 8, 2024, at Tucker Hospice House in Kannapolis, NC. Jake was born September 29, 1928 in Union County, North Carolina to the late William Alfred Nance and the late Lessie Loretta Chaney Nance. He was also preceded in death by wife of 60 years, Faye Frances Nance and nine brothers and sisters. Survivors include son, John (Susan) Nance of Stan eld; daughter, Bonnie Nance of Stan eld; three grandchildren, David Nance (Tammy), Jacob Nance, and Rachel Flores (Chris); six great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and longtime companion, Gail Barbee. Jake's biggest loves were his family, the U.S. Air Force, and his garden.

Larry Paul Freeman

May 17, 1944 — March 7, 2024

Larry Paul Freeman,79, of Lenoir, NC passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

Larry Freeman was born May 17, 1944, in Concord, NC to the late William Harrison Freeman and Rosalie McLester Freeman. He graduated from Concord High School prior to joining the Navy. Larry was an avid hiker and backpacker throughout most of his life. Larry loved to take church groups and friends on backpacking trips and show them the areas of NC that he treasured. In later years, Larry enjoyed making his own wine. He was a perfectionist creating batches of wine from wine kits and tweaking them to his liking. Larry loved to share his wine with friends and always labeled the wine with pictures of his grand-dogs and grand-cats. Larry is survived by his daughter, Chris Quagliato and daughter -in-law, Ann Quagliato of Charlotte, NC, his son, Bill Freeman of Charlotte, NC and his sister, Alice Freeman Allred of Concord, NC. His also survived by his nieces Tammy Atkinson (Todd), Candy Doby (Travis) and their families.

William Henry

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

Cottrell, Jr.

Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.

December 13, 1944 — March 5, 2024

Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran. He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheri ’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.

Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.

He is survived by his wife Hilda Whitley Farmer; one son D. Britten Farmer Jr. (Mary) of McLeansville, NC; one daughter Sharon Farmer Lowe (David) of Norwood; one sister Geraldine Dennis of Troy; two grandchildren, Dwight Britten “Dee” Farmer III and Whitley Rose Hui Lowe.

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.

William (“Bill”) Henry Cottrell, Jr., 79, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at his home in Concord, North Carolina. Bill was born December 13, 1944, in Kentucky to the late William Henry Cottrell Sr. and the late Anna Russell Cottrell. Bill was also preceded in death by his brother, James Ronnie Cottrell, and his sister, Mary Lee Hunt. Bill was happily married to Dolores Dee Cottrell for nearly 55 years. They lived a long and beautiful life together in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky and in Concord before Bill passed away. They had two children, Eric and Neil Cottrell, both of whom live with their families in Charlotte. Bill had a strong faith and was very involved in his local churches over the years, including prayer and prison ministries. Survivors include wife, Dolores Cottrell, son, Eric H. Cottrell and his wife, Stefanie Groot, son, Neil W. Cottrell and his wife, Cathy Wares, grandchildren Anna, Miranda, Fiona, June and Jonah, and his brother, David R. Cottrell.

Mary Julianne

Sullivan

Warren

July 11, 1949 — March 2, 2024

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

Mary Julianne Sullivan Warren, 74, of Charlotte, passed away on March 2, 2024.Mary was born July 11, 1949, in Nash County, NC, to the late Wayman Jack Sullivan and the late Juanita Beatrice Greene Sullivan. She was also preceded in death by her sister, Martha Jane Sullivan; daughter, Lori Warren Turner; and nephew, Bryan Freeman. She was a loving wife, mom, sister, and Nana (the Great). Save us a spot beside you in Heaven.

Survivors include her beloved husband of 43 years, Roy Warren of the home; daughter, Michelle (Je ) Price of Harrisburg; son, Trae (Angela) Whitworth of SC; brother, Henry "Jack" (Martha) Sullivan of NC; 7 grandchildren, Abbie, Monica, Nic, Rebeka, Sabrina, Zac, and Jack; 6 great-grandchildren, Aiden, Eli, Christian, Jackson, Grayson, and Oliver; nieces, Kitty, Lori, and Ellen; and nephews, Kevin and Jason.

Margaret Elizabeth "Liz" Pigeon

James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.

June 10, 1944 — March 2, 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.

Margaret Elizabeth Pigeon, 79, of Stan eld, passed away Saturday, March 2, 2024.

Liz was born June 10, 1944, in North Carolina to the late Vernon Ward Hill and the late Maggie Isabelle Hill. She was also preceded in death by husband, Francis Bernard Pigeon, brother, Vernon Edward Hill. Liz was an amazing seamstress, cook, and was very crafty. She loved spending time with her family being a wonderful mother, grandmother and sister.

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.

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.

Survivors include daughters, Windy (Keith) Plummer, Melissa (John) Simpson, Sonya (Marc) Doby; grandchildren, Angel (Taylor) Barbee, Amber (Kelton) Carpenter, Kayla (Cody) Miller, Alisha (Joshua) Wilson, Ashley Whitener, and Brandon Simpson; greatgrandchildren, Maddox and Kayson Barbee, Cooper, Cade, and Colby Carpenter, SaigeLeigh Grace, Lane Wilson, C.J., Addison and Roman Miller; sister, Judy Huneycutt; and special friend, William "Bill" Brooks Jr.

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

Carl Allen Le er

March 7, 1943 — March 5, 2024

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.

Born March 7, 1943, he was taken home by angels March 5, 2024.He was preceded in death by his mother Margaret Shinn Hartsell, father Andrew H Le er and brother Bobby H Le er. He is survived by his wife of 58 years Nora Sulayne Le er, two children: Sharon Le er Sneed (Rodney), Carl Luther Le er (Jennifer), 7 grandchildren: Tyler Roberts (Brian), Cameron Sneed (Heather), Victoria Sneed ( ancé Austin), Laura, Lacey, Luke and Lillian Le er Great grandchildren: Sammy and Nora Roberts, Josie and Colter Sneed; a sister, Carolyn Cress, nieces Billie Plummer, Wanda Le er Strange and Dawn Ann Le er. It was a great treat for the children, grandchildren and later great-grandchildren playing with the many puppies he raised over the years. It always brought a smile to his face.

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.

Robert Kenneth Jamison

March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023

January 2, 1945 — March 5, 2024

Robert Kenneth Jamison, 79, of Indian Trail, passed away Tuesday, March 5, 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.

Ken was born January 2, 1945 in North Carolina to the late Thomas Je erson Jamison and the late Mabel Marguerite Black Jamison. He was also preceded in death by brother, Thomas Je erson Jamison, Jr. and grandson, Brenton Christopher Austin. Survivors include wife of 59 years, Vickie Lou Stansell Jamison of the home, children, Jodon "Jody" Christopher Jamison (Denise), Jerrad Scott Jamison (Tammy), Shannon Leigh Jamison (Wes), and Amy Jamison Sehen (Je ); grandchildren, Jordan Nicole Gray, Ashley Sehen Vanhoose (Derek), Travis Hunter Jamison, Jamison Grant Lemmond (Hannah), Carly Austin Clark (Joe), Madison Lily Sehen, Ethan Scott Howle; greatgrandchildren, Blair Marlee Bennett and Noah Jordan Lemmond; siblings, Marilyn Jamison Valdes (Moses) and Richard Thomas "Rick" Jamison (Hope).

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 Stewart Hill, Jr.

April 21, 1963 — March 3, 2024

his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Awardthe highest award given to members at the national level. This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men. John is survived by his wife Julie Ussery Kluttz, for 66 years of the home. He is also survived by a son John David Kluttz (Kim) of Oakboro, NC; two daughters, Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and Betsy Tusa (John) of Lafayette, CO; three grandchildren, Bonnie Kluttz Sammons (Ben) of Rich eld, NC 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.

John Stewart Hill Jr. 60, of Concord, passed away Sunday, March 3, 2024. Stewart was born April 21, 1963, in Greenwood, South Carolina to the late John Stewart Hill Sr. and the late Jeanette Emily Hill. Survivors include his wife and one true love, Deena Hill of Concord, NC. His son Jacob Hill (Jenna) of Canton, GA; His daughter Erin Hill (Tyler McDonald) of Savannah, GA; His brother Richard Hill (Kathy) of Ware Shoals, SC; His cousin who was more like a brother Todd Fruit (Terri) of Savannah, GA; His brother in-law Chuck Pinion (Tina) of Lexington, SC; His brother in-law David Pinion (Lea) of Fripp Island, SC; His brother in-law Fred Pinion, Jr. (Jennifer) of Greenville, SC; His sister in-love Wendy Lucas (John) of Concord, NC; His father in-law Fred Pinion, Sr. and mother inlaw Harriet Pinion of Concord, NC; Most of all the two lights of his life that lovingly call him Papa Stew, Tucker and Levi.

Lucy Dean Teeter

September 21, 1933 — March 7, 2024

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

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.

Lucy Dean Teeter, 90 years young, of Midland, passed away peacefully Thursday, March 7, 2024, in her beloved home surrounded by her devoted and loving family.

Doris was born on October 11, 1944, in the mountains of Marion, NC while her father was away ghting in the US Navy during World War II. Raymond Jones was so proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Durham High School. She furthered her studies at Watts Hospital School of Nursing in Durham and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1966.

Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC. Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion. The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over 40 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.

Mrs. Lucy was born September 21, 1933 in Wadesboro, North Carolina to the late Sanford Benjamin Carelock and the late Sarah Estel 1933, arelock. Alongside her parents, Lucy was surely greeted at the gates of heaven by her cherished grandmother Ella Sinclair and so many others. She was also preceded in death by her rst husband Conley G. H. Love, second husband Robert Lane Teeter, son George Vernon Love, son John Carl Love, son James Clyde Love, daughter Debra “Debbie” Lynn Love, brother Billy Ray Carelock, brother David Lee Carelock, granddaughter Michelle Hu stetler, great-grandson James Arthur, and greatgranddaughter Kristina Webb Castor. Her Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts were really something to behold. Her cooking was legendary; the love she poured into her meals is something that shall be sorely missed. Mrs. Lucy was the oldest living charter member at Tabernacle Baptist Church of Oakboro. She loved her church family deeply. She shared her love for God and his son Jesus Christ with her family, ensuring she did all she could to see each loved one once again when they’re nally called home. She will be waiting for each and every one of them with open arms. Survivors include daughter, Linda Taylor of Midland, NC, daughter, Martha Love of Midland, NC, daughter, Connie (Fred) Kinley of Midland, NC, son, Benny Teeter of Midland, NC, son, Robert (Kathy) Teeter of Albemarle, NC, and sister, Rachel Diane Bolton of Midland. Also surviving are over one hundred and twenty grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, and greatgreat-grandchildren, whom she showered with love and admiration.

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

Lawsuit accuses MIT of tolerating antisemitism

MIT stands accused of ignoring its own policies to protect students and sta from pervasive anti-Jewish harassment and hostility

By Michael Casey

The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Two Jewish students led a federal lawsuit Thursday against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology accusing the university of allowing antisemitism on campus that has resulted in them being intimidated, harassed and assaulted.

The lawsuit mirrors similar legal actions led since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, including at Columbia University, New York University, Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania. In the MIT lawsuit, the students and a nonpro t that ghts antisemitism, StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, accuse the university of approving antisemitic activities on campus and tolerating discrimination and harassment against Jewish students and faculty.

“As a result of MIT’s blatant and intentional disregard for its legal and contractual obli-

gations to its students, plainti s and other students have su ered injury to themselves and their educational experience,” the lawsuit alleges. “Jewish and Israeli students at MIT have felt unsafe attending classes, have in some instances deferred graduation dates or exams, and some professors have left the university.”

A statement from MIT said the university does not typically comment on pending litigation.

“Generally, we’d note MIT has established processes in place to address concerns of discrimination and harassment,” according to the statement.

The lawsuit is requesting the court prohibit MIT from “establishing, implementing, instituting, maintaining, or executing policies, practices, or protocols that penalize or discriminate against Jewish students.” It also is demanding that MIT take any preventive measures including

ring sta and expelling students who engage in antisemitic behavior. The lawsuit also calls for the university to communicate to the school community that it will “condemn, investigate, and punish any conduct that harasses members of the Jewish community, or others on the basis of their ethnic or ancestral background.”

Last month, MIT suspended a student group that held demonstrations against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza because it didn’t go through the school’s approval process. In a video message explaining the suspension, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said criticizing policies of any government including Israel was permitted but that “members of one community shouldn’t feel it’s OK to vilify and shun Israeli and Jewish members of our community.”

“Equally, we shouldn’t feel it’s OK to vilify everyone who advocates for the Palestinian people as supporting Hamas,” Kornbluth said. “We de nitely shouldn’t feel it’s OK to single out other members of our community because of where they’re from or what they believe and tell them that they’re not welcome on our campus.”

Fallout from the Israel-Hamas war has roiled campuses across the U.S. and reignited a debate over free speech. College leaders have struggled to de ne the line where political speech crosses into harassment and discrimination, and Jewish and Arab students have raised concerns that schools are doing

too little to protect them.

The issue took center stage in December when the presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT testi ed at a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism. Asked by Republican lawmakers whether calls for the genocide of Jews would violate campus policies, the presidents o ered lawyerly answers and declined to say unequivocally that it was prohibited speech.

Their answers prompted weeks of backlash from donors and alumni, leading to the resignation of Presidents Liz Magill at Penn and Claudine Gay at Harvard.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks killed 1,200 people in Israel, mainly civilians, and abducted around 250 others, nearly half of whom were released during a weeklong cease- re in November.

Since the war began, Israel’s assault in Gaza has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, roughly 1% of the territory’s population, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Aid groups say the ghting has displaced most of the territory’s people and pushed a quarter of the population to the brink of famine.

The U.S. Department of Education has repeatedly warned colleges that they are required to ght antisemitism and Islamophobia on their campuses or risk losing federal money. The agency has opened dozens of investigations at colleges and universities in response to complaints of antisemitism and Islamophobia since the Oct. 7 attacks, including at Harvard, Stanford and MIT.

Backcountry skier killed on Mt. Washington’s Tuckerman Ravine

A number of injured skiers and hikers needed to be rescued over the weekend

By Nick Perry The Associated Press

MEREDITH, N.H. — The steep bowl at Tuckerman Ravine on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington has long made it a favorite spot for expert skiers and snowboarders who are seeking adventure beyond the comparative safety of the state’s ski areas.

But hard and icy conditions on Saturday turned the bowl deadly.

Madison Saltsburg, 20, died after falling about 600 vertical feet (183 meters) down the ravine in the afternoon, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Two other skiers su ered serious injuries after falling and hitting rocks and ice. And there were a number of other falls witnessed throughout the day which didn’t result in serious injuries, the service said.

A telephone message to a forest service spokesperson seeking information about Saltsburg wasn’t immediately returned Sunday.

The day of accidents prompted search e orts that continued for hours in the dark as teams worked to rescue the injured ski-

ers and remove Saltsburg’s body from the mountain. Heavy, wet snow started to fall Saturday night and winds began to pick up, forcing the rescuers to battle on through the worsening conditions.

“The snow rangers and emergency personnel were up there late last night. They’re exhausted,” said Colleen Mainville, a spokesperson with the U.S. For-

est Service.

Tuckerman Ravine is particularly popular in the spring, when the sun begins to soften the snow. On some days, hundreds of skiers and snowboarders make the 3-mile (5-kilometer) hike to the ravine, resulting in a festive atmosphere. From there it can take another hour to kick boot steps in the wall to get to the top.

But risks — including open crevasses, avalanches and rocks — have resulted in several deaths over the years.

The Forest Service said Saltsburg and her skiing companion encountered hard and icy snow surfaces due to cold temperatures and a lack of recent snowfall. There were also open crevasse holes on the mountain, the service said, and conditions were

unforgiving.

Forest Service rangers and a team from the Mount Washington Avalanche Center also responded to two other skiers who su ered severe injuries that weren’t life-threatening, Mainville said.

At 6,288 feet (1916.6 meters),

Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the Northeast and is notorious for its ckle weather. It is the sight of frequent rescues.

Just the previous night, on Friday, a 23-year-old hiker from Kentucky was rescued from the mountain after going o trail and into the Ammonoosuc Ravine, New Hampshire Fish and Game reported. The hiker “fell and hit his head and face, lost one of his sneakers, and eventually became hypothermic,” the agency said in a statement.

“He was given boots, food, warm drink, proper winter gear, and a headlamp. He was then escorted back to the trail and then to the Cog Railway parking lot,” the agency said.

Another hiker who was rescued from the Ammonoosuc Ravine in February described his 11-hour ordeal to The Associated Press, acknowledging he had made some poor decisions and was underprepared for his hike, and crediting rescuers with saving his life.

PHOTO BY STEVE GOLSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The MIT campus, including the Great Dome and Little Dome, from atop the Green Building in 2017.

ROBERT F. BUKATY/AP

The tricky backcountry ski slope of Tuckerman Ravine, on the left, lies about a mile below the summit of 6,288-foot Mount Washington.

Randolph record

ing and fostering community growth. Together, we are building a foundation for continued success, innovation, and collaboration.”

The $1.5 million will go toward a 22-acre plot for a new campus near the megasite

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

THE RANDOLPH County Board of Commissioners met Monday, March 4, considering utility funding, real estate purchases for Randolph Community College (RCC), and other issues. RCC was seeking $1.5 million to acquire a 22-acre tract of land for the college’s new Liberty Center, designed for

workforce development and expansion. It would be funded through accumulated Article 46 sales tax funds, according to interim county manager Will Massie.

“We want to be at the center of where the action is at this point and get closer to the megasite and other corporations that are going to be around that area,” said Richard Weldon, RCC’s VP for administrative services. “We wanted to have a prominent presence in Liberty,” at the corner of US 421 and N.C. Highway 49, roughly ve miles away from the megasite project.

The RCC funding was approved.

“This pivotal decision demon-

“We wanted to have a prominent presence in Liberty.”

Richard Weldon, RCC

strates a shared commitment to advancing workforce development and creating opportunities for our community,” RCC President Shah Ardalan said in a statement. “The unwavering support from the Randolph County Commissioners re ects a shared dedication to providing unparalleled career train-

The Town of Ramseur asked for an additional $2.25 million in funding for an expansion of an existing water and sewer project.

“The town is currently working on a $7 million water improvements project,” said Wooten Company regional manager John Grey. “Most of that money is being used to replace water lines that are old and that need to be replaced, re hydrants and things like that.”

It would also see changes to the town’s chlorine treatment system, all funded under an existing grant from the Division of Water Infrastructure.

The extra funding would cover replacement of a sludge removal system and improvements to the disinfection system

The annual fundraiser helps children from infancy through high school

Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — A 75-year tradition will continue next week at the Asheboro Armory. The Asheboro Kiwanis Club will hold its annual Pancake Day on Tuesday, March 19. The club will o er pancakes, sausage and beverages for lunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and supper from 3:30-8 p.m. Patrons can opt for dine-in, take-out, or drive-thru during those times. Prior to 2020, the club o ered breakfast options but has eliminated the early shift since.

The Pancake Day event is the primary fundraiser for the Asheboro Kiwanis Club and dates back to the 1940s. Former state senator Russell Walker was the inspiration for the event which has brought locals together for a simple meal and great fellowship for a good cause. The mission of the Kiwanis Club is to improve the lives of children and the communities in which they live. In Asheboro, that mission is accomplished through support for youth activities throughout the year in-

cluding American Legion Baseball, youth athletics, scholarships and Operation Red Sleigh. The club also supports many other local organizations, like Salvation Army, Randolph County Partnership for Children, Victory Junction Gang Camp, Key Club, Miss Randolph County Scholarship Pageant, and the Boys and Girls Club.

Pancake Day typically generates more than $20,000 from the all-you-can eat event. It takes more than 75 volunteers, exceeding the entire membership of the club, to pull o the event. The club typically calls on members’ spouses and other local volunteers to ensure enough volunteers — including pancake and sausage cookers.

Lynne Qualls, current Asheboro Kiwanis Club president, said her favorite part of the event is seeing the impact the funds have on the community through “projects for children.”

“I enjoy talking to folks supporting us and seeing old friends each year,” Qualls said.

The event was originally staged as a pancake supper in downtown Asheboro. As more and more locals attended, the event moved and expanded beyond just “supper.” It has been hosted at the National Guard Ar-

“They’re arguably the best pancakes anywhere.”

Eddie Burks

mory at 1430 South Fayetteville Street in Asheboro since 1973, according to the club. In addition to sourcing its volunteers from the local community, the club also gets its sausage locally from Thomas Brothers. Ricky Thomas at Thomas Brothers said his company planned to deliver over 8,000 sausage patties for this year’s event. Asked how many years his company has worked on the Pancake Day, Thomas said he didn’t know for sure but it was “a long time.”

“They do a lot of good for the community,” Thomas said. “We love working with Kiwanis.” Thomas Brothers also provides a refrigerated truck to help keep supplies cold. Patrons and volunteers alike cite the opportunity to come together as a community as one of the best aspects of the event and President-elect and chairman of the Pancake Day commit-

tee. Tony Hoover agrees. “Meeting the people in the community and sharing about what Kiwanis does is my favorite part,” said Hoover. “It’s our major fundraiser for the year, the funds go to help kids and help organizations that help kids.”

Hoover said he anticipates around 25 cooks this year between sausage and pancake duties.

Asheboro City Councilman and Kiwanis Club board member Eddie Burks echoed the sentiments of Qualls and Hoover saying his favorite part of the event is the “fellowship.” But, Burks says to not sleep on the pancakes themselves. “They’re arguably the best pancakes anywhere,” said Burks in an interview with Randolph Record.

The 75th Annual Asheboro Kiwanis Club’s Pancake Day tickets are $8 and are available from any Asheboro Kiwanis Club member and at the door.

We

Rivenbark wins GOP primary for Randolph Commissioner

Republican Lester Rivenbark and Democrat Jane Ledwell-Gant will be on November’s ballot

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Randolph County will have at least one new county commissioner following the 2024 election.

Challenger Lester Rivenbark of Asheboro headed the Republican eld in Tuesday’s primary for the District 5 seat.

Rivenbark received 8,479 votes for a safe lead on repeat commissioner candidate Chris McLeod, a Denton man who had 6,031. Incumbent Maxton McDowell of Asheboro had 4,713 votes.

Rivenbark and Democrat

Jane Ledwell-Gant will be on November’s ballot.

Total turnout in Randolph County was 24.2 percent of registered voters. There were 23,190 voters. There was no primary for the other seat for the county commissioners on the 2024 ballot. The lone candidates for the District 1 seat are incumbent Kenny Kidd on the Republican side and William McCaskill on the Dem-

CRIME LOG

February 29

Robert Anthony Chisholm, 61, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony larceny from the person. He was issued a $20,000 secured bond.

March 1

ocrat line.

• For the U.S. House seat in District 9, current House member Richard Hudson had 15,643 votes in Randolph County compared to Troy Tarazon’s 2,535 for the Republican spot on the ballot.

While Hudson, who’s from Southern Pines, had 86 percent of votes in Randolph County, his total advantage was at 83.4 percent for a spot opposite Nigel Bristow, a Democrat from Hamlet.

• For governor, Randolph County voters picked Mark Robinson on 15,112 ballots – far ahead of Dale Folwell (2,617) and Bill Graham (2,074) on the Republican side. Robinson advanced to the

Office on charges of felony possession of cocaine, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor assault on a female, misdemeanor resist/delay/obstruct, and misdemeanor maintaining a vehicle for controlled substance. He was given no bond.

November ballot with 64.8 percent of the primary votes statewide.

On the Democratic ticket for governor, sitting state attorney general Josh Stein was picked on 2,014 ballots to outdistance a eld that had runner-up Mike Morgan at 325.

Stein won the nomination with a statewide total of 69.7 percent.

• The lieutenant governor race was particularly close on the Republican side in Randolph County. With 11 candidates on the ballot, Hal Weatherman was tops with 3,867 and Sam Page next with 3,864.

Statewide, Weatherman was the leader with 19.6 percent and Jim O’Neill was next at 15.8 percent, though they might be headed for a special run-o in May. Page was fth at 10.2 percent.

• Numbers for the presidential primaries, former president Donald Trump received 17,404 votes in Randolph County compared to Nikki Haley’s 2,350 on the Republican side. President Joe Biden was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Trump’s statewide percentage of votes was almost 74 percent compared to 86.4 percent in Randolph County.

officer and misdemeanor assault on a government official and received a $3,000 secured bond. He was later also charged with felony obtaining property by false pretense, felony larceny of motor vehicle, felony safecracking, felony breaking and entering and felony larceny after break/enter.

Randolph Guide

The Randolph Guide is a quick look at what’s going on in Randolph County.

March 15

Shamrockin’ Friday Night Concert:

The Tan & Sober Gentlemen | 7 p.m.

A Special Friday Night Concert for St. Patrick’s Day at the Sunset Theatre featuring The Tan & Sober Gentlemen. Born and raised in North Carolina, the Tan & Sober Gentlemen began taking the songs, stories, and tunes that make up their beloved state’s musical tradition before they could talk. Tickets $10, visit sunsettheatre.org for more information.

Liberty Showcase Theater Presents –Celtic Angels | 8 p.m.

CMI Entertainment presents Celtic Angels Ireland, A History of Ireland – An evening of Craic (fun) Ceol (music) and Traidisiún (tradition). Get swept away in the enchanting harmonies of the Celtic Angels as they present an impassioned homage to their beloved Emerald Isle. Tickets from $25 to $55. Find out more online at thelibertyshowcase.com.

CALL OR TEXT

SPONSORED BY 336-629-7588

WEDNESDAY MAR 6

THURSDAY MAR 7

FRIDAY MAR 8

SATURDAY MAR 9

HI

SUNDAY MAR

Sherrita Monique Bautista, 45, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony discharge of weapon into an occupied dwelling, felony break/enter to terrorize/ injure, misdemeanor injury to real property, and misdemeanor injury to personal property. She was issued a $10,000 secured bond.

March 2

Harley Ryan Medley, 30, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony attempted larceny and misdemeanor injury to real property. He was issued a $5,000 unsecured bond.

March 4

Zachary Micahel Paulson, 31, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s

RCC from page 1

at the water treatment plant. A decision was pushed o until at least April so that more information could be gathered.

“I hate to spend money on something we don’t have enough information on,” said Commissioner David Allen.

“We only got one page on this and that’s just not enough for us to go o of.”

A $1 million Golden Leaf

March 5

Angela Dawn Bowman, 49, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony obtaining property by false pretense, felony larceny of motor vehicle, felony safecracking, felony breaking and entering and felony larceny after break/enter. She was also served with an outstanding warrant for arrest for misdemeanor larceny and misdemeanor possession of stolen goods, an order for arrest for three counts of misdemeanor probation violation out of county and resisting public officer. She was issued a $10,000 secured bond.

Nathaniel Flood, Jr., 41, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of resisting a public

Grant for the Farm, Food and Family Education Center was accepted by the board.

“This is the fruition of about a year-long process that we’ve spent talking with Golden Leaf,” said Cooperative Extension Director Kenny Sherin.

“This process involved several meetings with Golden Leaf on the Community Block Grant system. Each year, they designate one of the regions of the state to participate in this type

Leeaundra Renee Montgomery, 27, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and issued a $1,000 secured bond. She was also served with an order for arrest out of Guilford County for failure to appear and received a $50 secured bond.

March 7

Savannah Ellyn McLeod, 30, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on charges of felony possession of methamphetamine, felony maintain a dwelling/vehicle for controlled substance, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. She was issued a written promise to appear in Randolph County District Court.

of program and the Piedmont Triad Council Region was the region this year.

While the grant was originally to be used for new construction, changes on the timeline meant it was refocused onto “equipment that would be needed to enhance our farm and agricultural education at the site,” Sherin said.

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will next meet April 1.

March 16

The Human Race

2024 | 10 a.m.

The Human Race is a unique opportunity for individuals, families, and businesses to work together to raise money for their chosen non-pro t organization or school. The race features a TACcerti ed 5K Run and a walk that begins and nishes in Bicentennial Park. Find out more at uwrandolph. org/5k

Pre-Easter Jazz Dinner & Dance 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Russ Murphy Camps Presents – A Pre-Easter Jazz, Dinner/Dance Event with music provided by the Sweet Dreams band. Ticket Price: $25.00 per person, proceeds bene t scholarships for deserving students at Asheboro High School. For tickets and more information contact Willie Gladden at 336 7060923.

March 19

NC Zoo – Quiet Day 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Quiet Days at the Zoo o er a more sensory-friendly experience and invite everyone looking to visit the Zoo on a less crowded day. Sensory bags are free for check out from the Guest Services O ce or at Kidzone, and designated quiet areas are available and marked throughout the Zoo. Quiet sensory play experiences will also be open 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Kidzone area.

COURTESY PHOTO

Lester Rivenbark

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Are voters recoiling against disorder?

Modest-income folks in border counties know that ows of illegal immigrants result in disorder, disease and crime.

THE HEADLINES coming out of the Super Tuesday primaries have got it right. Barring cataclysmic changes, Donald Trump and Joe Biden will be the Republican and Democratic nominees for president in 2024. With Nikki Haley’s withdrawal, there will be no more signi cantly contested primaries or caucuses ― the earliest both parties’ races have been over since something like the current primary-dominated system was put in place in 1972.

The primary results have spotlighted some of both nominees’ weaknesses.

Donald Trump lost high-income, higheducated constituencies, including the entire metro area — aka the Swamp. Many but by no means all Haley votes there were cast by Biden Democrats. Trump can’t a ord to lose too many of the others in target states like Pennsylvania and Michigan. Majorities and large minorities of voters in overwhelmingly Latino counties in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley and some in Houston voted against Joe Biden, and even more against Senate nominee Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas).

Returns from Hispanic precincts in New Hampshire and Massachusetts show the same thing. Biden can’t a ord to lose too many Latino votes in target states like Arizona and Georgia. When Trump rode down that escalator in 2015, commentators assumed he’d repel Latinos. Instead, Latino voters nationally, and especially the closest eyewitnesses of Biden’s open-border policy, have been trending heavily Republican. High-income liberal Democrats may sport lawn signs proclaiming, “In this house, we believe ... no human is illegal.” The logical consequence of that belief is an open border. But modest-income folks in border counties know that ows of illegal immigrants result in disorder, disease and crime.

There is plenty of impatience with

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

The State of the Union

THE REPUBLICANS should be morti ed.

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

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

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

In fact, it was Republicans who didn’t get it. They remained glued to their chairs as the president called on his audience to stand up for a procedure that allows American women to choose life — to stand up for reproductive freedom and IVF, in response to the justices from Katie Britt’s home state. It was Joe Biden who looked straight at the justices from the United States Supreme Court and warned them of the political power that women will exercise in the next election. “With all due

increased disorder in election returns below the presidential level. Consider Los Angeles County, America’s largest county, with nearly 10 million people, more people than 40 of the 50 states. It voted 71% for Biden in 2020. Current returns show county District Attorney George Gascon winning only 21% of the vote in the nonpartisan primary.

He’ll apparently face Republican Nathan Hochman, a critic of his liberal policies, in November.

Gascon, elected after the May 2020 death of counterfeit-passing suspect George Floyd in Minneapolis, is one of many county prosecutors supported by billionaire George Soros. His policies include not charging juveniles as adults, not seeking higher penalties for gang membership or use of rearms and bringing fewer misdemeanor cases.

The predictable result has been increased car thefts, burglaries and personal robberies. Some 120 assistant district attorneys have left the o ce, and there’s a backlog of 10,000 unprosecuted cases.

More than a dozen other Soros-backed and similarly liberal prosecutors have faced strong opposition or have left o ce.

St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner resigned last May amid lawsuits seeking her removal, Milwaukee’s John Chisholm retired in January, and Baltimore’s Marilyn Mosby was defeated in July 2022 and convicted of perjury in September 2023. Last November, Loudoun County, Virginia, voters (62% Biden) ousted liberal Buta Biberaj, who declined to prosecute a transgender student for assault, and in June 2022 voters in San Francisco (85% Biden) recalled famed radical Chesa Boudin.

Similarly, this Tuesday, voters in San Francisco passed ballot measures strengthening police powers and requiring treatment of drug-addicted welfare recipients.

In retrospect, it appears the Floyd video, appearing after three months of COVID-19 con nement, sparked a frenzied, even crazed reaction, especially among the highly educated and articulate. One fatal incident was seen as proof that America’s “systemic racism” was worse than ever and that police forces should be defunded and perhaps abolished.

2020 was “the year America went crazy,” I wrote in January 2021, a year in which police funding was actually cut by Democrats in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Denver. A year in which young New York Times sta ers claimed they were endangered by the publication of Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-Ark.) opinion article advocating calling in military forces if necessary to stop rioting, as had been done in Detroit in 1967 and Los Angeles in 1992. A craven Times publisher even red the editorial page editor for running the article.

Evidence of visible and tangible discontent with increasing violence and its consequences — barren and locked shelves in Manhattan chain drugstores, skyrocketing carjackings in Washington, D.C. — is as unmistakable in polls and election results as it is in daily life in large metropolitan areas. Maybe 2024 will turn out to be the year even liberal America stopped acting crazy.

The disorder in America’s metropolitan centers and wreaked by illegal and undeported immigrants on the border and as far a eld as Athens, Georgia, seems to be politically overshadowing the sickening disorder wreaked by Trump supporters and tolerated if not encouraged by Trump himself.

Chaos and disorder work against incumbents, as they did in 1968 when Democrats saw their party’s popular vote fall from 61% to 43%. It’s unfortunate there’s not a more tting political bene ciary of any such recoil than Trump.

Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of The Almanac of American Politics.

respect, justices, women are not without electoral and political power,” he said. “You’re about to nd out just how much they have.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

the appearance of being on a roll, of triumph in a MAGA-esque sea of believers. The sea changes now. That contest is over.

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

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

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

RandolpH SPORTS

SIDELINE REPORT

MLS Toronto FC tops

Charlotte FC 1-0

Toronto, Ont.

Lorenzo Insigne red a right-footed shot from ve yards outside the penalty box into the top right corner in the 80th minute to break a scoreless tie and give Toronto FC a 1-0 victory over visiting Charlotte. Each team collected multiple yellow cards in the physical match. Charlotte’s Kerwin Vargas was shown a yellow card in the 60th and Scott Ar eld and Brecht Dejaegere in the 82nd and 86th, respectively. Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina picked up the nal card in the fth minute of stoppage time. Kahlina had two saves and had no chance at a third on Insigne’s gamewinner.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Burlington adds new college league team

Burlington A second summer collegiate team will play at Burlington Athletic Stadium this summer.

The Burlington Sock Puppets have played in the Appalachian League since 2021, following MLB’s elimination of the Single-A professional team that had called the city home for decades.

The new team’s name, the Sock Pups, was unveiled last week. The team opens play on May 24 and will add an additional 13 home dates to the schedule in Burlington.

The Sock Puppets have won divisional titles each of the last two seasons, and the franchise reports a 70% increase in attendance over the former Burlington Royals’ nal season.

NCAA BASKETBALL

Auburn student wins car on 94-foot putt Auburn, Ala.

An Auburn University student connected on a long-distance shot, draining a length-of-thebasketball court putt on Saturday to win a car from a local Toyota dealership. Conor Boyle made the 94foot putt, rolling a golf ball from one baseline and through a sign next to the opposite basket during a promotion in the second half of Auburn’s game with Georgia. After the putt found the small opening on the sign, Boyle raced around the court celebrating while fans erupted and TV cameras showed Auburn guard K.D. Johnson looking on from the bench with a stunned expression, mouth wide open. Boyle was the rst winner of the promotion this season.

Christopher Bell pulls out emotional victory at Phoenix Raceway

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bell led the rest of the way for his seventh career Cup Series victory — and rst since Homestead in October.

Truex and his crew made calculated gamble on lap 217, opting to stay out when most of the leaders went into the pits.

The JGR driver stayed in

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

HAMLIN SPINS

Pole sitter Denny Hamlin took advantage of having the rst stall to twice take the lead out of the pits, but ran into trouble with about 100 laps left. Trying to pass Reddick, Hamlin’s No. 11 car got loose and he spun out, causing a cau-

tion that sent most of the cars to the pits. Hamlin dropped to 23rd after a pit stop and nished 11th.

CINDRIC’S BAD LUCK

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

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

was damaged too much.

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

“I felt like I got hit twice,” Cindric said. “I knew the 3 (Dillon) was on the inside, but I thought he would fall back but he came back up. It’s just a product of not qualifying well.”

UP NEXT

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

To avoid strikes at Paris Olympics, French government to pay bonuses to civil servants

Major union warned of potential strikes, including at hospitals

The Associated Press

NICE, France — The French government will o er bonuses to civil servants deployed across the capital during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in a bid to avoid strikes during the events this summer, the country’s Minister for Transformation and Public Administration, Stanislas Guerini, said Saturday.

Eligible employees will get a bonus ranging from 500 euros ($547) to 1,500 euros ($1,641) — in addition to their salaries — for working during the Summer Games in Paris and the ensuing Paralympics, Guerini said. He did not provide details on the criteria for the payments.

The announcement came after a major French union warned of possible strikes, including at hospitals, during the Paris Olympics, when massive in ux of people is expected in the French capital. The social situation in France remains tense, amid recent protests from teachers, police o cers and farmers that followed huge demonstrations last year against the rise in retirement age.

Last month, employees at the Ei el Tower shut down one of the world’s most visited sites for six days with a strike, demanding not only salary hikes but also better maintenance of the historic landmark. The 135-year-old tower will

feature prominently in the Summer Games. The Olympic and Paralympic medals are being embedded with pieces from a hexagonal chunk of iron taken from the historic landmark.

Paris’s tourism o ce estimates that close to 16 million people could visit the region during July-September. Thousands of workers will be impacted by working longer hours and postponing their holidays.

Sophie Binet, the general secretary of the CGT union, called on the government to take action and ensure the social needs of the employees are met.

“We want the government to take immediate action to ensure the success of the Games,” Sophie Binet said earlier in the week. “For this to happen, our warnings must be heeded and the Games must be prepared from a social point of view. We’ve been saying the same thing for months now, and no one cares. It’s getting very tiresome.”

Paris’ tourism o ce predicts up to 15.9 million people could visit the Paris region during July-September.

Guerini, the transformation and public administration minister, said the government is working on a plan to compensate the employees’ work and ensure their children have proper care.

The government will set up nurseries for civil servants on duty during the Games, and will allocate 1,000 spots in summer camps to help working parents with children on school holidays, the minister said. In addition, employees with children will receive

a bonus of up to 200 euros per child, and 350 euros will be allocated for each child to single-parent families.

“The whole country wants to avoid strikes during the Olympic Games,” Guerini said in an interview with France Info media on

Saturday. “The Games have to be a success for the whole nation.”

Binet said the union will give a notice of strike in public services during the Games, which are held in July-August. The Paralympics take place in August-September.

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

Shutouts dot early softball results

Randolph Record

MANY AREA teams have completed two weeks of competition in spring sports.

While a few days of scheduled competition were dashed because of inclement weather, here are some recent highlights:

Softball

Southwestern Randolph began its season with a pair of victories in Piedmont Athletic Conference play under new coach Toby Strider.

The Cougars rolled 20-0 at Trinity, with Macie Crutch eld and Alyssa Harris combining on a perfect game, and then defeated visiting Providence Grove 111.

Crutch eld struck out 10 Providence Grove batters.

• Randleman was o to a 4-0 start after PAC triumphs by 3-0 at Eastern Randolph and 5-4 vs. visiting Wheatmore.

Against Wheatmore, Kaylie St. John drove in four runs with three hits.

• Uwharrie Charter Academy won its rst three games by shutouts, including last week by 5-0 against visiting South Stokes and 16-0 at Trinity.

Randleman’s Addyson Dees celebrates the nal out of last week’s PAC softball victory at Eastern Randolph.

Baseball

Randleman swept a PAC doubleheader at Eastern Randolph in a series recon gured because of the basketball state playo s, winning 12-2 and 2-0 last Thursday.

Seth Way struck out 14 in a three-hitter in the nightcap. Jake Riddle scored three runs in the rst game. Earlier in the week, Randleman smacked host Asheboro 15-4 with Riddle driving in four runs.

• Southwestern Randolph won 8-1 and 7-6 against Providence Grove in PAC games.

In the rst matchup, Jake Lunsford pitched six innings and also had a triple. Later in the week, Lunsford drove in two runs.

• Wheatmore recorded 9-6 and 9-7 PAC victories against Trinity.

Payton Mooney knocked in three runs in one game and Sean Jennison drove in two runs in the other game.

• Uwharrie Charter Academy won a showdown between 2023 state champions by defeating visiting The Burlington School 2-1 by scoring one run in each of the nal two innings.

Alex Carver pitched the nal two innings for the victory.

UCA won last year’s Class 1-A title in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, while TBS is the reigning Class 2-A champion in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. The teams were supposed to meet March 1 in Burlington, but that game was rained out.

In its season opener, UCA won 6-4 against visiting Central Davidson behind pitching from Jake Hunter and Logun Wilkins. The Eagles dropped their nal game of last week by 3-1 at North Stanly.

Girls’ soccer

Wheatmore, a state nalist in Class 2-A the past two years, opened the season by trouncing visiting East Davidson 9-0. Ellie Garrison posted six goals and Maggie Messner had two goals.

In the next game, the Warriors lost 8-1 to visiting Northwest Guilford. Garrison had the lone Wheatmore goal.

• Asheboro defeated host Southwestern Randolph 3-0 as Jaira Arellano notched two goals and Abeni Hernandez had the other goal.

Asheboro won its rst three games of the season before losing 5-0 to visiting Sun Valley.

• Providence Grove topped visiting Southern Guilford 9-0 with Taryn Waugh posting three goals.

Strong season ends for Randleman boys

Randolph Record

SALISBURY — The season ended for Randleman’s boys’ basketball team with Friday night’s 78-56 loss at Salisbury in the Class 2-A West Region semi nal.

Juke Harris, a Wake Forest signee, poured in 34 points for Salisbury, which won its 20th consecutive game.

Sixth-seeded Randleman (23-6), the regular-season and tournament champion in the Piedmont Athletic Conference, received 22 points from Tyshaun Goldston and 14 points from Connor Cassidy.

The Hornets reversed Randleman’s 13-10 lead by going ahead 30-22 by halftime.

Salisbury advanced to the meeting with Randleman by blowing out visiting Bandys 9058 in the third round earlier last week.

Salisbury (27-3) was set to take on top-seeded Reidsville (27-0) in the regional nal Wednesday night in Winston-Salem. The state championship Saturday will include the winner of the East Region nal between Farmville Central and Goldsboro.

Last week at Newton, Randleman prevailed with a 62-59 victory against Newton-Conover in the third round.

Goldston scored 21 points, while Cassidy’s 18 points and Greg Price’s 11 points also boosted Randleman, which held on

after leading 52-41 going to the fourth quarter.

Randleman’s lead was as large as 15 points in the second quarter. The advantage was down to 60-57 before a Goldston basket.

Third-seeded Newton-Conover, which eliminated Trinity in the second round, nished with a 22-8 record.

Class 1-A

Eastern Randolph’s season ended with an 88-72 loss at South Stokes, which is the top-seeded team in the West Region.

The eight-seeded Wildcats (18-11), who were the reigning West Region champion, received 17 points from Timothy Brower and 16 points apiece from Nicah Taylor and Will Stalker. Julian Brooks had 11 points.

Next, South Stokes (29-1) defeated fth-seeded Thomasville 76-71 in the regional semi nal Friday night.

Parker Kines

Wheatmore, baseball

Wheatmore’s Parker Kines delivers a pitch earlier this season against Asheboro.

Kines, a junior left-hander, has been a key pitcher for the Warriors, who won three of their rst ve games.

The Warriors opened Piedmont Athletic Conference play last week by defeating rival Trinity twice. Kines was the starting pitcher for the league opener.

During the previous week, Kines struck out 10 Asheboro batters in four innings of Wheatmore’s season-opening victory.

Kines is fresh o the basketball season when he led the Warriors in scoring.

Teenager pulls o victory against NASCAR veterans

Carson Loftin was the winner of the SMART Modi ed Tour’s event Sunday at Caraway Speedway, nishing ahead of former NASCAR Cup regulars Ryan Newman and Bobby Labonte.

Once Loftin, 15, went to the front, he never relinquished the lead in the Warrior 100. Matt Hirschman held the race lead until going to the pits.

Newman was the runner-up and Labonte placed third, followed by Jimmy Blewett, Danny Bohn and Jason Myers among the 26 entrants.

• The Late Models victory went to Annabeth Crum across 100 laps, marking her rst Late Models triumph at the track.

Crum took the lead on the 80th lap by getting past fast quali er Jamie York. Thomas

Beane placed second and York, the son of 2023 division champion Jason York, ended up third. Camden Thomas, Ward, Brody Duggins, William Lester, Heath Causey and Tristan McKee rounded out the eld.

• Kevin Orlando claimed the Modi eds feature by moving around fast quali er Jacob Creed about three-fourths of the way through the 40-lap event. Billy Gregg was the runner-up, followed by Slate Myers, Tony Manetti, Jack Baldwin, Creed and Jaxson Casper.

• In the Carolina Pro Late Models, Max Reaves was the wire-to-wire winner of the 100-lap feature. Carson Ware placed second and Beckham Malone was third.

Other classes (Challengers, UCARs, Modi eds 4s, Bootleggers, Renegades) begin Caraway Speedway schedules Sunday.

PJ

PJ

COURTESY PHOTO

Carson Loftin was a big winner on the opening weekend of Caraway Speedway’s racing season.

Guardsmen, BP agent killed in chopper crash ID’d

Two members of the New York National Guard and a Border Patrol agent were killed when the helicopter crashed in Texas

The Associated Press

LA GRULLA, Texas — A National Guard soldier from New York who was seriously injured in the crash of a helicopter ying over the U.S.-Mexico border remained hospitalized Sunday while authorities released the names of the two National Guard soldiers and a Border Patrol agent onboard who were killed.

The three killed Friday in the crash in a eld in Texas near Rio Grande City were: Chief Warrant O cer 2 Casey Frankoski, 28, and Chief Warrant O cer 2 John Grassia, 30, both with the New York National Guard; and Border Patrol Agent Chris Luna, 49. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The UH-72 Lakota helicopter was assigned to the federal government’s border security mission when it went down while the helicopter was conducting aviation operations, according to a statement released by Joint Task Force North, a military unit that supports Customs and Border Protection. No other details were provided.

The injured soldier was

from the New York National Guard, according to the National Guard Bureau. The soldier, whose name isn’t being released, was the aircraft crew chief. The soldier remained hospitalized, according to a news release posted by the New York State Division of Military & Naval A airs. Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, said in the release that they are “shocked and devastated” by the deaths of Frankoski

and Grassia, and are “praying for the quick recovery” of the injured crew chief.

Troy Miller, acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement that they were “heartbroken” by the death of Luna, who is survived by his wife and two children, parents and brother.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement that they are hoping for the injured national guardsman’s “swift recov-

Sweden’s ag raised at NATO HQ

The traditionally neutral country is the 32nd nation to join the military alliance

By Lorne Cook The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — Sweden’s ag was raised at NATO headquarters on Monday, cementing the Nordic country’s place as the 32nd member two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine persuaded its reluctant public to seek safety under the alliance’s security umbrella.

Under a steady rain, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Crown Princess Victoria and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg looked on as two soldiers raised the blue banner emblazoned with a yellow cross among the o cial circle of national ags at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.

“The Russian, brutal, fullscale invasion against Ukraine united Sweden behind the conclusion that a full- edged NATO membership is the only reasonable choice,” Kristersson said. Swedish government ministers and party leaders from

across the political spectrum attended in a show of national unity. Sweden set aside decades of post-World War II neutrality when it formally joined NATO on March 7. The neighboring nation of Finland had already joined in April 2023 in another historic move ending years of military nonalignment.

Finland’s defense ministry welcomed “our brothers and sisters in arms,” saying on X, formerly Twitter, that “now we stand at the beginning of a new era. Together and with other allies in peace, in crisis and beyond.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to order troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022,

ery,” and said his thoughts and the “deepest condolences” of the department were with the families of those killed.

Grassia, who was a New York state trooper, was from Schenectady, New York, and he enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2013 as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter maintenance specialist, according to the New York State Division of Military & Naval A airs. The release said that Frankoski, of Rensselaer, New York, enlist-

triggered an about-face in public opinion in both countries and within three months they had applied to join the world’s biggest security organization. Putin claimed to have launched the war, at least in part, over NATO’s eastward expansion toward Russia. But the war had an adverse e ect, pushing more countries to join the alliance. NATO leaders have promised that Ukraine itself will join one day, although almost certainly not while the con ict rages on.

“When President Putin launched his full-scale invasion two years ago, he wanted less NATO, and more control over his neighbors. He wanted to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign state, but he failed,” Stoltenberg said.

“NATO is now bigger and stronger. Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before, and as the brave Ukrainians continue to ght for their freedom, we stand by their side,” he said.

Sweden’s membership completes a strategic ring of NATO territory around the Baltic Sea. The country now bene ts from the alliance’s collective security guarantee — Article 5 of its treaty — a vow that an attack on one of them will be met by a response from them all.

“We have chosen you, and you have chosen us. All for one, and

ed in the New York Army National Guard in 2016 and she trained to become a UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopter pilot.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that she was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of Grassia and Frankoski.

“There is no greater calling than service to and defense of your country,” she said.

Frankoski and Grassia were assigned to Detachment 2, Company A, 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment. Luna was assigned to the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande City Station. The helicopter that crashed was assigned to the District of Columbia Army National Guard, according to the New York State Division of Military & Naval A airs release.

The border region is heavily patrolled by both state and federal authorities, including routine aerial surveillance.

In January, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter patrolling the state’s border with Mexico lost power and crashed, o cials said at the time. The co-pilot su ered a minor hand injury and the helicopter was signi cantly damaged. That helicopter was ying as part of Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s nearly $10 billion border mission that has tested the federal government’s authority over immigration.

one for all,” Kristersson said, and he vowed that his country would uphold the values enshrined in NATO’s founding Washington Treaty.

The ag-raising ceremony came as 20,000 troops from 13 countries conduct NATO drills in the high north of new member Sweden as well as its neighbors Finland and Norway.

The Nordic drill is part of wider exercises called Steadfast Defender 24, NATO’s largest in decades, with up to 90,000 troops taking part over several months to show any adversary that the alliance can defend all of its territory from North America up to its borders with Russia.

“We are humble, but we are also proud. We know the expectations for Sweden are high, but we also have high expectations for ourselves,” Kristersson told reporters minutes before the ceremony. “We will share burdens, responsibilities and risks with our allies.”

Sweden brings to the table well-trained and -equipped armed forces. The country has been working in close partnership with NATO during military exercises over the years, and even more since Russia’s all-out war began. Sweden also meets NATO’s defense spending target of 2% of gross domestic product.

KRGV VIA AP

Border Patrol and other agencies gather near where the helicopter crashed in Texas last week.

GEERT VANDEN WIJNGAERT/AP

The blue-and-yellow ag of Sweden was raised at NATO headquarters for the rst time this week.

Shirley Jean

Brown Smith

April 10, 1937 - February 29, 2024

Shirley Brown Smith, age 86, of Paris, IL, passed away peacefully on February 29, 2024, at Randolph Hospice House. She was born to Herbert and Loretta Banta on April 10, 1937, in Paris, IL. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and friend to many. She left this world after a courageous battle with many illnesses. Shirley is preceded in death by her husband, Wilbur James Smith, her son Curtis G. Smith, her brother Don Brown, and her parents Herbert and Lorretta Brown. She is survived by her daughter Sherrie Alcon and husband Steve, son Gary Smith and wife Yvonne, son Darryl Smith and wife Dawn, her granddaughters Leah Gilmore and Savannah Alcon and husband Je , and greatgranddaughters Ava Rose and Ryleigh Woody. Shirley married James Smith in 1956 in Green Cove Springs, Florida and they had three sons and one daughter and they settled their family in Asheboro. Shirley loved spending time in her beloved ower garden and working in her yard. She often referred to this as her “therapy” and took great pride in winning numerous “beauty spots of the month” awards in Asheboro for her exquisite gardens and ower designs. She was a lover of yard art and collector of angels. Shirley was an avid walker and was often seen walking from Legend Park to downtown Asheboro, tracking at least 5 miles per day for over 25 + years. She was busy raising her four children which included twins that kept her quite busy. Shirley began working at Arrow International as her children moved into their late teenage years. She was a dedicated quality control technician who retired after serving for over 15 years. Her meticulous work ethic and attention to detail were admired by all who knew her. Music of all genres played a huge part in her life. From Patsy Cline, Jonny Cash to Marvin Gaye and Gladys Night, she loved to turn up the volume any chance she could. Shirley loved all of her grandchildren Leah and Savannah as well as her great grandchildren Ryleigh and Ava Rose. She often referred to the youngest little Ava Rose as “her baby” and loved taking care of her every chance she could. Shirley attended Randolph Community College and later earned her GED in 1986. She was a woman of Baptist faith. Shirley will be remembered for her kind heart, unwavering dedication to her family, and her passion for gardening. She leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter and a spirit of strength. There are so many cherished memories that will forever live on in the hearts of those who knew her.

Linda Kaye Comer

September 3, 1949 - March 3, 2024

Linda Kaye Comer, age 74, of Asheboro passed away March 3, 2024, surrounded by her family and loved ones. She was born September 3, 1949, in Randolph County, North Carolina, the daughter of the late Brewster Beane and Jewel Comer Beane. Linda was employed with Energizer Battery for over 25 years until her retirement. She was known for her unwavering faith and dedication to spreading the teachings of the Lord. She found solace and joy in attending Browers Wesleyan Church of Asheboro. In her free time, Linda enjoyed sewing and embarked on exciting adventures through travel, especially cherishing beach trips that brought her relaxation and happiness. Family held a paramount place in Linda’s life, and she cherished every moment spent with her loved ones. Her warm smile and genuine compassion touched the lives of all who crossed her path, leaving a lasting impression of kindness and love. Left to cherish her memory are her beloved husband of 38 years, Richard Comer; sons, Brian Foland and Andrew Comer (Brandie); grandchildren, Kayleigh Foland, Case Comer, Carson Comer, Star Comer and Waylon Comer; great grandchildren, Skylar Foland, Nolan Foland and Johnathan Araujo; sister, Carolyn Hall (Cecil); brother, Charles Beane (Peggy); mother-in-law, Virginia Comer; sister-in-law, Cathy Rich; nephews, Brayden Rich, Aaron Beane (Andrea), and Luke Beane (Autumn); niece, Karen Powell (Brent); and numerous other loved ones.

Vance David

Lawson

April 13, 1936 — March 6, 2024

Vance David Lawson, age 87, of Asheboro passed away Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Cross Road Retirement Center. Mr. Lawson was born in Randolph County on April 13, 1936, to Maud and Nora Co er Lawson. He was retired from L & M Flooring and was a member of Fayetteville Street Baptist Church. Mr. Lawson was a Godly man who was saved at an early age. He also was a family man and his home was a gathering place for all of his kids and grandkids to gather and play in the yard. He also enjoyed farming and yard selling with his daughter. In addition to his parents, Mr. Lawson was preceded in death by 3 brothers and 4 sisters. Mr. Lawson is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Peggy Lawson; sons, Randy (Alesia) Lawson of Asheboro, Mark (Sharon) Lawson of Asheboro; daughter, Angela Lucas (Derek) of Asheboro; 7 grandchildren; 8 great grandchildren; sisters, Betty Scott of Seagrove, Margie Ritch of Asheboro, Beverly McCain of Asheboro.

Chatel Melissa

Carol Aikens

October 27, 1974 - February 27, 2024

Chatel Melissa Carol Aikens, born on October 27, 1974, passed away on February 27, 2024. She was 49 years old. Chatel was born in Randolph County and spent her life cherishing her loved ones and creating beautiful memories with them. She dedicated her time working at Dollar General in Ramseur and found joy in being surrounded by her family. Chatel’s interests included spending quality time with her children and grandchildren, watching TV, appreciating the outdoors, and admiring butter ies. She is preceded in death by her grandmother, Carolyn Fields, and her grandparents, Doris and Ervin Davis. Chatel will be dearly missed by her children, Justin, Savannah and her husband Donald, and Madison, as well as her grandchildren, Zander, Kaden, and Bentley. She is survived by her mother, Lisa Auman, stepfather Darrell Auman, father Ronald Davis, stepmother Melynda Davis, sisters Seleta Auman and Amanda Decker, and brothers Kevin Auman, Chris Davis, Nathan Auman, and Brandon Davis, along with 13 nieces and nephews.

Larry Allen Roddy

July 3, 1942 — March 5, 2024

Larry Allen Roddy, age 81, passed away Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Asheboro, North Carolina. He was born in Portsmouth, Virginia on July 3, 1942, to Lucy Cousins Roddy and James Leonard Roddy. Larry was a veteran of the United States Navy and served from 1960-1963. He then went on to graduate with his Master’s in Business Administration from East Carolina University. He spent his life’s work serving as a Federal Probation and Parole O cer from 1974 through 1999, retiring from the Eastern District of North Carolina o ce in Wilson, NC. Even as his nal years with us were touched by memory loss, he would often still impress us with his ability to pull out the most random, yet accurate, fact to share with us all. Larry also loved to tell a good joke. Everyone who knew him most likely continues to tell a joke that they rst heard from Larry. Up until the very end of his life, he maintained his sense of humor and continued to share that joy with us all. As a grandfather, he was actively interested and involved in his grandchildren’s lives and made it a point to attend sporting, dance and school events as often as he could. He was the leader of their fan clubs and made it a priority to show his interest in their lives.

In addition to both of his parents, Larry was preceded in death by his older brother, James “Jimmy” L. Roddy, Jr. Larry is survived by his loving and faithful wife of 58 years, Brenda Trogdon Roddy; his children, Jackie Roddy Doub, Stacy Roddy Gri n, Mark Roddy (Alyssa) and Brent Roddy; his grandchildren, Cody Doub (Jamie), Katelyn Doub, Lucy Gri n, Talon Roddy and Jessie Gri n; his precious great grandson, Joseph Wyatt Doub.

Mack O’Dell Edwards

February 26, 1950 - February 26, 2024

Mack O’Dell Edwards, age 74, of Pleasant Gardens passed away February 26, 2024, at his home. He was born February 26, 1950, in Surry County, North Carolina the son of the late Berry Linville and Harriett Montgomery Linville.

Betty Sue Krizan

December 2, 1946 - March 6, 2024

Betty Sue Krizan, age 77, of Asheboro passed away peacefully March 6, 2024, in the care of Randolph Hospice House. She was born December 2, 1946, in East Chicago, Indiana the daughter of the late Eugene and Pauline Sparks. Also preceding her in death is her beloved husband, Jimmy Krizan.

Betty was a member of Parks Crossroad Christian Church and a lady of faith. She enjoyed playing cards, shing and traveling with family and beloved friends. The most important role in her life was that of mother, wife and devoted friend, she will be missed dearly by all of those she left behind. Survivors of the home include her son, Brian Krizan Sr. and wife Danielle; sister-in-law, Dorothy Stuppy of Booneville, IN; grandson, Brian Krizan Jr (Sara Conn) of Warsaw, IN; and numerous other beloved family and friends.

Ronald James Brooks

June 8, 1947 — March 4, 2024

Ronald James Brooks, age 76, of Asheboro passed away Monday, March 4, 2024, at Asheboro Health and Rehab. Mr. Brooks was born June 8, 1947, in Cleveland, Ohio to Robert and Mary Louise Brooks. He was a Navy veteran of the Vietnam Era and a member of Journey Church. Mr. Brooks was of strong faith, loved his church and would preach at local jails. Mr. Brooks is survived by his sons Ryan Brooks (Clarie) of Phoenix, AZ, Keith Brooks of Ypsilanti, MI; daughter, Erin Hodgson (Brian) of Brunswick, OH; grandchildren, Clayton Brooks, Hazen Brooks and Nolin Brooks.

David Aaron Burpee

May 9, 1984 - March 5, 2024

David Aaron Burpee, born on May 9, 1984, in Battle Creek, Michigan, passed away due to a motorcycle accident on March 5, 2024, in Alamance County, North Carolina, at the age of 39. David lived with passion. He found joy and satisfaction from his work as a motorcycle and car mechanic, and he dreamed of owning his own motorcycle shop one day. He loved to ride his motorcycle and always felt exhilarated and free when he rode. He also enjoyed playing the guitar and spending time with family and friends. Above all, he cherished the time he spent with his daughters. He will be lovingly remembered by his daughters, Dominique Aaliyah Burpee and Arielle Elizabeth Burpee; his parents, Beth Ismirle and Matthew Burpee; his sisters, Stephanie Reeder and her husband Benjamin, and Brittany Burpee; his nephews, Cameron Laytart, Lucas Reeder, and Noah Reeder; his grandmother, Karen Neumann, and her husband Paul; his best friend, Steven Bunting, and many other dear friends who were like family. David is preceded in death by his biological father, John Mark Hancock, and his sister, Ariel Renee Hancock. Although he may no longer be with us, his memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.

Charles A. Tuggle

June 18, 1938 — March 3, 2024

Charles A. Tuggle went to be with Jesus on March 3, 2024, at the age of 85. Charles was born on June 18, 1938, in Guilford County to the late Ausby W. Tuggle and Minnie Lou Biby Tuggle. Charles moved to Randolph County as a youth and attended Trinity High School where he graduated in 1956. Charles attended High Point College and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. He worked in the textile industry for over 40 years and in 2005 he retired from Galey and Lord Inc. as a corporate auditor. In 1960 he married the love of his life, Mary Lou Hinshaw and joined the U.S. Air Force in 1961 where he served for four years. He enjoyed mission work and serving the Lord as a Sunday school teacher, usher and deacon. He attended South Plain eld Friends Meeting and was a charter member of Quaker Heights Friends Meeting. He was a current member of Fayetteville Street Baptist Church. He is preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Mary Lou Hinshaw Tuggle. He is survived by his daughter Starsha Marie Tuggle Baynes (Travis) and his son Benjamin Charles Tuggle (Julie). He was “Poppy” to Olivia Marie Baynes Ward (Stephen), Abigail Jordan Baynes, Anna Brooke Baynes, Benjamin Cole Tuggle, and Sophia Kay Tuggle. He had one greatgranddaughter Isabella Marie Ward. He is also survived by his brother Ronnie Ray Tuggle and preceded in death by his brother Donald Lee Tuggle (Lynne).

STATE & NATION

Lawsuit accuses MIT of tolerating antisemitism

MIT stands accused of ignoring its own policies to protect students and sta from pervasive anti-Jewish harassment and hostility

By Michael Casey

The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Two Jewish students led a federal lawsuit Thursday against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology accusing the university of allowing antisemitism on campus that has resulted in them being intimidated, harassed and assaulted.

The lawsuit mirrors similar legal actions led since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, including at Columbia University, New York University, Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania. In the MIT lawsuit, the students and a nonpro t that ghts antisemitism, StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, accuse the university of approving antisemitic activities on campus and tolerating discrimination and harassment against Jewish students and faculty.

“As a result of MIT’s blatant and intentional disregard for its legal and contractual obli-

gations to its students, plainti s and other students have su ered injury to themselves and their educational experience,” the lawsuit alleges. “Jewish and Israeli students at MIT have felt unsafe attending classes, have in some instances deferred graduation dates or exams, and some professors have left the university.”

A statement from MIT said the university does not typically comment on pending litigation.

“Generally, we’d note MIT has established processes in place to address concerns of discrimination and harassment,” according to the statement.

The lawsuit is requesting the court prohibit MIT from “establishing, implementing, instituting, maintaining, or executing policies, practices, or protocols that penalize or discriminate against Jewish students.” It also is demanding that MIT take any preventive measures including

ring sta and expelling students who engage in antisemitic behavior. The lawsuit also calls for the university to communicate to the school community that it will “condemn, investigate, and punish any conduct that harasses members of the Jewish community, or others on the basis of their ethnic or ancestral background.”

Last month, MIT suspended a student group that held demonstrations against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza because it didn’t go through the school’s approval process. In a video message explaining the suspension, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said criticizing policies of any government including Israel was permitted but that “members of one community shouldn’t feel it’s OK to vilify and shun Israeli and Jewish members of our community.”

“Equally, we shouldn’t feel it’s OK to vilify everyone who advocates for the Palestinian people as supporting Hamas,” Kornbluth said. “We de nitely shouldn’t feel it’s OK to single out other members of our community because of where they’re from or what they believe and tell them that they’re not welcome on our campus.”

Fallout from the Israel-Hamas war has roiled campuses across the U.S. and reignited a debate over free speech. College leaders have struggled to de ne the line where political speech crosses into harassment and discrimination, and Jewish and Arab students have raised concerns that schools are doing

too little to protect them.

The issue took center stage in December when the presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT testi ed at a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism. Asked by Republican lawmakers whether calls for the genocide of Jews would violate campus policies, the presidents o ered lawyerly answers and declined to say unequivocally that it was prohibited speech.

Their answers prompted weeks of backlash from donors and alumni, leading to the resignation of Presidents Liz Magill at Penn and Claudine Gay at Harvard.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks killed 1,200 people in Israel, mainly civilians, and abducted around 250 others, nearly half of whom were released during a weeklong cease- re in November.

Since the war began, Israel’s assault in Gaza has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, roughly 1% of the territory’s population, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Aid groups say the ghting has displaced most of the territory’s people and pushed a quarter of the population to the brink of famine.

The U.S. Department of Education has repeatedly warned colleges that they are required to ght antisemitism and Islamophobia on their campuses or risk losing federal money. The agency has opened dozens of investigations at colleges and universities in response to complaints of antisemitism and Islamophobia since the Oct. 7 attacks, including at Harvard, Stanford and MIT.

Backcountry skier killed on Mt. Washington’s Tuckerman Ravine

A number of injured skiers and hikers needed to be rescued over the weekend

By Nick Perry The Associated Press

MEREDITH, N.H. — The steep bowl at Tuckerman Ravine on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington has long made it a favorite spot for expert skiers and snowboarders who are seeking adventure beyond the comparative safety of the state’s ski areas.

But hard and icy conditions on Saturday turned the bowl deadly.

Madison Saltsburg, 20, died after falling about 600 vertical feet (183 meters) down the ravine in the afternoon, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Two other skiers su ered serious injuries after falling and hitting rocks and ice. And there were a number of other falls witnessed throughout the day which didn’t result in serious injuries, the service said.

A telephone message to a forest service spokesperson seeking information about Saltsburg wasn’t immediately returned Sunday.

The day of accidents prompted search e orts that continued for hours in the dark as teams worked to rescue the injured ski-

ers and remove Saltsburg’s body from the mountain. Heavy, wet snow started to fall Saturday night and winds began to pick up, forcing the rescuers to battle on through the worsening conditions.

“The snow rangers and emergency personnel were up there late last night. They’re exhausted,” said Colleen Mainville, a spokesperson with the U.S. For-

est Service.

Tuckerman Ravine is particularly popular in the spring, when the sun begins to soften the snow. On some days, hundreds of skiers and snowboarders make the 3-mile (5-kilometer) hike to the ravine, resulting in a festive atmosphere. From there it can take another hour to kick boot steps in the wall to get to the top.

But risks — including open crevasses, avalanches and rocks — have resulted in several deaths over the years.

The Forest Service said Saltsburg and her skiing companion encountered hard and icy snow surfaces due to cold temperatures and a lack of recent snowfall. There were also open crevasse holes on the mountain, the service said, and conditions were

unforgiving.

Forest Service rangers and a team from the Mount Washington Avalanche Center also responded to two other skiers who su ered severe injuries that weren’t life-threatening, Mainville said.

At 6,288 feet (1916.6 meters),

Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the Northeast and is notorious for its ckle weather. It is the sight of frequent rescues.

Just the previous night, on Friday, a 23-year-old hiker from Kentucky was rescued from the mountain after going o trail and into the Ammonoosuc Ravine, New Hampshire Fish and Game reported. The hiker “fell and hit his head and face, lost one of his sneakers, and eventually became hypothermic,” the agency said in a statement.

“He was given boots, food, warm drink, proper winter gear, and a headlamp. He was then escorted back to the trail and then to the Cog Railway parking lot,” the agency said.

Another hiker who was rescued from the Ammonoosuc Ravine in February described his 11-hour ordeal to The Associated Press, acknowledging he had made some poor decisions and was underprepared for his hike, and crediting rescuers with saving his life.

PHOTO BY STEVE GOLSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The MIT campus, including the Great Dome and Little Dome, from atop the Green Building in 2017.

ROBERT F. BUKATY/AP

The tricky backcountry ski slope of Tuckerman Ravine, on the left, lies about a mile below the summit of 6,288-foot Mount Washington.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

McArthur says ‘I shall return’ and Bell patents telephone

Frazier wins ‘Fight of the Century’

Key events from this week in history:

MARCH 7

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

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

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

permanent normal trade relations with China.

MARCH 9

1997: Rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) was killed in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles at age 24.

1964: The U.S. Supreme Court, in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, raised the standard for public o cials to prove they’d been libeled in their o cial capacity by news organizations.

Frazier.1: Joe Frazier hits Muhammad Ali with a left on March 8, 1971.

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

1999: Movie director Stanley Kubrick, whose lms included “Dr. Strangelove,” “A Clockwork Orange” and “2001: A Space Odyssey,” died in Hertfordshire, England, at age 70, having just nished editing “Eyes Wide Shut.”

MARCH 8

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

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

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

2000: President Bill Clinton submitted to Congress legislation to establish

MARCH 10

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

MARCH 11

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

1997: Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

MARCH 12

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

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

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

MARCH 13

1781: The seventh planet of the solar system, Uranus, was discovered by Sir William Herschel.

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

By Donna Edwards The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

clared, Nina follows Guy to the Royal Air Force by joining the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. It takes a while, but she gets her chance — her leaving behind her widower father and a string of boyfriends claimed by the war; him leaving behind a doomed marriage and a son. Kate, meanwhile, diverts her worried thoughts away from her own predicament and toward Nina’s father, Henry, who may know more about the town’s secrets than he lets on.

What unfolds next is a surprising series of turns that chip away at murky pasts and halftruths until everything is nally revealed.

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

Viewing a slice of the world through Nina’s and Kate’s eyes, it’s surprisingly easy to get swept up into the story. It’s an exceptionally vivid picture, both of scenery and the inner workings of the characters’ minds. Emotions and motives are painted with rich colors that draw your eye to the most delicious details, when they matter, like an updated and more approachable Jane Austen. A story of betrayal and unlikely friendships lled with re ective tidbits of wisdom, the novel blends WWII ction with idyllic romance drama and a touch of macabre thriller for a polished addition to Brooks’ works.

Miss World 2024 crowned

By Rajanish Kakade The Associated Press

MUMBAI, India — Krystyna Pyszková of the Czech Republic was crowned Miss World at a glittering contest held in India on Saturday night.

Yasmina Zaytoun of Lebanon was the rst runner-up among 112 contestants in the competition held in Mumbai, India’s nancial and entertainment capital.

“Being crowned Miss World is a dream come true. I am deeply honored to represent

my country and the values of ‘beauty with a purpose’ on a global platform,” Pyszkova said.

After the reigning Miss World, Karoline Bielawska of Poland, passed the crown to her, Pyszková waved to the large crowd at the Jio World Convention Center and hugged some of the other contestants.

The event showcased the rich tapestry of India’s culture, traditions, heritage, arts and crafts, and textiles to a massive global audience. The participants wore heavily embroidered skirts and blouses and

Saturday.

danced to popular Bollywood songs. The beauty competition returned to India for the rst time in 28 years.

India’s Sini Shetty exited after making it to the nal eight. Six Indian women have won the title, including Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999), Priyanka Chopra (2000) and Manushi Chillar (2017).

Victoria Disorbo, 25, represented the United States in the competition. The 71st Miss World pageant was hosted by Bollywood lmmaker Karan Johar and Miss World 2013 Megan Young from the Philippines.

RAJANISH KAKADE/AP

Krystyna Pyszková of Czech Republic was named Miss World 2024 on

famous birthdays this week

The Associated Press

March 10: Actor Chuck Norris is 84. TV personality-businesswoman Barbara Corcoran (“Shark Tank”) is 75. Actor Sharon Stone is 66. Magician Lance Burton is 64. Actor Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) is 53. Rapper-producer Timbaland is 52. Actor Je Branson (“The Young and the Restless”) is 47. Singer Robin Thicke is 47. Singer Carrie Underwood is 41. Actor Olivia Wilde is 40.

March 11: TV journalist Sam Donaldson is 90. Singer Bobby McFerrin is 74. Movie director Jerry Zucker (“Airplane!” ″Ghost”) is 74. Recording executive Jimmy Iovine (“American Idol”) is 71. Singer Lisa Loeb is 56. Actor Johnny Knoxville is 53.

March 12: Actor-singer Liza Minnelli is 78. Singer-songwriter James Taylor is 76. Singer Marlon Jackson of The Jackson Five is 67. Actor Aaron Eckhart (“The Dark Knight”) is 56.

March 13: Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka is 85. Actor William H. Macy is 74. Actor Dana Delaney (“Body of Proof” ″China Beach”) is 68. Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard is 62. Rapper Common is 52.

March 14: Actor Michael Caine is 91. Composer-conductor Quincy Jones is 91. Comedian Billy Crystal is 76. TV and radio personality Rick Dees is 73. Actor Gary Anthony Williams (“Boston Legal,” ″Malcolm in the Middle”) is 58. Drummer Michael Bland of Soul Asylum is 55. Singer Kristian Bush of Sugarland is 54. Actor Chris Klein is 47.

March 15: Actor Judd Hirsch is 89. Bassist Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead is 84. Singer Mike Love of the Beach Boys is 83. Model Fabio is 63. Singer Bret Michaels of Poison is 61. Singer

Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray is 56. Singer-guitarist Matt Thomas of Parmalee is 50. Actor Eva Longoria (“Desperate Housewives”) is 49. Musician will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas is 49.

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

AP PHOTO

Eva Logoria

AP PHOTO James Taylor

the stream

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

Justin Timberlake and Kacey Musgraves have albums out this week

The Associated Press

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

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

NEW MOVIES TO STREAM

Taylor Swift’s concert lm

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

“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” was a phenomenon at the theatrical box o ce, grossing over $262 million worldwide in a groundbreaking deal with AMC Theaters, which released the lm instead of a traditional Hollywood studio. In her review, AP Music Writer Maria Sherman wrote that the lm is, “a near exact replica of her blockbuster concert performance, which recaps all 10 of her studio albums across 17 years of recorded work,” adding “it is the opportunity to have every seat in the house transform into the best seat in the house.”

Nicolas Cage embraces the drab in Kristo er Borgli’s “Dream Scenario” as Paul Matthews, a perfectly average college professor, husband and father whose life is turned upside down when millions of strangers start seeing him in their dreams. In her AP review Jocelyn Noveck wrote that “Borgli, the Norwegian writer-director making his English-language debut here, is aiming for a broader statement about the nature of fame. It begins streaming on Max on Friday, March 15.

For the kids, “Trolls Band Together” arrives on Peacock on March 14.

NEW MUSIC TO STREAM

With each album she releases, Kacey Musgraves demonstrates to her loyal listeners that there are no boundaries in her creative process. Musgraves easily migrated from her country-

as-heck anthem “Follow Your Arrow” from 2013’s “Same Trailer Di erent Park” to the psychedelic-disco-pop pastures on 2018’s “Golden Hour,” the album that took home the top prize at the 2019 Grammys. Then she pivoted again: with 2021’s “starcrossed,” a meditation on divorce and autonomy. Which brings us to “Deeper Well.” Musgraves’ is once again paving her own path: her country has become folk, her songs are pretty and delicate with lyrics that nd profundity in mundanity. It is soft and classic sounding, with hyper-speci c language of the current moment. Maybe it dates these songs, maybe it plants them rmly in Musgraves’ reality. Whatever the case, they are a ecting.

On “Man of the Woods,” Justin Timberlake ’s last solo album released in 2018, JT looked to Americana sounds to nd his next musical development. It was widely viewed as a critical misstep — a shallow attempt at innovation, mining familiar images of rural country life to mirror his new reality as a father. On “Everything I Thought It Was,” his rst new album in six years, JT has done a 180. He’s returned to the ’00s R&B-pop sounds that made him a superstar in the rst place. That was evident from the rst singles that were released: the moody “Sel sh,” and the dreamy reverb of “Drown,” strengthen by Timberlake’s idiosyncratic falsetto. There are a few surprises as well: his boy band *NSYNC has

a feature, as does Tobe Nwigwe and the Afrobeats star Fireboy DML.

NEW SHOWS TO STREAM

Over the years, the characters on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” have achieved medical breakthroughs, crisis situations, o ce romances, sta ng shakeups and three hospital name changes. We’ll see what’s in store for season 20 when the popular medical drama returns Thursday after lming was delayed due to the Hollywood strikes. This season, Ellen Pompeo — who plays Dr. Meredith Grey — will not be a series regular but will appear periodically. Shonda Rhimes’ other ABC show, the re ghter drama “Sta-

tion 19,” also returns Thursday for its seventh and nal season. Both shows stream next day on Hulu.

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

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

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

Just in time for this election year, a new dramedy follows female reporters embedded on a presidential campaign. “The Girls on the Bus” stars Melissa Benoist (“Supergirl”) as Sadie McCarthy, a newspaper reporter who is enamored with old school journalism and idolizes Hunter S. Thompson. “The Girls on the Bus” debuts Thursday on Max.

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

“Call the Midwife” will be able to stream to PBS station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS. org and the PBS App.

NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Most pro sports simulators offer gradual upgrades from season to season, but Sony’s MLB The Show 24 is going for something truly revolutionary: You’ll be able to play as a woman. In the “Women Pave Their Way” storyline, you’ll be able to create a female baseball player from scratch and see if she can ful ll her dream of playing in the major leagues. Other new storylines include a tribute to New York Yankees Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and season two of the playable Negro Leagues documentary. Of course, there’ll be the usual enhancements to gameplay and animation, with the developers promising a particular emphasis on “ elder urgency.” And Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the new cover model. If you order the digital deluxe edition, you’ll be able to throw out the rst pitch Friday, March 15, on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox X/S/ One or Nintendo Switch.

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP

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

PHOTO BY AMY HARRIS/INVISION/AP

“The Girls on the Bus,” premiering March 14 on Max, left, “Manhunt,” premiering March 15 on Apple TV+, center, and “Apples Never Fall,” premiering March 14 on Peacock.

JASIN BOLAND/PEACOCK VIA AP

Sam Neill, left, and Annette Bening in a scene from “Apples Never Fall.”

last Thursday.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

21-year-old bests longtime Rep. in primary

While his college friends celebrated

Spells inspires with vision for Hoke schools

‘Meet the Superintendent’ night brings together parents, students and sta

North State Journal

HOKE COUNTY Public Schools’ new superintendent received a warm welcome at “Meet the Superintendent” night held on March 7 at Hoke County High School.

Hoke County Schools Board Chair Catherine Blue introduced Superintendent Kenneth Spells, who is mid-way through

While

“I’m

his rst 100 days with the district. “In the past two months, Dr. Spells has proven he is the man for the job,” Blue said.

Spells thanked all in attendance for being there and said, “Never in my wildest dreams did I think an old boy from Bladen County, who worked at the House of Raeford, would come back to be superintendent of Hoke County Schools.”

The House of Raeford Farms is fresh and processed chicken out t with a history that spans four generations and runs back to 1901.

Superintendent Kenneth Spells

Spells told the audience the intent of his rst 100 days was in part to conduct a “district autopsy.”

“I want to see what works well and what we need to work

Hoke approves Teen Court funding, new Sheri SUVs

The Sheri gave an update on a recent police chase and shooting

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners met Monday, March 4, hearing from Sheri Roderick Vergil about a recent shooting and considering a host of property matters.

“On Saturday [March 2], we had an incident where there was a call for service involving several armed suspects. It was a home invasion and one of my o cers spotted the car going down away from the incident. They got into a chase and at one point, the suspects red at least 20 to 25 rounds at my o cers’ car, striking it multiple times,” Vergil told the board. “Thank God he wasn’t

hit. That was a blessing.”

Vergil went on to thank the people of Hoke County for their support and well-wishes.

“People look at Hoke County and they say well Hoke County is just a small, little county, but it’s not so much the size, it’s the mentality of the people that make up our communities,” he said. “With the prayers ,and the support of the Commissioners, and with our training, my ocer came out, stayed in the ght, reverted back to his training and came out okay. We made one arrest and we’re looking to make several more arrests here to come. Other than that, everybody is ne.”

Continuing his inspiring and thankful message, Vergil asked for the community to continue coming together in the future.

“We’re all one big family. We have to stay closely knitted be-

cause we’re living in dangerous, dangerous times. We need everybody’s support within our community,” he said. “Not just you guys, but we need everybody’s support. When we’re wrong, we’re wrong. We admit it and move forward, but as a village, together, we can accomplish anything.”

Fittingly, the board approved the purchase of six new Chevrolet Tahoe patrol vehicles at an initial cost of around $45,000 per SUV.

$50,000 in Juvenile Crime Prevention Council funds were accepted to operate Teen Court, a support program that works to help youths avoid the judicial system.

“We do community service with those youths,” explained Teen Court coordinator Jada Maxwell. “We do educational seminars so they are able to learn

on,” Spells said. “And my focus has been academics; number one, student support, staff relations, community relations, and marking the district.”

He added, he and the board were going to “tell the story” of the district, because “in a hundred years it will be a great story.”

Spells said he wants kids to be prepared and for the district to be a “Big Tent District, and a Lighthouse District,” as well as a “Destination District.”

The new superintendent also commented on disrupting the “Pipeline to Prison,” by saying, “I want our kids to go to Penn State not the state pen.”

Among his goals are starting a Parent Advisory Committee and a Teacher Advisory Committee. Keeping teaching talent in the district was another priority named by Spells.

and understand their wrongs and learn how to correct them.”

“The youth that get in trouble in the school system, at home with fussing, ghting, cutting, whatever, this program helps protect their record,” said chairman James Leach. “So when they nish high school, they can go to the military or they can go to college because their record’s not messed up. Without this program, they ght, get charged and go to court.”

In Teen Court, juvenile o enders are tried by other teens and, if convicted, receive community service. “This keeps their record clean and $50,000 is pennies to the value we get out of this program,” Leach said.

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners will next meet March 18.

Hoke County Schools Superintendent Kenneth Spells speaks with students, sta and community members at MacDonald Gym at Hoke County High School

Spells shared his vision of the “Hoke County Renaissance.”

March 8

David Laflamme

Patterson, 35, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of driving while impaired and received a secure bond of $2,500. He was charged with two probation violations.

Candance Faith Patten, 21, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of felony larceny, two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony, obtaining property by false pretenses, motor-vehicle theft, and possession of a stolen vehicle. She was also charged with a probation violation and served a warrant for failure to appear. Bond was set at $7,500.

March 7

Gerald Lamont Whittington, 43, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of felony flee to elude arrest with a motorvehicle for which he was issued a $25,000 secure bond. He was also served a warrant for failure to appear.

Antonio Latre Hall, 41, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of driving while impaired. Bond was denied.

March 5

Matthew John Hunt, 31, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of indecent liberties with children for which he received a $150,000 secure bond. He was also served with a warrant for failure to appear.

Jerome Johnson, 70, was booked into the Hoke County Jail on charges of murder in the first degree and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. Bond was set at $750,000.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Are voters recoiling against disorder?

Modest-income folks in border counties know that ows of illegal immigrants result in disorder, disease and crime.

THE HEADLINES coming out of the Super Tuesday primaries have got it right. Barring cataclysmic changes, Donald Trump and Joe Biden will be the Republican and Democratic nominees for president in 2024. With Nikki Haley’s withdrawal, there will be no more signi cantly contested primaries or caucuses ― the earliest both parties’ races have been over since something like the current primary-dominated system was put in place in 1972.

The primary results have spotlighted some of both nominees’ weaknesses.

Donald Trump lost high-income, higheducated constituencies, including the entire metro area — aka the Swamp. Many but by no means all Haley votes there were cast by Biden Democrats. Trump can’t a ord to lose too many of the others in target states like Pennsylvania and Michigan. Majorities and large minorities of voters in overwhelmingly Latino counties in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley and some in Houston voted against Joe Biden, and even more against Senate nominee Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas).

Returns from Hispanic precincts in New Hampshire and Massachusetts show the same thing. Biden can’t a ord to lose too many Latino votes in target states like Arizona and Georgia. When Trump rode down that escalator in 2015, commentators assumed he’d repel Latinos. Instead, Latino voters nationally, and especially the closest eyewitnesses of Biden’s open-border policy, have been trending heavily Republican. High-income liberal Democrats may sport lawn signs proclaiming, “In this house, we believe ... no human is illegal.” The logical consequence of that belief is an open border. But modest-income folks in border counties know that ows of illegal immigrants result in disorder, disease and crime.

There is plenty of impatience with

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

The State of the Union

THE REPUBLICANS should be morti ed.

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

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

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

In fact, it was Republicans who didn’t get it. They remained glued to their chairs as the president called on his audience to stand up for a procedure that allows American women to choose life — to stand up for reproductive freedom and IVF, in response to the justices from Katie Britt’s home state. It was Joe Biden who looked straight at the justices from the United States Supreme Court and warned them of the political power that women will exercise in the next election. “With all due

increased disorder in election returns below the presidential level. Consider Los Angeles County, America’s largest county, with nearly 10 million people, more people than 40 of the 50 states. It voted 71% for Biden in 2020. Current returns show county District Attorney George Gascon winning only 21% of the vote in the nonpartisan primary.

He’ll apparently face Republican Nathan Hochman, a critic of his liberal policies, in November.

Gascon, elected after the May 2020 death of counterfeit-passing suspect George Floyd in Minneapolis, is one of many county prosecutors supported by billionaire George Soros. His policies include not charging juveniles as adults, not seeking higher penalties for gang membership or use of rearms and bringing fewer misdemeanor cases.

The predictable result has been increased car thefts, burglaries and personal robberies. Some 120 assistant district attorneys have left the o ce, and there’s a backlog of 10,000 unprosecuted cases.

More than a dozen other Soros-backed and similarly liberal prosecutors have faced strong opposition or have left o ce.

St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner resigned last May amid lawsuits seeking her removal, Milwaukee’s John Chisholm retired in January, and Baltimore’s Marilyn Mosby was defeated in July 2022 and convicted of perjury in September 2023. Last November, Loudoun County, Virginia, voters (62% Biden) ousted liberal Buta Biberaj, who declined to prosecute a transgender student for assault, and in June 2022 voters in San Francisco (85% Biden) recalled famed radical Chesa Boudin.

Similarly, this Tuesday, voters in San Francisco passed ballot measures strengthening police powers and requiring treatment of drug-addicted welfare recipients.

In retrospect, it appears the Floyd video, appearing after three months of COVID-19 con nement, sparked a frenzied, even crazed reaction, especially among the highly educated and articulate. One fatal incident was seen as proof that America’s “systemic racism” was worse than ever and that police forces should be defunded and perhaps abolished.

2020 was “the year America went crazy,” I wrote in January 2021, a year in which police funding was actually cut by Democrats in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Denver. A year in which young New York Times sta ers claimed they were endangered by the publication of Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-Ark.) opinion article advocating calling in military forces if necessary to stop rioting, as had been done in Detroit in 1967 and Los Angeles in 1992. A craven Times publisher even red the editorial page editor for running the article.

Evidence of visible and tangible discontent with increasing violence and its consequences — barren and locked shelves in Manhattan chain drugstores, skyrocketing carjackings in Washington, D.C. — is as unmistakable in polls and election results as it is in daily life in large metropolitan areas. Maybe 2024 will turn out to be the year even liberal America stopped acting crazy.

The disorder in America’s metropolitan centers and wreaked by illegal and undeported immigrants on the border and as far a eld as Athens, Georgia, seems to be politically overshadowing the sickening disorder wreaked by Trump supporters and tolerated if not encouraged by Trump himself.

Chaos and disorder work against incumbents, as they did in 1968 when Democrats saw their party’s popular vote fall from 61% to 43%. It’s unfortunate there’s not a more tting political bene ciary of any such recoil than Trump.

Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of The Almanac of American Politics.

respect, justices, women are not without electoral and political power,” he said. “You’re about to nd out just how much they have.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

the appearance of being on a roll, of triumph in a MAGA-esque sea of believers. The sea changes now. That contest is over.

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

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

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

game-winner.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Burlington adds new college league team

Burlington

A second summer collegiate team will play at Burlington Athletic Stadium this summer. The Burlington Sock Puppets have played in the Appalachian League since 2021, following MLB’s elimination of the Single-A professional team that had called the city home for decades. The new team’s name, the Sock Pups, was unveiled last week. The team opens play on May 24 and will add an additional 13 home dates to the schedule in Burlington. The Sock Puppets have won divisional titles each of the last two seasons.

NCAA BASKETBALL

Auburn student wins car on 94-foot putt

Auburn, Ala.

An Auburn University student connected on a longdistance shot, draining a length-of-the-basketball court putt on Saturday to win a car from a local Toyota dealership. Conor Boyle made the 94-foot putt, rolling a golf ball from one baseline and through a sign next to the opposite basket during a promotion in the second half of Auburn’s game with Georgia. After the putt found the small opening on the sign, Boyle raced around the court celebrating while fans erupted. Boyle was the rst winner of the promotion this season.

Christopher Bell pulls out emotional victory at Phoenix Raceway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bell led the rest of the way for his seventh career Cup Series victory — and rst since Homestead in October.

Truex and his crew made calculated gamble on lap 217, opting to stay out when most of the leaders went into the pits.

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

HAMLIN SPINS

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

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

CINDRIC’S BAD LUCK

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

Cindric completed six laps at Phoenix Raceway before being

involved in a wreck with Austin Dillon and Derek Kraus. Dillon and Kraus were able to return to the track, but Cindric’s car was damaged too much.

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

UP NEXT

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

217

Lap number when Martin Truex Jr. opted not to pit, a decision that back red when his tires didn’t hold up

IAN MAULE | AP PHOTO

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

Hoke County softball continues winning ways

HOKE HAD a busy week on outdoor athletic elds as spring sports are in full swing for the Bucks. Here’s a look at how some of the Hoke County teams made out.

Softball

The girls’ softball team suffered their rst loss of the season after two wins to open play. The Bucks fell to Scotland, 160. The Fighting Scots held Hoke to just two hits on the day and hit two home runs o of Bucks pitching.

Hoke bounced back three days later with a 6-4 win on the road at Lee County. The Bucks had ve hits, six stolen bases— three by junior Alyssa Cascavilla—and struck out six on the mound. Hoke County is now 3-1, 1-1 in the Sandhills Conference.

Baseball

The Hoke County baseball team dropped both games this week, falling 11-1 to Scotland at home, then traveling to the Fighting Scots to lose 9-3 on the road. For the year, the Bucks are 0-4, 0-2 in conference. They’ll

have three chances to break into the win column this week, at home against Jack Britt, followed by a home-and-home series against Lee County.

Girls’ Soccer

The Bucks also struggled on the pitch last week, dropping two of three games to fall to 0-32 on the season. Hoke lost 3-0 at Cape Fear, then dropped a 2-0 match at home against Purnell Swett. The Bucks scored their rst goal since the opener in a 1-1 tie against Jack Britt. Freshman Evalynn Groemm kicked the ball home for the score.

Salustiana “Chica” Amador

Hoke County, softball

Chica Amador is a junior for the Hoke County softball team.

The Bucks are 3-1 on the season, 1-1 in the Sandhills Conference. Hoke went 1-1 last week, losing 16-0 to Scotland, then beating Lee County, 6-4. Amador was the only Bucks player to have a hit in both games. She went 1-for-2 against Scotland, getting one of Hoke’s two hits on the day. Against Lee, she drove in a run and went 1-for-4 with a stolen base. On the year, she is tied for team lead in hits, leads Hoke County in slugging percentage, is second in batting average and third in on-base percentage.

Report: Giants acquiring star rusher Brian Burns from the Panthers

Panthers add second, fth-round draft picks

The Associated Press

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

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

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

The Panthers will receive a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fth-rounder, according to another person who spoke

to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal isn’tnalized. Burns, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, will sign his franchise tag to facilitate the deal. Burns becomes the second-highest paid defensive end in NFL history.

The Giants had only 34 sacks last season.

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

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

thers moving to a 3-4 scheme.

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

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

The Panthers were able to restock their draft capital. They now have seven overall picks this April, including two

picks (No. 33 and 39) in the second round.

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

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

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

PHOTO COURTESY HCHS BUCKS SOFTBALL SOCIAL MEDIA

PHOTO COURTESY HOKE HIGH BASEBALL SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

Hoke baseball, shown here working out in the gym during preseason, before the elds were in playing shape, is still hunting its rst win on the season.

BUTCH DILL | AP PHOTO

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

North State Journal

Guardsmen, BP agent killed in chopper crash ID’d

Two members of the New York National Guard and a Border Patrol agent were killed when the helicopter crashed in Texas

The Associated Press

LA GRULLA, Texas — A National Guard soldier from New York who was seriously injured in the crash of a helicopter ying over the U.S.-Mexico border remained hospitalized Sunday while authorities released the names of the two National Guard soldiers and a Border Patrol agent onboard who were killed.

The three killed Friday in the crash in a eld in Texas near Rio Grande City were: Chief Warrant O cer 2 Casey Frankoski, 28, and Chief Warrant O cer 2 John Grassia, 30, both with the New York National Guard; and Border Patrol Agent Chris Luna, 49. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The UH-72 Lakota helicopter was assigned to the federal government’s border security mission when it went down while the helicopter was conducting aviation operations, according to a statement released by Joint Task Force North, a military unit that supports Customs and Border Protection. No other details were provided.

The injured soldier was from the New York National Guard, according to the National Guard Bureau. The soldier, whose name isn’t being released, was the aircraft crew chief. The soldier re-

mained hospitalized, according to a news release posted by the New York State Division of Military & Naval A airs.

Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, said in the release that they are “shocked and devastated” by the deaths of Frankoski and Grassia, and are “praying for the quick recovery” of the injured crew chief.

Troy Miller, acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement that they were “heartbroken” by the death of Luna, who is survived by his wife and two children, parents and brother.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in

a statement that they are hoping for the injured national guardsman’s “swift recovery,” and said his thoughts and the “deepest condolences” of the department were with the families of those killed.

Grassia, who was a New York state trooper, was from Schenectady, New York, and he enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2013 as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter maintenance specialist, according to the New York State Division of Military & Naval A airs. The release said that Frankoski, of Rensselaer, New York, enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2016 and she trained

Sweden’s ag raised at NATO HQ

The traditionally neutral country is the 32nd nation to join the military alliance

By Lorne Cook The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — Sweden’s ag was raised at NATO headquarters on Monday, cementing the Nordic country’s place as the 32nd member two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine persuaded its reluctant public to seek safety under the alliance’s security umbrella.

Under a steady rain, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Crown Princess Victoria and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg looked on as two soldiers raised the blue banner emblazoned with a yellow cross among the o cial circle of national ags at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.

“The Russian, brutal, fullscale invasion against Ukraine united Sweden behind the conclusion that a full- edged NATO membership is the only reasonable choice,” Kristersson said. Swedish government ministers and party leaders from

The blue-and-yellow ag of Sweden was raised at NATO headquarters for the rst time this week.

across the political spectrum attended in a show of national unity.

Sweden set aside decades of post-World War II neutrality when it formally joined NATO on March 7. The neighboring nation of Finland had already joined in April 2023 in another historic move ending years of military nonalignment.

Finland’s defense ministry welcomed “our brothers and sisters in arms,” saying on X, formerly Twitter, that “now we stand at the beginning of a new era. Together and with other allies in peace, in crisis and beyond.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to order troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022,

to become a UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopter pilot.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that she was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of Grassia and Frankoski.

“There is no greater calling than service to and defense of your country,” she said. Frankoski and Grassia were assigned to Detachment 2, Company A, 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment. Luna was assigned to the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande City Station.

The helicopter that crashed was assigned to the District of Columbia Army National Guard, according to the New York State

triggered an about-face in public opinion in both countries and within three months they had applied to join the world’s biggest security organization.

Putin claimed to have launched the war, at least in part, over NATO’s eastward expansion toward Russia. But the war had an adverse e ect, pushing more countries to join the alliance. NATO leaders have promised that Ukraine itself will join one day, although almost certainly not while the con ict rages on.

“When President Putin launched his full-scale invasion two years ago, he wanted less NATO, and more control over his neighbors. He wanted to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign state, but he failed,” Stoltenberg said.

“NATO is now bigger and stronger. Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before, and as the brave Ukrainians continue to ght for their freedom, we stand by their side,” he said.

Sweden’s membership completes a strategic ring of NATO territory around the Baltic Sea. The country now bene ts from the alliance’s collective security guarantee — Article 5 of its treaty — a vow that an attack on one of them will be met by a response from them all.

“We have chosen you, and you have chosen us. All for one, and

KRGV VIA AP

Division of Military & Naval Affairs release.

The border region is heavily patrolled by both state and federal authorities, including routine aerial surveillance.

In January, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter patrolling the state’s border with Mexico lost power and crashed, o cials said at the time. The co-pilot su ered a minor hand injury and the helicopter was signi cantly damaged. That helicopter was ying as part of Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s nearly $10 billion border mission that has tested the federal government’s authority over immigration.

one for all,” Kristersson said, and he vowed that his country would uphold the values enshrined in NATO’s founding Washington Treaty.

The ag-raising ceremony came as 20,000 troops from 13 countries conduct NATO drills in the high north of new member Sweden as well as its neighbors Finland and Norway.

The Nordic drill is part of wider exercises called Steadfast Defender 24, NATO’s largest in decades, with up to 90,000 troops taking part over several months to show any adversary that the alliance can defend all of its territory from North America up to its borders with Russia.

“We are humble, but we are also proud. We know the expectations for Sweden are high, but we also have high expectations for ourselves,” Kristersson told reporters minutes before the ceremony. “We will share burdens, responsibilities and risks with our allies.”

Sweden brings to the table well-trained and -equipped armed forces. The country has been working in close partnership with NATO during military exercises over the years, and even more since Russia’s all-out war began. Sweden also meets NATO’s defense spending target of 2% of gross domestic product.

Border Patrol and other agencies gather near where the helicopter crashed in Texas last week.

GEERT VANDEN WIJNGAERT/AP

obituaries

Daryel Lee Garnes

December 30, 1948 - March 3, 2024

Mr. Daryel Lee Garnes, of Raeford passed away peacefully in his sleep, at home on March 03, 2024 at the age of 75. Daryel was born in Ohio on December

30, 1948 to the late Harry and Joy Garnes. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bettie Garnes; son, Daryel Lee Garnes, Jr.; and old brother, David Garnes. Daryel was drafted into the Army at the age of 18 and did two tours in Vietnam. He was a proud Purple Heart recipient among several other awards. He was a hardworking man who always stood up for what he thought was right. He could make anyone laugh, and loved living life. He is survived by his sons, Alex Garnes (Alicia) and Je Garnes (Thea); grandsons, Daryel Lee Garnes III, Ethan Garnes, Will Garnes, and Scott Garnes; two siblings, Debbie and Rick; and several nieces and nephews.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones.

Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in NSJ at obits@northstatejournal.com

Irwin Smallwood, former longtime newspaper editor who covered founding of ACC, dies at 98

The Associated Press GREENSBORO — Former longtime newspaper editor Irwin Smallwood, a North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame member who covered the founding of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953, has died. The News and Record of

William

The Associated Press

Greensboro reported Smallwood died Saturday at age 98. Smallwood had a 42-year journalism career before retiring in 1989, starting at the then-Greensboro Daily News as a 16-year-old copy boy. He later became a reporter, sports editor and managing editor at the newspaper.

Smallwood was on hand when o cials from schools in the Southern Conference met at the Sedge eld Country Club and decided to leave to form the ACC.

“He was the only media person there the night before (schools) o cially left the Southern Conference, and they got together in a room and decided to leave,” said

Brian Morrison, former ACC media relations director. Smallwood became the unofcial historian of Greensboro-area sports, a member of the North Carolina Media and Journalism Hall of Fame and the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame. He also was a former president of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame,

which inducted him in 1994. “His knowledge and love of the ACC, Greensboro and the state of North Carolina were unmatched and will be forever missed,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement. “Irwin will always be part of the fabric of the ACC and our hearts are with his entire family.”

Post, key developer of Pop-Tarts, dies at 96

GLEN ARBOR, Mich. — William Post, a Michigan man who played an important role in the development of Pop-Tarts, has died at age 96.

Post died Saturday, according to a family obituary which provided no details on his death but says he was raised in Grand Rapids as “one of seven children of Dutch immigrants” and had retired at age 56 as a senior vice president with Keebler Company and settled in Glen Arbor, Michigan.

Kellanova, formerly known as Kellogg Co., said in a statement Wednesday that it was “deeply

saddened” by Post’s death.

“He played an important role in co-creating the iconic PopTarts brand and we are grateful to Bill for his legacy and lasting contributions to our company,” Kellanova said without elaborating.

Pop-Tarts debuted in 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. The toaster pastry was originally sold in four avors — strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon and apple-currant — before it was released nationwide the following year, Kellanova’s website states.

Post’s family wrote in his obituary that he was a plant manager with a company later known as the Keebler Company when

Kellogg executives asked him “if he thought it would be possible for Keebler to create a new product they had in mind.”

His obituary states that one of the executives was Kellogg chairman William LaMothe, who “soon became Bill’s close friend.”

“It is at this juncture that Bill is often credited for having ‘invented’ the Pop Tart. To be accurate, however, Bill would say, ‘I assembled an amazing team that developed Kellogg’s concept of a shelf-stable toaster pastry into a ne product that we could bring to market in the span of just four months,’” according to the the obituary.

‘Dragon Ball’ creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68

By Mari Yamaguchi

The Associated Press

TOKYO — Akira Toriyama, the creator of the best-selling Dragon Ball and other popular anime who in uenced Japanese comics, has died, his studio said Friday. He was 68.

Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga series, which started in 1984, has sold millions of copies globally and was adapted into hugely popular animated TV shows, video games and lms.

Toriyama died March 1 of a blood clot in his brain, Bird Studio said in a statement.

“He was working enthusiastically on many projects, and there was still much he was looking forward to accomplishing,” the studio wrote.

A new TV adaptation of Toriyama’s “Sand Land,” a desert adventure story released in 2000 and later adapted into a 2023 anime movie, is due to be released on Disney+ in the spring.

Messages of condolences and grief from fellow creators and fans lled social media.

Eiichiro Oda, creator of the blockbuster manga “One Piece,” said Toriyama’s presence was like a “big tree” to younger artists.

“He showed us all these things

manga can do, a dream of going to another world,” Oda said in a statement. His death leaves “a hole too big to ll,” Oda added.

Bird Studio thanked fans for more than 40 years of support.

“We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.”

Born in Aichi prefecture in central Japan in 1955, Toriyama made his manga debut in 1978 with the adventure comic “Wonder Island,” published in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. His Dr. Slump series, which started in 1980, was his rst major hit.

It made him a celebrity, but Toriyama avoided the spotlight. In 1982, he told Japanese public broadcast NHK: “I just want to keep writing manga.”

Dragon Ball, the story of a boy named Son Goku and his quest for seven magical balls that can make wishes come true, has sold 260 million copies altogether, according to the studio.

Toriyama also designed characters for the video game series Dragon Quest. He received awards in the manga industry and beyond, including France’s Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.

JIM

Akira

STATE & NATION

Lawsuit accuses MIT of tolerating antisemitism

MIT stands accused of ignoring its own policies to protect students and sta from pervasive anti-Jewish harassment and hostility

By Michael Casey

The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Two Jewish students led a federal lawsuit Thursday against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology accusing the university of allowing antisemitism on campus that has resulted in them being intimidated, harassed and assaulted.

The lawsuit mirrors similar legal actions led since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, including at Columbia University, New York University, Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania. In the MIT lawsuit, the students and a nonpro t that ghts antisemitism, StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, accuse the university of approving antisemitic activities on campus and tolerating discrimination and harassment against Jewish students and faculty.

“As a result of MIT’s blatant and intentional disregard for its legal and contractual obli-

gations to its students, plainti s and other students have su ered injury to themselves and their educational experience,” the lawsuit alleges. “Jewish and Israeli students at MIT have felt unsafe attending classes, have in some instances deferred graduation dates or exams, and some professors have left the university.”

A statement from MIT said the university does not typically comment on pending litigation.

“Generally, we’d note MIT has established processes in place to address concerns of discrimination and harassment,” according to the statement.

The lawsuit is requesting the court prohibit MIT from “establishing, implementing, instituting, maintaining, or executing policies, practices, or protocols that penalize or discriminate against Jewish students.” It also is demanding that MIT take any preventive measures including

ring sta and expelling students who engage in antisemitic behavior. The lawsuit also calls for the university to communicate to the school community that it will “condemn, investigate, and punish any conduct that harasses members of the Jewish community, or others on the basis of their ethnic or ancestral background.”

Last month, MIT suspended a student group that held demonstrations against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza because it didn’t go through the school’s approval process. In a video message explaining the suspension, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said criticizing policies of any government including Israel was permitted but that “members of one community shouldn’t feel it’s OK to vilify and shun Israeli and Jewish members of our community.”

“Equally, we shouldn’t feel it’s OK to vilify everyone who advocates for the Palestinian people as supporting Hamas,” Kornbluth said. “We de nitely shouldn’t feel it’s OK to single out other members of our community because of where they’re from or what they believe and tell them that they’re not welcome on our campus.”

Fallout from the Israel-Hamas war has roiled campuses across the U.S. and reignited a debate over free speech. College leaders have struggled to de ne the line where political speech crosses into harassment and discrimination, and Jewish and Arab students have raised concerns that schools are doing

too little to protect them.

The issue took center stage in December when the presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT testi ed at a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism. Asked by Republican lawmakers whether calls for the genocide of Jews would violate campus policies, the presidents o ered lawyerly answers and declined to say unequivocally that it was prohibited speech.

Their answers prompted weeks of backlash from donors and alumni, leading to the resignation of Presidents Liz Magill at Penn and Claudine Gay at Harvard.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks killed 1,200 people in Israel, mainly civilians, and abducted around 250 others, nearly half of whom were released during a weeklong cease- re in November.

Since the war began, Israel’s assault in Gaza has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, roughly 1% of the territory’s population, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Aid groups say the ghting has displaced most of the territory’s people and pushed a quarter of the population to the brink of famine.

The U.S. Department of Education has repeatedly warned colleges that they are required to ght antisemitism and Islamophobia on their campuses or risk losing federal money. The agency has opened dozens of investigations at colleges and universities in response to complaints of antisemitism and Islamophobia since the Oct. 7 attacks, including at Harvard, Stanford and MIT.

Backcountry skier killed on Mt. Washington’s Tuckerman Ravine

A number of injured skiers and hikers needed to be rescued over the weekend

By Nick Perry The Associated Press

MEREDITH, N.H. — The steep bowl at Tuckerman Ravine on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington has long made it a favorite spot for expert skiers and snowboarders who are seeking adventure beyond the comparative safety of the state’s ski areas.

But hard and icy conditions on Saturday turned the bowl deadly.

Madison Saltsburg, 20, died after falling about 600 vertical feet (183 meters) down the ravine in the afternoon, according

to the U.S. Forest Service. Two other skiers su ered serious injuries after falling and hitting rocks and ice. And there were a number of other falls witnessed throughout the day which didn’t result in serious injuries, the service said.

A telephone message to a forest service spokesperson seeking information about Saltsburg wasn’t immediately returned Sunday.

The day of accidents prompted search e orts that continued for hours in the dark as teams worked to rescue the injured skiers and remove Saltsburg’s body from the mountain. Heavy, wet snow started to fall Saturday night and winds began to pick up, forcing the rescuers to battle on through the worsen-

ing conditions.

“The snow rangers and emergency personnel were up there late last night. They’re exhausted,” said Colleen Mainville, a spokesperson with the U.S. Forest Service.

Tuckerman Ravine is particularly popular in the spring, when the sun begins to soften the snow. On some days, hundreds of skiers and snowboarders make the 3-mile (5-kilometer) hike to the ravine, resulting in a festive atmosphere. From there it can take another hour to kick boot steps in the wall to get to the top.

But risks — including open crevasses, avalanches and rocks — have resulted in several deaths over the years.

The Forest Service said Saltsburg and her skiing companion

encountered hard and icy snow surfaces due to cold temperatures and a lack of recent snowfall. There were also open crevasse holes on the mountain, the service said, and conditions were unforgiving.

Forest Service rangers and a team from the Mount Washington Avalanche Center also responded to two other skiers who su ered severe injuries that weren’t life-threatening, Mainville said.

At 6,288 feet (1916.6 meters), Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the Northeast and is notorious for its ckle weather. It is the sight of frequent rescues.

Just the previous night, on Friday, a 23-year-old hiker from Kentucky was rescued from the mountain after going o trail

and into the Ammonoosuc Ravine, New Hampshire Fish and Game reported.

The hiker “fell and hit his head and face, lost one of his sneakers, and eventually became hypothermic,” the agency said in a statement.

“He was given boots, food, warm drink, proper winter gear, and a headlamp. He was then escorted back to the trail and then to the Cog Railway parking lot,” the agency said.

Another hiker who was rescued from the Ammonoosuc Ravine in February described his 11-hour ordeal to The Associated Press, acknowledging he had made some poor decisions and was underprepared for his hike, and crediting rescuers with saving his life.

PHOTO BY STEVE GOLSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The MIT campus, including the Great Dome and Little Dome, from atop the Green Building in 2017.

ROBERT F. BUKATY/AP

The tricky backcountry ski slope of Tuckerman Ravine, on the left, lies about a mile below the summit of 6,288-foot Mount Washington.

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

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

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

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

Athletic directors at the state’s four ACC schools — Duke, UNC, NC State and Wake Forest — expressed support for the move. O cials who work for and with boosterfunded collectives that handle NIL deals with college athletes nationally have said lifting rules will bring more clarity and simply make permissible what was formerly against NCAA rules regarding athlete compensation.

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners met Thursday, March 7 to address a number of items with little controversy.

A revision to the 2023-24 Juvenile Crime Prevention Council funding plan was approved, to correct a mislabel and an amendment to the scal year 2023-24 budget ordinance appropriating $317,214.28 in Medicaid Hold Harmless funds balance back to the state out of funds paid to Forsyth County in the prior year

An application for Golden Leaf Foundation funds through

its site program for the design, engineering and development of an economic development site at Tanglewood Business Park was approved.

“There is an opportunity through that program for a $1.5 million grant for design, engineering clearance and grading of a site there at the Tanglewood Business Park,” said county manager Dudley Watts.

The board approved eight ARPA funding matters.

“A number of our recipients are essentially not asking for more money, but they’re allowing a provision that the Department of the Treasury has o ered that they can actually spend the

money over a longer period of time,” said chairman Don Martin. “So each of these organizations has submitted a proposal to extend and what they will do is spend the same money over a longer period of time.”

The recipients and programs include Experiment in Self–Reliance and S.G. Atkins Community Development Corporation to expand the small business individual development account program, The Centers for Exceptional Children to fund its Infant & Toddler Program, Work Family Resource Center to support new licensed family childcare homes, Arts Council to fund arts programming

and workforce development for the local arts and cultural sectors, Forsyth Technical Community College to purchase nursing software, Smart Start of Forsyth County to support Pre-K Priority Coalition, The Children’s Home Society of North Carolina to open a child rst program and Addiction Recovery Care Association for medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder.

Finally, the board approved four contractual matters including a $30,425 agreement with Sciaps for the purchase of an X-550 PB lead in soil and HUD/

See COMMISSIONERS, page 2

By James Pollard The Associated Press

While his college friends celebrated the end of midterm exams with a spring break trip to Florida, 21-year-old Wyatt Gable entered the home stretch of his bid to oust a 10-term Republican from the North Carolina House.

Weeks spent phone banking after class and driving about an hour home on the weekends to knock on doors paid o . The East Carolina University junior narrowly beat state Rep. George Cleveland, 84, this week in a primary election in which he cast himself as “the future of the Republican Party.”

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

While some voters told him

ing Point USA, a conservative youth group founded by rightwing provocateur Charlie Kirk. In addition to his political advocacy against causes like gender-expansive restroom access, the business management major said he runs club track and plays intramural sports.

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

House primary winner and East Carolina University student Wyatt Gable.

Get in touch

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

The State of the Union

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

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

EPA lead paint analyzer and funded via NC Department of Health and Human Services, an agreement with Support Systems of Forsyth County Transportation to provide a micro-transit service to county residents for employment-related transportation at a cost not to exceed $90,000 funded through the NCDOT Rural Operating Assistance Program and two contracts for the purchase of two Chevrolet 2500 pickup trucks, two Chevrolet Equinox and two Chevrolet Colorado pickup trucks totaling $229,364.92.

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will next meet March 21.

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

President Biden gave an impassioned State of the Union speech last week.

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

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

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

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

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

I’ll give him more than that. He answered the question that even Democrats have been asking.

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

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

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

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

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

GABLE from page 1

ceived the policy, which sought to limit the spread of the disease, as “total control.”

While sitting in a microeconomics class one day, Gable said, he sent an email about the issue to Cleveland, the lawmaker he defeated this week. Gable said he never got a response. “I felt like no one really cared or didn’t want to do anything,” he said. “So, I’m going to be the one that does something.” Gable hopes one day those ambitions could propel him to the governor’s mansion. Cleveland, a former Marine Corps drill instructor who leads a budget subcommittee for dozens of state agencies, did not return a message seek-

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

“I don’t think it’s a vote against Rep. Cleveland,” she said. “It’s a vote for change and a vote for youth.”

Card commended Gable for taking the race seriously, noting that he even enlisted his buddies to help contact voters. Gable estimates that he alone knocked on 1,000 doors and made 400 phone calls. Supporters handed out campaign materials at almost every voting precinct on election day, Gable added. He will face Democrat Carmen Spicer in November. He

is expected to win the general election in rural Onslow County, home to Camp Lejeune and 120 miles southeast of Raleigh, the capital. Donald Trump won three out of every ve votes cast in the district for the 2020 presidential election. In the North Carolina General Assembly, Gable plans to tackle education. He said high school students should take more home economics, shop and carpentry classes so they’re “prepared for the real world.” He also wants to put more emphasis on physical activity.

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

Any rst-year representative will face a “learning curve,” Card said. But Gable’s deter-

mination to challenge a longtime incumbent “shows something about what he’s made of,” she said, and his inexperience won’t be a problem.

Gable stressed that he would represent constituents of all ages, but that it’s important to include younger voices in public service. He wants to use his platform to improve turnout among people ages 18-29 and encourage that demographic to vote Republican.

He acknowledged that the last goal needs a lot of work. The GOP has performed poorly in every election cycle since 2016, he said, and voters don’t always believe the party o ers many solutions. “Rebranding as a party and not electing the same cookie-cutter candidates,” he said, “is going to be a big part of it.”

SHAWN THEW/POOL VIA AP

Forsyth SPORTS

SIDELINE REPORT

MLS Toronto FC tops

Charlotte FC 1-0

Toronto, Ont.

Lorenzo Insigne red a right-footed shot from ve yards outside the penalty box into the top right corner in the 80th minute to break a scoreless tie and give Toronto FC a 1-0 victory over visiting Charlotte. Each team collected multiple yellow cards in the physical match. Charlotte’s Kerwin Vargas was shown a yellow card in the 60th and Scott Ar eld and Brecht Dejaegere in the 82nd and 86th, respectively. Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina picked up the nal card in the fth minute of stoppage time.

Kahlina had two saves and had no chance at a third on Insigne’s game-winner.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Burlington adds new college league team

Burlington

A second summer collegiate team will play at Burlington Athletic Stadium this summer.

The Burlington Sock Puppets have played in the Appalachian League since 2021, following MLB’s elimination of the Single-A professional team that had called the city home for decades.

The new team’s name, the Sock Pups, was unveiled last week. The team opens play on May 24 and will add an additional 13 home dates to the schedule in Burlington. The Sock Puppets have won divisional titles each of the last two seasons, and the franchise reports a 70% increase in attendance over the former Burlington Royals’ nal season.

NCAA BASKETBALL

Auburn student wins car on 94-foot putt

Auburn, Ala. An Auburn University student connected on a long-distance shot, draining a length-ofthe-basketball court putt on Saturday to win a car from a local Toyota dealership. Conor Boyle made the 94foot putt, rolling a golf ball from one baseline and through a sign next to the opposite basket during a promotion in the second half of Auburn’s game with Georgia. After the putt found the small opening on the sign, Boyle raced around the court celebrating while fans erupted and TV cameras showed Auburn guard K.D. Johnson looking on from the bench with a stunned expression, mouth wide open. Boyle was the rst winner of the promotion this season. College football

Early signing period to move three weeks

Christopher Bell pulls out emotional victory at Phoenix Raceway

217

Lap number when Martin Truex Jr. opted not to pit, a decision that back red when his tires didn’t hold up

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ries victory — and rst since Homestead in October.

Truex and his crew made calculated gamble on lap 217, opting to stay out when most of the leaders went into the pits.

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

HAMLIN SPINS

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

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

CINDRIC’S BAD LUCK

Austin Cindric had an early end to his day, a week after a spinout knocked him well back in the pack at Las Vegas. Cindric completed six laps at Phoenix Raceway before being involved in a wreck with Austin Dillon and Derek Kraus. Dillon and Kraus were able to return to the track, but Cindric’s car was damaged too much. Cindric nished 29th at Las Vegas and was in contention at the Daytona 500 before getting caught up in a late wreck.

UP NEXT

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

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Evan Lecnar

East Forsyth, baseball

Evan Lecnar is a senior for the East Forsyth baseball team.

The Eagles are 4-1 on the season, 2-0 in the Central Piedmont Conference. They picked up three wins last week, beating R.J. Reynolds twice, by scores of 12-1 and 13-2 and added a win over West Stanly, 1-0. Lecnar was the hero of the West Stanly win, going 2-for-4 and getting the walk-o single for the game’s only run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Report: Giants acquiring star rusher Brian Burns from the Panthers

Panthers add second, fth-round draft picks

The Associated Press

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

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

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

The Panthers will receive a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fth-rounder, according to another person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal isn’t nalized.

Burns, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, will sign his franchise tag to facilitate the deal. Burns becomes the second-highest paid defensive end in NFL history.

The Giants had only 34 sacks last season.

The Giants landed a marquee defensive player on a day they lost star running back Saquon Barkley to the Eagles. The Giants quickly replaced Barkley by agreeing to terms with Devin Singletary. Burns, who turns 26 next

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

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

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

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

The Panthers were able to restock their draft capital. They now have seven overall picks this April, including two picks (No. 33 and 39) in the second round.

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

EAST

BUTCH

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

STATE & NATION

Lawsuit accuses MIT of tolerating antisemitism

MIT stands accused of ignoring its own policies to protect students and sta from pervasive anti-Jewish harassment and hostility

By Michael Casey

The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Two Jewish students led a federal lawsuit Thursday against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology accusing the university of allowing antisemitism on campus that has resulted in them being intimidated, harassed and assaulted.

The lawsuit mirrors similar legal actions led since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, including at Columbia University, New York University, Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania. In the MIT lawsuit, the students and a nonpro t that ghts antisemitism, StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, accuse the university of approving antisemitic activities on campus and tolerating discrimination and harassment against Jewish students and faculty.

“As a result of MIT’s blatant and intentional disregard for its legal and contractual obli-

gations to its students, plainti s and other students have su ered injury to themselves and their educational experience,” the lawsuit alleges. “Jewish and Israeli students at MIT have felt unsafe attending classes, have in some instances deferred graduation dates or exams, and some professors have left the university.”

A statement from MIT said the university does not typically comment on pending litigation.

“Generally, we’d note MIT has established processes in place to address concerns of discrimination and harassment,” according to the statement.

The lawsuit is requesting the court prohibit MIT from “establishing, implementing, instituting, maintaining, or executing policies, practices, or protocols that penalize or discriminate against Jewish students.” It also is demanding that MIT take any preventive measures including

ring sta and expelling students who engage in antisemitic behavior. The lawsuit also calls for the university to communicate to the school community that it will “condemn, investigate, and punish any conduct that harasses members of the Jewish community, or others on the basis of their ethnic or ancestral background.”

Last month, MIT suspended a student group that held demonstrations against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza because it didn’t go through the school’s approval process. In a video message explaining the suspension, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said criticizing policies of any government including Israel was permitted but that “members of one community shouldn’t feel it’s OK to vilify and shun Israeli and Jewish members of our community.”

“Equally, we shouldn’t feel it’s OK to vilify everyone who advocates for the Palestinian people as supporting Hamas,” Kornbluth said. “We de nitely shouldn’t feel it’s OK to single out other members of our community because of where they’re from or what they believe and tell them that they’re not welcome on our campus.”

Fallout from the Israel-Hamas war has roiled campuses across the U.S. and reignited a debate over free speech. College leaders have struggled to de ne the line where political speech crosses into harassment and discrimination, and Jewish and Arab students have raised concerns that schools are doing

too little to protect them.

The issue took center stage in December when the presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT testi ed at a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism. Asked by Republican lawmakers whether calls for the genocide of Jews would violate campus policies, the presidents o ered lawyerly answers and declined to say unequivocally that it was prohibited speech.

Their answers prompted weeks of backlash from donors and alumni, leading to the resignation of Presidents Liz Magill at Penn and Claudine Gay at Harvard.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks killed 1,200 people in Israel, mainly civilians, and abducted around 250 others, nearly half of whom were released during a weeklong cease- re in November.

Since the war began, Israel’s assault in Gaza has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, roughly 1% of the territory’s population, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Aid groups say the ghting has displaced most of the territory’s people and pushed a quarter of the population to the brink of famine.

The U.S. Department of Education has repeatedly warned colleges that they are required to ght antisemitism and Islamophobia on their campuses or risk losing federal money. The agency has opened dozens of investigations at colleges and universities in response to complaints of antisemitism and Islamophobia since the Oct. 7 attacks, including at Harvard, Stanford and MIT.

Backcountry skier killed on Mt. Washington’s Tuckerman Ravine

A number of injured skiers and hikers needed to be rescued over the weekend

By Nick Perry The Associated Press

MEREDITH, N.H. — The steep bowl at Tuckerman Ravine on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington has long made it a favorite spot for expert skiers and snowboarders who are seeking adventure beyond the comparative safety of the state’s ski areas.

But hard and icy conditions on Saturday turned the bowl deadly.

Madison Saltsburg, 20, died after falling about 600 vertical feet (183 meters) down the ravine in the afternoon, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Two other skiers su ered serious injuries after falling and hitting rocks and ice. And there were a number of other falls witnessed throughout the day which didn’t result in serious injuries, the service said.

A telephone message to a forest service spokesperson seeking information about Saltsburg wasn’t immediately returned Sunday.

The day of accidents prompted search e orts that continued for hours in the dark as teams worked to rescue the injured ski-

ers and remove Saltsburg’s body from the mountain. Heavy, wet snow started to fall Saturday night and winds began to pick up, forcing the rescuers to battle on through the worsening conditions.

“The snow rangers and emergency personnel were up there late last night. They’re exhausted,” said Colleen Mainville, a spokesperson with the U.S. For-

est Service.

Tuckerman Ravine is particularly popular in the spring, when the sun begins to soften the snow. On some days, hundreds of skiers and snowboarders make the 3-mile (5-kilometer) hike to the ravine, resulting in a festive atmosphere. From there it can take another hour to kick boot steps in the wall to get to the top.

But risks — including open crevasses, avalanches and rocks — have resulted in several deaths over the years.

The Forest Service said Saltsburg and her skiing companion encountered hard and icy snow surfaces due to cold temperatures and a lack of recent snowfall. There were also open crevasse holes on the mountain, the service said, and conditions were

unforgiving.

Forest Service rangers and a team from the Mount Washington Avalanche Center also responded to two other skiers who su ered severe injuries that weren’t life-threatening, Mainville said.

At 6,288 feet (1916.6 meters),

Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the Northeast and is notorious for its ckle weather. It is the sight of frequent rescues.

Just the previous night, on Friday, a 23-year-old hiker from Kentucky was rescued from the mountain after going o trail and into the Ammonoosuc Ravine, New Hampshire Fish and Game reported. The hiker “fell and hit his head and face, lost one of his sneakers, and eventually became hypothermic,” the agency said in a statement.

“He was given boots, food, warm drink, proper winter gear, and a headlamp. He was then escorted back to the trail and then to the Cog Railway parking lot,” the agency said.

Another hiker who was rescued from the Ammonoosuc Ravine in February described his 11-hour ordeal to The Associated Press, acknowledging he had made some poor decisions and was underprepared for his hike, and crediting rescuers with saving his life.

PHOTO BY STEVE GOLSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The MIT campus, including the Great Dome and Little Dome, from atop the Green Building in 2017.

ROBERT F. BUKATY/AP

The tricky backcountry ski slope of Tuckerman Ravine, on the left, lies about a mile below the summit of 6,288-foot Mount Washington.

DAVID

Team building

The Pinecrest baseball team gathers for a moment of re ection ahead of its game with Oak Grove last Thursday.

The Patriots won 12-4, and are now 4-0 on the season.

St. Patricks Day DUI checks underway

As St. Patrick’s Day celebrations commence, law enforcement o cials across North Carolina are gearing up to crack down on drunk driving.

From now until March 17, saturation patrols and driver checkpoints will be increased, particularly on rural roads, to ensure the safety of all travelers. With alcohol consumption expected to rise during the holiday weekend, authorities urge everyone to consume responsibly and avoid driving under the in uence.

Last year’s St. Patrick’s Day enforcement campaign period saw 229 alcohol-related crashes and ve fatalities in North Carolina, underscoring the severe consequences of reckless behavior.

The “Booze It & Lose It” campaign, part of the NC Vision Zero initiative, aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on the state’s roadways while promoting safe and equitable mobility for all.

By James Pollard The Associated Press

WHILE HIS COLLEGE friends celebrated the end of midterm exams with a spring break trip to Florida, 21-yearold Wyatt Gable entered the home stretch of his bid to oust a 10-term Republican from the North Carolina House.

Weeks spent phone banking after class and driving about an hour home on the weekends to knock on doors paid o . The East Carolina University junior narrowly beat state Rep. George Cleveland, 84, this week in a primary election in which he cast himself as “the future of the Republican Party.”

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

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

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

Gable is the president of East

The Associated Press

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

The executive order originally came as the NCAA cleared the way for college athletes to make money o the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). It was designed as “a standard for for individual institutions to use as they formal-

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

The education system’s response to the COVID-19 pan-

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I don’t think it’s a vote against Rep. Cleveland,” she said. “It’s a vote for change and a vote for youth.”

Card commended Gable for taking the race seriously, noting that he even enlisted his buddies to help contact voters. Gable estimates that he alone knocked on 1,000 doors and made 400 phone calls. Supporters handed out campaign materials at almost every voting precinct on election day, Gable added.

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

See GABLE page 2

ize their own policies and procedures” while multiple states passed their own varying NIL laws.

But a federal judge recently barred the NCAA from enforcing NIL rules in a case involving the states of Tennessee and Virginia, a ruling cited by Cooper’s o ce in its Friday move.

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

statement. The announcement included statements supporting Cooper’s move from athletic directors at the state’s four Atlantic Coast Conference schools: Duke’s Nina King, North Carolina’s Bubba Cunningham, North Carolina State’s Boo Corrigan and Wake Forest’s John Currie.

O cials who work for and with booster-funded collectives that handle NIL deals with college athletes nationally have said lifting rules will bring more clarity and simply make

permissible what was formerly against NCAA rules regarding athlete compensation.

“Join

March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month

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

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

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

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

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

In recent years, there has been an alarming rise in CRC among young people. Overall, the lifetime risk of Americans developing CRC is about 1 in 23, but the rate of CRC is rising precipitously in those under 55 years of age. Since the mid-1990s, the incidence of CRC in people under 55 has risen by 1 to 2% per

year. Since the mid-2000s, the death rate from CRC in people under 50 years of age has increased by 1% annually. Today, CRC is the leading cause of cancer death in men and the second leading cause of cancer death in women under age 50. Unfortunately, due to delayed detection, younger people often have more advanced disease and are less likely to respond to treatment.

While many theories exist about the cause of this disturbing trend, it is likely a combination of factors. A sedentary lifestyle and being overweight or obese may be important. Smoking and excessive alcohol use may factor in. Eating a diet low in ber and high in fats, meats, and ultra-processed foods may contribute. Genetics also plays a role in certain cancers, as a family history of CRC and genetic syndromes (such as Lynch syndrome) increase risk.

Like any other disease, detecting CRC early improves survival. The ACS recommends everyone aged 45 and older be screened for CRC. People with risk factors, such as family history, may need to be screened sooner. Discuss your medical and family history with your primary care provider to determine when to begin colon cancer screening.

The US Preventive Services Task Force, a national group of experts in disease prevention, has approved several types of screening tests. It is important to understand the di erences between them to know which type of screening is most appropriate for you. Colonoscopy remains the gold standard of screening and is the only test that can screen for and prevent colon cancer simultaneously.

Colon cancer develops silently, so an absence of symptoms should never discourage screening. It is common, deadly, and becoming more prevalent among younger people. BUT IT IS PREVENTABLE! Disgust for the bowel preparation, a busy schedule, or any other excuse is no reason to be at risk because undergoing CRC screening just may save your life.

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

MOORE CITIZENS FOR FREEDOM

MOORE COUNTY

Remember

three out of every ve votes cast in the district for the 2020 presidential election.

In the North Carolina General Assembly, Gable plans to tackle education. He said high school students should take more home economics, shop and carpentry classes so they’re “prepared for the real world.” He also wants to put more emphasis on physical activity.

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

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

Gable stressed that he would represent constituents of all ages, but that it’s important to include younger voices in public service. He wants to use his platform to improve turnout among people ages 1829 and encourage that demographic to vote Republican.

He acknowledged that the last goal needs a lot of work. The GOP has performed poorly in every election cycle since 2016, he said, and voters don’t always believe the party offers many solutions.

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

MOORE COUNTY, WHAT A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!

March 8

Bryan Keith Andino, 28, was arrested by the Southern Pines Police on a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Travis Daniel Cole, 45, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of communicating threats.

Joseph Ray Greco, 27, was arrested by Southern Pines Police on a charge of possessing methamphetamine.

Christopher Nicole Matthews, 52, was arrested on a warrant from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

Joshua Daniel Morris, 33, was arrested on a warrant from the Wake County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of obtaining property false pretense.

Tariq Daveon Newsome, 25, was arrested by Southern

Pines Police on a charge of robbery with a dangerous weapon.

March 9

Louis Lee Churchill, 59, was arrested by Vass Police on a charge of shoplifting by concealment of goods.

William Zachary McMillan, 40, was arrested by Aberdeen Police on a charge of misdemeanor larceny.

Zamar Alton Malik McNeill, 25, was arrested by Southern Pines Police on a charge of felony possession of marijuana.

March 10

Rafiq Naji Amir, 66, was arrested by Southern Pines Police on a charge of communicating threats.

Jesus Apolinar Flores, 41, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of driving while impaired.

April Renee Gray, 41, was arrested by Taylortown

moore happening

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:

March 15

Moore County Library: Pre-School Storytime | 10 a.m.

The Moore County Library in Carthage hosts a PreSchool Storytime each Friday at 10:00am. For additional information, call 910-947-5335.

St. Patrick’s Day Pop Up Storytime | 10 a.m.

Enjoy a fun St. Patrick’s Day Pop Up Storytime and scavenger hunt at Rassie Wicker Park (10 Rassie Wicker Dr. in Pinehurst). This event is organized by the Dandelions Learning Community and is free and open to the public.

Robbins Fire Rescue: Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser | 11 a.m.

The Robbins Fire Rescue will be holding their 3rd Annual Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser at the Robbins Fire Department (301 Branson Circle in Robbins). Dinners are $10 and include spaghetti, salad and a roll. Drive-thru or dine in. For more information call Robbins Fire Rescue at 910948-2320.

Aberdeen Volunteer Fire ghter Association: Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser | 11 a.m. –7 p.m.

The Aberdeen Volunteer Fire ghter Association will be holding their annual Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser at the Aberdeen Fire Station (800 Holly St., in Aberdeen). Plates are $10 and include spaghetti, salad, roll and dessert. Eat in, to-go, or pre-order delivery. (Pre-order delivery needs to be placed for 5 or more plates by March 12th). For more information call 910-944-7888.

March 16

Moore County Farmers Market in Downtown Southern Pines 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Police on charges of possessing, manufacturing, selling, and/or delivering methamphetamine.

Christopher Harold Kiser, 38, was arrested by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.

Christan Victoria Mills Williams, 35, was arrested by Taylortown Police on charges of driving on a revoked license.

Ricky Aaron Toomes, 31, was arrested by Taylortown Police on a charge of possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, and/or deliver heroin.

Ebony Fallon Washington, 42, was arrested by Moore County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of obtaining property false pretense.

Phillip Stanley Wilborn, 63, was arrested on a warrant from the Wake County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of possessing methamphetamine.

The Moore County Farmers Market in Downtown Southern Pines is held each Saturday Starting on March 16th running through November 23rd, at the Downtown Southern Pines Park green space (145 SE Broad Street). Enjoy shopping for fresh and locally grown produce, meats, honey, eggs, seasonal items and more. Many vendors will be set up each week, some providing free samples. Live music from 10 a.m. -12 p.m.

Volunteer Park Clean Up Day | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

The Phillips Memorial Park Committee is holding a Park Clean Up Day at Phillips Memorial Park 121 Carthage St. Cameron Volunteers are invited to bring a shovel and/or a rake and begin cleaning up in preparation for the delivery and installation of the new playground equipment.

Moore County schools have successful week in spring sports

22-9

combined score in Union Pines’ two softball games last week—both wins

Pinecrest baseball, Union Pines softball remain unbeaten

North State Journal

MOST OF THE SPRING high school teams continued promising starts to the season in a busy week outdoors across the county.

Baseball

Pinecrest is o to a perfect start this season, going 4-0. The Patriots swept all three games this past week, beating Terry Sanford, 13-1. Two days later, Pinecrest topped Oak Grove, 12-4, and they nished the week with a dramatic walk-o , 4-1 win over Myers Park. Bryant Kimbrell was the hero, with a three-run homer to end it. He also pitched the nal four outs of the game to get the win on the mound.

North Moore won two of three for the week to move to 3-1 on the year, 1-1 in the Mid-Carolina Conference. After falling, 5-4, at Northwood, the Mustangs swept South Da-

vidson in a home-and-home series by scores of 18-5 and 202.

Union Pines lost all three games this week to fall to 1-3 on the year, 0-2 in conference. The Vikings lost at Lee County, 3-2, then fell 8-6 at home to South Stanly. A home rematch with Lee resulted in a 7-3 loss.

Softball

Union Pines is red hot on the softball eld, sweeping two games this week to move to 4-0 on the year, 2-0 in the Sandhills. The Vikings won at Lee County, 5-2, then blew out Pinecrest, 17-7. Elizabeth Andrews went deep in the game for her rst home run of the year. North Moore dropped two of three to fall to 2-2 on the year, 2-1 in conference. A 4-3 win over Southeast Alamance opened the week, but the Mustangs then dropped back-toback games at Montgomery Central, 10-0, and against Jordan-Matthews, 11-8. Pinecrest dropped a pair last week to fall to 0-4 on the year. A 17-7 loss at Union Pines

was followed by a 12-6 loss at Richmond.

Girls’ soccer

Pinecrest earned its rst win of the year with a 4-0 shutout of Jack Britt. Anna Depenbrock had a pair of goals and an assist in the win. The Patriots are now 1-4.

Union Pines played Hunt to a 3-3 tie to move to 1-0-1 on the year. Junior Taryn Pekala had a pair of goals, while junior Grace Queen added a goal and an assist.

Lacrosse

Pinecrest’s boys team split two games, beating Leesville Road, 7-5 and falling to Orange, 10-9. The Patriots are now 2-2 on the year. The Pinecrest girls won a pair of road games, 11-9 at Broughton and 14-11 at Willow Spring, to improve to 3-1.

The Union Pines boys moved over .500 with an 18-10 win over Cape Fear to improve to 2-1. The Vikings’ girls beat Cape Fear 29-3 to remain perfect at 3-0.

Bryant Kimbrell

Pinecrest baseball

Bryant Kimbrell is a senior two-way player on the Pinecrest baseball team.

The Patriots are a perfect 4-0 on the season and had three wins last week: 13-1 over Terry Sanford, 12-4 over Oak Grove, and 4-1 over Myers Park.

Kimbrell hit, scored and drove in runs in all three games, going a combined 5-for-9 for the week, with 4 runs scored and 8 driven in. He also stole two bases.

Against Myers Park, he hit a walko , three-run home run to break a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the seventh, giving Pinecrest the victory. He also earned the win on the mound in that game after pitching the nal one and a third innings.

For the week, Kimbrell pitched in two games, with a combined six strikeouts in six innings pitched. He allowed just ve hits and gave up two unearned runs.

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Pinecrest senior Bryant Kimbrell goes deep for a game-winning, walk-o , three-run homer to beat Myers Park. He also earned the win on the mound in the game.

Joseph Edward Bushofsky

January 24, 1939 - March 6, 2024

Joseph Edward Bushofsky, 85 of Pinehurst passed away peacefully on March 6, 2024 at home surrounded by loved ones. Mr. Bushofsky was born January 24, 1939 in Pittsburgh, PA to the late Jacob and Anna (Suska) Bushofsky. Joe graduated from North Carolina State University in 1962 and played football for the Wolfpack’s from 1957-1962. A teacher, high school football coach and talent scout in the National Football League for 37 years, retired to Pinehurst in 1992. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Rosemarie (Kollinger) Bushofsky, son Ted (Teri) Bushofsky of Lake Orion, Michigan, daughters Tracy (Keith) Cornacchia of Lake Orion, Michigan, Trish (Matthew) McDonnell of Peter’s Township, Pennsylvania and Terri Bushofsky of Durham, North Carolina, 5 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.

Shirley Lewis Garner

December 5, 1935 - March 3, 2024

Shirley Lewis Garner, 88 of Carthage, passed away on March 3, 2024. Born on December 5, 1935 in Moore County to the late Trace and Grace Lewis. Shirley was a hardworking, faithful and loving woman. Most of all, she loved her family and was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great granny. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one son, Randy Garner. She is survived by her loving husband of 71 years, Lewis Garner; son, Ronnie Garner and his wife, Pam; daughter-inlaw, Sandra Garner, wife of the late Randy Garner; one sister, Dot Wilson; grandchildren, Heather Herring (Ryan), Kelly Garner Dula (Brian), Jacob Garner (Taylor), Stacey Lynn Cantrell (Brett) and Michael Garner; also survived by 14 great grandchildren.

Marie Eleanor Schoen

August 5, 1923 - March 6, 2024

Marie Eleanor Schoen, age 100, of Pinehurst, NC passed away at FirstHealth Hospice House on March 6, 2024. Marie was born in Brooklyn, NY August 5, 1923 to Richard Ernest Dietz and Mary Alice Gillespie. Following her graduation from nursing school Marie immediately enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps and was sent to the Paci c Theater in Burma and then to Calcutta where she completed her WWII service. While hitching military ights home she met her future husband (Lee) in Casablanca. They spent the next 35 years living and working in Japan, Taiwan and many states from California to Florida before they settled in Pinehurst as a home base for their RV travels all across the country for another 20 years. Marie is survived by her children Richard Lee Schoen (Allyson) of Southern Pines, NC, Gregory Lee Schoen of Santa Fe, NM, Susan Marie Scott (James) of New Preston, CT and Beth Ann Foster of Pawnee, OK; 5 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; brother, Richard Faulkner Dietz of Chads Ford, PA and Donald Neil Dietz of Holtzville, NY. Marie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Lee George Schoen.

Pansy McKinnon Butler

April 22, 1943 - March 5, 2024

Pansy McKinnon Butler, age 80 died Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst. Funeral Services will be held at 3:00 PM Sunday, March 10, 2024, at Southside Baptist Church with Rev. Christopher McNeill o ciating. Burial will follow at Bethesda Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2-3 PM at the Church before the service. Pansy was a native of Moore County born April 22, 1943 to John and Mary Poe McKinnon. She graduated from Aberdeen High school. Pansy was very active with the Boy Scouts of America and Cub Scouts serving as a Den Mother. She was a Sunday school teacher and sang in the church choir at Southside Baptist Church for many years. Along with being active at the church, Pansy was a bank teller at BB&T Bank. She is survived by her children, Harlon Butler, Jr of Robbins, Chris Butler and his wife Mandy of Joppa, IL; sister, Martha Lunday (Dayton); sister-in-laws, Martha McKinnon and Christine Butler; her 2 grandchildren, Cayley and Elijah Butler, several nieces and nephews and many friends.

Doris Wayne Petty

February 17, 1935 - March 6, 2024

Mrs. Doris Petty of Pineblu , NC completed her earthly journey on March 6, 2024. She passed at First Health Hospice House from a long illness surrounded by her loving family. Born Doris Wayne Mason, she was the 4th child of 14 children born to Harvey B. & Ollie Smith Mason of Columbus, Mississippi on February 17, 1935. Doris was a homemaker and had been employed by First Health Moore Regional Hospital as a switchboard operator. She was preceded in death by her rst husband John W. (Bill) McRae, her parents, 4 sisters: Martha Vaughn, Myrtie Honeycutt, Leona McRae, Frances Cooper, her brother, Jack Mason, and her beloved grandson Kyle McRae. She is survived by her husband of 45 years Freeman Petty, her 6 children: Debra Norwood Loggins (Joe) of Thomasville, NC; Teresa McRae Wheeler (Allan)of Lake Lure, NC; Billy McRae of Eagle Springs, NC; Jimmy McRae (Marcie) of Aberdeen, NC; Jerry McRae of Carthage, NC, & Nita Stuber (Jimmy) of Wilmington, NC. Also surviving are 14 grandchildren: Beth Norwood Leviner, Danny Norwood, John Renner, Catharine Renner Mohar, Heather Harris, Sara McRae Posey, Mason McRae, Abby McRae Howard, Maggie McRae Harris, Eric McRae, Josie Duncan, Ashley Watson Cramer, Robert Watson, Carley Watson Frisby; 15 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren. 3 brothers: Bill Mason, James Mason, and Rufus Mason of Columbus, Mississippi; 5 sisters: Lois Vincent of Hastings, Michigan, Inez Harcrow of Alabama, Margaret Baucom, Thelma Strickland, and Christine Perrigin of Columbus, Mississippi. Also surviving are her 2 cats, Kitty and Tommy.

Francis Gerald Peterson

October 17, 1933 - March 6, 2024

Francis Gerald Peterson, 90, died Wednesday March 6th, 2024, at Penick Village, in Southern Pines. Gerald was born on October 17, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois to Peter G. Peterson and Nellie Charmley. He was preceded in death by his parents, his rst wife Louise Anne (Clark) Peterson, his sister Nellie Peterson Friedman, and his nephew John Zinser. He graduated from Boston University in 1955 receiving a degree in psychology. He then went on to serve in the Air Force as a commissioned o cer. After serving he graduated in 1964 with a master's degree from Duke University Divinity School. He completed a counseling degree from East Carolina University and held a certi cate in marriage and family counseling. In 1981 he obtained his doctorate in divinity from Drew University. Gerald served as a pastor in numerous Methodist churches for over 42 years. He also served as the director of the N.C. Conference Methodist Camps, as a consultant for The Phoenix Organization and with the Methodist Home for Children. After his retirement to Pinehurst in 1998 he continued serving part time in many Methodist churches of Moore County. Gerald continued his private counseling practice in Southern Pines well into his late 70’s. Gerald is survived by his wife of twenty years Nancy Jane Peterson, his 2 daughters: Brenda Barber (Jonathan) of Mt. Holly, N.C.; Sandra Williams (Paul) of Pinehurst, N.C. Also surviving are 5 grandchildren: Cherryl Rushing (Nicholas) of Inman S.C., Christyl Barber and Carole Barber of Mt. Holly N.C., Clark Winn (Phillip) of Cary, N.C. Colin Williams (Bethany) of Carthage N.C. and 6 great grandchildren Kamden, Karis, Kensley, Braylee, and Brody Rushing of Inman S.C. and Theodore Francis Williams of Carthage, N.C.