Chatham News & Record Vol. 147, Issue 6

Pittsboro seeks applicants for Planning Board

The Pittsboro Board of Commissioners is seeking applicants for an open position on the town’s planning board.

The position is open to any resident living within Pittsboro’s town limits and is for a three-year term. It is a volunteer position.

Interested applicants can get more information on Pittsboro’s website at pittsboronc.gov or contact Planning Director Randall Cahoon-Tingle at rcahoontingle@pittsboronc.gov with any questions. Applications must be in by 5 p.m. on April 24.

Primary election results certi ed

The March 5 election results are o cial, with a handful of key incumbents losing and a few U.S. House and statewide nominee races heading to runo s.

The State Board of Elections voted unanimously last week to certify counts for scores of ballot items from across the state, from nominations for president and governor to the legislature and judgeships.

The primaries also marked the rst statewide election under new voter identi cation and absentee ballot deadline law. About 1.8 million primary votes were counted.

Around 1,200 voters cast provisional ballots, with 700 ultimately counting. The vast majority of the 477 remaining uncounted ballots were set aside because voters failed to return to their county board with ID.

Boom Supersonic makes test ight

A startup plane maker with a major factory being built in Greensboro has taken the rst steps towards the skies.

Boom Supersonic is developing the rst commercial jet that can y faster than sound since the Concorde last ew in 2003.

The company’s X-B1 prototype took its rst ight last week over the Mojave Desert, a major step in the development of its Overture jet that will be built at a new “superfactory” at PTI Airport in Greensboro.

That facility could employ more than 1,700 workers by 2030, further burnishing North Carolina’s aviation legacy.

Thrill of victory

Seaforth junior Caitlin Erman celebrates her seventh goal of the season by leaping into the arms of sophomore So a Viana at home against Cummings, last Thursday in Pittsboro. The game ended in a 9-0 mercy rule victory for the Hawks with Viana scoring four goals of her own. Turn to B1 for more sports.

Car wash drain eld raises concerns in Fearrington

By Robert Owens For Chatham News & Record

Residents of Fearrington Village raised concerns at the Chatham County Board of Commissioners meeting on March 18. The issue surrounds a proposal for new drainage eld for a new Sam’s Car Wash, a development that needs a zoning modi cation and approval from the board because the eld would exist in a bu er zone created when Fear-

rington Village was developed. “They are proposing a drain eld in that bu er that is all down hill from Fearrington Village, we have potentially toxic chemicals, including forever chemicals, owing into Fearrington Village, through Fearrington Village into Jordan Lake,” said Steve Stewart, president of the Fearrington Homeowners Association. “We aren’t opposed to Sam’s Car Wash. They did what they were supposed to do… they apparently had a verbal but not written agreement with Old North State” water company to take their efuent that, he says, fell apart.

Stewart asked the board to

deny the zoning request and have the car wash work out its original agreement with the water company. Future impact beyond Fearrington was also a concern, in particular, the impact of the septic eld. “Sam’s Car Wash has stated they will not be monitoring the stream or the ground water wells. How will we know if chemicals get into the ground in the stream?” asked another speaker. “We don’t even know what chemicals will be present.”

More than a half-dozen local residents spoke against the car wash’s drain eld.

“We’re not asking to encroach

in the riparian bu er… and the purpose of the bu er… should soften the visible impact” of other facilities, said Lydia Lavelle, an attorney representing the company behind the car wash. “The impact would be minimal and we believe you have full justication… to grant this waiver. The ability to request this respects this process.”

The commission unanimously declined the zoning request. Ahead of the vote, Commissioner Katie Kenlan said it was important to show the citizenry that they’re being listened to.

“I am also very deeply into the notion that North Chatham is not available for development at any cost,” declared Vice Chair Karen Howard. Commissioners made it clear that alternative proposals could be brought before the board in the future and that the denial did not impact other possible solutions.

Growing state, shrinking farmland Wolfspeed hits construction milestone at Siler City facility

By Ena Sellers Chatham News & Record

CARY — Last week regional and state agricultural leaders gathered for NC Ag Leads: Imagine Agriculture Day at the SAS campus in Cary, to talk about agriculture, challenges and how to move the industry forward.

Cris Co n, National Ag Land Network Director and Courtney Owens, Southeast Regional Director, both with American Farmland Trust, were among the speakers who engaged participants in a thought-provoking conversation during their presentation “Growing State, Shrinking Farmland” about the agricultural land base in North Carolina.

“We are doing a lot more work in the regenerative agriculture space and keeping farmers on the land because we understand that there is no farmland without farmers,” said Co n. “We really be -

lieve that farmers and ranchers want to do right by their land and their businesses and that we just need to be helping to encourage and facilitate and support their work.”

Co n shared that every state in the U.S. is losing farmland.

“We need to do something about it… let’s focus on building that capacity of folks around the country to be able to save land,” said Co n, adding that this was not just about land protection but also about stabilizing the land base.

Owens shared that North Carolina is one of the states that has not passed the Uniform Partition Heirs’ Property Act, which helps farmers or the next generation “save their farmland,” and “prohibits the sale or partition of land.”

He explained that the south is the most threatened farmland in the country and North Carolina ranks number two in the group of states that have been identied. “There are 3.9 million acres that could be at loss if nothing is done,” said Owens. “The

The $5B silicon carbide plant, backed by CHIPS Act, will create 1,800 jobs

By Jordan Golson Chatham News & Record

Wolfspeed celebrated a signi cant construction milestone at its new multi-billion dollar John Palmour Manufacturing Center for Silicon Carbide in Siler City. The topping out ceremony, held on March 26, marked the completion of the facility’s structural framework and was attended by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), local o cials, community partners and Wolfspeed employees.

The 445-acre facility, named after the company’s co-founder, is expected to be operational by the end of 2024. Funding for the facility was supported by the CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law in August 2022, that provides signi cant support for domestic semiconductor manufacturing, research and development. The act’s provisions played

a crucial role in enabling the construction of Wolfspeed’s facility, which will produce 200mm silicon carbide wafers to meet the growing demand for semiconductors used in the energy transition and AI industries.

Tillis, who voted in favor of the CHIPS and Science Act, emphasized the importance of Wolfspeed’s investment, saying in a press release, “Wolfspeed’s $5 billion investment in Chatham County underscores North Carolina’s status as a premier business location. The CHIPS and Science Act, which I supported, plays a crucial role in enhancing our national security and econom-

Chatham Commissioners unanimously denied the zoning request

American Farmland Trust experts talk agriculture

breakdown goes to a million acres of land that can no longer [be used in] farming practice.”

Owens spoke about three future scenarios they have identi ed through their research: business as usual, runaway sprawl and better built cities.

“The business-as-usual model, is basically poor planning of agriculture and development and low density residential sprawl; The runaway model is the less e cient way of protecting farmland, and it also displaces farms… there’s larger lots of homes being developed in these rural areas, and so the farm that was once thriving and providing for communities, fresh fruits and local food, is no longer there,” he explained adding that the recommended scenario is the better built cities model, which emphasizes “planning for agriculture, planning around productive agricultural land, not bulldozing that land and taking it out of production.”

Data provided by Owens to Chatham News & Record shows that 44% of Chatham County’s conversion is projected to occur on the county’s best agricultural land according to the business-as-usual scenario. Statewide, 1,197,300 acres of farmland and rangeland will be converted to urban and highly developed and low-density residential land if we continue as we have been.

Co n and Owens emphasized the need for ag leaders to work together to protect the state’s farmland and help the farmers and future generation of farmers, because the choices that are made at the local, state and federal levels will have a tremendous impact on the future of agriculture and the land that sustains us.

Visit farmland.org for more.

or use library eBooks? Visit Wren Memorial Library, located at 500 North Second Avenue in Siler City, for one-on-one assistance on the second Wednesday of each month, any time between 10:30 a.m. and noon. No registration required. For more information visit chathamcountync.gov/ computerclasses.

April 11

Town of Siler City Commissioner District 2 Community Forum 6 p.m.

The Town of Siler City is inviting the public to attend an informal community forum to discuss community topics with the District Commissioner. The community forum for Town of Siler City Commissioner District 2 will be held at

FARMLAND, from page A1

Chatham seeks applicants for advisory boards

There are openings on the Agriculture Advisory, Equalization and Review, and Transportation Advisory Committee boards.

Chatham News & Record Sta

CHATHAM COUNTY has openings across several advisory committees and is seeking applications from county residents 18 or older who are interested in serving.

Applications can be lled out on the county’s website at chathamcountync.gov or contact Jenifer Johnson at 919542-8200 to request a printed application.

The deadline to submit applications is April 22 at 5 p.m.

There are openings on the following boards, as described by the county:

Agriculture Advisory Board

There are four vacancies on the Agriculture Advisory Board. The county needs two members from the Southeast quadrant, one member from the Southwest quadrant, and one member from the Northwest quadrant.

The board typically meets quarterly at the Chatham County Agriculture & Confer-

ence Center in Pittsboro and advises the County Board of Commissioners on agricultural issues and related land use issues.

It also reviews applications for farm properties to be designated as a Voluntary Agriculture District to make sure they meet state requirements.

The terms will expire: SE on June 30, 2027; SW and NW on June 30, 2026.

Board of Equalization and Review

This board hears and reviews property owners’ appeals of their property listings and valuations of real estate and personal property.

The board has an important, complex role. It is the rst level of review after sta -level reviews. The board must apply state laws in a consistent, uniform, and non-discriminatory manner so that all property owners receive a fair and impartial hearing.

Applicant should have lived in Chatham County for at least two years prior to appointment, own real estate property in the county, and be knowledgeable about real estate matters. The board has one alternate seat vacancy. The board meets as needed during the revaluation years.

TriRiver Water unites Sanford and Pittsboro

The new utility will o er water and sewer services in both municipalities

By Robert Owens

For Chatham News & Record

AFTER A LONG build up of negotiations, discussion and debate, Pittsboro and Sanford are uniting their water utilities under a new name: TriRiver Water.

The rebranding, which will start in July, will replace City of Sanford and Town of Pittsboro markings on communications, uniforms, vehicles and equipment associated with the water company. TriRiver Wa-

“TriRiver Water not only symbolizes our commitment to the health and sustainability of the three rivers in our region.”

Sanford Mayor Sanford Mayor

Rebecca Wyhof Salmon

ter will have its own sta and website. The name honors where the Haw, Deep and Cape Rivers come together in the Cape Fear Basin.

“TriRiver Water not only

Transportation Advisory Committee

Residents interested in transportation issues around Chatham County can learn about and help shape recommendations by serving on the county’s Transportation Advisory Committee. The committee identi es and studies transportation issues and makes recommendations to the Board of Commissioners. Members are appointed by the county commissioners.

The committee has three vacancies for Commissioner Districts 2, 3, and 4. The terms of the District 2 and District 3 seats end on June 30, 2025, and the District 4 seat ends June 30, 2024. All appointees are eligible for reappointment for a full three-year term. This advisory committee will meet only as needed to accomplish the purposes that include providing input into the development of the County’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan every ve to 10 years as the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) requests; providing input into NCDOT’s transportation project prioritization process within the county; major transportation projects or related issues of concern as assigned by the Board of Commissioners, Planning Department, or TAC Chairs.

are: Corinth AME Zion Church and Holy Trinity UHC, Campbell University Masters of |Public Health Dept., Chatham County Dept. of Public Health and the Health Alliance. Vendors: Renaissance Wellness Services, Campbell University PT Pro bono Clinic, Chatham County Health Department, Crossing all Borders, Be Transformed and many more. Food Vendors will be on site! *****************************

OAKLEY BAPTIST CHURCH SPRING REVIVAL SERVICES

April 7 – 10

“Because Of The Cross” Hebrews 12:1-2

Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Brandon Powell, student Mobilization Coordinator with Baptists On Mission

Monday 7 p.m. – Jonathan Burris

Tuesday 7 p.m. – John Stider

Wednesday 7 p.m. – Pastor Je

March 25

Dean Allen Jenkins, 62, of Siler City, was arrested for larceny. He was issued a written promise to appear.

Donald Anthony Bowden, 39, of Linden, was arrested for breaking & entering, larceny, possession of stolen property, and second-degree trespassing. He was held without bond.

symbolizes our commitment to the health and sustainability of the three rivers in our region,” said Sanford Mayor Sanford Mayor Rebecca Wyhof Salmon in a press release announcing the new company. “It also embodies our dedication to providing high quality water and wastewater services to all of our customers, regardless of their location.”

She also acknowledged that TriRiver will have accountability to residents of Pittsboro as well as Sanford. TriRiver takes over responsibility for Pittsboro’s drinking water as well as wastewater and related infrastructure.

“Reliable access to safe, clean water is important to the health and success of all communities in our region,” Salmon said. “Our goal for TriRiver Water is to meet the growing demand for water and wastewater services in a practical and sustainable way.”

ic prosperity through initiatives like this.”

“This facility embodies our dedication to the community and the domestic workforce, reinforcing our leadership in the global silicon carbide market,” said Wolfspeed President and CEO Gregg Lowe. “The [center] is set to propel America forward in energy innovation and bring about substantial economic growth and job creation in North Carolina.”

The company expects to create 1,800 jobs here by 2030 and contribute an estimated $17.5 billion to the state’s economy over the next two decades.

Robert James Helton, 50, of Stedman, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was issued a $3,000 secured bond.

The investment, augmented by a blend of public and private support, is a critical component

of the national strategy to transition from traditional silicon to more e cient silicon carbide, a material deemed essential by the U.S. Department of Energy for the future of energy technology.

The shift to 200mm wafers from the smaller 150mm wafers is expected to yield higher eciency and reduced production costs, aligning with Wolfspeed’s vision of fostering silicon carbide semiconductor adoption across various sectors for enhanced energy e ciency.

Wolfspeed currently produces over 60% of the world’s silicon carbide material at its Durham, N.C. headquarters and is engaged in an extensive $6.5 billion capacity expansion initiative aimed at signi cantly increasing production to meet global demand.

WOLFSPEED, from page A1

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

A winning fast

“I can make it all game (without eating or drinking) if I prepare in my mind.”

NC State forward Mohamed Diarra

OF ALL THE AMAZING personal stories on both the men’s and women’s N.C. State basketball teams (D.J. Burns plays three musical instruments, Aziaha James over family tragedy), I’m drawn to the spirituality of Mohamed Diarra. The sixfoot-ten-inch forward is a “human energy drink,” according to sports editor Colby Trotter. Last weekend, he played smothering defense, he made baskets both inside and outside, and he grabbed more rebounds than the Easter eggs in all three of my children’s Easter baskets. And Diarra has fueled the Wolfpack’s run to the Final Four by averaging double-digits in points and rebounds while fasting.

As a Muslim during the holy month of Ramadan, Diarra wakes before dawn to eat and drink the only food and water that will last him until sundown. Depending on the time of the tip-o , he has played several games without even a sip of water. One might think he would focus all his energy

toward conquering the Blue Devils, but Diarra has larger spiritual pursuits. Fasting is an ancient spiritual practice common to many religions. The Quran states that fasting teaches self-restraint. The idea is not simply self-denial but that the absence of physical comforts might call one’s attention to the need for spiritual sustenance. As Tariq Ramadan, one of the leading scholars of the Muslim world, stated, “Instead of looking outside of ourselves and counting potential enemies, fasting summons us to turn our glance inward and to take the measure of our greatest challenge: the self, the ego, in our own eyes and as others see us.” This leading Muslim thinker and author is known for publicly condemning the use of the Quran to justify violence.

Back to Diarra: in his article for the North State Journal, Shawn Krest quotes the Wolfpack big man, “I can make it all game (without eating or drinking) if I prepare in my mind.” It is this mental training that

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may

Dear reader, if you still have your mama, share some rosebuds with her.

MY LATE DEAR departed mother never had a driver’s license in her life. But that didn’t stop her. She could drive with the best of them. At least tell them how to do it.

My dad. Me. My brothers. Our wives. Neighborhood ladies. Well, except for Hazel Money who puttered around in her ol’ Chevy II. Mama liked her speed and style. Mama could drive from anywhere. Right front passenger, the “shotgun” seat. One day I nally gured out what that meant after having watched westerns for years and seeing the stagecoach coming in. Sometime she literally was a back seat driver – left, center, right. Didn’t matter.

go – to church, out to eat, to see her family in Bynum and Apex and other places where I didn’t know she had family. She liked to ride uptown to the grocery, to other stores, sometimes just to ride.

In time, she delegated some of those purchasing duties to Dad. It became family legend that he went to so many stores that she’d send him to town to the grocery to get a grape. We began to wonder if he went not only to get what she wanted but to get out of the house.

makes fasting part of the spiritual playbook of Islam, Judaism, Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, and more. Jesus was said to have fasted 40 days and nights. This past week, members of my congregation and I fasted with Christians around the world on Good Friday. In addition to recalling the su ering of Christ on the cross, we prayed for the su ering of the million people in Gaza, perhaps as many as half of whom are threatened by starvation. Yes, geopolitical realities are complex. But the simple fact is that people, including children, need food and water. Perhaps a voluntary fast would help more of us to empathize with and have compassion for the involuntary su ering of others. Wouldn’t that be a win?

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

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

Chapel. Mt. Pleasant. Wherever. After he went away, I started providing the rides. Sometimes Shirley would go but she was still teaching so at times her daily schedule was full.

I didn’t mind. Actually, liked it. Gave us time together. Let me pick on her some more. And one of the things I’d say to her to do that was a standard response to her standard question: “You think anybody will do this for me after I’m gone?”

To that, I’d always say: “I doubt it, Mama. Too much trouble.”

But mostly shotgun. As an adult, she had taken drivers’ training through the county school system back when it o ered logical intelligent courses such as that. And auto mechanics. And what was loosely termed “shop,” which included a lot of carpentry and some other helpful needful skills and trades. She did well on the coursework and on the driving part. Adrian Allred, well-known gure to countless Pittsboro High School students of the ‘50s and ‘60s as teacher and coach, was her on-the-road instructor and she did well with that part. He did wear out the oor on the shotgun part of the car by hitting the brakes often but she passed. Came the day she went for her license onroad exam. Aced the sign test and got all the questions right. But Mrs. Avent, the examiner who could strike fear into the heart of any16year old, failed her because it took her two tries to successfully parallel park on the side street at the main stoplight in Pittsboro. Shouldn’t have been a big deal; shoot, the other day it took me three or four times to get it right since the guys in front of and in back of me had left barely enough room for a ea’s Corvette. Anyway, for some reason it annoyed her to the point that for the rst and only time I can remember my mama caved in to something and never tried again. That, however, did not keep her from “driving,” as noted above. Mama liked to

After Dad died in ’92, she lost her in-house transportation. So, I picked up even more, as much as I could what with a job at the newspaper, serving the church and trying to raise a few calves. It went okay for a while. She learned to bundle trips; other folks helped out and it wasn’t bad.

In that day, one of the things I did with The Chatham News/Record was to deliver the papers on Wednesdays to Pittsboro and beyond to the east. About every other week, sometimes more, I’d go by her house and get her to ride with me so she could get out and look around. Craig Farrell’s store near Jordan Lake was my next to the last stop. We’d get there around 5 o’clock. He had a little grill that served breakfast biscuits and hot dogs.

We’d pull up to the door and I’d say, “Mama, you want a hot dog?” “Yeah. Get me one.”

“Food Lion has ‘em on sale.”

“Don’t get smart with me. Get me a hot dog.”

Same routine. Every time. I don’t know who was jerking whose chain. I was doing it to agitate her, get her blood pressure up. Why she was doing it to me . . . well, I don’t know.

Anyway, along with the newspaper run, there was another special trip I often made with her. She was big on owers – at home and abroad. And one thing she made sure of was that at special seasons and times of the year, she was going to make sure the tombstones of her loved ones have owers on them.

But she didn’t drive. So for the longest of times, Dad took her to the cemeteries. Hanks

The other day was Easter. More and more folks of faith are coming to refer to it as “Resurrection Sunday,” since the day is far more than rabbits and eggs. Shirley put together some owers for her in-law’s grave and tasked me with arranging them to look good when in place.

That has about as much logic as asking a bear to stay away from the honey tree but she did a good job and I tried. They didn’t look half bad when nally in place. And as I stood there a moment and thought about her – and him – and where did the time go and all the things we used to do, an old line of poetry came to me.

I thought it was Willie Shakespeare. Looked it up. Wasn’t him. The author is Robert Herrick, an English poet. But the truth, written in 1648, is still there. It says this: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may; Old Time is still a- ying. And this same ower that smiles today tomorrow will be dying.

Dear reader, if you still have your mama, share some rosebuds with her. Maybe you think she wasn’t the greatest mama ever; were you the best child you could be? That may be true but without her, you wouldn’t be here.

Do it while you can. I wish I could toss a rosebud my mama’s way. I’d even throw in a hot dog.

COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

Why isn’t life more simple?

Negative words, whether spoken, heard, or thought… led to situational stress, but also contributed to long-term anxiety.

“STICKS AND STONES may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”

Yeah, yeah, sure. In which universe can words never hurt me? Even the superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are not immune to nasty words ung in their direction. My pet theory, cape or no cape, is that most of us can be pierced by ugly words. Pierced down to our souls.

So having shared this, I’m making an honest admission. Recently, angry and frustrated, I could hear a veritable smorgasbord of four-letter words just zipping through my mind.

As my internal tirade progressed, I tuned into how tight my jaws were. Tense, clamped shut, and oh, gosh, let’s add a smidgen of tooth grinding, as well. (Please don’t tell me you haven’t been there.)

Suddenly, thank heavens, my internal light bulb of curiosity lit up. (Still lighting up after all these years. Serious gratitude.) With this cascade of internally-invoked expletive deleteds, who was I serving? Me? You bet, or so I thought. Let’s be honest, my multiple invocations of #*%^, and the like, seemed akin to releasing steam from a pressure cooker. For those us who’ve tangoed with pressure cookers, their hot released steam is akin to being in close proximity to Old Faithful, the Yellowstone geyser known for its famous, and deadly, scorching qualities. (Might I say ouch?)

Ah, I had a revelatory google attack just at

COLUMN | RICHARD HUDSON

that very moment, encouraging me to suss out the impact of my own negative words on my body and mind. A seriously major eeeek would probably be warranted here.

“Negative words, whether spoken, heard, or thought… led to situational stress, but also contributed to long-term anxiety.”

Oh, no! My own colorful words, invoked internally, are damaging? Give me a break!

All these #*%^!! invocations are such great therapy. (Aren’t they?) Well, seemingly, until my stress hormones hear and are impacted by them. (Such an incredible bummer.)

Do I think there’s value in a modicum of, shall we say, internalized four-letter therapeutic expostulations? Don’t sue me, but I do. How do I discern when my own internal four-letter invocations become self-damaging, as in released hot steam from an internal pressure cooker?

Don’t you just love life questions like this? I don’t.

Oh, well, as much as I rue my tight jaws when angry or anxious, I’ll try to remember to tune in to their discomfort when I’m on a fourletter expletive roll. Heaven knows, it’s one thing to blow o steam and entirely di erent to know my own colorful words can come back and bite this already-anxious person. Oy!

Why isn’t life more simple?

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

Hope for our future this Easter

As my family and I celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we nd renewed hope not only for ourselves but also for our nation.

SPRING IS JUST around the corner, but that’s not the only reason to rejoice. For my family, like many of you, this time is especially joyous because it’s Easter. Every Easter, I re ect on the hope and redemption that Jesus’s resurrection brings, and how even out of darkness, there is new light. Even during this hopeful season, it is di cult to ignore the many challenges you and your family continue to face, including higher energy prices.

Right now, gas prices are up nearly 20 cents a gallon, which means families traveling for the Easter holiday are spending more at the pump. Too many folks are already struggling to make ends meet, and this is the last thing they need.

Unfortunately, since President Biden took o ce, he has continued to implement disastrous America-last energy policies causing these higher costs.

From stopping clean natural gas exports to our allies in Europe — crushing American jobs and creating a windfall for Putin’s war machine — to killing the Keystone XL pipeline to depleting our emergency oil reserves, President Biden has crushed American energy production and hiked up energy prices for you and your family.

This energy crisis is not the only hardship facing our nation. Month after month, the crisis Biden created at our southern border continues to get worse with no end in sight.

This past February, there were 189,922 illegal crossings at our southern border, the

highest number ever recorded in February. This brings the total number of illegal border crossings nationwide to over 9 million, in addition to over 1.8 million known “gotaways” who avoided getting caught and are in an unknown location in our country.

It’s clear the Biden Administration’s failed open border policies are to blame for this invasion at our border. Earlier this year, House Republicans passed the Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2), which will end the Biden Administration’s open border policies like catch-and-release, beef up Border Patrol agents, and restart construction of the border wall.

Whether it’s rising gas prices or the crisis at our border, things right now can often feel overwhelming. However, my faith keeps me hopeful for the future.

This Easter season, as my family and I celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we nd renewed hope not only for ourselves but also for our nation.

As you gather with your loved ones during this special time, I encourage you to seek refuge in your faith and remember that brighter days are ahead. Please also keep in mind our military families — especially those who could not be together this Easter. May God bless you, our military families, and our great nation.

Richard Hudson represents the 9th Congressional District of North Carolina

The Biden Middle East delusion

This week, the Biden administration took the rst step toward what appears to be an inevitable break with Israel in Israel’s war to extirpate the terrorist group Hamas from the Gaza Strip.

Since Hamas’ vicious terror assault on Israel on Oct. 7 — an attack that killed at least 1,200 Israelis and left 250 Israeli hostages in Hamas’ hands — Israel has taken extraordinary measures to protect civilian life in Gaza while destroying Hamas’ military capacity. In the process, Israel has lost nearly 300 of its own soldiers, with thousands wounded. Despite total air superiority, Israel’s care on the ground has meant a successful terrorist-to-civilian kill ratio unprecedented in the history of modern warfare.

Nonetheless, the Biden administration has been champing at the bit to hamstring Israel in its e orts to defend itself. In the last two weeks, the Biden White House has activated Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to call for the ouster of the sitting Israeli government; deployed Vice President Kamala Harris to publicly warn Israel about the dangers of a military operation in the last Hamas stronghold, Rafah; and abstained from a United Nations Security Council resolution separating calls for a cease re from calls for a hostage release.

None of this makes sense if the United States wishes Israel to nish o Hamas.

It all makes perfect sense if the Biden administration is seeking to placate its far-left wing, particularly the proHamas voters in Dearborn, Michigan. Biden is currently losing Michigan handily to Republican nominee Donald Trump. If he loses Michigan, he almost certainly loses the election. And Biden believes that he cannot win if he does not outperform among the state’s approximately 200,000 Muslim American voters. By polling data, 49% of Muslim Americans believe Hamas’ rationale for the Oct. 7 terror attack was valid; 21% of Muslim Americans

approve of the Oct. 7 attacks themselves.

But Biden isn’t losing Michigan because he’s losing Muslim American voters. Those voters will overwhelmingly vote for him, because the alternative is the most pro-Israel president in American history, Donald Trump. Not only that: Michigan is home to approximately 105,000 Jewish voters, and millions of Christian voters, many of whom Biden is risking by undercutting Israel in its existential war.

But Biden has been captured by his left ank. He has been told that he must pander to the most radical members of his coalition, getting them out to vote, rather than reaching out to political moderates and independents. That’s idiocy. The real reason he’s losing Michigan isn’t his lack of popularity among blue-collar voters — the same lack of popularity that explains his lagging poll numbers in states with lower Muslim populations like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and Nevada.

All of this foolish political manipulation is the result of a Democratic myth fostered by Barack Obama’s successful 2012 campaign: the myth that Democrats can win simply by appealing to their minority coalition, along with hard-left white women in the suburbs. Obama was able to push that coalition to victory because he was a unique candidate; Democrats ever since have been attempting to mimic that strategy, to their electoral detriment.

Here’s the reality: Joe Biden will never be a favorite among leftist radicals. It was his supposed moderation that lifted him to victory in 2020. Abandoning that moderation likely means that he will nd himself out of a job come January 2025.

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

The Supreme Court, Justice Breyer and abortion

IT MIGHT JUST BE a coincidence that former Justice Stephen Breyer’s new book had its o cial publication date on the same day the court heard argument on the biggest abortion case since Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overruled Roe v. Wade.

In his important new book, “Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism,” and in published interviews, Breyer takes on the theories of originalism and textualism, which the new justices appointed by Donald Trump have adopted in interpreting the Constitution. Breyer does not question the good faith of these new members of the court. He does not argue that they are simply voting based on the partisan politics of the man who appointed them, a position which, I must admit, I sometimes think is sadly responsible for the extremism of this court. Rather, he gives them their due: that they are in fact guided by two theories of constitutional interpretation that are quite simply wrong.

Originalism means that the Constitution should be interpreted according to the intent and understanding of the white male property owners who wrote it, rather than in light of contemporary values and understanding, and the practical consequences of their decision. Textualism focuses on the actual words, including punctuation, of the Constitution, in their original context.

The illusion of these theories is that they provide clear answers to hard case, thus limiting the extent to which a judge’s personal politics and values dictate the answers. It’s an illusion because judges aren’t historians, and even if they were, the world has changed drastically, and in unimaginable ways, in the centuries since the Constitution was drafted. There was no internet in the 18th century, and neither originalism nor textualism can tell you how it should be regulated consistent with the First Amendment.

Breyer dissented in Dobbs, not because he is personally pro-choice, but because he believes in respect for established precedent and a living Constitution that is broad enough to recognize a right to privacy for women. The majority, he argues, wrongly assumed that in overruling Roe, the court would return abortion decision-making to the states and the political process, taking judges out of the process. But that is clearly not the case, nor will it be.

“The Dobbs majority’s hope that legislatures and not courts will decide the abortion question will not be realized,” he wrote.

He was more forceful in his interview with the New York Times. “There are too many questions,” he said. “Are they really going to allow women to die on the table because they won’t allow an abortion which would save her life? I mean, really, no one would do that. And they wouldn’t do that. And there’ll be dozens of questions like that.”

One of those questions was before the court on Tuesday, when a majority of the justices expressed skepticism about what was clearly a partisan political e ort to curtail the availability of medicated abortion. The suit was brought by a group of anti-abortion doctors, in a district in Texas with exactly one judge, an outspoken opponent of abortion, Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, who, as they hoped, invalidated the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. In August, a panel of conservative judges on the 5th circuit ruled that the medication should remain legal but imposed signi cant restrictions on access. The anti-abortion forces were hoping to reinstate the original ban, a position opposed by a 2-1 margin, or more, in public opinion polls. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito were sympathetic to a position that, if adopted, would further reduce public trust in the court, as Dobbs did.

The court majority — minus Thomas and Alito — may be able to avoid another ruling as unpopular as Dobbs by focusing on the narrow ground of whether the plainti doctors have “standing” to challenge the mifepristone rules — whether they can show that they su er any harm as a result of it — but no such obvious escape path will be open to them later next month when they face the unprecedented argument that Donald Trump should enjoy absolute immunity from criminal prosecution. Will partisan politics win out? Will the court purport to play historians in search of an answer? Trust in the court is at an all-time low. The rule of law demands as a precondition that even those who disagree with a particular result accept its force. That principle will be at stake. Breyer’s pragmatic approach yields only one answer. It will be up to the three Trump appointees, and the chief justice, to decide. Hopefully, they will read Breyer’s book before they do.

COLUMN BEN SHAPIRO

IN MEMORY

HOMER WAYNE LINDLEY

NOV. 19, 1951 – MARCH 23, 2024

Homer Wayne Lindley, 72, of Bennett, passed away on March 23, 2024 at his home. There will be no services.

Wayne was born in Jones County, Texas, on November 19, 1951, to Bascomb and Anna Belle Whitley Lindley. He served in Desert Storm and retired from the US Navy. He loved hunting, shing, motorcycles and building go-carts. He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Charles Lindley, C.D. Lindley and Delmar Lindley.

He is survived by his life partner, Mary Jane Gates, of the home; daughters, Cindy Rathburn (Michael) and Michell Herring, both of Palm Coast, FL; brothers, William James Lindley (Lana), of Branford, FL and Larry Allen Lindley, of Bennett; four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and a host of family and friends.

BILLY GENE BREWER

JULY 3, 1943 – MARCH 22, 2024

Billy Gene Brewer, 80, passed away on March 22, 2024, at Clapp’s Convalescent Care. The funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Brush Creek Baptist Church with Pastor Frank Taylor and Pastor Terry Pleasants o ciating. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall following the committal service. Visitation will be from 6:008:00 p.m. on Monday, March 25, 2024, at JoyceBrady Chapel.

Billy Gene was born in Chatham County on July 3, 1943 to Gean and Hilda Brown Brewer. He was a member of Brush Creek Baptist Church and was a carpenter for 65 years. He enjoyed watching westerns and sports. He was always seen at ballgames supporting his grandchildren at Bennett and Chatham Central. Billy Gene loved his family and treasured the time he spent with them.

He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Stinson Brewer, of the home; son, Andrew Brewer and wife, Katy, of Bennett; daughter, Susan Hussey and husband, Travis, of Bear Creek; grandchildren, Kelsey Hussey, Emma Brewer and Ethan Brewer and a host of family and friends.

In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Brush Creek Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 45 John Lane Rd., Bear Creek, NC 27207.

Lieberman remembered for bridging political divides

The former U.S. senator was Al Gore’s

running mate in the 2000 presidential election

By Cedar Attanasio The Associated Press

STAMFORD, Conn. — The late Joe Lieberman on Friday was remembered by political allies and even a former foe as a “mensch” who both bridged and de ed partisan political divides, during a funeral service for the four-term U.S. senator.

Former Vice President Al Gore, who ran for president on a Democratic ticket with Lieberman in the disputed 2000 election, told mourners at the Stamford, Connecticut, synagogue that there is no English equivalent for the Yiddish term. But, he said, they could nd its de nition by looking at Lieberman, who passed away this week at 82.

“They nd it in the way Joe Lieberman lived his life: friendship over anger, reconciliation as a form of grace,” Gore said. “We can learn from Joe Lieberman’s life some critical lessons about how we might heal the rancor in our nation today.”

A socially progressive foreign policy hawk, Lieberman was long known for his pragmatic, independent streak, which Gore noted sometimes “left him exposed to partisan anger from both sides.”

Gore, who said he rst knew Lieberman as Connecticut’s attorney general in the 1980s, praised him for being “ready to reclaim friendships that had been seared by disagreements” — including their own after their political paths diverged following the 2000 loss.

Embodying Lieberman’s conciliatory powers, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont delivered a stirring eulogy despite the two having engaged in a contentious battle for the Democratic nomination for Lieberman’s Senate seat in 2006. The race drew national attention by focusing on Lieberman’s support for the war in Iraq. Lieberman lost the primary but defeated Lamont as an independent.

Joking that they started on “an inauspicious note,” Lamont described Lieberman as a “bridge over troubled waters” amid “partisan sniping from both directions.”

Lamont noted that Lieberman loved Frank Sinatra songs, especially “My Way.” “He did it his way,” Lamont said. “He never quite t in that Republican or Democratic box. I think maybe in an odd way I helped liberate him because when he beat me — he beat me pretty good, by the way — he won as an independent.”

Other top Connecticut Democrats, including Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, also spoke at the service, which was attended by Republican Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, former Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy and former New Jersey U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley.

Blumenthal said Lieberman’s accomplishments included helping to form the Department of Homeland Security and championing civil rights, voting rights, women’s reproductive freedom and LGBTQ rights. “But the greatest accomplishment of his life was his marriage to Hadassah and their children and grandchildren,” Blumenthal said, addressing Lieberman’s widow before descending to join hands with her.

The service was held at Congregation Agudath Sholom, his hometown synagogue. Lieberman was a self-described observant Jew who followed the rules of the Jewish Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

While somber, Lieberman’s eulogists, family and friends shared hearty laughs and celebrated his good humor. Lamont, for example, relayed stories from a former colleague about the challenges of nding kosher food on the campaign trail in Utah.

When Lieberman’s children spoke, the tears began to ow. Cousins dabbed tears as daughter Hani Lowenstein described his kindness to all, and his commitment to the Jewish principles of “tikkun olam,” which means repairing the damage in the world.

Lowenstein, who moved to Israel in 2018 with her family, said tearfully that she had prayed, “Please God, give my father many more years. Let him see all of my kids’ bar mitzvahs, their weddings, his great-grandchildren.” But she said God “had other plans.”

Lowenstein said her father would walk 5 miles in order to abide by the Jewish Sabbath’s

prohibition on riding in a car.

“You were literally someone who was sanctifying God’s name by everything you did,” she said, as his casket lay below her, draped in a black blanket with a white star of David. Matthew Lieberman, the former senator’s son from his rst marriage, said Lieberman “was a blessing for all of us” but “a solid slice of people” nevertheless developed a hate for him. His father never hated them back, he said.

“We’re not the Hat elds and McCoys here,” Matthew Lieberman said. “We’re Americans, we’re fellow citizens in the greatest country in the history of the world. We’re all humans and we’re all we’ve got.”

As Gore’s running mate, Joe Lieberman came tantalizingly close to winning the vice presidency in the contentious 2000 presidential contest that was decided by a 537-vote margin victory for George W. Bush over Gore in Florida after a drawn-out recount, legal challenges and a Supreme Court decision. Lieberman was the rst Jewish candidate on a major party’s presidential ticket.

After losing the chance to serve as vice president with the Democrat Gore, Lieberman came close to becoming Republican John McCain’s running mate in 2008. However, conservatives balked at the idea of tapping Lieberman, who was known for supporting socially liberal causes while taking a hawkish stand on military and national security matters.

Over the last decade, Lieberman helped lead No Labels, a centrist third-party movement that has said it will o er as-yetunnamed candidates for president and vice president this year. Some groups aligned with Democrats oppose the e ort, fearing it will help presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump win the White House. President Joe Biden on Thursday called Lieberman a friend, someone who was “principled, steadfast and unafraid to stand up for what he thought was right.”

“Joe believed in a shared purpose of serving something bigger than ourselves,” Biden, who served 20 years in the Senate with Lieberman, said in his statement. “He lived the values of his faith as he worked to repair the wounds of the world.”

Former Vice President Al Gore speaks at the funeral for former Sen. Joe Lieberman on Friday in Stamford, Connecticut.

BRYAN WOOLSTON / AP PHOTO

Blowing dust made visibility di cult

The Associated Press MIDLAND, Texas — Multiple people were hurt Monday in a pileup involving as many as 30 vehicles at an intersection south of Midland, Texas, as high winds blew dust that made visibility di cult, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

Texas Highway Patrol Troopers and Upton County Emergency personnel responded to the crash along State Highway 349 around 4:50 p.m.

The National Weather Service had issued warnings about blowing dust and damaging winds for Monday afternoon in the area. Motorists were urged to use caution when traveling in West Texas. Northeast of Midland in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois, severe storms with possi-

ble tornadoes, hail and ooding rain were moving through on Monday evening.

Tornado warnings were issued in multiple locations in Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Authorities reported storm damage northwest of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the town of Barnsdall. Houses, trees and power lines were damaged after a possible tornado hit the area, Osage County Sheri Eddie Virden told KOTV-TV in Tulsa.

The National Weather Service was busy into the night issuing severe thunderstorm warnings throughout those states and Indiana.

Northwest of Oklahoma City, a ash ood warning was issued for the cities of King sher and Dover, where hail and up to 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain had fallen with up to 2 more inches (5 centimeters) expected. Some roads in Kingsher were ooded, KOCO-TV reported.

AUCTIONS

RICKY ELLINGTON AUCTIONEERS - Equipment, business, liquidation, estates, land, houses, antiques, personal property, coins, furniture, consignments, bene ts, etc., NCAL #7706, 919-548-3684, 919-663-3556, rickyellingtonauctions@yahoo.com

YARD SALE

HUGE INDOOR SALE – (1/2 OFF STOREWIDE) – Fri. April 5th and Sat. April 6th 9:00 am – until – Several families – Lots of Items – Something for Everyone! Come See Us! – 17720 US Hwy.64W –Siler City, NC 27344

FOR SALE

VESTAL’S – Vegetable plants, including German Johnson tomato plants are ready! 969 Poe Rd., Siler City, NC Closed on Sat. and Sun. Call 919-200-3755

SERVICES

RAINBOW WATER FILTERED VACUUMS, Alice Cox, Cox’s Distributing - Rainbow - Cell: 919-548-4314, Sales, Services, Supplies. Serving public for 35 years. Rada Cutlery is also available.

SERVICES

JUNK CARS PICKED UP Free of charge.

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

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

DIGGING AND DEMO-Land improvements, mini-excavating, stump removal, mobile home and building teardown, all digging. French Drains, All your digging needs. Call John Hayes, 919-5480474.

ROOF WASHING – Softwash roof –Cleans ALL black streaks o roofs to make them look new again And to prolong the life of the shingles. Call John Hayes – 919-548-0474.

HELP WANTED

OFFICE ASSISTANT/RECEPTIONIST

NEEDED

BASIC MACHINERY CO. Siler City, NC Applications Received On Site Contact: Linda Goodnight, HR

HELP WANTED

CHATHAM MONUMENT COMPANY has an immediate job opening. This is a full time position and involves placing monuments in the cemetery in Chatham and surrounding counties. Job requirements are: Must have a valid NC driver’s license, must be able to lift 75 lbs. if necessary. Must have a good attitude, the ability to work well with others and be willing to learn. Also needs reliable transportation to and from work. Pay will be based on the individual and their ability to do the work. Apply in Person to: 227 N. 2nd Ave., Siler City, NC 27344

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

Inmates suing to watch eclipse after NY orders prison lockdown

A federal lawsuit argues that religious rights are being violated

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Inmates in New York are suing the state corrections department over the decision to lock down prisons during next Monday’s total solar eclipse.

The suit led Friday in federal court in upstate New York argues that the April 8 lockdown violates inmates’ constitutional rights to practice their faiths by preventing them from taking part in a religiously signi cant event.

The plainti s are six men with varying religious backgrounds who are incarcerated at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in Woodbourne. They include a Baptist, a Muslim, a Seventh-Day Adventist and two practitioners

of Santeria, as well as an atheist.

“A solar eclipse is a rare, natural phenomenon with great religious signi cance to many,” the complaint reads, noting that Bible passages describe an eclipselike phenomenon during Jesus’ cruci xion while sacred Islamic works describes a similar event when the Prophet Muhammad’s son died.

The celestial event, which was last visible in the U.S. in 2017 and won’t be seen in the country again until 2044, “warrant gathering, celebration, worship, and prayer,” the complaint reads.

The lawsuit states that one of the named plainti s, an atheist, received special permission last month to view the eclipse using glasses that would be provided by the state, but that was before the system-wide lockdown was issued.

Four of the other plainti s subsequently sought permission

but were denied by o cials who ruled the solar eclipse is not listed as a holy day for their religions, the lawsuit states. The sixth inmate said he never received a response.

Thomas Mailey, a corrections department spokesperson, said the agency doesn’t comment on pending litigation, but takes all requests for religious accommodations under consideration. He said those related to viewing the eclipse are currently under review.

Daniel Martuscello III, the department’s acting commissioner, issued a memo March 11 announcing that all state correctional facilities will operate on a holiday schedule next Monday. That means incarcerated individuals will remain in their housing units except for emergency situations from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., which are generally the normal hours for outdoor recreation in prisons, according to the lawsuit.

and 2411 US Highway 64 Business W. The owner intends to utilize the site for a maximum of 100,000 sf of enclosed storage space and a maximum of 40 permanent parking spaces for boats and RVs. The hearing will be held in person. The public can also watch the hearing live on the Town’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@townofpittsboronc/ streams. Members of the public must attend in person if they wish to speak at the hearing.

Contact the Town Clerk, Carrie Bailey, by 4 pm on April 8th, 2023 with written comments

There will also be no visitation at nearly two dozen prisons in the path of totality next Monday, while visitation at other correctional facilities will end at 2 p.m.

Martuscello said the department will distribute solar eclipse safety glasses for sta and incarcerated individuals at prisons in the path of totality so they can view the eclipse from their assigned work location or housing units. Communities in western and northern reaches of the state are expected to have the best viewing of the total eclipse, including Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Lake Placid and Plattsburgh.

ing win against North Moore, a 25-point outing against North Salem (Oregon) in the Capitol City Classic, a 30-point, 12-rebound performance to beat Richmond at the John Wall Invitational and a 22-point night in the 2A east regional

The Hawks remain undefeated in conference play

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News &

Record

PITTSBORO — On a slick, wet field, Seaforth girls’ soccer team rolled to its third straight Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference win

Thursday, dominating Cummings at home, 9-0. “Everyone performed well,” head coach Giovanni Viana said. “They stuck

to the game plan. They did what we talked about with regards to moving the ball. On a sloppy, wet field, we wanted to avoid injury, so as long as we kept the ball moving, things worked out.”

The Hawks controlled possession early on and wasted no time attacking the net as sophomore Luisa Olmos broke free and scored the first goal just four minutes into the game. With 30 minutes and 42 seconds left to play in the

Stevenson played two seasons at Seaforth from 2021-23

athletes dream of going and never get the chance to experience — the Final Four.

Chatham County stars listed among the state’s best

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

NORTHWOOD forward

Drake Powell

earned allstate honors from the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association for the 2023-24 season.

Powell, the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference boys’ basketball player of the year, had himself a stellar, all-around senior campaign. The McDonald’s All-American averaged 17.7 points and career-highs of 7.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this winter to help achieve his second NCBCA all-state selection.

His notable performances from the season included a 29-point, 13-rebound double-double in the season-open-

The NCBCA released its allstate teams on March 24. Powell made the boys’ rst team, and White made the girls’ third team.

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News

& Record

FORMER SEAFORTH

basketball star Jarin Stevenson is supposed to be a senior in high school right now, but being where one is “supposed” to be isn’t always what’s best. In Stevenson’s case, last year’s decision to reclassify to the class of 2023 and commit to Alabama over North Carolina has landed him where many college

Over the weekend, Stevenson, the 2023 Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year, introduced himself to the rest of the country by helping Alabama take down his hometown Tar Heels in the Sweet 16 and having a breakout game against Clemson in the Elite Eight. His efforts pushed the Crimson Tide to their first Final Four in program history.

Against the Tigers, Stevenson chose the right time to have the best game of his

and Seaforth guard Gabby White

New dates for last week’s postponed games

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

Rain showers on March 27 and Thursday caused some of last week’s games to be canceled or postponed.

Here are the updated statuses for a ected games around the county:

Baseball

Northwood at Seaforth (April 8 at 7 p.m.)

Southeast Alamance at

SEAFORTH from page B1

first half, sophomore Sofia Viana got going with her first goal of the night, which came from close range. Thirty seconds later, she converted again to give the Hawks an early 3-0 lead.

Sophomore Regan Willauer kicked in the Hawks’ fourth goal less than two minutes later, and with 27 minutes remaining in the opening half, junior Emma O’Rourke assisted on Olmos’ second score of the night to give Seaforth a 5-0 lead.

With the game getting out of reach for Cummings, Seaforth head coach Giovanni Viana gave his junior varsity unit some playing time on the pitch. Although they only achieved one goal from freshman Laurin Jackson before halftime, the younger group kept Cummings scoreless, setting up what would be a quick second half.

“We don’t have a lot of depth on varsity, so we’re going to have to get some JV girls to step up,” Viana said. “(Thursday) was a good day to get those JV girls experience. Overall, it was positive, (and) everyone got a lot of playing time.”

In the second half, Seaforth continued to deny Cummings any significant advances on the goal. The Hawks didn’t rush to end the game, taking just under six minutes to get the offense back in the scoring groove.

At the 34:29 mark, Viana completed the hat trick to put the Hawks up, 7-0.

STEVENSON from page B1

young career, making five threes and scoring 19 points in 15 minutes to give Alabama a major boost off the bench. Stevenson made most of his money from the corner three-point shot, and a couple of makes from there helped the Crimson Tide climb out of a 13-point deficit in the first half.

In the second half, Stevenson went a perfect 3-3 from the three-point line, including a huge answer to Joseph Girard III’s triple that brought Clemson back within three points with just 7 minutes, 18 seconds left to play. The 6-foot-11 forward also made some crucial defensive stops down low, recording two blocks in Saturday’s win.

“(Stevenson) grew up tonight,” Alabama senior guard Mark Sears told reporters after the Clemson game. “We don’t win this game without him. When Girard was going off from three it was like Jarin hit three after three after three and kept us in this ballgame. He was huge tonight.”

Against the Tar Heels Thursday, Stevenson was held scoreless but came away with four rebounds and a block. The story from that game may not have been his play but more about his background. Stevenson’s mother, Nicole played basketball at UNC and won three ACC championships from 199598. A feature on Stevenson ran by CBS Sports before

Jordan-Matthews (April 25 at 6 p.m., Jordan-Matthews Senior Day)

Graham at Jordan-Matthews (April 26, 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.)

Seaforth at Chatham Charter (Canceled)

Girls’ Soccer

Bartlett Yancey at Jordan-Matthews (April 26 at 6 p.m., Jordan-Matthews Senior Day)

Twenty seconds later, junior Caitlin Erman’s seventh goal of the season grew the Seaforth lead to eight.

With just under 30 minutes left to play, Viana ended the game with her fourth goal of the night, sending Seaforth into spring break with a mercy rule victory.

Viana scored more than three goals for the fourth time in her career and the second time this season, scoring four times in a 9-0 victory against Graham on March 13.

“We knew that (Cummings) was going to be physical, and they were going to give their best playing against us,” Sofia Viana said. “So, we knew that we had to move the ball quick, so we didn’t make it overly physical.”

Seaforth is the team to beat in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference, outscoring conference opponents 22-0 so far. The Hawks went 3-1 without starting goalie Katie Leonard, who was still playing basketball in the beginning of the season, and since losing their only game of the year to Western Alamance on March 11, they’ve won four games in a row.

“We said that everything we do is to win the conference and prepare for playoffs,” Giovanni Viana said. “So, the game plan stays the same. There are two or three things we are trying to perfect that we believe once we get into the playoffs will help us go all the way…It’s to not make the game physical, to let the ball move (and) to look to exploit quick switches at the point of attack.”

tip-off between Alabama and North Carolina detailed how he grew up a UNC fan and even wanted to go there some day under the influence of his mom and his upbringing in Chapel Hill. However, when the time came to choose where he’d want to continue his basketball career last year, Stevenson picked the Crimson Tide. Alabama had just lost a key frontcourt piece in Noah Clowney to the NBA, freeing up an opportunity for Stevenson to play right away under head coach Nate Oats.

“I know Carolina’s a great school and a great opportunity for me, but the opportunity (at Alabama) I felt was better,” Stevenson said in the CBS Sports segment.

In his two seasons at Seaforth, Stevenson shot 58% from the floor and averaged 21.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. He led the Hawks to two state playoff appearances was a two-time North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association all-state selection, making the third team in 2022 and the first team in 2023.

Although he never got to call himself a state champion in high school basketball, Stevenson got to place Alabama’s name above “regional champion” after Saturday’s win, continuing his and the Crimson Tide’s chances to compete for a national title.

“I feel like I made the right decision,” Stevenson said to reporters late Saturday night.

Recap of last week’s spring sports scores and results

Baseball

Seaforth beat Northwood, 12-5, on March 26.

Chatham Central lost to Raleigh Homeschool, 7-2, on March 26. Jordan-Matthews beat Southeast Alamance, 7-4, on March 26. Junior pitcher Quinn Wolford threw a season-high 13 strikeouts in the win.

Chatham Charter beat Ascend Leadership, 18-0, on March 26. Senior Jonah Ridgill went 4-4 from the plate and knocked in three RBIs in the win. The Knights lost to East Wake Academy Monday, 12-3. Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference

standings: 1. Seaforth (7-3, 3-1); 2. North Moore (8-3, 5-2); 3. Chatham Central (7-4, 6-3); 4. Northwood (6-6, 6-3); 5. Bartlett Yancey (3-4, 2-2); 6. Jordan-Matthews (4-5, 3-4); 7. Southeast Alamance (3-9, 3-4); 8. Graham (0-4, 0-3) Central Tar Heel 1A conference

standings: 1. Chatham Charter (10-2, 8-0); 2. Clover Garden School (6-3, 6-1); 3. River Mill (3-6, 3-3); 4. Triangle Math and Science (2-4, 2-4); 5. Southern Wake Academy (1-6, 1-6); 6. Ascend Leadership (1-7, 1-7)

Power Rankings

1. Chatham Charter

2. Seaforth

3. Northwood

4. Chatham Central

5. Jordan-Matthews Softball

Seaforth won over Bartlett Yancey, 13-2, on March 26. Emma Grace Hill pitched all seven innings and threw 10 strikeouts while only giving up one earned run in the win.

Chatham Central beat Northwood, 12-1, on March 26. Freshman pitcher Maddie Kaczmarczyk struck out 14

So a Viana scored four goals in Seaforth’s girls’ soccer win.

batters, failed to give up an earned run and allowed just two hits in all seven innings.

Jordan-Matthews beat Graham, 150, on March 26. Chatham Charter picked up a forfeit win over Ascend Leadership on March 26.

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference

standings: 1. Chatham Central (8-1, 6-0); 2. Jordan-Matthews (8-2, 6-0); 3. North Moore (6-3, 6-0); 4. Southeast Alamance (3-6, 3-4); 5. Seaforth (3-8, 3-5); 6. Bartlett Yancey (3-6, 3-5); 7. Northwood (4-7, 2-6)

Central Tar Heel 1A conference

standings: 1. Chatham Charter (6-1, 2-0); 2. Clover Garden School (4-4, 1-1); 3. River Mill (0-9, 0-2)

Power Rankings

1. Chatham Central

2. Jordan-Matthews

3. Chatham Charter

4. Northwood

5. Seaforth Girls’ Soccer

Seaforth beat Cummings, 9-0, Thursday. Sophomore So a Viana scored four goals in the win.

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference

standings: 1. Seaforth (6-1, 3-0); 2. Northwood (5-5, 4-1); 3. Southeast Alamance (3-4, 3-1); 4. Bartlett Yancey (3-2-1, 2-1); 5. Graham (1-3-0, 1-2);

6. Jordan-Matthews (2-6-1, 1-3-1); 7.

North Moore (0-4-2, 0-2-1); 8. Cummings (0-4-0, 0-4)

Central Tar Heel 1A conference

standings: 1. Woods Charter (5-1-1, 2-0); 2. River Mill (3-3, 3-1); 3. Clover Garden School (4-3, 3-1); 4. Ascend Leadership (2-4, 1-1); 5. Chatham Charter (1-2, 1-2); 6. Triangle Math and Science (1-7-1, 0-2-1); 7. Southern Wake Academy (0-5-1, 0-3-1)

Boys’ Lacrosse

Seaforth beat Williams, 12-1, on March 26. Northwood beat Southeast Alamance, 20-0, on March 26.

Central/Mid-Carolina conference

standings: 1. Orange (10-0, 7-0); 2. Seaforth (9-3, 9-1); 3. Northwood (5-5, 5-2); 4. Western Alamance (6-3, 5-3); 5. Williams (7-3, 5-3); 6. Cedar Ridge (3-4, 2-4); 7. Southern Alamance (3-8, 2-6); 8. Eastern Alamance (1-9, 1-7); 9. Southeast Alamance (1-11, 0-10)

Girls’ Lacrosse

Northwood beat Seaforth, 13-1, on March 26. Northwood freshman Natalie Boecke scored seven goals in the win. DC 6/N. Lakes Athletic/Central/ Mid-Carolina conference standings: 1. Chapel Hill (7-1, 5-0); 2. East Chapel Hill (8-0, 4-0); 3. Northwood (5-5, 3-2); 4. Seaforth (2-4, 2-3); 5. Jordan (2-5, 2-3); 6. Riverside-Durham (2-4, 0-3); 7. Carrboro (1-8, 0-5)

Boys’ Tennis

Seaforth lost to Chapel Hill, 6-0, on March 26. Jordan-Matthews beat Chatham Central, 6-3, on March 26.

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings: 1. Seaforth (7-3, 4-0); 2. Northwood (3-4, 2-1); 3. Jordan-Matthews (4-5, 3-2); 4. Chatham Central (4-2, 2-2); 5. North Moore (1-5, 1-4) Central Tar Heel 1A conference standings: 1. Triangle Math and Science (3-3, 1-0); 2. Chatham Charter (6-2, 0-1)

Maddie Kaczmarczyk

Chatham Central, softball

Maddie Kaczmarczyk, a freshman, plays for the Chatham Central softball team and is our pick for athlete of the week honors.

In the Bears’ 12-1 win over Northwood on March 26, Kaczmarczyk pitched all seven innings and recorded 14 strikeouts, allowed just two hits and failed to give up an earned run.

As of Monday, Kaczmarczyk leads the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference with 72 strikeouts on the season.

Baseball and softball power rankings remain the same before spring break

PHOTO COURTESY CHATHAM CENTRAL SOFTBALL SOCIAL MEDIA

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Hijab-wearing players in women’s NCAA Tournament hope to inspire others

NC State’s Jannah Eissa has raised awareness by wearing the symbolic headdress

By Doug Feinberg The Associated Press

NC STATE’S Jannah Eissa and UC Irvine’s Diaba Konate are bringing visibility and inspiration to some Muslim women by wearing hjiabs while they play basketball.

They aren’t the rst women to do it in NCAA Tournament play, but with record viewership and attendance they are certainly getting noticed.

“Representation really matters,” said Konate. “Just having people, young Muslim women wearing the hijab, we’re not there yet. Just seeing us play, I think it makes me really happy because I used to have people that I was looking up to. Now having people that look up to me makes me happy.”

Konate admires Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, who made NCAA history by being the rst to wear a hijab in college basketball when she played for Memphis a decade ago. Abdul-Qaadir was instrumental in getting FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, to overturn its own ban on headgear in 2017.

Former UConn player Batouly Camara, who was one of the rst to wear a hijab in Spain’s LF1 league, has enjoyed seeing Eissa and Konate represent their religion.

“It’s truly inspiring to witness these two Muslim athletes competing at the highest level. This tournament serves as a signi cant moment, shining a spotlight on the best teams simultaneously with their faith,” said Camara. “It sends a powerful message to girls worldwide, a rming that

NC State’s Jannah Eissa warms up in her hijab prior to a secondround NCAA Tournament game against Tennessee.

they belong on the sports eld, regardless of economic class, race, culture and more.”

Konate moved to the U.S. from France after receiving a scholarship from Idaho State. She transferred to UC Irvine as a junior.

She’d like a chance to play in a hijab at home in France, where she won two medals playing on their youth teams. But currently, the French Federation of Basketball prohibits the wearing of “any equipment with a religious or political connotation.”

Eissa and Konate have never met but are aware of each other.

Eissa, who turned 18 in February, was a walk-on at NC State. She joined the team after trying out in September. She didn’t play much this season — appearing in 11 games and hitting one 3-pointer.

Earlier this season, a group of young Muslim girls came to her game. They also showed up a few more times to support her.

“I’d love to say I was a role model to them. Never thought I could be a role model for someone I didn’t know,” said Eissa, who grew up in Cairo before coming to NC State. “Never knew one person could make such an impact. They were so young girls and girls my age looking up to me and I was so happy.”

Eissa chose NC State because her father got his PhD there and her two older sisters attend the university.

She said when having a bad day or an o day, she’d remember her young fans and it would bring a smile.

“If they see someone giving them hope, I’m happy that I’m the person to give it to them,” Eissa said. “I want to make it as far as I can for the image of women in hijabs.”

BEN MCKEOWN/AP PHOTO

Late caution gives Hamlin a second chance at Richmond Raceway

By

and seemed poised to hold o challenges by Joey Logano and Hamlin for the nal two laps when Kyle Larson got nudged from behind on the front straightaway and skidded into the in eld, causing the caution. “I needed that kind of situation at the end to happen to win it,” Hamlin said. Larson had been fading from contention before the spin.

“I was a little bit loose and then I got a shot there,” Larson said of the bump from Bubba Wallace that almost certainly cost Truex his fourth victory at Richmond. On the restart, Hamlin got a

good jump from the inside lane, withstood a challenge from the outside from Truex and held o Truex and two other challengers for the surprise victory.

“This is a team win for sure,”

Hamlin said after climbing from his car. “The trophy needs to go to each one of these pit crew members. They just did amazing job. They’ve been killing it all year.”

Hamlin’s victory was his second this season, the fth of his career at what he considers his home track, and the 53rd of his career, but it left Truex unhappy with several drivers involved.

“We got beat out of the pits

and he jumped the restart,” Truex said of Hamlin. “Had a car capable of winning. So just have to come back next week trying to get him again.”

NASCAR said they reviewed the restart and it was within the rules.

After the race, a frustrated Truex door-slammed Larson as they coasted into the rst turn, then bumped Hamlin from behind three times.

“I think he just gets more mad at Denny, but I was the closest one to take his anger out on,” Larson said. “It’s all good. I hope he doesn’t have any hard feelings for me, because I de -

nitely don’t towards him.”

The victory pulled the four Gibbs Toyota teams even with the four Chevrolet teams from Hendrick Motorsports with three victories each through seven races.

Larson, who won this race last year, barely beat Truex o pit road during green ag stops with 65 laps to go, but Truex quickly caught him and pulled away as he had many times earlier. Logano, who started the race 22nd in points with just one top 10 nish, worked his way into the lead pack in the second half, tried to run down Hamlin in the two-lap dash to the nish and was second, followed by Larson and Truex. It matched Ford’s best nish this season.

A spin by Daniel Suarez on lap 64 brought out another caution, and NASCAR decided to nish the 70-lap rst stage under caution, making Larson the stage winner.

Denny Hamlin celebrates after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.

The No. 11 driver held o Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. for his second win of year

Hank Kurz Jr. The Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. — Denny Hamlin won the race o pit road with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. after a caution with two laps to go and won in overtime at Richmond Raceway on Sunday night. Truex dominated the second half of the NASCAR Cup Series race — he led 288 laps —

MIKE CAUDILL / AP PHOTO

entertainment

‘Gen V’ star Chance Perdomo dies in motorcycle crash

The 27-year-old was also on ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’

By Mallika Sen The Associated Press

Actor Chance Perdomo, who rose to fame as a star of “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Gen V,” has died at age 27 following a motorcycle crash. “On behalf of the family and his representatives, it is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Chance Perdomo’s untimely passing as a result of a motorcycle accident,” a publicist said in a statement issued Saturday evening. The statement said no one else was involved in the crash. No details about the crash, including when and where it took place, were immediately released.

Perdomo recently played Andre Anderson on the rst season of “Gen V,” the college-centric spin-o of Amazon Prime’s hit series “The Boys.”

“Even writing about him in the past tense doesn’t make sense.”

“Gen V” producers statement

Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television, the makers of “Gen V,” said the show’s family was “devastated by the sudden passing.” “We can’t quite wrap our heads around this. For those of us who knew him and worked with him, Chance was always charming and smiling, an enthusiastic force of nature, an incredibly talented performer, and more than anything else, just a very kind, lovely person,” the producers of “Gen V” said in a statement. “Even writing about him in the past tense doesn’t make sense.”

It wasn’t immediately clear from the statements how Per -

domo’s death would a ect production on the show, which also featured Jaz Sinclair, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Shelley Conn among its sprawling ensemble cast.

Schwarzenegger posted a series of photos of Perdomo and himself on his Instagram stories Sunday morning, saying he hoped Perdomo was “up in heaven with a cigar.”

One of Perdomo’s most famous roles was as Ambrose Spellman, a lead character on “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.”

Perdomo also acted in several of the “After” movies and is credited in the upcoming “Bad Man” alongside Seann William Scott and Rob Riggle.

“His passion for the arts and insatiable appetite for life was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth will carry on in those who he loved dearest,” the statement from Perdomo’s publicist said.

Perdomo, who was black and Latino, was born in Los Angeles and raised in England.

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this week in history

Reagan attacked, Three Mile Island has partial meltdown

The Associated Press

‘THIS WEEK’ looks back at the key events from this week in history

MARCH 28

1797: Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire received a patent for a washing machine.

1898: The U.S. Supreme Court, in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, ruled 6-2 that Wong, who was born in the United States to Chinese immigrants, was an American citizen.

1979: America’s worst commercial nuclear accident occurred with a partial meltdown inside the Unit 2 reactor at the Three Mile Island plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania.

MARCH 29

1867: Britain’s Parliament passed, and Queen Victoria signed, the British North America Act creating the Dominion of Canada, which came into being the following July.

1973: The last United States combat troops left South Vietnam, ending America’s direct military involvement in the Vietnam War.

1984: Under cover of early morning darkness, the Baltimore Colts football team left its home city of three decades and moved to Indianapolis.

MARCH 30

1822: Florida became a United States territory.

1867: U.S. Secretary of State

William H. Seward reached agreement with Russia to purchase the territory of Alaska for $7.2 million, a deal ridiculed by critics as “Seward’s Folly.”

1870: The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited denying citizens the right to vote and hold o ce on the basis of race, was declared in e ect by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish.

1981: President Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously injured outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John W. Hinckley Jr.

MARCH 31

1492: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain issued an edict expelling Jews from Spanish soil, except those willing to convert to Christianity.

1814: Paris was occupied by a coalition of Russian, Prussian and Austrian forces; the surrender of the French capital forced the abdication of Emperor Napoleon.

2005: Terri Schiavo, 41, died at a hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida, 13 days after her feeding tube was removed in a wrenching right-to-die court ght.

APRIL 1

1891: The Wrigley Co. was founded in Chicago by William Wrigley, Jr.

1924: Adolf Hitler was sentenced to ve years in prison for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich. (Hitler was released in December 1924; during his time behind bars, he wrote his autobiographical screed, “Mein Kampf.”)

City of Ruins’ completes a masterful Don Winslow trilogy

The book follows Winslow’s “City on Fire” and “City of Dreams”

By Bruce Desilva The Associated Press

YEARS AGO, when novelist Don Winslow rst read Aeschylus, he recognized that the Greek father of literary tragedies had explored every major theme found in modern crime ction, from murder, vengeance, and corruption to power, justice and redemption. He became obsessed, he said recently, with the idea of retelling the ancient stories in a modern-crime ction trilogy.

For the last 30 years, while churning out a succession of books that include some of the best crime novels ever written, he worked on the ambitious project in ts and starts, sometimes despairing but never giving up.

“City of Ruins” marks the conclusion of his saga of Rhode Island mobster turned Las Vegas gambling tycoon Danny Ryan. If Winslow is to be believed, it is also the last novel

he will ever write as he turns his considerable talents to political activism.

The trilogy opened with “City on Fire” (2021) as Ryan and a handful of allies ed Providence, Rhode Island, after losing a gang war to the Italian Ma a. It continued with “City of Dreams” (2023) as Ryan tried, and failed, to build a new life in Los Angeles.

As “City in Ruins” opens, we nd an older Ryan operating as a silent partner in two Las Vegas casinos. A man who was once a dock worker and underworld strong arm in Providence is now rich beyond his dreams, but he still wants more.

Why, he wonders. Is it greed? No. Not that. “Be honest with yourself,” he says. “You want more money because money is power and power is safety. And you can never be safe enough. Not in this world.”

After all, the Italian mob and the FBI are still out there, hell bent on revenge and/or justice for the crimes he’s committed. For the people he has killed.

solutions

So Danny overreaches. He schemes to purchase a prime piece of real estate on the Las Vegas strip to build a fabulous gambling resort, put-

The Cover of “City of Ruins” by Don Winslow.

1976: Apple Computer was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne.

APRIL 2

1792: Congress passed the Coinage Act, which authorized establishment of the U.S. Mint.

1917: President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, “The world must be made safe for democracy.” (Congress declared war four days later.)

1982: Several thousand troops from Argentina seized the disputed Falkland Islands, located in the south Atlantic, from Britain. (Britain seized the islands back the following June.)

APRIL 3

1882: Outlaw Jesse James was shot to death in St. Joseph, Missouri, by Robert Ford, a member of James’ gang.

1944: The U.S. Supreme Court, in Smith v. Allwright, struck down a Democratic Party of Texas rule that allowed only white voters to participate in Democratic primaries.

1948: President Harry S. Truman signed the Marshall Plan, designed to help European allies rebuild after World War II and resist communism.

are circling. Danny does what he can to prevent the power struggle from turning violent, but through a series of miscalculations, bullets start ying, endangering not only his gambling empire but his life and the lives of those he loves.

While “City in Ruins” can be read as a standalone, readers would be best served by reading the trilogy from the beginning. With his compelling characters, his vivid prose, and his exploration of universal themes, Winslow has produced a masterpiece of modern crime ction.

Don Winslow’s books “The Death and The Life Of Bobby Z” and “Savages” were released as lms and “The Force” is being produced by Ridley Scott for Fox.

In addition to his novels, Winslow has published numerous short stories in anthologies and magazines such as Esquire, the L.A. Times Magazine and Playboy. His columns have appeared in the Vanity Fair, Vulture, Hu ngton Post, CNN Online, and other outlets.

Winslow is the recipient of the Raymond Chandler Award (Italy), the LA Times Book Prize, the Ian Fleming Silver Dagger (UK) and The RBA Literary Prize (Spain).

ting him in con ict with the city’s power brokers including a rival casino owner who has mob connections of his own.

Soon, the old enemies also

Bruce DeSilva, winner of the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award, is the author of the Mulligan crime novels including “The Dread Line.”

WILLIAM MORROW VIA

famous birthdays this week

Shelby native, guitarist

Josh McSwain of Parmalee turns 49

Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers turns 53 this week

The Associated Press

March 31: Musician

Herb Alpert is 89. Actor

Christopher Walken is 81. Bassist Bob Crawford of The Avett Brothers is 53. Actor Ewan McGregor is 53.

April 1: Director Barry

Sonnenfeld (“Get Shorty,” “Men in Black”) is 71. Singer

Susan Boyle is 63. Rapperactor Method Man is 53.

April 2: Singer Emmylou Harris is 77. Country singer

Billy Dean is 62. Actor Pedro

Pascal (“The Mandalorian”) is 49. Actor Michael Fassbender (“Shame,” ″Inglourious Basterds”) is 47.

April 3: Singer Wayne Newton is 82. Singer Tony Orlando is 80. Guitarist Mick Mars of Motley Crue is 68.

Actor David Hyde Pierce (“Frasier”) is 65. Comedian-

actor Eddie Murphy is 63. Actor Jennie Garth (“Beverly Hills 90210″) is 52. Actor Adam Scott (“Severance,” “Parks and Recreation”) is 51.

April 4: Actor Craig T. Nelson is 80. Actor Christine Lahti (“Chicago Hope”) is 74. Singer Steve Gatlin of the Gatlin Brothers is 73. Actor Hugo Weaving (“The Matrix,” ″Lord of the Rings”) is 64. Actor Robert Downey Junior is 59. Guitarist Josh McSwain of Parmalee is 49.

April 5: Actor Krista Allen (“Baywatch,” ″What About Brian”) is 53. Country singer Pat Green is 52. Rapperproducer Pharrell Williams is 51.

April 6: Actor Billy Dee Williams is 87. Actor Michael Rooker (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) is 69. Actor Paul Rudd is 55. Actor Jason Hervey (“The Wonder Years”) is 52. Actor Zach Bra (“Scrubs”) is 49. Actor Candace Cameron Bure (“Full House”) is 48.

PHOTOS VIA AP

Left, Josh McSwain of Parmalee. Right, Robert Downey Jr.