North State Journal - Vol 1 Issue 5 by North State Journal

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5

WWW.NSJONLINE.COM

SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2016

HEELS MARCH ON! To the delight of their fans and the agony of the Indiana faithful, the Carolina Tar Heels blew past the Hoosiers 10186 and advanced to the Elite Eight behind Marcus Paige’s 21 points and 6 assists.

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

the Sunday NEWS BRIEFING N.C. A&T celebrates 125 years Greensboro N.C. Agriculture and Technical University honored its 125 year anniversary with a carnival in Aggie stadium this week featuring the marching band, games, food and Gov. Pat McCrory on hand to greet the crowd.

790 arrested during St. Patrick’s campaign Raleigh The NCDOT and the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program ran a St. Patrick’s “Booze It and Lose It” campaign from March 16 to March 20, which resulted in 790 DWI charges (718 were alcohol related, 72 were drug related). The campaign yielded 2,474 traffic and criminal citations from its 2,813 checking stations and “saturation patrols.”

Wake County passes 1-million mark Washington, D.C. The U.S. Census Bureau released its population estimates this week for the nation’s cities and counties. Two counties passed the one-million population milestone last year: Fulton, Ga. (which includes part of Atlanta) and Wake, the latter which reached a population of 1,024,198 between 2014 and 2015, making Wake the 19th largest numerical gainer among counties in the country, adding nearly 25,000 people.

NORTH

CHARLOTTE

Backlash over special session law sweeps N.C.

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

ATLANTIC COAST

Obama reverses offshore drilling proposal MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Obama administration re-chartered its course and banned a proposal to open the southeastern Atlantic Coast to drilling amid an outpouring of opposition from coastal communities. The ban reverses a January 2015 proposal for new leases in the Atlantic as part of the Interior Department’s five-year plan to set new boundaries for oil development in federal waters. The proposal would have opened the waters 50 miles off the coasts of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Leasing could have begun as early as 2029 with the first rigs going up by 2035; however, the ban puts an end to offshore leasing in the Atlantic until 2022. U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell made the announcement stating, “We heard from many corners that now is not the time to offer oil and gas leasing off the Atlantic coast. When you factor in conflicts with national defense, economic activities, such as fishing and tourism, and opposition from many local communities, it simply doesn’t make sense to move forward with any lease sales in the coming five years.”

55,000 estimated number of jobs gained if drilling occurred off the coast

$4 billion revenue sharing gain from drilling, according to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality

See DRILLING, page A8

INSIDE Widower Bruce Ham rebuilds and gives back after loss. the good life The ACC sent six teams to the NCAA’s Sweet 16. Heartbreak and joy ensued. Sports

By Kimberly Johnson North State Journal State lawmakers who took aim at Charlotte’s city ordinance that allowed people to use either sex bathroom in public facilities are now finding themselves the target of national-level backlash. Opponents say the legislation threatens the state’s economy, while supporters say it provides a predictable, uniform policy for businesses statewide. The law says that people must use the multiple-occupancy bathroom intended for the sex listed on their birth certificate if a sex-neutral or family bathroom is not available. The law will likely result in a legal challenge, according to a joint statement from Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and Equality NC. The groups say they are reviewing legal options. “[T]his will not be the last word,” said Chris Brook, legal director of the ACLU of North Carolina. The groups led protests outside the Executive Mansion during rush-hour traffic Thursday evening. Raleigh city police say they arrested five people for impeding the flow of traffic and resisting, delaying or obstructing officers. The bill was supported by members of both parties in the N.C. House, passing 82-26, while all 18 Democrats in the state Senate walked out, refusing to vote. It was signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory later that night. By Thursday intense social media attention filled newsfeeds, including a laundry list of corporations denouncing the law’s passage. Mooresville-based Lowe’s and Charlotte-based Bank of America, alongside IBM, Dow Chemical and American Airlines were just some of the corporations that spoke out publicly. “Inclusion is one of our core values and we are proud to champion LGBTQ equality in N.C. and around the world,” said a PayPal statement on Twitter. Just last week, the San Jose, Calif.-based company

“All North Carolina citizens expect bodily privacy in showers, locker rooms and bathrooms,” — Rep. Dean Arp

INSIDE: NBA weighs impact of legislation, more on B6

See BILL, page A2

N.C. GOP chairman lashes out

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

White Memorial Presbyterian Church preschool celebrates Holy Week with an Easter egg hunt at Tatton Hall in Raleigh.

North Carolina Representatives Paul Stam, left, and Dan Bishop, right, who sponsored the bill that would overturn the Charlotte bathroom ordinance, listen to public comments during a special session of the North Carolina legislature. The bill proposes to require individuals to use the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificate.

20177 52016 $2.00

On Murphy to Manteo, page A5 8

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

NS J

THE BACKSTORY

datebook

1 p.m. Mar. 28 Raleigh Sen. Burr to join Novo Nordisk Plant Groundbreaking 3611 Powhatan Road, Clayton, N.C.

March: Top 7 North Carolina stories UNC WINS ACC TOURNAMENT

1:45 p.m. Mar. 28 N.C. House Strategic Transportation Planning Meeting Train Depot, 1001 Arendell St., Morehead City, N.C. 9 a.m. Mar. 29 Selling to the Government - Small Business Outreach 1845 Edgewood Drive, Elizabeth City, N.C. 9:30 a.m. Mar. 31 Environmental Review Commission Legislative Office Building, Raleigh

GEOFF BURKE | USA TODAY SPORTS

North Carolina 88 Pittsburg

North Carolina 78 Notre Dame

CONNECT NC BOND WE STAND CORRECTED To report an error or a suspected error email corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line. • A story on the NC Connect bond referendum in Edition 4 incorrectly said that more than 2.1 million N.C. residents voted in favor of the bond program; 2.1 million voted in total.

NCGA SPECIAL SESSION North Carolina Tar Heels players celebrate by taking a picture after their game against the Virginia Cavaliers in the championship game of the ACC conference tournament at Verizon Center. The Tar Heels won 61-57.

North Carolina 61 Virginia

40.24%

$2 billion

54.56%

to invest in infrastructure projects across the state including higher education, parks, safety, recreation and water and sewer infrastructure

TRUMP RALLY A Donald Trump rally in Fayetteville resulted in five deputies’ suspension. At the March 9 rally, officials said supporter John McGraw punched a protester and was arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge. The Cumberland Sheriff’s office said three deputies were demoted and suspended for five days, all without pay, and two were suspended for three days. The sheriff’s office considered a charge against Trump and his campaign for inciting a riot, but later decided against.

N.C. PRIMARIES

65.57%

of votes were in favor of the Connect NC bond

State lawmakers held a special legislative session to overturn a Charlotte’s city ordinance that allowed people to use either sex bathroom in public facilities. The law sparked a national debate. Opponents call the legislation discriminatory and a threat to the state’s economy, while supporters say it protects the right to privacy while establishing uniform statewide anti-discrimination policy.

of votes Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump won

of votes Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Protestors are asked to leave by law enforcement during a campaign rally for Donald Trump at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center in Concord on March 7.

MARGARET SPELLINGS UNC President Margaret Spellings speaks at the Connect NC Bond election night event March 15, in Raleigh.

North State Journal ISSN: 2471-1365 Neal Robbins Publisher Donna King Managing Editor Drew Elliot Opinion Editor Will Brinson Sports Editor Jennifer Wood Features Editor Kevin Martin Photo Editor

LIZ CONDO | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Published each Sunday by North State Media, LLC 209 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, N.C. 27601 EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Inquiries: 866-458-7184 Annual Subscription Price: $250.00 Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, N.C. and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to North State Journal, 209 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, NC 27601.

A polling place runs inside the apparatus bay at Fire Station 11 in Raleigh as voters show up to cast their ballots in the North Carolina primary.

NCAA TOURNAMENT IN RALEIGH The first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament were held at the home of the NC State Wolfpack and Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Raleigh has hosted the tournament four times in the past 13 years. Raleigh was one of 14 cities to host eight teams.

BILL from page A1 announced it would be building a global operations center in Charlotte. “This legislation overturns well accepted and successful practices that permit visitors to use the restroom of the gender which they identify in public facilities,” said Charlotte’s mayor Jennifer Roberts, who made the ordinance a priority of her administration. “This puts at risk our travel and tourism industry by overturning our policies of inclusion at our convention center, arena, airport, and auditoriums.” Lt. Gov. Dan Forest was dismissive of

CIVITAS POLL Do you consider the Charlotte bathroom ordinance... reasonable and inclusive 24%

Margaret Spellings became the new UNC System president. Spellings was met with protests due to the concerns of leadership in the system and her political ties. Spellings tweeted on March 1 “Excited to begin today serving nearly 225,000 enrolled students along with my 60,000 colleagues in the @UNC_System.”

unsafe and unreasonable 69%

not sure 8% POLL CONDUCTED MARCH 24 OF 400 REGISTERED VOTERS WITH A +/- 5% MARGIN OF ERROR

potential legal challenges. “They’ll certainly try it, everyone does, but we have a clear legal case that Charlotte overstepped its boundaries,” Forest said. “Having uniformity in the state is important. There are 100 counties and 552 municipalities. That’s potentially 652 different sets of laws that a company operating statewide would have to follow,” Forest said. “That’s what states are intended to do, provide that uniformity, and in the end state law trumps the municipality,” Forest said. A bill passed earlier this month in Georgia says religious officials would not be required to perform marriage ceremonies that run in opposition to their religious practices. The bill is awaiting signature from Georgia’s governor. That measure has become a lightning rod for boycott threats from Disney and Marvel Studios, amid vocal criticism from others. Earlier this week, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported that the city’s convention and visitor’s bureau said 15 companies have already threatened to cancel their planned conventions should the bill become law, which would amount to an at least a $6 billion loss to the city. “Just how much a similar boycott could cost Charlotte or North Carolina, however, remains to be seen,” said Gregg Watkins, spokesperson for Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts. “It wasn’t just the bathrooms they did away with. This basically sanctions discrimination against the LGBT community in the whole state. I don’t think that message has sunk in yet because it happened so quickly. I would expect that list of businesses to grow and that drum beat to get louder.”

2014

last year NC State hosted the NCAA Tournament

$4.2 million 53,000 estimated revenue generated in visitor spending in 2014 when 17,720 visitors visited Raleigh

number of NCAA tournament ticket sales in 2014

Eva Panjwani, of the Queer Trans People of Color Coalition, speaks to protestors during a rally against the passing of House Bill 2 at the Governor’s Mansion on Thursday.

PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

“How do you spell treason? In this case it’s R-o-y-C-oo-p-e-r,” said Pastor Jon Amanchukwu, executive director of Upper Room Academy in Durham. “He should’ve spoken up. It doesn’t take rocket science to know that this is governmental overreach”

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

BUSINESS & ECONOMY the DASHBOARD

-0.1%

Decrease in N.C.’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate from Jan. to Feb.

+25,687

number of people employed in N.C. in Feb. compared to Jan.

13.5 million eggs that N.C. farmers produce annually

-40%

European travel bookings for summer compared to March 2015

Eggs come first at the holidays Three of Joey Shelton’s four silver laced wyandotte hens graze in his yard in Raleigh. Shelton and his family have four hens and typically get 2-3 eggs each day.

By Kimberly Johnson North State Journal At Henry Vines’ egg farm in Snow Hill, N.C., every egg is picked up by hand. All 17,000 of them laid each day. Vines farm produces more than 6 million eggs a year. Vines, who has been an egg farmer for the past 23 years, raises cage-free organic brown eggs for the Eggland’s Best label. “We have a little over 18,000 hens,” he said. “We’re a small operation.” Vines houses his chickens in two 300-foot long houses that produce about 720 dozen eggs each. The chickens live on his farm a little more than a year before they are processed. And while eggs are a popular symbol for Easter, this isn’t the biggest time of year for egg farmers, he said. “Christmas and Thanksgiving — that’s the biggest demand on eggs because everybody is baking and cooking,” he said. “Without these kind of operations around to meet the demand of the food chain of the people, it would be virtually impossible,” Vines said. Egg and poultry farming is multi-billion dollar industry for the state, according to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, which makes recent avian influenza outbreaks in other parts of the country a tremendous threat. “The strain that hit the Midwest last year was extremely contagious and highly deadly,” Department of Agriculture

BRIEF NCWorks awards $207K in latest round of grants Raleigh The state released the results of the most recent round of grants from its NCWorks Incumbent Worker Training Grant program this week, saying that 30 businesses were awarded $207,598 to train 438 workers. The grants are awarded twice a year.

Duke Energy leadership receives pay raise Charlotte

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

spokesperson Jennifer Kendrick said in an email. “With heavy concentrations of poultry houses in some areas, an outbreak could have heavy economic impacts on local communities, and the state,” she said. As part of combating that threat, state agriculture officials realized they had no idea how many backyard chicken flocks were in North Carolina, and no way of knowing how to notify poultry owners if there was an outbreak, Kendrick said. Despite some objections to the policy, since last summer more than 3,500 backyard chicken owners have registered their flocks with the state, she said.

Salisbury

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Shelves of eggs are for sale at a Harris Teeter grocery store on the north side of Raleigh.

By: Darren Murph Global Editor-in-Chief, TechRadar

STEPHEN LAM | REUTERS

The new iPhone SE is seen on display during an event at the Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. that provides the key to better understanding why some women experience symptoms and others do not,” said Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH, director of the Perinatal Psychiatry Program at the UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders. “With ResearchKit, and now the ability to incor-

The iPhone has become much more than a communication device. It’s playing a pivotal role in health management, and if there’s one thing that demands a heightened level of security, it’s one’s vitals. porate genetic data, we’re able to engage women with postpartum depression from a wide geographic and demographic range and can analyze the genomic signature of postpartum depression to help us find more effective treatments.” Next up? CareKit, another

Duke Energy’s top official received a 30 percent pay raise in 2015, earning more than $10.8 million. Of that amount, CEO Lynn Good brought in a base pay rate of $1.25 million and the remainder incentive pay, including $7.6 million in stock awards. The pay package is competitive with other similar companies, according to Duke Spokesman Tom Williams.

Rowan-Cabarrus CC cuts jobs after low enrollment

Apple rolls out its latest amid controversy Apple isn’t on the best of terms with the FBI right now, but if you assumed the company would back down in due time, you could be in for a surprise. At an invite-only event held on Apple’s sprawling Cupertino campus — the same venue where the original iPod was introduced — the company put more focus on the importance of privacy than on its latest gadgetry. As I’ve seen time and time again at events such as these, Tim Cook swept slowly onto a dimly lit stage precisely at 10 a.m. PST, smiling coyly in the face of raucous applause. Rather than diving into a rehearsed list of impressive growth statistics, however, he referenced the ongoing saga that has pit Apple against prosecutors. “About a month ago we asked Americans across the country to join in a conversation,” Cook began. “We need to decide as a nation how much power the government should have over our data and over our privacy.” At issue is Apple’s unwillingness to break into a county-owned iPhone 5c possessed by Syed Rizwan Farook, a shooter in the 2015 San Bernardino terror attack. Apple purports that caving would set a precedence that would fundamentally shift what everyday Americans can consider free from prying eyes. Though the setup was odd, to be sure, it began to make sense as the unveilings began. Apple revealed a series of advancements in its ResearchKit software, a framework that brings genetic data and a series of medical tests typically conducted in an exam room to iPhone apps. “There’s so much we still need to learn about postpartum depression, and it may be DNA

the

software program designed to help developers enable people to actively manage their own medical conditions. The idea is to let iPhone owners use their phone to “keep track of care plans and monitor symptoms and medication, providing insights that help people better understand their own health.” The iPhone has become much more than a communication device. It’s playing a pivotal role in health management, and if there’s one thing that demands a heightened level of security, it’s one’s vitals. Apple’s war to keep the data of its customer base safe, even from the FBI, makes a lot more sense when you factor these introductions in. Apple’s foray into health will all be for naught if consumers don’t trust the company’s security procedures. To Apple, the outcome of the San Bernardino scuffle will trigger consequences well beyond homeland security. On the hardware front, Apple took the wraps off of the iPhone SE. It’s said to be the most powerful 4-inch smartphone on the

planet, and it’s a welcome addition to those who aren’t keen on carrying a giant phone in their pocket. In recent years, nearly every phone manufacturer has skewed to the larger end of the spectrum, leaving weaker, less impressive devices for those who actually prefer a more petite frame. It will be available to purchase beginning March 31, with the base 16GB unit priced at $399. On the tablet front, a 9.7-inch iPad Pro was introduced. It joins the original iPad Pro, a 12.9-inch behemoth that didn’t appeal to many beyond the creative community. This smaller, more powerful iPad supports pen input — a welcome extra for those who prefer to scribble notes, doodle, or annotate while on the go. It also ships March 31, with the base 32GB model selling for $599. Though firmly rooted in Northern California, Apple’s executive team has North Carolina in their blood. Apple CEO Tim Cook earned an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business in 1988, and currently sits on the university’s board of trustees. The company’s number two, Jeff Williams, grew up in Raleigh. He recently became Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, graduated from N.C. State’s engineering department in 1985, and received an MBA from Duke in 1991. In recent years, Apple’s growth has stemmed largely from its foray into software. It made news in 2012 by opening a solar-powered 500,000 square foot data center in Maiden, N.C., which was expanded in 2014 to handle even more information traversing its iCloud hosting system. Information, mind you, that it’s now fighting tool and nail to protect from governmental eyes in even the most unspeakable of situations.

A sharp enrollment drop at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has led school officials to slash 36 full- and part-time teaching positions and freeze another 17 open positions, the school announced this past week. Student numbers are down by 900 this year, reported the school, which attempted to mitigate impact on students by restructuring some management positions, according to Paula Dibley, director of college relations.

Lenoir Memorial, UNC enter negotiations Kinston Lenoir Memorial Hospital entered into exclusive negotiations to create a management services agreement with UNC Health Care, hospital officials announced late this week. The agreement, slated to be finalized in April, does not include any sale or exchange of assets. It allows for Lenoir Memorial’s Board of Directors to maintain local governance over the hospital and allows employees to keep their current positions and remain employees of Lenoir Memorial, a private, not-for-profit hospital.

Cotton Producers announce referendum Roanoke Rapids The N.C. Cotton Producers Association announced a referendum on the question of the continuation of the assessment, or “check-off,” on cotton for another six-year period will be held April 1. This allows cotton producers to assess themselves in order to provide funds to pay for improvements in cotton production, marketing and research and to promote the general interests of the state’s cotton industry. The referendum authorizes up to $1 per bale, although the Board of Directors of the Cotton Association plans to continue the assessment at the current level of $0.80 per-bale.

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

Murphy to Manteo Easter in North Carolina

Home Moravian Church est. 1771

Old Salem Historic District Easter Festival

Colorful eggs scattered for kids to find, plates filled with ham, visits with a bunny, and a day celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, Easter is a Christian holiday to gather and commemorate. Sunday, March 27 was determined to be the date for Easter this year. The staples of Easter are included in this week’s map, which include historic churches across the state, Easter festivals and activities and egg and pork production.

Saint Mary’s Chapel est. 1855

Jones& Blount

NC Herring Festival

jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

NC GOP leadership moves to censure, remove chairman

Get me to the church on time St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bath is the oldest surviving church building in the state, constructed in 1734. The St. Thomas Parish, though, was established when Bath County was founded in 1696. The churchgoers would meet at homes. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Hoppy Easter Searching for painted eggs aren’t the only activity kids can do for Easter. Some North Carolina cities host races, historical festivals and a train ride with the Easter Bunny. The North Carolina Transportation Museum in Salisbury features an Easter Bunny Express, a 25-minute train ride around the 57-acre historic site with the Easter Bunny. Eggcellent Although the egg is a symbol for Easter, the North Carolina egg industry produces 13.5 million eggs annually. The Easter egg represents the empty tomb. The moneymaker holiday for the industry, though, actually comes from Thanksgiving and Christmas.

By Donna King North State Journal

St. Matthias' Episcopal Church est. 1867

Dillsboro Easter Hat Parade

Rocky River Presbyterian Church est. 1751

Harrison Methodist Church est. 1785

On the fork Hog farming and pork production are both huge players in North Carolina’s agriculture industry, especially for the eastern part of the state. Folks around the state this Easter who enjoy ham with their holiday meals can thank the over 10,000 people involved in all levels of pork production for helping provide this key portion of their meal.

Saint Thomas Episcopal Church est. 1734

Easter Bunny Express

Christ Episcopal Church est. 1750 Duke University Chapel est. 1932

Largest pork farms in the state

Largest egg farms in the state

Popular Easter events

Historic North Carolina churches

WEST

Egg farms in the state

Charlotte companies named “Best Employers” Hog farms in the state Charlotte The Queen City was well represented in this year’s annual Forbes’ “America’s Best Employers.” Charlottebased Nucor, Duke Energy, Ingersoll-Rand, Sealed Air, UTC Aerospace Systems and Continental all made the list. Red Ventures, Snyder’sLance, Kennametal and Baker & Taylor were also noted on Forbes’ “America’s Best Midsize Employers.” CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Lake Norman swim beach ready to open Cornelius, N.C. Lake Norman’s first swim beach has a Memorial Day opening deadline, according to Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation Director Jim Garges. “The clock is ticking,” he said. Officials expect the halfacre beach will be at capacity, especially during summer weekends. “It’s as big as we can make it,” Garges said. HUNTERSVILLE HERALD

PIEDMONT

Social worker honored for life-saving Heimlich

Law overturns Charlotte bathroom ordinance

Concord, N.C. A Cabarrus Country social worker on a lunchbreak put his county-provided safety training to the test earlier this month when he performed the Heimlich maneuver on a choking diner in a restaurant. In presenting a service award from the Board of Commissioners last week, EMS Director Alan Thompson lauded Michael Morrison for making a difference. “Your quick thinking, your willingness to help and mastery of your training resulted in a life saved,” Thompson said.

Raleigh Gov. McCrory signed the legislation Wednesday saying the Charlotte ordinance defied common sense. “The basic expectation of privacy in the most personal of settings, a restroom or locker room, for each gender was violated by government overreach and intrusion by the mayor and city council of Charlotte.” His opponent in the November general election, Attorney General Roy Cooper opposed the bill. “That North Carolina is making discrimination part of the law is shameful,” said Cooper. “It will not only cause real harm to families, but to our economy as well.”

INDEPENDENT TRIBUNE

26 arrested in county-wide meth sting Salisbury, N.C. A multi-agency methamphetamine investigation that spanned a year resulted in 26 arrests and convictions, according to Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten. The sting, conducted alongside the SBI, was launched in the fall of 2013. Among the findings were three mobile meth labs in cars, as well as a meth lab in a store in Concord Mills Mall. SALISBURY POST

22 file for new 13th Congressional District Davie County, N.C. N.C.’s new 13th congressional district drew 22 candidates interested in running for the U.S. House seat. The district includes Davie and Davidson counties and portions of Iredell, Rowan,

Southport Spring Festival

Historic N.C. chuches

and Guilford counties. The candidates square off June 7. The Democratic candidates include: Adam Coker, Bob Isner, Bruce Davis, Kevin Griffin, and Mazie Ferguson. For the Republicans, the following 17 candidates filed: Andrew Brock, Chad Gant, Dan Barrett, David Thompson, Farren Shoaf, George Rouco, Hank Henning, Harry Warren, Jason Walser, Jim Snyder, John Blust, Julia Craven Howard, Kathy Feather, Matthew McCall, Ted Budd, Kay Daly, and Vernon Robinson.

Wake County needs 17 new schools by 2022 Wake County, N.C. Administrators of the Wake County Public School System announced this week the need to develop 17 new schools for the area by 2022 to hold pace with students expected to enroll. This need includes 10 elementary, three middle and four high schools, eight of which Wake County doesn’t currently know where to put. The officials are debating on whether they would put a construction bond referendum in the November ballot or to go ahead and borrow a smaller amount without voter approval.

EAST Four Wesleyan students die in car crash Rocky Mount, N.C. Four N.C. Wesleyan College students were killed Monday at the front entrance of the college after the driver misjudged her turn. Donesha Scott, 19, of Raleigh, turned into oncoming traffic. Scott, Robyne Barnes, 20, of Conway, Kandis McBrideJones, 20, of Littleton, and Quadeshia Brown, 20, of Henderson died in the two-car crash. The driver of the second vehicle, David Lee Pitt Jr., will not be charged. N.C. Wesleyan College offered counseling services and held a memorial to help the community grieve and honor the victims. THE ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM

Tryon Palace hosts annual egg hunt New Bern, N.C. Tryon Palace invited children 12 and under to participate in its annual easter egg hunt on the south lawn Saturday. Thousands of eggs were scattered for finding during three hunts scheduled during the day. Children were able to enjoy games, special prizes, story time and pictures with the Easter Bunny. TRYON PALACE

Outdoor drama tells Message of Easter Williamston, N.C. The congregation of Piney Grove Baptist Church is in its 37th season of presenting, “The Message of Easter,” a 90-minute outdoor drama, taken from the scriptures, which retells the story of the last days of Jesus Christ. The final performance for this Easter season begins tonight at 8 p.m. at a specially built outdoor amphitheater located at 2925 Piney Grove Church Road. Admission is free. MESSAGEOFEASTER.ORG

Tourism Board disagrees with Auditor’s report Outer Banks, N.C. The N.C. State Auditor and the Dare County Tourism Board are in disagreement over whether the board needs Raleigh’s input on whether it is complying with the law that guides its spending of “restricted funds.” In a report released by State Auditor Beth Wood’s office, the report calls for the tourism board to “seek clarification” from the N.C. General Assembly on the intent of the restriction and guidelines for complying with it. The Tourism Board disagrees with the report’s declaration that legislation lacks clarity, saying the board spends funds in accordance with the law.

RALEIGH - N.C. GOP Chairman Hasan Harnett sent an inflammatory email to about 1,000 party faithful on Friday outlining what he says is a “scheme” against him and denying allegations that he ordered someone to hack the party website. The communication is in violation of last week’s censure that required him to refrain from disparaging public remarks. “My name and reputation have been attacked. I am a volunteer chairman. I sacrifice my time, honor, and fortune for this party. I want nothing more than it to grow and be a successful organization,” Harnett stated in the mass email obtained by the North State Journal. “I have been met with opposition from the day I was elected. People have been scheming and working against me, but I am not going to sit down and shut up. The establishment wants to limit involvement in our party and shut out the grassroots so it is easier to control.” The email follows a week of tension in the party as the Executive Committee circulated a petition for Harnett’s removal based on what they say is a long list of examples of “gross inefficiency” and violations of the plan of organization. On Wednesday, Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse and Central Committee members briefed legislators on the state of the party’s operation, assuring them that the party is performing its duties despite the conflict with the chairman. Most legislators expressed deep concern that the conflict had led to public airings that they say reflect poorly on the party. The email marks the latest in a move that insiders say will likely accelerate the process of removing Harnett. According to some of those present, he did not appear at Sunday’s Central Committee meeting to explain his recent actions in private. During that meeting the panel of 30 voting Central Committee members signed off on a five-page document that

lists a multitude of violations of the party’s plan of organization. The list includes failures to perform the duties of chairman and attempts to undermine the staff and Central Committee against the advice of legal counsel. Careful to say that Harnett was presumed innocent until an investigation is complete, the censure outlines allegations that Harnett attempted to recruit a computer expert to crash the party’s website and replace it with his own. His proposed site reportedly offered different ticket prices for the N.C. GOP convention and a payment system that funneled money into an account he controlled. The allegations, which came to light in a signed affidavit last week, were considered by most Central Committee members to be the last straw. The party had been in an ongoing battle with Harnett over ticket prices to the N.C. GOP’s May convention, as well as lack of adequate fundraising and a refusal to call the convention at the direction of the Central Committee. The vote of no confidence states that the “Central Committee has no reasonable belief that Hasan Harnett has the ability to carry out his duties as Chairman of the N.C. GOP in accord with the Plan of Organization.” The censure cuts Harnett from all internal computer systems and email, bans him from any N.C. GOP or state Republican National Committee facilities, forbids him from speaking on behalf of the N.C. GOP, directs him to refrain from any efforts to attack N.C. GOP websites, and orders him to cease any disparaging comments about the organization, its staff, leadership, or volunteers in social media or the press. Friday’s email violates that censure, which may accelerate the process of removing Harnett and could trigger legal action. In the meantime, the petition to begin proceedings to remove him requires signatures of two-thirds of the Executive Committee, the larger committee that numbers more than 600 members from across the state. The North Carolina Republican Party headquarters is located in Raleigh.

OUTER BANKS SENTINEL PHOTO BY KEVIN MARTIN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

CHARLOTTE | WINSTON-SALEM 877-NC-JEWEL WINDSOR-JEWELERS.COM

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Drew Elliot, opinion editor | Ray Nothstine, deputy opinion editor OUR EDITORIALS RAY NOTHSTINE

It’s time to hear more from Cuba’s political prisoners Since the island’s Marxist revolution, more Cubans per capita have been imprisoned by the regime than the proportion of Soviets sent to the gulag under Joseph Stalin.

BARACK OBAMA is the first president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge in 1928. In Havana, Coolidge praised Cuba for embodying peace, freedom, and prosperity. Coolidge said the people enjoy “the advantages of selfgovernment.” While Cuba had many problems at the time, none of Coolidge’s words are remotely true today. In Cuba this week, Obama made valid points that over 50 years of embargoes and diplomatic isolation has done nothing to change the totalitarian regime 90 miles from America’s shore. He called the embargo, which was strengthened under North Carolina’s own Sen. Jesse Helms, “an outdated burden.” “Just touched down here, looking forward to meeting and hearing directly from the Cuban people,” beamed Obama on Twitter. He claimed the historic trip was about “dialogue.” But it’s unlikely the president will be allowed to hear from the thousands of current political prisoners in Cuba who dare to defy or oppose the power of the state. Since the island’s Marxist revolution, more Cubans per capita have been imprisoned by the regime than the proportion of Soviets sent to the gulag under Joseph Stalin. At a press conference, standing next to the American president, Cuba’s dictator Raúl Castro absurdly denied the existence of political prisoners. While the president articulated some important points about democracy and liberty for Cuba and heard from some dissidents real reform will require actual benchmarks and progress on human rights. Unfortunately, Obama at times appeared to prop up the dictatorship by suggesting there is validity to Cuba’s critique of America and that we can learn from the country’s impoverishing, state-controlled economy. Obama even posed under a mural of famed tyrant and murderer Che Guevara. While dialogue may be a positive step forward for engagement in Cuba, it’s essential that American leadership makes it contingent upon release of dissidents languishing in prisons and a willingness to take concrete steps for human rights. Obama declared, “I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas.” It’s a worthwhile and laudable proclamation, as long as he doesn’t end up burying the prisoners and dissidents along with it.

DREW ELLIOT

Federal law, race cars, the EPA, and democracy Federal agencies are given deference in rulemaking, meaning citizens must sue their government to get their say.

THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS is one of compromise. Hearings, back-room meetings, grassroots campaigns, arm twisting, lobbying efforts, and influence from the executive branch all shape the final product. While the sausagemaking may be unseemly, it usually provides ample time and visibility for those affected to voice their concerns. The flip side of that process is federal rule-making. With not much more than a notice in the Federal Register, an agency can warp a law from its original, carefully negotiated meaning to whatever it chooses. For the most part, the federal agencies are given deference in rulemaking, meaning citizens must sue the agency and hurdle a high bar to get their say. Recently, no agency has abused this promulgation process more than the Environmental Protection Agency. It has tried to utilize the Clean Air Act upend the way electricity is generated. It issued the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, which would turn nearly every ditch and farm puddle into a federally regulated watercourse. Those intrusions are the subject of numerous lawsuits, which thankfully are not going well for the agency. But now the EPA has proposed to outlaw “tampering” of emissions controls in cars — even if the cars are not used on public roads. North Carolina Reps. Patrick McHenry and Richard Hudson have filed the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) bill to clarify what everyone thought was clear: that Congress never intended to regulate automobiles modified exclusively for racing. It’s unclear if the RPM bill can get traction. But one thing is certain: we have turned representative democracy on its head when the presumption is that executive branch bureaucrats can put forth whatever law they see fit; then — after the fact — citizens must take to the courts and petition Congress to stop them.

BE IN TOUCH Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@NSJonline.com or 209 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, NC. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@NSJonline.com.

A process due for reform IN A 3-0 DECISION, the N.C. Court of Appeals upheld the termination of former N.C. Correctional Officer Shawn Blackburn, who was fired by the N.C. Department of Public Safety following the death from dehydration of inmate Michael Kerr. Blackburn had ordered that Kerr, who was in solitary confinement, remain handcuffed. The court found that being restrained left Kerr “with no way to drink any liquid unless he could use his handcuffed hands to drink from the sink in his cell.” That same sink was turned off for an unknown period during his confinement. Kerr, who was denied milk because he had flooded his cell with pieces of cardboard torn from the milk cartons, died while in transport to Central Prison in Raleigh.

DAYS

PAPERWORK

WORDS

11,581

600+

Habitual felon Kerr was handcuffed and denied milk for 5 days: March 8-12, 2014.

709

Blackburn was terminated on April 7, 2014. Nearly two years (709 days) later the Court of Appeals upheld his firing on March 15, 2016.

Although Kerr was handcuffed for five days and denied milk, there is no record of his receiving a medical evaluation. The segregation report of his solitary confinement runs 31 pages.

Blackburn’s contested case hearing before the administrative law judge amassed a case file of more than 600 pages.

The unanimous opinion of the three-judge panel, written by Judge Valerie Johnson Zachary, runs 11,581 words, including citations and other material.

Words on Kerr’s cell door that haunt the state: “Do not give him milk per Captain Blackburn.” -Drew Elliot and Ray Nothstine

VISUAL VOICES In memory of Glenn Foden, 1956 – 2016 Glenn Foden, political cartoonist for North Statement, died unexpectedly March 20. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

GUEST OPINION | BRADLEY BETHEL

GUEST OPINION MICHAEL MUNGER

Independent’s day OU’VE HEARD IT: “If BLANK doesn’t get the nomination, he’ll just run Y as an independent!” I’ve heard that line

BRYAN POLLARD | FOR THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A classroom building at UNC Chapel Hill.

UNC system must prioritize teaching quality

H What UNC Chapel Hill’s paper-class scandal reveals is the fact that teaching quality is essentially an afterthought at the research university.

IGHER EDUCATION in North Carolina and across the nation is in need of systemic reform. One of the most pressing issues, thrust into the public conscience by UNC Chapel Hill’s paper-class scandal, is the role of college athletics in higher education. Yet the scandal at North Carolina’s flagship university should call attention to another issue equally serious, though widely overlooked: the research university’s neglect toward teaching quality. For 18 years at UNC Chapel Hill, a department chair and his office assistant were able to offer classes that didn’t require attendance or faculty interaction. College deans directly above the chair were supposedly oblivious, and other deans, who did become aware of the classes, proclaimed their anomalous format a matter of faculty autonomy. We thus see that at the research university faculty autonomy is practically absolute, and the result is an utter lack of accountability. In other words, what UNC Chapel Hill’s paper-class scandal reveals — yet what few commentators have addressed — is the fact that teaching quality is

essentially an afterthought at the research university. Most research universities utilize student evaluations as the primary, if not exclusive, method of evaluating faculty performance in the classroom. At UNC Chapel Hill, however, even that method was neglected, as evinced by the college deans’ failure to account for over a decade’s worth of missing student evaluations from the paper classes. North Carolina’s citizens should demand more from our universities. We should demand that every school in the UNC system develop and maintain robust methods of evaluating teaching quality and thereby ensure that our students receive meaningful classroom experiences. Unfortunately, the news media’s myopic focus on the involvement of athletics in the paper-class scandal has made teaching quality as much of an afterthought for the public as it presently is for the research university. Of course, universities can’t systematically address teaching quality without providing faculty the comprehensive support and incentives to improve their teaching. Most doctoral programs offer negligible training in effective teaching practic-

es, and so faculty begin their careers unprepared for the challenges of the classroom. Universities should therefore supply relevant and engaging training to new faculty and foster their teaching through mentorship. Furthermore, tenure standards should be revised to give equal weight to teaching quality and research so that faculty have a practical incentive to prioritize both. If the UNC system is to “serve our state and its people through world-class teaching,” the Board of Governors and UNC President Margaret Spellings must charge every school with providing evidence that teaching quality is a top priority. We hope that UNC Chapel Hill’s paper classes were an anomaly in the UNC system, but, until faculty are properly supported and held reasonably accountable for teaching quality, students across the state will be no less denied the worldclass education we promise them. Bradley Bethel is a former learning specialist at UNC Chapel Hill and the director of the documentary film “Unverified: The Untold Story Behind the UNC Scandal.”

CAL THOMAS

A liberal garland for Garland HENEVER I hear the words “centrist” or “moderate,” W especially when they come

Backbone is not a word normally associated with oftensquishy Republicans, but so far they appear to be standing as one.

from The New York Times and The Washington Post, the words “liberal” and “cover-up” immediately come to mind. Since President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, a confirmed conservative, the words “centrist” and “moderate” have been repeated ad nauseam. Even the reliably liberal New York Times, while repeating the centrist and moderate line, acknowledged that Garland’s addition to the court “would make the justice at the center of the court more liberal than at any point in nearly 50 years.” This is why Republicans are within their constitutional rights to refuse to grant Garland a hearing or a vote. Senate Republicans rightly believe a new president should make the critical next appointment to the court. At the announcement ceremony in the Rose Garden, one could see a tableau of liberalism on display. Does anyone believe those senators, who included uber-leftists Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, Patrick Leahy and Dianne Feinstein, would vote to confirm someone who might not reflect their liberal worldview, including the belief that the Constitution is a “living document” to be tampered with according to the whims of the age? Would a liberal Democrat

vote to confirm anyone who might impose restrictions on abortion or rollback same-sex marriage? A Wall Street Journal editorial unmasked the liberal cover-up over Garland, even while other editorialists, columnists and broadcast news anchors extolled his supposed virtues: “Judge Garland’s 19-year tenure on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals demonstrates a reliable vote for progressive causes, with the arguable exception of criminal law. Two issues in particular make the point: the Second Amendment and deference to the growing power of the administrative state.” The president probably knows that Garland’s nomination isn’t going anywhere and that like so many other things in this administration Garland will be used for political ends. It is amusing to hear liberals claim Republicans are “obstructionists” after all the obstructing Democrats have done. Democratic roadblocks extend back to Robert Bork’s confirmation hearings and include Sen. Barack Obama’s opposition to Justice Samuel Alito for reasons even he admitted were solely political. I suspect, not since John F. Kennedy named Byron R. White to the Supreme Court has there been a justice who disappointed Democrats. White was one of two justices who dissented in the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion

case. The Republican record has been far more checkered, beginning with Dwight D. Eisenhower’s naming of Earl Warren, a nomination he came to regret, calling it “the biggest d--n fool mistake” he ever made. As William Harper points out in his book, “Second Thoughts: Presidential Regrets with their Supreme Court Nominations,” Republicans have fared far less well when picking jurists to the highest court. In addition to Earl Warren, there were William Brennan, Harry Blackmun, Warren Burger, Sandra Day O’Connor, David Souter and Anthony Kennedy — all named by Republican presidents, each one disappointing conservatives on numerous cases. Perhaps Republicans will cave on the president’s nomination of Garland because they have done so before. Backbone is not a word normally associated with oftensquishy Republicans, but so far they appear to be standing as one. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell seems unconcerned that Republicans might lose their majority should voters punish them for refusing to confirm Garland. Meanwhile, only believe Merrick Garland is not a liberal if you believe President Obama and most Senate Democrats are moderates. Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist.

about New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, but more often about Donald Trump. The thesis is that if the Republicans continue to slow-play the primaries, keeping Ted Cruz and John Kasich in the mix, they can deny Trump an outright victory on the first ballot at the convention and then choose someone else. I had been scoffing at these claims, because the two state-sponsored parties find “outside” competition awfully inconvenient. As a result, they have set up a gauntlet of rules and barriers, ranging from “sore loser” laws to restrictions on ballot access for third parties and independent candidates. Implausible is one thing; is it actually impossible? There are three factors that make the outsider scenario — though it’s still a long shot — at least worth considering. The first is the national mood. In the history of presidential elections, the presence of “third” or outside options has had a surprising effect: rather than splitting the opposition, outside options seem to galvanize voters. In 1980, Libertarian Ed Clark got nearly 1 percent of the overall vote, and was on the ballot in all 50 states. That same year, John Anderson got more than 6 percent of the vote, enough to affect the outcome of several states. There were similar results in 1912, and 1992: independence seems to breed independents. The second factor is the increasing rupture of the connection between voters and traditional party ideologies. Nationally, more than 40 percent of voters consider themselves independent. I happened to be in Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Florida on the days of their respective primaries this year, addressing different student groups. A surprisingly high proportion of the students I talked to rated their favorites either as (1) Trump and (2) Sanders, or (1) Sanders and (2) Trump, with everyone else trailing. An

Rather than splitting the opposition, outside options seem to galvanize voters.

outside candidate would not have to get those voters to leave their party; they have no party to leave! Third, and most importantly, the calendar itself this year favors an independent run. Most states have ballot access deadlines that are quite early, when you consider the election is not held until early November. Those state filing deadlines for independent presidential candidates mostly occur in August, with the earliest being in May (Texas) and June (Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, and New Mexico). The latest deadlines are North Dakota and Rhode Island, both in September. Usually that pattern would block a post-convention independent run. In 2012, for example, the Democratic convention was held Sept. 3-6; the Republican event was Aug. 27-30. By the time the conventions were over, the deadlines had passed. But not this year. In 2016, the conventions are far earlier: Republicans meet July 18-21 in Cleveland; Democrats convene July 25-28 in Philadelphia. So, let’s play this out. First, how many states have filing deadlines for signatures (the currency for ballot access, in most states) on or after Aug. 10? The answer is 25. The total signature requirement for those states is just short of 400,000, a significant number but possible. Second, how many Electoral College votes are at stake in those 25 states with late filing deadlines? The answer is 246. Winning requires 270, a majority of the 538 votes available in the Electoral College. That’s not winning. Of course, winning might not be the objective. If Trump is denied a majority at the convention, he could run as an independent to deny the other candidates a majority in the general election. Trump might easily win 20-30 Electoral College votes. That would be enough to deadlock the result. The 12th Amendment says that if there is no majority in the Electoral College, the election goes the House of Representatives, with one vote per state. The new president would have to be one of the top three vote-getters. That could be Trump. In short, if there is a brokered convention and Trump loses, there might be a brokered election. That hasn’t happened since the infamous “Corrupt Bargain” of 1825. We live in interesting times, my friends. Michael Munger is a professor of and director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program at Duke University.

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

NATION& WORLD NEWS IN IMAGES | OBAMA IN CUBA

Supreme Court reaches first tie verdict since Justice Scalia’s death By Kimberly Johnson North State Journal

PHOTO BY ALBERTO REYES | REUTERS

Air Force One carrying U.S. President Barack Obama and his family flies over a neighborhood of Havana as it approaches the runway to land at Havana’s international airport.

PHOTO BY IVAN ALVARADO | REUTERS

A man watches on television as U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a speech at the Gran Teatro de la Habana Alicia Alonso in Havana.

ORE THAN a month after the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court has reached its first tie verdict, setting up a scenario of potential deadlock in the high court’s judgments until the appointment of a new judge. Tuesday, court justices were split 4-to4 in a banking discrimination case that involved spouses as loan guarantors, leaving in place a previous verdict from a lower Federal circuit court. While the case was largely seen as a minor decision for the court, the impasse highlights the ongoing struggle in Washington between the Obama administration’s nomination of Merrick Garland to fill the judicial vacancy and Republican senators who are refusing to consider him. “While President Obama is entitled to nominate an individual to the Supreme Court, the Senate has made it clear it will be exercising its constitutional authority to withhold consent of the nomination,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said recently. “We are in the middle of a presidential election, and the Senate majority is giving the American people a voice to determine the direction of the Supreme Court.” The split verdict in Tuesday’s banking case confirms for court watchers that the court could also reach a tie verdict in bigger, more important cases, Michael Gerhardt, law professor at the University of North Carolina’s School of Law, said in an email. “The critical question is how many other times will this happen, but no one knows the answer,” Gerhardt said. “There is a clear cost to not replacing Justice Scalia — running the risk of a non-decision in some cases, likely requiring another case raising the question to come back again before the court.”

The potential for a tie comes as the court heard arguments made this week by a Christian nonprofit challenging birth control mandates in the Affordable Care Act. An evenly split ruling, with the court’s four liberals backing the Obama administration against the four conservative justices, would leave in place lower-court rulings rejecting challenges brought by the Christian organizations that oppose providing contraception coverage for religious reasons. According to one constitutional law scholar, the high profile nature of closely contested cases, such as the contraceptive case, will likely lead to delayed decisions. “I think what we’ll see is not the court affirming decisions from below but setting those cases for re-argument when the court is back to full strength,” said Enrique Armijo, law professor at Elon University. “Just because we had for the first time since Justice Scalia’s death a 4-to-4 split where the court was equally divided, I don’t think we can assume just from that is how the court will proceed in every case,” he said. The scenario of an unfilled seat is not new, nor is the politicking behind the delay in filling it, he said. “We’ve had a court that did not have nine justices on it before and there’s nothing in the Constitution to make these senators hold hearings or vote on a nominee,” Armijo said. “The reality is that [N.C. Sen.] Richard Burr doesn’t care what some constitutional scholar thinks he’s obligated to do or what he should do. What Burr cares about is what course of action gives him the best chance of being reelected and which course of action is not going to cost him the most votes.”

“We are in the middle of a presidential election, and the Senate majority is giving the American people a voice to determine the direction of the Supreme Court.” — Sen. Thom Tillis

Reuters contributed to this report.

Wounded suspect held in Brussels police operation over attacks Mourners gather around a memorial in Brussels following bomb attacks in Brussels, Belgium.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN ERNST | REUTERS

U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro attend an exhibition baseball game between the Cuban National team and the MLB Tampa Bay Rays at Estadio Latinoamericano in Havana.

PHOTO BY CHARLES PLATIAU | REUTERS

By Kimberly Johnson North State Journal

PHOTO BY JONATHAN ERNST | REUTERS

The Cuban National team and mascots line up before playing an exhibition game against the MLB Tampa Bay Rays, in the presence of U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro, at Estadio Latinoamericano in Havana.

DRILLING from page A1 Gov. Pat McCrory has been vocal in his support of offshore drilling as a means of providing jobs and revenues for North Carolina and strongly disapproves of Obama’s reverse of action. “President Obama’s total reversal can only be described as a special political favor to far-left activists that have no problem importing energy resources from countries hostile to the United States. What’s more troubling is the president is closing the door before he even knows what resources can be harnessed in an environmentally sound way,”

said McCrory. “Unfortunately, the Obama administration’s deal could ultimately cost North Carolina thousands of new jobs and billions in needed revenue for schools, infrastructure, dredging and beach renourishment,” he added. According to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, the state would gain an estimated 55,000 jobs if drilling occurred off the coast while gaining $4 billion from revenue sharing. The governor’s support of offshore energy exploration is dependent upon the federal government’s revenue-sharing process with the Mid-Atlantic

BRUSSELS - On Friday, Belgian police captured a suspect carrying what local media said was a suitcase full of explosives after shooting him in the leg. The major police operation follows Tuesday’s suicide bombings in Brussels. So far nine people have been arrested in Belgium and two in Germany as authorities swept in on militants they link to the Brussels attacks that killed 31

“We’ve decided there are more important things in life than the promise of jobs or money. We value our marine life, tourism, seafood industry and our quality of life. This is why we live and visit here,” Kure Beach Mayor Emilie Swearingen.

people and attacks in Paris last November that killed 130. French President Francois Hollande said on Friday that the Islamist militant network behind attacks in Paris and Brussels is being destroyed, but there remain other cells that continue to pose a threat, Also on Friday, a senior U.S. official confirmed that two Americans were killed in Tuesday’s suicide bombings in Brussels amid criticism that Belgium’s failures to track Islamic State militants contributed to violence. Secretary

of State John Kerry dismissed that criticism saying there is a tendency to “jump to conclusions,” but that there was room for improving anti-terrorism cooperation among European Union nations. Investigators say that the three Brussels attackers included a set of brothers, and a third once thought to be at large and now suspected to be among the dead. They prepared the home-made nail bombs used in Tuesday’s airport attacks in an empty apartment near the metro stop where one was detonated.

states. The current North Carolina seismic testing data on file dates back 30 years. Grassroots campaigning opposing offshore drilling and seismic testing, specifically seismic air-gun blasting, has been strong from Delaware down to Florida over the last two years. Coastal communities such as Wilmington, Emerald Isle, Holden, Carolina and Kure beaches are among East Coast municipalities in opposition. “We’ve decided there are more important things in life than the promise of jobs or money. We value our marine life, tourism, seafood industry and our quality of

life. This is why we live and visit here,” said Kure Beach Mayor Emilie Swearingen. The majority of Kure Beach’s 2,000 residents are retirees and would not apply for jobs on oil rigs, said Swearingen, who also cited the possibility for an oil spill, pollution and changes to the economy as reasons her retirees would choose to move away. “The last thing we want is for our beaches and marine life to be destroyed,” said Swearingen. “I think President Obama finally saw there was not the support for offshore drilling. People in this country came out against offshore drilling, and we’ve won.”

the Sunday SIDELINE REPORT

SPORTS

How sweet it is! The ACC sent six teams to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Joy and heartbreak ensued. Pages B4-B5

1. Heels roll past Hoosiers 101-86, advance to Elite Eight 2. Oregon drops Duke 8268 in Sweet 16, sending defending champs home 3. Cat Barber, Cody/ Caleb Martin leave NCSU basketball, Abdul-Malik Abu tests draft waters 4. NBA, Hornets, Hurricanes all respond to new NC HB2 law

UNC 101, INDIANA 86

Heels hammer Hoosiers Paige passes Jordan, pushes UNC closer to title By Brooke Pryor North State Journal

5. Hornets stay hot, inch closer to playoff spot, division title

@Sam_Vecenie The Grayson Allen thing should not be a thing at all. I was 20 feet away. Allen just didn’t want to acknowledge Brooks after he showboated. @ESPNStatsInfo UNC beats Indiana 101-86. This is the 1st time UNC scored 100+ points in a Sweet 16 Game or later since 1975.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

UNCW tops No. 13 NC State on the diamond The Seahawks took down the No. 13 Wolfpack, 6-4, in Wilmington. The win broke an eight-game winning streak for NC State dating back to 2011. UNCW split the home-andaway series after a 5-2 win for NC State in Raleigh.

NFL

Rams, Gurley going Hollywood The Los Angeles Rams will be the featured team on “Hard Knocks” this season. It will be the 11th edition of the popular HBO series, and the Rams — led by running back Todd Gurley, a native of Tarboro, N.C. — have become a team of intrigue as they relocate from St. Louis to Hollywood.

CHRISTIN T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North Carolina guard Marcus Paige (5) shoots a three-pointer during the first half of an NCAA Tournament East Regional college basketball game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA on Friday, March 25, 2016.

NCAA TOURNEY

Duke outgunned by athletic Oregon in Sweet 16 loss, Allen miffed at end? By Shawn Krest North State Journal

See CAROLINA, page B3

NC STATE

How the Martins’ transfer affects Pack’s next season By R. Cory Smith North State Journal

IVE years ago, the defending F national champion Duke Blue Devils went to Anaheim for

the Sweet 16, where an athletic Arizona team overwhelmed them by 16 points. On Thursday, Duke returned to the scene of the crime. Once again defending a title, Duke went into the Honda Center for a Sweet 16 game and once again the Blue Devils were overwhelmed by an athletic Pac 12 squad. The the only difference was the margin of defeat — 14 points — and opponent — the top-seeded Oregon Ducks, who simply out-muscled, out-ran and outplayed Duke in the Sweet 16 victory. “They were the better team. That was pretty obvious tonight,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “They knocked us back. They were always in control of the game.” Dillon Brooks had 22 points and six assists for Oregon, while Elgin Cook scored 16 and added nine rebounds. On defense, the Ducks blocked five shots and limited Duke to 44

HILADELPHIA — In a perfectly poetic moment — 32 years later, 775 miles away and in a Sweet 16 matchup against Indiana — Marcus Paige passed Michael Jordan with a shot fake and a jumper. Sure, Jordan had only three years to amass 1,788 points, but Paige, a four-year starter on one of Roy Williams’ most beloved teams, still passed the North Carolina gold standard. The timing was critical too, with Paige scoring 21 points, including a 6 of 9 mark from beyond the arc, and sparking UNC to a dominant 101-86 victory against No. 5 seed Indiana. “It was pretty cool, going back to, I think Indiana was Michael Jordan’s last college game,” Paige said. “So it’s a big honor just to be in the same sentence as the greatest player to ever play. I realize he did it in three years. It’s a little bit different, but at the same time, it doesn’t say that in the record books.” Unlike Jordan’s final points against Indiana, Paige gets a chance to extend his career and add to his total, as a stellar team performance by UNC pushed the Tar Heels through to an Elite Eight meeting with No. 6 seed Notre Dame — a rematch of the ACC semifinals two weeks ago. It’s fitting, because the game against Notre Dame — a 78-47 win — was the moment Paige found his groove again, announcing it to his teammates with a head nod and a confident, “I’m back,” after burying a stepback 3-pointer late in the first half. “He was definitely starting to click then,” said senior

ALEIGH — It was not the best week for NC R State basketball coach Mark Gottfried. Star point guard Cat Barber announced he would Oregon Ducks forward Jordan Bell (1) defends against Duke Blue Devils guard Brandon Ingram (14).

1. Depth Issues

and a half minutes of the game, as Oregon built an early eight-point lead. The Blue Devils battled back, and the score was tied with 1:16 remaining in the half. Oregon scored five straight points to go to the locker room and kept the momentum going coming out of the break, scoring eight of the first 11 points in the

Concerns about depth are par for the course in Raleigh in recent years, with players leaving early to the draft or transferring to other schools. The situation could be even more dire this year with only three players set to join and four possibly heading out the door. The three players coming — Torin Dorn, Terry Henderson and Dennis Smith — will help in a big way but they are already in a deep hole. Losing 17.5 points from the Martin twins and the leading scorer from the year prior is a critical blow. Currently, the Pack has only Maverick Rowan returning as a starter in the backcourt. That is a

See DUKE, page B3

See NCSU, page B6

ROBERT HANASHIRO | USA TODAY SPORTS

percent shooting. “Their athleticism,” Krzyzewski said of the key to Oregon’s win. “They blocked shots where— you think you’re open. They’re so good laterally, and they have guys that go vertical. That combination — if you do get by the lateral on the drive, boom, the other guy is there.” Duke senior Marshall Plumlee picked up two fouls in the first five

remain in the NBA draft. In more shocking news, twin forwards Caleb and Cody Martin announced they would transfer. And then for the proverbial cherry on top, emerging forward Abdul-Malik Abu declared his intentions to test the draft waters. Abu still has until May 25 to come back to Raleigh. Very early speculation has him returning, barring the draft process indicating he would be a first-round pick. With so much up in the air after a hectic week, here are five things to know about NC State’s basketball roster moving forward.

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

NS J beyond the box score

03.27.16

LeBron James: The Cavaliers star unfollowed the team’s official Twitter account and said he wants to play on same team with Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. Mike Krzyzewski: Following Duke’s Sweet 16 loss to Oregon, the coach reportedly told Dillon Brooks that he was too good of a player to be showboating during a game. Krzyzewski denied the report. Michael Sam: Howard Balzer reported the NFL arranged a deal in 2014 with St. Louis Rams: Draft Sam, and the team would not be asked to be on that year’s edition of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” Anthony Davis: Pelicans star shut down for the remainder of the season due to shoulder and knee injuries, which could cost Davis $24 million over the course of his contract extension. John Calipari: Kentucky coach went public with information that everyone on the Wildcats team will submit their names for the 2016 NBA draft, including walkons. Robert Griffin III: The much-maligned quarterback, who didn’t play at all in 2015, signed a twoyear deal with the Cleveland Browns for a reported $15 million.

POTENT QUOTABLES

FRESH TO DEATH

The Durham Bulls unveiled an all-blue alternate called their “Bull City Blues.” The unis feature a navy blue look with classic stirrups and the first-ever raised stitching New Era ballcap.

“Keep calling us the underdogs and we’ll just keep proving you wrong.” Brice Johnson on the No. 1-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels performance late in the season.

NCAA TOURNEY

4.2

Average seed of ACC teams in Sweet 16 before the start of play on Thursday. No. 10 Syracuse was the highest seed from the conference to make it through while both Virginia and North Carolina were No. 1 seeds in their respective brackets.

GRAYSON BE TRIPPIN’

33.3

Grayson Allen finished with a shooting percentage of 33.3 percent or worse in three of Duke’s five postseason games. After he shot 66.7 percent from the field against Yale, his 30.8 percent shooting against Oregon was his third-worst performance of the year.

COURTESY OFTHE DURHAM BULLS

NCAA TOURNEY RECORD

RIVERA RIPS SUPER BOWL POSTGAME

6/16

Regardless of the results in the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight, the ACC made its mark before the second weekend. Sending six of the 16 teams out of the first two rounds of play marked the first time in history that feat has been accomplished.

BRIAN SPURLOCK | USA TODAY SPORTS

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said the Super Bowl postgame interview process is “tremendously unfair.” After 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton walked away from interviews, Rivera said, “It’s a difficult thing to get up and do.”

WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

BOB DONNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

CAROLINA FOOTBALL

Marquise Williams’ loss could be an NFL team’s gain By Brooke Pryor North State Journal

HAPEL HILL, N.C. — Just about every Monday during North Carolina’s football season, Marquise Williams went to Bojangles’. It was the team’s off day, and the quarterback had a hankering for a four-piece chicken supremes. With a side of honey mustard, of course. It wasn’t just the southern fastfood staple, though. If Williams wasn’t at Bojangles’, he was at Chick-fil-a or McDonald’s. The 6-foot-2 ACC Coastal Division champion liked his fried food, and he was not shy about indulging. “I was just eating bad,” Williams said after UNC’s Pro Day last week. “I never changed. But it’s really important. It’s really important that you eat right. I didn’t want to listen to people because man, I wanted to eat Chick-fil-a, McDonald’s. I stay away from McDonald’s — but that’s kind of a lie — Bojangles’ and different

things I wanted to try and keep eating because I knew my time was coming when I couldn’t eat it no more.” Once he finished his career at North Carolina with more than 20 school records under his belt, Williams decided that perhaps his belt was a bit too tight, and the time to give up fried food had arrived. While he began training with Tom Shaw at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Williams overhauled his diet, quitting the fried life cold turkey. Instead he substituted healthy foods: baked chicken, baked fish, broccoli and spinach. No instructional videos required either. “I learned how to cook,” Williams said. “It’s a great thing. No grilling. I don’t YouTube it, I just learn from my dad. He’s a great cook, so I learned how to cook things from him.” Williams’ dad, Bernard Whiteside, used to whip up Williams’ favorite meals, including his top choice, chicken alfredo. With the

“I wanted to lose weight and get a little more muscle and get some more zip on the football.” Marquise Williams

North Carolina guard Joel Berry II (2) gives Brice Johnson (11) a piggyback ride at the end of an NCAA Tournament East Regional college basketball game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA on Friday, March 25. North Carolina beat Indiana 10186 to advance to the Elite 8.

CAROLINA from page B1 forward Brice Johnson, who finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. “I saw it starting to click a couple of times before that but then he kind of went back into a slump. “You can really tell when he’s out there having fun and knocking down shots. You can really see it on his face. You can see him bounce around on defense. It’s good and it’s fun to watch him do that.” The statistics back up the anecdotal analysis. In the regular season, Paige averaged 12 points and 3.7 assists. Ever since the proud proclamation and 16-point performance against Notre Dame in the ACC tournament, Paige is averaging 14.4 points and 4.4 assists. Paige continued his renewed shooting streak Friday night, torching the doubters out of the gate as he hit four 3-pointers in five possessions, including his first, which came just 40 seconds into the game. “Marcus was making video-game shots to start the game,” Indiana coach Tom Crean said. “I mean, seriously.” In a span of 18 seconds, Paige knocked down back-to-back triples — a rare occurrence this season. “I haven’t hit two in a row in a long time,” Paige said. “To knock down two in a row, I was like ‘uh oh, I might mess around and make a couple more,’ and that’s what I did. I just wanted to stay aggressive and the rim looked pretty big today. I hope it’s just this arena so I can do it again on Sunday.” As Paige’s 3-point assault pushed UNC (31-6) to an early 14-8 lead, questions about his shot melted away, replaced with incredulous gasps each time another bucket sank through the net.

DUKE from page B1 second half to build a double-digit lead. Duke was able to remain close, thanks to a strong game from freshman Brandon Ingram, who was likely playing his final collegiate game. Ingram scored a game-high 24 points. Sophomore Grayson Allen, who also may leave for the NBA Draft, scored just 15, more than six below his season average. Allen was involved in a minor controversy at the end of the game. Up 11 points, Brooks shot a three-pointer with eight seconds remaining, instead of merely running out the clock. Once the game was over, Brooks approached Allen for a congratulatory hug, but Allen ignored the gesture and walked away. In the post-game handshake line, Coach Krzyzewski had words with Brooks. “He told me I’m too good of a player to do that,” Brooks told the media. “And he’s right.” The Blue Devils finish the season with a 25-11 record. In addition to the likely departures of Ingram and Allen, Duke loses senior

new diet eliminating pasta, Whiteside instead began preparing baked food for himself and his son. The healthy habits resulted in Williams dropping 10 pounds — from 225 to 215 — ahead of June’s NFL draft. Working out in front of scouts at UNC Tuesday, the slimmed-down quarterback said he felt better throwing the ball. “I wanted to lose weight and get a little more muscle and get some more zip on the football,” Williams said. “Get my torso and my abs ready and get my hips to the ball. I felt good. It felt good coming out today.” While Williams, who wasn’t invited to February’s NFL combine, wanted to shed pounds to improve his draft stock, his new lifestyle has turned into a ripple effect, positively influencing his family. Thanks to Williams’ diet and exercise regimen, his pops is down 40 pounds too. “I’ve got him doing my nine-minute ab session,” Williams said. “At first he was like, ‘Son, I

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The final 3-pointer in the opening barrage tied Jordan’s place in the record books and Paige quickly surpassed him with a shot fake and a mid-range jumper over Juwan Morgan to give UNC a 25-17 lead with 10:35 to go in the first half. It was about as long as the game against Indiana remained competitive. It was the sort of thing UNC’s future opponents —

center Marshall Plumlee. Krzyzewski welcomes one of the nation’s top-rated recruiting classes for next season, however. Five-star forwards Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum are consensus top-five seniors. Point guard Frank Jackson gives Duke another five-star in the class as well. Four-star power forward Javin DeLaurier and three-star small forward Jack White round out the incoming class. Duke will also get back power forward Amile Jefferson, who missed most of this year with a foot injury. Jefferson, a senior this year, is expected to get a fifth year of eligibility from the NCAA. Shooting guard Luke Kennard, point Derryck Thornton, and swingman Matt Jones are expected to return and form the veteran core for the 2016-17 Blue Devils. Big man Chase Jeter, who developed into a reliable contributor during an up-and-down freshman year, will also continue to develop. “I’m proud of my team,” Krzyzewski said. “My team had just a great, great year. Just a terrific group.” “I wish we could’ve played better. But Oregon didn’t let us.”

only ACC teams remain on North Carolina’s side of the bracket — know all too well. “You can just see it,” Johnson said. “He has a little pep in his step, a little bounce that he has. You can tell that he’s starting to feel it and get into the game. “That’s what we need, we need our leader to get in the flow of the game and knock down some big time shots.”

ROBERT HANASHIRO | USA TODAY SPORTS

Oregon Ducks forward Dillon Brooks (24) reacts after he scores a basket against Duke Blue Devils during the second half of the semifinal game in the West regional of the NCAA Tournament at Honda Center.

can’t do that.’ Now he’s killing it.” “Matter of fact,” Whiteside added, “I did that last night in the hotel room.” When he returned to campus ahead of Pro Day with his newly-svelte frame, Williams looked like an entirely new person. Coach Larry Fedora teased Williams that he didn’t even recognize him in the weight room. “He was like, ‘I thought you’d come back here 250, with a fat face and stuff,’” Williams said. “And you know, since that day, I’ve probably been the most excited guy ever because he told me I looked good. Because when has he ever given us a compliment that we really looked good? It felt good when he told me that.” Though Williams looks undeniably leaner, Fedora suggested that perhaps a bit of that weight was simply redistributed. “It looked like he lost he lost it in his legs and his head got bigger,” the coach said with a grin. “So I don’t know how that all worked out.”

REDSKINS

Redskins quietly ushering in new era of free agency By Sean Labar North State Journal FL free agency is in full swing and the N Washington Redskins find themselves in a very bizarre place: completely off the grid.

Yes, the Redskins, a team best known for making it rain in March and locking down the title of “Offseason Champions” are enjoying a quiet offseason. And it’s probably for the best. For so many years, the Redskins thrived in March, generating headline after headline for their big-name free-agent signings. Sales staff at FedExField flooded fans’ inboxes with promises of a turnaround. Skins’ nation ate it up and bought in, each and every time. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth cashed in a seven-year contract worth $100 million contract. (In return Albert played in just 20 games in Washington and recorded an embarrassing 6.5 sacks.) Donovan McNabb’s short tenure in D.C. was marked by a blockbuster offseason trade and a five-year deal with $40 million guaranteed. Oof. Adam Archuleta, Jeff George, Antwaan Randle El, Deion Sanders. The list The ‘Offseason goes on and on. So the last few Champs’ are weeks have felt a little weird for Wash- enjoying a quiet ington fans. offseason. And it’s The only outsidprobably for the ers Redskins general manger Scot Mc- best. Cloughan brought in are former Chargers’ defensive end Kendell Reyes and former Broncos safety David Bruton Jr. Bruton is actually a semi-notable name, proving himself as a reliable option at safety while tearing it up on special teams during his time with Denver. Reyes is more of a wildcard. He’s the kind of guy Washington can plug in using certain packages, but isn’t going to light up the highlight reel. That’s it. Two guys that most casual Redskins’ fans didn’t know existed in the NFL landscape prior to their signings. Should Redskins fans panic? Absolutely not. While the Skins brass hasn’t chased the big-name free agents, McCloughan is slowly but surely doing what he does best. He’s re-signing his own guys and meticulously planning for the NFL Draft at the end of April. This was the strategy he used in both San Francisco and Seattle. And those were squads loaded with playoff talent, acquired mainly through the Draft. Washington’s in-house signings were necessary and short-term acquisitions. The Redskins secured quarterback Kirk Cousins with the franchise tag (one-year guaranteed tender for now), and inked pass rusher Junior Galette to a one-year deal. The Skins also brought back a slew of role players (QB Colt McCoy, LB Mason Foster, LB Will Compton, CB Will Blackmon, SS Duke Ihenacho, TE Logan Paulsen, RB Chris Thompson, C Josh LeRibeus and P Tress Way.) None of those names will turn heads, but most of them played a valuable role in helping the Redskins’ claim the NFC East title a season ago. Washington is sitting with a stack of cash, and will still make moves to bolster the roster. But Redskins’ fans need to trust in McCloughan. For the first time in a long time, Washington is building its roster the right way. No one wins January football games in March.

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

standing on top of the world

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH continued in full force on Good Friday, with Mike Brey’s Notre Dame team advancing to the Elite Eight for the second-straight season on a second-straight stunning finish in this NCAA Tournament. After moving past Stephen F. Austin on a last-second tip-in last weekend, Notre Dame moved past Wisconsin in thrilling fashion, swiping a pair of turnovers from the Badgers late to win 61-56. Zach Auguste poured in a double double (13 points, 12 boards) and Demetrius Jackson scored 16 with 6 assists to set up a potentially historic Easter Sunday for the Irish. CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

DENNIS WIERZBICKI | USA TODAY SPORTS

CINDERELLA IS A cruel mistress and for perennial underdog Gonzaga things ended in rough fashion at the hands of Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse Orangemen on Friday night in a 63-60 Sweet 16 upset. The Orange weren’t even supposed to be here — just ask the analysts! — but they wormed their way to the Elite 8 with some lucky breaks and strong play, particularly from Michael Gbinije, who led Syracuse with 20 points. Syracuse was the team no one thought should be in here and after a last-second victory over the Zags, they’re suddenly three wins away from a national title.

ROBERT HANASHIROI | USA TODAY SPORTS

DUKE’S RUN TO REPEAT as National Champions came to a flat close on Thursday night as No. 1 seed Oregon snuffed out the Blue Devils 82-68 during late-night Sweet 16 action. Mike Kryzewski’s team, running thin on bodies, couldn’t summon enough defense to slow down the fast-paced attack from the Ducks, who put up 46 points in the second half to pull away from the No. 4 seed defending champ. Dillon Brooks (22 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists) paced Oregon while Brandon Ingram put up 24/5/3 in his final college game. Grayson Allen struggled from the field (4/13) and drew plenty of attention when refusing to give Brooks a hug after the Oregon big man buried a late three pointer with the shot clock winding down and less than 10 seconds left on the game clock. Brooks got a little talking to from Coach K as well, with the Hall of Fame coach also calling him “a terrific player.”

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

The ACC entered the weekend with a shot at an all-conference Final Four thanks to six teams in the Sweet 16. They fell a bit short but not by much: every single team on the entire right side of the bracket remaining is from the ACC, guaranteeing the league two Final Four berths and one title-game team.

DAVID BANKS | USA TODAY SPORTS

VIRGINIA AND TONY BENNETT continued to dominate the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night, toppling upstart Iowa State 84-71 to advance to the Elite Eight. Paced by Anthony Gill’s 23 points and 8 rebounds, the Cavaliers held off a late rally by the Cyclones. Iowa State’s second-half push was fueled by the impressive play of Georges Niang and his 30-point, 8-rebound, 4-assist evening. Virginia hit a tough stretch during the second half but put the clamps down defensively and found a rhythm on offense late to seal the win.

AARON DOSTER | USA TODAY SPORTS

THE NO. 2 SEED Villanova Wildcats snuffed out another deep run in the tournament for Jim Larrañaga Thursday night in the first game of the Sweet 16, hammering the Miami Hurricanes 92-69 to advance to the Elite 8 in the South Regional. Sheldon McClellan put together an impressive effort for the ‘Canes (26 points) but he and Angel Rodriguez were the only players in double figures for Miami. Meanwhile, four of the Wildcats starters finished in double figures, paced by Ryan Arcidiacono and Kris Jenkins with 21 a piece. The Miami loss ends John Swofford’s dream of an all-ACC Final Four.

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

THE NORTH CAROLINA Tar Heels put an emphatic stamp on Friday’s action for the Atlantic Coast Conference, dominating the Indiana Hoosiers from start to finish in a convincing 101-86 victory. Marcus Paige came alive with a 6-of-9 effort from three-point range, while Brice Johnson poured in a 20-point, 10-rebound performance in yet another double double outing. Every single North Carolina starter scored in double figures and the Heels scored 100 points in an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 1975, while establishing themselves as an absolutely terrifying title contender.

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

B6 N.C. BATHROOM LAW

New N.C. law concerns NBA ahead of 2017 ASG By NSJ staff

ALEIGH — A bill signed into law by North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory on Wednesday night drew the attention of the various sports teams and organizations, most notably the NBA. The bill, which requires individuals to use the bathroom assigned to the sex listed on their birth certificate when a single stall or family bathroom is not available, caused enough of a stir for NBA commissioner Adam Silver to issue a statement on the

2017 All-Star Game, set to take place in Charlotte. “The NBA is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all who attend our games and events. We are deeply concerned that this discriminatory law runs counter to our guiding principles of equality and mutual respect and do not yet know what impact it will have on our ability to successfully host the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte.” The Charlotte Hornets issued a statement saying they are “opposed to discrimination in any form.” The Carolina Hurricanes,

MLB

“We are deeply concerned that this discriminatory law runs counter to our guiding principles of equality and mutual respect.” Adam Silver, NBA commissioner

based in Raleigh, said they “stand against all forms of discrimination” in a statement. The NCAA also is looking into whether it will host championship events in North Carolina with the new law in place. Greensboro is due to be a first-round site in the 2017 men’s NCAA basketball tournament, and Charlotte is schedule to host the same rounds in 2018. The 2018 men’s and women’s tennis championships are due to be played in Winston-Salem. “Our commitment to the fair treatment of all individuals, re-

gardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, has not changed and is at the core of our NCAA values,” the NCAA said. “It is our expectation that all people will be welcomed and treated with respect in cities that host our NCAA championships and events.’’ ESPN, currently considering Charlotte for the X Games in 2017, said “we embrace diversity and inclusion and will evaluate all of our options as we seek a new city for the X Games.” Via Reuters/ The Sports Xchange

NCSU from page B1 less-than-optimal position after finishing 5-13 in ACC play in 2015-16. If Abu decides to stay in the NBA draft, things could get ugly. He would leave behind Lennard Freeman and BeeJay Anya — two players who traded off starting roles in 2016. That’s it in terms of post players. Mark Gottfried and his staff might be desperately seeking another big man on the transfer market, regardless. 2. Minutes Galore

ENRIQUE DE LA OSA | REUTERS

Cuban catcher Osvaldo Vazquez (L), former Boston Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant (2nd L), Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (2nd R) and retired Cuban pitcher Pedro Luis Lazo greet each other during an exhibition baseball game between Cuba and Tampa Bay Rays in Havana.

Tampa tops Cubans in MLB return to Havana By NSJ staff

ames Loney homered and had three RBIs to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-1 victory over the Cuban national team on Tuesday in Havana in a game witnessed by President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro. The Rays’ trip to Cuba was the first by a major league team since 1999, when the Baltimore Orioles visited. Obama and Castro sat side by side behind the plate to watch the game in the Estadio Latinoamericano. Former major league stars Derek Jeter, Dave Winfield and Luis Tiant and commissioner Rob Manfred also attended, along with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Obama’s wife, Michelle, and daughters Sasha and Malia. Loney singled in Kevin Kiermaier with the first run in the second inning and homered in the top of the fourth to give the Rays a 3-0 lead. Rays starter Matt Moore pitched six innings and gave up no runs, six hits and one walk while striking out three. Cuba ended the Rays’ shutout bid in the ninth when Rudy Reyes homered off Alex Colome. Tampa right fielder Dayron Varona returned to Cuba for the first time since leaving in 2013. Via Reuters/ The Sports Xchange

One positive for the players coming into the system is an abundance of minutes to go around. Without the Martin twins, the new backcourt trio will have a chance to step up. Dorn and Henderson averaged a combined 23.7 points per game in their last seasons with Charlotte and West Virginia, respectively. Smith comes in as one of the top recruits in the nation, but will need help carrying the load as a freshman point guard. Will either Dorn or Henderson help at the one-guard spot and how much improvement will Rowan show to keep his minutes? The backcourt rotation will be intriguing all offseason for NC State. 3. More to Come? NC State fans likely asked themselves after the Martins left: Can it get any worse? This question was partially answered when Abu decided to test the waters. (Yes, it can get worse!) A mass exodus has a name for a reason, and with college basketball serving as a year-to-year proposition in 2016, further attrition isn’t off the table. Luckily for the Pack, it isn’t likely. Rowan, Freeman and Anya started this season and will have defined roles in Gottfried’s system moving forward. A Raleigh return for Abu is more probable than another player departing, but the late May deadline still looms large. 4. Transfers Wanted Gottfried is excellent at making the best out of a terrible situ-

KEVIN MARTIN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

NC State forward Abdul-Malik Abu (0) dunks against Georgia Tech forward James White during the second half a basketball game in Raleigh. ation. He will be tested this year. NC State lost three of its key offensive players from last season, but there are still transfers and recruits to be had. NC State is still courting Omer Yurtseven, a 6-foot-11 Turkish player. Yurtseven is a 5-star prospect according to 247Sports, and the No. 1 center in the 2016 class. If Gott brings him in, the post depth becomes more promising. The NCAA transfer market can conservatively be described as “robust.” A list compiled by ESPN.com of college basketball transfers from 2015-16 included more than 500 names. Once more transfers start flowing into the market, bank on Gottfried pouncing. With the potential for as many as three open spots in the frontcourt after next season, size will be a huge need for the Pack. 5. Keeping Teams Together Since he’s arrived in Raleigh,

five of Gottfried’s own recruits have transferred. Out of 23 recruits since 2009, 11 have transferred out of the program with only three staying the course for four years. Suffice it to say, Gottfried has experienced roster turnover every season. He typically is able to piece together a reasonably competent roster. Injuries and depth sunk his battleship before it left the dock in 2016 and the year-to-year change is wearing on the fan base. Roster competition is a critical component to Gottfried’s strategy, but a healthy rotation has been lacking the last few years. There’s still hope in the potential lineup for next season. Abu returning, Rowan showing growth, quality transfers coming in and Smith living up to his potential are reasons for optimism. The rest of the offseason needs to go better than the past week.

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North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

CAROLINA FOOTBALL

NCSU FOOTBALL

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North Carolina State football players, from left: Matt Dayes (21), Nyheim Hines (7) and Reggie Gallaspy II (25) pose for a photograph after Spring football practice at NC State’s practice facility in Raleigh, Thursday, March 24, 2016.

Can Pack backs carry the load? By R. Cory Smith North State Journal

ALEIGH — After an embarrassing 51-28 Belk Bowl loss to Mississippi State ended a disappointing 2015 season, NC State coach Dave Doeren decided to make changes on his coaching staff. Matt Canada was let go and Eliah Drinkwitz was brought in to implement his system from Boise State. Nyheim Hines’ first thought when he heard the team would make a change at offensive coordinator? “I hope it’s a no-huddle spread,” Hines said with a smile. After the team announced hte hire of Drinkwitz — a coach who ran such an offense while at Boise State — Hines was elated. “I looked at the film and I was like, ‘Well, this is the offense I wanted to run out of high school,” Hines said. “A year later, I got my dream come true.” The former Garner athlete carved out different roles for himself in 2015, excelling as a rusher (243 yards on 48 carries), receiver (256 yards on 20 catches) and on special teams (920 yards on 35 returns). With injuries depleting the running back corps early in the spring, Hines filled a major role in the backfield and could very well start at running back in the Spring Game.

“I expect to be the guy. I definitely expect to be the guy that everyone can rely on. It’s no pressure to me. I’ve handled it before in the past and I can do it again.” Matt Dayes

With Hines in the mix for the fall, NC State should be deep at the position. For now, requiring Hines to start means things are a little lean for the Wolfpack. “We don’t worry about the people that aren’t here,” Drinkwitz said. “We coach the guys that are here. Nyheim [Hines] and Brady [Bodine] have really done a nice job stepping up. … That’s part of football. You have to have a next man up philosophy and can’t get caught up in who you don’t have. “You’ve got to coach the ones you’ve got.” Various issues debilitated NC State’s running game in 2015. Shadrach Thornton was dismissed. Lead back Matt Dayes missed the final five games of the season. Dayes was a breakout star prior to the injury, leading the Pack with 865 rushing yards (and tying Dalvin Cook of FSU for the ACC lead in rushing touchdowns with 12). He’s limited in practice heading into the Spring Game, but made no bones about where he plans to fit in next season. “I’m being kept out of contact drills, but I’m 100 percent and I’m ready to go whenever they want,” Dayes said. “I expect to be the guy. I definitely expect to be the guy that everyone can rely on. It’s no pressure to me. I’ve handled it before in the past and I can do it again.”

NC State will need the offense to run through the backs early in the season with a change under center. Out is Jacoby Brissett. In is a brand new quarterback, currently TBD. Drinkwitz noted the competition for the signal-caller spot is still wide open, but the Spring Game will give fans a sneak peek at the situation under center. Jalan McClendon fits the prototypical spread offense quarterback mold, but Jakobi Meyers, Dylan Parham and others are still very much in the mix. Regardless of who takes over at QB, the backfield will be loaded with potential thanks to a deep running back rotation. “It’s like having a whole bunch of horses behind you,” McClendon said through laughter. “I feel pretty comfortable about it. … We’ve got a bunch of guys that can make it happen.” The unknown at this point is what Johnny Frasier offers in the backfield. While State fans likely won’t get a glimpse of him on the field before the season, Reggie Gallaspy knows exactly what Frasier will bring in Drinkwitz’s system. “He’s got that power, man,” Gallaspy said. “He’s a guy with great size. He’s gotten really big. (Laughs) Running downhill — especially in the red zone — I think he’ll contribute a lot to the team this year.”

NCSU BASKETBALL

Cat Barber walks away from Wolfpack career By R. Cory Smith North State Journal ALEIGH — At the end of the R day the prospect of using an all-time great ACC season to be-

come a first-round pick and taking care of his family made Cat Barber’s decision easy. The firstteam All-ACC point guard made his leap to the NBA official last week, announcing he would not return to play for his senior season at NC State. The decision was not a complete shock to Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried and his staff, given the season Barber put together. Barber finished third in the ACC Player of the Year voting and became only the second ACC player to average 23.5 points along with 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists, matching Georgia Tech’s Kenny Anderson. “I appreciate Cat for his significant contributions over the last three years at NC State,” Gottfried said. “I wish him the best, and we will help him any way we can as he pursues his dreams to play in the NBA and provide support to his family. “Not only was his play terrific for our team, but he showed great development as a player and young man during his time in our program, and he can leave here in solid position to come back and earn his degree.” Barber equaling this season’s numbers wasn’t likely — especially not with the shooters the Wolfpack will have next season. In other words his stock won’t be higher than it is right now. Next year’s draft class will also be deeper, meaning the like-

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

lihood of a first-round selection for Barber was even slimmer. Let’s not forget the most crucial aspect here: family. Barber has a one-year-old daughter and playing college basketball doesn’t exactly pay the bills. “I feel like it’s time for me to move on and take my game to the next level,” Barber said in a text message to PackPride.com. “I want to be able to provide for my family. I enjoyed my time at NC State. I want to thank my coaches for giving me the opportunity. Most importantly I want to thank my teammates and the fans. I want everyone to know I gave it 100% every night. I will forever be a part of WPN.” Unlike Trevor Lacey sudden-

ly departing from NC State last season, Gottfried was able to prepare for the potential of Barber’s exit. The team adds Terry Henderson and Torin Dorn on the wing with the No. 1 point guard in the 2016 class in Dennis Smith Jr. taking on Barber’s role. Having Barber back would have been huge for the Pack but his decision is more than understandable. It’s the right move for Barber and one that benefits not only him, but his family as well. “Not just me, but I have to do it for my child,” Barber said. “My brother died, it motivated me to do better. See the opportunity I got and go take it. I think that played a big part in me doing what I’m doing now.”

N.C. State guards Caleb Martin (14) and Anthony Barber (12) talks after a time out during the game against North Carolina on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at PNC Arena. North Carolina defeated N.C. State, 80-68.

Three things to know from UNC’s Pro Day By Brooke Pryor North State Journal

HAPEL HILL, N.C. — Romar Morris’ Twitter handle “@speedkills_21” was never more appropriate than on North Carolina’s Pro Day last week, when the running back cooked up a 4.30 40-yard dash, helping his draft stock in a big way. Morris turned heads with a pair of blazing 40-yard dashes in front of NFL scouts from almost every team Tuesday morning at Navy practice field. “When I ran it, I heard a couple scouts yell like, ‘woo,’ which made me yell ‘woo’ too,” Morris said. “I felt good after my second rep.” Tuesday’s 40 time was pretty impressive, but Morris claimed he’s done better, running a 4.28 during training a few weeks ago. A lack of touches during his senior season — just 10, along with 9 catches — meant the Pro Day workout was imperative for Morris’ future success. “I felt like it was very necessary for me to have a great workout,” Morris said. “That’s something, I didn’t really have the numbers last year, but I contributed a lot to the team, whether it was on special teams or blocking or anything. I just gave all I can to the team. I feel like I had to come out here and show what I could do and impress the scouts because they haven’t seen me in a couple years.” In a crowded backfield last season, Morris’ production dropped off from 65 carries in 2014. His 19 touches in 2015 led to just 64 rushing yards, 54 receiving yards and one touchdown. With his traditional offensive role decreasing, Morris found a home on special teams — something the running back thinks will make him a more attractive NFL prospect. “I love special teams, because in the league, you’re going to have to be able to play special teams,” Morris said. “Special teams is one thing that I keep myself on. I want to be in the NFL playing special teams as long as I can. If I get to the NFL and only play special teams, I’ll be happy with that. So just being in the process, playing special teams, playing offense/defense, I can do whatever they ask me to do.” Turner still turning heads Fresh off a trip to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, offensive lineman Landon Turner showed off his skills a little bit closer to home. Before he came back to Chapel Hill, Turner spent time in California learning a variety of new techniques from different professionals. “It’s really nice to work with a new coach, especially an NFL offensive line coach,” Turner said. “I worked with Hudson Houck, who was an o-line coach for the Cowboys for a while, in California. Got a few sessions in with Nick Hardwick, he used to play for the Chargers, when I was in San Diego. “I’ve had some different styles. There’s a thousand ways to skin a cat, and I just love the game. That was the fun part for me. That was the fun part today, doing the drills.” Turner, who has a visit scheduled with the New Orleans Saints in early April, took some reps at center during the pro day, snapping the ball to quarterback Marquise Williams. Though he primarily lined up at right guard during his time at UNC, Turner wants to expand his versatility to be a more attractive pro prospect. “They only travel with seven guys, so I want to be one of those seven guys,” he said. “Typically, unless you’re a knockout, it’s good to be versatile. I want to be one of those seven guys. I’m going to be one of those seven guys come this fall that’s going to be traveling on an NFL team. I’m going to show them I can play more than one position.” Pogge implements agent program With Pro Day comes an influx of scouts, family and agents to the practice field. In the past, there’s been a negative connotation associated with agents on UNC’s campus, but these days, Carolina has a new system to promote positive agent-player interactions. Associate Athletic Director Paul Pogge, who began working at UNC in 2012, implemented a program to connect athletes with agents to keep the university more in the loop with those dealings. “It’s pretty extensive in everything that he does,” coach Larry Fedora said. “Basically, what he does, the agents that are registered with the state, they register with the university. And when they do that, then Paul sets up interviews with our players for them. And Paul is usually present in every one of those interviews. “And then we instruct our guys that if anybody tries to contact them outside of Paul, they let Paul know and then Paul basically bans those people from our campus. The ones that do it the right way are welcome on our campus and the ones that aren’t, they’re not welcome.” Pogge’s program helped connect quite a few former UNC football players with their current representation, including Morris to Wilmington-based agent Gary Shipman. “With that, I was able to meet a lot of agents over the last two years and get to sit down and talk to them and get familiar with them and they pretty much sold themselves to me,” Morris said. “I feel like Gary Shipman was one of the best. He really goes after it for his players and he really goes hard for you.”

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

B8 NCSU BASEBALL

Brandon Daw, right, and Brian Carter, center, of Digital Print & Imaging, put the finishing touches on a mural being installed on top of the visitor dugout at Dail Park as the NC State baseball team practices on March 23. Another mural with a different design was installed on top of the home dugout as well. PHOTOS BY EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

NC State baseball refreshes dugouts By R. Cory Smith North State Journal

ALEIGH — Out with the old, in with the new. That’s the philosophy NC State baseball is using to modernize a traditional sport and help reinvigorate student support. There’s a visual element to this, with the baseball team refacing both dugouts in a graffiti style that serves as an homage to NC State’s infamous Free Expression Tunnel. It’s a cross-demographic appeal too. Updating the facilities (recruits), modernizing the view on television (fans) and paying tribute to previous players (alumni) all wrapped into one slick marketing campaign. Surrounding both layouts are 165 names of baseball alumni, including notable young MLB players Carlos Rodon and Trea Turner, as well as former star Joey Devine. Those are names that not only the coaching staff can identify with, but also the fan base — an idea Elliott Avent personally put his fingerprints on. “Everything about this program and this University in general is special to me,” Avent said. “Pratt Maynard just walked by, he went to school here. John

“The Free Expression Tunnel is one of the most iconic areas ... We tried to find a way to recreate that to build that connection with students.” John Lambert

Lambert is standing over there, he went to school here. The players that I brought into this program… have a great love and bond with NC State.” Lambert, now the director of player and program development for the baseball team, echoed his former coach. “The base idea was just to create more of a connection to the campus,” Lambert said. “The Free Expression Tunnel is one of the most iconic areas outside of the belltower. We tried to find a way to recreate that to build that connection with students.” Over the course of 20 years, Avent has coached several future MLB players at the collegiate level. While the program has gone through ebbs and flows, Avent said the students on campus are the lifeblood of the baseball team’s success. Enrollment at NC State is now above 34,000 students, but Avent believes it has separated the school as a whole. Similar to Avent’s Army — the student section on the hill next the thirdbase dugout — the coach hopes changing out the dugouts will bring students together. “It seems like somehow there are more students, but less camaraderie,” he said. “As the school has expanded, it seems like less

Brandon Daw, of Digital Print & Imaging, puts the finishing touches on a giant mural being installed on top of the visitor dugout at Dail Park as the NC State baseball team practices. people know each other. … They just want to feel like it’s more of their team. I just don’t want to lose that connection. This is your team.” The design was created by Sean Kernick of Oak City Hustle, and will last through the rest of the regular season. Kernick’s interpretation of Mr. Wuf caught the eye of Lambert, who sought out the graphic artist for the project.

Moving forward, the team hopes to connect with the student body in other ways by reaching out to the design school to create layouts for the dugouts. “We have an unbelievable design school here,” Lambert said. “We really want to work with them in the future and get them to submit what their vision of NC State baseball is. Hopefully we can get two new dugouts each season to add to their portfolios.”

Join us at CAM Raleigh on April 9th, 2016 VIP ($125) starts 6:30pm

Includes Open Bar throughout the evening.

General Admission ($75) starts 7:30pm 2 drink tickets with the option to purchase more.

Event includes local food, art and silent action items!

Music from Raleigh’s Sidecar Social Club.

Visit www.app4art.org to buy tickets today! Benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Wake County

This week we sit down for five questions with one of N.C.’s finest new bands. Look Homeward, a group of young men hailing from the Piedmont who are making music infused with the hum of North Carolina. Continued on page C2

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

NS J SUNDAY

3.27.16

playlist March 29 Messes and Masterpieces Greensboro The Greensboro Children's Museum helps little ones explore elements of art in line, color, and texture. This week's artist: Michelangelo. gcmuseum.com

brave hearts

March 30 The New Latino Sound Series Charlotte Explore how local Latino musicians in the South are blending different musical traditions, such as rock, salsa, blues, reggae, country, and bachata. Sam Byrd will discuss his book "The Sounds of Latinidad" followed by a special performance by Charlotte’s own UltimaNota. museumofthenewsouth.org

April 1-2 38th Annual Newport Pig Cookin' Contest Newport

PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Bruce Ham, left, jokes around with his daughters Bailey, 18; Annie T., 13, and Lucy, 15, while making dinner at their home in Raleigh on Thursday, March 17, 2016. Bruce's wife, Lisa, passed away from cancer in 2010, and he has been raising their three daughters on his own.

widower rebuilds and gives back after loss When Bruce Ham lost his wife to colon cancer, he relied on friends and family to make him a stronger person. He now tries to do the same for other grievers. By Dan Bains For the North State Journal

See BRAVE HEARTS, page C6

The Bear Necessities Asheboro Come out of hibernation for a "bear-y" good time with the North Carolina Zoo bears. You can even take your teddy bear to the Teddy Bear Clinic for a check-up with zoo veterinarian staff. nczoo.org

Beaufort Wine and Food is partnering with Beaufort Grocery Co. to host an artist's reception, show, and sale of new work by Donna Lee Nyzio, signature artist for the upcoming Beaufort Wine and Food festival. Each year the featured artist donates their painting for Beaufort Wine and Food to auction off at the Grand Reserve Tasting and Auction, raising money to donate to partner charities. beaufortwineandfood.com

A photo of Bruce Ham with his wife, Lisa, who passed away from cancer in 2010, sits in their living room.

FROLIC

Inside

April 2

Beaufort Wine & Food Festival, Featured Artist Reception with Donna Nyzio Beaufort

n a cold Saturday evening in February 2010, Bruce Ham sought warmth in the arms of his wife, Lisa. He had written her a letter, and she invited him into bed to read it aloud to her. He obliged, despite the constraints of her hospital bed. Five months earlier, Lisa had been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. She underwent an aggressive regimen of radiation, chemotherapy, and eventual surgery, but the cancer advanced to her ovaries, lymph nodes, spine, and bones. Having discovered bleeding on her brain in February, one doctor was honest enough to use the word some terminal patients dread: “soon.” This inspired Bruce to write the aforementioned letter, the reading of which was the last coherent conversation he remembers having with Lisa, who died early the following Wednesday. She was 39, and left behind three daughters — ages 7, 9, and 12 — and a 44-year-old

The USA's largest whole hog barbecue pig cookin' contest includes two days of food, fun, and springtime celebrations. You'll find crafts, a variety of foods, barbecue plates, funnel cakes, bake sale, amusement rides, live entertainment, and more. newportpigcooking.com

Much of our state's history begins in Edenton. Founded in 1712, our first colonial capital is home to the state's oldest courthouse, breathtaking water views, and too many fine folks to name. Come frolic with us in Northeastern N.C. See page C3

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

necessities sensibility

history marked

Spring is in the air

March 27, 1911 The newly enacted Weeks Act paved the way for the land purchase that led to the establishment of Pisgah National Forest. Today, the forest includes 510,000 acres across 15 counties in the western part of the state.

PRING is upon us and many of my clients are S sprucing up their homes with

furnishings, fabrics, and wallpapers embracing today’s trends. I have a deep passion for hand-painted, Asian-inspired wallpaper. To create timeless spaces, I adore using newly patterned scenic designs that include a nod to the past. The exquisite wallpaper used in this two-story entryway transforms a conventional foyer into an inviting gallery, encouraging visitors to pause and enjoy the artistic setting. I designed this scene to include shades of mossy greens and warm neutrals, which highlight the Gilded Tea Paper. The beauty of using custom wallpaper is you can choose colors from fresh greens and cool blues to fiery reds. Color evokes your personal style. I always emphasize to my clients when choosing colors to consider the style and atmosphere they would like to create.

March 31, 1973 Carowinds opened to the public. The theme park was the brainchild of Charlotte developer E. Pat Hall, and the property spread over 73 acres, making it larger than Disneyland when it opened. Visit and you can observe the golden concrete state line that runs through the park. North Carolina and South Carolina’s legislatures even met at the park for a joint session two weeks before the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“Sunny’s Nights: Lost and Found at a Bar on the Edge” by Tim Sultan

released February 23, 2016

“Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens” by Steve Olsen

released March 7, 2016

“The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement”

by Reverend William J. Barber II, with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove released January 12, 2016

Contributors to this section this week include: Dan Bain Samantha Gratton Alison Miller Dan Reeves Amy Richards Tula Summerford

Tell us

Know a North Carolina story that needs to telling? Drop us a line at features@nsjonline.com.

RS VP

Imagine life in someone else's shoes or learn something new with a book. Thanks to The Regulator Bookshop in Durham, N.C., here are a few new nonfiction books for you to check out at your local bookstore.

released March 22, 2016

Voices

Planting before knowing the makeup of your soil is like casting your line out with no bait. If you don't know the level of fertility in your soil then there's no way to know what will grow and how to care for what sprouts up. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension can help you. Information about how to test your soil can be found at: gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/soils/

turn the page

by Lee Smith

Tula Summerford of Design by Tula is an interior designer who studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She believes whether a home is formal or casual, traditional or modern, all rooms should reflect the client’s personality and style.

know before you

Information courtesy of N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

“Dimestore: A Writer’s Life”

PHOTOS BY CAT NGUYEN | FOR THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

just a pinch

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The members of Look Homeward, Evan Ringel, Alex Bingham, Lee Anderson, and Wilson Greene IV, prepare for their show opening for the Steep Canyon Rangers at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh.

5 with 5 of North Carolina’s finest North Carolina is full of fine folks doing worthy work. In this series, we kick back for conversation with homegrown, doers, makers, shakers, artisans, and music-makers. Lee Anderson (guitar, vocals), Alex Bingham (upright bass), Evan Ringel (trombone, fiddle), and Wilson Greene IV (banjo), of Look Homeward fuse North Carolina folk with the soul of beach music, the moving spirit of gospel, and our distinct Old North State bluegrass. Yes, the band is named after Thomas Wolfe's novel, and no, they do not feel home is a place to which you cannot return. You can hear home in all of their verses and compositions. Is there a moment in your musical journey that you point to as your tipping point?

The release of our first full-length studio album and winning the On the Rise contest at Floydfest last year — we’ll be back and on the main stage this year. What's the most distinct thing about playing in North Carolina?

Here there’s a family atmosphere at shows. All of our families have been extremely supportive of what we’re doing. We look out and see people we know at every show here. Is there a particular song or lyric that never fails to move you?

“BLWD” (born, you love, you work, you die) — Lee is the songwriter with the lyrics, “All the best decisions I’ve made in my life came from looking at the moment through my deathbed eyes” reminds us to live in the moment and enjoy the ride. How did where you are from shape the artist you’ve become?

It brought the marriage of so many types of music — bluegrass, beach, soul, jazz.

Tell us a song that causes you to turn it up and roll the windows down.

We start every tour, every outing listening to Willie Nelson’s “City of New Orleans” — you know, “Good morning, America, how are you?”

stir it up “I love a gin and tonic, so much so that we make and bottle our own tonic syrup. But I understand not everyone is ready to accept his or her love of gin. Durham Distillery has a juniper-forward, Navy strength gin, for the gin lover, and an American dry gin that’s much softer, with some cucumber and honeysuckle flavors and citrus notes. That’s what I use in this cocktail, which is meant to be an introduction to gin for people who say they don’t like it.” — Shannon Healy, Alley Twenty Six, Durham

Urban Garden Gin & Tonic 1 ounce soda water 2 ounces Durham Distillery Conniption American Dry Gin 1 ounce Alley Twenty Six Tonic Syrup 1 ounce pink grapefruit juice ½ ounce lime juice 6 thinly sliced cucumber coins ½ ounce fruity red wine, such as Malbec

Fill a Collins glass with ice cubes and top with soda water. In a mixing glass, combine gin, tonic syrup, grapefruit juice, and lime juice. Shake, then strain into the Collins glass. Stir once, then slide 5 cucumber coins down the inside of the glass using a bar spoon. Next, hold the spoon over the cocktail and slowly pour wine over the back of it, allowing the liquid to float on top of the drink. Garnish with a cucumber coin.

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

frolic Edenton, where N.C. begins

eat Nothin’ Fancy Café & Market: 701C N. Broad Street, order whatever you want, but have some cornbread. Waterman’s Grille: 427 S. Broad Street, the entire menu is good, but we always end up ordering the cashew tilapia. This is definitely a local gathering spot. We typically run into so many friends and family there that we can skip the invites and call that our visit. Downtown Café & Soda Shoppe: 301 S. Broad Street, get the “grilled” cheese. Pro tip – it is a hometown fave because they are smooshed together. FYI: if you ask a local they are likely to call the place Mitchener’s since that was the name of the pharmacy previously there, but I promise they’re talking about the same place.

know As you make your way around downtown, save time to leisurely take in the historic beauty of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The structure itself is the second oldest church building in North Carolina and the state’s only colonial church still in use. SUSAN DIXON | FOR THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

shop

The Historic Cupola House is now a museum standing watch over Edenton Bay on South Broad Street.

By Jennifer Wood North State Journal

KIP SHAW | FOR THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Sailing on Edenton Bay by the Barker House.

LRIGHT, let’s get the disclaimers out of the way. I married a man from Chowan County — these people are my people — friends and relatives. Sure you can go on and think I’m predisposed to bias, but my relation to the inhabitants of this locale in no way changes the fact that Edenton is North Carolina at her most superlative. This is where N.C. begins, founded November 6, 1712, Edenton served as the first Colonial Capital. You know how you visit some places and they have replicas of history — not here — Edenton has protected, maintained and preserved the original. A few not to be missed landmarks include: the Cupola House, the Historic 1767 Chowan County Courthouse, the James Iredell House, and the Penelope Barker House. I do hope you’ll find your way to Northeastern North Carolina. The historic fabric of our state begins here, the views are magnificent, the shops and restaurants are unique, and the people are charming. The opportunity to learn something about North Carolina and make a new friend makes for a worthwhile journey.

Byrum’s True Value Hardware: 314 S. Broad Street, as someone once told me, “If Byrum’s doesn’t have it, you don’t need it.” There’s a gift shop attached and just beyond is the craft store. Summerhouse: 105 E. King Street, there’s a comforting coolness to this shop. They have curated gifts and accessories that are hard to pass up, not to mention, the building itself is excellent. Edenton Bay Trading Company: 407 S. Broad Street, if you need to pair wine with a meal or just want to look cool and buy the new IPA that not only tastes good but also has the fun label then come here and find Malcolm, he can help you. They have also saved me with many last-minute hostess gifts.

do Edenton has a range of year-round events for all ages to enjoy. One of my personal favorites is coming up in April. Easels in the Gardens will run April 15-16, and the fun includes private garden tours, artists painting en plain air, as well as garden and floral workshops.

in the frame the Albemarle Sound By Dan Reeves For the North State Journal

LEIN AIR painter Jaquelin Perry, a native of Elizabeth City, relishes the privacy and prosperity of her life in Colerain in Bertie County on the Chowan River. For Perry the rural agricultural landscape, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the solemnity of those lonely stretches of country roads provide more than enough to keep her inspired and creating new works. Perry refused to talk about herself or her art, until she made it clear the crucial contributions and unwavering support she gratefully absorbs from the volunteer-driven Bertie County Arts Council. Regardless of experience, all artists are welcome—including painters, sculptors, jewelry designers, and creative people of all stripes find support and a welcome environment where they can learn and grow. Influenced greatly by her mother, Jaquelin Nash Jenkins, a talented plein air painter and teacher of art at College of The Albemarle, the young Perry absorbed first hand a predisposition to paint and create. Sadly, her mother passed away at a young age, leaving behind a legacy as an artist, teacher, and mentor—commemorated by the Jaquelin Jenkins Gallery at the Arts of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City. Perry’s influences are displayed mostly in contemporary painters. She speaks warmly and with great admiration for Carolyn Peel, who, according to Perry, "has done more for the arts in the area in the past ten years than anyone else." Margie Sawyer, Dr. Fred Saunders, and Fen Rascoe round out her cadre of fellow painters, friends, contemporaries, and mentors. Sis Hall grew up agrarian in the country near Windsor where she developed her penchant for painting barns and farm life. Like Perry, she occupied much of her time as a child drawing and creating. With her grandmother, she would venture to Nags Head, paint, and swat mosquitos all day. It was later in life that painting called again. Hall equates a painting to piecing together a puzzle. The color and combinations make up the pieces. To avoid a piece becoming “muddy,” Hall

SUSAN DIXON | FOR THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A sunny afternoon in Sis Hall’s Nags Head studio.

paints with a limited pallet executing the “less is more” principal. To make a painting smoother and easier, she identifies the lights and the darks, fills in the darks. When she squints, the darks take her around the canvas to the point she knows it is complete. To reach a harmonious visual experience, she uses a touch of sky and a touch of ground. “Sky controls what is on the ground,” Hall says. When mentioning her influences, Hall echoes Fen Rascoe and Jaquelin Perry with respect and admiration for the humble coaching of Fred Saunders and the dedication of Carolyn Peel. The tie that binds these rural masters of plein air painting together is easily identified by the ways in which they lend each other guidance and insight. In their work, one sees a likeness, bringing out what some might not see in a field of sunflowers, or a heard of cows grazing. The lights and the darks, the sky and the ground.

Summer’s First Sunflowers, Jaquelin Perry

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

gather Highfalls Old Time Fiddlersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Convention | Highfalls North Carolina communities come together and support each other in many ways. In this series we'll take you across N.C. to introduce you to fine folks lifting one another up. Eamon Queeney joined the people of Robbins as they held the 81st Annual Highfalls Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention. Musicians from all over the state assembled at North Moore High School to compete for first place in various categories, such as band, fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, singer, dancing, bass fiddle, dobro, piano, and most promising young talent. The convention began in Moore County in the 1930s and has become a center of their musical community, a place to get together to share their love of bluegrass and gospel, in turn preserving a distinctly North Carolina musical style. This year, the money from the entry fees went to fund programs and buy supplies for Highfalls Elementary School.

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

C5 Members of Flint Hill, Chance Parrish, center, Adam Frazier, left, and Chris Poole, second from left, joke around with other musicians in the band room during the 81st Annual Highfalls OldTime Fiddlers' Convention at North Moore High School in Robbins. Flint Hill took home the top prize in the band competition.

Above left, Theron Caviness, 91, warms up with his band, Solid Rock, during the 81st Annual Highfalls OldTime Fiddlers' Convention at North Moore High School. The bass player has been attending the convention for more than 75 years. Below left, The band Solid Rock performs during the 81st Annual Highfalls OldTime Fiddlers' Convention at North Moore High School in Robbins.

John Michael Hill, 15, of Sanford, right, waits to go on stage during the 81st Annual Highfalls Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention at North Moore High School in Robbins, North Carolina. The annual gathering brought talent from around North Carolina to compete for the $1,800 in cash prizes and bragging rights. Awards were given out for the top finishers in the following categories: band, fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, singer, dancing, bass fiddle, dobro, piano, and most promising young talent.

Rodney Richardson, of Asheboro, carries his bass into the 81st Annual Highfalls Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention at North Moore High School in Robbins.

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Bruce Ham, left, carries his daughter’s clothes upstairs to help her pack to go back to college.

BRAVE HEARTS from page C1 widower. “This was the first thing that I’d faced that I didn’t have control over,” Bruce laments. “I’d always had a charmed life up until that point; I had no idea of the struggles I would face.” Bruce had relied on Lisa to handle the family logistics. He’d heretofore been unaware of the difficulty in handling details like birthday parties, school snacks, homework, clothes shopping, and even brushing the girls’ hair. With Lisa gone, those details weighed heavily on him. “It was incredible; I thought I was going to lose my mind,” he remembers. “I’d finally get to bed at 1 a.m. and be up again at 6. I lost 15-20 pounds just from the stress.” Lisa’s brother, Hayes Permar, moved in for two years. His work in sports video and production lent itself to a more flexible work schedule than YMCA Chief Development Officer Bruce, and helped with the logistics of the girls’ school activities. He also brought music, laughter, and creativity back into their home, and encouraged Bruce to move on. After discovering the girls watching “Full House” one evening, Permar remarked on the similarities between Bruce’s situation and the sitcom, and convinced Bruce to start a blog called The Real Full House. Permar also discovered a journal Bruce had started a week after Lisa’s initial diagnosis, and urged him to turn it into a book. Bruce hired a writing coach, and in September 2013 published “Laughter, Tears and Braids.” An early draft helped Bruce understand the story was about something different from what he’d expected: “I thought the book was about cancer, but it was really about the making of a man.” Bruce believes that the man could not have been made if not for the help of Permar and many others. He has since conversed with other men in his situation, and has seen

many who didn’t have a similar support network. “It makes me very sad,” he says. “I don’t know how they do it, and it motivates me to help folks who are going through tough times.” That help takes numerous forms, from listening to other widowers to coaching them. He is also a frequent public speaker, presenting to church groups and hospitals about how they can better serve their congregants and patients in need. Bruce also advocates for fathers and husbands to strike a better work-life balance, and believes he has helped numerous men to see the importance in doing so. “When I compare what I was in summer 2009 to what I am today, it’s a totally different person. I’m a much better man than I ever was back then,” he says. “I’m happy and fulfilled with where life is, and I want to enjoy every minute, because I don’t know how many more I have.”

Annie T. Ham, 13, sits on her dad's stomach as he exercises in the living room. Left, Lucy Ham, 15, Annie T. Ham, 13, and Bailey Ham, 18, goof around in the kitchen after making dinner with their father Bruce at their home. Right, Bruce Ham straightens a quilt that is made from pieces of his wife's clothes in his daughter's room.

E EL

ATING SINCE

PRESENTED BY

$1,500 Festival Travel Package Want to enjoy the highlights of the Azalea Festival and need a place to stay? Don’t want to drive while you are here…we have that covered too! Visit ncazaleafestival.org/festival-hotel-package/ Or call 910.794.4650 to talk to your personal travel agent

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

№5

Read to me

A Good Naptime Spoiled By Tales Untold EDITOR’S NOTE

Stories have power. They amuse, enchant, teach, and transport us to another time and place outside of our own. Each week, we invite you to read with us, and with the people you love, to let your imagination run wild and free.

NE DAY – an unusually cold and wet day for spring – it was raining so hard that school was cancelled. It had been windy and raining for days, so much that the streets in town were flooded and it wasn’t safe to go out anywhere. Radbert spent the morning looking out of the living room windows, staring at the power lines overhead, as the wind whipped them around like jump ropes. By lunch time Radbert was quietly dropping marbles down the back of his baby sister Ana’s onesie. She was busy sucking on a foam block and had no idea what he was doing. Suddenly, Radbert heard his mom calling from across the house. “Ana!” mom cooed. “It’s time for your nap!” Now, Radbert didn’t take naps anymore. And he was happy about that, because taking a nap was just about the last thing he ever wanted to do. But, he loved it when it was time for Ana to take her nap, because that meant that Mom would try to get some work done, and Radbert got to watch… a video. So, the sooner Ana started her nap, the sooner Radbert would get to watch that sweet, sweet video. “Ana!” Mom repeated, walking into the living room now. “Let’s go sweetie.” But Ana didn’t like naps any more than Radbert liked naps. So she immediately crawled away from Mom as fast as she could, scooting right under the table where no one could reach her. “Oh no you don’t!” shouted Radbert, and he dove after her under the table. Ana thought it was a game, and squealed in delight. “Oh, thank you, Radbert,” said his mom. “I wasn’t sure how I would get her out from under there. We don’t want to miss naptime!” “You’re telling me!” thought Radbert. “Quick,” he said to his mom, “I’ll go grab her pacifier. You get her blankie. I’ll meet you in the bedroom!” Radbert went tearing through the house, looking for a pacifier. A blue one, a red one, a clean one, a dirty one – any one would do. He just needed to get that baby napping so he could watch a video! Then, there was a strong gust of wind outside. Rain blew hard against the windows and the lights flickered throughout the house. Radbert got scared–just for a second–and ducked under the kitchen table to hide. There, in a pile of scrambled eggs, was Ana’s pacifier.

“Aha!” thought Radbert! “I’m a genius! I knew she dropped it here while she was eating breakfast!” He grabbed the pacifier up off the ground and ran to find his mom. By the time Radbert got to Ana’s bedroom, he was hoping she’d be all wrapped up in her blanket and ready to go to sleep. But instead, she was practically naked, lying on her changing table with her feet in her mouth. As soon as Radbert stepped through the door, he was hit with the foulest smell you can imagine. It smelled like a garbage bag full of rotten bananas. “Yeah, sorry about that smell,” said Radbert’s mom, as she folded up a dirty diaper. “Looks like Ana had a little pre-nap business to take care of. Speaking of which, I can’t seem to find any fresh diapers in here…” “I’ll get one!” Radbert yelled, and he spun around and ran out the door. “I’ve got to find a diaper fast,” he thought, “or I’m never going to get to watch a video!” Radbert ran down the hallway to the closet. He threw open the door and saw the new box. It was still sealed with packing tape, but Radbert used his sharp monster claws to cut open the box, grabbed a fresh diaper for his sister, and ran back down the hallway to her bedroom. “Here you go, Mom!” said Radbert as he waved the fresh diaper in her face. “You should get this on her fast so she doesn’t miss her nap!” Radbert’s mom started to put the fresh diaper on Ana, but Ana didn’t like that too much. She started twisting and squirming, and making it impossible for anyone to put a diaper on her. Radbert thought fast. He just had to get this kid to sleep! He went over to the bookshelf and picked a squeaky toy off the shelf, and brought it over to the changing table. He stood near Ana’s head and held the toy over her face, giving it some squeezes so it would make a goofy sound. Ana’s squirming turned to giggling, so Radbert’s mom quickly got the fresh diaper on Ana, buttoned up her onesie, and scooped her into the crib. She and Radbert quietly snuck out of the room and closed the door behind them. “Honestly, Radbert,” said his mom, “you’ve really been great this morning. Don’t you see how wonderful it is when you’re helpful and pleasant?” “Yeah, yeah, yeah…” said Radbert impatiently. “Can I watch a video now?” “You know what?” said his mom. “Since you’ve been so helpful and it’s a yucky, rainy day out… sure thing, you can watch a video while Ana naps and I get some work done.” “Hurray!” shouted Radbert. All of the sudden, the house went dark. Radbert ran down the hall into the living room, but it was just as he feared. It was totally dark everywhere. He grabbed the TV remote and started pushing buttons,

but nothing happened. “Looks like the storm blew out the power,” said Radbert’s mom as she flicked some light switches up and down. “And I’m not going to be able to get any work done.” “Nooooooooo!!!!” said Radbert. “Well, it’s okay. I don’t actually have that much to do.” “Nooooo!” shouted Radbert again. “Radbert, it’s really okay,” said mom. But Radbert wasn’t shouting about Mom not being able to work. He was shouting because after everything he had done to get Ana down for her nap –looking for pacifiers and finding fresh diapers and entertaining her while she got dressed–he wasn’t even

gonna get to watch a video! “You’re so sweet to worry about me Radbert. Now why don’t we make some popcorn and listen to the rain together?“ As his mom pulled out the popcorn and a pan, Radbert wished he hadn’t tried to help so much. He could have been doing monster stuff the whole time. “Never again,” he vowed. “From now on, I’ll only cause trouble.” But when his mom asked him to be a helpful little monster and grab the butter out of the fridge, he did it anyway. Mostly because he really liked popcorn… but also because–even though he was going to be the terriblest, evilest, up-to-no-goodest monster there ever was– it was sorta hard to say no to his mom. This is Season 1 Episode 2 of Radbert: one of many original serialized audio tales from Tales Untold. To learn more and to listen to hours of engaging, screenfree entertainment for kids on your smartphone or tablet, visit talesuntold.com

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