North State Journal Vol. 9 Issue 46

NCGA races finalized, GOP loses supermajority

Raleigh

RALEIGH — North Carolina General Assembly elections were finalized Monday as officials issued certificates to the winners in three close legislative races from November that later became subject to recounts and formal protests. This ministerial action by election administrators also confirms that Republicans have lost their veto-proof control of the legislature — the result of outgoing state Rep. Frank Sossamon losing to Democrat Bryan Cohn by 228 votes. The certificates were issued for Cohn and two other Democrats: incoming state Sens. Terence Everitt and Woodson Bradley. With Sossamon’s defeat, Republicans will retain 71 of the 120 House seats — one seat short of the necessary three-fifths supermajority for veto-proof control. The outcome of the Supreme Court race is still pending — Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs leads Griffin by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million ballots cast in their statewide race. Griffin currently serves as a North Carolina Court of Appeals judge.

Congress certifies Trump’s electoral win

Washington, D.C.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s survey included three North Carolina schools

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Last month, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released the results of its faculty survey that show free speech on campus is still a struggle. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s

(FIRE) report included feedback from 6,269 faculty members spanning 55 four-year colleges and universities.

The report states that 87% of faculty find it hard to have an open and honest conversation on campus on political topics, including 70% pointing to the Israel-Palestine conflict as a major problem.

Additionally, many of the survey participants reported self-censorship.

Twenty-eight percent said they at least occasionally hide

Democrats have won eight of the last nine gubernatorial elections

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Josh Stein was sworn in as governor last Wednesday, succeeding fellow Democrat Roy Cooper in a top elected position for the second time in eight years.

During a small ceremony inside the old Senate chamber of the 1840 Capitol building, Stein took the oath from Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby. Stein’s wife, Anna, family and friends and state officials watched, including Cooper.

“Today I stand before you humbled by this responsibility, grateful for this opportunity and ready to get to work for you, the people of North Carolina,” Stein said in a speech.

By defeating GOP Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in November by almost 15 percentage points, Stein continued a run of Democrats leading the executive branch, even as Republicans have recently dominated the General Assembly and appellate courts. Democrats have won eight of the last nine gubernatorial elections since 1992.

Stein had been attorney general for the past eight years, following Cooper in the elected law-enforcement post.

Cooper was barred by the state constitution from seeking a third consecutive gubernatorial term.

Cooper delivered opening remarks and said

Congress certified President- elect Donald Trump as the winner of the 2024 election Monday. Lawmakers convened under heavy security and a snowstorm to meet the date required by law to certify the election. Vice President Kamala Harris, presiding over proceedings as the role of her office, read the tally, including of her own defeat. The chamber broke into applause, first Republicans for Trump’s 312 electoral votes, then Democrats for Harris’ 226. See

Wake County schools paid $440K-plus to legislator’s equity training group

The district is facing a budget shortfall

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — An organi-

zation providing critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion training has received payments nearing half a million dollars since 2019 from the state’s largest K-12 district, Wake County Public Schools. The training comes from The Equity Collaborative (TEC), a company founded and run by sitting North Carolina General Assembly Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Orange).

According to its website, TEC’s “Equity-Centered Professional Learning and Coaching” includes “Exploring Implicit Bias,” “Understanding Systemic Oppression and Privilege” and “Developing Your Approach for Anti-Racism.”

North State Journal reported earlier this year that TEQ had received payments from Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) of more than $379,500 between 2019 and July 2024. With the addition of the most recent invoices for $64,000, the district has now paid TEQ a total of $440,500 for

“Governor, this will be the best job you have ever had.”

Roy Cooper, outgoing governor

GARY D. ROBERTSON / AP PHOTO

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, center, takes the oath of office from state Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby, placing his hand on the Hebrew Bible held by Stein’s wife, Anna, in the old Senate chamber of the 1840 Capitol Building in Raleigh on Jan. 1.

the word | Two sunsets

We stood on the brow of the hill gazing out over the valley beneath us. In the distant west the sun sank quietly and serenely toward the horizon. The purpling shadows of the hills grew longer in the valley. The clouds overhead, which scarcely seemed to move, were in broken, fluffy masses. As we gazed upon the scene, the sun, as a mighty king in stately majesty and resplendent glory, sank to his evening repose. The clouds caught the afterglow, looking as if a gigantic brush had swept across the sky scattering gold, orange, crimson, and purple. The sun had gone, but the glory of his vanished presence still lingered in the beauty of the clouds. At the close of another day, we stood on the same hilltop. The sun was hanging low. The purpling shadows lengthened in the valley. The sun did not sink in glory tonight but passed out of sight into a bank of dark and threatening clouds. The voices of the day were stilled. A solemn and foreboding hush seemed over all, and our spirits felt the general gloom. There was no afterglow. There was no resplendent painting of the sky. All was somber and gloomy. As the darkness fell, we saw a gleam of lightning play across the distant cloud.

How like the sunsets of some lives were these two sunsets! In my mind, unfading while I live, are the memories of two life-sunsets.

When but seven summers had passed over my head, my little sister and I were at a neighbor’s two or three miles from home. In the early twilight, a horseman came galloping down the road bearing the fateful news that Mother was dying. Quickly placing me behind him on the horse and taking my little sister in his arms, he galloped away through the twilight.

When we arrived at home, we found the house filled with neighbors.

Upon her bed lay Mother with pallid face. Through the hours of the night, we watched by her bedside. About three o’clock in the morning, she asked them to sing that old song “Shall We Gather at the River.” With choking voices and tear-dimmed eyes, the little band of neighbors sang the song. The eyes of the sufferer gazed steadfastly above. A heavenly light beamed forth from her countenance. A smile of joy was upon her face. Presently she called the sorrowing relatives one by one and bade them a last goodbye.

I fell upon my knees by her bedside and sobbed out my childish grief. She turned and looked fondly down upon me and, laying her hand upon my head, said, “Charlie, be a good boy—and meet me in Heaven.” A little while later, her life’s sun sank to its rest.

The afterglow of that beautiful life still shines in that community.

Circumstances later took me far away; but after sixteen years, I again stood upon the scene, and over and over during my stay, the neighbors told me of her beautiful Christian life. Many a time during those years when I was tempted to do evil, I would behold that scene again, and those last words of my sainted mother would ring in my ears; they stood as a bulwark between my soul and evil.

The same afternoon the message came to me, my grandmother visited a neighbor who was drawing near to his life’s sunset. When she came back, she told what passed while she was there. The man was a skeptic. There was no life beyond the grave for him. There was no hope of reunion around the throne of God. Grandmother spoke to him of his approaching end and asked him if he was prepared to die.

His answer I shall never forget. Young as I was, it struck me with terrible force. With a look of deepest melancholy on his face he said, “It is taking a leap into the dark.”

A few days later he passed away. Now he and Mother lie there in the little country cemetery, waiting until the voice of the Son of God shall call them forth (John 5:28-29). But ah, the difference between those two life-sunsets! One left the glorious hope of a Christian shining forth, tinting the sky with beauty; the other’s sun sank into a dark cloud of despair, lighted only with the lurid glare of the lightning of God’s wrath! Reader, what will be your life’s sunset? Will it be serene and calm and peaceful, lighted up with glory from the throne of God—or will it be dark, without a promise or ray of hope?

You are fast hastening to that hour! It may be nearer than you think. If you live without God, then you will die without God. Take a view of yourself now. Would you like for your life’s sunset to find you as you now are? If not, what assurance have you that it will be different? Good intentions will never change it. Good desires will never change it. God alone can make you ready for that hour. Unless you seek him, you too will take a “leap into the dark”; for you there will be only the “blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 1:13).

Charles Wesley Naylor is considered one of the most prolific and inspiring songwriters of the Church of God. He was bedridden for much of his adult life but wrote eight books, a newspaper column and more than 150 songs. Many of his writings are in the public domain.

TRAINING from page A1

CRT and DEI-related training.

A WCPSS purchase order shows $64,000 in spending for multiple services from Oct. 25, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Only $16,000 of that total has been paid out so far. Items included in the most recent purchase orders and contracts for TEC include:

• $8,000 for two “equity leadership seminars” for $4,000 each. The seminars are described as “equity facilitation seminar and equity coaching for growth” for “Cohort 1 and 2 Principal convenings.”

• $16,000 for two sessions of “school team convenings.”

• $16,000 for two virtual “school team convening” sessions at a rate of $8,000 each.

• $24,000 for 24 coaching sessions at a rate of $1,000 each.

The “equity coaches” listed in the contract documents are Meyer, Bettina Umstead and Jessica Gammell. Umstead joined TEC in 2020 and is the chair of the Durham Public Schools Board of Education. Gammell’s LinkedIn profile says she has worked in equity coaching for almost a decade and

SURVEY from page A1 their political beliefs in order to keep their job, including a majority of conservative faculty (55%). Thirty-five percent reported toning down their writings to avoid controversy — only 9% of faculty said the same during the McCarthy era of the late 1940s and ’50s. Additionally, the report says 14% of faculty suffered discipline or threats of discipline for either their teaching, research, academic talks or other off-campus speech, and 27% of faculty feel unable to speak freely for fear of how students, administrators or other faculty would respond.

Other results include 71% indicating that a liberal faculty member would fit in well in their department, but only 20% said the same of a conservative addition.

On the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), 50% of faculty said mandatory DEI statements are “rarely” or “never” acceptable, with 66% opposing universities making political statements.

COURTESY WCPSS

WCPSS Assistant Superintendent for Equity Affairs Will Chavis

lives in Oakland, California. TEC’s website says its equity coaching goal is to “help organizations develop their own capacity to create educational equity and social justice by addressing bias and oppression.”

The purchase order lists the Office of Equity Affairs (OEA) as the originating division. Cecelia Green, an OEA staff member, and Assistant Superintendent Will Chavis, who leads the OEA, are specifically named.

The justification for the

COURTESY NCGA State Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Orange)

spending on the documents is to “expand support” for two OEA programs: a Roadmap to Equity and Equity Development Pathways. Also included in the records is a proposal and project analysis document from TEC to Chavis dated May 15, 2024.

The analysis says the proposal “expands the project into a second year” when “a group of ten additional schools would join the cohort.” It goes on to say, “Together, all of the schools in the cohort will learn from

Three North Carolina institutions were included in the survey: Duke, UNC Chapel Hill and Wake Forest. UNC’s survey results included 145 faculty members, with 15% reporting they frequently cannot express their views due to potential negative responses from others, and 37% said they recently toned down something they wrote for fear of causing controversy. Additionally, 15% said they

had been disciplined or threatened with discipline over speech.

The survey also revealed that 65% support the adoption of institutional neutrality.

Most UNC respondents, 56%, said using DEI statements in hiring was justifiable. That figure represents 36% who said such statements are “often or always” justifiable and 20% who said sometimes those types of pledg-

each other and develop equity capacity for the entire district.”

The cohort expansion mentioned includes a jump from 10 schools involved in “Developing School Exemplars for Advancing Equitable Practices.”

The “Equity Leadership Development Pathways Executive Summary“ document provided to North State Journal by WCPSS lists the topics to be covered, including titles such as “Civil Rights, Historical Context and Oppression,” “Deeper work on bias,” and “Dynamics of Power and Privilege.”

North State Journal first reported on TEC more than three years ago after receiving information about a teacher professional development course called “Intro to Critical Race Theory“ being offered by the district.

The OEA has spearheaded all critical race theory efforts and equity teacher training in the district.

OEA was established in 2014-15, and according to documents obtained by North State Journal, the division has spent at least $12.135 million on or by itself. In 2023-24, the OEA spent more than $1.8 mil-

es were justifiable. Conversely, 44% said a DEI statement was rarely or never justifiable.

The UNC Board of Governors, which oversees all of the state’s universities, repealed and replaced its DEI programs earlier this year while directing schools to focus on institutional neutrality. Related staff and program cuts totaled more than $17 million. The funds are being redirected to other programs and UNC System needs.

FIRE’s survey questions on hot-button topics that are difficult to discuss included the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (79%), affirmative action (54%) and racial inequality (53%).

Pro-Palestine protests occurred on the UNC campus last year, resulting in arrests as well as national attention when Pi Kappa Phi fraternity brothers raised the U.S. flag that had been taken down by demonstrators. Results for Duke included 80 faculty members, with 41% reporting they recently toned down something they wrote to avoid potential controversy, and 14% had been disciplined or threatened with disciplinary action.

Seventy-one percent believe

lion on salaries, travel, workshops and other expenses.

WCPSS currently has a budget shortfall of around $3.7 million. The district’s operating budget is $2.196 billion. Rising costs, such as staff pay and benefits, including the restoration of master’s pay for some teachers, are the main drivers of the shortfall.

During a Dec. 3 WCPSS board meeting, the district’s finance team highlighted the top factors contributing to this financial strain, including increased labor and food costs for school nutrition programs ($3 million), higher utility expenses ($2.5 million) and background checks ($658,000).

WCPSS also raised worker pay from $11.58 to $17.75/hour. The board was also told that increasing charter enrollment was $1.3 million; however, these are pass-through funds due to those schools. Part of the strain related to those funds is the changes to the funding model made by lawmakers this school year, which changed from a model based on projected enrollment to that of a district’s prior year’s enrollment figures.

the school should adopt institutional neutrality.

Duke faculty members’ responses on DEI statements found that 61% said they are never or rarely justifiable, 10% saw them as sometimes justifiable, and 29% viewed them as often or always justifiable.

The top most difficult topics to discuss were similar to those of UNC: Duke responses listed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (68%), affirmative action (57%) and transgender rights (51%).

Wake Forest had 55 participants in the survey, 38% of whom toned down something they wrote out of fear of controversy and 23% of whom had been disciplined or threatened with discipline.

Regarding DEI statements in hiring, 42% found it never or rarely justifiable, while a combined 58% found it sometimes or always justifiable.

Sixty-four percent support institutional neutrality.

The top three difficult issues to discuss on the Wake Forest campus were the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (71%), racial inequality (63%) and transgender rights (55%).

PUBLIC DOMAIN

“The Ages of Life: Old Age” by Thomas Cole (1842) is one of four paintings in a series by the founder of the Hudson Reiver School art movement. The painting is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

BUSINESS WIRE

Students, faculty and staff walk through and work in the atrium of Farrell Hall on the Wake Forest University campus.

Fallen NC soldier among Medal of Honor recipients

President Joe Biden posthumously honored

Hugh R. Nelson Jr., an Army captain from Rocky Mount

By Josh Boak

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — An Army captain from North Carolina who died in Vietnam aiding two fellow soldiers was one of seven honored Medal of Honor recipients recognized Friday by President Joe Biden in one of his last opportunities to officially acknowledge acts of selflessness and personal bravery in times of war.

After an armed helicopter crashed during the Vietnam War on June 5, 1966, Army Capt. Hugh R. Nelson Jr. from Rocky Mount pulled two specialists from the aircraft, shielding one of them from enemy gunfire at the loss of his own life.

“Nelson’s conscious decision to sacrifice his own life for that of his comrades saved the lives of his three fellow crew members that fateful day,” the commendation reads. “Nelson’s distinctive accomplishments are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army.”

Biden bestowed the medal posthumously on six men and one living recipient at a White House ceremony. In a separate Oval Office ceremony closed to the news media, he awarded the Medal of Valor to eight first responders who risked their lives to save others.

“These are heroes of different ranks, different positions and even different generations,” Biden said at the Medal of Honor ceremony Friday evening. “They are heroes who all went above and beyond the call of duty.”

On Feb. 15, 1951, Army Pvt. Bruno R. Orig was returning from a mission when he found his fellow soldiers under attack in what’s now known as the Battle of Chipyong-ni.

STEIN from page A1

to his successor: “Governor, this will be the best job you have ever had.”

Stein’s powers have already been challenged by Republican lawmakers, who last month overrode a Cooper veto of a Hurricane Helene relief bill that had tacked on wide-ranging changes that erodes the governor’s authority to manage elections, fill appellate court vacancies and pick his own Highway Patrol commander. Cooper and Stein sued recently to block the Highway Patrol and

The infantryman provided first aid to his comrades wounded in the Korean War attack and began helping move those men to safety. He then took over a machine gun post and allowed a friendly platoon to pull back without a casualty. When the ground was recaptured later that day, Orig was found dead beside the machine gun, surrounded by enemy combatants he had killed.

During the Korean War, Pfc. Wataru Nakamura destroyed an enemy machine gun nest and recaptured several bunkers. He exhausted his ammunition but resumed his attack after being rearmed, and he was ultimately killed by an enemy grenade and buried in Los Angeles.

Army Cpl. Fred B. McGee is being recognized for his gallantry and intrepidity near Tang-Wan-Ni, Korea, on June 16, 1952, when he assumed command of his squad, neutralized an enemy machine gun and then sent his squad back while he helped rescue the wounded.

state election board changes. Stein made no direct references to the legal battles following his inauguration. He praised Cooper’s leadership and urged bipartisanship and the rejection of “the politics of division, fear and hate that keep us from finding common ground” to succeed in priorities that he highlighted.

“The time is now to build a safer, stronger North Carolina, where our economy continues to grow and works for more people, where our public schools are excellent and our teachers are well paid, where our neighborhoods are safe and our per-

“Nelson’s conscious decision to sacrifice his own life for that of his comrades saved the lives of his three fellow crew members that fateful day.”

Commendation for U.S. Army Capt. Hugh R. Nelson Jr.

The Ohio native died in 2020, according to news reports.

Army Pfc. Charles R. Johnson, from Millbrook, New York, was killed on June 12, 1953, after holding off Chinese forces during the Korean War. His actions saved the lives of as many as 10 soldiers.

After multiple raids on an entrenched enemy in the area of Sagimak during the Korean War, Army 1st Lt. Richard E. Cavazos stayed behind alone to evacuate five battle casualties

sonal freedoms are protected,” Stein said.

He also said the state must “act with urgency” to help western North Carolina recover from the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in September, particularly with housing, small businesses and infrastructure. Congress last month approved legislation that will bring at least $9 billion more in storm aid to North Carolina.

Stein, 58, grew up in Charlotte and Chapel Hill, the son of a noted civil rights lawyer. He graduated from Harvard Law

to safety. Cavazos served more than three decades in the service, eventually attaining the rank of four-star general. The Texan died in 2018 at age 88. Fort Hood was renamed in honor of him on May 9, 2023.

While fighting in Vietnam on May 7, 1970, then-Army Pfc. Kenneth J. David drew enemy fire away from injured comrades and onto himself, becoming wounded by a satchel charge. But David kept fighting and pulled fire away from landing Medevac helicopters, getting evacuated himself after the last helicopter landed. The Ohioan is still living.

Acknowledging his last days as president, Biden last Friday called it the greatest honor of his life to be entrusted to lead the country and “the finest military in the history of the world.”

Biden also awarded eight people the Medal of Valor, which goes to those who have shown exceptional courage in attempting to save human lives.

The recipients included the

School and gained notice as the campaign manager for John Edwards when he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998. He also served as a Raleigh-area senator before being elected attorney general for the first time in 2016.

Stein, who is the state’s first Jewish governor, placed his hand for the oath Wednesday on an 1891 edition of the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible provided by a woman whose ancestors settled in Charlotte and later in Statesville in the 1850s, according to Stein’s office.

Stein and Cooper then par-

law enforcement officials who responded to a shooter who killed six people on March 27, 2023, at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Nashville Police Department’s Sgt. Jeffrey Mathes, Officer Rex Engelbert and Detectives Michael Collazo, Ryan Cagle and Zachary Plese rushed to the scene and faced gunfire from the shooter. They cleared out classrooms and ultimately took down the shooter.

Biden also recognized Sgt. Tu Tran of the Lincoln, Nebraska, Police Department. On Feb. 22, 2023, Tran swam 30 feet into a frigid pond to rescue a woman from a submerging vehicle.

Lt. John Vanderstar, a New York City firefighter, received the Medal of Valor for rescuing a mother and child from a burning apartment on Oct. 23, 2022. Separately, New York City firefighter Brendan Gaffney was honored for braving an apartment building fire to save an unconscious child and a pregnant woman.

ticipated in the formal transfer of a historic embossing device that creates the state seal a symbol of the governor’s authority.

Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt, Attorney General Jeff Jackson, Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green, State Treasurer Brad Briner, Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, State Auditor Dave Boliek and Labor Commissioner Luke Farley were all officially sworn in last week. A larger, outdoor inauguration for Stein and other elected members of the Council of State will be inaugurated on Jan. 11.

COURTESY U.S. ARMY

Army Capt. Hugh R. Nelson of Rocky Mount was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor last Friday by President Joe Biden.

Luke Farley, left with his family, is sworn in as the state’s commissioner of Labor at the North Carolina State Capitol’s Old House Chamber on Jan. 2.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Pax Americana — 2025 to 2053

They saw mature, serious leaders supporting freedom, free enterprise, free speech, prosperity and the rule of law.

THERE’S A CERTAIN symmetry between the recent passing of former President Jimmy Carter and the impending departure of current President Joe Biden from the White House. Carter was a friend and hero to Biden. He was a fine and decent man; a Naval Academy grad in 1946 who worked on developing our nuclear submarine program and a good expresident, exemplary in some ways. He built a lot of homes for Habitat for Humanity and taught Sunday School for the good people of Plains, Georgia, for decades.

However, President Carter must have given Biden a signed playbook from his failed term in the White House to follow because everything Biden did failed, just as it did a half-century ago under Carter.

Being a charitable Christian doing good deeds for poor people and teaching bible study does not necessarily qualify a person to be president of the United States of America. Being the former does not directly correlate with the requirement for success for the latter.

High inflation, high gasoline prices, failed efforts in the Middle East ― hostages in Iran under Carter; troops recklessly withdrawn from Afghanistan under Biden ― these are just a few of the disasters du jour shared by both administrations.

However, there was one terrific result that occurred after the Carter administration was stomped out of office by Ronald Reagan in 1980 by the widest margin ever for a defeated incumbent: 28 years of conservative political rule during which America was prosperous and at peace, for the most part, domestically and around the world.

Call it “Pax Americana.” It could happen again starting on Jan. 20 at noon, Eastern Standard Time.

The boomer generation, the largest baby cohort in American history at the time, grew up with long hair, hippies, drugs and “Make Love, Not War” and “Flower Power” slogans in the 1960s. If any generation was primed to be liberal Democrats for the rest of their lives, it was the baby boomers.

Instead, they wound up being the most conservative and entrepreneurial generation in modern American history.

How could that possibly have happened?

Younger generations see what is happening around them while growing up ― and it sticks with them for a lifetime.

During the Carter years, these impressionable youth saw long lines at gas stations to fill up their tank on odd or even days, parents thrown out of work due to exorbitantly high rates of 12% inflation and interest rates approaching 21%, and Muslim ayatollahs holding 52 American hostages for 444 days, making America the laughingstock of the world.

They thought to themselves: “This is crazy! I don’t ever want to go through any of this again!”

The 26th Amendment to the Constitution lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in 1971. All of a sudden, young people 18 and older who had seen the mayhem of reckless policies under Jimmy Carter voted against such madness, even if they were not sure about Reagan.

America has always been center-right politically since its founding. The young people of the ’60s reverted to the mean of American political belief and stayed in the rather centerright slice of the political spectrum pie as they progressed through life.

They saw mature, serious leaders supporting

Joe Biden’s disastrous political and personal legacies

Biden is a bitter person, having been pushed out of the presidential race by his own party.

THERE IS NOT A PERSON elected president who, at least once a day, does not think of the type of political legacy they will leave once they are no longer in office.

President Joe Biden is no exception to that rule, having had a lengthy career in public office that spans over half a century.

He has less than two weeks left in his sole term as president, with the Monday certification of Donald Trump’s November election victory over Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris, undoubtedly a bitter pill for Biden to swallow. And make no mistake about it: Biden is indeed a bitter person at this point, having been pushed out of the presidential race by his own party because they thought he couldn’t win and now having to grin and bear it as his biggest nemesis prepares to take office for the second time after one of the most remarkable political comebacks in American history. Regardless of what one thinks about Biden’s policy positions and so-called “accomplishments” during his four years in office, his last weeks in the White House have confirmed to the American people who he really is as he takes one action after another designed to do two things: protect himself and his family from potential future investigations and hamstring Trump’s next term in office before it gets started.

The first was his sweeping pardon of his son,

Hunter Biden, over what Joe Biden said in so many words is an unfair, politically motivated prosecution even though the head of the Justice Department, Merrick Garland, is a Biden political appointee.

This action, which some viewed as invoking Democrat privilege, was also taken despite the fact that over the summer, Biden vowed to respect the rule of law and not interfere in his son’s cases.

“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong,” Biden declared in the statement he issued.

After that was Biden’s commutation of the sentences of nearly 1,500 people, among them one public official in Illinois who stole $53 million from a small town; a Pennsylvania judge who received massive kickbacks for sending kids to for-profit detention centers, and a woman convicted of insurance fraud who was known as the “Black Widow” and who investigators believe was responsible for the deaths of three former lovers, two of whom she was married at the time.

Not long after that, Biden used his power to convert the sentences of 37 of 40 people on federal death row to life in prison without parole out of spite for Trump, who had pledged to resume carrying out their original sentences

freedom, free enterprise, free speech, prosperity and the rule of law ― and decided to keep voting for them.

“Government is not the solution to the problem,” Reagan said. “Government is the problem!”

Millions of young boomers agreed with Reagan and voted for his vice president, George H.W. Bush. As they approached middle age, they voted for Bill Clinton ― who was not a progressive socialist lefty ― and then George W. Bush with the dark memories of Carter’s failures still fresh in their heads.

We may have the massive failures of Biden to thank if the next 28 years mirror the three decades after Carter left office.

Young people, African Americans and Hispanics were turned off by the inflation, illegal immigration and rampant, indiscriminate crime and violence allowed under Biden. They had nowhere else to go but to vote for Donald Trump in 2024. They didn’t hear anything that would reverse those trends coming out of the mouth of Kamala Harris during her incomprehensible, ill-fated Potemkin village of a campaign.

If America elects conservative Republicans for the next 28 years, we can finally thank Biden for doing something positive for this country. Just like millions could thank Carter for doing the same.

after the moratorium put on inmate executions by Biden.

And as this column was being written, Reuters reported that Biden “will ban new offshore oil and gas development along most U.S. coastlines, a decision President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to boost domestic energy production, may find difficult to reverse.”

The fact sheet posted to the White House website proclaimed, “Following this action, President Biden will have conserved more lands and waters than any other U.S. president in history.”

With these actions, combined with others like the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal debacle and the ongoing border crisis, history is not going to be kind to Biden’s presidency, if it remembers it at all.

In fact, as one senior administration official recently put it (per CNN), when all is said and done, Biden might only be remembered merely as “the guy who was just in between the Trump terms.”

A brutal assessment. But entirely possible. 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.

How Kennedy can make America healthy again

Teaching people how to eat again would be the most critical contribution that Kennedy could make as our nation’s top health official.

ONE OF THE MORE FASCINATING Trump administration cabinet nominees is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services. His provocations about America’s health, from vaccine safety to nutrition, have raised eyebrows.

He has long made tackling chronic disease and America’s health care infrastructure, which emphasizes treating illness instead of preventing it, his mission. But it wasn’t until he endorsed Donald Trump that “Make America Healthy Again” drew the support he’d long sought.

He’s out to replace seed oils with beef fat, at least in making fries. He wants to turn the clock back on the late 1970s push to replace beef tallow with these same seed oils because of its high saturated fat content and heart health. They’re also easier to use and cheaper than beef fat.

He also wants fluoride out of public water systems, supports dangerous raw milk consumption and calls for a return to cane sugar to replace high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). He and others claim HFCS is processed differently in the body than fructose and can cause insulin resistance.

However, the science is not settled. It’s sweet like sugar and cheaper than our heavily protected U.S. sugar growers. The U.S. pays the world’s highest prices for cane sugar, and food makers always seek more affordable, suitable alternatives.

Another Kennedy target is artificial food calories and additives. He and many consumer groups have long pushed to eliminate artificial colors like Yellow 5 (tartrazine) and 6, which are petroleum products, and Red Nos. 3 and 40. Potassium bromate, maligned as a “fire extinguisher,” has been driven out of the food supply despite decades of safe beverage consumption.

Kennedy is also all-in on the latest food nutrition fad, eliminating “ultra-processed foods,” for which no agreed-upon definition exists, and seems to include “healthy” products like many flavored Greek yogurts. And he’s already at odds with Elon Musk, a huge fan of the new GLP-1 antiobesity drugs proving to help people lose weight and much more. Kennedy prefers more traditional weight loss efforts.

Kennedy isn’t wrong about America’s health situation. More than 70% of us are overweight or obese. We have higher levels of chronic disease for everything from hypertension to Type 2 diabetes, much of which is tied to being overweight or obese. Over 40 years of federal

government nutrition advice through the dietary guidelines has proven an abject failure to help most Americans lead healthier lives, as few could tell you what they advise.

The guidelines are revised every five years through an elaborate, inclusive process that escapes the public’s attention.

Instead of being bogged down by forcing changes through a sclerotic bureaucracy with headwinds from interest groups long embedded in government programs, there is another way to truly make America healthy again.

Kennedy can lead a national campaign to elevate and improve nutrition and physical education in our schools and communities.

Our schools, including medical schools, teach very little, if anything, about nutrition. My sons received all their nutrition education not from their schools but from their sports coaches.

Pushing nutrition education is not popular because the results aren’t immediate, and determining what to teach will be challenging. However, teaching people how to eat again would be the most critical contribution that Kennedy could make as our nation’s top health official. The level of public ignorance about food and nutrition is stunning.

Just ask the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines, which struggle to recruit soldiers, sailors, airmen and women with obesity and related health issues.

The good news is that it can be done.

Almost 20 years ago, I worked with organizations such as PE4Life, The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition, and food makers to launch a pilot project, the Healthy Schools Partnership, in four inner-city schools in Kansas City, Missouri. It combined physical activity with nutrition education during the school day. The results were remarkable, with physical health improving among children, along with academic performance and behavior. Truancy rates declined as attendance rose. Military recruiters took notice.

Then Kansas City closed the schools, and the food industry diverted its eyes to less effective and less costly approaches.

With support from Trump, Kennedy could elevate nutrition education again in our schools and teach people how to be healthy again, driving our schools and institutions to combine nutrition education with physical activity.

Kelly Johnston is a 22-year veteran of the food industry and a former secretary of the U.S. Senate.

The big shift in Washington

The general popularity of our program led President Clinton to come to announce that “the era of big government is over.”

THIS MONTH MARKS A BIG SHIFT in power and direction in Washington, America and the world.

On Jan. 3, Republicans officially took control of the Senate and maintained control in the House. While the House majority is the narrowest in history, it is still a majority. When combined with President Donald J. Trump taking office on Jan. 20, there will be a Republican trifecta setting the tone, advancing an agenda, and deciding what to investigate and what to ignore.

Compared to the Joe Biden-Chuck SchumerNancy Pelosi era, this is a dramatic and bold change.

However, we should not exaggerate how much can be done. The House majority is narrow — and the Senate GOP majority is too small to overcome filibusters. For important, contentious policy initiatives, Republicans will have to use reconciliation bills, which only require majority votes.

Sen. John Thune is the new majority leader after Mitch McConnell served for the last 18 years. He will be able to get a lot done. His first key steps will be getting Trump’s cabinet confirmed by the Senate — and an enormous number of other appointments that require Senate confirmation. As a veteran of the House (1997-2003) and the Senate (2005 to today), Thune has a good sense of the strengths and weaknesses of each body. A generation younger than McConnell, Thune will bring a new level of energy and drive to getting things done in the Senate.

Speaker Mike Johnson has a much harder job. In fact, Johnson has the hardest job in Washington. I was a reasonably effective speaker for four years. I could not possibly do the job Johnson has been doing. He has the patience of Job — and the calm inner strength to keep focusing on the work despite constant attacks.

The legitimately frustrated Republicans who attack Johnson’s speakership have a deep misunderstanding of what is happening. Johnson’s personality is not the problem. The problem is the failure of conservatives to understand that important legislative victories require an all-out effort supported by the American people.

Rep. Jack Kemp worked for years to educate people about supply-side economics — and then build support for a three-year tax cut.

When President Ronald Reagan campaigned in 1980 on cutting taxes (and then got a bipartisan majority to pass his three-year tax cut), he was standing on Kemp’s shoulders. Similarly, when we passed welfare reform

in 1996, we were completing a reform that Reagan had first proposed in 1965.

When we founded the Conservative Opportunity Society in 1983, we were committed to developing popular reforms that could arouse the American people to insist that Congress pass them. We met every week and took to the floor to advocate ideas that we knew would resonate with the American people.

We coordinated with the House Republican leaders so they were never surprised by our activism — but we never asked them for permission. We would disagree with them about tactics, but in the end, we were careful to keep the team together. Over time, we developed a brand and a program popular enough to elect the first House Republican majority in 40 years.

The Contract with America in 1994 had issues that were consistently in the 60-80% percent approval range. Some of them — like balancing the budget, reforming the House so it had to obey the same laws as small businesses did, and replacing welfare with workfare — were so popular we knew we would have a winning argument with any Democrat who opposed them.

We had to have overwhelmingly popular issues because we were negotiating with Democratic President Bill Clinton. He was only going to sign things if they were so popular he thought opposing them would guarantee his defeat. The general popularity of our program led Clinton to come to the 1996 State of the Union and announce that “the era of big government is over.” Sitting behind him, I found myself compelled to stand and applaud because he was rhetorically joining our side.

We could never have balanced the budget for four consecutive years (for the only time in the last century) if we did not have the overwhelming support of the American people. Today, at America’s New Majority Project, we have identified dozens of issues that could attract 70-90% support from the American people.

Republicans need three key things going into this new era: the discipline to listen to the American people, the patience to educate and excite the American people about their agenda, and the wisdom to only pick fights when they have overwhelming grassroots support.

A disciplined, patient and wise Republican team will set the stage for a remarkable 2026 election — and an amazing era in American politics.

Newt Gingrich is former GOP speaker of the House.

Why America is in so much trouble

SHORTLY BEFORE Milton Friedman’s death in 2006, I had the privilege of interviewing him over dinner in San Francisco. The last question I asked him was: What are the three things we have to do to make America more prosperous? His answer I have never forgotten: “First, allow universal school choice; second, expand free trade; third and most importantly, cut government spending.”

That was long before Barack Obama and Joe Biden came along.

There aren’t too many problems in America that can’t be traced back to the growth of big and incompetent government.

The connection between government flab and the decline in the purchasing power of the dollar is obvious.

It is notable that the two big bursts of inflation during modern times both occurred when government spending exploded. The first was the gigantic expansion of the Lyndon B. Johnson “war on poverty” welfare state in the 1970s, with prices nearly doubling. Second was the post-COVID-19 spending blitz in the last year of Donald Trump’s first term, followed by the Biden $6 trillion spending spree, with the Consumer Price Index sprinting from 1.5% to 9.1%.

Coincidence? Maybe. But I doubt it.

The connection between government flab and the decline in the purchasing power of the dollar is obvious. In both cases, the Washington spending blitz was funded by the Federal Reserve printing money. The helicopter money caused prices to surge. (I still find it laughable that 11 Nobel Prize-winning economists wrote in The New York Times in 2021 that the Biden multitrillion-dollar spending spree wouldn’t cause inflation. Were they on hallucinogenic drugs?)

The avalanche of federal spending hasn’t stopped even though the COVID-19 pandemic ended over a year ago. We are three months into the 2025 fiscal year and on pace to spend an all-time-high $7 trillion and borrow $2 trillion. If we stay on this course, the federal budget could reach $10 trillion over the next decade.

This road to financial perdition cannot stand. It risks blowing up the Trump presidency.

Upon entering office, Trump should, on day one, call for a package of up to $500 billion of rescissions — money the last Congress appropriated but has not been spent yet. Canceling the green energy subsidies alone could save nearly $100 billion. Why are we still spending money on COVID-19?

Ending corporate welfare programs — such as the wheelbarrows full of tax dollars thrown at companies like Intel in the CHIPS Act — could save tens of billions of dollars. The Elon Musk Department of Government Efficiency is already identifying low-hanging fruit that needs to be cut from the tree.

Along with extending the Trump tax cut of 2017, this erasure of bloated federal spending is critical for economic revival and reversing the income losses to the middle class under Biden.

This is especially urgent because the curse of inflation is not over. Since the Fed started cutting interest rates in October, commodity prices are up nearly 5%, and mortgage rates have again hit 7%, in part because the combination of cheap money and government expansion is a toxic economic brew — as history teaches us.

Nothing could suck the oxygen and excitement out of the new Trump presidency more than a resumption of inflation at the grocery store and the gas pump. Trump’s record-high approval rating will sink overnight if the cost of everything starts rising again.

Cutting spending won’t be easy. The resistance won’t just come from Bernie Sanders Democrats. Trump will have to convince lawmakers in his own party — many of whom are already defending Green New Deal pork projects in their districts.

Trump should borrow a line from Nancy Reagan: Just say no — to runaway government spending. Say yes to what Friedman titled his famous book: “Capitalism and Freedom.”

Stephen Moore is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation and was an economic adviser to the Trump campaign. His new book, coauthored with Arthur Laffer, is “The Trump Economic Miracle.”

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

LET IT SNOW!

will be the opening of a new catheterization lab where Novant Health cardiologists will “perform both diagnostic and inter ventiona l procedures for patients that previously had to be referred to other hospital systems outside of Randolph County.” “Our vision is to deliver world-class cardiovascular care under one roof,” said Randolph Health CEO Tim Ford “Our partnership will bring together the latest in multidisciplinar y expertise, innovative technolog y and inter ventional capabilities to provide our patients with the care they need close to home.” NSJ of their gliding.

NATION & WORLD

FBI: Man recorded video of city with smart glasses twice before New Orleans attack

Shamsud-Din Jabbar killed 14 people on New Year’s Day before being fatally shot by police

The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — The man responsible for the truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day that killed 14 people visited the city twice before and recorded video of the French Quarter with Meta smart glasses, an FBI official said Sunday.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar also traveled to Cairo and Canada before the attack, though it was not yet clear whether those trips were connected to the attack, Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said at a news conference. Federal officials believe Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and former U.S. Army soldier, was inspired by the the Islamic State militant group to carry out the attack.

Police fatally shot Jabbar, 42, during a firefight at the scene of the deadly crash on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.

Federal investigators so far believe Jabbar acted alone but are continuing to explore his contacts.

“All investigative details and evidence that we have now still support that Jabbar acted alone here in New Orleans,” said Raia. “We have not seen any indications of an accomplice in the United States, but we are still looking into potential associates in the U.S. and outside of our borders.”

Lyonel Myrthil, FBI special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office, said Jabbar traveled to Cairo in the summer of 2023 and then to Canada a few days later.

“Our agents are getting answers to where he went, who he met with and how those trips may or may not tie into his actions here,” Myrthil said.

Jabbar had also traveled to New Orleans twice in the months preceding the attack, first in October and again in November. On Oct. 31, Myrthil said Jabbar used glasses from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to record video as he rode through the French Quarter on a bicycle as “he plotted this hideous attack.” He said Jabbar was also in New Orleans on Nov. 10, and they are seeking more details about that trip. He also wore the glasses capable of livestreaming during the attack, but Myrthil said Jabbar did not activate them.

The FBI released Jabbar’s recorded video from the planning trip to New Orleans as well as video showing him placing two containers with explosive devices in the French Quarter at around 2 a.m. shortly before the

attack. One of the containers, a cooler, was moved a block away by someone uninvolved with the attack, officials said.

Joshua Jackson, New Orleans special agent in charge, said Jabbar privately purchased a semiautomatic rifle from an individual in a legal transaction in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 19. “This was a chance encounter,” Jackson said. “There’s no way this individual knew that Jabbar was radicalized or had any sort of awareness that this attack was imminent.”

The two explosive devices that Jabbar placed were recovered by federal officials undetonated. ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson credited New Orleans police for responding quickly before the devices could be set off. He said the devices were equipped with

Canada’s PM Trudeau resigns as Liberal Party leader

The second-generation leader has been in power for more than nine years

By Rob Gillies The Associated Press

TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation Monday in the face of rising discontent over his leadership and after the abrupt departure of his finance minister signaled growing turmoil within his government.

Trudeau said it had become clear to him that he cannot “be the leader during the next elections due to internal battles.” He planned to stay on as prime minister until a new leader of the Liberal Party is chosen.

“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it’s become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” he said.

He said Parliament, which had been due to resume Jan. 27, would be suspended until March 24. The timing will allow for a Liberal Party leadership race.

All three main opposition parties have said they plan to topple the Liberal Party in a no-confidence vote when Parliament resumes, so a spring election after the Liberals pick a new leader was almost assured.

“The Liberal Party of Canada is an important institu-

tion in the history of our great country and democracy. A new prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party will carry its values and ideals into that next election,” Trudeau said. “I am excited to see that process unfold in the months ahead.”

Trudeau came to power in 2015 after 10 years of Conservative Party rule and had initially been hailed for returning the country to its liberal past. But the 53-year-old scion of one of Canadas most famous prime ministers became deeply unpopular with voters in recent years over a range of issues, including the soaring cost of food and housing, and surging immigration.

The political upheaval comes at a difficult moment for Can-

“It’s become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election.”

Justin Trudeau, Canadian prime minister

ada internationally. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods if the government does not stem what Trump calls a flow of migrants and drugs in the U.S. — even though far fewer of each crosses into the U.S. from Canada than from Mexico, which

Giuliani in contempt for failed responses in defamation judgment

New York

A federal judge in New York City on Monday said that Rudy Giuliani was in contempt of court for failing to properly respond to requests for information as he turned over assets to satisfy a $148 million defamation judgment granted to two Georgia election workers. Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled after hearing Giuliani testify for a second day at a contempt hearing called after lawyers for the election workers said the former New York City mayor had failed to properly comply with evidence production requests over the last few months.

Trump promises to replace national archivist

West Palm Beach, Fla.

receivers, and a transmitter was recovered in Jabbar’s truck.

Jabbar exited the crashed truck wearing a ballistic vest and helmet and fired at police, wounding at least two officers before police fatally shot him.

Bomb-making materials were found at Jabbar’s home. Jackson said Jabbar appeared to have used a chemical compound known as RDX, which he said is commonly available in the U.S. He said field tests found RDX at Jabbar’s Houston home, and they are conducting further tests on similar materials found at the New Orleans rental home.

Jabbar tried to burn down the rental house by setting a small fire in a hallway with accelerants, but the flames smoldered out before firefighters arrived.

Trump has also threatened.

Canada is a major exporter of oil and natural gas to the U.S., which also relies on its northern neighbor for steel, aluminum and autos.

Trudeau kept publicly mum in recent weeks despite intensifying pressure for him to step down.

“His long silence following this political drama speaks volumes about the weakness of his current position,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

Canada’s former finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, announced her resignation from Trudeau’s Cabinet on Dec. 16., criticizing some of Trudeau’s economic priorities in the face of Trump’s threats. The move, which came shortly after the housing minister quit, stunned the country and raised questions about how much longer the increasingly unpopular Trudeau could stay in his job.

Trudeau had been planning to run for a fourth term in next year’s election, even in the face of rising discontent among Liberal Party members. The party recently suffered upsets in special elections in two districts in Toronto and Montreal that it has held for years. No Canadian prime minister in more than a century has won four straight terms.

Trudeau’s father swept to power in 1968, and led Canada for almost 16 years, becoming a storied name in the country’s history, most notably by opening its doors wide to immigrants. Pierre Trudeau was often compared to John F. Kennedy and remains one of the few Canadian politicians who are recognized in America.

President-elect Donald Trump is promising to replace the head of the National Archives, thrusting the agency back into the political spotlight after his mishandling of sensitive documents led to a federal indictment. The agency piqued Trump’s ire after it alerted the Department of Justice about potential problems with Trump’s handling of classified documents in early 2022. That set in motion an investigation that led to a dramatic FBI search of Trump’s home at Mar-aLago, which culminated in him becoming the first former president charged with federal crimes. The current archivist, Colleen Shogan wasn’t in the post at that time.

Thousands protest in Montenegro over shooting

Podgorica, Montenegro

Several thousand people rallied in Montenegro on Sunday demanding the resignations of top security officials over the shooting earlier this week that left 12 people dead, including two children. Chanting “Resignations” and “Killers,” protesters outside the Interior Ministry building in the capital, Podgorica, demanded that Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović and Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense Aleksa Bečić step down. Hours earlier, hundreds of people held 12 minutes of silence for the 12 victims at a rally in Cetinje, Montenegro’s historic capital where the shooting took place last Wednesday.

Venezuelan opposition leader wants Maduro out of office

Caracas, Venezuela Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Sunday urged supporters to demonstrate across the country, saying in a video message that President Nicolás Maduro will not step down on his own and they “must make him leave.” Machado instructed supporters to demonstrate Thursday, the day before Venezuela’s next presidential term is set to begin. Her message came hours after the government again made clear its intention to arrest retired diplomat Edmundo González, who claims to have defeated Maduro in last year’s election. Machado has been hiding for months at an undisclosed location to avoid arrest.

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces he will step down outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Monday.

CHRIS GRANGER / THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE VIA AP

New Orleans police and federal agents investigate a deadly New Year’s Day truck attack on Bourbon Street.

catastrophe

questions about when normal

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

China lied about the origin of the tried to tell the world there were only worldwide panic, economic collapse and needlessly being thrown out of work.

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

taxpayer at least $2.4 trillion in added Federal Reserve backup liquidity to the the U.S. dollar were not the reserve to fund any of these emergency fear of rampant in ation and currency

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

WALTER E. WILLIAMS

How China will pay for this COVID-19 catastrophe

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

The 3 big questions

The comfort

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

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

business & economy

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.

Fixing college corruption

n.c.

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 They take advantage of every weakness keep pushing until they win or the event happens such as the Chernobyl believe that event, not the Star Wars to the dissolution of the Soviet Union Chernobyl. already talking about the possibility in 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.

Perhaps COVID-19 is China’s Chernobyl.

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

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

Sponsored

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.”

JetBlue fined $2M for chronic flight delays

Not one little bit.

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

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

The Transportation Department said Friday it will hit JetBlue Airways with a $2 million penalty for chronically late flights along the East Coast, and half the money will go to passengers who were delayed.

The agency said it’s the first time it has fined an airline for chronic delays on specific routes, which it blamed on “unrealistic scheduling” by JetBlue.

the seriousness of the virus and the need uneasy with how people who simply ask when things can start getting back to circles with contempt.

as 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 and 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

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.

The department cited JetBlue flights between June 2022 and November 2023. It said it warned JetBlue about frequent delays on flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Frequent delays also occurred on flights between JFK and Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida, and between Windsor Locks, Connecticut and Fort Lauderdale.

“Illegal chronic flight delays make flying unreliable for travelers. Today’s action puts the entire airline industry on notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect reality,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. His department has led the Biden administration in criticizing airlines for poor service and an increase in passenger fees.

written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah RedState and Legal Insurrection.

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

JetBlue said the government, which operates the air traffic control system, shares the blame for late flights.

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

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

We need transparency and honesty from our

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

“THIS IS in it” (Psalm I know that working from be glad” as and dad, the have to be pandemic.

THIS WEEK, according to members 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 they’ve donned masks.

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 must do this out of an abundance of caution.”

The result: a reduction in expected hospitalization According to the University of Washington Metrics and Evaluation model most oft Trump administration, the expected need peak outbreak was revised down by over ventilators by nearly 13,000 and the number

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

The cavalier manner virus, covered up its spread 3,341 related deaths has millions of Americans needlessly The crisis has cost the debt plus trillions more markets and nancial outlets. currency, we would not measures without immediate depreciation. China has to pay for economic and nancial to bring China into the and fair trade. Totalitarian or express sincere regret totalitarian governments they nd in adversaries adversaries push back. That is, unless an exogenous meltdown in 1986. Some program of Reagan, led

Here’s the problem: We still don’t know questions that will allow the economy to First, what is the true coronavirus fatality important because it determines whether be open or closed, whether we ought to more liberalized society that presumes wide

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

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

by , April 15,

For me, making. As Corinthians a iction, so a iction, with God.” If you are re ect on this God’s example this di cult con dent we In this same neighbors In Concord, money to buy health care

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

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

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

Perhaps COVID-19 is Senators in Washington of China forgiving $1.2 China to “pay” for the damage breath waiting for a Chinese representatives to hold It is about time they the world like any other

Hill, senio

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

Japanese Nippon Steel’s plan to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel was blocked by the Biden administration. Both companies have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the decision.

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

The comfort and hope

Nippon, US Steel file suit after Biden administration blocks $15B deal

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.”

A U.S. president has never blocked a merger between a U.S. and Japanese firm

By Fatima Hussein The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

“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.

Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s decision to block a proposed nearly $15 billion deal for Nippon to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel.

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.

The suit, filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, alleges that it was a political decision and violated the companies’ due process.

“From the outset of the process, both Nippon Steel and U. S. Steel have engaged in good faith with all parties to underscore how the Transaction

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.

Airline spokesperson Derek Dombrowski said JetBlue has invested “tens of millions of dollars to reduce flight delays, particularly related to ongoing air traffic control challenges in our largest markets in the Northeast and Florida,” resulting in better ontime performance in 2024, including during the peak summer travel season.

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.

“While we’ve reached a settlement to resolve this matter regarding four (routes) in 2022 and 2023, we believe accountability for reliable air travel equally lies with the U.S. government, which operates our nation’s air traffic control system,” Dombrowski said.

The bill boosts payments for those who receive pensions in public service jobs

By Fatima Hussein The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

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.

He said the incoming Trump administration should prioritize modernizing “outdated” air traffic control technology and understaffing of controllers, who are hired by the Federal Aviation Administration.

President Joe Biden on Sunday plans to sign into law a measure that boosts Social Security payments for current and former public employees, affecting nearly 3 million people who receive pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and in other public service jobs.

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.

Transportation Department regulations prohibit airlines from publishing schedules that don’t reflect real departure and arrival times. The agency defines a flight as chronically delayed if it runs at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late more than half the time. THE

Advocates say the Social Security Fairness Act rights a decades-old disparity, though it will also put strain on Social Security Trust Funds, which face a looming insolvency crisis. The bill rescinds two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that limit Social Security benefits for recipients if they get retirement payments from other sources, including public retirement programs from a state or local government.

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

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.”

will enhance, not threaten, United States national security, including by revitalizing communities that rely on American steel, bolstering the American steel supply chain, and strengthening America’s domestic steel industry against the threat from China,” the companies said in a prepared statement Monday. “Nippon Steel is the only partner both willing and able to make the necessary investments.”

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

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

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

“(Biden) used undue influence to advance his political agenda.” Nippon and U.S. Steel

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.

Nippon Steel had promised to invest $2.7 billion in U.S. Steel’s aging blast furnace operations in Gary, Indiana, and Pennsylvania’s Mon Valley. It also vowed not to reduce production capacity in the United States over the next decade without first getting U.S. government approval.

it — because “a strong domestically owned and operated steel industry represents an essential national security priority. ... Without domestic steel production and domestic steel workers, our nation is less strong and less secure,” he said in a statement.

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.

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

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

Biden on Friday decided to stop the Nippon takeover — after federal regulators deadlocked on whether to approve

While administration officials have said the decision was unrelated to Japan’s relationship with the U.S. — this is the first time a U.S. president has blocked a merger between a U.S. and Japanese firm.

Biden departs the White House in just a few weeks.

The president’s decision to

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

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, I checked.

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

block the deal comes after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS, failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of the deal last month and sent a long-awaited report on the merger to Biden. He had 15 days to reach a final decision. In a separate lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on the same day, the companies accused steel-making rival Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and its CEO, Lourenco Goncalves, in coordination with David McCall, the head of the U.S. Steelworkers union, of “engaging in a coordinated series of anticompetitive and racketeering activities” to block the deal. In 2023 before U.S. Steel accepted the buyout offer from Nippon, Cleveland-Cliffs

fallen into place. I understand to take precautions, but questions about the data, normal are treated in some They’re treated as though question what the government process of returning back No. The government questions. And the longer country, and the stricter the more people, sitting when they can get back answers. Leaders at the local and can be with those answers with details that give their We should all continue ourselves, and our communities to ask questions about measures are understandable, This is all new to Americans, shape, or form. So while the same time we shouldn’t normal.”

If you are celebrating the Easter season, re ect on this message and be comforted, God’s example and comfort all those in this di cult time. Through faith and by con dent we will emerge out of this pandemic In this same spirit, I continue to be inspired neighbors helping neighbors. In Concord, a high school senior named money to buy a 3-D printer and plastic health care workers out of his own home.

Not one little bit.

Stacey Matthews has also and is a regular contributor

See LAWSUIT, page A11

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

President Joe Biden departs the East Room of the White House after signing the Social Security Fairness Act on Sunday.

The Congressional Research Service estimated that in December 2023, there were 745,679 people, about 1% of all Social Security beneficiaries, who had their benefits reduced by the Government Pension Offset. About 2.1 million people, or about 3% of all beneficiaries, were affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated in September that eliminating the Windfall Elimination Provision would boost monthly payments to the affected beneficiaries by an average of $360 by December 2025. Ending the Government Pension Offset would increase monthly benefits in December 2025 by an average of $700 for

380,000 recipients getting benefits based on living spouses, according to the CBO. The increase would be an average of $1,190 for 390,000 or surviving spouses getting a widow or widower benefit. Those amounts would increase over time with Social Security’s regular cost-of-living adjustments.

The change is to payments from January 2024 and beyond, meaning the Social Security Administration would owe back-dated payments. The measure, as passed by Congress, says the Social Security commissioner “shall adjust primary insurance amounts to the extent necessary to take into account” changes in the law. It’s not immediately clear how this will happen or whether people affected will have to take any action.

Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said firefighters across the country are “excited to see the change — we’ve righted a 40-year wrong.” Kelly said the policy was “far more egregious for surviving spouses of firefighters who paid their own quotas into Social Security but were victimized by the government pension system.”

The IAFF has roughly 320,000 members, which does not include hundreds of thousands of retirees who will benefit from the change. Some public sector retirees to see

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Driving into Manhattan will cost you under new congestion toll

The toll adds $9 to enter Manhattan south of Central Park on weekdays and weekends

By Jake Offenhartz

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — New York’s new toll for drivers entering the center of Manhattan debuted Sunday, meaning many people will pay $9 to access the busiest part of the Big Apple during peak hours.

The toll, known as congestion pricing, is meant to reduce traffic gridlock in the densely packed city while also raising money to help fix its ailing public transit infrastructure.

“We’ve been studying this issue for five years. And it only takes about five minutes if you’re in midtown Manhattan to see that New York has a real traffic problem,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber told reporters late Friday after a court hearing that cleared the way for the tolls.

“We need to make it easier for people who choose to drive, or who have to drive, to get around the city.”

The cost to drivers depends on what time of the day it is and if drivers have an E-ZPass, an electronic toll collection system that’s used in many states.

Most drivers with E-ZPasses will get dinged the $9 fee to enter Manhattan south of Central Park on weekdays between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. and on weekends between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. During off hours, the toll will be $2.25.

That’s on top of tolls drivers pay for crossing various bridg-

additional

toll began Sunday,

es and tunnels to get to the city in the first place, although there will be a credit of up to $3 for those who have already paid to enter Manhattan via certain tunnels during peak hours.

On Sunday morning, hours after the toll went live, traffic moved briskly along the northern edge of the congestion zone at 60th Street and 2nd Avenue.

Some motorists appeared unaware that the newly activated cameras, set along the arm of a steel gantry above the street, would be charging them a $9 fee.

“Are you kidding me?” said Chris Smith, a resident of Somerville, New Jersey, as he

and tunnels to get to New York

“Whose idea was this? Kathy Hochul? She should be arrested for being ignorant.”

Chris

Smith, New Jersey resident

drove against traffic beneath the cameras, avoiding the charge.

“Whose idea was this? Kathy Hochul? She should be arrested for being ignorant.”

Phil Bauer, a surgeon who lives just above 60th Street, said he was hopeful the pro -

gram would lessen the bottlenecks and frequent honking that comes from the nearby bridge connecting Manhattan and Queens.

“I think the idea would be good to try to minimize the amount of traffic down and try to promote people to use public transportation,” he said. “The Queensboro Bridge is pretty brutal.”

President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, has vowed to kill the program when he takes office, but it’s unclear if he will follow through. The plan had stalled during his first term while it waited on a federal environmental review.

Data helped after Las Vegas truck explosion; experts have privacy concerns

Tesla used data collected from charging stations and onboard software

By Bernard Condon

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Your car is spying on you.

That is one takeaway from the fast, detailed data that Tesla collected on the driver of one of its Cybertrucks that exploded in Las Vegas last week. Privacy data experts say the deep dive by Elon Musk’s company was impressive but also shines a spotlight on a difficult question as vehicles become less like cars and more like computers on wheels.

Is your car company violating your privacy rights?

“You might want law enforcement to have the data to crack down on criminals, but can anyone have access to it?” said Jodi Daniels, CEO of privacy consulting firm Red Clover Advisors. “Where is the line?”

Many of the latest cars not only know where you’ve been and where you are going but also often have access to your contacts, your call logs, your texts and other sensitive information thanks to cell phone syncing.

The data collected by Musk’s electric car company after the Cybertruck packed with fireworks burst into flames in front

from page A1

“Now firefighters who get paid very little can now afford to actually retire,” Kelly said.

Sherrod Brown, who as an Ohio senator pushed for the proposal for years, lost his reelection bid in November. Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees labor union, thanked Brown for his advocacy.

“Over two million public ser-

of the Trump International Hotel proved valuable to police in helping track the driver’s movements. Within hours of the New Year’s Day explosion that burned the driver beyond recognition and injured seven, Tesla was able to track Matthew Livelsberger’s movements in detail from Denver to Las Vegas and also confirm that the problem was explosives in the truck, not the truck itself. Tesla used data collected from charging stations and from onboard software — and to great acclaim.

“I have to thank Elon Musk,

vice workers will finally be able to access the Social Security benefits they spent their careers paying into,” Saunders said in a statement. “Many will finally be able to enjoy retirement after a lifetime of service.” National Education Association President Becky Pringle said the law is “a historic victory that will improve the lives of educators, first responders, postal workers and others who dedicate their lives to public service in their communities.”

specifically,” said Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill to reporters. “He gave us quite a bit of additional information.”

Some privacy experts were less enthusiastic.

“It reveals the kind of sweeping surveillance going on,” said David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston. “When something bad happens, it’s helpful, but it’s a double-edged sword. Companies that collect this data can abuse it.”

And while some Republicans, such as Maine Sen. Susan Collins, supported the legislation, others, including Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, voted against it. “We caved to the pressure of the moment instead of doing this on a sustainable basis,” Tillis told The Associated Press last month.

Still, Republican supporters of the bill said there was a rare opportunity to address what

In November, Trump, whose namesake Trump Tower is in the toll zone, said congestion pricing “will put New York City at a disadvantage over competing cities and states, and businesses will flee.”

“Not only is this a massive tax to people coming in, it is extremely inconvenient from both driving and personal booking keeping standards,” he said in a statement. “It will be virtually impossible for New York City to come back as long as the congestion tax is in effect.”

Other big cities around the world, including London and Stockholm, have similar congestion pricing schemes, but it is the first in the U.S. Proponents of the idea note the programs were largely unpopular when first implemented, gaining approval as the public felt the benefits.

In New York City, even some transit riders voiced skepticism of a plan intended to raise much-needed funds for the subway system.

“With my experience of the MTA and where they’ve allocated their funds in the past, they’ve done a pretty poor job with that,” said Christakis Charalambides, a supervisor in the fashion industry, as he waited for a subway in Lower Manhattan. “I don’t know if I necessarily believe it until I really see something.”

The toll was supposed to go into effect last year with a $15 charge, but Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul abruptly paused the program before the 2024 election, when congressional races in suburban areas around the city — the epicenter of opposition to the program — were considered to be vital to her party’s effort to retake control of Congress.

Not long after the election, Hochul rebooted the plan but at the lower $9 toll. She denies politics were at play and said she thought the original $15 charge was too much, though she had been a vocal supporter of the program before halting it.

doors of Trump’s hotel began smoking and then burst into flames. Just hours earlier, a driver in another vehicle using the same peer-to-peer car rental service, Turo, had killed 15 people after slamming into a crowd in New Orleans in what law enforcement is calling a terrorist attack.

General Motors, for instance, was sued in August by the Texas attorney general for allegedly selling data from 1.8 million drivers to insurance companies without their consent.

Cars equipped with cameras to enable self-driving features have added a new security risk.

Tesla itself came under fire after Reuters reported how employees from 2019 through 2022 shared drivers’ sensitive videos and recordings with each other, including videos of road rage incidents and, in one case, nudity.

Tesla did not respond to emailed questions about its privacy policy. On its website, Tesla says it follows strict rules for keeping names and information private.

“No one but you would have knowledge of your activities, location, or a history of where you’ve been,” according to a statement. “Your information is kept private and secure.”

Auto analyst Sam Abuelsamid at Telemetry Insight said he doesn’t think Tesla is “especially worse” than other auto companies in handling customer data, but he is still concerned.

“This is one of the biggest ethical issues we have around modern vehicles. They’re connected,” he said. “Consumers need to have control over their data.”

Tensions were high when the Cybertruck parked at the front

they described as an unfair section of federal law that hurts public service retirees.

The future of Social Security has become a top political issue and was a major point of contention in the 2024 election.

About 72.5 million people, including retirees, disabled people and children, receive Social Security benefits.

The policy changes from the new law will heap more administrative work on the Social Security Administration, which is

Shortly before 1 p.m., the Las Vegas police announced they were investigating a second incident.

“The fire is out,” the police announced on the social media platform X, one of Musk’s other companies. “Please avoid the area.”

Tesla shortly thereafter swung into action.

“The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now,” Musk wrote on X. “Will post more information as soon as we learn anything.”

Over the next few hours, Tesla was able to piece together Livelsberger’s journey over five days and four states by tracking, among other things, his recharging stops in various locations, including Monument, Colorado, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Flagstaff, Arizona.

There are no federal laws regulating car data similar to those that restrict information collection and sharing by banks and health care providers. And state laws are a grab bag of various rules, mostly focused on data privacy in general.

Daniels, the privacy consultant, thinks that new national laws are needed because rules have not kept up with technology.

“I think law enforcement should have access to data that can help them solve things quickly,” she said. “But we have a right to privacy.”

already at its lowest staffing level in decades. The agency, currently under a hiring freeze, has a staff of about 56,645 — the lowest level in more than 50 years even as it serves more people than ever.

The annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report released last May said the program’s trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2035. The new law will hasten the program’s insolvency date by about half a year.

BEBETO MATTHEWS / AP PHOTO

On top of tolls drivers pay for crossing various bridges

City, an

congestion

charging $9 to enter parts of Manhattan.

BILL

CHASE STEVENS / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL VIA AP Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill briefs the media about the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in front of the entrance to Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Jan. 1.

What to know about Apple’s $95M Siri eavesdropping settlement

The lawsuit alleges Siri’s microphone had been turned on to record conversations

By Michael Liedtke

The Associated Press

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of turning its virtual assistant Siri into a snoop that eavesdropped on the users of iPhones and other trendy devices in a betrayal of its long-standing commitment to personal privacy.

The proposed settlement filed in federal court earlier this week still needs to be approved by a judge, but here are a few things to know about the case and the privacy issues that it raised.

What was the lawsuit about?

The Wood Law Firm, which specializes in class-action lawsuits, filed the complaint against Apple in August 2019, shortly after The Guardian newspaper published an article alleging that Siri’s microphone had been surreptitiously turned on to record conversations occurring without the users’ knowledge.

Apple issued a September 2014 software update that was supposed to activate the virtual

assistant only with the triggering words “Hey, Siri,” but The Guardian story alleged Siri was listening and recording conversations at other times to help improve the company’s technology.

The story led to the lawsuit, which later raised allegations that Apple shared some of the conversations that Siri secretly recorded with advertisers looking to connect with consumers who were more likely to buy their products and services.

How many people are covered by the settlement?

Tens of millions of U.S consumers who owned or purchased iPhones and other Apple devices equipped with Siri from September 17, 2014, through the end of last year will be eligible to file claims.

How much money will each eligible consumer receive?

It is far too early to tell for certain, but the settlement currently envisions paying out up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, with each consumer limited to a maximum. The final amount could be affected by two factors: the number of claims and how much of the settlement fund is reduced to cover legal fees and costs.

A claims administrator estimates only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers will file claims. The

lawyers in the case currently are seeking nearly $30 million in fees and expenses, but that figure could still be lowered by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White, who is overseeing the case in Oakland, California. A proposed Feb. 14 court hearing has been proposed to review the settlement terms.

Did Apple break any laws?

If the allegations were true, Apple may have violated federal wiretapping laws and other statutes designed to protect people’s privacy. But Apple adamantly denied any wrongdoing and maintained that it would have been cleared of any misconduct had the case gone to trial. Lawyers representing the consumers asserted that Apple’s misbehavior was so egregious that the company could have been liable for $1.5 billion in damages if it lost the case.

Although Apple hasn’t explained the reasons for making the settlement, major companies often decide it makes more sense to resolve class-action cases rather than to continue to run up legal costs and risk the chance of potentially bad publicity. The lawsuit also targeted one of Apple’s core values framing privacy as a “fundamental human right.”

Although $95 million sounds like a lot of money, it’s a pittance for Apple. Since September 2014, the company’s to-

tal profits have exceeded $700 billion — a streak of prosperity that has helped propel the company’s market value to about $3.7 trillion.

Do I need to be worried about the microphones on other devices spying on me?

Perhaps. A case similar to the one filed against Siri is still active in a San Jose, California, federal court against Google and the virtual assistant in its Android software, which has been widely used in smartphones for years.

Just in case, how do I disable Siri?

You can turn Apple’s virtual assistant off by following these simple steps:

1. Navigate to Settings Siri & Search.

2. Toggle off Listen for ‘Hey Siri’ and press the Side button for Siri.

3. Tap Turn Off Siri when a pop-up window appears.

You can also disable individual apps’ access to your iPhone’s mic by doing the following: Navigate to Settings (select the app) then toggle off Microphone.

After 2 years of shortfalls, Newsom proposes $322B Calif. budget with no deficit

The governor’s plan includes increasing the state’s film and TV tax credit to $750 million

By Trân Nguyen The Associated Press

TURLOCK, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed a $322 billion budget without a deficit, a welcome change after two years of significant budget shortfalls in the nation’s most populous state.

But the budget Newsom announced Monday is mostly a placeholder as California waits to see if incoming President Donald Trump will follow through on threats to revoke billions in federal dollars, which could force lawmakers to make painful cuts to essential programs. About a third of California’s budget relies on funding from the federal government, including tens of billions of dollars to provide health care services. Trump takes office on Jan. 20, and Newsom must sign the final budget by the end of June. California lawmakers already opened a special session to consider giving a fresh $25 million to Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office to defend against or take on potential legal challenges from the Trump administration. Fights are likely between California and Washington, D.C., over climate policy and immigrant rights. State senators have also proposed additional funding to provide free legal services to immigrant communities.

Finding a way to balance the budget in the face of potential federal funding losses will be a major test for Newsom, who is entering the last two years of

LAWSUIT from page A9

offered to buy U.S. Steel for $7 billion. U.S. Steel turned down the offer and later accepted a nearly $15 billion all-cash offer from Nippon Steel, which is the deal that Biden nixed Friday.

The companies allege that Goncalves, in collusion with the U.S. Steelworkers, maneuvered to prevent any party oth-

his final term and continues to be seen as a future presidential contender.

The Democratic governor gave few details about his budget proposal but used the presentation to boast progress on issues where the state has faced criticism, including investment in education and infrastructure and efforts to solve the homelessness crisis.

On Monday, Newsom said he’s optimistic about the state’s future despite the uncertainties ahead.

“We’re also walking into headwinds, a radically different moment in U.S. history,” he said. “We need to be prepared, and I hope you recognize that this budget reflects a foundational focus.”

Newsom’s administration plans to provide more details on the budget proposal before Friday’s deadline to present it to lawmakers. Newsom announced the numbers early before heading out of state for former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral services.

Newsom said he’s proposing little new spending, but the budget does allow the state to fully

er than Cleveland-Cliffs from acquiring U.S. Steel and to damage the Pittsburgh manufacturer’s ability to compete. Neither the Steelworkers nor Ohio’s Cleveland-Cliffs responded immediately to requests by The Associated Press for comment.

Nippon and U.S. Steel said in the lawsuit that they submitted three draft national securi-

California Gov. Gavin Newsom outlines his proposed 2025 $322 billion state budget during a news conference at California State University, Stanislaus in Turlock, California, on Monday.

implement the country’s first universal transitional kindergarten program, which would make such school free for some 400,000 4-year-olds throughout California. That’s an effort Newsom has championed since 2021. His plan also includes increasing the state’s film and TV tax credit to $750 million annually to bring back Hollywood jobs that have gone to New York and Georgia.

He said good planning in the last budget allowed the state to avoid a major shortfall this year.

“Last year, we endeavored to make this year’s budget a nonevent,” he said.

The governor’s office also estimates tax revenues for this year are $16.5 billion above projections, thanks to the booming stock market and rapid income growth for high-income Californians.

That has helped the state weather the sluggish economy with limited job growth and ongoing weak consumer spending.

California’s economy is the fifth largest in the world. Last year, the state faced an estimated budget deficit of $46.8 billion and, in the previous year, a bud-

ty agreements to CFIUS in the fall to address any concerns.

The companies said in their lawsuit that CFIUS was told not to offer any counterproposals or hold discussions with them.

Nippon and U.S. Steel argue that the review process was manipulated so that the outcome would support a decision they say Biden had already made.

The companies said Biden

Agency sues Walmart, Branch for gig drivers

New York The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has sued Walmart and work scheduling platform Branch Messenger for allegedly forcing delivery drivers who are part of its gig program to use costly deposit accounts to get paid and mispresented how they could access their wages. The agency alleged last week that for approximately two years starting in 2021, Walmart and Branch violated federal law by forcing 1 million drivers on its so-called Spark program to use Branch to get paid and that they would terminate workers who didn’t want to use these accounts. Walmart’s Spark program uses gig workers who make deliveries from Walmart stores nationwide on so-called “last mile” deliveries.

Some

environmental groups OK cleaner hydrogen tax credit

The Biden administration released long-awaited final rules last Friday for a tax credit that will send billions of dollars to producers of cleaner hydrogen. The new rules drew cautious praise from environmental groups, who said they would likely reduce planet-warming emissions but include loopholes that could still reward producers of dirty hydrogen. The administration is trying to ramp up hydrogen production to displace fossil fuels as an energy source for sectors of the economy that emit massive greenhouse gases yet are difficult to electrify, such as long-haul transportation and industrial manufacturing.

Berkshire Hathaway ignored red flags in home loans

Omaha, Neb.

get shortfall of $32 billion. The state also saved $1.2 billion over two years by eliminating roughly 6,500 vacant positions in state departments and another $3.5 billion from cutting travel budgets and modernizing IT systems, Newsom said.

Still, such deficits have forced the state to pare back or delay some of its progressive policies that were fueled by record-breaking surpluses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republican state Sen. Roger Niello, who sits on the budget committee, said the governor failed to provide a plan to help address future budget deficits. In November, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office warned the state could face double-digit shortfalls in the next few years.

“We’re looking at $20-30 billion deficits, and unless we start doing something to address that now, it’s going to become very difficult,” Niello said in an interview.

Newsom said Monday that he supports efforts to grow the state’s rainy-day fund but acknowledged it would be a “herculean effort.”

Newsom poked at Trump’s planned Department of Government Efficiency, to be run by Elon Musk. The governor noted his efforts to create an Office of Data and Innovation designed to streamline government back in 2019.

“Our D.O.G.E. is spelled O.D.I.,” he said. Unlike most states, California taxes capital gains — mostly money made from investments and stocks — at the same rate as money made from wages and salaries. The result is nearly half of the state’s income tax collections comes from only 1% of the population.

used “undue influence to advance his political agenda.”

Nippon, however, will face an incoming administration that has also vowed to block the deal.

President-elect Donald Trump last month underscored his intention to block the deal and pledged to use tax incentives and tariffs to strengthen the iconic American steelmaker.

The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said in a lawsuit that a unit of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway ignored red flags that borrowers couldn’t afford the mortgages they were given to buy manufactured homes from another Berkshire company. The CFPB said Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance’s decisions put many families in a position where they struggled to pay their bills. A Vanderbilt spokesperson said the company is reviewing the lawsuit but didn’t immediately comment on it. Vanderbilt is a unit of Berkshire’s Clayton Homes. Clayton is the nation’s largest builder of manufactured homes.

FDA limits toxic lead in some baby foods

The Food and Drug Administration has set maximum levels for lead in baby foods like jarred fruits and vegetables, yogurts and dry cereal. It’s part of an effort to cut young kids’ exposure to the toxic metal that causes developmental and neurological problems. The FDA issued guidance it said could reduce lead exposure from processed baby foods by about 20% to 30%. The limits are not mandatory, but they allow the FDA to take enforcement action if foods exceed the levels.

Cash $2,503,426,338 Receipts $239,864,857 Disbursements $228,881,027 Cash Balance $2,514,379,041

RICH PEDRONCELLI / AP PHOTO

last pony standing

The Dark Horse proves the V8 still has some fight left

By Jordan Golson North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Ford Mustang Dark Horse shouldn’t work in 2025. A 500-horsepower, V8-powered rear-wheel drive coupe with a six-speed manual transmission feels like something from another era — and in many ways, it is. But while the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro have galloped off into the sunset, Ford has created not just a farewell to the American muscle car but perhaps its finest moment.

The Dark Horse is a study in contradictions. The six-speed manual, with its perfectly weighted titanium shift knob, delivers one of the smoothest-shifting experiences I’ve ever had in a car. The shifter is so perfectly crafted you’ll find yourself resting your hand on it even when you’re not changing gears, like a favorite fidget toy. Every shift is accompanied by perfect rev-matching that makes anyone feel like a heeltoe hero when downshifting for a stoplight. Those downshifts are accompanied by a glorious exhaust note that can be adjusted from “respectful neighbor” to “wake the dead” with a toggle of the drive mode. In fact, here’s a pro tip: If you want to turn heads, switch to Race mode before starting the car. The resulting cold-start bark will ensure everyone within earshot knows something special just arrived.

But what’s most impressive about the Dark Horse is how thoroughly modern it is. The adaptive cruise control works seamlessly even with the manual transmission — a rarity — and the cabin tech puts many luxury cars to shame. Wireless Apple CarPlay, a wireless phone charger perfectly positioned in front of the shifter, and customizable digital displays that can mimic everything from a 1965 Mustang’s gauges to a 1980s Fox Body create a perfect blend of retro charm and modern convenience.

During a weeklong road trip around North Carolina last summer, the Dark Horse proved surprisingly livable. Visibility is excellent — a welcome improvement over previous Mustangs — and in its comfort settings, the adaptive suspension soaks up rough roads with aplomb. Even fuel economy is reasonable for 500 horsepower, landing in the low 20s on the highway.

There are compromises, of course. The track-focused summer tires that come with the performance package are basically undrivable below 40 degrees and will wear out faster than your patience for gas station small talk. My advice? Swap them immediately for something more practical and save the sticky rubber for track days. But that’s the thing about the Dark Horse — it’s not trying to be all things to all people. This is a car for enthusiasts who understand that sometimes the best things in life require a little extra effort. One morning, I walked across an empty hotel parking lot to find the Dark Horse sitting under a leafy tree,

its Vapor Blue paint gleaming in the morning sun. The massive rear wing, dark wheels and various Dark Horse touches scattered across the bodywork create a presence that demanded I stop and stare. This is a car

that makes you look back after every parking job, and that’s perhaps the truest test of great design.

The Dark Horse’s split personality is its greatest achievement. It’s a legitimate track

weapon that’s docile enough to drive to work. The V8 is happy to burble along in traffic, and you can even start in second or third gear without complaint. But toggle the drive mode selector, and you’ve got a snarling beast ready for the nearest autocross or track day. At just under $80,000 fully loaded, the Dark Horse isn’t cheap. But compared to similarly capable sports cars from Germany, it delivers a uniquely American take on performance that somehow feels both modern and delightfully old-school. For the right enthusiast — someone who appreciates the engineering that went into making 500 horsepower both thrilling and manageable — it’s something of a bargain. This is a car that can commute all week and dominate at track days on the weekend, all while making you grin like a teenager who just got their license.

As the automotive world inevitably shifts toward electrification, the Dark Horse stands as a testament to what internal combustion can be at its finest. It’s a thoroughly modern take on the muscle car formula, delivering performance that would have been supercar territory not long ago, with enough technology and refinement to make it a genuine daily driver. If this is indeed the last great American muscle car, at least it’s also the best one yet.

JORDAN GOLSON / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The Dark Horse is such a beautiful beast, I was happy to admire it as I walked across the parking lot.

ALL OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY FORD

Panthers have a QB, B3

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Smart, father of Georgia coach, dies after fall in New Orleans Athens, Ga.

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart’s father died early Saturday of complications from hip surgery after falling in New Orleans ahead of the Sugar Bowl. Sonny Smart fell while walking on New Year’s Eve and fractured his hip. He was hospitalized and had hip surgery at Ochsner Medical Center, where he died surrounded by family. A longtime high school football coach, Sonny coached Kirby in high school. He became a regular at his son’s games when Kirby became Georgia’s head coach in 2016.

MLB Morton agrees to 1-year, $15M deal with Orioles

Baltimore Veteran right-hander Charlie Morton and the Baltimore Orioles agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract. The 41-year-old Morton will try to fill a hole in Baltimore’s rotation in his 18th season. Morton has a career record of 138-123. He pitched 1651/3 innings for the Braves last year, posting a 4.19 ERA.

NFL Ravens QB Jackson becomes first member of 4,000-900 club

Baltimore Lamar Jackson capped a sensational regular season with a pair of NFL records, leading the Baltimore Ravens to a second straight AFC North title in a win over the Cleveland Browns. Jackson became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 900 in a single season. No one had ever hit 4,000 and 800. Jackson also became the first quarterback with at least 4,000 yards passing and 40 touchdown passes with four or fewer interceptions.

Midseason report: Inconsistent play hampers Hurricanes

After a hot start, Carolina hasn’t won three straight since before Thanksgiving

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — The first half of the Hurricanes’ season can be summarized in one word: inconsistent.

From Martin Necas’ redhot November to pedestrian December, Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho’s 5-on-5 woes, and a rotating cast of five goalies, Carolina has at times looked dominant and other times totally lost.

It is, however, worth remembering that some thought the team’s offseason roster overhaul would perhaps end the Hurricanes’ six-season playoff streak.

That doesn’t appear likely — in fact, Carolina’s summer additions have proven to be a success.

Tuesday’s game after press time in Tampa Bay — a make-up affair after the Hurricanes-Lightning game scheduled for Oct. 12 was postponed due to Hurricane Milton — was Carolina’s 41st of the season, marking the midway point of the 2024-25 season.

Here are some of the best and worst of the season’s first three months.

Necas breaks through, then doesn’t

Necas looked like he was headed out of Raleigh in the offseason, but Carolina didn’t get a good enough offer to deal

See CANES , page B3

State,

Carolina meet in rivalry that’s grown much tighter

The era of UNC dominance left with Roy Williams

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

ROY WILLIAMS can frequently be found at UNC basketball games. He’s often with his wife, usually in a seat close to courtside and, based on the amount of air time he gets from ESPN and other networks, somewhere that it’s easy for TV cameras to find. Since 2021, however, you haven’t been able to find him standing in front the Tar Heels’ bench. Never is that more obvious than when the opponent is NC State. Ol’ Roy made no secret of his distaste for NC State, nor of his joy in beating the Wolfpack. Williams had a record of 33-5 against the Wolfpack while at

UNC, leaving a trail of broken NC State coaches in his wake. Herb Sendek was 0-6 against Roy. Sidney Lowe was 1-10, Mark Gottfried 2-10 and Kevin Keatts 2-6.

Now that Williams is sitting with the fans, however, it’s a different story. Davis and the Heels won their first three matchups with the Pack, but since then, things have evened

23-2

Roy Williams’ record against NC State from 2004 to 2015. Hubert Davis has gone 2-2 since February 2023.

up. Keatts and UNC coach Hubert Davis have split the last four games between the teams.

In other words, in a 121/2-month span, Davis had as many losses to State as Williams did in his first 11 years on the job. (Roy went 23-2 against the Wolfpack to start his UNC coaching career.) In March, a win over the Tar Heels helped propel State on its miracle run to the Final Four. It was the Wolfpack’s first ACC Tournament win over the Heels since 1987. The rivalry gets renewed for its traditional early-January meeting between red and blue this Saturday at Lenovo Center. Both teams enter sorely in need of a win over anyone and desperately trying to avoid

SUSAN WALSH / AP PHOTO

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis, right, and NC

State head coach Kevin Keatts, left, shake hands after State beat the Tar Heels for the ACC title.

KARL B. DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO

Hurricanes forward Martin Necas, right, celebrates his go-ahead goal during Carolina’s Nov. 5 win over the Flyers.

KARL DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov fails to stop a shot by the Minnesota Wild during a January game. Kochetkov is one of five goalies the Hurricanes have used this season.

TRENDING

Ron Rivera:

The former Washington and Carolina coach interviewed with the Jets. He’s the coaching candidate to meet with the team. ESPN analyst and former NFL safety Louis Riddick also interviewed with the team for their general manager vacancy. Rivera went 76-631 with the Panthers, leading them to Super Bowl 50.

the Commanders after going 4-13 last season.

Jon Scheyer:

The Duke coach didn’t travel with his fourth-ranked Blue Devils for Saturday’s 89-62 win at SMU because of illness Associate head coach Chris Carrawell led Duke as the acting coach against the Mustangs

a similar role in Mike Krzyzewski’s Coach K missed occasional games. Scheyer was expected to return to the bench for Duke’s next game.

Saquon Barkley:

The running back was inactive Sunday for the Philadelphia Eagles’ regular season the New York Giants, denying the running back a chance to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record.

season with 2,005 yards rushing 101 yards shy of Dickerson s 2,105 in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams.

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“You can’t hide got You’re just a dead man walking.”

TNT’s Charles Barkley on Lakers’ coach

JJ Redick’s struggles in

“Literally don’t care. I have other thoughts, but don’t care.”

JJ Redick’s response to Charles Barkley’s criticism.

PRIME NUMBER 573

Career 30-point games by LeBron James, breaking Michael Jordan’s NBA record. James set the new mark in his 1,523rd game Jordan scored 30 points or more 572 times in 1,072 career games.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Ma x Brosmer threw for 211 yards and a touchdown, Darius Taylor ran for 113 yards a TD and also threw for a score, and Minnesota extended its bowl winning streak to eight with a 24-10 victor y over Virginia Tech in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte Elijah Spencer had si x catches for 81 yards and two TDs Coach P.J. Fleck (pictured) got the bowl’s traditional mayo bath after the game.

Ripken The Bat Dog, the black Lab know n for fetching bats and football kicking tees, died of complications from an undiagnosed medical condition The 8-year-old appeared at Durham Bulls baseball, a s well a s NC State and Carolina Panthers football games Ripken also participated in a Hurricanes’ ceremonial puck drop.

COLLEGE SOCCER

NA SCAR driver Shane van Gisbergen walked away unhur t from a multiple car crash at a dir t track speedway in Auckland, New Zealand. Van Gisbergen, who drives the No 88 Chevrolet ZL1 for Track house Racing in the NA SCAR Cup Series, was driv ing in a sprint car race at the Western Springs Speedway.

UNC junior forward Kate Faasse (pictured) and Ohio State senior Adedokun were voted Hermann Trophy winners a s the top college soccer players in the United States Faasse scored an NCAA-leading 20 goals, including four in the NCA A Tournament a s the Tar Heels won their 23rd title Voting by coaches is conducted annually by the Missour i Athletic Club.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALLNASCAR SHAWN

ROBERT SIMMONS /

NC State names new coordinators as part of coaching shake-up

Kurt Roper and D.J. Eliot will have their hands full trying to get the program back on track

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

AFTER FINISHING out one of their worst seasons in the Dave Doeren era with a 26 -21 Military Bowl loss to ECU, NC State football clearly needed to make some changes.

The Wolfpack looked to be all in this past season with a revamped offense and a veteran-heavy defense, but there’s no other way to spin a 6-7 overall record and 3-5 conference record other than a colossal failure on both sides of the ball.

Even with disruptions due to some key injuries, it was clear that something needed to give.

The first big decision to be made was the firing of offensive coordinator Robert Anae, who was let go just two days after the season ended despite having one year remaining on his contract.

“I want to thank Robert and wish him and his family the best,” said Doeren in a press release. “I have great respect for him and appreciate the work he has done.”

Anae spent two seasons with the Wolfpack, and despite being heralded as an offen-

then Colorado interim head coach, will get the opportunity to run the Wolfpack offense as coordinator for the 2025 season.

sive wizard, his supposed genius never shined at NC State, where the offense was way too inconsistent on a week-to-week basis.

In his place, quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper was named the new OC.

Roper, who will also continue coaching the quarterbacks, has been with NC State for six seasons but has 30 years of coaching experience under his belt.

“Kurt has done a great job for us and knows what we need

5-12 Panthers improbably set at quarterback headed into offseason

Bryce Young took a roundabout route to the starting job

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

WITH A WIN on the final day of the regular season, the Carolina Panthers fell to the No. 8 spot in the 2025 NFL Draft.

That means the Panthers will likely be picking after Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders — the top two quarterback prospects in the draft — have been taken.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that plenty of arm talent is still available. The Panthers could trade down or possibly even wait until the second round to take Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers or Georgia’s Carson Beck. Or, in an even later round, Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard and Ohio State’s Will Howard will be up for grabs.

That’s the good news. But here’s the even better news for the Carolina Panthers: It doesn’t

CANES from page B1

their tantalizing winger and instead re-signed the 25-year-old to a two-year extension.

The Hurricanes looked like geniuses in the season’s first two months as Necas sat near or atop the NHL in scoring, and he had 44 points through 30 games.

It hasn’t gone as well since. Necas went without a point in his next six and has just three points — his lone goal was into an empty net — in the last 10.

Carolina probably isn’t firmly in a playoff spot with Necas’ remarkable start, but if this team is going anywhere in the spring, the speedy forward needs to at least show some flashes of what made him so effective earlier in the season.

Meanwhile, Aho and Svechnikov have struggled to score at 5-on-5 (five and one goals, re-

look like they need to care which quarterbacks are on the board.

Following the Panthers’ overtime win in Atlanta to close out their 2024 season, owner David Tepper told the NFL Network, “I think we’ve got our quarterback here.”

A funny thing happened on Bryce Young’s journey to NFL Draft bust. The top pick in the 2023 draft, Young went to the Panthers, who traded a king’s ransom for the chance to choose him. After an unmitigated disaster of a rookie season, Young opened 2024 with a new coach — noted quarterback whisperer Dave Canales.

Two weeks into the season, however, Canales had seen enough, benching Young in favor of journeyman Andy Dalton. Young appeared to have regressed from his rookie year, showing a hesitancy to throw deep, uncertainty in the pocket and just general poor decision making.

At the time of his benching, Young had produced one touchdown drive in his last four games and gone without a touchdown pass in eight of his last nine out-

spectively, though Aho looks like he’s finally starting to heat up. New guys, right guys

The Hurricanes lost a wealth of talent to free agency: Jake Guentzel, Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teravainen all departed for greener pastures over the summer — namely more than $160 million in combined salary over the life of their new deals.

Carolina simply didn’t have the salary cap space to match those offers, so new GM Eric Tulsky had to shop for cheaper replacements.

Those signings have panned out.

The Hurricanes plugged their two holes on defense with Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker for a combined $6.8 million — $200,000 less than Skjei

The veteran coach has offensive coordinator experience from three other stops: Duke (2008-13), Florida (2014) and South Carolina (2016-17).

In addition, the Wolfpack have named Gavin Locklear their new tight ends coach. He had previously served as the offensive quality control coach.

On the other side of the ball, NC State already needed to replace highly respected defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, who left for the head coaching job at Marshall before NC State’s final game, but there might have been some hard conversations had he decided to stay given the massive step back the defense took this season.

to do to take the next step forward as a program,” Doeren said. “He has a great relationship with our players, a great knowledge of college football and the ACC, and I’m looking forward to seeing him as a play caller.”

Roper undersaw freshman quarterback CJ Bailey’s massive growth this season which culminated in Bailey finishing the year with the second most yards (2,413) and touchdowns (17) by a rookie quarterback in program history.

To fill the vacancy, the Wolfpack decided to look outside the program and brought in 27-year veteran coach D.J. Eliot, who will be not only the new defensive coordinator but will serve as linebackers coach as well.

NC State’s new DC brings experience from the NFL and four different college conferences to the table for the Wolfpack.

Eliot was most recently a senior analyst at Baylor this past season, but his most recent coaching job was with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 where he was the team’s linebackers coach.

“D.J. is a great addition to

ings. If he wasn’t a full-blown bust, it was at least well on its way to being inflated.

NFL teams spend a small fortune in salary, technology and manpower hours to evaluate and develop quarterbacks. And, as observers seem to conclude each year following another draft, no one seems to know exactly what makes a quarterback succeed in the league.

Tom Brady, the consensus quarterback GOAT, was famously a skinny sixth-round pick who only got to play when New England’s starter was rushed to the hospital. There was no master plan or blueprint for success — just internal bleeding and a next-man-up mentality.

Young, on a seemingly irredeemable path to Bustville, had a similar fluke twist of fate turn him around.

will cost Nashville against the cap this season — and have gotten their money’s worth.

Gostisbehere, who is currently week to week with an injury, is 15th among NHL defensemen in scoring despite having missed six games. His work on the first power play unit — where he has 18 points, second only to Colorado’s Cale Makar — helped Carolina to the top of the league with the man advantage.

Walker’s impact isn’t as noticeable on the stat sheet, but he has gotten better as the season progressed and brought some bite to the back end despite being one of the league’s smaller defensemen.

Jack Roslovic and Eric Robinson may not have the name recognition of Guentzel and Teravainen, but both are on pace for career years.

our staff,” Doeren said. “He has worked with some of the greatest minds in college football, mostly recently with Dave Aranda at Baylor. He brings a wide variety of experience schematically and as a former N FL coach, he knows what it takes to develop players so they can make it to the next level.”

Eliot has been a defensive coordinator at four other stops: Kentucky (2013-16), Colorado (2017-18), Kansas (2019-20) and Temple (2022).

After multiple years of dominance, the Wolfpack’s defense was very pedestrian this year, allowing 391.6 yards per game. The lack of a true difference maker outside of Davin Vann definitely hurt the defense, but NC State’s struggles in third-a nd-long situations and just the run in general were noticeable to say the least, so Eliot is going to have his work cut out for him, especially with the flight of more than a few veteran defensive backs to the transfer portal.

Other changes to the defensive staff include the retirement of safeties coach Joe DeForest and promotion of Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay to co-defensive coordinator. Aughtry-Lindsay served as interim DC for the Military Bowl but had been the team’s nickels coach for the past five years. On top of his new coordinator duties, he’ll continue to coach t he nickels as well as the safeties.

“Freddie has done a great job for us and has earned the respect of our players and coaches. I’m excited to watch him in this new role,” Doeren said.

keeping him from picking up a few votes for Panthers’ 2024 team MVP. His fender bender helped put Young back on the road to success.

He threw for two touchdowns that week against Denver and another one the following week against the Raiders, matching his total for his previous 13 games. It also started a streak of 10 straight games with at least one touchdown pass, which is still active headed into the offseason.

Young improved steadily and seemed to be at his best in the final weeks of the season. He finished the year with three straight multiple-touchdown games.

For weeks, Canales had refused to speculate on when Young would get another chance or even what the quarterback had to do to earn that shot. There was little in the way of encouraging words, as the coach gave every sign that the team was ready to move on from their top pick.

Then Dalton picked up his kids from school and was heading to evening activities — “We were headed home,” he explained. “Gonna take them to a tennis lesson, then a baseball game.”

Instead, another drive T-boned their car. No one in the family was seriously injured, but Dalton suffered a sprained thumb that would keep him off the field that week.

Police didn’t release the name of the other driver in the collision, which likely is all that’s

Roslovic already has 17 goals — five shy of his career high — and is trending toward a 50-point season. Robinson has nine goals and 20 points through 40 games, and he’s been a perfect fit for coach Rod Brind’Amour’s aggressive forecheck.

Speaking of ideal matches, William Carrier has seamlessly fit alongside Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook on Carolina’s checking line. Squad goals

The Hurricanes have played five different goalies this season, led by Pyotr Kocketkov. It’s been an up-and-down year so far for the Russian goalie, who has won 15 of 23 decisions but has hovered around a .900 save percentage all season. Frederik Andersen is again injured, but he should

“How about Bryce?” Canales asked after the season finale. “To talk about just being able to call whatever I wanted to call on the call sheet, knowing that he was going to find a positive outcome. … And how freeing that is just to be able to call whatever fits that area, you know, not have to second guess the calls. He gave us that ability to do that.”

And the coach, who had not had an encouraging word for his young quarterback in the early season, was asked about Young’s future.

“Well, I’d say we’ll take it week to week, but we’ve got no more weeks,” Canales said with a smile, his reputation as a QB guru once again intact. “So yeah, Bryce is our quarterback. I’m so proud of the way that he just took the challenge, and he just grew every week. He just took new lessons, new things, applied it to his game, was engaged, challenging the guys, you know, the whole thing.” Just the way the blueprint was drawn up all along.

be back before March barring any setbacks.

Spencer Martin posted his first career NHL shutout before stumbling, and Dustin Tokarski has filled in admirably since, winning three of four starts. What’s ahead?

Carolina has a pretty even split of home and road games in the season’s second half, playing 21 at home compared to 20 on the road. According to Tankathon.com, the Hurricanes have one of the easier strengths of schedule, ranking in the bottom quarter of the league for remaining difficulty. The Hurricanes should have the ability to add at the trade deadline, plus prized prospect Alexander Nikishin will likely join the team as soon as his KHL season is over.

JEFF CHIU / AP PHOTO

Kurt Roper,

DANNY KARNIK / AP PHOTO

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) celebrates a touchdown during the second half of the season finale in Atlanta.

Hornets continue to spiral as midseason approaches

Charlotte has a 2-18 record in its last 20 games

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — When the cleansing refresh of a new year has arrived but a team only has one meager win to show for itself since Thanksgiving, it’s fair to say that the season might have already gone down the tubes.

The midseason of the Charlotte Hornets’ 2024-25 campaign quickly approaches as the freefalling team (7-27) finds itself facedown on the ground weighed down by a 10-game losing streak, a 2-18 record in its past 20 games, and a general sense of directionless as poor shooting and injury woes doom the rotation night in and night out.

It hasn’t been a great start for first-year coach Charles Lee and his floundering squad, which has struggled so mightily throughout the first 21/2 months of the season that the Queen City franchise already feels like it’s flirting with tank mode by early January.

Ranked 29th in offense (105.8 points per game) and 15th in defense (112.5 points allowed per game), the Hornets have failed to win back-to-back games since Nov. 6-8 and are closely resembling last season’s uneven squad that had a similar 8-26 record at

JACOB KUPFERMAN / AP PHOTO

Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee talks with center Nick Richards (4) during a recent game against the Bulls.

this same exact point in the year.

“We’ve talked about being able to sustain our effort, our focus, competitiveness, our togetherness,” Lee said after his team’s 115-105 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday night.

Through a rocky period of sustained injuries, the game marked only the seventh time over the last year-plus that Charlotte’s core four of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Mark Williams have been together on the floor at the same time.

“We’re just trying out how to embrace some of that physicality and also learn just how to re-

“We’re just trying out how to embrace some of that physicality and also learn just how to reset and refocus as another team goes on a run.”

Charles Lee, Hornets coach

set and refocus as another team goes on a run,” Lee added. “I think for a young group, it’s understanding, ‘OK, these are the positives we kind of had to build ourselves a lead. They are making a run and now we just need

to reset and refocus then go on

our run.’”

In a season that has now coagulated into a miserable skid, Charlotte’s 125-119 road loss to Milwaukee back on Nov. 23 now stands out as a turning point for the spiral. In retrospect, it was probably a harbinger of misfortune to come that Ball exploded for a career-high 50 points and yet the team still managed to lose.

However, the Hornets were only 6-10 at that point; not exactly close to the disaster zone that Charlotte has nosedived into since then.

Beyond the game that included Ball’s standout performance, that Saturday in November was also the night when forward Grant Williams suffered a season-ending ACL tear in right knee, a loss that has been more impactful than perhaps expected when it happened.

The Charlotte native wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire with his 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, but his absence during the 18 games since his injury indicates he meant more to the squad’s overall performance than what was previously assumed.

“It’s definitely emotional,” Lee said of his outlook directly following Williams’ early-season exit. “I kind of caught myself feeling a little emotional after the Milwaukee game because he’s had such a great impact on everything we’ve done, especial-

With just 18-months on the job, Raleigh native named Groundskeeper of the Year

Dylan Hendricks was named head groundskeeper in July 2023

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

FOR DYLAN Hendricks, a 23-year old Raleigh native, his experience with the Durham Bulls just started with going to games with his family as a kid.

While watching the players and taking in all of the ballpark’s changes over the years, he was merely a fan enjoying the gameday experiences put together by the team’s extensive staff. It never crossed his mind that he’d one day have his own hand in the stadium’s operation, let alone be recognized by Minor League Baseball for his work.

And it didn’t take long for that unimagined reality to come. After joining the Bulls’ grounds crew as a college undergrad and moving into the head groundskeeper role this past year after three seasons, the MiLB announced Hendricks as the International League’s Head Groundskeeper of the Year for the 2024 season in November.

“It’s a great honor to receive an award just like this,” Hendricks said. “It’s very exciting to get this so early in my career.

“There were a lot of obstacles this year with weather, staff wise, but the biggest thing that led me to this was just the astounding grounds crew that I have and the different coworkers that assisted me through the season.”

RIVALRY from page B1

taking a loss to “those guys.”

Heading into a Wednesday home game against Notre Dame, State was riding a two-game losing streak, falling on the road to Virginia and Wake, the latter by 18 points after falling behind 19-4 to start the game. State has lost three of its last four and six of nine since Thanksgiving.

“I think we lost our intensity,” said Keatts. “The Wake Forest game was very similar to the Kansas game (the first of the current 1-3 stretch). You get down 13 to 15, and then you battle back, and in both games, it was a six-point game at half-

COURTESY DYLAN HENDRICKS

Head groundskeeper Dylan Hendricks makes sure the Durham Bulls field is green, lush and painted up before first pitch.

Although groundskeeping wasn’t in mind in Hendricks’ younger days, his hobbies set him on his way. Growing up, Hendricks loved sports, playing soccer and baseball, and he also would mow

time and an eight-point game at halftime. We just have to get past the stretches where we don’t play well. If I could cut out those stretches, then we’d be undefeated right now.”

One bright spot for the Pack in recent games has been Dontrez Styles. A Tar Heel from 2021 to 2023, Styles scored six total points in three games against the Wolfpack. Keatts hopes to get more than that from him as he becomes the first basketball player to suit up for both sides of the rivalry since players were coming back from serving in World War II.

“Dontrez is a really good basketball player,” Keatts said, “and what we’re trying to get from

lawns. In high school, his brother and a friend started an unofficial landscaping business where they would work on a few yards in the community for some extra money in the summer.

“It was something to do in the

him is for him to feel comfortable on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively, and trying to fit him into what we’re trying to do. And one of the things we’ve asked him to do is to be really aggressive.”

Meanwhile, things are only marginally better for Styles’ old team. The Tar Heels had a comeback, last-second win over Notre Dame, 74-73, over the weekend to avoid a two -game losing streak heading into a game against SMU on Tuesday. UNC lost to Louisville by 13 on New Year’s Day, collapsing down the stretch, and they looked less than impressive in a win over UCLA just before Christmas.

ly since I’ve been hired here. He’s one of the veteran voices in the locker room that’s just been in a lot of different moments and had a lot of different experiences with the several teams he’s been with.”

As the second half of the season nears, Charlotte has to find some way to get over the hump of coming up short in nearly every matchup it plays.

Perhaps Ball, Miller, Bridges and Williams can finally jell and develop their on-court chemistry that has been roadblocked over and over. Each player has had flashes of brilliance throughout the season, although none have had it occur at the same time.

Lee and his coaching staff are in desperate need for the team’s bench players to step up their game.

Backup point guard Tre Mann was answering the call with an average of more than 14 points per game in his nightly 24 minutes prior to his back injury; he is expected to be reevaluated next week to estimate his potential return to the court.

This is the time for players like Josh Green, Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic and Nick Richards to take some pressure off the core four by holding their own, giving the Hornets some much-needed production before the season slips off into a comatose state that rivals some of the worst seasons Charlotte has ever had.

he gained in the three years prior to the promotion and his time watching former head groundskeeper Cameron Brendle, who is now the Bulls’ director of operations and grounds, for his early head groundskeeping success.

“It’s very exciting to get this so early in my career.”

Dylan Hendricks

summer, and it’s a good learning curve to the real world,” Hendricks said.

When figuring out what to do in the real world as an undergrad at NC State, Hendricks decided to combine his affinities for sports and landscaping and pursue a degree in turfgrass science.

During Hendricks’ sophomore year, Joe Stumpo, the Durham Bulls’ head groundskeeper at the time, shared a presentation to the NC State Turf Club over Zoom and asked if anyone was interested in joining the Bulls’ groundskeeping staff. Hendricks got in contact with him and earned a part-time role with the groundskeeping crew that he kept for three seasons before his big promotion.

“May of 2023 is when I graduated,” Hendricks said. “I got the job in July of 2023. That season is really what helped me a lot because I was still on the grounds crew until July, and when I got the job, it was all kind of a weird transition here at the Bulls because we had one person move up, another person moved up, and I was able to move into the head groundskeeper position, so we’re all kind of assisting each other in the transition.”

Hendricks credits his current grounds crew, the experience

Carolina’s biggest problem has been the absence of Seth Trimble. The junior has been a 14.8-point scorer and a defensive stalwart for UNC this year, but Notre Dame was the third straight game he missed with an ailment that’s only been described as an “upper body injury.” Davis said Trimble returned to practice Sunday, participating in full-contact drills, but his status was still uncertain as of press time. Trimble’s absence has underscored ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis’ shooting slump. The fifth-year senior is hitting 3s at a .268 clip, down 130 points from last year. He was held to eight points and 0 for 3 from

“I was able to kind of see how he does his job here, and I was able to take that and put that into my thoughts, and I kind of reflect how much I do around him,” Hendricks said about Brendle. “I learned a lot from him, and that’s kind of the reason I’m here today.”

For Hendricks, day-to-day duties as the head groundskeeper differ depending on if it’s preseason, a game day or an off week during the season. Preseason deals with a lot of on and off the field work, including planning schedules and purchasing items, while off weeks during the season involves aeration, top dressing fertilization and other cultural practices to the field.

Game days can be the busiest days with mowing the field, painting lines, doing dirt work to the infield and the mound, keeping moisture in the field, dragging the field and completing postgame maintenance.

“It’s a long day,” Hendricks said.

Only a few years into the groundskeeping business, Hendricks feels it’s too early to know where his journey will take him, although he doesn’t envision himself leaving North Carolina. He’s not limiting himself to baseball for the rest of his career, though, as he feels the future depends on whatever opportunities are presented.

That way of thinking has worked for him before.

“It’s pretty cool,” Hendricks said. “I would’ve never imagined that I would be in the situation that I am today, especially being here as a fan.”

3-point range against Notre Dame. It was his first time failing to score in double figures in 22 games and the first time he hasn’t hit a trey in 16.

“Everywhere he goes, they’re putting a bigger defender on him and bodying him coming off screens,” Coach Davis said. “And if he comes off the screen, boom, they’re putting two on the ball.” Still, increased attention is nothing new for Davis, who has been UNC’s most reliable scorer for the last four-plus years. He’ll certainly be the focus of the Wolfpack’s attention when the two old foes meet again on Saturday, in a rivalry that’s gotten much tighter of late.

Living side by side in the High Country

Lesser-known towns were being overlooked by the media

By Deanna Ballard Special for North State Journal

LANSING — Downtown was buzzing with the warmth of Christmas magic as the community celebrated the grand reopening of businesses since the destruction of Hurricane Helene. At the Old Orchard Creek General Store, a steady stream of customers filled the space from sunup to sundown recently. This hopeful milestone marks a special time for locals who have come together like family to rebuild their beloved town.

Owner Shelby Tramel and her team spread holiday cheer, raising coffee cups and wine glasses to the renovation of her store in a mere 2½ months.

“The store reopening means the vibrancy of downtown will continue to thrive and expand, and that is important for a small town like ours,” Tramel said.

The spirit of celebration filled the air with live music by local Americana duo the Wild Hares. Sheri Castle, host of the Emmy award-winning PBS cooking show “Key Ingredient,” served up delicious chili and cornbread.

In September, when Old Field Creek and Big Horse Creek swelled and flooded the town with more than 20 feet of muddy water, volunteers came from far and wide to muck out mud, hang drywall, paint and replace equipment in the General Store. The old wooden floors remain, but the water line has left its mark as a reminder of what the people of Ashe County have endured.

As I sipped my steaming mug of hot cider on the sidelines, observing and sharing in the joy of this momentous day, I reflected on those harrowing days after the storm. I’d worked alongside local volunteers in so many areas across this region at various distribution centers, churches, and homesites in recent months, and I did what I could to direct supplies to our mountain communities, which mean so much to me.

On this particular evening, gratitude filled my heart as I watched the historic Mrs. Hart’s store building become a gathering place once again, embodying the love and resolve poured out by the community in the face of overwhelming loss. It also served as a reminder that the most challenging moments often come right before significant growth and change — in this case, Helene proved herself to be Exhibit A.

Yet experiencing their delight side by side refreshed my soul as I knew it meant the small towns of western North Carolina’s High Country would once again reopen and discover how much stronger they are than they think.

I hold a special place in my heart for our mountain communities for so many reasons. I was honored to serve as the people’s representative in the state senate for counties like Avery, Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Al-

leghany and Wilkes from 201622 and have continued to foster local growth even after my term. When Helene ravaged areas where I was deeply invested, I drew on my experience as a public servant and community member to help however I could. The relationships I’d built with families, educators, business owners and local county leadership proved invaluable, allowing me to tap into a thriving network of dedicated, everyday people using their gifts in extraordinary ways.

After the storm, phone calls started rolling in from contacts all over the state due to my familiarity with these mountain districts and my resourcefulness in managing hard-hitting events. During my work with the Bush administration in the early 2000s, I was sent to New Orleans and Mississippi as a boots-on-the-ground liaison in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. During that time, I worked with DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and local county emergency management directors to help provide real-time, accurate situational awareness to federal leaders as local and state leadership were actively responding to the crisis. Understanding how to help when local governments were incapacitated — without duplicating efforts or adding more confusion — has been key to my role in supporting clear direction and effective aid.

After transitioning from the

federal government, I accepted a position with Samaritan’s Purse, where I often “triaged” information to ensure all relevant parties operated with the same information and that our president/CEO had the best intel for informed decision-making. Between my public and nonprofit work, I have served for nearly 20 years, cutting through chaos with a clear head and decisive next steps.

But when I settled in Watauga more than 15 years ago, I never could have imagined a 1,000-year flood hitting so close to home, destroying so much of what I love about my home state. Having faced the costliest hurricane in U.S. history during Katrina, served in state leadership through a national pandemic, and endured the second deadliest inland hurricane on record, I found myself getting to work using my unique skill set alongside others doing the same. People I’d never met were reaching out with supplies, heavy machinery and teams of volunteers wondering where to direct their aid. My mantra was and continues to be, “How can I help?” So I did. Opportunities abounded, and I stood in awe of people’s generosity from all over the state and country. Government friends from the eastern part of the state, with access to abundant resources, turned to me for insight on what was needed and where.

One such person connect-

ed me with Al Letizio, president and CEO of a wholesale food sales and marketing firm in New Hampshire. Letizio offered his food trailers as aid, so I used my knowledge of areas facing food scarcity to direct his crews to Lansing and Newland, where they served free meals for days at their own expense. As their time in N.C. came to a close, they asked where to donate leftover food. I connected them with my contacts at the Avery County school district, where the supplies were gratefully received.

A generous fire department chief in Conetoe donated a heavy-duty generator, which I helped place with the newly established Build for Good Foundation in Blowing Rock. When folks asked where they could volunteer their time, I directed them to Samaritan’s Purse because of their unmatched organization and efficiency. Crews, in their signature bright orange T-shirts, showed up all over devastated counties, immediately mobilizing when people had nowhere else to turn. I especially loved connecting donors to people, places and organizations that aligned with their personal interests and passions, including coordinating the delivery of much-needed cots personally brought by a friendly lobbyist in Raleigh.

One day, about one week after the storm hit, I was delivering Chick-fil-A sandwiches to Sen. Ralph Hise and their local

workers, volunteers and National Guard at the emergency operations center in Spruce Pine. After conversations with Hise and other local leaders, I started to notice a trend — the smaller, lesser-known towns of the High Country were being overlooked as the majority of relief and media coverage were directed to more populated areas. Despite my community’s critical losses, so many people had shared stories of heartfelt heroism with me, neighbors helping neighbors with no concern for their own wellbeing. I decided those stories needed to be shared.

So I began interviewing everyday people who sprang into action to serve their communities, taking on leadership roles within their spheres of influence. I wanted to lift up those who had put their lives on hold to help people, reminding the world that we have so much more in common than the things that divide us. Not only did I want these stories to be told, but I wanted a way to encourage readers to get involved and send aid directly to those who would use it for good.

The enduring beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains runs in our veins, a testament to the staying power of those who call the High Country home. Each town here has faced unique challenges and celebrated victories. At the downtown Lansing celebration, I spoke with a few locals about how they felt seeing their favorite business reopen. Their heartfelt responses included, “It feels like home again,” and that it was “exactly the Christmas gift the town needed right now.”

While the reopening is a significant step toward normalcy, many families and businesses in the High Country still face a long road to full recovery. Now is the time to lean into our unique gifts and support these communities in every way we can.

If you’re looking for ways to support western NC into 2025, here are my top five best ways to get involved and spread neighborly love — because the needs remain high, and we’re all in this together. I’m so humbled by the spirit of gratitude that pervades these stories, and I’m beyond proud to be Mountain Strong!

1. Call a school in an affected county and ask to adopt a family in need.

2. Join Samaritan’s Purse in rebuilding homes and churches in affected counties.

3. Shop local and support small businesses (seriously, we can’t say this enough!).

4. Pray for snow; our ski resorts and tourism community need the boost in revenue.

5. Show gratitude to local leadership and first responders. They put in long hours and hard work, often without recognition.

PHOTOS COURTESY SHELBY TRAMMEL

Left, Old Orchard Creek General Store in Lansing was all but destroyed by Hurricane Helene. Right, owner Shelby Trammel and a packed house of friends from the area celebrate the grand reopening of Old Orchard Creek General Store on Dec. 14.

COURTESY DEANNA BALLARD

Volunteers with Samaritan’s Purse work near Blowing Rock.

of the

as

Having

of Deloris Ann Hogan, late of Cumberland

North

the undersigned does hereby

all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 2517 Raeford Road, Fayetteville, NC 28305, on or before April 2, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 2nd day of January, 2025. Louise Bordeaux, Administrator of the Estate of Deloris Ann Hogan NICOLE A. CORLEY MURRAY & CORLEY, P.A. N.C. BAR NO. 56459 2517 RAEFORD ROAD FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28305 – 3007 (910) 483 – 4990 COUNSEL FOR ADMINISTRATOR

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File# 24E1499 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice The undefined having qualified as Administrator of the estate of Jerome Hope Manning, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 19th day of March 2025 (which date is 3 months after the date of the first publication notice or this notice) will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 19th day of December 2024.

Natasha Manning – Administrator 705 Keystone Park Drive Unit 40 Morrisville, NC 27560 Of the Estate of Jerome Hope Manning, Deceased

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 24E 001606 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: Annie Doris McLeod Administrator’s NOTICE

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the estate of Annie Doris McLeod, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 26th day of March, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 26th day of December, 2024. Faye McLeod 248 Livermore Dr. Fayetteville, NC 28314 Administrator of the estate of Annie Doris McLeod,deceased

NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File #24E003006-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Connie Lee Monroe, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 2nd day of April, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 2nd day of January, 2025. Administrator of the Estate of Connie Lee Monroe, Deceased Rashada Cherry 9013 Socata Way Charlotte, NC 28269

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

County of Cumberland

In The General Court Of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 24E002852-250

Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of James A Jackson, Jr. deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before 19 day of March, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the cecedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 19 day of December, 2024. Jennifer J. Arno Administrator/Executor 10403 Colliers Chapel Church Road Linden, NC 28356 Of the Estate of James A Jackson Jr., Deceased

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division

Estate File #: 24E002982-250

Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Debra Rose Moore-Cook, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 2 day of April, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in the bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 2nd day of January, 2025. Anna Sweeney Executor 6873 Uppingham Rd. Address Fayetteville NC, 28306 City, State, Zip Of the Estate of Debra Rose Moore-Cook, Deceased.

Notice to Creditors

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk, Estate File#24E0001475-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY

ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Charles Robert Nunnery Jr. Deceased on April 25, 2024, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present to them to the undersigned on or before April 2, 2025(which date is 3 months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will, please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 30th day of December 2024. Administrator of the Estate of Charles Robert Nunnery Jr. 3783 Batcave Dr Fayetteville, North Carolina 28312

Executors Notice IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 24E002948-250 State of North Carolina Cumberland County NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having qualified as Co-Executors of the Estate of Betty A. Robertson aka Betty Anderson Robertson, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at 2106 Wexford Oaks Court, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28303, on or before April 9, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 9th day of January 2025. John Frederick Robertson and Lynne R. O’Quinn Co-Executors of the Estate of Betty A. Robertson

Aka Betty Anderson Robertson, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC

J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555

Fayetteville, NC 28305

01/09/2025, 01/16/2025, 01/23/2025 and 01/30/2025

NOTICE

All persons firms and corporations having claims against James Michael Rogers, deceased of Cumberland County, NC are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before March 19, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 19 day of December, 2024. Dalton Osborn Brunson, executor, 8014 Kalmia Lane, Hope Mills, NC 28348

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE NO. 24E002924-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Sylvester Kirkland, Jr., late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 2517 Raeford Road, Fayetteville, NC 28305, on or before April 9, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 9th day of January, 2025. Sylvester Humphrey, Administrator of the Estate of Sylvester Kirkland, Jr. NICOLE A. CORLEY

MURRAY & CORLEY, P.A. N.C. BAR NO. 56459 2517 RAEFORD ROAD FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28305 – 3007 (910) 483 – 4990 COUNSEL FOR ADMINISTRATOR

NOTICE

State Of North Carolina In The General Court Of Justice County OF Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File #19E000722-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The Undersigned having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Diane Hurtt Rowell, deceased, Late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 26 day of March 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are request to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 17 day of December 2024 Gwendolyn B. Seymoure, Administrator/Executor 1613 Gatekeeper Ln. Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 Of the Estate of Diane Hurtt Rowell, Deceased

Administrator/Executor Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the estate of Patricia Denise Smith, deceased, late of Cumberland county, hearbynotifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersignedon or before march 20, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the decedent are required to make immediate payment to the undersigned, this 19th day of december, 2024 Executor: Jessica C. Bohnert Address: 1084 Runick st. Fayetteville N.C. 28306 Of the estate of Patricia Denise Smith, Deceased

Estate File # 24E002803-250

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Katherine Elizabeth Lovely, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 3rd day of April, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 23rd day of December, 2024. Executor of the estate: Kimberly Elise Johnson, 101 Flowers Crest Way, Clayton NC 27527.

NOTICE

ESTATE OF ANNIE TEAGUE WARREN Cumberland County, North Carolina Estate file #24E002937-250

Executor’s Notice Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Annie Teague Warren, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claims to the undersigned on or before the 19th day of March, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this day the 19th day of December, 2024. Linda Devore Executor of the Estate of Annie Teague Warren 2616 Dartmouth Drive Fayetteville, NC 28304

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED,

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CABARRUS COUNTY 24SP000534-120 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY THOMAS R JENNINGS AND CONSTANCE L JENNINGS DATED DECEMBER 23, 1998 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 2402 AT PAGE 180 IN THE CABARRUS COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Cabarrus County courthouse at 11:00AM on January 22, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust

appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 226 Laverne Drive, Concord, NC 28025 Tax Parcel ID: 55296185600000 Present Record Owners: Constance L.

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CABARRUS COUNTY 24sp000517-120 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY CARROLL J. ALVAREZ AND JONATHAN C. ALVAREZ DATED MAY 24, 2006 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 6763 AT PAGE 55 AND REFORMED BY JUDGMENT RECORDED JANUARY 9, 2020 IN BOOK 13940, PAGE 168 IN THE CABARRUS COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Cabarrus County courthouse at 10:00AM on January 15, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Carroll J. Alvarez and Jonathan C. Alvarez, dated May 24, 2006 to secure the original principal amount of $146,000.00, and recorded in Book 6763 at Page 55 of the Cabarrus County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 10957 Dry Stone Dr, Huntersville, NC 28078 Tax Parcel ID: 46715971270000

CUMBERLAND

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

Publication Dates: January 2, 2025 and January 9, 2025 24SP000741-250

Under and by virtue of power of sale granted to Petitioner pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47C-3-116 under a Claim of Lien filed on June 26, 2024 in Cumberland County File Number 24 M 609 (the “Lien”) against Alex T. Sanford and Angela Karen Sanford (“Respondents”), by Steeplechase Homeowners Association of Cumberland County, Inc. As the beneficiary of the Claim of Lien and pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47C-3-116, Steeplechase Homeowners Association of Cumberland County, Inc. seeks to foreclose the Lien, which evidences a valid debt. Respondents defaulted on the payment of the debt represented by the Claim of Lien. The undersigned will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on January 13, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 283 as shown on a plat entitled “STEEPLECHASE, SECTION THREE” duly recorded in Plat Book 120, Page 30, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina Parcel Identification No. 0403-48-9586 Property Address: 1508 Seabiscuit Drive, Parkton, NC 28371 The street address of said property is 1508 Seabiscuit Drive, Parkton, NC 28371. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both,

AMENDED NOTICE

FORECLOSURE SALE

Dates: January 2, 2025 and January 9, 2025 24SP000573-250

Present Record Owners: Jonathan C. Alvarez The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Jonathan C. Alvarez. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount

being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or Steeplechase Homeowners Association of Cumberland County, Inc. make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the Trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and payoff of the lien without the knowledge of the Trustee. If the validity of the sale is

of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any resale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have

challenged by any party, the Trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further

or parties in possession by

Parcel Identification No. 0418-77-9889-143

The street address of said property is 1909-5 Tryon Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28303.

The Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

and by virtue of power of sale granted to Petitioner pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47C-3-116 under a Claim of Lien filed on August 2, 2023 in Cumberland County File Number 23 M 727 (the “Lien”) against Dean Brister (“Respondent”), by Briarcliff Condominium Association, Inc. As the beneficiary of the Claim of Lien and pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47C-3-116, Briarcliff Condominium Association, Inc. seeks to foreclose the Lien, which evidences a valid debt. Respondents defaulted on the payment of the debt represented by the Claim of Lien. The undersigned will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on January 13, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Unit 16-E, Bldg 16 in a subdivision known as BRIARCLIFF CONDOMINIUMS, PHASE XVI and the same being duly recorded in Condominium Book 2, Page 114, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina with the ownership interest, privileges, appurtenances, conditions and restrictions contained and described in the Declaration of BRIARCLIFF CONDOMINIUMS, PHASE XVI (the “DECLARATION”) recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds for Cumberland County, North Carolina, in Deed Book 3054, Page 583, as amended in Book 3062, Page 786, Book 3070, Page 213, Book 3086, Page 453, Book 3093, Page 642, Book 3105, Page 731, Book 3120, Page 518, Book 3132, Page 108, Book 3165, Page 290, Book 3180, Page 733, Book 3210, Page 570, Book 3227, Page 33, Book 3238, Page 847, and Book 3249, Page 615, and as subsequently amended.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or Briarcliff Condominium Association, Inc. make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the Trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and payoff of the lien without the knowledge of the Trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 Rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S.

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24SP001883-250

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Annemarie Nicole Tardie and Michael J. Tardie (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Michael J, Tardie and Annemarie Nicole Tardie) to Allan B. Polunsky, Trustee(s), dated May 22, 2020, and recorded in Book No. 10776, at Page 0214 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed,

the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on January 13, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in or near the City of Fayetteville, Rockfish Township, Cumberland County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 71, in a subdivision, known as Beaver Creek, Section Two, according to a map of same duly recorded in Book of Plats 65, Page 4, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 5621 Goose Creek Lane, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Parcel #: 0406-60-5827 Also known as: 5621 Goose Creek Lane, Fayetteville, NC 28304 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. 45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. 7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and

24 SP 742 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust

executed by Kory W Gray and Jessica A Gray to Daniel D. Hornfeck, Trustee(s), which was dated September 8, 2009 and recorded on September 8, 2009 in Book 8241 at Page 449 and rerecorded/modified/corrected on November 12, 2009 in Book 8284, Page 310, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county

23 SP 195 AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Danielle Bronson and Kariem Bronson to Steve Bunce Attorney at Law, Trustee(s), which was dated September 9, 2020 and recorded on September 9, 2020 in Book 10870 at Page 106 and rerecorded/ modified/corrected on February 8, 2023 in Book 11667, Page 0770, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on January 22, 2025 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

BEING all of Lot 368 as shown on a plat entitled “SOUTHVIEW, SECTION VI & RECOMBINATION OF LOTS 143 & 146, SOUTHVIEW, SECTION III, PART ONE” according to a plat of same being duly recorded in Book of Plats 109, Page 179, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 5514 Shady Lawn Drive, Hope Mills, NC 283485712.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the

courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on January 15, 2025 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 2, in a subdivision known as Brookshire, Section 6, Part 2, and the same being duly recorded in Book of Plat 126, Page 57, Cumberland County Registry. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 2100 Gray Goose Loop, Fayetteville, NC 28306.

time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

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

owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”.

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

File No.: 22-21330-FC01 IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CUMBERLAND COUNTY 15SP001338-250 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY WILLIAM F. LUTHER, III AND MICHELLE B. LUTHER DATED NOVEMBER 16, 2007 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 7754 AT PAGE 155 IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Cumberland County courthouse at 11:00AM on January 17, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed William F. Luther, III and Michelle B. Luther, dated November 16, 2007 to secure the original principal amount of $159,200.00, and recorded in Book 7754 at Page 155 of the Cumberland County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 4591 Mill St, Hope Mills, NC 28348 Tax Parcel ID: 0424-11-5668Present Record Owners: William F. Luther, III and Michelle B. Luther The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are William F. Luther, III and Michelle B. Luther. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county

A certified check only (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and

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

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of

in Davidson County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Weldon C. Idol and Lori C. Idol, dated April 30, 2003 to secure the original principal amount of $192,091.00, and recorded in Book 1413 at Page 1348 of

NC 27265 Tax Parcel ID: 0100600000069 Present Record Owners: Weldon C. Idol The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Weldon C. Idol. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24 SP 529 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by William T. Adderton, Jr. (deceased) and Savannah Adderton (deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Savannah Adderton and William T. Adderton, Jr. and Brad Alexander Adderton, Heirs of William T. Adderton, Jr. a/k/a William Adderton, Jr.: Yvette Neely, Brad Alexander Adderton) to Sonny Hastings, Trustee(s), dated September 20, 2000, and recorded in Book No. 1200, at Page 1295 in Davidson County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Davidson County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Lexington, Davidson County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:30

iron stake found, corner to Amanda Corbit and William Adderton; thence with three (3) new lines to William Adderton, south 27 deg. 01 min. east 159.18 feet to an iron stake; thence south 23 deg. 42 min. west 53.03 feet to an iron stake; thence north 73 deg. 25 min. west and crossing an iron on the east side of Farm Road at 183.63 feet and continuing for a total distance of 198.75 feet to an iron stake in the center of said road; thence with another new line to William Adderton along the center of Farm Road north 9 deg. 15 min. east 253.00 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING and containing 0.80 acres. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 302 Wafford Road, Lexington, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole

per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and

at the courthouse door in Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on January 14, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Wilmington in the County of New Hanover, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lots 34 and 34A, Lakeside Villas at Landfall, as shown on recorded Map in Map Book 30 at Page 166, New Hanover County Registry, to which map reference is made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2004 Seawind Lane, Wilmington, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must

pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit

NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE

WHEREAS, on August 29, 2016, a certain Deed of Trust was executed by Dolores G. Schnibben, “Mortgagor(s)” in favor of Nationwide Equities Corp., “Mortgagee” and was recorded on September 2, 2016, in Book 5999, Page 1337 in the Official Land Records of New Hanover County, North Carolina; and WHEREAS, the Deed of Trust was insured by the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (the Secretary) pursuant to the National Housing Act for the purpose of providing single family housing; and WHEREAS, the Mortgage is now owned by the Secretary, pursuant to an assignment dated October 26, 2020 and recorded on November 13, 2020, in Book 6378, Page 1079 in the Official Records of New Hanover County, North Carolina; and WHEREAS, a default has been made in the covenants and conditions of the Mortgage in that the Borrower has died and the Property is not the principal residence of at least one surviving borrower, and the outstanding balance remains wholly unpaid as of the date of this notice, and no payment has been made sufficient to restore the loan to currency; and WHEREAS, the entire amount delinquent as of June 24, 2024 is $208,011.89; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage to be immediately due and payable; NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, 12 U.S.C. 3751 et seq., by 24 CFR part 27, subpart B, and by the Secretary’s designation of me as Foreclosure Commissioner, recorded on August 17, 2022 in Book 6588, Page 1299, notice is hereby given that on January 21, 2025 at 2:00 PM local time, all real and personal property at or used in connection with the following described premises (“Property”) will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder: The land referred to herein below is situated in the County of New Hanover, State of North Carolina, and is described as follows: Being all of Lot No. 6 in Block A, of Devon Park Subdivision, as shown on a plat or map by M.H. Lander, C.R. dated February 26, 1951 and duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of New Hanover County, North Carolina, Map Book 5, Page 32. Commonly known as 710 Latimer Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403 Parcel ID#: R05509-010-019-000 The sale will be held at the NEW HANOVER County Courthouse, 316 Princess Street, Wilmington, NC 28401, at the location designated by the Clerk of Court for public auctions.

the foreclosure sale. When making their bids, all bidders except the Secretary must submit a deposit totaling $22,471.52 (10% of the Secretary’s bid), in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check made out to the Secretary of HUD. A deposit need not accompany each oral bid. If the successful bid is oral, a deposit of $22,472.52 must be presented before the bidding is closed. The deposit is nonrefundable. The remainder of the purchase price must be delivered within 30 days of the sale or at such other time as the Secretary may determine for good cause shown, time being of the essence. This amount, like the bid deposits, must be delivered in the form of a certified or

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with the transfer of title. At the conclusion of the sale, the deposits of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them. The Secretary may grant an extension of time within which to deliver the remainder of the payment. All extensions will be for 15day increments for a fee of $500.00,

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will bid $224,715.23. There will be no proration of taxes, rents or other income or liabilities, except that the purchaser will pay, at or before closing, his prorata share of any real estate taxes that have been paid by the Secretary to the date of

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by David Aaron Burpee, (David Aaron Burpee, Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Heirs of David Aaron Burpee, Dominique Aaliyah Burpee, Heir of David Aaron Burpee, c/o Beth Ismirle and Arielle Elizabeth Burpee, Heir of David Aaron Burpee, c/o Beth Ismirle) to S. Scott Eggleston, Trustee(s), dated the 31st day of August, 2018, and recorded in Book 2612, Page 1510, in Randolph County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Randolph County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 a.m. on January 14, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Franklinville, in the City of Asheboro, in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at an existing iron pipe in the western right of way line of Gold Hill Road (SR 2183), said existing iron pipe being located 0.3 mile from the intersection of NCSR 2261 with Gold Hill Road; thence from said beginning point along the western right of way line of Gold Hill Road, South 18 degrees 50 minutes 00 seconds West 160.33 feet to an existing iron pipe, the northeast corner of Robert Syriac (Deed Book 1288, Page 616); thence North 80 degrees 18 minutes 06 seconds West 382.87 feet to CP&L Concrete monument in the eastern line of the CP&L Transmission Line; thence along the eastern line of CP&L North 19 degrees 52 minutes 32 seconds East 148.32 feet to an existing iron pipe in the southern line of David Perkins (Deed Book 1083, Page 847); thence along the southern line of Perkins South 82 degrees 08 minutes 46 seconds East 382.31 feet to the BEGINNING, all according to a survey for Sidney H. Willetts, Jr. and wife, Clara Y.

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

24SP001319-750

No. 2847, at Page 15 in Randolph County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Randolph County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24SP001306-750 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Edward Thomas Bates, Jr. (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Edward Thomas Bates, Jr., Heirs of Edward Thomas Bates, Jr. a/k/a Edward T. Bates: Edward Thomas Bates, III, Linda Palmer a/k/a Linda Harris, Jessica Bates, Misty Bates) to Anderson Langford, Trustee(s), dated February 22, 2022, and recorded in Book No. 2795, at Page 506 in Randolph County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Randolph County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned

10:00 AM on January 14, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Trinity in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING: All of Lots 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56 of Block E as is shown on revised map of LAKE TERRACE PARK, known as the Lee Meredith Farm, a plat of which is duly recorded in Plat Book 8, Page 96 in the Office of the Register of Deeds for Randolph County, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 301 Meredith Drive, Trinity, North Carolina. PARCEL #7708772475 PROPERTY ADDRESS: 301 Meredith Drive, Trinity NC 27370 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on January 14, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Franklinville in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: FRANKLINVILLE TOWNSHIP, RANDOLPH COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: BEING ALL OF LOTS NOS. 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42 of the Lakeside Park Subdivision, as per plat recorded in Plat Book Number 4, on Page 73, in the office of the Register of Deeds for Randolph County, North Carolina, to which plat reference is hereby made for greater certainty of description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 5141 US Highway 64 East, Franklinville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third

Willetts by Henley Surveying & Mapping Co., Inc. dated June 16, 2000 and designated as Job No. S-4612. For back reference see deed recorded in Book 2581, Page 1003, Randolph County Registry. Together with improvements thereon, said property located at 1939 Gold Hill Road, Asheboro, NC 27203 Property address: 1939 Gold Hill Road, Asheboro, NC 27203 Parcel ID: 7762698304 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety

conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a

party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the

purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION STANLY COUNTY 24sp000098-830

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY JERRY RAY KIMREY DATED OCTOBER 16, 2017 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 1628 AT PAGE 328 IN THE STANLY COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and

deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION 24SP000170-890

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF UNION

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY LAURIE LINGENFELTER DATED MARCH 6, 2006 RECORDED IN BOOK NO. 4088, AT PAGE 310 IN THE UNION COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24SP000513-890

payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements therein contained and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Union County courthouse at 12:30 PM on January 14, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Union County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Laurie Lingenfelter, dated March

collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 2035 Beckwith Lane, Waxhaw, NC 28173 Tax Parcel ID: 06141537 The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Laurie Lingenfelter. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Amina Rafique and Aamer Adam (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Amina Rafique and Aamer Adam) to Pamela R. Williamson, Trustee(s), dated June 21, 2023, and recorded in Book No. 08731, at Page 0483 in Union County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Union County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the Judicial Center in Monroe, Union County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:00 PM on January 16, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Waxhaw in the County of Union, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Tax Parcel Number: 06-102-227 Property Address: 203 Woodswail Ct., Waxhaw, NC 28173 BEING all of Lot 119 of SKYECROFT SUBDIVISION, as same is shown on a map thereof recorded in Plat Cabinet I, Pages 254 through 263 in the Union County, North Carolina, Public Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 203 Woodswail Court, Waxhaw, North Carolina. BEING the same property described and conveyed by the deed recorded contemporaneously with this Deed of Trust. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE_ FILE NUMBER: 24SP001940-910 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust executed by GERRY L. DAVIS AND LATONIA DAVIS payable to FLAGSTAR BANK, FSB , Lender, to ADELITA A. SHUBERT , Trustee, dated October 26, 2012, and recorded in Book 015024, Page 01639 of the Wake County Public Registry by ANTHONY

MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT, Substitute Trustee, default having been made in the terms of agreement set forth by the loan agreement secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, ANTHONY MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT , having been substituted as Successor Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Official Records of Wake County, North Carolina, in Book 00523, Page 019668, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, on January

18 SP 2217

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, WAKE COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Wanda Allen a/k/a Wanda M. Allen to Walter F. Jones, Trustee(s), which was dated November 19, 2003 and recorded on November 20, 2003 in Book 010553 at Page 02099, Wake County Registry, North Carolina. Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property

SALE NORTH CAROLINA, WAKE COUNTY

and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that

Deed of Trust executed by Johnny M Bridges to John B Third, Trustee(s), which was dated April 10, 2019 and recorded on April 10, 2019 in Book 17408 at Page 2398, Wake County Registry, North Carolina. Default

by the

Deed of

of the

thereby

and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the

17, 2025 at 11:00am, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(S): 0050168 ADDRESS: 305 DEARING DR KNIGHTDALE, NC 27545 PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): GERRY L. DAVIS AND LATONIA DAVIS THE LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SITUATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF WAKE, AND IS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 015024, PAGE 01639, AS FOLLOWS: LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LAND REFERRED TO IN THIS COMMITMENT IS DESCRIBED AS ALL THAT CERTAIN PROPERTY SITUATIED IN THE COUNTY OF WAKE, AND STATE OF NORT CAROLINA AND BEING DESCRIBED IN A DEED OF TRUST DATED 03/10/2000 AND RECORDED 03/10/2000 IN BOOK 8537 PAGE 51 AMONG THE LAND RECORDS OR THE COUNTY AND STATE SET FORTH ABOVE, AND REFERENCED AS FOLLOWS: BEING ALL OF LOT 100, BLOCK 4, LYNWOOD ESTATES, AS SHOWN ON MAP THEREOF RECORDED IN BOOK OF MAPS 1967, PAGE 105, WAKE COUNTY REGISTRY. SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS, RESERVATIONS, EASEMENTS, COVENANTS, OIL, GAS, OR MINERAL RIGHTS OF RECORD,

is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on January 15, 2025 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Wake County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 298, Chastain Subdivision, Phase Eight, as shown on map recorded in Book of Maps 2002, Page 989, Wake County Registry. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as 3316 Perkins Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27610. A certified check only (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS

sale on January 15, 2025 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Wake County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 76, Anderson Pointe Park Townhomes, Phase 2, as shown on map recorded on Book of Maps 2006, Pages 777-778, Wake County Registry.

Also commonly known as 331 Gilman Lane, Unit 103, Raleigh, NC 27610 Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as 331 Gilman Ln 103, Raleigh, NC 27610. A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE

Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty

IF ANY PARCEL NO. 0050168 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase

FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Chastain of Raleigh Community Association, Inc. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties

EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are JOHNNY M. BRIDGES AND MONICA LEIGH MURRILL. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of

dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units,

price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including SingleFamily Residential Real Property: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the

ANY PORTION OF THE DEBT FROM YOU PERSONALLY. Samantha J. Kelley or Sarah A. Waldron ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorneys for the Substitute Trustee P.O. Box 160 Jacksonville, NC 28541-0160 Telephone: (470) 321-7112

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

the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination. Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders

STANLY

Stein signs

New Gov.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Federal block grants of $1.65B awarded to NC for Helene recovery

Asheville N.C. governments are receiving more than $1.65 billion in federal block grant money to help address historic levels of damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. Officials say the money is from Community Development Block Grant funds contained in a bill approved by Congress last month. Most of the grant money will go to state government, with the remainder to the city of Asheville. Gov. Josh Stein and the head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development held a public event Tuesday in Asheville to discuss the funds.

Justices block certification of election in race for one of its own seats

Raleigh N.C.’s Supreme Court has blocked the certification of a November election result for one of the seats on its court so it can review legal arguments by a trailing candidate. The Republican- dominated court on Tuesday issued the temporary stay sought by GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin. He is trailing Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs by 734 votes. Griffin wants over 60,000 ballots removed from the tally because he contends they were cast improperly. Without the stay, the state was prepared to issue a certificate for Riggs on Friday confirming her victory. The stay was issued after a federal judge said a state court should consider Griffin’s litigation.

$2.00

New Albemarle PD chief named; Manley starts Feb. 3

PD

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — Following a nationwide search, the Albemarle Police Department has its new police chief.

Albemarle City Manager Todd Clark announced in a Jan. 3 press release that the city has selected Ryan Manley as its chief with a start date exactly a month later on Feb. 3.

“Throughout the interview process, Chief Manley demonstrated a deep understanding of the law enforcement profession, exceptional technical expertise, and a community-focused approach to policing,” Clark said. “Safety and security are fundamental to a high

quality of life in any community. We are excited to have Chief Manley join our team as we continue striving to provide effective and efficient public safety services.”

In October, former APD

“I’m honored to have this opportunity to serve the residents of Albemarle alongside the dedicated men and women of the Albemarle Police Department.” Ryan Manley

Chief Jason Bollhorst resigned after three years with the department as Penny Dunn was chosen as interim chief during the hiring process for a fulltime position — one which has now been filled by Manley.

“I’m honored to have this opportunity to serve the residents of Albemarle alongside the dedicated men and women of the Albemarle Police Department,” Manley said.

According to the city, the APD chief hiring process contained a comprehensive evaluation of both internal and exter-

nal candidates where finalists participated in skill-based assessments and a final round of panel interviews.

“I look forward to building trust and fostering strong connections with our community, the APD team, and other law enforcement agencies,” Manley added. “There are exciting, positive developments happening in Albemarle, and I’m thrilled to join the team working to help the community reach its full potential.”

See MANLEY, page A2

state capital, she first had to convince her husband, Hank Landon, that her lottery win was legitimate.

Grace Landon purchased her $2 ticket at Albemarle’s Friendly Mart

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — After two decades of playing the Powerball, Grace Landon’s persistence has finally paid off. The Albemarle resident recently kicked off the new year with a $1 million win as she struck gold with a lucky $2 Quick Pick lottery ticket purchased at the Friendly Mart on NC 24/27 West Bypass in Albemarle.

Facing one-in-11.7 million odds, Landon matched the numbers on all five white balls in the New Year’s Day Power

ball drawing and soon found herself at a lottery headquarters in Raleigh to claim her

“He didn’t believe me at first,” Landon recalled of her husband’s reaction in a statement provided by the NC Education Lottery. Landon told the state’s lottery program that she wants to use her winnings to purchase a new house and to pay off existing expenses, such as her grandson’s car. As a retired plant nursery worker, she added that she could see herself adding some more plants to her current collection.

Powerball is one of six lottery games in North Carolina where players have the option of buying their tickets at a retail location, online play through the lottery’s website, or with the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Monday’s jackpot was $220 million as an annuity or $98.4 million cash, with lottery ticket purchasers facing odds of one-in-292 million.

All 100 counties in the state benefited financially from the $4.4 million raised by the NC Education Lottery last year.

STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

He is a longtime officer with the Fayetteville

COURTESY ALBEMARLE PD

Albemarle Police Chief Ryan Manley will officially begin his new position on Feb. 3.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NC EDUCATION LOTTERY

Grace Landon and her husband Hank pose for a picture with a Powerball-winning check .

Josh Stein signs his first executive orders on Jan. 2 after taking the oath of office on New Year’s Day. The orders addressed a number of items related to Hurricane Helene recovery.

THURSDAY 1.9.25 #356

“Join

North State Journal

(USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365)

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MANLEY from page A1

Manley, a native of western New York, moved to North Carolina as he pursued a career in criminal justice, working as a counselor technician for the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention before completing basic law enforcement training.

In 2002, Manley joined the Fayetteville Police Department as a police officer in the department’s patrol bureau before shifting his focus to field training and the investigative bureau as a narcotics detective and K9 handler.

Once he was promoted to a sergeant position, he supervised the department’s crime information center and fraud unit while also commanding units within the patrol and support services bureaus as a lieutenant.

He also holds experience as a member of the Cumberland County Veterans Treatment Court’s treatment team and the leader of the Cumberland Fayetteville Crisis Intervention Team’s negotiation team.

Two years ago, Manley was selected for the National Institute of Justice’s Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Scholars Program that prioritizes evidence-based policing to improve law enforcement’s research capabilities.

Additionally, he is a graduate of the 290th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, which is renowned for its invitation-only admittance process that brings in only 250 candidates nationwide per session.

Manley has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and political science degree from the State University of New York College at Brockport, as well as a master’s degree in criminal justice from Fayetteville State University.

He also completed the North Carolina Justice Academy’s Management Development Program and earned an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the North Carolina Training and Standards Commission.

Stanly County resurfacing contract awarded by NCDOT

The project could be completed by the fall of 2026

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — The North Carolina Department of Transportation recently announced that it has awarded a $1.2 million resurfacing contract that will smooth over a trio of roads within Stanly County. In a combined span approximating 21/2 miles, the contract includes improvements to segments of U.S. 52 in Albemarle, N.C. 742/205 in Oakboro and Falls Road in Badin.

The contractor, J.T. Russell & Sons Inc. of Albemarle, will be able to begin the resurfacing project as early as April with a completion estimated for the fall of 2026, according to a Dec. 31 press release by the NCDOT.

Badin Town Manager Jay Almond told SCJ that the town of Badin will greatly benefit from the resurfacing of Falls Road, which is one of the primary routes in the area and has been the focus of a significant amount of attention in recent years as a “perennial repair target.”

“Falls Road was one of several streets in NCDOT Division 10 slated for resurfacing several years ago, but the pan-

demic flipped everything completely over, including that list, so it was delayed indefinitely pending reassessment of all projects,” Almond said.

“From the top down, everyone we work with in our district and division offices as well as our Rural Planning Organization committees, has been great to keep Falls Road on the resurfacing radar for the last few years, so the instant condition and need met available resources, it was scheduled.”

Almond estimated the project will move quickly once it is underway and added that the improved driving conditions on the road will be noticeable for drivers in the town.

“Falls Road was one of several streets in NCDOT Division 10 slated for resurfacing several years ago, but the pandemic flipped everything completely over, including that list, so it was delayed indefinitely pending reassessment of all projects.”

Badin Town Manager Jay Almond

Managerial representatives for the city of Albemarle and town of Oakboro were unable to provide updates on the resurfacing project at this time.

The NCDOT’s Traveler Information Management System online viewer is now available for public use at drivenc.gov.

Smart bird feeders spark interest in bird-watching

They’re equipped with cameras, Wi-Fi and AI for identifying birds

By Holly Ramer The Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. — Marin

Plank truly had no interest in birds when she gave her husband a camera-equipped bird feeder for his birthday. But by Christmas, she had become so obsessed with birds that most of the gifts she received this year — books, stickers, notecards — were related.

“This is who I am now,” she said.

Acquaintances have stopped Plank on the street to discuss the bird photos she shares on Facebook. From copious amounts of research, she now knows the best birdseed blend and has a premium membership to a store that delivers giant bags of it to her Delaware home.

It all started when she got her first postcard from the Bird Buddy app, which provides photos and video clips that can be downloaded or shared.

“You’ve just got to click, and then the bird is in your face looking at you and mugging for you, and it’s like your own little private show,” she said. “Something about their little eyes and their goofy little faces just drew me in, and now I’m a bird enthusiast.”

While North American bird populations decline dramatically, paradoxically, the number of people watching them has increased. While the coronavirus pandemic spurred many people to head outside in search of birds, for others, smart feeders that snap photos and video of backyard visitors have brought the hobby inside.

“It really delivers value with very little input,” said Franci Zidar, founder and CEO of Bird Buddy, which has sold 350,000 smart bird feeders since 2022. “If you’re actually kind of a hardcore bird watcher, that can be a very demanding hobby. There are, however, 20 to 30 species of birds in most U.S. backyards that people either don’t really know or appreciate.”

Several other companies, including Birdfy, make similar bird feeders that are mounted with cameras. And while standard bird feeders tap into people’s altruistic sides by allowing users to take care of animals, smart feeders take it a step further, Zidar said.

“Ultimately, I think it marries two really beautiful things. One is your need to nurture and to give back and to connect with nature, and the other one is to kind of see it and appreciate it,” he said.

Bird Buddy has proven so successful that the company is expanding its portfolio to include a tiny flower-shaped camera called Petal, and Wonder Blocks, which can be assembled to provide habitats for butterflies and

Dec. 30

• Shante Lachelle Prince, 47, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and injury to personal property.

Jan. 3

• Michael Shawn Norton, 49, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jan. 5

• Brett Adam Rupp, 30, was

A cardinal is photographed by a connected Bird Buddy bird feeder in a backyard in Cumming, Georgia.

other insects. Details were announced Monday at CES, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, with a Kickstarter campaign this spring.

“Let’s not ask people to do crazy things because they won’t. Let’s just give them value by just pointing a camera into this beautiful natural space,” Zidar said. “We’ll give you the drama, the happenings, the life that’s happening in that corner of your home.”

In Ipswich, Massachusetts, Judy Ashley already had 11 bird feeders in her yard when she got a Bird Buddy last year. She has taken down some of the older feeders in hopes of attracting more birds to the camera to capture photos of those hanging out lately in her yard, especially a yellow-throated warbler, which is rarely seen in New England. She finally succeeded on Monday.

“What’s amazing is how close you can see the details of backyard birds that you just wouldn’t see if you just stood there for hours with binoculars,” she said. “You just realize how amazing nature is.”

arrested for felony probation violation, felony stalking, and communicating threats.

• John Wesley Hardin, 57, was arrested for assault on a government official, assault on a female, resisting a public officer, misdemeanor child abuse, and possession of controlled substance on prison/jail premises.

• Kyle Michael Crowell, 44, was arrested for felony possession of Schedule II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia,

Rachel Matthews in Austin, Texas, has three camera-equipped feeders, including one specifically for hummingbirds. While she grew up with bird feeders, the smart feeders have increased her interest, she said.

“I love having the camera, and I see detail that even with my binoculars I’d never seen,” she said. “The female cardinals with their red eyebrows and little feathers — it’s just phenomenal.”

In November, the National Audubon Society announced a partnership with Bird Buddy to increase awareness about bird conservation. The arrangement could provide a pathway to get data from the company’s community science platform to scientists, said Nicolas Gonzalez, a spokesperson for the Audubon Society.

“We’re eager to see how smart feeders and kind of just the whole bird-feeding industry can continue fostering this appreciation for birds and nature,” he said.

In Delaware, Plank has grown attached to specific visitors to her feeder — a “badass” female Red-winged blackbird, a tufted titmouse who she said seems to know he’s handsome and blue jays who act like “drunk uncles.”

“I give them these personalities in my mind, and it’s about having them right in front of my face, doing their little silly things,” she said. “That really has drawn me in.” So, too, have the frequent alerts and notifications she gets on her phone.

“It’s just like a little spark of joy,” she said.

“There’s something about being interrupted to remind you about this little part of the world that is just really lovely.”

and a civil order for arrest for child support.

• Gary Lane Green, 44, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, resisting a public officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license revoked, and fictitious title/ registration/tag.

Jan. 6

• Bryant Francisco Gomez, 20, was arrested for second-degree trespass.

CRIME LOG

MARK PILCH VIA AP

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

End the weaponization of the IRS DOGE

ONE OF THE highest priorities for the incoming Trump administration should be to end the Democrats’ weaponization of powerful government agencies against taxpayers and businesses they don’t like. Nowhere has this mission been more pernicious than the party-line vote to fund the IRS with nearly $80 billion and hire tens of thousands of new tax snoops. By the way, according to the IRS press office, the additional audits have so far raised less than $2 billion, far less than the additional expenditures. So how is this program “paying for itself”?

This was never about seeking tax fairness as liberals claimed. It was about unleashing an aggressive, permanent and unchecked enforcement assault on U.S. taxpayers to rake in more tax dollars to pay for liberals’ political agenda. The American people voted to end such madness, and the IRS should now act accordingly and immediately by ignoring the Biden administration’s 11th-hour efforts to ram through a slew of costly new rules and regulations as they now head toward the exit.

Progressive leaders made wildly erroneous claims that a supersized IRS would raise nearly $1 trillion over 10 years from stepped-up enforcement against higher-income earners and businesses. And they attempted to justify their proposals by broadly portraying entrepreneurs, small businesses, family-owned private enterprises and the wealthy as tax cheats. The entire exercise was designed to harass lawful taxpayers

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

and threaten them as guilty parties until they could prove themselves innocent.

Fortunately, most voters saw their efforts for what they were: a liberal fantasy grab of other peoples’ money and an attempt to assert greater control over their livelihoods. Democrat leaders did not help themselves by immediately oversteering the car. This included efforts to have the IRS spy on personal bank accounts and require income reporting for basic Venmo payments among friends, as well as punitive measures on those whose incomes are derived from tips or numerous other types of transactions.

Another target for IRS harassment has been business partnerships. Such businesses are one of the most common and practical ways to structure private enterprises of all sizes. A simple analogy might be when one party owns an available tractor and another has available land, and they go into business together to farm the land. All told, there are an estimated 4.5 million business partnerships in America. Collectively, these partnerships generate more than $12 trillion in revenue and employ millions of U.S. workers.

Yet the IRS, before Presidentelect Donald Trump returns to office, is now stealthily attempting to implement new rules that threaten the future viability of such partnerships. These proposed changes to the tax code impact what is known as “basis shifting” — a routine and legal practice that business partners use to adjust the tax basis of their respective assets. In short, the proposed rules

would deliberately embed uncertainty and subjective IRS interpretations of how taxable assets are treated when one transfers or sells their interest in a business partnership. Basically, the opposite of tax fairness.

Meanwhile, the multibillion-dollar bounty the Biden administration claimed their newly armed IRS would secure through added enforcement and new tax rules has completely failed to materialize. The IRS recently disclosed that just $1 billion had been recovered since their aggressive campaign went into effect two years ago, and there is no way of knowing if that would have occurred with or without it. How ironic and sad is it for taxpayers to learn that the vast amount of the $80 billion Democrats awarded to the IRS to recover or find new “savings” is instead on pace to serve as a massive cost to the U.S. Treasury?

The last thing voters now want is for the IRS to impose any more costly last-minute tax changes that will make problems even worse for taxpayers, workers and employers. Accordingly, the Biden team and the IRS should put down their pencils. And if they persist with these fourthquarter rule changes, the Trump team should be prepared to immediately repeal them in January.

That would bring real joy to America.

Stephen Moore is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He is also an economic advisor to the Trump campaign. His new book, coauthored with Arthur Laffer, is “The Trump Economic Miracle.”

is a good start, but we must do more

To the Editor:

I was glad to see the editors of North State Journal tackle the issue of our nation’s out-ofcontrol finances in the context of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts. Although DOGE might unearth savings — stamping out any inefficiencies is welcome — even Musk’s ambitious goals would hardly make a dent in the $13 trillion worth of deficits projected over the next decade.

Caps on discretionary spending, as discussed in the NSJ column, are a good tool for managing that portion of the federal budget, although it has shrunk to just a quarter of overall federal spending. As the author indicated, the vast majority of allocations are on autopilot, committed to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. And Social Security is expected to be insolvent by 2033.

True fiscal reform will require taking a hard look at these popular programs for ways in which we can adjust the terms of benefits, or the way the programs operate, without rescinding any promised benefits, particularly for those close to retirement. For example, perhaps it makes sense to begin extending the age at which individuals can get full Social Security benefits to reflect the happy fact that people are living longer and are more productive late in their careers than those of previous generations.

This is just one of the potential reforms that could be considered. But it will happen only if lawmakers agree we have a problem and show bipartisan courage to tackle it. Without such fortitude, we will remain on the wrong fiscal trajectory, no matter what Elon finds to fix.

Rob Bridges is a small business owner and former town commissioner in Wake Forest.

The dumbest fallacy in foreign policy

AFTER 50 YEARS of tyranny and repression, the government of Bashar Assad fell in Syria.

It fell thanks to a combination of three forces: first, Israel’s military utterly eviscerated Assad’s foreign military support base, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia; second, Ukraine has bled dry the Russian military coffers over the course of the last several years, leading Russia to withdraw its support from the Syrian theater; and third, the Turkish government, led by Islamist authoritarian Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stepped into the breach, with its favored radical militia, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, cruising through the country with almost no opposition.

Assad was a vicious and brutal dictator; according to the Syrian Emergency Task Force, opposition groups and rescue workers are uncovering mass graves that could hold upward of 100,000 bodies of Assad’s enemies. Assad not only used chemical weapons against Syrians, he also directly intervened in Lebanese affairs, targeting Lebanese Christians among others. His regime was cruel and odious.

What replaces Assad is no picnic.

HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani is a former al-Qaida and ISIS terrorist. He spent five years in prisons, including Abu Ghraib. In 2017, the FBI put a $10 million bounty on his head. Al-Jolani is currently attempting to position himself as a moderate figure despite his history of terrorism and his group’s human rights abuses in the Idlib region of Syria.

Meanwhile, the Turks have spent years pressing into the northern regions of Syria, largely in an attempt to attack the Kurds, whom they see as a

threat to their sovereignty. Turkey currently occupies approximately 9,000 square kilometers of Syrian border territory, which it has been using as a launch point against the Kurds — all of which threatens the possibility of an ISIS jailbreak, since thousands of ISIS members are held in prisons in Kurdish territory.

In short, Syria is a chaotic mess, filled with competing interests.

Yet according to simplistic foreign policy analysts, the problem is, as always, the United States and its allies.

In response to HTS’s takeover of Syria, Israel has now moved into the Syrian region of Mount Hermon, the strategic high point of the area, seeking to forestall the possibility of that land being used as a staging ground for attacks on the Golan Heights. Many Druze in Syria are hopeful that Israel will act as their protector against HTS and Turkish forces; Israel also has warm relations with the Kurds.

Yet Western opponents of Israel now suggest that Israel somehow plotted Assad’s fall in order to expand their territorial interests in Syria — despite the fact that Turkey, a Hamas-a ligned state, literally supported the HTS insurgency. They also suggest that America, under Joe Biden, plotted Assad’s downfall — a strange accusation given that Biden’s agenda in the Middle East has been to back Israel off of attacks on Iranian proxies in the region.

It is no surprise to find the same analysis applied to Ukraine, by similar actors. They suggest that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was somehow a defensive move, motivated by resistance to American imperialism

abroad; that American support for Ukraine amounts to taking the wrong side.

What drives this analysis? A strange combination of “blame America” thinking and conspiracy theorizing. In this viewpoint, the only countries with actual interests and agency are America and her friends; everyone else is merely a victim of these predatory powers, engaging in “blowback” against Western imperialism. The solution, presumably, would be for America to withdraw from the world stage, thus creating a vacuum to be filled by America’s opponents — China, Russia and Iran.

We need not explore the motivations of these theorists in order to point out how facile this argument truly is. Great powers have always pursued their own interests, and they have always done so aggressively. Long before America existed, Sunni Ottomans fought Shia Safavids; Russia first swallowed much of Central Ukraine during the reign of Catherine the Great in the late 18th century. America need not engage all over the world, nor should we — but to pretend that other countries act only in response to America is to forcefully reject reality.

And rejecting reality is dangerous and stupid.

Ben Shapiro’s new collection, “Facts and Furious: The Facts About America and Why They Make Leftists Furious,” is available now. Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three -t ime New York Times bestselling author.

Pope names 1st woman to head major Vatican office

Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, was named prefect

By Nicole Winfield The Associated Press

ROME — Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church’s religious orders.

The appointment marks a major step in Francis’ aim to give women more leadership roles in governing the church. While women have been named to No. 2 spots in some Vatican offices, never before has a woman been named prefect of a dicastery or congregation of the Holy See Curia, the central governing organ of the Catholic Church.

The historic nature of Brambilla’s appointment was confirmed by Vatican Media, which headlined its report, “Sister Simona Brambilla is the first woman prefect in the Vatican.”

The office is one of the most

important in the Vatican.

Known officially as the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, it is responsible for every religious order, from the Jesuits and Franciscans to the Mercy nuns and smaller newer movements.

The appointment means that a woman is now responsible for the women who do much of the church’s work — the world’s 600,000 Catholic nuns — as well as the 129,000 Catholic priests who belong to religious orders.

“It should be a woman.

Long ago it should have been, but thank God,” said Thomas Groome, a senior professor of theology and religious education at Boston College who has long called for the ordination of women priests. “It’s a small step along the way but symbolically, it shows an openness and a new horizon or possibility.”

Groome noted that nothing theologically would now prevent Francis from naming Brambilla a cardinal since cardinals don’t technically have to be ordained priests.

Naming as a cardinal “would be automatic for the head of a dicastery if she was a man,” he said.

But in an indication of the novelty of the appointment and that perhaps Francis was not ready to go that far, the pope simultaneously named as a co-leader, or “pro-prefect,” a cardinal: Ángel Fernández Artime, a Salesian.

The appointment, announced in the Vatican daily bulletin, lists Brambilla first as “prefect” and Fernández second as her co-leader. Theologically, it appears Francis believed the second appointment was necessary since the head of the office must be able to celebrate Mass and perform other sacramental functions that currently can only be done by men.

Natalia Imperatori-Lee, chair of the religion and philosophy department at Manhattan University, was initially excited by Brambilla’s appointment, only to learn that Francis had named a male co-prefect.

“One day, I pray, the church will see women for the capable leaders they already are,”

“It’s a small step along the way but symbolically, it shows an openness and a new horizon or possibility.”

Thomas Groome, Boston College professor of theology and religious education

she said. “It’s ridiculous to think she needs help running a Vatican dicastery. Moreover, for as long as men have been in charge of this division of Vatican governance, they have governed men’s and women’s religious communities.”

Brambilla, 59, is a member of the Consolata Missionaries religious order and had served as the No. 2 in the religious orders department since 2023. She takes over from the retiring Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, 77. Francis made Brambilla’s appointment possible with his 2022 reform of the Holy See’s founding constitution, which

allowed laypeople, including women, to head a dicastery and become prefects.

Brambilla, a nurse, worked as a missionary in Mozambique and led her Consolata order as superior from 2011-23 when Francis made her secretary of the religious orders department. One major challenge she will face is the plummeting number of nuns worldwide. It has fallen by around 10,000 a year for the past several years, from around 750,000 in 2010 to 600,000 last year, according to Vatican statistics.

Brambilla’s appointment is the latest move by Francis to show by example how women can take leadership roles within the Catholic hierarchy, albeit without allowing them to be ordained as priests.

But there has been a marked increase in the percentage of women working in the Vatican during Francis’ papacy, including in leadership positions, from 19.3% in 2013 to 23.4% today, according to statistics reported by Vatican News. In the Curia alone, the percentage of women is 26%.

Starmer slams ‘lies and misinformation’ after attacks from Musk

The Tesla CEO has called for the British prime minister to be imprisoned

By Jill Lawless The Associated Press

LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday condemned “lies and misinformation” that he said are undermining U.K. democracy, in response to a barrage of attacks on his government from Elon Musk.

The billionaire Tesla CEO has taken an intense and erratic interest in British politics since the center-left Labour Party was elected in July. Musk has used his social network, X, to call for a new election and demand Starmer be imprisoned. On Monday, he posted an online poll for his 210 million followers on the proposition: “America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.”

Asked about Musk’s comments during a question session at a hospital near London, Starmer criticized “those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible,” particularly opposition Conservative politicians in Britain who have echoed some of Musk’s claims.

Musk often posts on X about the U.K., retweeting criticism of Starmer and the hashtag TwoTierKeir — shorthand for an unsubstantiated claim that

Britain has “two-tier policing” with far-right protesters treated more harshly than pro-Palestinian or Black Lives Matter demonstrators. During summer anti-immigrant violence across the U.K., he tweeted that “civil war is inevitable.” Recently, Musk has focused on child sexual abuse, particularly a series of cases that rocked northern England towns in which groups of men, largely from Pakistani backgrounds, were tried for grooming and abusing dozens of girls. The cases have been used by far-right activists to link child

abuse to immigration and to accuse politicians of covering up the “grooming gangs” out of a fear of appearing racist.

Musk has posted a demand for a new public inquiry into the cases. A huge, seven-year inquiry was held under the previous Conservative government, though many of the 20 recommendations it made in 2022 — including compensation for abuse victims — have yet to be implemented. Starmer’s government said it would act on them as quickly as possible.

Musk also has accused Starm-

“I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies.”

Keir Starmer, British prime minister

er of failing to bring perpetrators to justice when he was England’s director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013.

Starmer defended his record as chief prosecutor, saying he had reopened closed cases and “changed the whole prosecution approach” to child sexual exploitation.

He also condemned language used by Musk about Jess Phillips, a government minister responsible for combating violence against women and girls. Musk called Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and said she deserved to be in prison.

“When the poison of the farright leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, then in my book, a line has been crossed,” Starmer said. “I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies.”

Musk has also called for the release of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a far-right activist who goes by the name Tommy Robinson and is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court.

Starmer said people “cheerleading Tommy Robinson … are trying to get some vicarious thrill from street violence that people like Tommy Robinson promote.”

Starmer largely avoided mentioning Musk by name in his responses, likely wary of giving him more of a spotlight — or of angering Musk ally Donald Trump, who is due to be inaugurated as U.S. president on Jan. 20.

Musk’s incendiary interventions are a growing worry for governments elsewhere in Europe, too. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, another target of the X owner’s ire, said he is staying “cool” over critical personal comments made by Musk but finds it worrying that the U.S. billionaire makes the effort to get involved in Germany’s election by endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Starmer said the main issue was not Musk’s posts on X, but “what are politicians here doing to stand up for our democracy?” He said he was concerned about Conservative politicians in Britain “so desperate for attention they are amplifying what the far right are saying.”

“Once we lose the anchor that truth matters … then we are on a very slippery slope,” he said.

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

Pope Francis waves during a noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Monday.

LEON NEAL / AP PHOTO

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives a speech Monday in Surrey, England.

STANLY SPORTS

North Stanly boys, Albemarle girls lead county as hoops season progresses

The Comets and Bulldogs have a combined record of 19-4

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

STANLY COUNTY — As conference play arrives for Stanly County’s high school basketball teams, two local squads have risen to the top during the first half of the 2024-25 season.

The North Stanly boys (11-1) and Albemarle girls (8-3) have combined for 19 wins so far this season while surrendering only four losses between them, each leading their respective in-county grouped opponents in overall winning percentage.

Over in New London, the Comets enter the new year coming off a 49-46 championship win over the College Prep Leadership Academy in the 2024 North Stanly Comets Christmas Classic on Dec. 30, snapping the the Royals’ (10 -2 , 6-0 Northwest Piedmont). nine-game winning streak.

While North had previously suffered their only loss of

the season just 10 days earlier in a 65-57 home loss to the Royals, the Comets were able to redeem themselves in a low-scoring holiday tournament win over CPLA to cap off an event that featured wins over Valor Preparatory Academy (3-9, 0-1 Metro 8) and West Stanly (6-8, 1-1 Rocky River) in the two days leading up to the finale.

Senior Comet Jack Williamson was named tournament MVP for his performances in the Christmas Classic, while sophomore Ben Williamson — his teammate and younger brother — knocked down a game-winning 3-point shot to give North the final edge over CPLA.

North opened Yadkin Valley Conference play on Tuesday night at Union Academy (7-2).

In Albemarle, the Bulldogs girls’ team is beginning its YVC schedule as it chases its third consecutive regular-season conference win.

Much like the North Stanly boys’ team, Albemarle enters 2025 fresh off a holiday tournament appearance; the Bulldogs recently traveled to

Greensboro to claim third place in the Northern Guilford Christmas Tournament championship on Dec. 28, rolling to a 80-59 victory against the Magna Vista Warriors (6 - 4 , 2-0 Piedmont Region) of Ridgeway, VA.

The Bulldogs opened the tournament with a 62-53 loss to event host Northern Guilford (7-4, 2-1 Metro) but rebounded in the battle for third in the consolation round as they put together a 21-point win over the out-of-state Warriors.

Star point guard Amari Baldwin led Albemarle in the matchup with 32 points, while seniors Jasmine Brown (18 points), Bianca Robinson (12 points) and Jordyn Crump (11) also each reached double figures.

In a 78-13 home rout over North Rowan (2-6, 1-1 Central Carolina) last month, Baldwin set the Albemarle girls’ all-time scoring record as she passed a mark set by former Bulldog Akela Branch in 2014.

Albemarle opened YVC play on Tuesday night at South Stanly (0-8).

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Briley Page

South Stanly, girls’ basketball

Briley Page is a junior point guard for the South Stanly girls’ basketball team. She has also played volleyball for the Rowdy Rebel Bulls.

The season has not started the way South Stanly hoped. The Rowdy Rebel Bulls entered the week with an 0-8 record on the year. However, Page has been doing her part to break through in the win column. She currently leads South Stanly in assists and steals, and she is second on the team in scoring, shooting and 3-point accuracy.

In the team’s most recent game, against Forest Hills, Page led the team in scoring with eight of South Stanly’s 21 points. She was also the only Rowdy Rebel Bull to hit from 3 and had three of the team’s five assists.

Behind-the-scenes glimpse at Duke’s Mayo Bowl mayonnaise bath

The Charlotte-based bowl has one of the most-watched postgame traditions

By Steve Reed The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Imagine having 5 gallons of mayonnaise dumped over your head.

Well, that’s exactly what the winning head coach of the annual Duke’s Mayo Bowl receives as a “reward” for winning the game at Bank of America Stadium, a tradition born in 2021 as Duke’s Mayo looked to carve out its unique niche in the college football bowl world.

Each year, the mayo dump

trends on social media — and college football fans just can’t seem to look away, no matter how disgusting the idea is to some observers.

“I think with my bald head the mayo should just slide right off,” joked Minnesota head

coach P.J. Fleck, whose team beat Virginia Tech in this year’s bowl game. “I might have to do a little predumping of the mayo just to make sure it does slide off. I have my own strategy just in case, but I can’t let my secret out.”

There’s plenty of preparation that goes into the annual mayo dump.

Staff members begin by pouring five 1-gallon containers of mayonnaise into a large Gatorade-sized cooler around

the start of the fourth quarter. Then, they take turns briskly stirring the mayo for more than 25 minutes with a large wooden stick.

“That changes the consistency just a little bit so it’s more pourable,” said Duke’s Mayo brand director Rebecca Lupesco. “Some people think we add water. There’s no water added, it’s just straight mayonnaise. We just stir it up. It can be a workout.”

As tradition has it, the winning coach is seated on a chair on the field after the game and two workers will raise the cooler and pour the mayo over his head.

It’s a process that needed to be refined over time.

In 2021, one of the handles

on the cooler shifted, causing South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer to get bopped over the head with the bucket after being doused in mayo. That issue has since been addressed and the handles have been fortified to make them immovable.

“Since that incident, we now pick our mayo dumpers very carefully,” Lupesco said with a smile. “Last year, we did a mayo combine where 10 people were selected to come in and compete. They had to do deadlifts with buckets of mayonnaise and catch footballs with mayo on their hands. We had to make sure these people were strong enough.”

This year’s mayo dumpers were kept a surprise.

But they will be adequately trained first, Lupesco said. She said the two pourers will practice by dumping multiple buckets of mayo over a “dummy coach” earlier in the day, with an emphasis on making sure they lift the cooler high enough above the coach’s head so no one gets hit in the head. Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said he’s not a big fan of mayonnaise, but he would have gladly accepted the bath if it meant a Hokies win.

“It will be like, ‘C’mon and give it to me! I want that sucker!,’” Pry said. “The players and my family have had a lot of fun watching other coaches get dumped on. So I hope we are that fortunate.”

Former West Virginia coach Neal Brown was last year’s recipient of the mayo dump after his Mountaineers’ 30-10 blowout win over UNC — a moment he’ll almost certainly never forget.

“I feel cold, I feel wet. ... but I feel like a winner,” Brown said while covered in mayonnaise.

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

West Virginia head coach Neal Brown is dunked with mayonnaise after the team’s win against UNC in last year’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl

SIDELINE REPORT

MLB

Hernández re-signs with champion Dodgers, will play right field next season

Los Angeles Teoscar Hernández will be in right field for the Los Angeles Dodgers next season when the World Series champions try to defend their title. The outfielder is rejoining the team on a $66 million, three-year contract. Hernández says he was determined to return after playing on a one-year deal last season, when he won the Home Run Derby and helped the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. He says he had offers from other teams that could have gotten him an extra $5 million or more, but he says money wasn’t his main motivation.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Montana State’s Mellott wins Payton Award as top FCS offensive player

Frisco, Texas Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott won the Walter Payton Award as the Football Championship Subdivision offensive player of the year, two days before the top-ranked Bobcats face North Dakota State in the title game. Called Touchdown Tommy, the speedy Mellott edged North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller and Southern Utah running back Targhee Lambson in voting announced at the FCS Awards Banquet. Mellott led Montana State to a 15-0 record. The senior from Butte, Montana, topped The AP FCS All-America team and was the Walter Camp FCS Player of the Year. He leads the division in passing efficiency and points responsible for.

NFL Browns fire OC Dorsey, O-line coach Dickerson after 3-14 season

Berea, Ohio

The Cleveland Browns fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson following a 3-14 season. Dorsey and Dickerson were informed of the moves in the aftermath of the team’s 35-10 loss in Baltimore on Saturday. Dorsey and Dickerson were in Cleveland for just one season. Cleveland’s offense struggled under Dorsey, who was fired last season by Buffalo. The Browns scored more than 20 points in only three games, and the unit was plagued by injuries. Dickerson had the tough job of replacing Bill Callahan, the former NFL head coach who left to join his son Brian’s staff with Tennessee.

College football turns upside down, final four filled with blue bloods

The top four teams were all upset in the second round

By Eddie Pells The Associated Press

NOT A SINGLE one of the top four teams advanced into college football’s final four. The semifinals of the College Football Playoff are set: Thursday in the Orange Bowl, it will be No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame. Then Friday in the Cotton Bowl, it will be No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State. Appropriately enough considering the way the second round played out, it’s the team with the worst seed, the Buckeyes, who are now the favorite to win it all.

These matchups ensure that a team with a long pedigree and a big name will carry the championship trophy when the first 12-team playoff concludes in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

A quick look at the four contenders.

No. 5 Texas (13-2)

The Story: The Longhorns are 0-2 against Georgia and don’t have to worry about the Dawgs anymore. They are 13-0 against the rest of the country.

The Player: Receiver Matthew Golden had seven catches for 149 yards, a touchdown and a key two-point conversion in the second overtime against Arizona State.

He said it: “We’re not in awe that, ‘Hey, this is where we are.’ This is where we’re supposed to be.” — Coach Steve Sarkisian after the Arizona State win.

No. 6 Penn State (13-2)

The Story: After a loss to Oregon in the Big Ten title game, James Franklin’s record against teams in the AP Top 10 dropped to 3-19.

The Player: Tyler Warren might have played himself into the top tight end on the NFL draft board this season. In the

31-14 win over Boise State, two of his six catches were for touchdowns. He said it: “A lot of college coaches I saw this week were talking about, ‘This is a fourgame season.’ It’s not. It’s a onegame season.” — Franklin, after a first-round win over SMU, on the week-to-week nature of the first 12-team college playoff.

No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1)

The Story: When the Irish lost 16-14 at home to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7, Notre Dame’s odds of winning the national title ballooned to 100 -1 Twelve wins later, including two by double digits in the playoffs, and they are listed at 7-1.

Masters gets 9 more players from top 50 in world ranking

Money Matters: Quarterback Riley Leonard is thought to be making around $1 million after his move to South Bend from Duke. He said it: “We’ve been here before. Now it’s time to get it fixed. We’ve got to get it fixed and get back to playing football the way we know how to play, we’ve played before, and we can, and we will.” — Coach Marcus Freeman after the Sept. 7 loss to Northern Illinois. No. 8 Ohio State (12-2)

The Story: After punctuating a fourth straight loss to Michigan by standing on the field looking lost while the Wolverines triggered a melee by planting the team flag at the 50-yard line, there was good reason to think coach Ryan Day could only keep his job by somehow rallying to win a national title that felt unlikely.

The Player: Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has 290 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs. A pair of one-handed catches in an early-season win over Michigan State gave the nickname “playmaker” to the highly touted freshman. He said it: “At the end of the day, we wanted to win a national championship, and the way that we got here wasn’t what we expected.” — Day after the win over Oregon.

pos and McNealy — will be playing the Masters for the first time.

Glover narrowly gets

in at No. 50

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

LUCAS GLOVER held down the 50th spot in the final world ranking of 2024, making him one of nine players who will be added to the invitation list to play in the Masters.

The field has eight more players than it did at this time a year ago.

The Masters takes the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of the calendar year, and it will take the top 50 not already invited from the world ranking published a week before the tournament is held April 10-13.

The addition of the nine players brings the field to 85 players who are eligible and expected to play. There were 77 players who were eligible at this time a year ago, a difference that would point to weaker fields in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall.

The Masters has the smallest field of the four majors, and Augusta National prefers that it stays below 100 to give players an experience unlike any other. It last topped 100 players in 1966, when there were 103 players in the field.

The Masters had 89 players this year.

Lucas Glover waves after making a putt on the 13th hole during the third round at the Masters last April. It was a close call, but he earned the chance to return in 2025.

Glover had dipped outside the top 50 in the last few weeks, but the ranking is based on a formula that measures a two-year period with points gradually losing value.

Tom Kim at No. 21 was the highest-ranked player who had not already qualified. The others to get in through the world ranking are Nick Dunlap, Max Greyserman, Rasmus Hojgaard, Jason Day, Corey Conners, Denny McCarthy and Min Woo Lee.

It was the second straight year McCarthy and Lee earned spots in the Masters through the year-end world ranking. Neither has won on the PGA Tour.

A year ago, four players from the 77 who had qualified by the end of the year earned invitations by winning PGA Tour events in the fall.

This year, all eight fall winners were not eligible when they won tournaments.

Five of those fall winners — McCarty, Yu, Echavarria, Cam-

The PGA Tour went back to a calendar schedule for 2024, with several big events (including the Olympics) packed into the schedule. Most of the top players did not enter a PGA Tour event over the last three months of the year.

The Masters will add to the field with the Latin America Amateur Championship winner, any winner of a PGA Tour event that offers full FedEx Cup points, and the top 50 from the world ranking published on March 31. Fourteen tournaments will provide a Masters invitation.

Augusta National also could choose to use a special invitation. It offered three last year, including one to Joaquin Niemann of LIV Golf, noting his victory in the Australian Open and another top finish in Australia in his effort to play worldwide.

Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark also received a special invitation because he played primarily on the European tour. The club historically is not that favorable to PGA Tour members because they have more avenues to get in.

Among those who missed out on the top 50 was Nicolai Hojgaard, who shot 76 on the final day at Augusta this year and tied for 16th. Hojgaard, who played in the Ryder Cup in 2023, missed by one shot qualifying for the Masters in the category that takes the top 12 finishers.

His twin brother, Rasmus Hojgaard, will make his debut in April.

MATTHEW HINTON / AP PHOTO

Notre Dame mascot Colin Mahoney celebrates a quarterfinal win over Georgia in the College Football Playoff.

CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP PHOTO

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye

Nancy Jean Winchell

Dwight Farmer

Jan. 19, 1950 – Dec. 31, 2024

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.

Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor. She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor.

Louis Jean Edwards

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

Nancy Jean Winchell, 74, of Albemarle passed away on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, at Atrium Health Stanly. Funeral Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at the Stanly Funeral Home Chapel, officiated by Pastor Ron Loflin. Burial will follow at Stanly Gardens of Memory. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle.

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 Garfield. 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.

James Roseboro

Janice Lynn Burris

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

Oct. 24, 1930 – Dec. 15, 2024

Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.

Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran.

He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheriff’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.

Nancy was born January 19, 1950, in Nassau County, New York to the late Charles and Sophia Vanderlofske. She is lovingly survived by her children, Deborah Carson (Don) of Harrisburg, PA, George Winchell (Tammy) of Mooresville, Nathan Winchell of Albemarle, Olivia Winchell of Albemarle, and Sophia Costner (Randy) of Charlotte. Those also left to cherish her memory are grandchildren George Aiden (Jennifer), Tyler Talazs, Jacob Winchell, Megan Winchell, Ethan Winchell, Lawson Costner, Molly Costner, Courtney Faile (Aaron) Sarah Carson, and Holly Carson. Great-grandchildren Aiden, Liam, and Asher and siblings, sister Barbara O’Nuallain, and brothers Peter and Paul Vanderlofske.

Lois Jean Edwards, 94, of Locust, passed away on December 15, 2024 in her home. Her funeral service will be 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 20, 2024, in the Stanly Funeral Home Chapel in Albemarle. The family will receive friends at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle from Noon until 1:45 p.m. prior to the service.

Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.

John B. Kluttz

Nov. 29, 1948 – Jan. 4, 2025

James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.

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.

Born October 24, 1930, in Brooklyn, NY, she was the daughter of the late Franklin Sutcliffe and Marietta Fisher Sutcliffe. She retired as an admitting clerk at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital. Mrs. Edwards enjoyed life and loved to play bingo.

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.

Nancy was an amazing mom, grandmother, and greatgrandmother. Known for her beautifully radiant smile, openness, and positivity, which all brought out the best in everyone she met. We will all remember her for her genuine unselfishness.

Nancy was not only a fighter but also a true survivor overcoming many difficult circumstances throughout her life. She had a love for horses and all kinds of music. She was happiest spending time tending to her flowers, beachside, and with her adored cat, Norman.

Nancy’s strong spirituality in the Baha’i faith leaves us all at peace knowing she is with God.

As deeply as she has touched our hearts, she will be impossible to forget. The family would like to thank the Staff of Bayada and of Cabarrus Hospice, especially Jen, for all the care provided. Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle is serving the Winchell family.

March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023

Janice Lynn Burris, 76, of Albemarle passed away on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at Atrium Health Stanly. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 10, 2025, at Liberty Hill Primitive Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends on Thursday, January 9, 2025 from 6-8 p.m. at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care in Albemarle.

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.

She was preceded in death by her husband Frederick Edwards, a sister, Marylin Alessio, sons Bruce Edwards, Richard Edwards, Thomas Edwards, and Jeffrey Edwards, and a granddaughter Jennifer Teuschler. She is survived by a daughter Susan E. Bessone (Leonard) of Locust, sister Ann Mandick of Oakdale, NY, grandchildren Steven Fontana (Pansy), Frank Fontana Jr. (Natasha), Michael Fontana (Misty), Christopher Fontana Sr. (Jamie), Stacey Conte (Jason), Kevin Edwards, Paul Edwards, Matthew Edwards, Allisa Edwards, Eric Edwards, Keith Edwards, Kevin Edwards and Sean Edwards, stepgrandchildren Angel Hedrick (Jason), Timothy Bessone (Rachel), and Joshua Bessone, great-grandchildren Aiden Fontana, Joshua Fontana, Aubrey Fontana, Madalyn Fontana, Christopher Fontana, Kayleigh Fontana, Nolan Fontana, Maddox Fontana, Colton Fontana, Everleigh Fontana, Catie Sellers, Neveah Hedrick, Abbey Hedrick, and Brookelyn Hedrick.

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.

Janice was born on November 29, 1948, in Stanly County to the late Clyde and Clara Honeycutt. Janice is lovingly survived by her sons, Lane O’Brion Burris Jr. and his wife Cynthia of Milton, GA, and Christopher Shane Burris and his wife Julie of Locust. Those also left to cherish her memory are grandchildren, Austin Burris, Zoe Barron (Nate), Olivia Burris, and Evan Rees, and siblings, Kim Honeycutt (Deborah), and Richard Honeycutt (Kathy).

Peggy Leatherman Francis

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

Feb. 15, 1932 – Jan. 3, 2025

John grew up in the Millingport community where he drove a school bus and worked at the local gas station during his High School years. He graduated from Millingport High in 1954 and entered into service with the US Airforce immediately afterward. Upon return from the service, he and his high school sweetheart Julie were married in 1956. He graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College later in 1959 and began his career as a diesel mechanic at Mitchell Distributing Company, moving his growing family to Charlotte where they lived until their retirement.

When John purchased his first 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!

Janice was preceded in death by her husband, Lane O’Brion Burris Sr. in 2017.

Janice was a loving mother, grandmother, and aunt. She was the most compassionate person, especially to the elderly. She had a unique sense of humor. Janice was loyal to her family, and she loved her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle.

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.

Peggy Leatherman Francis, 92, of Midland passed away on Friday, January 3, 2025, at the Cabarrus Health and Rehabilitation Center. Funeral services will be at 2 PM on Thursday, January 9, 2025, at Freedom Baptist Church in Locust. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1 until 1:45 p.m. at the church prior to the service. Peggy was born February 15, 1932, in Lincoln Co. to the late Forest and Vernie Leatherman Those left to cherish her memory are many nieces, nephews and her church family. Peggy was preceded in death by her husband, Jonas Francis, in 2021. Peggy was a hard worker and always enjoyed working in her yard when her health permitted. She loved her church family and more and importantly her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Peggy was known for her quick wit and firm opinions. You always knew where you stood with her! She will be missed by all who knew her.

Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, went home into God’s presence on January 10 after a sudden illness and a valiant week-long fight in ICU. Doris was born on October 11, 1944, in the mountains of Marion, NC while her father was away fighting 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.

Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of locust is serving the Francis family.

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.

Darrick Baldwin

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

Darrick Vashon Baldwin, age 50, entered eternal rest, Sunday, January 8, 2023, Albemarle, North Carolina. Born January 7, 1973, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Darrick was the son of Eddie James Baldwin Sr. and the late Phyllis Blue Baldwin. Darrick enjoyed life, always kept things lively and enjoyed making others smile. His presence is no longer in our midst, but his memory will forever live in our hearts.

John restored many cars of his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Awardthe highest award given to members at the national level.

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.

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

Yomiko Itooka was born on May 23, 1908

By Yuri Kageyama

The Associated Press

TOKYO — Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who was the world’s oldest person according to Guinness World Records, has died, an Ashiya city official said Saturday. She was 116.

He was educated in the Stanly County public schools and attended Albemarle Senior High School, Albemarle.

Japanese woman who was the world’s oldest person at 116 has died

Yoshitsugu Nagata, an official in charge of elderly policies, said Itooka died on Dec. 29 at a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, central Japan. Itooka, who loved bananas and a yogurt-flavored Japanese drink called Calpis, was born on May 23, 1908. She became the oldest person last year following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

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.

When she was told she was at the top of the World Supercentenarian Rankings List, she simply replied, “Thank you.”

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.

When Itooka celebrated her birthday last year, she received flowers, a cake and a card from the mayor.

Born in Osaka, Itooka was a volleyball player in high school and long had a reputation for a sprightly spirit, Nagata said. She climbed the

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 Richfield, NC John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; five 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.

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

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 selfless, funny, smart, and sentimental. During her lifetime she was an active member of First Baptist Church of Durham, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Augusta, and Palestine United Methodist Church in Albemarle. She especially loved helping at church with older adults, youth, and children.

She was especially talented at sewing from a young age and made gifts for friends, Christmas ornaments, Halloween Costumes, doll clothes, pageant dresses, prom dresses, coats, tote bags, scarves, outfits for Amy and Laura, and Christening gowns for each of her grandchildren.

10,062-foot Mount Ontake twice. She married at 20 and had two daughters and two sons, according to Guinness.

Itooka managed the office of her husband’s textile factory during World War II. She lived alone in Nara after her husband died in 1979.

She is survived by one son and one daughter, and five grandchildren. A funeral service was held with family and friends, according to Nagata.

According to the Gerontology Research Group, the world’s oldest person is now 116-year- old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, who was born 16 days after Itooka.

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.

Doris Jones Coleman

STATE & NATION

Hundreds of Capitol riot prosecutions in limbo

A D.C. court is awaiting Donald Trump’s White House return

By Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Kunzelman

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s the largest prosecution in Justice Department history — with reams of evidence, harrowing videos and hundreds of convictions of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Now Donald Trump’s return to power has thrown into question the future of the more than 1,500 federal cases brought over the last four years.

Jan. 6 trials, guilty pleas and sentencings have continued chugging along in Washington, D.C.’s federal court despite Trump’s promise to pardon rioters, whom he has called “political prisoners” and “hostages” he contends were treated too harshly.

In a statement Monday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Justice Department prosecutors “have sought to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on our democracy with unrelenting integrity.”

“They have conducted themselves in a manner that adheres to the rule of law and honors our obligation to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of everyone in this country,” Garland said.

More than 1,500 people across the U.S. have been charged with federal crimes related to the deadly riot. Hundreds of people

who did not engage in destruction or violence were charged only with misdemeanor offenses for entering the Capitol illegally. Others were charged with felony offenses, including assault for beating police officers. Leaders of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys extremist groups were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as plots to use violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power from Trump, a Republican, to Joe Biden, a Democrat.

About 250 people have been convicted of crimes by a judge or a jury after a trial. Only two people were acquitted of all charges by judges after bench trials. No jury has fully acquitted a Capitol riot defendant. At least 1,020 others had pleaded guilty as of Jan. 1. More than 1,000 rioters have already been sentenced, with over 700 receiving at least some time behind bars. The rest were given some combination of probation, community

service, home detention or fines.

The longest sentence, 22 years, went to former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy along with three lieutenants. A California man with a history of political violence got 20 years in prison for repeatedly attacking police with flagpoles and other makeshift weapons during the riot. And Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes is serving an 18-year prison sentence for

Jan. 6 rioters set to be sentenced in 2025

seditious conspiracy and other offenses.

More than 100 Jan. 6 defendants are scheduled to stand trial in 2025, while at least 168 riot defendants are set to be sentenced this year.

The FBI has continued to arrest people on Capitol riot charges since Trump’s electoral victory in November. The Justice Department says prosecutors are still evaluating nearly 200 riot cases investigated by the FBI, including more than 60 cases in which the suspects are accused of assaulting or interfering with police officers who were guarding the Capitol.

Citing Trump’s promise of pardons, several defendants have sought to have their cases delayed — with little success.

Trump embraced the Jan. 6 rioters on the campaign trail, downplaying the violence that was broadcast on live TV and has been documented extensively through video, testimony and other evidence in the federal cases.

Trump has vowed to begin issuing pardons of Jan. 6 rioters on his first day in office. He has said he will look at individuals on a case-by-case basis, but he has not explained how he will decide who receives such relief.

Trump announces $20B US investment by Emirati businessman

The deal will bring new data centers to a number of states

By Will Weissert and Josh Boak

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a $20 billion investment for data centers in the United States by an Emirati company led by billionaire Hussain Sajwani, a close business partner of the Trump family.

The investment by DAMAC Properties in the United Arab Emirates is intended to highlight Trump’s personal ability to attract new money for big projects. The announcement follows a pledge made last month by the Japanese billionaire investor Masayoshi Son, while at Trump’s side, to invest $100 billion in the United States.

Trump said at a news conference that he believed Sajwani made the commitment because “he was very inspired by the election and wouldn’t do it without the election.” The president-elect emphasized his plans to get investments of $1 billion or more

Beach, Florida.

through the environmental regulatory review process quickly. Following Trump, Sajwani briefly joined the news conference and said: “It’s been amazing news for me and my family when he was elected in November.”

Sajwani’s promised investment feeds into an existing boom for constructing data centers used in the development of artificial intelligence and expansion of cryptocurrency, as well as in other elements of an increasingly digital economy that relies on

having greater sources of computer processing power.

While Trump has sought to portray these announcements as a source of newfound energy in the U.S. economy, the $20 billion commitment is also a sign that wealthy investors close to Trump can profit off that relationship, given the already significant investment in new data centers.

In October, the financial company Blackstone estimated that the U.S. would see $1 trillion invested in data centers over five

years, with another $1 trillion being committed internationally. The commitment made by Sajwani could represent just 2% of the total expected domestic investment in the sector.

Sajwani would gain data centers in the United States, which thus far have not been part of his company’s EDGNEX data center portfolio. According to the company’s website, it already has or plans to build data centers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Spain, Thailand and Indonesia.

DAMAC Properties is one of the top private developers in the skyscraper-studded city-state in the United Arab Emirates.

The property developer has been a Trump partner. Under Sajwani, DAMAC built the Trump International Golf Club at a massive development in the city’s desert outskirts just before Trump first entered the White House.

DAMAC also paid a licensing fee worth millions back to the Trump Organization, following a pattern the president-elect’s company has used in developments both in the U.S. and abroad.

There had been plans for another DAMAC development

further in the desert that would have a Trump-named golf course. However, DAMAC later dropped plans for the golf course at the development. Also, discussions for a promised $2 billion in deals between DAMAC and the Trump Organization after his first electoral win in 2016 never materialized.

Sajwani has said that Trump’s initial election to the presidency helped increase the profile of his company.

Since Trump’s reelection in November, Sajwani has been seen at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He posted a picture standing between a seated Trump and billionaire Elon Musk at a New Year’s Eve celebration.

However, the Trump Organization since has been involved with Dar Global, a Saudi-funded real estate firm that’s building a Trump-branded golf course in Oman and Trump projects in Saudi Arabia.

There are plans for a Trump Tower in Dubai as well, though previous plans for a Trump Tower on Dubai’s man-made Palm Jumeirah archipelago fell apart during the city’s financial crisis that began in 2008.

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

President-elect Donald Trump speaks as Hussain Sajwani, CEO of DAMAC Properties, listens during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday in Palm

JULIO CORTEZ / AP PHOTO

Stein signs

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Federal block grants of $1.65B awarded to NC for Helene recovery

Asheville

N.C. governments are receiving more than $1.65 billion in federal block grant money to help address historic levels of damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. Officials say the money is from Community Development Block Grant funds contained in a bill approved by Congress last month. Most of the grant money will go to state government, with the remainder to the city of Asheville. Gov. Josh Stein and the head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development held a public event Tuesday in Asheville to discuss the funds.

Justices block certification of election in race for one of its own seats

Raleigh N.C.’s Supreme Court has blocked the certification of a November election result for one of the seats on its court so it can review legal arguments by a trailing candidate. The Republican‑dominated court on Tuesday issued the temporary stay sought by GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin. He is trailing Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs by 734 votes. Griffin wants over 60,000 ballots removed from the tally because he contends they were cast improperly. Without the stay, the state was prepared to issue a certificate for Riggs on Friday confirming her victory. The stay was issued after a federal judge said a state court should consider Griffin’s litigation.

$2.00

Winston-Salem approves rezoning, paves way for new day care facility

for

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

WINSTON SALEM — The Winston Salem City Council met Jan. 6 for its first regular business meeting of the new year. The council held five pub lic hearings, with the first per taining to a rezoning request for 2.18 acres of property locat ed at 4517 Country Club Road from Residential Multifamily (RM12 S) to Limited Office –Special Use (LO S) for the pur pose of constructing a day care that will be partnered with the Goddard School.

“One thing we have learned in the last few years is the chronic shortage of day care facilities,” said council member Robert Clark. “This is a good news re zoning. This property is essen tially vacant and has been for a number of years. This is going to provide day care services from infants to 6 years old when it’s really needed for working cou ples or single parents that work where they can get their kids in a quality day care until they get to school age.”

The site plan calls for a one story, 13,500 square foot facility with 50 associat ed parking spaces. The facility will also have two outdoor play areas separated for different age groups and the entire out door space will be enclosed by a 4 foot tall fence.

The third hearing was to consider changes to the Win ston Salem Transit Authority Route Network.

The proposal is to make mi nor geographical changes to Routes 87, 90, 95 and 106 and to eliminate three routes: 99, 100 and 110, and to then uti lize the buses and operators on those routes to Routes 83, 87, 90 and 107 to increase fre quency on those routes to pro vide for those higher ridership demands.

“The purpose of a city bus is to move people around,” Clark said. “So if you have a route that nobody is riding, take the bus there and put it on a route that people are riding so we can give them greater frequen cy. So I am delighted to see this change.”

The second and third hear ings were to close and aban don portions of Morning Star Lane and White Meadow Lane and the fourth hearing was to authorize HyLyfe to operate a trolley pub within the City of Winston Sa lem.

Following each hearing, the council approved all of the requests.

The council also swore in new city attorney Camille French, who previously had served as the senior assistant city attorney.

“I just want to say what an honor and privilege it is to serve you, to serve the city of Winston Salem and to serve our citizens in this capacity,” French said. “I do not take it

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

The new site will provide services

infants to 6 years olds

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POSTMASTER:

Polar vortex brings bitter cold to Southern US

Car crashes and power outages caused problems across the country

By Hannah Fingerhut and Brian Witte The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa — The plunging polar vortex brought subfreezing temperatures Tuesday to some of the south ernmost points of the U.S., threatening to dump snow on parts of Texas and Oklahoma in the coming days and con tributing to a power outage in Virginia’s capital that made the water unsafe to drink.

The arctic blast that de scended on much of the U.S. east of the Rockies over the weekend has caused hundreds of car accidents, thousands of flight cancellations and de lays, and forced school closures in some states. A cold weath er advisory was issued Tuesday for the Gulf Coast. And the low temperature in El Paso, which sits Texas’ border with Mexi co, was 31 degrees with an ex pected wind chill factor rang ing from 0 to 15 degrees early Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

REZONING from page A1

lightly. I know that I do have some big shoes to fill, but I thank you all for your support. I will continue to provide the le gal services and high standards that you are accustomed to for your legal guidance.”

The prior attorney, Angela Carmon, retired at the end of 2024.

The Winston Salem City Council will next meet Jan. 21.

Road crews in the Kansas City area, which has received about 11 inches of snow in re cent days, have struggled to keep up with clearing the area’s streets and highways.

“I don’t know what super powers some think snow re moval teams have but 2 days of straight snow & ice isn’t go

ing to disappear overnight,” the Unified Government of Wyan dotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, wrote in a Facebook post.

As points north and east dug their way out of snow and ice on Tuesday, communities in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkan sas were preparing for their own helping. A low pressure system was expected to form as soon as Wednesday near South Texas, which could bring sever al inches of snow to the Dallas area and the lower Mississip pi Valley, the weather service said.

“As we go through the next few days, we’re still going to be seeing those colder than nor mal temperatures,” said Pe ter Mullinax, a weather service meteorologist based in Col lege Park, Maryland. “We’re going to see areas of snow and ice start to take shape across northern Texas, south ern Oklahoma as we get into Thursday morning.”

Some of it could be “pretty disruptive,” he said.

The polar vortex of ul tra cold air usually spins around the North Pole, but it sometimes plunges south into the U.S., Europe and Asia. Some experts say such cold air outbreaks are happening more frequently, paradoxically, be cause of a warming world.

Transportation has been tricky

The eastern two t hirds of the U.S. were dealt anoth

er day of colder t han u sual temperatures. And the snow and ice in the central Plains through the Ohio Valley into the Atlantic is likely to lin ger for a few days, Mullinax said, which will mean op portunities for constant re freezing and black ice. That could create treacherous road conditions.

A Kentucky truck stop was jammed Monday with big rigs forced off an icy and snow c ov ered Interstate 75 just outside Cincinnati. Michael Taylor, a long haul driver from Los An geles carrying a load of rugs to Georgia, said he saw numer ous cars and trucks stuck in ditches and was dealing with icy windshield wipers before he pulled off the interstate.

“It was too dangerous. I didn’t want to kill myself or anyone else,” he said.

Hundreds of car accidents were reported in Virginia, In diana, Kansas and Kentucky, where a state trooper was treated for non life t hreaten ing injuries after his patrol car was hit.

Virginia State Police re sponded to at least 430 crash es on Sunday and Monday, in cluding one that was fatal. Police said other weather re lated fatal accidents occurred Sunday near Charleston, West Virginia, and Monday in Winston Salem. Kansas had two deadly crashes over the weekend.

More than 1,000 flights into or out of the U.S. were al ready delayed Tuesday morn

ing, according to tracking platform FlightAware. More than 2,300 flights were can celed Monday and at least 9,100 more were delayed na tionwide.

Ronald Reagan Washing ton National Airport report ed that about 58% of arrivals and 70% of departures had been canceled. The airport an nounced early Tuesday that it had reopened all runways af ter closing them Monday eve ning so airport crews could focus on snow removal and prevent refreezing on the air field.

Tens of thousands without power

Many were in the dark as temperatures plunged. About 200,000 customers were without power Tuesday across Kentucky, Indiana, Virgin ia, West Virginia, Illinois and Missouri, according to electric utility tracking website Pow erOutage.us.

In Virginia’s capital city, a weather related power outage caused a temporary malfunc tion in the water system, offi cials said Monday. Richmond officials asked those in the city of more than 200,000 people to refrain from drinking tap water or washing dishes with out boiling the water first. The city also asked people to con serve their water, such as by taking shorter showers.

City officials said they were working nonstop to bring the system back online.

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

Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

ELECTIONS from page A1

The victories for Everitt and Bradley confirm that Republi cans will keep 30 Senate seats and Democrats, 20. That’s the same partisan composition during the past two years that gave the GOP a three fifths ma jority in that chamber. Everitt defeated Ashlee Adams by 128 votes and Bradley defeated Sta cie McGinn by 209. The Associated Press had not called the races won by Cohn and Everitt until Monday. Recounts were held in each of these three legislative races. Sossamon, McGinn and Adams also joined with GOP state Su preme Court candidate Jeffer son Griffin in filing a series of written protests to election of ficials. The protests challenged whether certain votes cast in their races should have been counted.

The outcome of the Supreme Court race is still pending — Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs leads Griffin by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million ballots cast in their statewide

race. Griffin currently serves as a North Carolina Court of Ap peals judge.

In two hearings last month, the State Board of Elections dismissed all of the protests filed by the four Republicans, issuing its final written orders on Dec. 27. Those orders com menced in state law a short window for the trailing candi dates to seek further recourse. For the legislative candi dates, their only option was to ask members of the General Assembly chamber where they sought to serve to decide who won the seat. Otherwise, the certificates were set to be is sued Monday. McGinn and Adams con ceded after the second State Board of Elections protest hearing on Dec. 20. Although Sossamon had previously left open the door to seek recourse in the House should a state le gal decision call his “election result into further question,” Cohn’s receipt of the election certificate Monday makes a future reversal in this election extremely unlikely.

The “legal decision” that Sossamon referred to involved a portion of the unsuccess ful election protests that the law allowed Griffin to appeal in state court. Griffin is still seeking to remove more than 60,000 votes that he argues were improperly cast.

Most of those ballots came from voters whose voter regis tration records lacked either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Se curity number — which a state law has sought in registration applications since 2004. Oth er ballots were cast by cer tain categories of military and overseas voters.

The State Board of Elec tions moved Griffin’s legal ef forts to federal court, and Griffin asked U.S. District Judge Richard Myers to block a certificate of election from being issued in the race while more legal arguments relat ed to the registration records and certain overseas votes are heard. Without a stay or in junction, the certificate will be issued Friday electing

Riggs for an eight ye ar term.

But late Monday, Myers or dered the case be returned to sitting justices on the state Supreme Court. That’s where Griffin first sought redress fol lowing the first State Board of Elections hearing last month in which his appeals were dismissed.

Myers, who was nominated to the federal bench by Don ald Trump, wrote that Griffin’s protests “raise unsettled ques tions of state law,” while their federal interest is “relatively tenuous.”

“If our system of federalism is to exist in more than name only, it means that this court should abstain in this case, un der these circumstances,” he said.

Myers’ order can be ap pealed. Attorneys for Riggs and the state board have said re moving these votes would vio late federal and state laws and the U.S. Constitution, denying the right to vote for so many who followed the rules to cast ballots as were presented to them.

ALEJANDRO

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

End the weaponization of the IRS

ONE OF THE highest priorities for the incoming Trump administration should be to end the Democrats’ weaponization of powerful government agencies against taxpayers and businesses they don’t like. Nowhere has this mission been more pernicious than the party‑line vote to fund the IRS with nearly $80 billion and hire tens of thousands of new tax snoops. By the way, according to the IRS press office, the additional audits have so far raised less than $2 billion, far less than the additional expenditures. So how is this program “paying for itself”?

This was never about seeking tax fairness as liberals claimed. It was about unleashing an aggressive, permanent and unchecked enforcement assault on U.S. taxpayers to rake in more tax dollars to pay for liberals’ political agenda. The American people voted to end such madness, and the IRS should now act accordingly and immediately by ignoring the Biden administration’s 11th hour efforts to ram through a slew of costly new rules and regulations as they now head toward the exit.

Progressive leaders made wildly erroneous claims that a supersized IRS would raise nearly $1 trillion over 10 years from stepped up enforcement against higher income earners and businesses. And they attempted to justify their proposals by broadly portraying entrepreneurs, small businesses, family‑owned private enterprises and the wealthy as tax cheats. The entire exercise was designed to harass lawful taxpayers

and threaten them as guilty parties until they could prove themselves innocent.

Fortunately, most voters saw their efforts for what they were: a liberal fantasy grab of other peoples’ money and an attempt to assert greater control over their livelihoods. Democrat leaders did not help themselves by immediately oversteering the car. This included efforts to have the IRS spy on personal bank accounts and require income reporting for basic Venmo payments among friends, as well as punitive measures on those whose incomes are derived from tips or numerous other types of transactions.

Another target for IRS harassment has been business partnerships. Such businesses are one of the most common and practical ways to structure private enterprises of all sizes. A simple analogy might be when one party owns an available tractor and another has available land, and they go into business together to farm the land. All told, there are an estimated 4.5 million business partnerships in America. Collectively, these partnerships generate more than $12 trillion in revenue and employ millions of U.S. workers.

Yet the IRS, before President elect Donald Trump returns to office, is now stealthily attempting to implement new rules that threaten the future viability of such partnerships. These proposed changes to the tax code impact what is known as “basis shifting” — a routine and legal practice that business partners use to adjust the tax basis of their respective assets. In short, the proposed rules

President JOE Biden is doing all he can in his final days to disrupt any progress that Donald Trump is trying to make. The court has ordered him to stop removing and auctioning off border wall materials that have been on the site since Trump’s last term. Shame on Biden.

Biden has been busy pardoning violent criminals and removing others from death row. Families of victims are outraged. Does it make sense that one person can overturn death sentences given by juries?

George Soros elected progressive district attorneys around much of the country are also busy reducing sentences. A Portland, Oregon, DA is looking to reduce the sentences of violent criminals, including murderers. This is days before he leaves office.

A report from the U.S. Senate reveals that only 6% of federal employees report to work in person full time. Sen. Joni Ernst said, “The nation’s capital is a ghost town.” That would be a good thing if it were not caused by employees getting paid to work and not showing up. Taxpayers are paying for millions of square feet of office space that sits empty. The “short term” COVID work rules have become permanent for many. John Kerry, the energy czar, recently made comments that outraged many regarding climate change and our carbon footprint. He argued, with a straight face, that allowing the public to freely choose their heating options and vehicle fuels is causing

would deliberately embed uncertainty and subjective IRS interpretations of how taxable assets are treated when one transfers or sells their interest in a business partnership. Basically, the opposite of tax fairness.

Meanwhile, the multibillion dollar bounty the Biden administration claimed their newly armed IRS would secure through added enforcement and new tax rules has completely failed to materialize. The IRS recently disclosed that just $1 billion had been recovered since their aggressive campaign went into effect two years ago, and there is no way of knowing if that would have occurred with or without it. How ironic and sad is it for taxpayers to learn that the vast amount of the $80 billion Democrats awarded to the IRS to recover or find new “savings” is instead on pace to serve as a massive cost to the U.S. Treasury?

The last thing voters now want is for the IRS to impose any more costly last minute tax changes that will make problems even worse for taxpayers, workers and employers. Accordingly, the Biden team and the IRS should put down their pencils. And if they persist with these fourth quarter rule changes, the Trump team should be prepared to immediately repeal them in January.

That would bring real joy to America.

Stephen Moore is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He is also an economic advisor to the Trump campaign. His new book, coauthored with Arthur Laffer, is “The Trump Economic Miracle.”

serious problems. This is rich coming from a man that flies around the world in private jets and lives in a huge mansion. He uses more energy than many small towns. What a hypocrite.

A report from the National Principles Project claims that 70% of enforcement actions by the Biden administration has been against Christian colleges. Grand Canyon University and Liberty University were hit with record breaking fines for minor infractions while public universities were charged much less for severe scandals. Think Penn State. Does this surprise anyone?

The American Bible Society released a report showing that the most charitable givers are those who engage frequently with the Bible. That should not surprise anyone, either.

Biden is doing more damage on his way out. His Environmental Protection Agency has granted waivers to California to phase out gas powered vehicles by 2035. Make no mistake: This will affect the rest of the country as well. Car companies cannot make cars just for one state. Maybe by the time 2035 comes around, people will have left California. At the rate they are leaving, it’s possible.

San Jose State’s women’s volleyball coach has been suspended for standing against men in women’s sports. She says she has no regrets. She said it is worth it, even at the cost of losing her job.

Some parents in California are furious after

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ROB BRIDGES

DOGE is a good start, but we must do more

To the Editor:

I was glad to see the editors of North State Journal tackle the issue of our nation’s out of control finances in the context of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts. Although DOGE might unearth savings — stamping out any inefficiencies is welcome — even Musk’s ambitious goals would hardly make a dent in the $13 trillion worth of deficits projected over the next decade.

Caps on discretionary spending, as discussed in the NSJ column, are a good tool for managing that portion of the federal budget, although it has shrunk to just a quarter of overall federal spending. As the author indicated, the vast majority of allocations are on autopilot, committed to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. And Social Security is expected to be insolvent by 2033.

True fiscal reform will require taking a hard look at these popular programs for ways in which we can adjust the terms of benefits, or the way the programs operate, without rescinding any promised benefits, particularly for those close to retirement. For example, perhaps it makes sense to begin extending the age at which individuals can get full Social Security benefits to reflect the happy fact that people are living longer and are more productive late in their careers than those of previous generations.

This is just one of the potential reforms that could be considered. But it will happen only if lawmakers agree we have a problem and show bipartisan courage to tackle it. Without such fortitude, we will remain on the wrong fiscal trajectory, no matter what Elon finds to fix.

Rob Bridges is a small business owner and former town commissioner in Wake Forest.

learning that their high school is offering a lesson that asked kids to come out as gay or lesbian. What is the educational benefit in this lesson? What is the fascination with sex in our schools? Get back to teaching. Indiana University is teaching students that they are “oppressors” because of their race, sex and religion. According to the program addendum, “Heterosexual, White, Able Bodied People, Christian and Men are dominant groups. These groups are guilty of social oppression.” Here again, why can’t we just stick to education?

New York’s Medicaid system is broken like much of the rest of the country. New York has revealed it has wasted $20 billion on ineligible recipients. The data shows that only 5.5 million citizens are eligible but 8.5 million are enrolled. This year, New York is projected to spend $113 billion on state health care.

A California judge has ordered rape victims to use the attacker’s preferred pronoun during the trial. The attacker is a biological male, identifies as a woman and was transferred to a women’s prison. He subsequently impregnated one inmate and raped two others. Now, how did “he” do this if he’s a woman? Geez. This isn’t rocket science.

Joyce Krawiec represented Forsyth County and the 31st District in the North Carolina Senate from 2014 to 2024. She lives in Kernersville.

TRIAD STRAIGHT TALK | JOYCE KRAWIEC

Pope names 1st woman to head major Vatican office

Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, was named prefect

By Nicole Winfield The Associated Press

ROME — Pope Francis on Monday named the first wom an to head a major Vatican of fice, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to be come prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church’s religious orders.

The appointment marks a ma jor step in Francis’ aim to give women more leadership roles in governing the church. While women have been named to No. 2 spots in some Vatican of fices, never before has a woman been named prefect of a dicast ery or congregation of the Holy See Curia, the central governing organ of the Catholic Church.

The historic nature of Bram billa’s appointment was con firmed by Vatican Media, which headlined its report, “Sister Si mona Brambilla is the first woman prefect in the Vatican.”

The office is one of the most

important in the Vatican. Known officially as the Dicast ery for the Institutes of Conse crated Life and Societies of Ap ostolic Life, it is responsible for every religious order, from the Jesuits and Franciscans to the Mercy nuns and smaller newer movements.

The appointment means that a woman is now responsible for the women who do much of the church’s work — the world’s 600,000 Catholic nuns — as well as the 129,000 Catholic priests who belong to religious orders.

“It should be a woman.

Long ago it should have been, but thank God,” said Thomas Groome, a senior professor of theology and religious educa tion at Boston College who has long called for the ordination of women priests. “It’s a small step along the way but symbolically, it shows an openness and a new horizon or possibility.”

Groome noted that nothing theologically would now prevent Francis from naming Brambilla a cardinal since cardinals don’t technically have to be ordained priests.

Naming as a cardinal “would be automatic for the head of a dicastery if she was a man,” he said.

But in an indication of the novelty of the appointment and that perhaps Francis was not ready to go that far, the pope simultaneously named as a co leader, or “pro prefect,” a car dinal: Ángel Fernández Artime, a Salesian.

The appointment, announced in the Vatican daily bulletin, lists Brambilla first as “prefect” and Fernández second as her co leader. Theologically, it ap pears Francis believed the sec ond appointment was neces sary since the head of the office must be able to celebrate Mass and perform other sacramen tal functions that currently can only be done by men.

Natalia Imperatori Lee, chair of the religion and philosophy department at Manhattan Uni versity, was initially excited by Brambilla’s appointment, only to learn that Francis had named a male co prefect.

“One day, I pray, the church will see women for the capa ble leaders they already are,”

“It’s a small step along the way but symbolically, it shows an openness and a new horizon or possibility.”

Thomas Groome, Boston College professor of theology and religious education

she said. “It’s ridiculous to think she needs help running a Vati can dicastery. Moreover, for as long as men have been in charge of this division of Vatican gov ernance, they have governed men’s and women’s religious communities.”

Brambilla, 59, is a member of the Consolata Missionaries re ligious order and had served as the No. 2 in the religious orders department since 2023. She takes over from the retiring Car dinal Joao Braz de Aviz, 77. Francis made Brambilla’s ap pointment possible with his 2022 reform of the Holy See’s founding constitution, which

allowed laypeople, including women, to head a dicastery and become prefects.

Brambilla, a nurse, worked as a missionary in Mozambique and led her Consolata order as superior from 2011 23 when Francis made her secretary of the religious orders department.

One major challenge she will face is the plummeting number of nuns worldwide. It has fallen by around 10,000 a year for the past several years, from around 750,000 in 2010 to 600,000 last year, according to Vatican statistics.

Brambilla’s appointment is the latest move by Francis to show by example how women can take leadership roles with in the Catholic hierarchy, albeit without allowing them to be or dained as priests.

But there has been a marked increase in the percentage of women working in the Vatican during Francis’ papacy, includ ing in leadership positions, from 19.3% in 2013 to 23.4% today, according to statistics reported by Vatican News. In the Curia alone, the percentage of wom en is 26%.

waves

The Tesla CEO has called for the British prime minister to be imprisoned

By Jill Lawless The Associated Press

LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Mon day condemned “lies and misin formation” that he said are un dermining U.K. democracy, in response to a barrage of attacks on his government from Elon Musk.

The billionaire Tesla CEO has taken an intense and erratic in terest in British politics since the center left Labour Party was elected in July. Musk has used his social network, X, to call for a new election and demand Starm er be imprisoned. On Monday, he posted an online poll for his 210 million followers on the proposi tion: “America should liberate the people of Britain from their ty rannical government.”

Asked about Musk’s comments during a question session at a hospital near London, Starmer criticized “those that are spread ing lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible,” par ticularly opposition Conservative politicians in Britain who have echoed some of Musk’s claims.

Musk often posts on X about the U.K., retweeting criticism of Starmer and the hashtag TwoTierKeir — shorthand for an unsubstantiated claim that

Britain has “two tier policing” with far right protesters treated more harshly than pro Palestin ian or Black Lives Matter dem onstrators. During summer an ti immigrant violence across the U.K., he tweeted that “civil war is inevitable.”

Recently, Musk has focused on child sexual abuse, particularly a series of cases that rocked north ern England towns in which groups of men, largely from Pa kistani backgrounds, were tried for grooming and abusing dozens of girls. The cases have been used by far right activists to link child

abuse to immigration and to ac cuse politicians of covering up the “grooming gangs” out of a fear of appearing racist.

Musk has posted a demand for a new public inquiry into the cases. A huge, seven year in quiry was held under the previ ous Conservative government, though many of the 20 recom mendations it made in 2022 — including compensation for abuse victims — have yet to be implemented. Starmer’s govern ment said it would act on them as quickly as possible.

Musk also has accused Starm

“I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies.”

Keir Starmer, British prime minister

er of failing to bring perpetrators to justice when he was England’s director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013.

Starmer defended his re cord as chief prosecutor, say ing he had reopened closed cas es and “changed the whole prosecution approach” to child sexual exploitation.

He also condemned language used by Musk about Jess Phil lips, a government minister re sponsible for combating violence against women and girls. Musk called Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and said she deserved to be in prison.

“When the poison of the far right leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, then in my book, a line has been crossed,” Starmer said. “I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust de bate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies.”

Musk has also called for the re lease of Stephen Yaxley Lennon, a far right activist who goes by the name Tommy Robinson and is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court.

Starmer said people “cheer leading Tommy Robinson … are trying to get some vicarious thrill from street violence that people like Tommy Robinson promote.”

Starmer largely avoided men tioning Musk by name in his re sponses, likely wary of giving him more of a spotlight — or of an gering Musk ally Donald Trump, who is due to be inaugurated as U.S. president on Jan. 20.

Musk’s incendiary interven tions are a growing worry for governments elsewhere in Eu rope, too. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, another target of the X owner’s ire, said he is staying “cool” over critical personal com ments made by Musk but finds it worrying that the U.S. billionaire makes the effort to get involved in Germany’s election by endorsing the far right Alternative for Ger many (AfD) party.

Starmer said the main issue was not Musk’s posts on X, but “what are politicians here doing to stand up for our democracy?”

He said he was concerned about Conservative politicians in Britain “so desperate for atten tion they are amplifying what the far right are saying.”

“Once we lose the anchor that truth matters … then we are on a very slippery slope,” he said.

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

Pope Francis

during a noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Monday.

NEAL / AP PHOTO

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives a speech Monday in Surrey, England.

Forsyth SPORTS

WINTER SPORTS ROUNDUP

Expansion-seeking PWHL ready to drop puck on 9-game neutral site Takeover Tour in Seattle

Raleigh will host games during the league’s second season

By John Wawrow

The Associated Press

OF ALL THE places Hilary Knight has played competitive hockey — from Beijing to Utica, New York — during her 17 U.S. national team seasons, the Boston Fleet captain holds a soft spot for Seattle, not far from her home in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Two years have passed, but the four-time Olympian still excitedly reflects on the electric atmosphere a U.S.-Canada Rivalry Series record-crowd of 14,551 created inside the NHL Kraken’s arena.

“To be honest, I have yet to experience another crowd like that,” Knight said of playing in Climate Pledge Arena, where she scored twice and added an assist in 4-2 win.

“Seattle holds a special place in my mind, and that’s why I’m super excited to be able to share that experience with other teammates, whether it’s on the Fleet or on the Montreal team.”

Knight made her return to the Pacific Northwest when Boston played the Montreal Victoire to kick off the PWHL’s expanded series of neutral-site games. Dubbed “The Takeover Tour,” the Seattle stop is the first of nine outof-market outings the PWHL will play in places including Raleigh, St. Louis and Vancouver.

The series serves two major

ready considered a front-runner for expansion and the only repeat city on the schedule after drawing 13,736 fans for one of two neutral-site games last year; Pittsburgh was the other.

Minnesota goalie Nicole Hensley looks forward to her Denver homecoming on Jan. 12, when the Frost play Montreal at the Avalanche’s Ball Arena.

“I think the last time I (played in Denver) was in high school,” Hensley said.

“Yeah, it was a pretty small rink, so this will be little different,” Hensley added, noting she attended many Avalanche games. “I’m not going to lie, I’ve been looking forward to it for a while.”

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Bradley Floyd

purposes for the six-team league a month into its second season: Aside from broadening the sport’s reach across North America, the tour allows the PWHL to test markets as it considers expanding by as many as two franchises next season.

“I think any opportunity to have an outreach of currently outof-market games for us is a critical one for the growth of the game and also our league,” Knight said of a league whose westernmost team is in Minnesota.

“Would I love to see teams out west? Absolutely. I think it’s a prime hockey market,” added Knight. “So there’s really no sky or ceiling to where this league can go.”

Rounding out the list of neutral sites are Denver, Detroit, Buffalo, and the Canadian cities Edmonton and Quebec City. Detroit is al-

Current players aren’t the only ones awaiting tour stops.

Cammi Granato, who captained the United States to win gold at the first Winter Games to feature women’s hockey in Nagano in 1998, considers the tour yet another a breakthrough for her sport, with Montreal playing Toronto in her adopted hometown of Vancouver on Jan. 8.

“It’s something I never thought could be possible,” Granato wrote in a text to The Associated Press.

“When I was growing up, I had the same dream as my brothers to play in the NHL. As I got older, it was hard to accept that I didn’t have the same opportunities to play professional hockey,” added Granato, now an assistant GM with the NHL’s Canucks. “It is incredible to see that it can be a dream come true for this generation of players.”

Winston-Salem Christian, boys’ basketball

The National Lions are 19-3 and a perfect 12-0 at home. W-S Christian is riding a three-game winning streak, and Floyd has been a big reason why. In the team’s most recent game, a 90-68 win over West Oaks Academy, Floyd was the top scorer in the game with 22 points. In a 66-53 win over Balboa that started the current win streak prior to the new year, Floyd tied for team high-scoring honors with 13.

Mayo Bowl mayonnaise bath

The Charlotte-based bowl has one of the most-watched postgame traditions

By Steve Reed The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Imagine having 5 gallons of mayonnaise dumped over your head.

Well, that’s exactly what the winning head coach of the annual Duke’s Mayo Bowl receives as a “reward” for winning the game at Bank of America Stadium, a tradition born in 2021 as Duke’s Mayo looked to carve out its unique niche in the college football bowl world.

Each year, the mayo dump

trends on social media — and college football fans just can’t seem to look away, no matter how disgusting the idea is to some observers.

“I think with my bald head the mayo should just slide right off,” joked Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, whose team beat Virginia Tech in this year’s bowl game. “I might have to do a little predumping of the mayo just to make sure it does slide off. I have my own strategy just in case, but I can’t let my secret out.”

There’s plenty of preparation that goes into the annual mayo dump.

Staff members begin by pouring five 1-gallon containers of mayonnaise into a large Gatorade-sized cooler around

the start of the fourth quarter. Then, they take turns briskly stirring the mayo for more than 25 minutes with a large wooden stick.

“That changes the consistency just a little bit so it’s more pourable,” said Duke’s Mayo brand director Rebecca Lupesco. “Some people think we add water. There’s no water added, it’s just straight mayonnaise. We just stir it up. It can be a workout.”

As tradition has it, the winning coach is seated on a chair on the field after the game and two workers will raise the cooler and pour the mayo over his head.

It’s a process that needed to be refined over time.

In 2021, one of the handles

on the cooler shifted, causing South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer to get bopped over the head with the bucket after being doused in mayo. That issue has since been addressed and the handles have been fortified to make them immovable.

“Since that incident, we now pick our mayo dumpers very carefully,” Lupesco said with a smile. “Last year, we did a mayo combine where 10 people were selected to come in and compete. They had to do deadlifts with buckets of mayonnaise and catch footballs with mayo on their hands. We had to make sure these people were strong enough.”

This year’s mayo dumpers were kept a surprise.

But they will be adequately trained first, Lupesco said. She said the two pourers will practice by dumping multiple buckets of mayo over a “dummy coach” earlier in the day, with an emphasis on making sure they lift the cooler high enough above the coach’s head so no one gets hit in the head. Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said he’s not a big fan of mayonnaise, but he would have gladly accepted the bath if it meant a Hokies win.

“It will be like, ‘C’mon and give it to me! I want that sucker!,’” Pry said. “The players and my family have had a lot of fun watching other coaches get dumped on. So I hope we are that fortunate.”

Former West Virginia coach Neal Brown was last year’s recipient of the mayo dump after his Mountaineers’ 30-10 blowout win over UNC — a moment he’ll almost certainly never forget.

“I feel cold, I feel wet. ... but I feel like a winner,” Brown said while covered in mayonnaise.

ROSS D. FRANKLIN / AP PHOTO Forward Hilary Knight skates to the bench to celebrate her goal during a Team USA game against Canada.

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

West Virginia head coach Neal Brown is dunked with mayonnaise after the team’s win against UNC in last year’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl

SIDELINE

REPORT

MLB

Hernández re-signs with champion Dodgers, will play right field next season

Los Angeles Teoscar Hernández will be in right field for the Los Angeles Dodgers next season when the World Series champions try to defend their title. The outfielder is rejoining the team on a $66 million, three-year contract. Hernández says he was determined to return after playing on a one-year deal last season, when he won the Home Run Derby and helped the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. He says he had offers from other teams that could have gotten him an extra $5 million or more, but he says money wasn’t his main motivation.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Montana State’s Mellott wins Payton Award as top FCS offensive player

Frisco, Texas

Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott won the Walter Payton Award as the Football Championship Subdivision offensive player of the year, two days before the top-ranked Bobcats face North Dakota State in the title game. Called Touchdown Tommy, the speedy Mellott edged North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller and Southern Utah running back Targhee Lambson in voting announced at the FCS Awards Banquet. Mellott led Montana State to a 15-0 record. The senior from Butte, Montana, topped The AP FCS All-America team and was the Walter Camp FCS Player of the Year. He leads the division in passing efficiency and points responsible for.

NFL Browns fire OC Dorsey, O-line coach Dickerson after 3-14 season

Berea, Ohio

The Cleveland Browns fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson following a 3-14 season. Dorsey and Dickerson were informed of the moves in the aftermath of the team’s 35-10 loss in Baltimore on Saturday. Dorsey and Dickerson were in Cleveland for just one season.

Cleveland’s offense struggled under Dorsey, who was fired last season by Buffalo. The Browns scored more than 20 points in only three games, and the unit was plagued by injuries. Dickerson had the tough job of replacing Bill Callahan, the former NFL head coach who left to join his son Brian’s staff with Tennessee.

NBA Heat begin life without Butler, who is suspended and seeking a trade

Miami For the 119th time since Jimmy Butler joined Miami, the Heat played a game without him. This was different from the others. Butler is gone, banished by the Heat for seven games over what they called conduct detrimental to the team — and he’s probably not going to play for Miami again. His suspension started Saturday when the Heat played the Utah Jazz, and the team says it will agree to his wishes and try to facilitate a trade.

College football turns upside down, final four filled with blue bloods

The top four teams were all upset in the second round

By Eddie Pells The Associated Press

NOT A SINGLE one of the top four teams advanced into college football’s final four.

The semifinals of the College Football Playoff are set: Thursday in the Orange Bowl, it will be No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame. Then Friday in the Cotton Bowl, it will be No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State. Appropriately enough considering the way the second round played out, it’s the team with the worst seed, the Buckeyes, who are now the favorite to win it all.

These matchups ensure that a team with a long pedigree and a big name will carry the championship trophy when the first 12-team playoff concludes in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

A quick look at the four contenders.

No. 5 Texas (13-2)

The Story: The Longhorns are 0-2 against Georgia and don’t have to worry about the Dawgs anymore. They are 13-0 against the rest of the country.

The Player: Receiver Matthew Golden had seven catches for 149 yards, a touchdown and a key two-point conversion in the second overtime against Arizona State. He said it: “We’re not in awe that, ‘Hey, this is where we are.’ This is where we’re supposed to be.” — Coach Steve Sarkisian after the Arizona State win.

No. 6 Penn State (13-2)

The Story: After a loss to Oregon in the Big Ten title game, James Franklin’s record against teams in the AP Top 10 dropped to 3-19.

The Player: Tyler Warren might have played himself into the top tight end on the NFL draft board this season. In the 31-14 win over Boise State,

two of his six catches were for touchdowns. He said it: “A lot of college coaches I saw this week were talking about, ‘This is a fourgame season.’ It’s not. It’s a onegame season.” — Franklin, after a first-round win over SMU, on the week-to-week nature of the first 12-team college playoff.

No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1)

The Story: When the Irish lost 16-14 at home to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7, Notre Dame’s odds of winning the national title ballooned to 100 -1. Twelve wins later, including two by double digits in the playoffs, and they are listed at 7-1.

Money Matters: Quarterback Riley Leonard is thought to be making around $1 million after his move to South Bend from Duke. He said it: “We’ve been here before. Now it’s time to get it fixed. We’ve got to get it fixed and get back to playing football the way we know how to

Masters gets 9 more players from top 50 in world ranking

Lucas Glover narrowly got in at No. 50

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

LUCAS GLOVER held down the 50th spot in the final world ranking of 2024, making him one of nine players who will be added to the invitation list to play in the Masters.

The field has eight more players than it did at this time a year ago.

The Masters takes the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of the calendar year, and it will take the top 50 not already invited from the world ranking published a week before the tournament is held April 10-13. The addition of the nine players brings the field to 85 players who are eligible and expected to play. There were 77 players who were eligible at this time a year ago, a difference that would point to weaker fields in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall.

The Masters has the smallest field of the four majors, and Augusta National prefers that it stays below 100 to give players an experience unlike any other. It last topped 100 players in 1966, when there were 103 players in the field.

The Masters had 89 players this year.

Lucas Glover waves after making a putt on the 13th hole during the third round at the Masters last April. It was a close call, but he earned the chance to return in 2025.

Glover had dipped outside the top 50 in the last few weeks, but the ranking is based on a formula that measures a two-year period with points gradually losing value.

Tom Kim at No. 21 was the highest-ranked player who had not already qualified. The others to get in through the world ranking are Nick Dunlap, Max Greyserman, Rasmus Hojgaard, Jason Day, Corey Conners, Denny McCarthy and Min Woo Lee.

It was the second straight year McCarthy and Lee earned spots in the Masters through the year-end world ranking. Neither has won on the PGA Tour. A year ago, four players from the 77 who had qualified by the end of the year earned invitations by winning PGA Tour events in the fall. This year, all eight fall winners were not eligible when they won tournaments.

Five of those fall winners — McCarty, Yu, Echavarria, Cam-

play, we’ve played before, and we can, and we will.” — Coach Marcus Freeman after the Sept. 7 loss to Northern Illinois. No. 8 Ohio State (12-2)

The Story: After punctuating a fourth straight loss to Michigan by standing on the field looking lost while the Wolverines triggered a melee by planting the team flag at the 50-yard line, there was good reason to think coach Ryan Day could only keep his job by somehow rallying to win a national title that felt unlikely.

The Player: Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has 290 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs. A pair of one-handed catches in an early-season win over Michigan State gave the nickname “playmaker” to the highly touted freshman. He said it: “At the end of the day, we wanted to win a national championship, and the way that we got here wasn’t what we expected.” — Day after the win over Oregon.

pos and McNealy — will be playing the Masters for the first time.

The PGA Tour went back to a calendar schedule for 2024, with several big events (including the Olympics) packed into the schedule. Most of the top players did not enter a PGA Tour event over the last three months of the year.

The Masters will add to the field with the Latin America Amateur Championship winner, any winner of a PGA Tour event that offers full FedEx Cup points, and the top 50 from the world ranking published on March 31. Fourteen tournaments will provide a Masters invitation.

Augusta National also could choose to use a special invitation. It offered three last year, including one to Joaquin Niemann of LIV Golf, noting his victory in the Australian Open and another top finish in Australia in his effort to play worldwide.

Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark also received a special invitation because he played primarily on the European tour. The club historically is not that favorable to PGA Tour members because they have more avenues to get in.

Among those who missed out on the top 50 was Nicolai Hojgaard, who shot 76 on the final day at Augusta this year and tied for 16th. Hojgaard, who played in the Ryder Cup in 2023, missed by one shot qualifying for the Masters in the category that takes the top 12 finishers.

His twin brother, Rasmus Hojgaard, will make his debut in April.

CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP PHOTO

MATTHEW HINTON / AP PHOTO

Notre Dame mascot Colin Mahoney celebrates a quarterfinal win over Georgia in the College Football Playoff.

the stream

‘The Traitors’ returns, Noah Wyle back in scrubs, Lori Loughlin in police drama

“Yellowstone” meets “Game of Thrones” on the Netflix series “American Primeval”

The Associated Press

NOAH WYLE GOING back to an emergency room for his new series “The Pitt” and Lana Wilson’s lauded documentary about psychics “Look Into My Eyes” are some of the new television, films and music headed to a device near you. Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time: Dick Wolf’s new police drama “On Call” making its debut, the hit show “The Traitors” hosted by Alan Cumming returns to Peacock, and British comedian Nick Frost writes and stars in the comedic horror “Get Away.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

One of the best American documentaries of last year, Lana Wilson’s “Look Into My Eyes,” is available to stream on Max. The film takes views into the lives of several New York City psychics — their sessions, their homes, their own stories — creating a rather profound portrait of humanity as contained in this strange, misunderstood and abused tradition. Wilson, who has also made documentaries about Taylor Swift with “Miss Americana” and Brooke Shields with “Pretty Baby,” came to understand that perhaps it doesn’t matter whether it’s real or not. “I had trivialized it and seen it as this silly thing despite the fact that millions of people around the world engage in it,” Wilson told The Associated Press last year. “You can believe or not believe the supernatural part of this, but there’s this human connection that is undeniably going on.” British comedian Nick Frost (“Hot Fuzz”) wrote and stars in the comedic horror “Get Away,” about a family on a vacation to an unwelcoming island that’s full of strange and sinister happenings. But they’re stubbornly determined to continue the holiday in spite of it feeling like they’ve descended on a “Swedish horror.” Writing for Fangoria, critic Jordan Hoffman called it a “pleasurable film without too much depth.”

“Get Away” begins streaming on Shudder on Friday. Aisling Bea, Maisie Ayres and Sebastian Croft also star.

MUSIC TO STREAM

Ethel Cain, the Southern Gothic persona of Hayden Anhedönia, has long entranced her listeners with a kind of lethargic approach to pop songwriting — opting for plain-sung dirges on religiosity and Americana like an edgier, alternative universe Lana Del Rey than full-on bangers

convene for a boot camp led by ex-special forces operatives. Season three features Denise Richards, Brody Jenner, Cam Newton, Stephen Baldwin and Trista Rehn and Ali Fedotowsky-Manno of “The Bachelorette.” They attempt grueling tasks like jumping onto a helicopter from a speed boat and treading water for a really long time (while they’re berated on camera) in the name of toughness and bragging rights. Episodes stream on Hulu. Peacock’s hit “The Traitors,” hosted by Alan Cumming, also returns on Thursday. Here, famous faces from (mostly) reality TV come together in Scotland for a compelling game of strategy and manipulation with a cash prize at the end. “The Traitors” won outstanding reality competition program at last year’s Emmy Awards.

“Yellowstone” meets “Game of Thrones” on Netflix’s new limited series called “American Primeval,” premiering Thursday. The six-episode show follows settlers during the westward expansion and stars Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin. Like the “Yellowstone” prequel “1883,” this new series depicts how the fight for land in the American west was a violent one.

SHOWS TO STREAM

Two popular and addictive reality competition shows featuring celebrities return this week with new seasons. First up is Fox’s “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” now streaming, where acting, reality TV and sports stars

(with the exception of her bestknown cut, “American Teenager.”) On Wednesday, she released a follow up to her debut “Preacher’s Daughter,” the provocatively titled “Perverts,” further journeying into her meditative approach to music-making. The first song shared from the album is the nearly seven-minute droning piano lament, “Punish.” Expect more ambience, cold and slow moving.

Noah Wyle returns to where we first met him — in the emergency room — for his new series “The Pitt.” Instead of playing a green intern, Wyle’s character Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch is an experienced doctor at a fictional Pittsburgh hospital. Each episode follows one hour of Dr. Robby’s 15-hour shift. John Wells, who was the showrunner of “ER” is an executive producer. Writer Michael Crichton wrote the pilot script for “ER” and his estate — led by his widow Sherri Crichton — has sued Warner Bros. Television, calling “The Pitt” an unauthorized rebranded version of “ER.” “The Pitt” debuts Thursday on Max. Dick Wolf’s new police drama “On Call” drops Thursday on Prime Video. Eriq La Salle (another “ER” alumnus) is an executive producer, cast member and directs some of the show’s episodes. “On Call” is set in Long Beach, California, and stars Troian Bellisario of “Pretty Little Liars” and Brandon Larracuente as patrol cops. The series uses bodycam and dash cam footage along with cell phone video to create a more realistic feel. Lori Loughlin, who spent two months in prison in 2020 for her part in a college admissions scam, plays a lieutenant. It’s a departure from her past roles on “Full House” and in Christmas TV movies.

NETFLIX / PEACOCK / FOX VIA AP

“American Primeval”, “The Traitors” and “Special Forces” are TV shows streaming on a screen near you this week.

MAX / SHUDDER VIA AP

Lana Wilson’s documentary “Look Into My Eyes” lands on Max.

STATE & NATION

Hundreds of Capitol riot prosecutions in limbo

A D.C. court is awaiting Donald Trump’s White House return

By Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Kunzelman

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s the largest prosecution in Justice Department history — with reams of evidence, harrowing videos and hundreds of convictions of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Now Donald Trump’s return to power has thrown into question the future of the more than 1,500 federal cases brought over the last four years.

Jan. 6 trials, guilty pleas and sentencings have continued chugging along in Washington, D.C.’s federal court despite Trump’s promise to pardon rioters, whom he has called “political prisoners” and “hostages” he contends were treated too harshly.

In a statement Monday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Justice Department prosecutors “have sought to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on our democracy with unrelenting integrity.”

“They have conducted themselves in a manner that adheres to the rule of law and honors our obligation to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of everyone in this country,” Garland said.

More than 1,500 people across the U.S. have been charged with federal crimes related to the deadly riot. Hundreds of people

Rioters try to break through a police barrier on Jan. 6, 2021, outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

who did not engage in destruction or violence were charged only with misdemeanor offenses for entering the Capitol illegally. Others were charged with felony offenses, including assault for beating police officers. Leaders of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys extremist groups were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as plots to use violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power from Trump, a Republican, to Joe Biden, a Democrat.

About 250 people have been convicted of crimes by a judge or a jury after a trial. Only two people were acquitted of all charges by judges after bench trials. No jury has fully acquitted a Capitol riot defendant. At least 1,020 others had pleaded guilty as of Jan. 1. More than 1,000 rioters have already been sentenced, with over 700 receiving at least some time behind bars. The rest were given some combination of probation, community

service, home detention or fines.

The longest sentence, 22 years, went to former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy along with three lieutenants. A California man with a history of political violence got 20 years in prison for repeatedly attacking police with flagpoles and other makeshift weapons during the riot. And Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes is serving an 18-year prison sentence for

Jan. 6 rioters set to be sentenced in 2025

seditious conspiracy and other offenses.

More than 100 Jan. 6 defendants are scheduled to stand trial in 2025, while at least 168 riot defendants are set to be sentenced this year.

The FBI has continued to arrest people on Capitol riot charges since Trump’s electoral victory in November. The Justice Department says prosecutors are still evaluating nearly 200 riot cases investigated by the FBI, including more than 60 cases in which the suspects are accused of assaulting or interfering with police officers who were guarding the Capitol.

Citing Trump’s promise of pardons, several defendants have sought to have their cases delayed — with little success.

Trump embraced the Jan. 6 rioters on the campaign trail, downplaying the violence that was broadcast on live TV and has been documented extensively through video, testimony and other evidence in the federal cases.

Trump has vowed to begin issuing pardons of Jan. 6 rioters on his first day in office. He has said he will look at individuals on a case-by-case basis, but he has not explained how he will decide who receives such relief.

Trump announces $20B US investment by Emirati businessman

The deal will bring new data centers to a number of states

By Will Weissert and Josh Boak

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a $20 billion investment for data centers in the United States by an Emirati company led by billionaire Hussain Sajwani, a close business partner of the Trump family.

The investment by DAMAC Properties in the United Arab Emirates is intended to highlight Trump’s personal ability to attract new money for big projects. The announcement follows a pledge made last month by the Japanese billionaire investor Masayoshi Son, while at Trump’s side, to invest $100 billion in the United States.

Trump said at a news conference that he believed Sajwani made the commitment because “he was very inspired by the election and wouldn’t do it without the election.” The president-elect emphasized his plans to get investments of $1 billion or more

Florida.

through the environmental regulatory review process quickly. Following Trump, Sajwani briefly joined the news conference and said: “It’s been amazing news for me and my family when he was elected in November.”

Sajwani’s promised investment feeds into an existing boom for constructing data centers used in the development of artificial intelligence and expansion of cryptocurrency, as well as in other elements of an increasingly digital economy that relies on

having greater sources of computer processing power.

While Trump has sought to portray these announcements as a source of newfound energy in the U.S. economy, the $20 billion commitment is also a sign that wealthy investors close to Trump can profit off that relationship, given the already significant investment in new data centers.

In October, the financial company Blackstone estimated that the U.S. would see $1 trillion invested in data centers over five

years, with another $1 trillion being committed internationally. The commitment made by Sajwani could represent just 2% of the total expected domestic investment in the sector.

Sajwani would gain data centers in the United States, which thus far have not been part of his company’s EDGNEX data center portfolio. According to the company’s website, it already has or plans to build data centers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Spain, Thailand and Indonesia.

DAMAC Properties is one of the top private developers in the skyscraper-studded city-state in the United Arab Emirates.

The property developer has been a Trump partner. Under Sajwani, DAMAC built the Trump International Golf Club at a massive development in the city’s desert outskirts just before Trump first entered the White House.

DAMAC also paid a licensing fee worth millions back to the Trump Organization, following a pattern the president-elect’s company has used in developments both in the U.S. and abroad.

There had been plans for another DAMAC development

further in the desert that would have a Trump-named golf course. However, DAMAC later dropped plans for the golf course at the development. Also, discussions for a promised $2 billion in deals between DAMAC and the Trump Organization after his first electoral win in 2016 never materialized.

Sajwani has said that Trump’s initial election to the presidency helped increase the profile of his company.

Since Trump’s reelection in November, Sajwani has been seen at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He posted a picture standing between a seated Trump and billionaire Elon Musk at a New Year’s Eve celebration.

However, the Trump Organization since has been involved with Dar Global, a Saudi-funded real estate firm that’s building a Trump-branded golf course in Oman and Trump projects in Saudi Arabia.

There are plans for a Trump Tower in Dubai as well, though previous plans for a Trump Tower on Dubai’s man-made Palm Jumeirah archipelago fell apart during the city’s financial crisis that began in 2008.

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

President-elect Donald Trump speaks as Hussain Sajwani, CEO of DAMAC Properties, listens during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday in Palm Beach,

JULIO CORTEZ / AP PHOTO

Randolph record

Stein signs

New Gov. Josh Stein signs his first executive orders on Jan. 2 after taking the oath of office on New Year’s Day. The orders addressed a number of items related to Hurricane Helene recovery.

Federal block grants of $1.65B awarded to NC for Helene recovery

Asheville N.C. governments are receiving more than $1.65 billion in federal block grant money to help address historic levels of damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. Officials say the money is from Community Development Block Grant funds contained in a bill approved by Congress last month. Most of the grant money will go to state government, with the remainder to the city of Asheville. Gov. Josh Stein and the head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development held a public event Tuesday in Asheville to discuss the funds.

Justices block certification of election in race for one of its own seats

Raleigh N.C.’s Supreme Court has blocked the certification of a November election result for one of the seats on its court so it can review legal arguments by a trailing candidate. The Republican-dominated court on Tuesday issued the temporary stay sought by GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin. He is trailing Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs by 734 votes. Griffin wants over 60,000 ballots removed from the tally because he contends they were cast improperly. Without the stay, the state was prepared to issue a certificate for Riggs on Friday confirming her victory. The stay was issued after a federal judge said a state court should consider Griffin’s litigation.

$2.00

County presented with positive financial reports

Tourism brought almost $200 million to Randolph County according to a new tourism report

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Commissioners held their first meeting of the year on Monday.

At the Jan. 6 meeting, the board was presented with their annual audit report, which came back positive for the county.

“All four of the opinions we rendered are what we call unmodified opinions,” said April Adams, partner at Cherry Bekaert, the county’s auditing firm. “Those are the best opinions you can get. It’s giving you an indication that your financial statements are free from material misstatement and that’s the highest level of assurance we can give

“We’ve received a national award every year for almost 30 years for governmental accounting.”

Darrell Frye, board chairman

you as an audit firm.”

It’s another year of clean audits for the county which has made such accolades a habit.

“We stole Will from Cherry Bekaert many, many years ago, and he has done an excellent job for the citizens of Randolph County,” said Commissioner Darrell Frye. “The accountability for the dollars that we get and what we do with it. Never been any questions about what we do with it, it’s all public in how we use it. We’ve received a nation -

al award every year for almost 30 years for governmental accounting.”

The board was also presented with a report from the county’s Tourism Development Authority which stated that for 2023, Randolph County Travel generated $189.5 million in visitor spending, an increase of 6.1% from 2022.

The board then approved a request from the sheriff’s office for approximately $500,000 in additional funding for three items that the office designated as a critical need. Those items included the replacement of 110 computer and laptop devices as part of the county’s replacement plan for outdated equipment, 14 vehicle upfits and the replacement of the X-ray machine at the front of the court house.

“We made a little money last year to appropriate fund

balance for that,” said Commissioner David Allen. “So we’re not diving into savings to do this.”

The board also set a date for a public auction for the sale of property located on Link Court in Trinity to be held on Feb. 17 at 10 a.m.

“The county has a piece of property that it acquired in a tax foreclosure sale,” said associate county attorney Aimee Scotton. “Basically, if we think a property is going to sell, we will bid in the amount of the taxes and fees associated with the sale so we at least get what we’re owed. If we do that and nobody outbids us, we are the high bidder and we end up owning the property, and that does end up happening from time to time, including this time in 2022.”

While a prospective bidder has come forward for the property, in order for the county to put the property back up for sale, they have to hold a competitive auction.

“It’s not an ideal situation, but right now we’re not collecting any taxes on the property because we own it,” Scotton said.

Finally, the board also approved a $117,000 contract

Asheboro church plans large missions event

Community members from all denominations are welcome to attend the conference at First Baptist Church

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — First Baptist Church of Asheboro has an expanded program coming this weekend as part of a celebration of 25-plus years of mission work. The Church-Wide World Mission Conference on Saturday at the church’s Christian Life Center is open to members and attendees from other churches and the community at large. The conference kicks off the

2025 mission program for the church.

The church’s mission team was created in 2000. Jimmy Huffman was a founding member of the church’s “On Mission Team,” and he’s helping direct Saturday’s program.

“This is a time of celebration and looking forward,” Huffman said.

Huffman, a church member and director of Sophia-based Camp Caraway, said he hopes the conference attracts people from various churches and denominations.

“It’s an opportunity to come, and these other churches might like some of the missionaries to speak at their church,” said Ellen Lucas, secretary at First Baptist Church of Asheboro.

A mission/ministry fair

“This is a much broader spectrum. We’re hoping to expose our people and others in the community.”

Jimmy Huffman, Missions event coordinator

will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There will be three hourly mission presentations beginning at 9:30 a.m. There will be six speakers ranging from those who’ve been commissioned for work in Asia and Europe along with speakers from West Virginia and Wyoming. Mark Abernathy of NC Ministry Part-

nerships and Mike Pittman, director of NC Send, will make presentations.

The “On Mission Team” normally includes seven or eight active members, Huffman said. Sue Cameron was a founding member and remains active on that team.

“God has used this team — and all of us together — to share the gospel with our community and beyond,” a church release said.

Organizers for the First Baptist Church are planning for anywhere from 150 to 300 visitors for the conference. Normally, the annual missions fair is smaller in scope and involves mostly members of the church.

“This is a much broader

(USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365)

Neal Robbins, Publisher Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers

Dozens of films set for Sunset Film Festival

Guests are scheduled to participate in various ways at the Asheboro event

Randolph Record staff

ASHEBORO — The second annual “Mightier Than the Sword” awards show will be part of the Sunset Film Festival this week at Sunset Theatre.

Organizer Ty Brueilly of Asheboro has lined up a variety of guests to supplement the show.

Preliminary activities were to begin midweek before the main attractions Friday and Saturday. Thursday has been reserved for a variety of North Carolina-based films.

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with Aviat U.S. for the purchase and installation of microwave dish equipment as pa rt of the VIPER tower upgrades.

“These are microwave dishes that will go on the new tower as well as two

CRIME LOG

Dec. 30

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MONDAY JAN 13

TUESDAY JAN 14

WEDNESDAY JAN 15

In total, at least 75 films will be shown. Most of those fall into the category of short films.

Brueilly said shorts, music videos, documentaries and independent and major features will be part of the festival.

There are panels that provide question-and-answer opportunities with filmmakers and the making of an on-stage podcast.

Brueilly has lined up director Richard Elfman to be on hand for the showing of his first film, “Forbidden Zone.” That’s a flick that Brueilly refers to as a “cult classic.” Elfman will watch the film with the audience.

Elfman’s “Aliens, Clowns &

others to connect the VIPER towers to the rest of the state’s system,” said Deputy Chief of Emergency Services Jared Byrd. “It will be installed along with the rest of the equipment.”

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will next meet Feb. 3.

• Mia Scotton Byers, 26, of Randleman, was arrested by Randleman Police Department (RPD) for resisting a public officer, financial card theft, and financial card fraud.

• Nicholas Tyler Curry, 32, of Mount Gilead, was arrested by RCSO for trafficking in methamphetamine.

Dec. 31

• Bryan Lee McWhorter, 32, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of firearm by felon, possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to sell/deliver methamphetamine, and maintaining a vehicle/dwelling for controlled substances.

• Justin Bradley Morris, 37, of Franklinville, was arrested by RPD for domestic violence protective order violation, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• William Larry Saunders, 55, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro Police Department (APD) for assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence crime.

Jan. 1

• Joshua Ray Allred, 36, of Asheboro, was arrested by APD for domestic violence protective order violation and resisting a public officer.

• Jason Kyle Martin, 32, of Trinity, was arrested by RCSO for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jan. 2

• Dubanis Gonzolez Loyola, 39, of Archdale, was arrested by Archdale

Geeks” and his most-recent film, “Bloody Bridget,” are also scheduled to be shown. “Bloody Bridget” features Anastasia Elfman, the director’s wife.

The final film, to be shown late Saturday night will be “Cannibal Comedian.”

Rob Underhill has been named the recipient of the “Distinctive Director” award for the festival.

“With over 100 films on his resume, (he has had) an incredible impact in the North Carolina film scene,” Brueilly said.

Also, sculptor Casey Mull of Hickory will have work on display. They will be positioned on each side of the stage.

“Casey Mull’s participation in this event will help enhance and make it more of an authentic true festival,” Brueilly said.

Brueilly said last January’s film festival drew attendance of close to 1,000.

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spectrum,” Huffman said. “We’re hoping to expose our people and others in the community.”

Based on information from the church, the “On Mission Team” funded $56,000 in support of local and international missions in 2024.

Police Department for assault on a female.

• Eric William Blevins, 48, of Archdale, was arrested by RCSO for habitual larceny, uttering forged instrument, resisting public officer, possession of firearm by felon, and felony conspiracy.

Jan. 3

• Ronda Faye Flowers, 55, of High Point, was arrested by APD for misdemeanor larceny, possession of stolen goods, and public consumption.

Jan. 4

• John Edward Marshall, 40, of Asheboro, was arrested by APD for larceny after breaking and entering, breaking and entering, possession of stolen goods, and second-degree trespass.

• Rebecca Jean Waters, 40, of Asheboro, was arrested by APD for larceny of motor vehicle, possession of stolen motor vehicle, and breaking/ entering motor vehicle with theft.

Jan. 5

• Cedric Delatha Allmond, 45, of Asheboro, was arrested by APD for first degree burglary.

• Daniel Len Davis, 40, of Siler City, was arrested by RCSO for violation of domestic violence protective order.

• Jaquinn Larry Dunn, 33, of Asheboro, was arrested by APD for felony possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, assault on a female, and domestic violence crime.

• Daniel Lee Hutchins, 33, of Asheboro, was arrested by NC Highway Patrol for driving while impaired and failing to stop at a red light.

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

Jan. 9

Asheboro-Craft Cafe for Kids and Grown-ups

3:30-4:30 p.m.

A variety of crafts will be on the “menu” for hands-on experimentation and fun! Free program; no registration. Adult supervision is required.

Asheboro Public Library 201 Worth St. Asheboro

Jan. 9-11

Mightier Than the Sword Awards Festival

6-10 p.m.

Shorts, music videos, documentaries, features both independent and major. We also hold panels, Q&As with the filmmakers, an opening night reception concert, guests of honor from Hollywood, an onstage live podcast filming and an Asheboro Arts & Culture award ceremony, with a finale screening of a “cult classic” film that is shown with cast and crew members of that film in attendance, watching with the audience.

500 Albemarle Road Asheboro

Jan. 11

The Liberty Showcase Theater Presents Marty Haggard

7-9 p.m.

The son of legendary performer Merle Haggard performs a tribute concert, “My Dad.” Tickets are $35-75. Call 336-524-6822 for details.

101 S. Fayetteville St. Liberty

Jan. 13

Teen Zone

4– 5 p.m.

Every Monday at 4 p.m., teens take over the TeenZone at the Asheboro Public Library! Asheboro Public Library TeenZone hosts programs for ages 12-plus, including arts and crafts, book clubs, tutoring nights and more. Free programs, no registration required. For more information, call 336-318-6804.

Asheboro Public Library 201 Worth St. Asheboro

Jan. 14

“The Generation Theory” Documentary Screening 6-8 p.m.

“The Generation Theory” takes viewers on a journey through time, exploring the intricate tapestry woven by different generations. Free event; preregistration requested. Contact 336-318-6 342 for more information.

Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Avenue Asheboro

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

LETTER

End the weaponization of the IRS DOGE

ONE OF THE highest priorities for the incoming Trump administration should be to end the Democrats’ weaponization of powerful government agencies against taxpayers and businesses they don’t like. Nowhere has this mission been more pernicious than the party-line vote to fund the IRS with nearly $80 billion and hire tens of thousands of new tax snoops. By the way, according to the IRS press office, the additional audits have so far raised less than $2 billion, far less than the additional expenditures. So how is this program “paying for itself”?

This was never about seeking tax fairness as liberals claimed. It was about unleashing an aggressive, permanent and unchecked enforcement assault on U.S. taxpayers to rake in more tax dollars to pay for liberals’ political agenda. The American people voted to end such madness, and the IRS should now act accordingly and immediately by ignoring the Biden administration’s 11th-hour efforts to ram through a slew of costly new rules and regulations as they now head toward the exit.

Progressive leaders made wildly erroneous claims that a supersized IRS would raise nearly $1 trillion over 10 years from stepped-up enforcement against higher-income earners and businesses. And they attempted to justify their proposals by broadly portraying entrepreneurs, small businesses, family-owned private enterprises and the wealthy as tax cheats. The entire exercise was designed to harass lawful taxpayers

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

and threaten them as guilty parties until they could prove themselves innocent.

Fortunately, most voters saw their efforts for what they were: a liberal fantasy grab of other peoples’ money and an attempt to assert greater control over their livelihoods. Democrat leaders did not help themselves by immediately oversteering the car. This included efforts to have the IRS spy on personal bank accounts and require income reporting for basic Venmo payments among friends, as well as punitive measures on those whose incomes are derived from tips or numerous other types of transactions.

Another target for IRS harassment has been business partnerships. Such businesses are one of the most common and practical ways to structure private enterprises of all sizes. A simple analogy might be when one party owns an available tractor and another has available land, and they go into business together to farm the land. All told, there are an estimated 4.5 million business partnerships in America. Collectively, these partnerships generate more than $12 trillion in revenue and employ millions of U.S. workers.

Yet the IRS, before Presidentelect Donald Trump returns to office, is now stealthily attempting to implement new rules that threaten the future viability of such partnerships. These proposed changes to the tax code impact what is known as “basis shifting” — a routine and legal practice that business partners use to adjust the tax basis of their respective assets. In short, the proposed rules

would deliberately embed uncertainty and subjective IRS interpretations of how taxable assets are treated when one transfers or sells their interest in a business partnership. Basically, the opposite of tax fairness.

Meanwhile, the multibillion-dollar bounty the Biden administration claimed their newly armed IRS would secure through added enforcement and new tax rules has completely failed to materialize. The IRS recently disclosed that just $1 billion had been recovered since their aggressive campaign went into effect two years ago, and there is no way of knowing if that would have occurred with or without it. How ironic and sad is it for taxpayers to learn that the vast amount of the $80 billion Democrats awarded to the IRS to recover or find new “savings” is instead on pace to serve as a massive cost to the U.S. Treasury?

The last thing voters now want is for the IRS to impose any more costly last-minute tax changes that will make problems even worse for taxpayers, workers and employers. Accordingly, the Biden team and the IRS should put down their pencils. And if they persist with these fourthquarter rule changes, the Trump team should be prepared to immediately repeal them in January.

That would bring real joy to America.

Stephen Moore is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He is also an economic advisor to the Trump campaign. His new book, coauthored with Arthur Laffer, is “The Trump Economic Miracle.”

is a good start, but we must do more

To the Editor:

I was glad to see the editors of North State Journal tackle the issue of our nation’s out-ofcontrol finances in the context of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts. Although DOGE might unearth savings — stamping out any inefficiencies is welcome — even Musk’s ambitious goals would hardly make a dent in the $13 trillion worth of deficits projected over the next decade.

Caps on discretionary spending, as discussed in the NSJ column, are a good tool for managing that portion of the federal budget, although it has shrunk to just a quarter of overall federal spending. As the author indicated, the vast majority of allocations are on autopilot, committed to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. And Social Security is expected to be insolvent by 2033.

True fiscal reform will require taking a hard look at these popular programs for ways in which we can adjust the terms of benefits, or the way the programs operate, without rescinding any promised benefits, particularly for those close to retirement. For example, perhaps it makes sense to begin extending the age at which individuals can get full Social Security benefits to reflect the happy fact that people are living longer and are more productive late in their careers than those of previous generations.

This is just one of the potential reforms that could be considered. But it will happen only if lawmakers agree we have a problem and show bipartisan courage to tackle it. Without such fortitude, we will remain on the wrong fiscal trajectory, no matter what Elon finds to fix.

Rob Bridges is a small business owner and former town commissioner in Wake Forest.

The dumbest fallacy in foreign policy

AFTER 50 YEARS of tyranny and repression, the government of Bashar Assad fell in Syria.

It fell thanks to a combination of three forces: first, Israel’s military utterly eviscerated Assad’s foreign military support base, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia; second, Ukraine has bled dry the Russian military coffers over the course of the last several years, leading Russia to withdraw its support from the Syrian theater; and third, the Turkish government, led by Islamist authoritarian Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stepped into the breach, with its favored radical militia, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, cruising through the country with almost no opposition.

Assad was a vicious and brutal dictator; according to the Syrian Emergency Task Force, opposition groups and rescue workers are uncovering mass graves that could hold upward of 100,000 bodies of Assad’s enemies. Assad not only used chemical weapons against Syrians, he also directly intervened in Lebanese affairs, targeting Lebanese Christians among others. His regime was cruel and odious.

What replaces Assad is no picnic.

HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani is a former al-Qaida and ISIS terrorist. He spent five years in prisons, including Abu Ghraib. In 2017, the FBI put a $10 million bounty on his head. Al-Jolani is currently attempting to position himself as a moderate figure despite his history of terrorism and his group’s human rights abuses in the Idlib region of Syria.

Meanwhile, the Turks have spent years pressing into the northern regions of Syria, largely in an attempt to attack the Kurds, whom they see as a

threat to their sovereignty. Turkey currently occupies approximately 9,000 square kilometers of Syrian border territory, which it has been using as a launch point against the Kurds — all of which threatens the possibility of an ISIS jailbreak, since thousands of ISIS members are held in prisons in Kurdish territory.

In short, Syria is a chaotic mess, filled with competing interests.

Yet according to simplistic foreign policy analysts, the problem is, as always, the United States and its allies.

In response to HTS’s takeover of Syria, Israel has now moved into the Syrian region of Mount Hermon, the strategic high point of the area, seeking to forestall the possibility of that land being used as a staging ground for attacks on the Golan Heights. Many Druze in Syria are hopeful that Israel will act as their protector against HTS and Turkish forces; Israel also has warm relations with the Kurds.

Yet Western opponents of Israel now suggest that Israel somehow plotted Assad’s fall in order to expand their territorial interests in Syria — despite the fact that Turkey, a Hamas-a ligned state, literally supported the HTS insurgency. They also suggest that America, under Joe Biden, plotted Assad’s downfall — a strange accusation given that Biden’s agenda in the Middle East has been to back Israel off of attacks on Iranian proxies in the region.

It is no surprise to find the same analysis applied to Ukraine, by similar actors. They suggest that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was somehow a defensive move, motivated by resistance to American imperialism

abroad; that American support for Ukraine amounts to taking the wrong side.

What drives this analysis? A strange combination of “blame America” thinking and conspiracy theorizing. In this viewpoint, the only countries with actual interests and agency are America and her friends; everyone else is merely a victim of these predatory powers, engaging in “blowback” against Western imperialism. The solution, presumably, would be for America to withdraw from the world stage, thus creating a vacuum to be filled by America’s opponents — China, Russia and Iran.

We need not explore the motivations of these theorists in order to point out how facile this argument truly is. Great powers have always pursued their own interests, and they have always done so aggressively. Long before America existed, Sunni Ottomans fought Shia Safavids; Russia first swallowed much of Central Ukraine during the reign of Catherine the Great in the late 18th century. America need not engage all over the world, nor should we — but to pretend that other countries act only in response to America is to forcefully reject reality.

And rejecting reality is dangerous and stupid.

Ben Shapiro’s new collection, “Facts and Furious: The Facts About America and Why They Make Leftists Furious,” is available now. Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three -t ime New York Times bestselling author.

Pope names 1st woman to head major Vatican office

Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, was named prefect

By Nicole Winfield

The Associated Press

ROME — Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church’s religious orders.

The appointment marks a major step in Francis’ aim to give women more leadership roles in governing the church. While women have been named to No. 2 spots in some Vatican offices, never before has a woman been named prefect of a dicastery or congregation of the Holy See Curia, the central governing organ of the Catholic Church.

The historic nature of Brambilla’s appointment was confirmed by Vatican Media, which headlined its report, “Sister Simona Brambilla is the first woman prefect in the Vatican.”

The office is one of the most

important in the Vatican.

Known officially as the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, it is responsible for every religious order, from the Jesuits and Franciscans to the Mercy nuns and smaller newer movements.

The appointment means that a woman is now responsible for the women who do much of the church’s work — the world’s 600,000 Catholic nuns — as well as the 129,000 Catholic priests who belong to religious orders.

“It should be a woman. Long ago it should have been, but thank God,” said Thomas Groome, a senior professor of theology and religious education at Boston College who has long called for the ordination of women priests. “It’s a small step along the way but symbolically, it shows an openness and a new horizon or possibility.”

Groome noted that nothing theologically would now prevent Francis from naming Brambilla a cardinal since cardinals don’t technically have to be ordained priests.

Naming as a cardinal “would be automatic for the head of a dicastery if she was a man,” he said.

But in an indication of the novelty of the appointment and that perhaps Francis was not ready to go that far, the pope simultaneously named as a co-leader, or “pro-prefect,” a cardinal: Ángel Fernández Artime, a Salesian.

The appointment, announced in the Vatican daily bulletin, lists Brambilla first as “prefect” and Fernández second as her co-leader. Theologically, it appears Francis believed the second appointment was necessary since the head of the office must be able to celebrate Mass and perform other sacramental functions that currently can only be done by men.

Natalia Imperatori-Lee, chair of the religion and philosophy department at Manhattan University, was initially excited by Brambilla’s appointment, only to learn that Francis had named a male co-prefect.

“One day, I pray, the church will see women for the capable leaders they already are,” she

“It’s a small step along the way but symbolically, it shows an openness and a new horizon or possibility.”

Thomas Groome, Boston College professor of theology and religious education

said. “It’s ridiculous to think she needs help running a Vatican dicastery. Moreover, for as long as men have been in charge of this division of Vatican governance, they have governed men’s and women’s religious communities.”

Brambilla, 59, is a member of the Consolata Missionaries religious order and had served as the No. 2 in the religious orders department since 2023. She takes over from the retiring Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, 77. Francis made Brambilla’s appointment possible with his 2022 reform of the Holy See’s founding constitution, which

allowed laypeople, including women, to head a dicastery and become prefects.

Brambilla, a nurse, worked as a missionary in Mozambique and led her Consolata order as superior from 2011-23 when Francis made her secretary of the religious orders department. One major challenge she will face is the plummeting number of nuns worldwide. It has fallen by around 10,000 a year for the past several years, from around 750,000 in 2010 to 600,000 last year, according to Vatican statistics.

Brambilla’s appointment is the latest move by Francis to show by example how women can take leadership roles within the Catholic hierarchy, albeit without allowing them to be ordained as priests. But there has been a marked increase in the percentage of women working in the Vatican during Francis’ papacy, including in leadership positions, from 19.3% in 2013 to 23.4% today, according to statistics reported by Vatican News. In the Curia alone, the percentage of women is 26%.

Starmer slams ‘lies and misinformation’ after attacks from Musk

The Tesla CEO has called for the British prime minister to be imprisoned

By Jill Lawless The Associated Press

LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday condemned “lies and misinformation” that he said are undermining U.K. democracy, in response to a barrage of attacks on his government from Elon Musk.

The billionaire Tesla CEO has taken an intense and erratic interest in British politics since the center-left Labour Party was elected in July. Musk has used his social network, X, to call for a new election and demand Starmer be imprisoned. On Monday, he posted an online poll for his 210 million followers on the proposition: “America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.”

Asked about Musk’s comments during a question session at a hospital near London, Starmer criticized “those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible,” particularly opposition Conservative politicians in Britain who have echoed some of Musk’s claims.

Musk often posts on X about the U.K., retweeting criticism of Starmer and the hashtag TwoTierKeir — shorthand for an unsubstantiated claim that

Britain has “two-tier policing” with far-right protesters treated more harshly than pro-Palestinian or Black Lives Matter demonstrators. During summer anti-immigrant violence across the U.K., he tweeted that “civil war is inevitable.”

Recently, Musk has focused on child sexual abuse, particularly a series of cases that rocked northern England towns in which groups of men, largely from Pakistani backgrounds, were tried for grooming and abusing dozens of girls. The cases have been used by far-right activists to link

child abuse to immigration and to accuse politicians of covering up the “grooming gangs” out of a fear of appearing racist.

Musk has posted a demand for a new public inquiry into the cases. A huge, seven-year inquiry was held under the previous Conservative government, though many of the 20 recommendations it made in 2022 — including compensation for abuse victims — have yet to be implemented. Starmer’s government said it would act on them as quickly as possible.

Musk also has accused

“I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies.”

Starmer of failing to bring perpetrators to justice when he was England’s director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013.

Starmer defended his record as chief prosecutor, saying he had reopened closed cases and “changed the whole prosecution approach” to child sexual exploitation. He also condemned language used by Musk about Jess Phillips, a government minister responsible for combating violence against women and girls. Musk called Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and said she deserved to be in prison.

“When the poison of the farright leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, then in my book, a line has been crossed,” Starmer said. “I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies.”

Musk has also called for the

release of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a far-right activist who goes by the name Tommy Robinson and is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court.

Starmer said people “cheerleading Tommy Robinson … are trying to get some vicarious thrill from street violence that people like Tommy Robinson promote.”

Starmer largely avoided mentioning Musk by name in his responses, likely wary of giving him more of a spotlight — or of angering Musk ally Donald Trump, who is due to be inaugurated as U.S. president on Jan. 20. Musk’s incendiary interventions are a growing worry for governments elsewhere in Europe, too. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, another target of the X owner’s ire, said he is staying “cool” over critical personal comments made by Musk but finds it worrying that the U.S. billionaire makes the effort to get involved in Germany’s election by endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Starmer said the main issue was not Musk’s posts on X, but “what are politicians here doing to stand up for our democracy?” He said he was concerned about Conservative politicians in Britain “so desperate for attention they are amplifying what the far right are saying.”

“Once we lose the anchor that truth matters … then we are on a very slippery slope,” he said.

LEON NEAL / AP PHOTO

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives a speech Monday in Surrey, England.

Keir Starmer, British prime minister

Carolyn Auman Hodgin

March 2, 1941 – Jan. 4, 2025

Carolyn Auman Hodgin, known affectionately as “MeMe” to her grandchildren, passed away on January 4, 2025, at the Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro. Born in the same town on March 2, 1941, Carolyn lived a life rooted in love, family, and a deep sense of home.

Carolyn was a woman of simple joys and unwavering devotion. A devoted wife to Keith Grimes Hodgin Jr., whom she married on October 25, 1959, she built a life alongside him marked by resilience and adaptability as they navigated countless moves for his career as an engineer. Despite the many places they lived, Carolyn ensured their home—wherever it was— remained a sanctuary of love and comfort. While she thrived in almost every environment, she made sure to let us know that Montana was not her favorite.

She is survived by her husband Keith Grimes Hodgin Jr., her siblings, Jerry Auman (wife Elaine) and Jane Auman Bell (husband John), her sons K. Greg Hodgin (wife Lois) and Derek Hodgin (wife Jane), her grandchildren Jennifer Hamilton (husband Brian), Hali Neely (husband Rainer), Marley Hart (husband Zach), Julie Koontz, Sydney Hodgin, and Blaise Hodgin, and her great-grandchildren Ellis Hamilton, Luke Hamilton, Jack Young, Finn Hart, Tate Koontz, Hattie Hart, Florence Hart, and Crosby Hart, all of whom brought light to her life. She is preceded in death by her parents Arthur and Jewel Auman and brother, Johnny Auman.

Known for her Southern grace and hospitality, Carolyn’s home was a haven for family and friends alike. Her love for hosting was evident in her grandchildren’s poolside birthday celebrations at her home, where decorations were always thoughtfully placed for every season. At Christmas, her house on Hwy 42 S in Coleridge became a landmark, adorned with a towering flagpole Christmas tree, its radiant lights visible to those driving by and a source of delight for the community.

Carolyn’s hands were rarely still. She nurtured flower boxes that added vibrant color to her home, crocheted treasures for loved ones, and filled her kitchen with the aroma of homemade Southern dishes like collard greens and cornbread. Even in her later days, when her energy waned, Carolyn could still muster the strength for a trip to her favorite thrift stores, where she found joy in uncovering hidden treasures and giving them new life.

In addition to her family, Carolyn’s legacy was shaped by her roles as a dental hygienist, Sunday school teacher, and dedicated homemaker. She approached each season of her life with quiet strength and purpose. Though she was a woman of few boastful words, her actions spoke volumes about her values and the depth of her love.

Carolyn was also an observer of life, recording her thoughts, memories, and reflections in her journals. Though she never explicitly told us not to read them, we won’t—out of respect (and maybe a little healthy fear) for what’s inside. In addition to decades of written first hand experiences in her journals, her family relied on her as the family historian as she thoughtfully saved every news article, photograph, and card, ensuring that no memory was lost.

Carolyn’s life was a tapestry of moments both tender and vibrant. Beneath her demure demeanor, she had a spark that surprised those who didn’t know her well, like the time she attended a Cheap Trick and Red Hot Chili Peppers concert. She was a woman full of grace but never without a touch of spunk.

Arrangements for a celebration of Carolyn’s life are pending; this space will be updated upon their completion. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a charity of your choice.

She was a light to her family, her community, and all who were fortunate enough to know her. Carolyn Auman Hodgin’s legacy will live on in the hearts she touched and the love she so freely gave.

Laura Lee Pardue

March 2, 1941 – Jan. 2, 2025

Mrs. Laura Lee Willett Pardue 84 of Asheboro passed away peacefully Thursday, January 2, 2025, at the Randolph Hospice House, Asheboro surrounded by her family after an extended illness. Mrs. Pardue was married to David Pardue on Christmas Eve 1958. She enjoyed organizing family get-togethers and always made certain food was a part of the events. She considered everyone as part of her family and if you did not get to know her, you certainly missed out on a blessing. One thing Mrs. Pardue detested was getting old and not being able to enjoy her family and keeping her home and yard in order.

Mrs. Pardue was a member of Whynot Wesleyan Church in Seagrove for over 50 years and was very active in the church. She played the piano at the church, was the church custodian and was President of the Missionary Society. She took over her daughter’s business of cleaning houses and looking after children for many years. While at home, she loved working in the yard and taking care of her family, her 3 grand dogs and being a “mom” to her niece Marie Duncan of King.

Mrs. Pardue is survived by her husband David of the home, one daughter Robin (Clint) Williams of Asheboro and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents George and Iris Willett and brother Gary Willett. Visitation for Mrs. Pardue will take place from 10 a.m.-10:50 a.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro, NC 27205. The funeral service will then be held at 11:00 AM, in the Glenn “Mac” Pugh Chapel, officiated by Reverend Darrell Rabon. Interment is to follow at Randolph Memorial Park, Asheboro. Deepest appreciation goes out to Randolph Health, Randolph Hospice House of Asheboro and to Dr. Robert Libbey and Dr. Christopher Street. In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations be made in memory of Mrs. Pardue to the Randolph Hospice, Asheboro, the Gideons Organization or the Whynot Wesleyan Church, Seagrove, NC.

Doris Kennedy Hurley

June 15, 1937 – Jan. 1, 2025

Doris Louise Kennedy Hurley, age 87, of Asheboro, passed away on January 1, 2025, at her home. Mrs. Hurley was born in Seagrove on June 15, 1937, to Walter and Thelma Lineberry Kennedy. She was formerly employed with Blue Gem and was an Avon sales representative for 43 years. Doris attended Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, Doris was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Hurley, sisters, Alma K. Hughes and Jean Johnson, and brother, Roger Kennedy. Doris was a wonderful mother, who made the best biscuits. She always had a smile for everyone. Doris loved Bluegrass music and going to the mountains to get apples and candy. She is survived by her son, Clinton Hurley (Kay) of Asheboro; daughter, Debbie Hurley of Asheboro; grandchildren, Seretha Yow (Shane), Bradley Hurley (Hayley), Shelia Lamonds, Benjamin Page, Kayce Page, and Stacey Hingson (Shane); great-grandchildren, Alyssa Katehis (Chandler), Brayden Yow, Darla Hill, Brooklyn Yow, Shelden Hingson, Braxton Hurley, Sheylen Hingson, Koen Lamonds, Adam Abdelwahed, and Hazel Hurley; great-grandchild, Travis Katehis; and sister, Ava Lee Bonkemeyer of Seagrove.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, from 12:30-1:45 p.m. at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro. Funeral services will follow on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Glenn “Mac” Pugh Chapel with Rev. Brian Faircloth officiating. Burial will be held at Randolph Memorial Park.

Billy Steven Cranford

March 17, 1950 – Dec. 31, 2024

Billy Steven Cranford, 74, of Asheboro, passed away Tuesday, December 31, 2024, at The Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, January 4, 2025, at Christian Fellowship Church with Pastor David Hunt officiating.

Billy was born on March 17, 1950, in Randolph County, the son of the late George Cranford and Bertha Freeman Cranford. Billy loved swimming, hiking, being outside, and working around the house. He also loved working on cars and attending car shows. In addition to his parents, Billy was preceded in death by his son, Christopher Cranford; brothers, Robert Cranford, Jack Cranford; sisters, Helen Hamilton, and Barbara Faulkner. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Debbie Cranford; daughter, Tiffany Schulte and husband Robert of Randleman; son, Bill Cranford and wife Kendra of Asheboro; grandchildren, Anna Cranford, Cirlla Schulte, Karissa Schulte, and Kara Schulte. The family will receive friends from 10:30 to 11a.m., at the church prior to the service.

Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society, PO Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD, 21741.

Ronnie James Conner

July 9, 1949 – Jan. 1, 2025

Ronnie James Conner, aged 75, of Asheboro passed away on January 1, 2025 at Randolph Hospice House. Mr. Conner was born on July 9, 1949, to Roy and Dorothy Presnell Conner, who preceded him in death. Ronnie was a member of Panther Creek Baptist Church. Ronnie loved playing his guitar and watching Gunsmoke and the Andy Griffith Show. He is survived by many cousins and his beloved dog, Coco.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 1 p.m. at the Panther Creek Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Mark Hall officiating. Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro is serving the Conner family.

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

Peter Yarrow of folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary dies at 86

He co-wrote “Puff the Magic Dragon,” the group’s best-known song

By John Rogers

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Peter Yarrow, the singer-songwriter best known as one-third of Peter, Paul and Mary, the folk-music trio whose impassioned harmonies transfixed millions as they lifted their voices in favor of civil rights and against war, has died. He was 86.

Yarrow, who also co-wrote the group’s most enduring song, “Puff the Magic Dragon,” died Tuesday in New York, publicist Ken Sunshine said. Yarrow had bladder cancer for the past four years.

“Our fearless dragon is tired and has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life. The world knows Peter Yarrow the iconic folk activist, but the human being behind the legend is every bit as generous, creative, passionate, playful, and wise as his lyrics suggest,” his daughter Bethany said in a statement.

During an incredible run of success spanning the 1960s, Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers released six Billboard Top 10 singles, two No. 1 albums and won five Grammys. They also brought early ex-

posure to Bob Dylan by turning two of his songs, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” and “Blowin’ in the Wind,” into Billboard Top 10 hits as they helped lead an American renaissance in folk music. They performed “Blowin’ in the Wind” at the 1963 March on Washington, D.C., at which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

After an eight-year hiatus to pursue solo careers, the trio reunited in 1978 for a “Survival Sunday,” an anti-nuclear-power concert that Yarrow had organized in Los Angeles. They would remain together until Travers’ death in 2009. Upon her passing, Yarrow and Stookey continued to perform both separately and together.

Born May 31, 1938, in New York, Yarrow was raised in an upper middle class family he said placed high value on art and scholarship. He took violin lessons as a child, later switching to guitar as he came to embrace the work of such folk-music icons as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

Upon graduating from Cornell University in 1959, he returned to New York, where he worked as a struggling Greenwich Village musician until connecting with Stookey and Travers. Although his degree was in psychology, he had found his true calling in folk music at Cor-

nell when he worked as a teaching assistant for a class in American folklore his senior year.

“I did it for the money because I wanted to wash dishes less and play guitar more,” he told the late record company executive Joe Smith. But as he led the class in song, he began to discover the emotional impact music could have on an audience.

“I saw these young people at Cornell who were basically very conservative in their backgrounds opening their hearts up and singing with an emotionality and a concern through this vehicle called folk music,” he said. “It gave me a clue that the world was on its way to a certain kind of movement, and that folk music might play a part in it and that I might play a part in folk music.”

Soon after returning to New York, he met impresario Albert Grossman, who would go on to manage Dylan, Janis Joplin and others and who at the time was looking to put together a group that would rival the Kingston Trio, which in 1958 had a hit version of the traditional folk ballad “Tom Dooley.”

But Grossman wanted a trio with a female singer and a member who could be funny enough to keep an audience engaged with comic patter. For the latter, Yarrow suggested a guitar-strumming Greenwich Village comic he’d seen named Noel Stookey.

Stookey, who would use his middle name as a member of the group, happened to be a friend of Travers, who as a teenager had performed and recorded with Pete Seeger and others. “We called Noel up. He was there,” Yarrow said, recalling the first time the three performed together. “We mentioned a bunch

“I saw these young people at Cornell who were basically very conservative in their backgrounds opening their hearts up and singing with an emotionality and a concern through this vehicle called folk music.” Peter Yarrow

of folk songs, which he didn’t know because he didn’t have a real folk-music background, and wound up singing ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb.’ And it was immediately great, was just as clear as a bell, and we started working.”

After months of rehearsal the three became an overnight sensation when their first album, 1962’s eponymous “Peter, Paul and Mary,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart. Their second, “In the Wind,” reached No. 4 and their third, “Moving,” put them back at No. 1.

After recording their last No. 1 hit, a 1969 cover of John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” the trio split up the following year to pursue solo careers.

That same year Yarrow had pleaded guilty to taking indecent liberties with a 14-year-old girl who had come to his hotel room with her older sister to ask for autographs. The pair found him naked when he answered the door and let them in. Yarrow, who resumed his career after serving three months in jail, was pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1981. Over the decades, he apologized repeatedly.

STATE & NATION

Hundreds of Capitol riot prosecutions in limbo

A D.C. court is awaiting Donald Trump’s White House return

By Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Kunzelman

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s the largest prosecution in Justice Department history — with reams of evidence, harrowing videos and hundreds of convictions of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Now Donald Trump’s return to power has thrown into question the future of the more than 1,500 federal cases brought over the last four years.

Jan. 6 trials, guilty pleas and sentencings have continued chugging along in Washington, D.C.’s federal court despite Trump’s promise to pardon rioters, whom he has called “political prisoners” and “hostages” he contends were treated too harshly.

In a statement Monday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Justice Department prosecutors “have sought to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on our democracy with unrelenting integrity.”

“They have conducted themselves in a manner that adheres to the rule of law and honors our obligation to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of everyone in this country,” Garland said.

More than 1,500 people across the U.S. have been charged with federal crimes related to the deadly riot. Hundreds of people

who did not engage in destruction or violence were charged only with misdemeanor offenses for entering the Capitol illegally. Others were charged with felony offenses, including assault for beating police officers. Leaders of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys extremist groups were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as plots to use violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power from Trump, a Republican, to Joe Biden, a Democrat.

About 250 people have been convicted of crimes by a judge or a jury after a trial. Only two people were acquitted of all charges by judges after bench trials. No jury has fully acquitted a Capitol riot defendant. At least 1,020 others had pleaded guilty as of Jan. 1. More than 1,000 rioters have already been sentenced, with over 700 receiving at least some time behind bars. The rest were given some combination of probation, community

service, home detention or fines.

The longest sentence, 22 years, went to former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy along with three lieutenants. A California man with a history of political violence got 20 years in prison for repeatedly attacking police with flagpoles and other makeshift weapons during the riot. And Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes is serving an 18-year prison sentence for

Jan. 6 rioters set to be sentenced in 2025

seditious conspiracy and other offenses.

More than 100 Jan. 6 defendants are scheduled to stand trial in 2025, while at least 168 riot defendants are set to be sentenced this year.

The FBI has continued to arrest people on Capitol riot charges since Trump’s electoral victory in November. The Justice Department says prosecutors are still evaluating nearly 200 riot cases investigated by the FBI, including more than 60 cases in which the suspects are accused of assaulting or interfering with police officers who were guarding the Capitol.

Citing Trump’s promise of pardons, several defendants have sought to have their cases delayed — with little success.

Trump embraced the Jan. 6 rioters on the campaign trail, downplaying the violence that was broadcast on live TV and has been documented extensively through video, testimony and other evidence in the federal cases.

Trump has vowed to begin issuing pardons of Jan. 6 rioters on his first day in office. He has said he will look at individuals on a case-by-case basis, but he has not explained how he will decide who receives such relief.

Trump announces $20B US investment by Emirati businessman

The deal will bring new data centers to a number of states

By Will Weissert and Josh Boak

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a $20 billion investment for data centers in the United States by an Emirati company led by billionaire Hussain Sajwani, a close business partner of the Trump family.

The investment by DAMAC Properties in the United Arab Emirates is intended to highlight Trump’s personal ability to attract new money for big projects. The announcement follows a pledge made last month by the Japanese billionaire investor Masayoshi Son, while at Trump’s side, to invest $100 billion in the United States.

Trump said at a news conference that he believed Sajwani made the commitment because “he was very inspired by the election and wouldn’t do it without the election.” The president-elect emphasized his plans to get investments of $1 billion or more

Florida.

through the environmental regulatory review process quickly. Following Trump, Sajwani briefly joined the news conference and said: “It’s been amazing news for me and my family when he was elected in November.”

Sajwani’s promised investment feeds into an existing boom for constructing data centers used in the development of artificial intelligence and expansion of cryptocurrency, as well as in other elements of an increasingly digital economy that relies on

having greater sources of computer processing power.

While Trump has sought to portray these announcements as a source of newfound energy in the U.S. economy, the $20 billion commitment is also a sign that wealthy investors close to Trump can profit off that relationship, given the already significant investment in new data centers.

In October, the financial company Blackstone estimated that the U.S. would see $1 trillion invested in data centers over five

years, with another $1 trillion being committed internationally. The commitment made by Sajwani could represent just 2% of the total expected domestic investment in the sector.

Sajwani would gain data centers in the United States, which thus far have not been part of his company’s EDGNEX data center portfolio. According to the company’s website, it already has or plans to build data centers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Spain, Thailand and Indonesia.

DAMAC Properties is one of the top private developers in the skyscraper-studded city-state in the United Arab Emirates.

The property developer has been a Trump partner. Under Sajwani, DAMAC built the Trump International Golf Club at a massive development in the city’s desert outskirts just before Trump first entered the White House.

DAMAC also paid a licensing fee worth millions back to the Trump Organization, following a pattern the president-elect’s company has used in developments both in the U.S. and abroad.

There had been plans for another DAMAC development

further in the desert that would have a Trump-named golf course. However, DAMAC later dropped plans for the golf course at the development. Also, discussions for a promised $2 billion in deals between DAMAC and the Trump Organization after his first electoral win in 2016 never materialized.

Sajwani has said that Trump’s initial election to the presidency helped increase the profile of his company.

Since Trump’s reelection in November, Sajwani has been seen at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He posted a picture standing between a seated Trump and billionaire Elon Musk at a New Year’s Eve celebration.

However, the Trump Organization since has been involved with Dar Global, a Saudi-funded real estate firm that’s building a Trump-branded golf course in Oman and Trump projects in Saudi Arabia. There are plans for a Trump Tower in Dubai as well, though previous plans for a Trump Tower on Dubai’s man-made Palm Jumeirah archipelago fell apart during the city’s financial crisis that began in 2008.

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO President-elect Donald Trump speaks as Hussain Sajwani, CEO of DAMAC Properties, listens during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday in Palm Beach,

JULIO CORTEZ / AP PHOTO

RandolpH SPORTS

Blue Comets look toward conference challenges

The Asheboro boys hope to grow from nonleague experiences

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The beginning of play in the Mid-Piedmont Conference gives the Asheboro boys’ basketball team something fresh to experience.

The Blue Comets are looking for another strong effort in league competition.

With a 9-3 overall record, there’s plenty to be excited about.

“We just want to win,” forward Zak Blackwell said. “We put in all the work.”

Veteran coach Brian Nance’s

team won nine of its first 10 games. So there was a nice foundation coming together after last season’s powerhouse team needed replenishments in some areas.

“We showed some flashes,” Nance said. “We’re hoping it carries over.”

The Blue Comets were hoping to avenge a loss to Randleman but instead ended up as runner-up in the Sportstone Christmas Invitational last month at home. Then last week’s nonconference setback at Eastern Randolph came against another team that challenged Asheboro.

The Blue Comets want to be prepared for the Mid-Piedmont Conference slate, which was scheduled to begin this week.

“It’s 10 games and they go fast. It’s going to be interesting.”

Brian Nance, Asheboro coach on league play

“The same thing we’ve been doing for years,” senior forward Osiris Rodriquez said. “After six or seven games, we started getting together and it was like perfect team chemistry.”

Last season’s 23-4 overall record included a second-place regular-season finish in Mid-Piedmont Conference play, but the Blue Comets avenged two losses to Cen-

Champion high jumper adds dunking to portfolio

The Randleman senior said he’ll compete collegiately for NC State

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

RANDLEMAN — One of the state’s top high jumpers can dunk, too. It hasn’t come automatically for Randleman senior Chase Farlow, but he has thrown a few down in game action for the Tigers boys’ basketball team.

During the holiday break, Farlow also locked in his college destination. He’s heading to NC State on a scholarship for track and field.

Farlow said he felt the Wolfpack’s program was a good fit for him. He drew increasing interest from college track and field coaches after his junior season. Winning a state title in track and field rose his interest in competing at the collegiate level.

tral Davidson to win the league tournament.

While Jerquarius Stanback and Camden Walker provided Asheboro a potent inside-outside attack as seniors last season, there’s a different makeup with the Blue Comets. That made the November and December games critical to finding the right combinations.

Sophomore guard Gabrial Jaimes is a perimeter threat for the Blue Comets. He spent last season with Uwharrie Charter Academy.

“I’m a shooter out there,” Jaimes said. “Our shooting is getting better.”

Also available is reserve sophomore Jeremiah Stanback, younger brother of last season’s standout.

“He just needs to play more,” Nance said.

Rodriguez has led the team in scoring and rebounding. He said it’s clear the Blue Comets need more consistency on offense. Blackwell said the Blue Comets realized even with some of their victories that there are plenty of areas to work on. He said the team can count on a high level of enthusiasm.

“The whole team helps with the energy,” Blackwell said.

With only six teams in the conference, league games all show up on the calendar following the holidays. Five of the teams hold .500 or better records in non-league play.

“It’s 10 games and they go fast,” Nance said. “It’s going to be interesting.”

Providence Grove tags Moran as next football coach

The athletics director at the school will be the fourth coach in four years for the Patriots

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

CLIMAX — Cody Moran is the new football at Providence Grove, giving the school’s athletics director an additional role but one that he covets.

“That’s what I got into coaching for was to be a head coach,” he said. Moran will be the fourth coach in four years for the Patriots. They’re coming off a 3-7 season, which was the program’s first losing record since 2017. Moran has been on the coaching staff since 2019, handling various duties. Most recently, he was the defensive coordinator. Now the 2013 Randleman

graduate is in charge of the program.

on

“I’m real big

when there’s a door open, follow God’s plan,” he said. “He opened that door to be at Providence Grove.” Moran, 30, said he was en-

See MORAN, page B2 See FARLOW, page B2

COURTESY PHOTO Coach Cody Moran

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Asheboro’s Elijah Woodle goes up for a shot against Chatham Central as teammate Osiris Rodriguez looks on during action in last month’s holiday tournament.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Chase Farlow of Randleman soars toward the rim against Eastern Randolph last month.

HOME PLATE

MOTORS

Timothy Brower

Timothy Brower of Eastern Randolph goes up for a shot earlier this season at Lexington.

Eastern Randolph, boys’ basketball

Brower has been off to another strong start to the season as he’s one of the region’s most dynamic guards.

The senior is averaging 21.3 points per game. His 22-point outing against visiting Asheboro on Friday night was another example of his production.

Brower has Eastern Randolph’s top totals in 3-point baskets and free throws while also leading the Wildcats with 3.7 assists per game. He’s among the team leaders in rebounding with six boards per outing.

Brower posted a team-leading 20.7 points per game last season. That came after he was second among the Wildcats at 15.4 points per game as a sophomore when the team reached the Class 1A state final.

Because of the school’s football team playing beyond Thanksgiving, the Wildcats had a late start to the basketball season. They have 16 games scheduled between Jan. 3 and Feb. 13.

FARLOW from page B1

“I realized I was good at it,” he said. After becoming the Class 2A high jump state champion in the spring, Farlow mentioned that he hadn’t been much of a dunker on the basketball court. He dunked in a game against West Brunswick last season.

“It’s not natural, so you want to make it natural,” Farlow said of dunking.

The 6-foot-4 forward got right to it this season with two slams in the season opener at Southern Guilford.

The Tigers entered this week with an 11-0 record. They’re more than halfway to what could turn out to be back-to-back seasons of 20 or more victories.

Farlow is a three-sport athlete at Randleman, also playing as a receiver and defensive back on the football team.

Wheatmore’s Hittepole pins way to tourney title

Wrestlers from Trinity excelled in a tournament, while UCA racked up wins in duals

Randolph Record staff

GREENSBORO — Dominic Hittepole of Wheatmore added another individual championship in the wrestling season by capturing first place in the Crosby Invitational on Saturday at Greensboro Dudley.

Hittepole pinned Eden Morehead’s Brock Blizzard in 3:45 of the 175-pound title bout. It was his fourth pin of the day after topping Central Davidson’s Ethan Mumford in 31 seconds, Greensboro Page’s Ian Harris in 3:14 and Greensboro Grimsley’s Hayden Rogers in 32 seconds.

A week earlier, Hittepole won 6-3 against Blizzard in a consolation-round match of the Tiger Holiday Classic in Chapel Hill.

Hittepole, competing in the 190-pound division earlier in the season, won titles in the Jerry Hampton Invitational at Central Davidson, Bobby Abernathy Invitational and Jim King Invitational at Orange.

• At Saturday’s RJ Reynolds Invitational in Winston-Salem, Trinity’s Aiden Burkholder (106), Stephen Cross (113), Jaden Allred (138) and Joseph Trahan (285) were champions.

In the girls’ version of the tournament, area winners were Trinity’s Bliss Joyce (132) and Briana Joyce (235).

• Uwharrie Charter Academy went 7-1 as the host school in the Pin Down Autism Duals on Friday and Saturday.

The Eagles defeated Alleghany, East Davidson, North Rowan, Pinecrest, Ragsdale, Thomasville and Cary, with the

loss coming by 48-24 to Pisgah. Lorenzo Alston, Caden Bond and Paxton Kearns had 8-0 records for UCA.

• In Saturday’s Southwestern Randolph Duals, Asheboro was 2-1, Southwestern Randolph went 2-2 and Eastern Randolph was 1-3.

Other tournament champions

Here’s a recap of some other first-place individual tournament finishes for Randolph County wrestlers this season.

Gate City Grapple in Greensboro: Trinity’s Jaden Allred (130), Bliss Joyce (138, girls)

Jerry Hampton Invitational at Central Davidson: Wheatmore’s Ayden Sumners (132)

Mark Adams Holiday Classic at Cary: Eastern Randolph’s David Lambright (126)

Mallard Creek Invitational: Trinity’s Bliss Joyce (132, girls) Eye of the Tiger Invitational at Mt. Pleasant: Trinity’s Jaden Allred (150), Bliss Joyce (138, girls), Briana Joyce (135, girls) Red Wolf Invitational at Cedar Ridge: Providence Grove’s Mitchell Freeman (165) West Rowan Thanksgiving Invitational: Trinity’s Aiden Burkholder (106), Edgar Vasquez (120), Zane Schoemer (157), Joseph Trahan (285) Dragon Wrestling Invitational at West Davidson: Wheatmore’s Spencer Moore (150) Cold Turkey Invitational at Asheboro: Eastern Randolph’s David Lambright (126) and Jamie Crabtree (138), Southwestern Randolph’s Jose Flores (285) and Asheboro’s Quentez Butler (215) and Andrea Thornton (122, girls)

Eastern Randolph uses late surge to top Asheboro boys

Nonconference

basketball games are largely winding down in the area

Randolph Record staff

RAMSEUR — Timothy Brower scored 22 points and Eastern Randolph pulled out a 66-50 victory against visiting Asheboro in Friday night’s nonconference boys’ basketball game.

The Wildcats posted 20 of the game’s last 24 points.

Tyler Gee scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter and Camden Jones finished with 16 points.

For Asheboro, Jewel Barrett-Riggins had 14 points and Osiris Rodriguez notched 10 points.

In the girls’ game, Eastern Randolph won 47-32 as Raegan Beaver’s 14 points and Cora Sparrow’s 13 points led the way.

• Southwestern Randolph swept road games at Chatham Central on Friday night.

couraged by last week’s reaction from players, who greeted the coaching announcement with hugs and high-fives. He said he also has received correspondence from football coaches from several schools in the area.

“The kids were super receptive,” Moran said.

Mark Heilig filled in as interim coach during the 2024 season after the August departure of David Hayes. It’s uncertain if Heilig, who’s also the boys’ golf coach, will remain with the football program.

Moran spent two years on the coaching staff at Randleman Middle School and then a year as an assistant coach with the high

The Cougars won the girls’ game 61-20 as Maddie Strider scored 19 points. In the boys’ game, Southwestern Randolph’s 40-39 victory came with Julian Mosley scoring 13 points. That marked the second consecutive one-point victory for the Cougars.

Panther Classic

In late December at Thomasville, Wheatmore’s girls ended up third in the eight-team bracket, finishing with a 4241 victory against Madison in the third-place game. Brianna Hill of the Warriors was named to the all-tournament team. Ledford was the host school.

On the boys’ side, Wheatmore also went 2-1, though by losing the first game the Warriors were in the consolation bracket and ended up in fifth place.

Weston Driggers notched 15 points and six rebounds in Wheatmore’s final game of the tournament.

The Warriors began the event with a 64-28 loss to Oak

school before moving to Providence Grove. He said he opted to stay at Providence Grove following the 2022 season when coach Calvin Brown left for Asheboro.

There’s plenty of Randleman ties at Providence Grove, where Dennis Hamilton is principal after holding the same position at Randleman. And there will be more because Shane Timmons, who had been Randleman’s football coach until recently resigning, began a new job as intervention coordinator last week at Providence Grove.

“He’s like a piece of gold for me right now,” Moran said.

While he won’t be on the football staff, Moran said Timmons, who was an assistant when Moran was a Randleman offensive

Grove. Then came a 59 - 46 victory against East Davidson with Parker Kines racking up 19 points and Finley Bryant and Weston Driggers each scoring 11.

Kines (illness) and Caleb Coggins (family trip) missed the final game of the tournament.

Falcon Christmas Tournament

In late December at Kernersville, Providence Grove’s girls’ team won twice, topping River Mill 63-15 and subduing host North Carolina Leadership Academy 50-27 for the title in the four-team event. There were no individual awards.

Providence Grove coach Steven Cheek said Jada Nixon and Laurel Bernhardt were the team’s top players in the tournament.

The Providence Grove boys ripped River Mill 66-12 behind Will Dabbs’ 19 points and Andrew Thomas’ 15 points, but the Patriots then lost by 70-48 to North Carolina Leadership Academy in the final.

lineman, will assist with the Patriots’ strength and conditioning program during school days.

Moran said he’ll continue as athletics director, but those responsibilities will be shared during the fall with a yet-to-be announced school employee handling certain duties during the football season.

Moran handed out bracelets with the motto “RISE Up” to players and faculty. That stands for “Respect, Integrity, Strength, Excellence.”

Moran’s coaching staff is likely to have a youthful core that he said he’s hoping can grow together with the program.

“We’re going to try to have championship football,” Moran said. “We’re going to get to work. We all have a ton to learn.”

MORAN from page B1

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

RANDOLPH RECORD FILE PHOTO

Wheatmore’s Dominic Hittepole, top, works against an opponent during last year’s state tournament.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

iPhone introduced, League of Nations created, Motown founded, “The Catch”

The Associated Press

JAN. 9

1861: Mississippi became the second state to secede from the Union.

1916: The World War I Battle of Gallipoli ended with an Ottoman Empire victory as Allied forces withdrew.

1945: During World War II, the Battle of Luzon got underway, resulting in an Allied victory over Imperial Japanese forces.

2007: Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone at the Macworld conference in San Francisco.

JAN. 10

1776: Thomas Paine anonymously published his influential pamphlet, “Common Sense,” which argued for American independence from British rule.

1861: Florida became the third state to secede from the Union prior to the Civil War.

1982: San Francisco 49ers receiver Dwight Clark caught a touchdown pass from Joe Montana with 58 seconds left in the NFC Championship Game; one of the most famous plays in NFL history, known as “The Catch.”

JAN. 11

1861: Alabama became the fourth state to declare its secession from the Union.

1908: President Theodore Roosevelt leveraged the Antiquities Act to proclaim the Grand Canyon as a national

monument; it would become a national park in 1919.

1920: The League of Nations was established as the Treaty of Versailles went into effect.

1964: U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry issued “Smoking and Health,” stating that “cigarette smoking contributes substantially to mortality from certain specific diseases and to the overall death rate.”

JAN. 12

1773: The first public museum in America was organized in Charleston, South Carolina.

1959: Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown Records in Detroit.

1971: The groundbreaking situation comedy “All in the Family” premiered on CBS television.

1976: Mystery writer Dame Agatha Christie died at age 85.

JAN. 13

1733: James Oglethorpe and some 120 English colonists arrived at Charleston, South Carolina, while en route to settle in present-day Georgia.

1941: A new law went into effect granting Puerto Ricans U.S. birthright citizenship.

1982: An Air Florida 737 crashed into Washington, D.C.’s 14th Street Bridge and fell into the Potomac River while trying to take off during a snowstorm, killing 78 people.

JAN. 14

1784: The United States ratified the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War; Britain followed suit in April 1784.

1858: Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, and his wife, Empress Eugenie, escaped an assassination attempt led

by Italian revolutionary Felice Orsini.

1914: Ford Motor Co. greatly improved its assembly-line operation at its Michigan plant by employing an endless chain to pull each chassis along.

1963: George C. Wallace was sworn in as governor of Alabama with the pledge, “Segregation forever!” — a view Wallace later repudiated.

JAN. 15

1865: Union forces captured Fort Fisher near Wilmington, depriving the Confederates of their last major seaport.

1892: The original rules of basketball, devised by James Naismith, were published.

1929: Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta.

1943: Work was completed on the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of War (now Defense).

1973: President Richard M. Nixon announced the suspension of all U.S. offensive action in North Vietnam.

1974: “Happy Days” premiered on ABC-TV.

AP PHOTO

Mystery author Dame Agatha Christie, pictured in 1974, died on Jan. 12, 1976. She was 85.

PAUL SAKUMA / AP PHOTO

Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone to the world on Jan. 9, 2007.

Melania Trump doc from Ratner goes to Amazon Prime

The film is the latest connection between Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Incom-

ing first lady Melania Trump will be the subject of a new documentary directed by Brett Ratner and distributed by Amazon Prime Video. The streaming arm of the tech giant got exclusive licensing rights for a streaming and theatrical release later this year, the company said Sunday.

Filming is already underway on the documentary. The company said in a statement that the film will give viewers an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes look” at Melania Trump and also promised a “truly unique story.”

The former and now future first lady also released a self-titled memoir late last year. Her husband takes office on Jan. 20.

The film is the latest connection between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump. The company in December announced plans to donate $1 million to the President-elect’s inauguration fund and said it would also stream Trump’s inauguration on its Prime Video service, a separate

It will give viewers an “unprecedented behind‑the scenes look” at Melania Trump and also promised a “truly unique story.”

Amazon Prime Video

in-k ind donation worth another $1 million.

The two men had been at odds in the past. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which Bezos owns. But he’s struck a more conciliatory tone recently as Amazon and other tech companies seek to improve their relationship with the incoming president. In December, Bezos expressed some excitement about potential regulatory cutbacks in the coming years and said he was “optimistic” about Trump’s second term.

Bezos in October did not allow the Post to endorse a presidential candidate, a move that led to tens of thousands of people canceling their subscriptions and to protests from journalists with a deep history at the newspaper. This weekend, a cartoonist quit her job after

an editor rejected her sketch of the newspaper’s owner and other media executives bowing before the president-elect.

The film also marks the first project that Ratner has directed since he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, including actor Olivia Munn, in the early days of the #MeToo reckoning in November 2017. Ratner, whose lawyer denied the allegations, directed the “Rush Hour” film series, “Red Dragon” and ‘’X-Men: The Last Stand.”

Fernando Sulichin, an Argentine filmmaker, is executive producing the film, which began shooting in December.

Melania Trump, Donald Trump’s third wife, has been an enigmatic figure since her husband announced he was running in the 2016 election. She had sought to maintain her privacy even as she served as first lady, focusing on raising their son, Barron, and promoting her “Be Best” initiative to support the “social, emotional, and physical health of children.”

While she appeared at her husband’s campaign launch event for 2024 and attended the closing night of the Republican National Convention this summer, she has otherwise stayed off the campaign trail, though the demands of again being first lady may dictate a higher public profile after Inauguration Day.

Kenitz’s debut novel transforms ‘The Perfect Home’ into a gut-roiling thriller

A terrifying modern-day villain is crafted

By Donna Edwards

The Associated Press

DAWN AND Wyatt Deck-

er are a reality TV couple renovating homes on-screen and dealing with fertility problems off-screen. Their story and marriage seem like a foregone conclusion, but only a few chapters in, a sharp twist turns this unassuming world of domesticity upside-down.

Daniel Kenitz’s debut novel is a cleverly paced domestic thriller named for the protagonists’ TV show, “The Perfect Home.” The story shifts between the husband and wife, taking turns with the narration building up sympathy for both characters. Dawn has the role of the nagging wife. If a stranger recognizes her on the street, they’re liable to send a backhanded compliment Dawn’s way and then expect an apology from her. Wyatt, on the other hand, is the stunningly handsome, joke-cracking, all-American husband who only has to flash his charming smile to subdue an upset fan. But it’s an emasculating revelation that his low sperm count is behind the couple’s lack of offspring, and he has an image to uphold.

able and perfect for lulling you into a sense of security, so you never see what’s coming next. Then, a shocking discovery has Dawn taking their newborn twins on the run. Suddenly, all the trappings of their perfect home and life seem like traps.

Dawn and Wyatt soon become entrenched in a game of public relations chess where both of their lives and the things they hold most dear are at stake.

and horrifying pizzazz.

These first few chapters are easy enough: a silky-smooth journey through character introductions and early plot developments. Dawn and Wyatt have small tiffs but manage to get pregnant. They trade inside jokes and Tennessee lore. Their story is predictable, comfort-

Kenitz carefully aligns the pieces so the odds are stacked almost insurmountably. It’s going to take something really big to overcome the sheer cliffface that is reality TV and how it shaped the country’s perception of Dawn, from the hotel clerk to the local police chief. You could easily devour “The Perfect Home” in one sitting if it wasn’t so nerve-jangling that you have to put it down to regain your composure. This book had me shocked, despondent and furious in turns, and I loved it.

Kenitz crafts a terrifying modern-day villain. And he’s refined exactly what makes domestic thrillers so gut-roiling: They turn the places and people that should be safest — home and family — into something to be avoided at all costs. Kenitz turns the perfect home into a nightmare with proficiency and horrifying pizzazz.

SCRIBNER VIA AP

The Perfect Home” is Daniel Kenitz’s debut novel.

LUIS M. ALVAREZ / AP PHOTO

Filming is underway on a documentary about Melania Trump by director Brett Ratner, whose work includes the “Rush Hour” film series, “Red Dragon” and ‘’X-Men: The Last Stand.”

Kenitz turns the perfect home into a nightmare with proficiency

Joan Baez is 84, Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page is 81, Julia Louis-Dreyfus turns 65, Faye Dunaway hits 84

The Associated Press JAN. 9

Musician-activist Joan Baez is 84. Rock musician Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) is 81. Singer Crystal Gayle is 74. Musician Dave Matthews is 58. Catherine, Princess of Wales, is 43. JAN. 10

Singer Rod Stewart is 80. Rock singer-musician Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) is 77. Boxing Hall of Famer George Foreman is 76. Singer Pat Benatar is 72. JAN. 11

Filmmaker Alfonso Arau is 93. Golf Hall of Famer Ben Crenshaw is 73. Jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour is 73. Olympic swimming gold medalist Tracy Caulkins is 62. Filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee is 55. Singer Mary J. Blige is 54.

JAN. 12

Radio-TV personality Howard Stern is 71. Broadcast journalist Christiane Amanpour is 67. Actor Oliver Platt is 65. Entrepreneur Jeff Bezos is 61. Rock singer Rob Zombie is 60.

JAN. 13

Actor Charlie Brill is 87. Actor Billy Gray (“Father Knows Best”) is 87. Guitarist Trevor Rabin of Yes is 70. Actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep,” ″Seinfeld”) is 65. Actor Patrick Dempsey is 59. Actor Orlando Bloom is 48.

JAN. 14

Blues singer Clarence Carter is 89. Actor Faye Dunaway is 84. Mov-

JAN. 15

ie writer-director Steven Soderbergh is 62. Rapper-actor LL Cool J is 57. Actor Jason Bateman is 56. Rock singer-musician Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) is 56.

Actor Margaret O’Brien is 88. Actor Andrea Martin is 78. Actor-director Mario Van Peebles is 68. Actor Regina King is 54. NFL quarterback Drew Brees is 46. Rapper/ reggaeton artist Pitbull is 44.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep,” “Seinfeld”) turns 65 on Monday.

RICHARD

Actor-rapper LL Cool J turns 64 on Tuesday.

RICHARD SHOTWELL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Actor Faye Dunaway turns 84 on Tuesday. REBECCA

the stream

‘The Traitors’ returns, Noah Wyle back in scrubs, Lori Loughlin in police drama

“Yellowstone” meets “Game of Thrones” on the Netflix series “American Primeval”

The Associated Press

NOAH WYLE GOING back to an emergency room for his new series “The Pitt” and Lana Wilson’s lauded documentary about psychics “Look Into My Eyes” are some of the new television, films and music headed to a device near you. Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time: Dick Wolf’s new police drama “On Call” making its debut, the hit show “The Traitors” hosted by Alan Cumming returns to Peacock, and British comedian Nick Frost writes and stars in the comedic horror “Get Away.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

One of the best American documentaries of last year, Lana Wilson’s “Look Into My Eyes,” is available to stream on Max. The film takes views into the lives of several New York City psychics — their sessions, their homes, their own stories — creating a rather profound portrait of humanity as contained in this strange, misunderstood and abused tradition. Wilson, who has also made documentaries about Taylor Swift with “Miss Americana” and Brooke Shields with “Pretty Baby,” came to understand that perhaps it doesn’t matter whether it’s real or not. “I had trivialized it and seen it as this silly thing despite the fact that millions of people around the world engage in it,” Wilson told The Associated Press last year. “You can believe or not believe the supernatural part of this, but there’s this human connection that is undeniably going on.” British comedian Nick Frost (“Hot Fuzz”) wrote and stars in the comedic horror “Get Away,” about a family on a vacation to an unwelcoming island that’s full of strange and sinister happenings. But they’re stubbornly determined to continue the holiday in spite of it feeling like they’ve descended on a “Swedish horror.” Writing for Fangoria, critic Jordan Hoffman called it a “pleasurable film without too much depth.”

“Get Away” begins streaming on Shudder on Friday. Aisling Bea, Maisie Ayres and Sebastian Croft also star.

TO STREAM

MUSIC

Ethel Cain, the Southern Gothic persona of Hayden Anhedönia, has long entranced her listeners with a kind of lethargic approach to pop songwriting — opting for plain-sung dirges on religiosity and Americana like an edgier, alternative universe Lana Del Rey than full-on bangers

convene for a boot camp led by ex-special forces operatives. Season three features Denise Richards, Brody Jenner, Cam Newton, Stephen Baldwin and Trista Rehn and Ali Fedotowsky-Manno of “The Bachelorette.” They attempt grueling tasks like jumping onto a helicopter from a speed boat and treading water for a really long time (while they’re berated on camera) in the name of toughness and bragging rights. Episodes stream on Hulu. Peacock’s hit “The Traitors,” hosted by Alan Cumming, also returns on Thursday. Here, famous faces from (mostly) reality TV come together in Scotland for a compelling game of strategy and manipulation with a cash prize at the end. “The Traitors” won outstanding reality competition program at last year’s Emmy Awards.

“Yellowstone” meets “Game of Thrones” on Netflix’s new limited series called “American Primeval,” premiering Thursday. The six-episode show follows settlers during the westward expansion and stars Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin. Like the “Yellowstone” prequel “1883,” this new series depicts how the fight for land in the American west was a violent one.

SHOWS TO STREAM

Two popular and addictive reality competition shows featuring celebrities return this week with new seasons. First up is Fox’s “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” now streaming, where acting, reality TV and sports stars

(with the exception of her bestknown cut, “American Teenager.”) On Wednesday, she released a follow up to her debut “Preacher’s Daughter,” the provocatively titled “Perverts,” further journeying into her meditative approach to music-making. The first song shared from the album is the nearly seven-minute droning piano lament, “Punish.” Expect more ambience, cold and slow moving.

Noah Wyle returns to where we first met him — in the emergency room — for his new series “The Pitt.” Instead of playing a green intern, Wyle’s character Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch is an experienced doctor at a fictional Pittsburgh hospital. Each episode follows one hour of Dr. Robby’s 15-hour shift. John Wells, who was the showrunner of “ER” is an executive producer. Writer Michael Crichton wrote the pilot script for “ER” and his estate — led by his widow Sherri Crichton — has sued Warner Bros. Television, calling “The Pitt” an unauthorized rebranded version of “ER.” “The Pitt” debuts Thursday on Max. Dick Wolf’s new police drama “On Call” drops Thursday on Prime Video. Eriq La Salle (another “ER” alumnus) is an executive producer, cast member and directs some of the show’s episodes. “On Call” is set in Long Beach, California, and stars Troian Bellisario of “Pretty Little Liars” and Brandon Larracuente as patrol cops. The series uses bodycam and dash cam footage along with cell phone video to create a more realistic feel. Lori Loughlin, who spent two months in prison in 2020 for her part in a college admissions scam, plays a lieutenant. It’s a departure from her past roles on “Full House” and in Christmas TV movies.

NETFLIX / PEACOCK / FOX VIA AP

“American Primeval”, “The Traitors” and “Special Forces” are TV shows streaming on a screen near you this week.

MAX / SHUDDER VIA AP

Lana Wilson’s documentary “Look Into My Eyes” lands on Max.

HOKE COUNTY

Past and future

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Federal block grants of $1.65B awarded to N.C. for Helene recovery

Asheville N.C. governments are receiving more than $1.65 billion in federal block grant money to help address historic levels of damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. Officials say the money is from Community Development Block Grant funds contained in a bill approved by Congress last month. Most of the grant money will go to state government, with the remainder to the city of Asheville. Gov. Josh Stein and the head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development held a public event Tuesday in Asheville to discuss the funds.

Justices block certification of election in race for one of its own seats

Raleigh N.C.’s Supreme Court has blocked the certification of a November election result for one of the seats on its court so it can review legal arguments by a trailing candidate. The Republican-dominated court on Tuesday issued the temporary stay sought by GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin. He is trailing Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs by 734 votes. Griffin wants over 60,000 ballots removed from the tally because he contends they were cast improperly. Without the stay, the state was prepared to issue a certificate for Riggs on Friday confirming her victory. The stay was issued after a federal judge said a state court should consider Griffin’s litigation.

Commissioners approve firm to begin working on new land use plan

The plan will help Hoke County make decisions about development and future growth

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — After near-

ly two decades, Hoke County will be starting the process of drafting a new land use plan.

The board approved a proposal from Benchmark Planning to draft a new Comprehensive Land Use Plan to serve as a tool for making decisions about land development and future growth

The previous land use plan was adopted in 2005. According to their website, Benchmark Planning is “the longest tenured urban plan-

ning firm in North Carolina” with more than 40 years of experience, and they’ve worked with over 400 municipalities, 150 counties and 30 regional organizations across 14 states.

“We’ve worked all across the country, but regionally, we’ve really focused on North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Georgia,” said Benchmark Planning President Jason Epley. “We have a lot of experience working with counties who have experienced growth in and adjacent to metro areas, but that also want to preserve their rural lifestyle.” According to Epley, the firm has a lot of experience working with not only local municipalities around the area but also with the military.

“We’re very familiar with what’s going on in the region, which will help us as we’re gathering information from the public, gathering information from you all,” said Epley. “We have a really good understanding of the trends and what’s happening in the region.”

“I liked Benchmark for the simple fact of the experience they have in this area with the military, and the fact that they’ve worked with Hoke County before. They’ve worked with the City of Raeford before, and they have all the expertise from already having engaged in the community and knowing quite a bit about our community having worked with us,” said Commissioner Tony Hunt. “And I liked their price.”

Law enforcement breaks up trailer, camper theft ring

Some victims may not be aware of their losses

North State Journal staff

THREE SUSPECTS have been arrested in connection with a series of trailer and camper thefts from storage lots in southeastern Chatham County, said the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies recovered five stolen trailers and campers from multiple jurisdictions. The investigation began Dec. 12 when deputies received a report of an enclosed trailer stolen from a storage lot. Using surveillance footage and law enforcement databases, investigators identified and arrested Stephen Blake Allen and Bridgitte Elaine Moore, both of Fuquay-Varina, in connection with the theft. The stolen

A number of trailers were recovered by law enforcement.

trailer was recovered in Raleigh and returned to its owner. Allen is also connected to related felony cases in Wake and Johnston counties, according to investigators.

Between Dec. 20 and Jan. 3,

three similar thefts were reported at storage lots in the same area. Investigators identified Nicholas Benjamin Bowers of Raeford as a suspect in these cases. Working with multiple agencies, deputies re-

The board also had a proposal from Insight.

The board then approved the extension of its temporary processing assistant WIC contract to June 30.

“This contract we started for a processing assistant III in the fall when we had a person out on FMLA,” said Health Director Helene Edwards. “That person has since come back, but we’ve had an increase in our caseload with WIC, and it’s actually helped to manage that and there’s been an improvement with it.”

The position will be funded through state funds.

In addition, the board approved the sale of surplus property on Army Road for $4,000.

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners will next meet Jan. 20.

covered three stolen campers at locations in Sanford and Raeford. Bowers was arrested and charged with the theft of the three campers.

“Teamwork and partnerships with these sheriffs’ offices and police departments were essential to solving these cases,” said Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson. “Thanks to their professionalism and dedication, stolen property has been returned to its rightful owners, and those responsible will be held accountable.”

The investigation involved cooperation between the Fuquay-Varina Police Department, Southern Pines Police Department, and sheriff’s offices in Wake, Johnston, Lee and Hoke counties.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims unaware their property has been stolen. Anyone who stores property at facilities in the area is encouraged to verify their belongings are secure.

Those who believe their property may be missing or have information related to these thefts can contact the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office at 919-542-2911.

Construction of the new Hoke County courthouse continues on Main Street in Raeford, alongside the old courthouse with the United Methodist Church steeple visible in the distance.

HAL NUNN FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

COURTESY CHATHAM COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

NC legislative races finalized, GOP loses veto-proof majority

Republicans will be one seat short of a three-fifths majority in the General Assembly

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

RALEIGH — North Carolina General Assembly elections were finalized Monday as officials issued certificates to the winners in three close legislative races from November that later became subject to recounts and formal protests.

This ministerial action by election administrators also confirms that Republicans have lost their veto-proof control of the legislature — the result of outgoing state Rep. Frank Sossamon losing to Democrat Bryan Cohn by 228 votes. The certificates issued for Cohn and other Democrats — Terence Everitt and Woodson Bradley for contests for the Senate — mean they shouldn’t have trouble getting seated with others elected to the 2025-26 General Assembly session on Wednesday’s opening day. Certificates for the others were issued weeks ago.

With Sossamon’s defeat, Republicans will retain 71 of the 120 House seats. That’s one seat short of the necessary threefifths supermajority for veto-proof control. The GOP had held 72 seats since April 2023, which allowed Republicans to override then-Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes at will as long as they remained united. Now that the Democrats have 49 House seats, the veto stamp of new Democratic Gov. Josh Stein could be more effective during the next two years in blocking GOP measures that he opposes.

The victories for Everitt and Bradley confirm that Republicans will keep 30 Senate seats and Democrats, 20. That’s the same partisan composition during the past two years that gave the GOP a three-fifths majority in that chamber. Everitt defeated Ashlee Adams by 128 votes and Bradley defeated Stacie McGinn by 209.

The Associated Press had not called the races won by Cohn and Everitt until Monday. Recounts were held in each of these three legislative races. Sossamon, McGinn and Adams also joined with GOP state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin in filing a series of written protests to election officials. The protests challenged whether certain votes cast in their races should have been counted.

The outcome of the Supreme Court race is still pending — Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs leads Griffin by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million ballots cast in their statewide race. Griffin currently serves as a North Carolina Court of Appeals judge.

In two hearings last month, the State Board of Elections dismissed all of the protests filed by the four Republicans, issuing its final written orders on Dec. 27. Those orders commenced in state law a short window for the trailing candidates to seek further recourse.

For the legislative candidates, their only option was to ask members of the General Assembly chamber where they sought to serve to decide who won the seat. Otherwise, the certificates

were set to be issued Monday. McGinn and Adams conceded after the second State Board of Elections protest hearing on Dec. 20. Although Sossamon had previously left open the door to seek recourse in the House should a state legal decision call his “election result into further question,” Cohn’s receipt of the election certificate Monday makes a future reversal in this election extremely unlikely.

The “legal decision” that Sossamon referred to involved a portion of the unsuccessful election protests that the law allowed Griffin to appeal in state court. Griffin is still seeking to remove more than 60,000 votes that he argues were improperly cast.

Most of those ballots came from voters whose voter registration records lacked either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number — which a state law has sought in registration applications since 2004. Other ballots were cast by certain categories of military and overseas voters.

The State Board of Elections moved Griffin’s legal efforts to federal court, and Griffin asked U.S. District Judge Richard My-

ers to block a certificate of election from being issued in the race while more legal arguments related to the registration records and certain overseas votes are heard. Without a stay or injunction, the certificate will be issued Friday electing Riggs for an eight-year term.

But late Monday, Myers ordered the case be returned to sitting justices on the state Supreme Court. That’s where Griffin first sought redress following the first State Board of Elections hearing last month in which his appeals were dismissed.

Myers, who was nominated to the federal bench by Donald Trump, wrote that Griffin’s protests “raise unsettled questions of state law,” while their federal interest is “relatively tenuous.”

“If our system of federalism is to exist in more than name only, it means that this court should abstain in this case, under these circumstances,” he said.

Myers’ order can be appealed. Attorneys for Riggs and the state board have said removing these votes would violate federal and state laws and the U.S. Constitution, denying the right to vote for so many who followed the rules to cast ballots as were presented to them.

PJ WARD-BROWN / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A police car sits in front of the North Carolina General Assembly building last year in Raleigh.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

LETTER

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

End the weaponization of the IRS DOGE

ONE OF THE highest priorities for the incoming Trump administration should be to end the Democrats’ weaponization of powerful government agencies against taxpayers and businesses they don’t like. Nowhere has this mission been more pernicious than the party-line vote to fund the IRS with nearly $80 billion and hire tens of thousands of new tax snoops. By the way, according to the IRS press office, the additional audits have so far raised less than $2 billion, far less than the additional expenditures. So how is this program “paying for itself”?

This was never about seeking tax fairness as liberals claimed. It was about unleashing an aggressive, permanent and unchecked enforcement assault on U.S. taxpayers to rake in more tax dollars to pay for liberals’ political agenda. The American people voted to end such madness, and the IRS should now act accordingly and immediately by ignoring the Biden administration’s 11th-hour efforts to ram through a slew of costly new rules and regulations as they now head toward the exit.

Progressive leaders made wildly erroneous claims that a supersized IRS would raise nearly $1 trillion over 10 years from stepped-up enforcement against higher-income earners and businesses. And they attempted to justify their proposals by broadly portraying entrepreneurs, small businesses, family-owned private enterprises and the wealthy as tax cheats. The entire exercise was designed to harass lawful taxpayers

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

and threaten them as guilty parties until they could prove themselves innocent.

Fortunately, most voters saw their efforts for what they were: a liberal fantasy grab of other peoples’ money and an attempt to assert greater control over their livelihoods. Democrat leaders did not help themselves by immediately oversteering the car. This included efforts to have the IRS spy on personal bank accounts and require income reporting for basic Venmo payments among friends, as well as punitive measures on those whose incomes are derived from tips or numerous other types of transactions.

Another target for IRS harassment has been business partnerships. Such businesses are one of the most common and practical ways to structure private enterprises of all sizes. A simple analogy might be when one party owns an available tractor and another has available land, and they go into business together to farm the land. All told, there are an estimated 4.5 million business partnerships in America. Collectively, these partnerships generate more than $12 trillion in revenue and employ millions of U.S. workers.

Yet the IRS, before Presidentelect Donald Trump returns to office, is now stealthily attempting to implement new rules that threaten the future viability of such partnerships. These proposed changes to the tax code impact what is known as “basis shifting” — a routine and legal practice that business partners use to adjust the tax basis of their respective assets. In short, the proposed rules

would deliberately embed uncertainty and subjective IRS interpretations of how taxable assets are treated when one transfers or sells their interest in a business partnership. Basically, the opposite of tax fairness.

Meanwhile, the multibillion-dollar bounty the Biden administration claimed their newly armed IRS would secure through added enforcement and new tax rules has completely failed to materialize. The IRS recently disclosed that just $1 billion had been recovered since their aggressive campaign went into effect two years ago, and there is no way of knowing if that would have occurred with or without it. How ironic and sad is it for taxpayers to learn that the vast amount of the $80 billion Democrats awarded to the IRS to recover or find new “savings” is instead on pace to serve as a massive cost to the U.S. Treasury?

The last thing voters now want is for the IRS to impose any more costly last-minute tax changes that will make problems even worse for taxpayers, workers and employers. Accordingly, the Biden team and the IRS should put down their pencils. And if they persist with these fourthquarter rule changes, the Trump team should be prepared to immediately repeal them in January.

That would bring real joy to America.

Stephen Moore is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He is also an economic advisor to the Trump campaign. His new book, coauthored with Arthur Laffer, is “The Trump Economic Miracle.”

is a good start, but we must do more

To the Editor:

I was glad to see the editors of North State Journal tackle the issue of our nation’s out-ofcontrol finances in the context of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts. Although DOGE might unearth savings — stamping out any inefficiencies is welcome — even Musk’s ambitious goals would hardly make a dent in the $13 trillion worth of deficits projected over the next decade.

Caps on discretionary spending, as discussed in the NSJ column, are a good tool for managing that portion of the federal budget, although it has shrunk to just a quarter of overall federal spending. As the author indicated, the vast majority of allocations are on autopilot, committed to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. And Social Security is expected to be insolvent by 2033.

True fiscal reform will require taking a hard look at these popular programs for ways in which we can adjust the terms of benefits, or the way the programs operate, without rescinding any promised benefits, particularly for those close to retirement. For example, perhaps it makes sense to begin extending the age at which individuals can get full Social Security benefits to reflect the happy fact that people are living longer and are more productive late in their careers than those of previous generations.

This is just one of the potential reforms that could be considered. But it will happen only if lawmakers agree we have a problem and show bipartisan courage to tackle it. Without such fortitude, we will remain on the wrong fiscal trajectory, no matter what Elon finds to fix.

Rob Bridges is a small business owner and former town commissioner in Wake Forest.

The dumbest fallacy in foreign policy

AFTER 50 YEARS of tyranny and repression, the government of Bashar Assad fell in Syria.

It fell thanks to a combination of three forces: first, Israel’s military utterly eviscerated Assad’s foreign military support base, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia; second, Ukraine has bled dry the Russian military coffers over the course of the last several years, leading Russia to withdraw its support from the Syrian theater; and third, the Turkish government, led by Islamist authoritarian Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stepped into the breach, with its favored radical militia, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, cruising through the country with almost no opposition.

Assad was a vicious and brutal dictator; according to the Syrian Emergency Task Force, opposition groups and rescue workers are uncovering mass graves that could hold upward of 100,000 bodies of Assad’s enemies. Assad not only used chemical weapons against Syrians, he also directly intervened in Lebanese affairs, targeting Lebanese Christians among others. His regime was cruel and odious.

What replaces Assad is no picnic.

HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani is a former al-Qaida and ISIS terrorist. He spent five years in prisons, including Abu Ghraib. In 2017, the FBI put a $10 million bounty on his head. Al-Jolani is currently attempting to position himself as a moderate figure despite his history of terrorism and his group’s human rights abuses in the Idlib region of Syria.

Meanwhile, the Turks have spent years pressing into the northern regions of Syria, largely in an attempt to attack the Kurds, whom they see as a

threat to their sovereignty. Turkey currently occupies approximately 9,000 square kilometers of Syrian border territory, which it has been using as a launch point against the Kurds — all of which threatens the possibility of an ISIS jailbreak, since thousands of ISIS members are held in prisons in Kurdish territory.

In short, Syria is a chaotic mess, filled with competing interests.

Yet according to simplistic foreign policy analysts, the problem is, as always, the United States and its allies.

In response to HTS’s takeover of Syria, Israel has now moved into the Syrian region of Mount Hermon, the strategic high point of the area, seeking to forestall the possibility of that land being used as a staging ground for attacks on the Golan Heights. Many Druze in Syria are hopeful that Israel will act as their protector against HTS and Turkish forces; Israel also has warm relations with the Kurds.

Yet Western opponents of Israel now suggest that Israel somehow plotted Assad’s fall in order to expand their territorial interests in Syria — despite the fact that Turkey, a Hamas-a ligned state, literally supported the HTS insurgency. They also suggest that America, under Joe Biden, plotted Assad’s downfall — a strange accusation given that Biden’s agenda in the Middle East has been to back Israel off of attacks on Iranian proxies in the region.

It is no surprise to find the same analysis applied to Ukraine, by similar actors. They suggest that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was somehow a defensive move, motivated by resistance to American imperialism

abroad; that American support for Ukraine amounts to taking the wrong side.

What drives this analysis? A strange combination of “blame America” thinking and conspiracy theorizing. In this viewpoint, the only countries with actual interests and agency are America and her friends; everyone else is merely a victim of these predatory powers, engaging in “blowback” against Western imperialism. The solution, presumably, would be for America to withdraw from the world stage, thus creating a vacuum to be filled by America’s opponents — China, Russia and Iran.

We need not explore the motivations of these theorists in order to point out how facile this argument truly is. Great powers have always pursued their own interests, and they have always done so aggressively. Long before America existed, Sunni Ottomans fought Shia Safavids; Russia first swallowed much of Central Ukraine during the reign of Catherine the Great in the late 18th century. America need not engage all over the world, nor should we — but to pretend that other countries act only in response to America is to forcefully reject reality.

And rejecting reality is dangerous and stupid.

Ben Shapiro’s new collection, “Facts and Furious: The Facts About America and Why They Make Leftists Furious,” is available now. Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three -t ime New York Times bestselling author.

Pope names 1st woman to head major Vatican office

Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, was named prefect

By Nicole Winfield The Associated Press

ROME — Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church’s religious orders.

The appointment marks a major step in Francis’ aim to give women more leadership roles in governing the church. While women have been named to No. 2 spots in some Vatican offices, never before has a woman been named prefect of a dicastery or congregation of the Holy See Curia, the central governing organ of the Catholic Church.

The historic nature of Brambilla’s appointment was confirmed by Vatican Media, which headlined its report, “Sister Simona Brambilla is the first woman prefect in the Vatican.”

The office is one of the most

important in the Vatican.

Known officially as the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, it is responsible for every religious order, from the Jesuits and Franciscans to the Mercy nuns and smaller newer movements.

The appointment means that a woman is now responsible for the women who do much of the church’s work — the world’s 600,000 Catholic nuns — as well as the 129,000 Catholic priests who belong to religious orders.

“It should be a woman.

Long ago it should have been, but thank God,” said Thomas Groome, a senior professor of theology and religious education at Boston College who has long called for the ordination of women priests. “It’s a small step along the way but symbolically, it shows an openness and a new horizon or possibility.”

Groome noted that nothing theologically would now prevent Francis from naming Brambilla a cardinal since cardinals don’t technically have to be ordained priests.

Naming as a cardinal “would be automatic for the head of a dicastery if she was a man,” he said.

But in an indication of the novelty of the appointment and that perhaps Francis was not ready to go that far, the pope simultaneously named as a co-leader, or “pro-prefect,” a cardinal: Ángel Fernández Artime, a Salesian.

The appointment, announced in the Vatican daily bulletin, lists Brambilla first as “prefect” and Fernández second as her co-leader. Theologically, it appears Francis believed the second appointment was necessary since the head of the office must be able to celebrate Mass and perform other sacramental functions that currently can only be done by men.

Natalia Imperatori-Lee, chair of the religion and philosophy department at Manhattan University, was initially excited by Brambilla’s appointment, only to learn that Francis had named a male co-prefect.

“One day, I pray, the church will see women for the capable leaders they already are,”

“It’s a small step along the way but symbolically, it shows an openness and a new horizon or possibility.”

Thomas Groome, Boston College professor of theology and religious education

she said. “It’s ridiculous to think she needs help running a Vatican dicastery. Moreover, for as long as men have been in charge of this division of Vatican governance, they have governed men’s and women’s religious communities.”

Brambilla, 59, is a member of the Consolata Missionaries religious order and had served as the No. 2 in the religious orders department since 2023. She takes over from the retiring Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, 77. Francis made Brambilla’s appointment possible with his 2022 reform of the Holy See’s founding constitution, which

allowed laypeople, including women, to head a dicastery and become prefects.

Brambilla, a nurse, worked as a missionary in Mozambique and led her Consolata order as superior from 2011-23 when Francis made her secretary of the religious orders department. One major challenge she will face is the plummeting number of nuns worldwide. It has fallen by around 10,000 a year for the past several years, from around 750,000 in 2010 to 600,000 last year, according to Vatican statistics.

Brambilla’s appointment is the latest move by Francis to show by example how women can take leadership roles within the Catholic hierarchy, albeit without allowing them to be ordained as priests.

But there has been a marked increase in the percentage of women working in the Vatican during Francis’ papacy, including in leadership positions, from 19.3% in 2013 to 23.4% today, according to statistics reported by Vatican News. In the Curia alone, the percentage of women is 26%.

Starmer slams ‘lies and misinformation’ after attacks from Musk

The Tesla CEO has called for the British prime minister to be imprisoned

By Jill Lawless The Associated Press

LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday condemned “lies and misinformation” that he said are undermining U.K. democracy, in response to a barrage of attacks on his government from Elon Musk.

The billionaire Tesla CEO has taken an intense and erratic interest in British politics since the center-left Labour Party was elected in July. Musk has used his social network, X, to call for a new election and demand Starmer be imprisoned. On Monday, he posted an online poll for his 210 million followers on the proposition: “America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.”

Asked about Musk’s comments during a question session at a hospital near London, Starmer criticized “those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible,” particularly opposition Conservative politicians in Britain who have echoed some of Musk’s claims.

Musk often posts on X about the U.K., retweeting criticism of Starmer and the hashtag TwoTierKeir — shorthand for an unsubstantiated claim that

Britain has “two-tier policing” with far-right protesters treated more harshly than pro-Palestinian or Black Lives Matter demonstrators. During summer anti-immigrant violence across the U.K., he tweeted that “civil war is inevitable.” Recently, Musk has focused on child sexual abuse, particularly a series of cases that rocked northern England towns in which groups of men, largely from Pakistani backgrounds, were tried for grooming and abusing dozens of girls. The cases have been used by far-right activists to link child

abuse to immigration and to accuse politicians of covering up the “grooming gangs” out of a fear of appearing racist.

Musk has posted a demand for a new public inquiry into the cases. A huge, seven-year inquiry was held under the previous Conservative government, though many of the 20 recommendations it made in 2022 — including compensation for abuse victims — have yet to be implemented. Starmer’s government said it would act on them as quickly as possible.

Musk also has accused Starm-

“I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies.”

Keir Starmer, British prime minister

er of failing to bring perpetrators to justice when he was England’s director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013.

Starmer defended his record as chief prosecutor, saying he had reopened closed cases and “changed the whole prosecution approach” to child sexual exploitation.

He also condemned language used by Musk about Jess Phillips, a government minister responsible for combating violence against women and girls. Musk called Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and said she deserved to be in prison.

“When the poison of the farright leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, then in my book, a line has been crossed,” Starmer said. “I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies.”

Musk has also called for the release of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a far-right activist who goes by the name Tommy Robinson and is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court.

Starmer said people “cheerleading Tommy Robinson … are trying to get some vicarious thrill from street violence that people like Tommy Robinson promote.”

Starmer largely avoided mentioning Musk by name in his responses, likely wary of giving him more of a spotlight — or of angering Musk ally Donald Trump, who is due to be inaugurated as U.S. president on Jan. 20.

Musk’s incendiary interventions are a growing worry for governments elsewhere in Europe, too. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, another target of the X owner’s ire, said he is staying “cool” over critical personal comments made by Musk but finds it worrying that the U.S. billionaire makes the effort to get involved in Germany’s election by endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Starmer said the main issue was not Musk’s posts on X, but “what are politicians here doing to stand up for our democracy?” He said he was concerned about Conservative politicians in Britain “so desperate for attention they are amplifying what the far right are saying.”

“Once we lose the anchor that truth matters … then we are on a very slippery slope,” he said.

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

Pope Francis waves during a noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Monday.

LEON NEAL / AP PHOTO

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives a speech Monday in Surrey, England.

HOKE SPORTS

Hoke girls’ basketball heats up

North State Journal staff

HOKE’S WINTER sports teams had a successful holiday tournament season and are now back at it on the regular season schedules to start 2025.

Boys’ basketball

The Bucks snapped their three-game losing streak by winning two of three at the post-Christmas Off-Road Holiday Classic at West Bladen High.

Hoke County opened play at the event with a 66-56 win over Dillon Christian. Senior Devion Coleman led the way with 15 points. Junior Josiah Jacobs had 14, and Tyler Hines and Gabriel McLeod added 10 each.

Hoke then drew the host school in the second round and fell to West Bladen, 60-41, to miss out on a spot in the title game. Sophomore Machai Brown had top scoring honors in the game with nine points.

The Bucks now have a week to stew on the recent losses before they begin holiday tournament play after Christmas. Hoke closed out the tournament with a consolation round win over Woodland, 50-43. Brown was again top scorer, with 12 points, while senior DeKeith Horne added 10.

The successful weekend brought the Bucks closer to the .500 mark. Hoke is 6-7 on the year, 1-2 in the Sandhills. This week, it hosts Southern Lee, then travels to Union Pines in a pair of league games.

Girls’ basketball

The Lady Bucks also snapped a losing streak in holiday tourney play. Hoke entered the

Christmas break on a six-game skid, but they found their mojo at the 2024 Yellow Jacket Christmas Classic Tournament at Lee County High. Hoke got the tournament started with a 57-14 win over Ascend Leadership. It was the most lopsided win for the Lady Bucks since 2007, before many of the players on this year’s team were born. Freshman Jada Bowers led the way with 17 points. She added five steals, earning her NSJ Athlete of the Week honors. Senior Lailah Crowder added 11 with six steals. Karmen Campbell had 11 rebounds, while Shelby Burris added 10. Hoke fell in the semifinals 71-42 to Green Hope. Crowder had 14 points, five assists and five steals, while Campbell had 10 boards. A 53-38 win over

Western Harnett in the consolation game closed out the Lady Bucks’ tournament. Campbell had 19 points and 13 rebounds on her way to team MVP honors. Burris and Bowers added nine points each, while Burris had 11 rebounds.

Hoke is now 3-10 on the year and has topped its win total for three of the past four seasons. The next win for the Lady Bucks will match their five-year high-water mark. Hoke faces Southern Lee and Union Pines this week.

Wrestling

The girls’ wrestling team continued adding to the trophy case over the holiday break, taking first place in the 2024 Gate City Grapple.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jada Bowers

Hoke County, girls’ basketball

The Lady Bucks have hit their stride, winning two out of three to close out 2024.

Bowers stepped up in a 57-14 win over Ascend Leadership at the 2024 Yellow Jacket Christmas Classic Tournament at Lee County the day after Christmas. She scored 17 points with five steals, a rebound, block and assist in the game. She followed that up two days later with nine points in a win over Western Harnett. For the season, Bowers is second on the team in 3-point shooting, and third in field goal percentage and rebounding.

Behind-the-scenes glimpse at Duke’s Mayo Bowl mayonnaise bath

The Charlotte-based bowl has one of the most-watched postgame traditions

By Steve Reed The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Imagine having 5 gallons of mayonnaise dumped over your head.

Well, that’s exactly what the winning head coach of the annual Duke’s Mayo Bowl receives as a “reward” for winning the game at Bank of America Stadium, a tradition born in 2021 as Duke’s Mayo looked to carve out its unique niche in the college football bowl world.

Each year, the mayo dump

trends on social media — and college football fans just can’t seem to look away, no matter how disgusting the idea is to some observers.

“I think with my bald head the mayo should just slide right off,” joked Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, whose team beat Virginia Tech in this year’s bowl game. “I might have to do a little predumping of the mayo just to make sure it does slide off. I have my own strategy just in case, but I can’t let my secret out.”

There’s plenty of preparation that goes into the annual mayo dump.

Staff members begin by pouring five 1-gallon containers of mayonnaise into a large Gatorade-sized cooler around

the start of the fourth quarter. Then, they take turns briskly stirring the mayo for more than 25 minutes with a large wooden stick.

“That changes the consistency just a little bit so it’s more pourable,” said Duke’s Mayo brand director Rebecca Lupesco. “Some people think we add water. There’s no water added, it’s just straight mayonnaise. We just stir it up. It can be a workout.”

As tradition has it, the winning coach is seated on a chair on the field after the game and two workers will raise the cooler and pour the mayo over his head.

It’s a process that needed to be refined over time.

In 2021, one of the handles

on the cooler shifted, causing South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer to get bopped over the head with the bucket after being doused in mayo. That issue has since been addressed and the handles have been fortified to make them immovable.

“Since that incident, we now pick our mayo dumpers very carefully,” Lupesco said with a smile. “Last year, we did a mayo combine where 10 people were selected to come in and compete. They had to do deadlifts with buckets of mayonnaise and catch footballs with mayo on their hands. We had to make sure these people were strong enough.”

This year’s mayo dumpers were kept a surprise.

But they will be adequately trained first, Lupesco said. She said the two pourers will practice by dumping multiple buckets of mayo over a “dummy coach” earlier in the day, with an emphasis on making sure they lift the cooler high enough above the coach’s head so no one gets hit in the head. Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said he’s not a big fan of mayonnaise, but he would have gladly accepted the bath if it meant a Hokies win.

“It will be like, ‘C’mon and give it to me! I want that sucker!,’” Pry said. “The players and my family have had a lot of fun watching other coaches get dumped on. So I hope we are that fortunate.”

Former West Virginia coach Neal Brown was last year’s recipient of the mayo dump after his Mountaineers’ 30-10 blowout win over UNC — a moment he’ll almost certainly never forget.

“I feel cold, I feel wet. ... but I feel like a winner,” Brown said while covered in mayonnaise.

BUCKS ATHLETICS / FACEBOOK

Savion Kinston (25) plays defense at the rim during a holiday tournament win over Dillon Christian

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

West Virginia head coach Neal Brown is dunked with mayonnaise after the team’s win against UNC in last year’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl

College football turns upside down, final four filled with blue bloods

The top four teams were all upset in the second round

By Eddie Pells

The Associated Press

NOT A SINGLE one of the top four teams advanced into college football’s final four.

The semifinals of the College Football Playoff are set: Thursday in the Orange Bowl, it will be No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame. Then Friday in the Cotton Bowl, it will be No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State.

Appropriately enough considering the way the second round played out, it’s the team with the worst seed, the Buckeyes, who are now the favorite to win it all.

These matchups ensure that a team with a long pedigree and a big name will carry the championship trophy when the first 12team playoff concludes in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

A quick look at the four contenders.

No. 5 Texas (13-2)

The Story: The Longhorns are 0-2 against Georgia and don’t have to worry about the Dawgs anymore. They are 13-0 against the rest of the country.

The Player: Receiver Matthew Golden had seven catches for 149 yards, a touchdown and a key two-point conversion in the second overtime against Arizona State.

He said it: “We’re not in awe that, ‘Hey, this is where we are.’ This is where we’re supposed to be.” — Coach Steve Sarkisian after the Arizona State win.

No. 6 Penn State (13-2)

The Story: After a loss to Oregon in the Big Ten title game, James Franklin’s record against teams in the AP Top 10 dropped to 3-19. The Player: Tyler Warren

SIDELINE REPORT

MLB Hernández re-signs with champion Dodgers, will play right field next season

Los Angeles Teoscar Hernández will be in right field for the Los Angeles Dodgers next season when the World Series champions try to defend their title. The outfielder is rejoining the team on a $66 million, three-year contract.

Hernández says he was determined to return after playing on a one-year deal last season, when he won the Home Run Derby and helped the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. He says he had offers from other teams that could have gotten him an extra $5 million or more, but he says money wasn’t his main motivation.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Montana State’s Mellott wins Payton Award as top FCS offensive player

Frisco, Texas

Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott won the Walter Payton Award as the Football Championship Subdivision offensive player of the year, two days before the top-ranked Bobcats face North Dakota State in the title game. Called Touchdown Tommy, the speedy Mellott edged North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller and Southern Utah running back Targhee Lambson in voting announced at the FCS Awards Banquet. Mellott led Montana State to a 15-0 record. The senior from Butte, Montana, topped The AP FCS All-America team and was the Walter Camp FCS Player of the Year. He leads the division in

might have played himself into the top tight end on the NFL draft board this season. In the 3114 win over Boise State, two of his six catches were for touchdowns.

He said it: “A lot of college coaches I saw this week were talking about, ‘This is a fourgame season.’ It’s not. It’s a onegame season.” — Franklin, after a first-round win over SMU, on the week-to-week nature of the first 12-team college playoff.

No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1)

The Story: When the Irish lost 16-14 at home to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7, Notre Dame’s odds of winning the national title ballooned to 100-1. Twelve wins later, including two by double digits in the playoffs, and they are listed at 7-1.

Money Matters: Quarterback Riley Leonard is thought to be making around $1 million after his move to South Bend from Duke.

He said it: “We’ve been here before. Now it’s time to get it fixed. We’ve got to get it fixed and get back to playing football

passing efficiency and points responsible for.

NFL

Browns fire OC Dorsey, O-line coach Dickerson after 3-14 season

Berea, Ohio The Cleveland Browns fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson following a 3-14 season. Dorsey and Dickerson were informed of the moves in the aftermath of the team’s 35-10 loss in Baltimore on Saturday. Dorsey and Dickerson were in Cleveland for just one season. Cleveland’s offense struggled under Dorsey, who was fired last season by Buffalo. The Browns scored more than 20 points in only three games, and the unit was plagued by injuries. Dickerson had the tough job of replacing Bill Callahan, the former NFL head coach who left to join his son Brian’s staff with Tennessee.

NBA

Heat begin life without Butler, who is suspended and seeking a trade

Miami

For the 119th time since Jimmy Butler joined Miami, the Heat played a game without him. This was different from the others. Butler is gone, banished by the Heat for seven games over what they called conduct detrimental to the team — and he’s probably not going to play for Miami again. His suspension started Saturday when the Heat played the Utah Jazz, and the team says it will agree to his wishes and try to facilitate a trade.

Expansion-seeking PWHL ready to drop puck on 9-game neutral site Takeover Tour in Seattle

Raleigh will host games during the league’s second season

By John Wawrow

The Associated Press

OF ALL THE places Hilary Knight has played competitive hockey — from Beijing to Utica, New York — during her 17 U.S. national team seasons, the Boston Fleet captain holds a soft spot for Seattle, not far from her home in Sun Valley, Idaho.

the way we know how to play, we’ve played before, and we can, and we will.” — Coach Marcus Freeman after the Sept. 7 loss to Northern Illinois.

No. 8 Ohio State (12-2)

The Story: After punctuating a fourth straight loss to Michigan by standing on the field looking lost while the Wolverines triggered a melee by planting the team flag at the 50-yard line, there was good reason to think coach Ryan Day could only keep his job by somehow rallying to win a national title that felt unlikely.

The Player: Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has 290 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs. A pair of one-handed catches in an early-season win over Michigan State gave the nickname “playmaker” to the highly touted freshman.

He said it: “At the end of the day, we wanted to win a national championship, and the way that we got here wasn’t what we expected.” — Day after the win over Oregon.

Two years have passed, but the four-time Olympian still excitedly reflects on the electric atmosphere a U.S.-Canada Rivalry Series record-crowd of 14,551 created inside the NHL Kraken’s arena.

“To be honest, I have yet to experience another crowd like that,” Knight said of playing in Climate Pledge Arena, where she scored twice and added an assist in 4-2 win. “Seattle holds a special place in my mind, and that’s why I’m super excited to be able to share that experience with other teammates, whether it’s on the Fleet or on the Montreal team.”

Knight made her return to the Pacific Northwest when Boston played the Montreal Victoire to kick off the PWHL’s expanded series of neutral-site games. Dubbed “The Takeover Tour,” the Seattle stop is the first of nine out-of-market outings the PWHL will play in places including Raleigh, St. Louis and Vancouver.

The series serves two major purposes for the six-team league a month into its second season: Aside from broadening the sport’s reach across North America, the tour allows the PWHL to test markets as it considers expanding by as

many as two franchises next season.

“I think any opportunity to have an outreach of currently out-of-market games for us is a critical one for the growth of the game and also our league,” Knight said of a league whose westernmost team is in Minnesota.

“Would I love to see teams out west? Absolutely. I think it’s a prime hockey market,” added Knight. “So there’s really no sky or ceiling to where this league can go.”

Rounding out the list of neutral sites are Denver, Detroit, Buffalo, and the Canadian cities Edmonton and Quebec City. Detroit is already considered a front-runner for expansion and the only repeat city on the schedule after drawing 13,736 fans for one of two neutral-site games last year; Pittsburgh was the other.

Minnesota goalie Nicole Hensley looks forward to her Denver homecoming on Jan. 12, when the Frost play Montreal at the Avalanche’s Ball Arena.

“I think the last time I (played in Denver) was in high school,” Hensley said.

“Yeah, it was a pretty small rink, so this will be little different,” Hensley added, noting she attended many Avalanche games. “I’m not going to lie, I’ve been looking forward to it for a while.”

Current players aren’t the only ones awaiting tour stops. Cammi Granato, who captained the United States to win gold at the first Winter Games to feature women’s hockey in Nagano in 1998, considers the tour yet another a breakthrough for her sport, with Montreal playing Toronto in her adopted hometown of Vancouver on Jan. 8.

MATTHEW HINTON / AP PHOTO

Notre Dame mascot Colin Mahoney celebrates a quarterfinal win over Georgia in the College Football Playoff.

Kenneth M. Bullock

June 15, 1950 – Jan. 1, 2025

Kenneth Max Bullock was born on June 15, 1950, and passed away on January 1, 2025. He was the son of the late John Tracy Bullock and Robbie Lou Britt Bullock. Born in Robeson County, NC and raised in the Robbins Height neighborhood in Raeford, NC. He had such fond memories of those years and said that it was just a wonderful place to grow up.

Ken graduated from Hoke High School in 1968 and joined the U.S. Air Force in 1970 where he worked in Communications. He retired from the military in 1991 as a Master Sergeant. Shortly thereafter he began his career with the NC Department of Corrections and retired as a Captain in 2006. Throughout his life he enjoyed golfing, fishing, dancing and stopping at virtually every table at Edinborough Restaurant to speak to lifelong friends. He was predeceased by his parents; his brother John Terry Bullock, and his wife of 20 years, Esther Williams Bullock.

He is survived by his loving wife, Amy Bullock and his children, Manuela Preissmann (Juergen), Kevin Bullock (Simone), Jason Calloway (Kim), Brad Calloway (Brandi), Reid Sheppard (Angie) and Devon Cribb. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Marcel, Zoey, Logan C., Payton, Leah, Ayden, Logan B., Luisa, Tucker, Cooper, Dayna and Makenzie as well as his nephew, Ryan Bullock (Beth) and dear friend, Justin Cribb. Visitation will be Monday, January 6, 2025, from 2-3 p.m. with funeral at 3 p.m. in the Crumpler Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be at Raeford Cemetery with military honors. The family requests that any memorials be sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or the American Cancer Society.

Eugene Charles Chalaire

Aug. 17, 1944 – Dec. 31, 2024

Eugene Charles Chalaire passed away after a brief illness, peacefully into the arms of his Lord and Savior at 9:07 p.m. New Year’s Eve, 2024 surrounded by family, friends, and his pastor. Gene, the son of Collins Chalaire Sr. and Madeline Rodriquez Chalaire, was born on August 17th, 1944 and raised in New Orleans, LA. After Catholic Boarding School, Gene attended LSU for a short time, until, on a hiatus to care for his parents, he was called into military service. He met the love of his life, Mary Lee Payne Chalaire, while in Officer Candidate School, and after a brief three month courtship, they were married for the next 40 years until her passing on Mother’s Day, 2007.

Gene became a helicopter pilot and served in Vietnam in 1968. Shortly before the birth of their only child, Kelly - he hitchhiked from his training base across 2 States to make it home for her arrival. That is who he was. A man that would do anything for family and for his friends who were just like family to him. Being a pilot was his dream job and his pride. He loved serving his Country flying Chinooks, Hueys and other helicopters, and was training on the newest gunship- Blackhawk, but never flew that in battle.

He survived many close calls and harrowing experiences, including flying into “hot zones” to draw enemy fire to support troops, pin point rescue landings to pull soldiers out of the line of fire, and even being shot down once- earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross among numerous other medals of honor. True War Hero-check!

An entrepreneur at heart, Gene left military service to dive into the world of selfemployment with the purchase of Open Arms Rest Home along with his wife and a dear friend and partner. After several years, Gene and Mary Lee sold to the partner and went on to open several businesses together, including a makeup

distributorship, a dress shop, a balloon shop, and their longest pursuit- Calico Corner Florist, which they owned for approximately 30 years. After Mary Lee’s passing, and the fire destruction of the original Calico Corner on New Year’s Eve, Gene rebuilt the shop, but soon decided it was time to move onto the next phase and sold it to its current owner. A longstanding relationship with the Crumpler Family, from not only years of working together with the cohesiveness of their business and flowers, but also a strong personal relationship between families led to Gene’s last career change to work for Crumpler Funeral Home. He loved working period, but to find a place where he could care for, and console others fit his personality perfectly! He came in for continuing education class the week before he left this earth, so he could make sure he was providing what he needed- no thoughts of retirement-his work was family and his job was spiritually fulfilling.

Faith, family and friends were Gene’s driving force. A jokester, always up for a laugh, an adventure, or a conversationhe had more friends than a jar has pennies. And not just friends….his church and his “friend family” were his world, along with his grandbabies. For a true testament to his kindness and loyalty, look at his friends. Friends that would bring dinner to him every night when he was ill, friends that would follow him and advocate for his care when family was far, friends that would watch out for his home for him, friends that are as shattered as we are.

Gene is survived by his daughter, Kelly Chalaire Parker (Michael) of McComb, MS and his grandchildren, Charlotte and Jamie Parker, and by his amazing and loyal friends and co workers. Preceded in death by his parents and an older brother, Collins Chalaire Jr.

There is nothing he wouldn’t do for someone if they needed him- whether they were a best friend or a stranger. My dad, the “whistler”, the “adventurer”, the “faithful servant”, the “loyal friend”, the true hero. My hero. Honorary pallbearers: Rick Sandy, Rick Wilhide, Carmello Rosario, Robert Capps, and Michael Martin.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be may to the First Baptist Church of Raeford.

A visitation will be held from 2-3 p.m. on Sunday, January 05, 2025, at the First Baptist Church of Raeford.

A service will follow at 3 p.m. in the church. Inurnment will be in the Raeford City Cemetery with military honors.

Japanese woman who was the world’s oldest person at 116 has died

Yomiko Itooka was born on May 23, 1908

By Yuri Kageyama The Associated Press

TOKYO — Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who was the world’s oldest person according to Guinness World Records, has died, an Ashiya city official said Saturday. She was 116.

Yoshitsugu Nagata, an official in charge of elderly policies, said Itooka died on Dec. 29 at a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, central Japan. Itooka, who loved bananas and a yogurt-flavored Japanese drink called Calpis, was born on May 23, 1908. She became the oldest person last year following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

When she was told she was at the top of the World Supercentenarian Rankings List, she simply replied, “Thank you.”

When Itooka celebrated her birthday last year, she received flowers, a cake and a card from the mayor.

Born in Osaka, Itooka was a volleyball player in high school and long had a reputation for a sprightly spirit, Nagata said. She climbed the

Charles Vance Daniel

Oct. 21, 1939 – Dec. 30, 2024

Mr. Charles Vance Daniels, of Raeford, NC became an angel in Heaven on Monday, December 30, 2024, at the age of 85.

He was born in Hoke County on October 21, 1939, to the late Ruby Daniels.

Along with his mother, he was preceded in death by his wife, Geraldean McMillian Daniels; daughter, Sherry Wood; and his great-grandson, Brooks Clark. Charles was the owner of Daniel’s Service Center and House of Vacuum for 35 years. He served as Hoke County Commissioner for many years, a volunteer fireman, and was a member of the Hoke County Rescue Squad. Charles loved his community. He enjoyed collecting goats, guineas, chickens, and horses, but his greatest joy was spending time with his grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Blake Daniels; son, Brian Daniels (Tammy); grandchildren, Elijah Wood (Charisse), Amanda Clark (Tyler), Daniel “Tadpole” Wood, Samantha Arnold (Dakota), Hannah Wood, and Emily Daniels (Corbin); great grandchildren, Coleson Clark and Susanna Arnold; and his dog, Charley.

Charles will be greatly missed by friends, family, and his community.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, January 02, 2024, from 6-9 p.m. at Crumpler Funeral Home of Raeford.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, January 03, 2024, at 11 a.m. in the Raeford City Cemetery with Pastor Dwight Jackson officiating. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to St. Jude’s or the charity of your choice.

10,062-foot Mount Ontake twice. She married at 20 and had two daughters and two sons, according to Guinness.

Itooka managed the office of her husband’s textile factory during World War II. She lived alone in Nara after her husband died in 1979. She is survived by one son and one daughter, and five grandchildren. A funeral service was held with family and friends, according to Nagata.

According to the Gerontology Research Group, the world’s oldest person is now 116-year- old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, who was born 16 days after Itooka.

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

STATE & NATION

Hundreds of Capitol riot prosecutions in limbo

A D.C. court is awaiting Donald Trump’s White House return

By Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Kunzelman

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s the largest prosecution in Justice Department history — with reams of evidence, harrowing videos and hundreds of convictions of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Now Donald Trump’s return to power has thrown into question the future of the more than 1,500 federal cases brought over the last four years.

Jan. 6 trials, guilty pleas and sentencings have continued chugging along in Washington, D.C.’s federal court despite Trump’s promise to pardon rioters, whom he has called “political prisoners” and “hostages” he contends were treated too harshly.

In a statement Monday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Justice Department prosecutors “have sought to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on our democracy with unrelenting integrity.”

“They have conducted themselves in a manner that adheres to the rule of law and honors our obligation to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of everyone in this country,” Garland said.

More than 1,500 people across the U.S. have been charged with federal crimes related to the deadly riot. Hundreds of people

who did not engage in destruction or violence were charged only with misdemeanor offenses for entering the Capitol illegally. Others were charged with felony offenses, including assault for beating police officers. Leaders of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys extremist groups were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as plots to use violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power from Trump, a Republican, to Joe Biden, a Democrat.

About 250 people have been convicted of crimes by a judge or a jury after a trial. Only two people were acquitted of all charges by judges after bench trials. No jury has fully acquitted a Capitol riot defendant. At least 1,020 others had pleaded guilty as of Jan. 1. More than 1,000 rioters have already been sentenced, with over 700 receiving at least some time behind bars. The rest were given some combination of probation, community

service, home detention or fines.

The longest sentence, 22 years, went to former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy along with three lieutenants. A California man with a history of political violence got 20 years in prison for repeatedly attacking police with flagpoles and other makeshift weapons during the riot. And Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes is serving an 18-year prison sentence for

Jan. 6 rioters set to be sentenced in 2025

seditious conspiracy and other offenses.

More than 100 Jan. 6 defendants are scheduled to stand trial in 2025, while at least 168 riot defendants are set to be sentenced this year.

The FBI has continued to arrest people on Capitol riot charges since Trump’s electoral victory in November. The Justice Department says prosecutors are still evaluating nearly 200 riot cases investigated by the FBI, including more than 60 cases in which the suspects are accused of assaulting or interfering with police officers who were guarding the Capitol.

Citing Trump’s promise of pardons, several defendants have sought to have their cases delayed — with little success.

Trump embraced the Jan. 6 rioters on the campaign trail, downplaying the violence that was broadcast on live TV and has been documented extensively through video, testimony and other evidence in the federal cases.

Trump has vowed to begin issuing pardons of Jan. 6 rioters on his first day in office. He has said he will look at individuals on a case-by-case basis, but he has not explained how he will decide who receives such relief.

Trump announces $20B US investment by Emirati businessman

The deal will bring new data centers to a number of states

By Will Weissert and Josh Boak

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a $20 billion investment for data centers in the United States by an Emirati company led by billionaire Hussain Sajwani, a close business partner of the Trump family.

The investment by DAMAC Properties in the United Arab Emirates is intended to highlight Trump’s personal ability to attract new money for big projects. The announcement follows a pledge made last month by the Japanese billionaire investor Masayoshi Son, while at Trump’s side, to invest $100 billion in the United States.

Trump said at a news conference that he believed Sajwani made the commitment because “he was very inspired by the election and wouldn’t do it without the election.” The president-elect emphasized his plans to get investments of $1 billion or more

Florida.

through the environmental regulatory review process quickly. Following Trump, Sajwani briefly joined the news conference and said: “It’s been amazing news for me and my family when he was elected in November.”

Sajwani’s promised investment feeds into an existing boom for constructing data centers used in the development of artificial intelligence and expansion of cryptocurrency, as well as in other elements of an increasingly digital economy that relies on

having greater sources of computer processing power.

While Trump has sought to portray these announcements as a source of newfound energy in the U.S. economy, the $20 billion commitment is also a sign that wealthy investors close to Trump can profit off that relationship, given the already significant investment in new data centers.

In October, the financial company Blackstone estimated that the U.S. would see $1 trillion invested in data centers over five

years, with another $1 trillion being committed internationally. The commitment made by Sajwani could represent just 2% of the total expected domestic investment in the sector.

Sajwani would gain data centers in the United States, which thus far have not been part of his company’s EDGNEX data center portfolio. According to the company’s website, it already has or plans to build data centers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Spain, Thailand and Indonesia.

DAMAC Properties is one of the top private developers in the skyscraper-studded city-state in the United Arab Emirates.

The property developer has been a Trump partner. Under Sajwani, DAMAC built the Trump International Golf Club at a massive development in the city’s desert outskirts just before Trump first entered the White House.

DAMAC also paid a licensing fee worth millions back to the Trump Organization, following a pattern the president-elect’s company has used in developments both in the U.S. and abroad.

There had been plans for another DAMAC development

further in the desert that would have a Trump-named golf course. However, DAMAC later dropped plans for the golf course at the development. Also, discussions for a promised $2 billion in deals between DAMAC and the Trump Organization after his first electoral win in 2016 never materialized.

Sajwani has said that Trump’s initial election to the presidency helped increase the profile of his company.

Since Trump’s reelection in November, Sajwani has been seen at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He posted a picture standing between a seated Trump and billionaire Elon Musk at a New Year’s Eve celebration.

However, the Trump Organization since has been involved with Dar Global, a Saudi-funded real estate firm that’s building a Trump-branded golf course in Oman and Trump projects in Saudi Arabia.

There are plans for a Trump Tower in Dubai as well, though previous plans for a Trump Tower on Dubai’s man-made Palm Jumeirah archipelago fell apart during the city’s financial crisis that began in 2008.

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

President-elect Donald Trump speaks as Hussain Sajwani, CEO of DAMAC Properties, listens during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday in Palm Beach,

JULIO CORTEZ / AP PHOTO

MOORE COUNTY

THE

Stein signs

New Gov. Josh Stein signs his first executive orders on Jan. 2 after taking the oath of office on

number of items related to Hurricane Helene recovery.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Federal block grants of $1.65B awarded to NC for Helene recovery

Asheville

N.C. governments are receiving more than $1.65 billion in federal block grant money to help address historic levels of damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. Officials say the money is from Community Development Block Grant funds contained in a bill approved by Congress last month. Most of the grant money will go to state government, with the remainder to the city of Asheville. Gov. Josh Stein and the head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development held a public event Tuesday in Asheville to discuss the funds.

Justices block certification of election in race for one of its own seats

Raleigh N.C.’s Supreme Court has blocked the certification of a November election result for one of the seats on its court so it can review legal arguments by a trailing candidate. The Republican-dominated court on Tuesday issued the temporary stay sought by GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin. He is trailing Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs by 734 votes. Griffin wants over 60,000 ballots removed from the tally because he contends they were cast improperly. Without the stay, the state was prepared to issue a certificate for Riggs on Friday confirming her victory. The stay was issued after a federal judge said a state court should consider Griffin’s litigation.

$2.00

$250,000 was split between five county fire departments

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

CARTHAGE — The Moore County Board of Commissioners met for its first meeting of the year on Jan. 7 where they primarily dealt with a few town-related matters.

The board first approved the distribution of nearly $161,000 in capital apparatus funding to the Carthage, Southern Pines, Whispering Pines, Aberdeen and Pinehurst Fire Departments.

The purpose of the distribution is to streamline the process for the fire departments which receive less than 50% county funding and will allow those departments to manage

their capital apparatus based on their strategic apparatus plan without requesting these funds from the Fire Commission prior to Board of Commissioners approval.

According to Public Safety Director Bryan Phillips, the money to cover this distribution is already set aside in the general ledger.

The board also approved an approximately $93,000 reimbursement to those same five fire departments for the purchase of TDMA VIPER radios.

“I’d just like to thank the fire departments for being cognizant of the money they’re spending. It’s the taxpayers’ money and they’re coming in well below the maximum.”

Vice Chair Nick Picerno

line overloads that we are,” said Central Inspections Director Charles Hill. “Their inspection department consists of one person, and he was medically retired on Nov. 1, so they can’t keep up with the general statutes requiring 24-hour inspection services. So they’ve reached out to us to have this agreement in place.”

The county already has agreements with Aberdeen, Southern Pines, Pinehurst and Montgomery County.

Republicans will be one seat short of a three-fifths majority in the General Assembly

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

RALEIGH — North Carolina General Assembly elections were finalized Monday as officials issued certificates to the winners in three close legislative races from November that later became subject to recounts and formal protests. This ministerial action by election administrators also confirms that Republicans have lost their veto-proof control of the legislature — the result of outgoing state Rep. Frank Sossamon losing to Democrat Bryan Cohn by 228 votes. The certificates issued for Cohn and other Democrats — Terence Everitt and Woodson Bradley for contests for the Senate — mean they shouldn’t have trouble getting seated with others elected to the

The board also approved an interlocal agreement with the Town of Pinebluff for building inspection services.

“Pinebluff town administrators have reached out to us, and they’re experiencing some of the same construction dead-

“I’d just like to thank the fire departments for being cognizant of the money they’re spending,” said Vice Chair Nick Picerno. “It’s the taxpayers’ money, and they’re coming in well below the maximum. So I appreciate them signing on and understanding that we’re saving some money there that we’ll probably use elsewhere as we expand our services in fire and rescue in Moore County.”

2025 -26 General Assembly session on Wednesday’s opening day. Certificates for the others were issued weeks ago. With Sossamon’s defeat, Republicans will retain 71 of the 120 House seats. That’s one seat short of the necessary

three-fifths supermajority for veto-proof control. The GOP had held 72 seats since April 2023, which allowed Republicans to override then-Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes at will as long as they remained united.

“Moore County citizens would not suffer services due to our covering the town of Pinebluff,” Hill said.

In addition, the board approved a $550,000 change order for the new courthouse project and a change in completion date to May 1.

The Moore County Board of Commissioners will next meet Jan. 21.

Now that the Democrats have 49 House seats, the veto stamp of new Democratic Gov. Josh Stein could be more effective during the next two years in blocking GOP measures that he opposes.

The victories for Everitt and Bradley confirm that Republicans will keep 30 Senate seats and Democrats, 20. That’s the same partisan composition during the past two years that gave the GOP a threefifths majority in that chamber. Everitt defeated Ashlee Adams by 128 votes and Bradley defeated Stacie McGinn by 209. The Associated Press had not called the races won by Cohn and Everitt until Monday. Recounts were held in each of these three legislative races. Sossamon, McGinn and Adams also joined with GOP state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin in filing a series of written protests to election officials. The protests

THURSDAY JAN

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Jan. 1

• Shomarii Zykai Hailey, 19, was arrested by Southern Pines PD (SPPD) for first degree burglary.

Jan. 2

• Tiffany Christine Johnson, 35, was arrested by Moore County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) for possession of methamphetamine.

Jan. 3

• Garrett Jarod Chalmers, 26, was arrested by Aberdeen PD (APD) for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

• Jaquan Sharod Goins, 20, was arrested by APD for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

• Sheila Lane Taylor, 63, was arrested by SPPD for defrauding innkeeper.

Jan. 4

• Alex Bryant Farris, 55, was arrested by MCSO for burning personal property.

• Herman Esperon Gaipo, 30, was arrested by SPPD for felony possession of cocaine.

• Ashley Lynn McNally, 32, was arrested by SPPD for shoplifting concealment goods.

• Gene Edward Needham, 60, was arrested by Robbins PD for driving while license revoked.

Jan. 5

• Timothy Joseph Watroba, 44, was arrested by MCSO for assault on a female.

Jan. 6

• Quincy Markey Green, 43, was arrested by Carthage PD for simple assault.

• Maurice Quandell Purcell, 39, was arrested by APD for possession of firearm by felon.

• Sebastion Scott Swanson, 24, was arrested by MCSO for indecent liberties with child.

FRIDAY

NC House Speaker-designate Hall announces staff picks

Key staff includes political policy veterans and fresh faces

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina Speaker-designate Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) unveiled his leadership staff picks Tuesday, with a line-up of experienced legislative and policy staff members along with new additions to guide House operations in the upcoming session. “These talented individuals bring a wealth of experience and dedication to our team,” Hall said in a statement announcing the appointments. “Their expertise will help the North Carolina House deliver for the people of this state.” Hall was elected as North Carolina’s next speaker of the House last November, replacing Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain), who was sworn in this week as the new representative for North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District. The 37-year-old from Caldwell County is the first millennial to lead one of the two chambers of the General Assembly. He made history in 2021 by being the first millennial to serve in a top House leadership spot as chair of the powerful House Rules Committee.

Neal Inman will continue

ELECTIONS from page A1

challenged whether certain votes cast in their races should have been counted. The outcome of the Supreme Court race is still pending — Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs leads Griffin by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million ballots cast in their statewide race. Griffin currently serves as a North Carolina Court of Appeals judge.

In two hearings last month, the State Board of Elections dismissed all of the protests filed by the four Republicans, issuing its final written orders on Dec. 27. Those orders commenced in state law a short window for the trailing candidates to seek further recourse. For the legislative candidates, their only option was to ask members of the General Assembly chamber where they sought to serve to decide who won the seat. Otherwise, the certificates were set to be issued Monday. McGinn and Adams conceded after the second State Board of Elections protest hearing on Dec. 20. Although Sossamon had previously left

“These talented individuals bring a wealth of experience and dedication to our team.”

House Speaker-designate Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls)

serving as chief of staff, a position he has held since December 2020. Inman has experience with state government operations and legislative affairs, including roles like senior adviser to the N.C. House Republican Campaign Committee, serving as general counsel to the N.C. House speaker and House Rules Committee counsel, as well as associate general counsel to Gov. Pat McCrory.

The speaker’s office is expanding its communications structure, with Demi Dowdy serving as deputy chief of staff for communications and external affairs, a deeper leadership role over her previous spot as communications director under former House Speaker Tim Moore.

The office is also welcoming new faces like Courtney Taylor as director of digital media, bringing experience from her work with congressional campaigns at the national level where she most recently served

open the door to seek recourse in the House should a state legal decision call his “election result into further question,” Cohn’s receipt of the election certificate Monday makes a future reversal in this election extremely unlikely.

The “legal decision” that Sossamon referred to involved a portion of the unsuccessful election protests that the law allowed Griffin to appeal in state court. Griffin is still seeking to remove more than 60,000 votes that he argues were improperly cast.

Most of those ballots came from voters whose voter registration records lacked either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number — which a state law has sought in registration applications since 2004. Other ballots were cast by certain categories of military and overseas voters.

The State Board of Elections moved Griffin’s legal efforts to federal court, and Griffin asked U.S. District Judge Richard Myers to block a certificate of election from being issued in the race while more legal arguments related to the registration records

as deputy digital political director at the National Republican Congressional Committee. A notable addition is former Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, who joins Hall’s staff as senior policy adviser after serving six terms in the N.C. House. Elmore’s background includes 22 years as an educator in Wilkes County and experience chairing various legislative committees, bringing significant policy expertise and institutional knowledge to the role.

Sam Hayes continues as general counsel, drawing on his previous experience in the State Treasurer’s office and Department of Environmental Quality. Deputy general counsels Kenan Drum and Sumit Gupta round out the legal team.

Lewis King assumes the role of deputy chief of staff for policy and budget, transitioning from his position as a government relations adviser at Manning, Fulton & Skinner. King’s background includes policy advisory roles under former speakers Moore and Thom Tillis.

Julie Garrison, who has worked in the speaker’s office since 2012 under multiple administrations, will continue as director of operations.

The policy team announced by Hall includes advisers David Cobb, William Cobb and Grace Irvin, each of whom brings legislative experience to their positions.

and certain overseas votes are heard. Without a stay or injunction, the certificate will be issued Friday electing Riggs for an eight-year term. But late Monday, Myers ordered the case be returned to sitting justices on the state Supreme Court. That’s where Griffin first sought redress following the first State Board of Elections hearing last month in which his appeals were dismissed.

Myers, who was nominated to the federal bench by Donald Trump, wrote that Griffin’s protests “raise unsettled questions of state law,” while their federal interest is “relatively tenuous.”

“If our system of federalism is to exist in more than name only, it means that this court should abstain in this case, under these circumstances,” he said.

Myers’ order can be appealed. Attorneys for Riggs and the state board have said removing these votes would violate federal and state laws and the U.S. Constitution, denying the right to vote for so many who followed the rules to cast ballots as were presented to them.

moore happening

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:

Jan. 9, 10, 11

Moore County Historical Association: Shaw House & Property Tours

1-4 p.m.

The Moore County Historical Association’s Shaw House grounds and properties are open for tours on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. The tours are free and open to all ages. Enjoy learning of the impressive history here in Moore County.

Shaw House 110 Morganton Road Southern Pines

Jan. 10

“Homestead”

7 p.m.

A former green beret and other survivors take refuge inside an elaborate compound when an attack on America leaves the world in chaos. Doors open 30 minutes before movie starts.

Sunrise Theater 250 NW Broad St. Southern Pines

Cosmic Bowling

6-11:55 p.m.

Enjoy a night of Family Fun at Sandhills Bowling Center! Cosmic Bowling is just $17 per person and includes two hours of bowling and free shoe rental.

Sandhills Bowling Center 1680 N.C. Highway 5 Aberdeen

“In the Shade of the Longleaf Pines” Art Show Opening Reception 6-8 p.m.

The Arts Council of Moore County presents the “In the Shade of the Longleaf Pines” Art Show. The exhibit features work from painter Jonathan Douglas and woodworker William DeFee. The art will be on exhibition at the Arts Council Campbell House Galleries in Southern Pines through Wednesday, Feb. 12.

Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House 482 E. Connecticut Avenue Southern Pines

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

LETTER

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

End the weaponization of the IRS DOGE

ONE OF THE highest priorities for the incoming Trump administration should be to end the Democrats’ weaponization of powerful government agencies against taxpayers and businesses they don’t like. Nowhere has this mission been more pernicious than the party-line vote to fund the IRS with nearly $80 billion and hire tens of thousands of new tax snoops. By the way, according to the IRS press office, the additional audits have so far raised less than $2 billion, far less than the additional expenditures. So how is this program “paying for itself”?

This was never about seeking tax fairness as liberals claimed. It was about unleashing an aggressive, permanent and unchecked enforcement assault on U.S. taxpayers to rake in more tax dollars to pay for liberals’ political agenda. The American people voted to end such madness, and the IRS should now act accordingly and immediately by ignoring the Biden administration’s 11th-hour efforts to ram through a slew of costly new rules and regulations as they now head toward the exit.

Progressive leaders made wildly erroneous claims that a supersized IRS would raise nearly $1 trillion over 10 years from stepped-up enforcement against higher-income earners and businesses. And they attempted to justify their proposals by broadly portraying entrepreneurs, small businesses, family-owned private enterprises and the wealthy as tax cheats. The entire exercise was designed to harass lawful taxpayers

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

and threaten them as guilty parties until they could prove themselves innocent.

Fortunately, most voters saw their efforts for what they were: a liberal fantasy grab of other peoples’ money and an attempt to assert greater control over their livelihoods. Democrat leaders did not help themselves by immediately oversteering the car. This included efforts to have the IRS spy on personal bank accounts and require income reporting for basic Venmo payments among friends, as well as punitive measures on those whose incomes are derived from tips or numerous other types of transactions.

Another target for IRS harassment has been business partnerships. Such businesses are one of the most common and practical ways to structure private enterprises of all sizes. A simple analogy might be when one party owns an available tractor and another has available land, and they go into business together to farm the land. All told, there are an estimated 4.5 million business partnerships in America. Collectively, these partnerships generate more than $12 trillion in revenue and employ millions of U.S. workers.

Yet the IRS, before Presidentelect Donald Trump returns to office, is now stealthily attempting to implement new rules that threaten the future viability of such partnerships. These proposed changes to the tax code impact what is known as “basis shifting” — a routine and legal practice that business partners use to adjust the tax basis of their respective assets. In short, the proposed rules

would deliberately embed uncertainty and subjective IRS interpretations of how taxable assets are treated when one transfers or sells their interest in a business partnership. Basically, the opposite of tax fairness.

Meanwhile, the multibillion-dollar bounty the Biden administration claimed their newly armed IRS would secure through added enforcement and new tax rules has completely failed to materialize. The IRS recently disclosed that just $1 billion had been recovered since their aggressive campaign went into effect two years ago, and there is no way of knowing if that would have occurred with or without it. How ironic and sad is it for taxpayers to learn that the vast amount of the $80 billion Democrats awarded to the IRS to recover or find new “savings” is instead on pace to serve as a massive cost to the U.S. Treasury?

The last thing voters now want is for the IRS to impose any more costly last-minute tax changes that will make problems even worse for taxpayers, workers and employers. Accordingly, the Biden team and the IRS should put down their pencils. And if they persist with these fourthquarter rule changes, the Trump team should be prepared to immediately repeal them in January.

That would bring real joy to America.

Stephen Moore is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He is also an economic advisor to the Trump campaign. His new book, coauthored with Arthur Laffer, is “The Trump Economic Miracle.”

is a good start, but we must do more

To the Editor:

I was glad to see the editors of North State Journal tackle the issue of our nation’s out-ofcontrol finances in the context of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts. Although DOGE might unearth savings — stamping out any inefficiencies is welcome — even Musk’s ambitious goals would hardly make a dent in the $13 trillion worth of deficits projected over the next decade.

Caps on discretionary spending, as discussed in the NSJ column, are a good tool for managing that portion of the federal budget, although it has shrunk to just a quarter of overall federal spending. As the author indicated, the vast majority of allocations are on autopilot, committed to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. And Social Security is expected to be insolvent by 2033.

True fiscal reform will require taking a hard look at these popular programs for ways in which we can adjust the terms of benefits, or the way the programs operate, without rescinding any promised benefits, particularly for those close to retirement. For example, perhaps it makes sense to begin extending the age at which individuals can get full Social Security benefits to reflect the happy fact that people are living longer and are more productive late in their careers than those of previous generations.

This is just one of the potential reforms that could be considered. But it will happen only if lawmakers agree we have a problem and show bipartisan courage to tackle it. Without such fortitude, we will remain on the wrong fiscal trajectory, no matter what Elon finds to fix.

Rob Bridges is a small business owner and former town commissioner in Wake Forest.

The dumbest fallacy in foreign policy

AFTER 50 YEARS of tyranny and repression, the government of Bashar Assad fell in Syria.

It fell thanks to a combination of three forces: first, Israel’s military utterly eviscerated Assad’s foreign military support base, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia; second, Ukraine has bled dry the Russian military coffers over the course of the last several years, leading Russia to withdraw its support from the Syrian theater; and third, the Turkish government, led by Islamist authoritarian Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stepped into the breach, with its favored radical militia, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, cruising through the country with almost no opposition.

Assad was a vicious and brutal dictator; according to the Syrian Emergency Task Force, opposition groups and rescue workers are uncovering mass graves that could hold upward of 100,000 bodies of Assad’s enemies. Assad not only used chemical weapons against Syrians, he also directly intervened in Lebanese affairs, targeting Lebanese Christians among others. His regime was cruel and odious.

What replaces Assad is no picnic.

HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani is a former al-Qaida and ISIS terrorist. He spent five years in prisons, including Abu Ghraib. In 2017, the FBI put a $10 million bounty on his head. Al-Jolani is currently attempting to position himself as a moderate figure despite his history of terrorism and his group’s human rights abuses in the Idlib region of Syria.

Meanwhile, the Turks have spent years pressing into the northern regions of Syria, largely in an attempt to attack the Kurds, whom they see as a

threat to their sovereignty. Turkey currently occupies approximately 9,000 square kilometers of Syrian border territory, which it has been using as a launch point against the Kurds — all of which threatens the possibility of an ISIS jailbreak, since thousands of ISIS members are held in prisons in Kurdish territory.

In short, Syria is a chaotic mess, filled with competing interests.

Yet according to simplistic foreign policy analysts, the problem is, as always, the United States and its allies.

In response to HTS’s takeover of Syria, Israel has now moved into the Syrian region of Mount Hermon, the strategic high point of the area, seeking to forestall the possibility of that land being used as a staging ground for attacks on the Golan Heights. Many Druze in Syria are hopeful that Israel will act as their protector against HTS and Turkish forces; Israel also has warm relations with the Kurds.

Yet Western opponents of Israel now suggest that Israel somehow plotted Assad’s fall in order to expand their territorial interests in Syria — despite the fact that Turkey, a Hamas-a ligned state, literally supported the HTS insurgency. They also suggest that America, under Joe Biden, plotted Assad’s downfall — a strange accusation given that Biden’s agenda in the Middle East has been to back Israel off of attacks on Iranian proxies in the region.

It is no surprise to find the same analysis applied to Ukraine, by similar actors. They suggest that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was somehow a defensive move, motivated by resistance to American imperialism

abroad; that American support for Ukraine amounts to taking the wrong side.

What drives this analysis? A strange combination of “blame America” thinking and conspiracy theorizing. In this viewpoint, the only countries with actual interests and agency are America and her friends; everyone else is merely a victim of these predatory powers, engaging in “blowback” against Western imperialism. The solution, presumably, would be for America to withdraw from the world stage, thus creating a vacuum to be filled by America’s opponents — China, Russia and Iran.

We need not explore the motivations of these theorists in order to point out how facile this argument truly is. Great powers have always pursued their own interests, and they have always done so aggressively. Long before America existed, Sunni Ottomans fought Shia Safavids; Russia first swallowed much of Central Ukraine during the reign of Catherine the Great in the late 18th century. America need not engage all over the world, nor should we — but to pretend that other countries act only in response to America is to forcefully reject reality.

And rejecting reality is dangerous and stupid.

Ben Shapiro’s new collection, “Facts and Furious: The Facts About America and Why They Make Leftists Furious,” is available now. Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three -t ime New York Times bestselling author.

Pope names 1st woman to head major Vatican office

Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, was named prefect

By Nicole Winfield

The Associated Press

ROME — Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church’s religious orders.

The appointment marks a major step in Francis’ aim to give women more leadership roles in governing the church. While women have been named to No. 2 spots in some Vatican offices, never before has a woman been named prefect of a dicastery or congregation of the Holy See Curia, the central governing organ of the Catholic Church.

The historic nature of Brambilla’s appointment was confirmed by Vatican Media, which headlined its report, “Sister Simona Brambilla is the first woman prefect in the Vatican.”

The office is one of the most

important in the Vatican.

Known officially as the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, it is responsible for every religious order, from the Jesuits and Franciscans to the Mercy nuns and smaller newer movements.

The appointment means that a woman is now responsible for the women who do much of the church’s work — the world’s 600,000 Catholic nuns — as well as the 129,000 Catholic priests who belong to religious orders.

“It should be a woman. Long ago it should have been, but thank God,” said Thomas Groome, a senior professor of theology and religious education at Boston College who has long called for the ordination of women priests. “It’s a small step along the way but symbolically, it shows an openness and a new horizon or possibility.”

Groome noted that nothing theologically would now prevent Francis from naming Brambilla a cardinal since cardinals don’t technically have to be ordained priests.

Naming as a cardinal “would be automatic for the head of a dicastery if she was a man,” he said.

But in an indication of the novelty of the appointment and that perhaps Francis was not ready to go that far, the pope simultaneously named as a co-leader, or “pro-prefect,” a cardinal: Ángel Fernández Artime, a Salesian.

The appointment, announced in the Vatican daily bulletin, lists Brambilla first as “prefect” and Fernández second as her co-leader. Theologically, it appears Francis believed the second appointment was necessary since the head of the office must be able to celebrate Mass and perform other sacramental functions that currently can only be done by men.

Natalia Imperatori-Lee, chair of the religion and philosophy department at Manhattan University, was initially excited by Brambilla’s appointment, only to learn that Francis had named a male co-prefect.

“One day, I pray, the church will see women for the capable leaders they already are,” she

“It’s a small step along the way but symbolically, it shows an openness and a new horizon or possibility.”

Thomas Groome, Boston College professor of theology and religious education

said. “It’s ridiculous to think she needs help running a Vatican dicastery. Moreover, for as long as men have been in charge of this division of Vatican governance, they have governed men’s and women’s religious communities.”

Brambilla, 59, is a member of the Consolata Missionaries religious order and had served as the No. 2 in the religious orders department since 2023. She takes over from the retiring Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, 77. Francis made Brambilla’s appointment possible with his 2022 reform of the Holy See’s founding constitution, which

allowed laypeople, including women, to head a dicastery and become prefects.

Brambilla, a nurse, worked as a missionary in Mozambique and led her Consolata order as superior from 2011-23 when Francis made her secretary of the religious orders department. One major challenge she will face is the plummeting number of nuns worldwide. It has fallen by around 10,000 a year for the past several years, from around 750,000 in 2010 to 600,000 last year, according to Vatican statistics.

Brambilla’s appointment is the latest move by Francis to show by example how women can take leadership roles within the Catholic hierarchy, albeit without allowing them to be ordained as priests. But there has been a marked increase in the percentage of women working in the Vatican during Francis’ papacy, including in leadership positions, from 19.3% in 2013 to 23.4% today, according to statistics reported by Vatican News. In the Curia alone, the percentage of women is 26%.

Starmer slams ‘lies and misinformation’ after attacks from Musk

The Tesla CEO has called for the British prime minister to be imprisoned

By Jill Lawless The Associated Press

LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday condemned “lies and misinformation” that he said are undermining U.K. democracy, in response to a barrage of attacks on his government from Elon Musk.

The billionaire Tesla CEO has taken an intense and erratic interest in British politics since the center-left Labour Party was elected in July. Musk has used his social network, X, to call for a new election and demand Starmer be imprisoned. On Monday, he posted an online poll for his 210 million followers on the proposition: “America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.”

Asked about Musk’s comments during a question session at a hospital near London, Starmer criticized “those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible,” particularly opposition Conservative politicians in Britain who have echoed some of Musk’s claims.

Musk often posts on X about the U.K., retweeting criticism of Starmer and the hashtag TwoTierKeir — shorthand for an unsubstantiated claim that

Britain has “two-tier policing” with far-right protesters treated more harshly than pro-Palestinian or Black Lives Matter demonstrators. During summer anti-immigrant violence across the U.K., he tweeted that “civil war is inevitable.”

Recently, Musk has focused on child sexual abuse, particularly a series of cases that rocked northern England towns in which groups of men, largely from Pakistani backgrounds, were tried for grooming and abusing dozens of girls. The cases have been used by far-right activists to link

child abuse to immigration and to accuse politicians of covering up the “grooming gangs” out of a fear of appearing racist.

Musk has posted a demand for a new public inquiry into the cases. A huge, seven-year inquiry was held under the previous Conservative government, though many of the 20 recommendations it made in 2022 — including compensation for abuse victims — have yet to be implemented. Starmer’s government said it would act on them as quickly as possible.

Musk also has accused

“I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies.”

Starmer of failing to bring perpetrators to justice when he was England’s director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013.

Starmer defended his record as chief prosecutor, saying he had reopened closed cases and “changed the whole prosecution approach” to child sexual exploitation. He also condemned language used by Musk about Jess Phillips, a government minister responsible for combating violence against women and girls. Musk called Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and said she deserved to be in prison.

“When the poison of the farright leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, then in my book, a line has been crossed,” Starmer said. “I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies.”

Musk has also called for the

release of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a far-right activist who goes by the name Tommy Robinson and is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court.

Starmer said people “cheerleading Tommy Robinson … are trying to get some vicarious thrill from street violence that people like Tommy Robinson promote.”

Starmer largely avoided mentioning Musk by name in his responses, likely wary of giving him more of a spotlight — or of angering Musk ally Donald Trump, who is due to be inaugurated as U.S. president on Jan. 20. Musk’s incendiary interventions are a growing worry for governments elsewhere in Europe, too. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, another target of the X owner’s ire, said he is staying “cool” over critical personal comments made by Musk but finds it worrying that the U.S. billionaire makes the effort to get involved in Germany’s election by endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Starmer said the main issue was not Musk’s posts on X, but “what are politicians here doing to stand up for our democracy?” He said he was concerned about Conservative politicians in Britain “so desperate for attention they are amplifying what the far right are saying.”

“Once we lose the anchor that truth matters … then we are on a very slippery slope,” he said.

LEON NEAL / AP PHOTO Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives a speech Monday in Surrey, England.

Keir Starmer, British prime minister

MOORE SPORTS

WINTER SPORTS ROUNDUP

Explosive start propels Seaforth over conference foe

Nate Emerson and Campbell Meador led the Hawks with 14 and 11 points, respectively

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

PITTSBORO — Seaforth senior guard Nate Emerson and junior guard Campbell Meador spearheaded an 18-0 advantage to open the game, and the Hawks never trailed in a 78-42 win over North Moore on Friday.

“It all starts with defense with us,” Meador said. “On offense, we were just getting good looks. Penetrating and then kicking it out or just finishing inside. We were knocking them down early.”

Emerson, who led Seaforth with 14 points, scored seven points in the team’s opening barrage while Meador, who finished the game with 11 points, contributed two 3s in the first quarter run.

The Hawks were lights out from 3-point range the entire game, shooting 43% from beyond the arc. Meador had the Hawks’ highest 3-point shooting clip as he made three of his four attempts. His second 3, which came off a steal by junior guard Declan Lindquist, gave Seaforth a 15-0 lead and forced an early North Moore timeout.

“I feel like everyone on our team can shoot,” Emerson said. “When we’re having a good night like tonight, it’s very effective.”

Seaforth’s defense also did some heavy lifting thanks to a combination of presses, traps and half court sets. The Hawks forced numerous turnovers that led to easy layups and more scoring opportunities on the other end while also limiting North Moore’s ability to get into any offensive rhythm.

The Mustangs only scored nine points in the first quarter, and they scored just seven more in the second quarter to trail 39-16 at halftime.

“I just thought we matched up well with some of our sets, schemes and our actions, particularly on defense,” Seaforth coach John Berry said. “I believe that if we go out there and execute the things we do defen-

North Moore 78-42

sively, whether it’s our zone defense and whether it’s our man defense, I thought we’d have an advantage.”

Said Berry, “That goes with the press defense as well. I thought that if we could make them move the ball a little bit up the court, even if we don’t get any turnovers or steals, we would make them think about it at least.”

Seaforth’s bench kept up the intensity in the second half, especially in a fourth quarter that saw sophomore guard Justin Torres knock down three triples on his way to 13 points. Senior Brandon Sturdivant also had a solid contribution off the bench with eight fourth quarter points, and the Hawks finished the night with 13 players scoring a basket.

“I’m super proud of the entire team, but especially the bench players,” Berry said. “Not all the time do they get a chance to play as much as the starters. For them to be constant team players, come to practice, work hard and never complain, and then when they get the time, they take advantage of it, super proud of them.”

The Hawks’ win over North Moore marked the second time they’ve won at least two consecutive games this season as it followed a 46-41 win over Leadership Academy on Dec. 30.

Despite Friday’s win only bringing Seaforth to a 6-6 overall record, it improved to a 3-1 Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference record. The Hawks have played some of their best bas-

ketball against conference opponents this year, including a 75-28 rout over Graham, a 39 -31 win over Cummings and a close 53-51 loss to a very talented Chatham Central squad.

Seaforth is entering one of the toughest weeks of its schedule that will further test its stature against the conference’s best. After traveling to Haw River to take on a tough Southeast Alamance team Tuesday, the Hawks will host first-place Northwood Thursday in the first of two regular season bouts with their crosstown rival.

The Hawks have yet to beat Northwood in their four-year history as they’d always fall victim to Drake Powell’s dominance alongside his talented teammates. The Chargers are without Powell this season, but they are still a force with the leadership of junior guard Cam Fowler.

Berry hopes his team plays “as a clenched fist” and draws on the famous “do your job” philosophy of his “distant mentor” and UNC football head coach Bill Belichick going into its upcoming games.

“Just trust the system and trust your teammates enough that if everybody has the same mindset and they’re playing within this entire ecosystem, then good things tend to happen,” Berry said. “If you asked me what’s the keys: clenched fist, be an MVP at doing your job. And if we can do that, then it gives us an opportunity to play a competitive game against these teams.”

Expansion-seeking PWHL ready to drop puck on 9-game neutral site Takeover Tour in Seattle

Raleigh will host games during the league’s second season

By John Wawrow

The Associated Press

OF ALL THE places Hilary Knight has played competitive hockey — from Beijing to Utica, New York — during her 17 U.S. national team seasons, the Boston Fleet captain holds a soft spot for Seattle, not far from her home in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Two years have passed, but the four-time Olympian still excitedly reflects on the electric atmosphere a U.S.-Canada Rivalry Series record-crowd of 14,551 created inside the NHL Kraken’s arena.

“To be honest, I have yet to experience another crowd like that,” Knight said of playing in Climate Pledge Arena, where she scored twice and added an assist in 4-2 win. “Seattle holds a special place in my mind, and that’s why I’m super excited to be able to share that experience with other teammates, whether it’s on the Fleet or on the Montreal team.” Knight made her return to the Pacific Northwest when Boston played the Montreal Victoire to kick off the PWHL’s expanded series of neutral-site

“There’s really no sky or ceiling to where this league can go.”

Hilary Knight

games. Dubbed “The Takeover Tour,” the Seattle stop is the first of nine out-of-market outings the PWHL will play in places including Raleigh, St. Louis and Vancouver.

The series serves two major purposes for the six-team league a month into its second season: Aside from broadening the sport’s reach across North America, the tour allows the PWHL to test markets as it considers expanding by as many as two franchises next season.

“I think any opportunity to have an outreach of currently out-of-market games for us is a critical one for the growth of the game and also our league,” K night said of a league whose westernmost team is in Minnesota.

“Would I love to see teams out west? Absolutely. I think it’s a prime hockey market,” added Knight. “So there’s really no sky or ceiling to where this league can go.”

Rounding out the list of neu-

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Kennedy Moore

Pinecrest, girls’ basketball

Kennedy Moore is a sophomore point guard for the Pinecrest girls’ basketball team.

The Patriots started the new year with a 53-42 home win over Providence, and Moore led the way with 27 points on 3-of-8 shooting from 3. She also added four rebounds, second most for Pinecrest in the game, as well as a team-high four assists and five steals.

For the year, Moore is in the top 10 in NCHSAA class 4A in scoring, made free throws and steals. She leads Pinecrest in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocks.

tral sites are Denver, Detroit, Buffalo, and the Canadian cities Edmonton and Quebec City. Detroit is already considered a front-runner for expansion and the only repeat city on the schedule after drawing 13,736 fans for one of two neutral-site games last year; Pittsburgh was the other.

Minnesota goalie Nicole Hensley looks forward to her Denver homecoming on Jan. 12, when the Frost play Montreal at the Avalanche’s Ball Arena.

“I think the last time I (played in Denver) was in high school,” Hensley said.

“Yeah, it was a pretty small rink, so this will be little different,” Hensley added, noting she attended many Avalanche games. “I’m not going to lie, I’ve been looking forward to it for a while.”

Current players aren’t the only ones awaiting tour stops.

Cammi Granato, who captained the United States to win gold at the first Winter Games to feature women’s hockey in Nagano in 1998, considers the tour yet another a breakthrough for her sport, with Montreal playing Toronto in her adopted hometown of Vancouver on Jan. 8.

“It’s something I never thought could be possible,” Granato wrote in a text to The Associated Press. “When

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

ASHEEBO ROJAS / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North Moore takes the floor for a conference road game at Seaforth.

ROSS D. FRANKLIN / AP PHOTO

Forward Hilary Knight skates to the bench to celebrate her goal during a Team USA game against Canada.

SIDELINE

REPORT

MLB Hernández re-signs with champion Dodgers, will play right field next season

Los Angeles Teoscar Hernández will be in right field for the Los Angeles Dodgers next season when the World Series champions try to defend their title. The outfielder is rejoining the team on a $66 million, three-year contract. Hernández says he was determined to return after playing on a one-year deal last season, when he won the Home Run Derby and helped the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. He says he had offers from other teams that could have gotten him an extra $5 million or more, but he says money wasn’t his main motivation.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Montana State’s Mellott wins Payton Award as top FCS offensive player

Frisco, Texas

Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott won the Walter Payton Award as the Football Championship Subdivision offensive player of the year, two days before the topranked Bobcats face North Dakota State in the title game. Called Touchdown Tommy, the speedy Mellott edged North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller and Southern Utah running back Targhee Lambson in voting announced at the FCS Awards Banquet. Mellott led Montana State to a 15-0 record. The senior from Butte, Montana, topped The AP FCS All-America team and was the Walter Camp FCS Player of the Year. He leads the division in passing efficiency and points responsible for.

NFL Browns fire OC

Dorsey, O-line coach Dickerson after 3-14 season

Berea, Ohio

The Cleveland Browns fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson following a 3-14 season. Dorsey and Dickerson were informed of the moves in the aftermath of the team’s 35-10 loss in Baltimore on Saturday. Dorsey and Dickerson were in Cleveland for just one season. Cleveland’s offense struggled under Dorsey, who was fired last season by Buffalo. The Browns scored more than 20 points in only three games, and the unit was plagued by injuries. Dickerson had the tough job of replacing Bill Callahan, the former NFL head coach who left to join his son Brian’s staff with Tennessee.

NBA Heat begin life without Butler, who is suspended and seeking a trade

Miami For the 119th time since Jimmy Butler joined Miami, the Heat played a game without him. This was different from the others. Butler is gone, banished by the Heat for seven games over what they called conduct detrimental to the team — and he’s probably not going to play for Miami again. His suspension started Saturday when the Heat played the Utah Jazz, and the team says it will agree to his wishes and try to facilitate a trade.

College football turns upside down, final four filled with blue bloods

The top four teams were all upset in the second round

By Eddie Pells The Associated Press

NOT A SINGLE one of the top four teams advanced into college football’s final four.

The semifinals of the College Football Playoff are set: Thursday in the Orange Bowl, it will be No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame. Then Friday in the Cotton Bowl, it will be No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State. Appropriately enough considering the way the second round played out, it’s the team with the worst seed, the Buckeyes, who are now the favorite to win it all.

These matchups ensure that a team with a long pedigree and a big name will carry the championship trophy when the first 12-team playoff concludes in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

A quick look at the four contenders.

No. 5 Texas (13-2)

The Story: The Longhorns are 0-2 against Georgia and don’t have to worry about the Dawgs anymore. They are 13-0 against the rest of the country.

The Player: Receiver Matthew Golden had seven catches for 149 yards, a touchdown and a key two-point conversion in the second overtime against Arizona State.

He said it: “We’re not in awe that, ‘Hey, this is where we are.’ This is where we’re supposed to be.” — Coach Steve Sarkisian after the Arizona State win.

No. 6 Penn State (13-2)

The Story: After a loss to Oregon in the Big Ten title game, James Franklin’s record against teams in the AP Top 10 dropped to 3-19.

The Player: Tyler Warren might have played himself into the top tight end on the NFL draft board this season. In the 31-14 win over Boise State,

two of his six catches were for touchdowns. He said it: “A lot of college coaches I saw this week were talking about, ‘This is a fourgame season.’ It’s not. It’s a onegame season.” — Franklin, after a first-round win over SMU, on the week-to-week nature of the first 12-team college playoff.

No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1)

The Story: When the Irish lost 16-14 at home to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7, Notre Dame’s odds of winning the national title ballooned to 100 -1. Twelve wins later, including two by double digits in the playoffs, and they are listed at 7-1.

Money Matters: Quarterback Riley Leonard is thought to be making around $1 million after his move to South Bend from Duke. He said it: “We’ve been here before. Now it’s time to get it fixed. We’ve got to get it fixed and get back to playing football the way we know how to

Masters gets 9 more players from top 50 in world ranking

Glover narrowly gets in at No. 50

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

LUCAS GLOVER held down the 50th spot in the final world ranking of 2024, making him one of nine players who will be added to the invitation list to play in the Masters.

The field has eight more players than it did at this time a year ago.

The Masters takes the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of the calendar year, and it will take the top 50 not already invited from the world ranking published a week before the tournament is held April 10-13. The addition of the nine players brings the field to 85 players who are eligible and expected to play. There were 77 players who were eligible at this time a year ago, a difference that would point to weaker fields in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall.

The Masters has the smallest field of the four majors, and Augusta National prefers that it stays below 100 to give players an experience unlike any other. It last topped 100 players in 1966, when there were 103 players in the field.

The Masters had 89 players this year.

Lucas Glover waves after making a putt on the 13th hole during the third round at the Masters last April. It was a close call, but he earned the chance to return in 2025.

Glover had dipped outside the top 50 in the last few weeks, but the ranking is based on a formula that measures a two-year period with points gradually losing value.

Tom Kim at No. 21 was the highest-ranked player who had not already qualified. The others to get in through the world ranking are Nick Dunlap, Max Greyserman, Rasmus Hojgaard, Jason Day, Corey Conners, Denny McCarthy and Min Woo Lee.

It was the second straight year McCarthy and Lee earned spots in the Masters through the year-end world ranking. Neither has won on the PGA Tour. A year ago, four players from the 77 who had qualified by the end of the year earned invitations by winning PGA Tour events in the fall. This year, all eight fall winners were not eligible when they won tournaments.

Five of those fall winners — McCarty, Yu, Echavarria, Cam-

play, we’ve played before, and we can, and we will.” — Coach Marcus Freeman after the Sept. 7 loss to Northern Illinois. No. 8 Ohio State (12-2)

The Story: After punctuating a fourth straight loss to Michigan by standing on the field looking lost while the Wolverines triggered a melee by planting the team flag at the 50-yard line, there was good reason to think coach Ryan Day could only keep his job by somehow rallying to win a national title that felt unlikely.

The Player: Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has 290 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs. A pair of one-handed catches in an early-season win over Michigan State gave the nickname “playmaker” to the highly touted freshman. He said it: “At the end of the day, we wanted to win a national championship, and the way that we got here wasn’t what we expected.” — Day after the win over Oregon.

pos and McNealy — will be playing the Masters for the first time.

The PGA Tour went back to a calendar schedule for 2024, with several big events (including the Olympics) packed into the schedule. Most of the top players did not enter a PGA Tour event over the last three months of the year.

The Masters will add to the field with the Latin America Amateur Championship winner, any winner of a PGA Tour event that offers full FedEx Cup points, and the top 50 from the world ranking published on March 31. Fourteen tournaments will provide a Masters invitation.

Augusta National also could choose to use a special invitation. It offered three last year, including one to Joaquin Niemann of LIV Golf, noting his victory in the Australian Open and another top finish in Australia in his effort to play worldwide.

Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark also received a special invitation because he played primarily on the European tour. The club historically is not that favorable to PGA Tour members because they have more avenues to get in.

Among those who missed out on the top 50 was Nicolai Hojgaard, who shot 76 on the final day at Augusta this year and tied for 16th. Hojgaard, who played in the Ryder Cup in 2023, missed by one shot qualifying for the Masters in the category that takes the top 12 finishers.

His twin brother, Rasmus Hojgaard, will make his debut in April.

CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP PHOTO

MATTHEW HINTON / AP PHOTO

Notre Dame mascot Colin Mahoney celebrates a quarterfinal win over Georgia in the College Football Playoff.

Edward Joseph Lauer

July 23, 1944 – Jan. 2, 2025

Edward Joseph Lauer of Foxfire Village passed on from a rich, full life here on earth to be in Heaven with his Lord and Savior on January 2. He will be greatly missed by his family, church and many friends from around the world. Ed was born in Seattle, WA, on July 23, 1944, to William and Mildred Lauer. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Bill. He was the devoted husband of Mary Anne and loving father of Todd and Zachary (Jennifer) of Aldi, Virginia. He was the adored grandfather (Papa) to Lindsey and Tanner and a caring uncle.

He was a strong Christian, serving in various positions in church and his community as a councilman and Mayor ProTem. He served his country as a career US Army officer and then under where he could experience the journeys of the Saints. Ed enjoyed traveling and reading.

Services will be held Friday, January 10, at 11 a.m., at the First Baptist Church of Pinehurst. Reception Following. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Ed’s name to Samaritan’s Purse or the FBCP Building Fund.

Christopher Michael Collins

Feb. 12, 1943 – Jan. 2, 2025

Christopher Michael Collins, age 51, died Thursday, January 2, 2025, at FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst.

A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Monday, January 6, 2025, at the Ferguson Family Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. Sunday, January 5, 2025, at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines.

Chris was a native of Moore County and a graduate of Union Pines High School. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

He is survived by his wife, Deanna Collins, his children, Chris Buck, Casey Buck, Curtis Buck (Ashley), Justin Aldridge and Victoria Aldridge, his parents, Fred and Frances Collins, his sister, Sandra Pearsal (Arlis) and his grandchildren, Tanner Aldridge, Everly Buck and Hunter Buck.

Peter Yarrow of folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary dies at 86

He co-wrote “Puff the Magic Dragon,” the group’s best-known song

By John Rogers The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Peter Yarrow, the singer-songwriter best known as one-third of Peter, Paul and Mary, the folk-music trio whose impassioned harmonies transfixed millions as they lifted their voices in favor of civil rights and against war, has died. He was 86.

Yarrow, who also co-wrote the group’s most enduring song, “Puff the Magic Dragon,” died Tuesday in New York, publicist Ken Sunshine said. Yarrow had bladder cancer for the past four years.

“Our fearless dragon is tired and has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life. The world knows Peter Yarrow the iconic folk activist, but the human being behind the legend is every bit as generous, creative, passion-

ate, playful, and wise as his lyrics suggest,” his daughter Bethany said in a statement.

During an incredible run of success spanning the 1960s, Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers released six Billboard Top 10 singles, two No. 1 albums and won five Grammys. They also brought early exposure to Bob Dylan by turning two of his songs, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” and “Blowin’ in the Wind,” into Billboard Top 10 hits as they helped lead an American renaissance in folk music. They performed “Blowin’ in the Wind” at the 1963 March on Washington, D.C., at which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

After an eight-year hiatus to pursue solo careers, the trio reunited in 1978 for a “Survival Sunday,” an anti-nuclear-power concert that Yarrow had organized in Los Angeles. They would remain together until Travers’ death in 2009. Upon

Samuel Robert Henderson

July 23, 1944 – Dec. 31, 2025

Samuel Robert Henderson Jr., 73, of Southern Pines and formerly Miami, FL, passed peacefully at the First Health Hospice House on Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Born in Greensboro, June 2, 1951, he was the son of the late Samuel R. and Frances Heath Henderson. Bob’s family moved to Danville, VA when he was four years-old then to Fayetteville when he was 10. Bob graduated from Terry Sanford High School, class of 1969. He earned his BS in business in 1973 from UNC and his BS in Music Education in 1979 from Florida International University. In 1976 Bob married Carol Swanson. Bob was a lifelong musician and dedicated music teacher. He shared his love of music, teaching elementary music education to children in the Dade County School System for 31 years! He performed on Carnival Cruise Lines, was in multiple bands throughout the years, and was

her passing, Yarrow and Stookey continued to perform both separately and together.

Born May 31, 1938, in New York, Yarrow was raised in an upper middle class family he said placed high value on art and scholarship. He took violin lessons as a child, later switching to guitar as he came to embrace the work of such folk-music icons as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

Upon graduating from Cornell University in 1959, he returned to New York, where he worked as a struggling Greenwich Village musician until connecting with Stookey and Travers. Although his degree was in psychology, he had found his true calling in folk music at Cornell when he worked as a teaching assistant for a class in American folklore his senior year.

“I did it for the money because I wanted to wash dishes less and play guitar more,” he told the late record company executive Joe Smith. But as he led the class in song, he began to discover the emotional impact music could have on an audience.

“I saw these young people at Cornell who were basically very conservative in their backgrounds opening their hearts up and singing with an emotionality and a concern through this vehicle called folk music,” he said. “It gave me a clue that the world was on its way to a certain kind of movement, and that folk

active in his church’s choir. In 2010 Bob retired to Southern Pines where he loved to play golf and pickleball.

Bob Henderson was one of those rarities: a truly good guy. Affable, always more interested in what you had to say rather than in what he had to say, a skilled pickleballer whose talent was exceeded only by his patience on the court, a golfer who knew his pickleball skills were greater than his golfing ability but regularly practiced anyway to get better (and did win a Tee 4 championship a few years back), an encouraging teammate in Longleaf holiday scrambles, and a more than staunch Tar Heel with his Carolina Blue outfits (including golf bag). Like I said, just a truly good guy. Bob is preceded in death by his parents Frances and Sam Henderson. Bob is survived by his loving wife Carol Henderson, his sister Elizabeth “Betsy” Kottenstette, and brother-inlaw John Kottenstette. He is also survived by his brother-in-law Bob Swanson, sister-in-law Sally Swanson, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Bob is also survived by their beloved dog, Lily, who will miss Bob’s doting and loving affection.

Donations in his memory may be made to The Lewy Body Dementia Association at or The American Cancer Society. A celebration of his life will be held at the Brownson Presbyterian Church, 330 S. May St. Southern Pines on Saturday, January 4 at 1 p.m.

“I saw these young people at Cornell who were basically very conservative in their backgrounds opening their hearts up and singing with an emotionality and a concern through this vehicle called folk music.”

Peter Yarrow

music might play a part in it and that I might play a part in folk music.”

Soon after returning to New York, he met impresario Albert Grossman, who would go on to manage Dylan, Janis Joplin and others and who at the time was looking to put together a group that would rival the Kingston Trio, which in 1958 had a hit version of the traditional folk ballad “Tom Dooley.”

But Grossman wanted a trio with a female singer and a member who could be funny enough to keep an audience engaged with comic patter. For the latter, Yarrow suggested a guitar-strumming Greenwich Village comic he’d seen named Noel Stookey.

Stookey, who would use his middle name as a member of

the group, happened to be a friend of Travers, who as a teenager had performed and recorded with Pete Seeger and others. “We called Noel up. He was there,” Yarrow said, recalling the first time the three performed together. “We mentioned a bunch of folk songs, which he didn’t know because he didn’t have a real folk-music background, and wound up singing ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb.’ And it was immediately great, was just as clear as a bell, and we started working.”

After months of rehearsal the three became an overnight sensation when their first album, 1962’s eponymous “Peter, Paul and Mary,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart. Their second, “In the Wind,” reached No. 4 and their third, “Moving,” put them back at No. 1.

After recording their last No. 1 hit, a 1969 cover of John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” the trio split up the following year to pursue solo careers.

That same year Yarrow had pleaded guilty to taking indecent liberties with a 14-year-old girl who had come to his hotel room with her older sister to ask for autographs. The pair found him naked when he answered the door and let them in. Yarrow, who resumed his career after serving three months in jail, was pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1981. Over the decades, he apologized repeatedly.

STATE & NATION

Hundreds of Capitol riot prosecutions in limbo

A D.C. court is awaiting Donald Trump’s White House return

By Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Kunzelman

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s the largest prosecution in Justice Department history — with reams of evidence, harrowing videos and hundreds of convictions of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Now Donald Trump’s return to power has thrown into question the future of the more than 1,500 federal cases brought over the last four years.

Jan. 6 trials, guilty pleas and sentencings have continued chugging along in Washington, D.C.’s federal court despite Trump’s promise to pardon rioters, whom he has called “political prisoners” and “hostages” he contends were treated too harshly.

In a statement Monday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Justice Department prosecutors “have sought to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on our democracy with unrelenting integrity.”

“They have conducted themselves in a manner that adheres to the rule of law and honors our obligation to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of everyone in this country,” Garland said.

More than 1,500 people across the U.S. have been charged with federal crimes related to the deadly riot. Hundreds of people

who did not engage in destruction or violence were charged only with misdemeanor offenses for entering the Capitol illegally. Others were charged with felony offenses, including assault for beating police officers. Leaders of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys extremist groups were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as plots to use violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power from Trump, a Republican, to Joe Biden, a Democrat.

About 250 people have been convicted of crimes by a judge or a jury after a trial. Only two people were acquitted of all charges by judges after bench trials. No jury has fully acquitted a Capitol riot defendant. At least 1,020 others had pleaded guilty as of Jan. 1. More than 1,000 rioters have already been sentenced, with over 700 receiving at least some time behind bars. The rest were given some combination of probation, community

service, home detention or fines.

The longest sentence, 22 years, went to former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy along with three lieutenants. A California man with a history of political violence got 20 years in prison for repeatedly attacking police with flagpoles and other makeshift weapons during the riot. And Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes is serving an 18-year prison sentence for

Jan. 6 rioters set to be sentenced in 2025

seditious conspiracy and other offenses.

More than 100 Jan. 6 defendants are scheduled to stand trial in 2025, while at least 168 riot defendants are set to be sentenced this year.

The FBI has continued to arrest people on Capitol riot charges since Trump’s electoral victory in November. The Justice Department says prosecutors are still evaluating nearly 200 riot cases investigated by the FBI, including more than 60 cases in which the suspects are accused of assaulting or interfering with police officers who were guarding the Capitol.

Citing Trump’s promise of pardons, several defendants have sought to have their cases delayed — with little success.

Trump embraced the Jan. 6 rioters on the campaign trail, downplaying the violence that was broadcast on live TV and has been documented extensively through video, testimony and other evidence in the federal cases.

Trump has vowed to begin issuing pardons of Jan. 6 rioters on his first day in office. He has said he will look at individuals on a case-by-case basis, but he has not explained how he will decide who receives such relief.

Trump announces $20B US investment by Emirati businessman

The deal will bring new data centers to a number of states

By Will Weissert and Josh Boak

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a $20 billion investment for data centers in the United States by an Emirati company led by billionaire Hussain Sajwani, a close business partner of the Trump family.

The investment by DAMAC Properties in the United Arab Emirates is intended to highlight Trump’s personal ability to attract new money for big projects. The announcement follows a pledge made last month by the Japanese billionaire investor Masayoshi Son, while at Trump’s side, to invest $100 billion in the United States.

Trump said at a news conference that he believed Sajwani made the commitment because “he was very inspired by the election and wouldn’t do it without the election.” The president-elect emphasized his plans to get investments of $1 billion or more

Florida.

through the environmental regulatory review process quickly. Following Trump, Sajwani briefly joined the news conference and said: “It’s been amazing news for me and my family when he was elected in November.”

Sajwani’s promised investment feeds into an existing boom for constructing data centers used in the development of artificial intelligence and expansion of cryptocurrency, as well as in other elements of an increasingly digital economy that relies on

having greater sources of computer processing power.

While Trump has sought to portray these announcements as a source of newfound energy in the U.S. economy, the $20 billion commitment is also a sign that wealthy investors close to Trump can profit off that relationship, given the already significant investment in new data centers.

In October, the financial company Blackstone estimated that the U.S. would see $1 trillion invested in data centers over five

years, with another $1 trillion being committed internationally. The commitment made by Sajwani could represent just 2% of the total expected domestic investment in the sector.

Sajwani would gain data centers in the United States, which thus far have not been part of his company’s EDGNEX data center portfolio. According to the company’s website, it already has or plans to build data centers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Spain, Thailand and Indonesia.

DAMAC Properties is one of the top private developers in the skyscraper-studded city-state in the United Arab Emirates.

The property developer has been a Trump partner. Under Sajwani, DAMAC built the Trump International Golf Club at a massive development in the city’s desert outskirts just before Trump first entered the White House.

DAMAC also paid a licensing fee worth millions back to the Trump Organization, following a pattern the president-elect’s company has used in developments both in the U.S. and abroad.

There had been plans for another DAMAC development

further in the desert that would have a Trump-named golf course. However, DAMAC later dropped plans for the golf course at the development. Also, discussions for a promised $2 billion in deals between DAMAC and the Trump Organization after his first electoral win in 2016 never materialized.

Sajwani has said that Trump’s initial election to the presidency helped increase the profile of his company.

Since Trump’s reelection in November, Sajwani has been seen at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He posted a picture standing between a seated Trump and billionaire Elon Musk at a New Year’s Eve celebration.

However, the Trump Organization since has been involved with Dar Global, a Saudi-funded real estate firm that’s building a Trump-branded golf course in Oman and Trump projects in Saudi Arabia.

There are plans for a Trump Tower in Dubai as well, though previous plans for a Trump Tower on Dubai’s man-made Palm Jumeirah archipelago fell apart during the city’s financial crisis that began in 2008.

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

President-elect Donald Trump speaks as Hussain Sajwani, CEO of DAMAC Properties, listens during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday in Palm Beach,

JULIO CORTEZ / AP PHOTO