North State Journal Vol. 6, Issue 12

VOLUME 6 ISSUE 12

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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

the Wednesday

NEWS BRIEFING

GOP Leader McCarthy opposes Jan. 6 commission Washington, D.C. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday that he won’t support a proposal to form a commission to study the Jan. 6 protest at the U.S. Capitol.

McCarthy said he wanted the new panel to look at the broader issue of political violence, including Black Lives Matter groups that protested police nationwide in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.

He said that given the “shortsighted scope that does not examine interrelated forms of political violence in America, I cannot support this legislation.”

The bill’s path forward is uncertain in the 50-50 Senate. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell objected to the initial proposal

by Pelosi, saying it should also investigate last summer’s riots.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Fauci: Reasonable for businesses to keep masks Washington, D.C. Dr. Anthony Fauci is acknowledging “confusion” after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week said fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks in most instances, even indoors.

Fauci says it is “reasonable and understandable” that some businesses and localities are maintaining mask requirements, because they can’t be sure of an individual’s vaccination history.

Fauci says children who are not vaccinated — including children under 12 who won’t be eligible for vaccines for months — should continue to wear masks indoors. But he says that recommendation could change as the CDC conducts more research and more Americans get shots.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NCDHHS extends Medicaid Managed Care enrollment through May 21 Raleigh The N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday it is extending open enrollment for N.C. Medicaid Managed Care through Friday, May 21.

“We want to be sure beneficiaries have every opportunity to choose a plan, so even after open enrollment ends, they have until September 30 to pick a different plan for any reason,” said deputy secretary for Medicaid Dave Richard.

The extension will not impact the launch date of July 1, 2021. Beneficiaries who do not choose a health plan by May 21 will be automatically enrolled in a health plan by the department.

NSJ STAFF

Endangered red wolves born at North Carolina Zoo, doing well Asheboro Three litters of American red wolves, which are critically endangered and number less than two dozen in the wild, have been born at the North Carolina Zoo, officials announced Monday.

The litters, which total 12 pups, were born over three days at the end of April.

According to zoo officials, all the pups and their mothers are healthy and doing well.

The newest pups bring the total number of red wolves currently in the zoo’s breeding program to 36, making it the second-largest pack in the U.S. The pups most likely will be visible starting in midJune.

Zoo officials said only 15 to 20 red wolves remain in the wild, all in eastern North Carolina.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOTO VIA NC DEPT. OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt (left) listens during a recent visit to an elementary school.

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Prosecutor says Pasquotank deputies justified in shooting

By Ben Finley The Associated Press ELIZABETH CITY — A North Carolina prosecutor said Tuesday that sheriff’s deputies were justified in fatally shooting Andrew Brown Jr., because he ignored their commands and endangered at least two of them when he drove his car toward them.

District Attorney Andrew Womble said at a news conference that Brown used his car as a “deadly weapon,” causing Pasquotank County deputies to believe it was necessary to use deadly force. Womble said the deputies will face no criminal charges.

Attorneys for Brown’s family who watched body camera footage have previously said that he was trying to drive away from deputies and posed no threat.

Family attorney Harry Daniels said that the family was preparing a response to Womble’s an-

nouncement.

During his news conference, Womble said a deputy who tried to open Brown’s car door wound up partly on the hood as Brown backed up, and the deputy found himself directly in the car’s path moments later when Brown drove forward. Womble said the deputy had to push off the car with his hand to narrowly avoid being run over, and at least one of the other deputies was also endangered as the group tried to take Brown into custody on drug-related warrants.

“I find that the facts of this case clearly illustrate the officers who used deadly force on Andrew Brown Jr. did so reasonably and only when a violent felon used a deadly weapon to put their lives in danger,” Womble said, referring to Brown’s car. He added that he found that “Brown’s actions and conduct were indeed dangerous by the time of the See SHOOTING, page A3

PHOTO VIA AP

Pasquotank County District Attorney Andrew Womble answers questions from reporters after announcing he will not charge deputies in the April 21 fatal shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. during a news conference Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at the Pasquotank County Public Safety building in Elizabeth City.

Truitt takes on COVID, Critical Race Theory in first months in office An exclusive with NC’s top education official

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The first quarter of state Superintendent Catherine Truitt’s first year on the job has been busy. She’s dealt with issues ranging from COVID-19 mitigation to literacy and learning loss to the controversy surrounding Critical Race Theory, and North State Journal recently sat down with Truitt to discuss it all.

“The job of the state superintendent is to lead the administrative agency that is the arm of the State

Board of Education,” Truitt said, adding that the agency falls under the executive branch. “And as the leader of the Department of Public Instruction, I lead the staff that does the work that comes to us by state board policy or by statute.”

Earlier this year, after vocal opposition from Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the SBOE voted to approve a planned revision to the state’s Social Studies Standards, which critics said contained Critical Race Theory (CRT) themes.

As a board member, Truitt was involved in these debates.

“I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding about what Critical Race See TRUITT, page A2

‘Fund Law Enforcement’ bill aims to offer signing bonuses amid officer shortage

By David Larson North State Journal RALEIGH — State Rep. Allen McNeill (R-Randolph) filed House Bill 775, “Fund Law Enforcement/ Detention/Corrections,” in early May to help turn around law enforcement recruitment problems by offering $5,000 signing bonuses for new officers willing to sign a threeyear contract with agencies in the state.

“It’s meant to be more of a recruiting tool,” McNeil told NSJ in a phone interview. “I guess you could call it an anti-Defund the Police bill. It was predicated on the fact that it’s getting more difficult to recruit officers into the law enforcement profession.”

McNeill said there are a lot of reasons people aren’t choosing law enforcement as a career path. One reason is they used to recruit heavily among those returning from military service overseas, but he said there are not as many available veterans as there were in the past. But a bigger reason, he says, is recent negative attention on the profession, which has taken away a lot of the sense of honor and prestige that came with the job.

McNeill is himself a 32-year veteran of law enforcement who “did a bit of everything” during his career.

He worked in the prisons, worked patrol, ran the vice unit and then finished his career as the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy.

“I felt like I was making a difference in people’s lives, helping solve crime,” he said of his early years on the job.

But now, he says his former colleagues in law enforcement are reporting a dip in morale. This is also being seen in the numbers, which

he says show a shortage of around 2,000 officers in the prison system and alarming shortages everySee POLICE, page A2

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

A2 WEDNESDAY

THE WORD: PENTECOST

5.19.21 #283

ROMANS 8: 22-25 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

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This Sunday is Pentecost. On the Christian calendar, Pentecost is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter Sunday and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit to the followers of Jesus. The term is derived from the Greek word for 50th. The events of Pentecost were described in Acts 2 and found the Disciples celebrating the Jewish Feast of Weeks, which came on the 50th day after the celebration of the First Fruits.

The event came just days after Christ’s ascension to Heaven and fulfilled a promise made by Christ before he left his earthly form. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would sustain the early church. The arrival of the Holy Spirit came with a mighty wind and tongues of fire. The result was the beginning of the Christian faith as we know it.

“Liberty's story” Visit us online nsjonline.com North State Journal (USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365) Neal Robbins Publisher Matt Mercer Editor in Chief Cory Lavalette Managing/Sports Editor Frank Hill Senior Opinion Editor Emily Roberson Business/Features Editor David Larson Associate Editor Lauren Rose Design Editor

Published each Wednesday

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FILE PHOTO

TRUITT from page A1 Theory is. It is not a curriculum, it is not a program,” said Truitt.

“It is an idea and a theory, pieces of which sometimes permeate everything from a comment that an adult in a school may make all the way down to a particular assignment that is given or to a training that could be given by a district.”

Neither the SBOE, DPI nor the state superintendent has authority over local district instruction decisions, local policies or curriculum materials.

That distinction is important when it comes to the topic of the political bias in the classroom — and the recent uproar over Critical Race Theory — which has frustrated parents across the state looking to the SBOE or Truitt to act.

Truitt was met with some criticism for her support of House Bill 324, which passed the N.C. House on May 12. She says she was asked to weigh in on the bill and that she provided her support based on the fact that the bill does not specifically name Critical Race Theory but rather protects all students from discrimination.

Multiple House Democrats in the General Assembly spoke against the bill before it headed to the Senate.

State Rep. James Gailliard (D-Nash) called the bill “anti-education” and a “don’t-hurt-my-feelings bill,” while state Rep. Kandie Smith (D-Pitt) compared it to “book burning.”

“I have heard many detractors of the bill claim that we all know what the intent of this bill is, and my response to that is, no, you don’t.

None of us know what the intent is.

All we have to go on is the language in the bill, and I see language that attempts to prohibit a classroom from elevating or condemning one group over another,” said Truitt.

Truitt said her biggest issue with CRT is that the theory asserts racism is inherent and that it can’t be amended. She said proponents would say that the racism is “self-perpetuating and that people are irredeemable, and that conflicts with my faith as well.”

Another issue, according to Truitt, is how Critical Race Theory supporters have caused confusion by co-opting and altering terms used in education such as “equity.”

“It’s important to define what equity and education mean, because we’re starting to lose our way in this battle of ideologies. Equity in education means providing every child what they need at the time they need it,” said Truitt. “It does not mean ensuring equal out-

POLICE from page A1

“With everything else going on — pay, the stigma, the national ‘Defund the Police’ movement, a lot of people saying the police are racists, there’s systemic racism in the system — it’s just a discouragement for anyone that might want to make law enforcement a career.”

Rep Allen McNeill (R-Randolph)

where from big-city police departments to rural sheriff’s offices to the state Highway Patrol.

“Now is not a great time to be in law enforcement, because of all the issues that are going on,” McNeill said. “Everything — pay, the stigma, the national ‘Defund the Police’ movement, a lot of people saying the police are racists, there’s systemic racism — it’s just a discouragement for anyone that might want to make law enforcement a career.”

He said, while there are bad actors in any profession, he believed they were getting a “bad rap” on the degree to which these problems exist across communities, and that he wished “citizens would trust people in law enforcement to weed those out. And I think we do a good job of weeding those out.”

The bill was given a first reading in the House and then sent to the Budget Committee. With McNeil chairing the Justice and Public Safety Subcommittee, he will be able to guide some of the discussions around funding of law enforcement, saying, “It’s nice to have a seat at the table.”

As a stand-alone bill, he said it likely wouldn’t move forward, but it would probably be wrapped up into the overall budget. The Senate will take first action on the budget this session and then will negotiate with the House on their separate priorities. He said they were also waiting for updated revenue projections and a finance package agreement with the Senate to see what kind of money they may have to devote to things like signing bonuses.

comes.”

Another battle is also emerging: masks in schools. Parents in counties like Guilford, Iredell, Moore and Wake have been vocal at school board meetings about removing masks in schools.

During the May 13 meeting of the SBOE, the ABC Science Collaborative (ABCSC) and officials with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) presented updates about COVID-19 in schools, which included vaccination information and a conversation about masks.

Following the meeting presentations, Truitt asked what conditions or “critical mass” need to be present in order for the masking order to be lifted in our schools and whether or not the orders would be different for the different grade levels.

NCDHHS state health director and chief medical officer Dr. Elizabeth Tilson responded, saying transmission is higher indoors than outdoors, but did not directly answer Truitt’s question about conditions or metric goals.

Tilson ultimately said they think mask wearing will “still be recommended” and that NCDHHS believes “masks in schools will be a really good idea for a long time.”

She also said they would have to

For McNeill, he said it would be “one of their top priorities to do a step-pay plan for prisons,” since they are having a particularly hard time getting enough officers in detention centers.

“A prison or a county jail, it’s a tough assignment,” he said. “You get the comments [from prisoners] and sometimes the assaults. So it’s a job that’s just not cut out for everybody.

In the North Carolina prison system, they hire a lot of officers, and they don’t last that long. They get in there, and it’s just not what they thought.”

McNeill said for most people, there is no amount of money you could pay them to do a job like that, and the people willing to do it aren’t getting offered enough to make it worthwhile.

“As time progresses, I only see that getting worse,” he said. “It’s widespread across the whole law enforcement field.”

In terms of support, he’s had a lot of calls from people in the state’s Department of Public Safety, who want him to extend the program to probation officers. He’s also heard tentatively from the N.C. Sheriff’s Association that they’d be behind offering these kinds of incentives, adding, “but I don’t have anything in writing yet.”

For McNeill, it comes down to the fact that “somebody is going to be in control of the neighborhood.” And the recent spikes in homicide rates, in his view, “directly go back to criminal gangs trying to control certain areas of a city or a community” in a time when law enforcement is seeing low morale and fewer people signing up to replace those leaving.

The Alabaster window from the Cathedra Petri depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove behind the high altar in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican by Italian sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini (c. 1660)

continue “reassessing” the rate of spread and the rates of immunizations in order to make determinations on masks.

“I didn’t know how I could have been more clear, and the answer was basically, we don’t know yet,” Truitt told North State Journal on determining how masking was the key factor or not.

Truitt said that county superintendents are telling her that their communities will “rebel if they have to wear a mask this fall” and that NCDHHS’s push for vaccinating children is also meeting with parental resistance.

“Let me be clear. I am never going to advocate that children under 12 need to be vaccinated in order for the mask mandate to come off,” said Truitt.

The day before the SBOE meeting, NCDHHS pushed out emails about vaccinations for children, many addressed to minors and not their parent or guardian.

The message said that those getting the email did so because their “health care provider, employer, or a partner organization pre-registered you to receive a COVID-19 vaccine,” there was a scheduled a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, or the recipient had given their email when they got a COVID-19 vaccine.

“Let me be clear. I am never going to advocate that children under 12 need to be vaccinated in order for the mask mandate to come off.”

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt

NCDOT PROJECT UPDATE REGARDING PROPOSED ROUNDABOUT AT JOHN MCMILLAN ROAD AND CHICKENFOOT ROAD IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY

TIP Project No. W-5706O Hope Mills - The public is invited to view the preliminary design map from the N.C. Department of Transportation this month regarding the proposal to improve the intersection of John McMillan Road and Chickenfoot Road in Cumberland County. This project proposes to improve safety and mobility.

Due to COVID-19, NCDOT will not host an in-person public meeting for this intersection improvement project in Hope Mills. The Department has developed a public input website to provide you with the following: • • • •

An overview of the project The proposed project map How to read a public meeting map video How to navigate roundabouts video https://publicinput.com/Chickenfoot-HopeMills

The public can view the project materials and leave comments by accessing the public input webpage shown above. There will not be a formal presentation.

People may also submit comments by phone (512-580-8850 enter project code 5854), email (Chickenfoot-HopeMills@PublicInput.com), or mail to the project manager by May 25th.

NCDOT Highway Division 6 Project Engineer Jason Hatfield

PO Box 1150 Fayetteville, NC 28302 910-364-0603

Contact NCDOT as soon as possible if you require any accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Anyone requiring special services should contact Tony Gallagher, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 276991598, 919-707-6069 or magallagher@ncdot.gov as early as possible so arrangements can be made.

Those who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior by calling 1-800-481-6494.

Aquellas personas no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan llamando al 1-800-481-6494.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

A3

IRS to the rescue? Tax audits eyed for infrastructure cash

By Kevin Freking The Associated Press

COURTESY PHOTO

Michael Stading poses with family members.

Meet the Mecklenburgarea judge running for Court of Appeals

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — A Mecklenburg County District Court judge will be running for the state’s Court of Appeals in 2022.

Judge Michael Stading, elected to the 26th District Court in 2018, announced in January that he would be seeking a spot on the N.C. Court of Appeals in 2022.

His campaign has hit the ground running, raising $50,000 by early March.

The 40-year-old Stading was born and raised in North Carolina and lives in Mint Hill, southeast of Charlotte.

“My family’s actually been there [Mint Hill] since 1751, which I did not know until very recently. My eighth great-grandfather is buried a mile from my house,” Stading told North State Journal in an interview.

“I met my wife there, in that same town, at Independence High School when I was actually a junior. She was a senior,” said Stading, adding that they never broke up after high school, instead, going on to get married after college when he was in his first year at Campbell Law School and his wife, Jennie, was a public-school teacher in Wake County.

Following law school, the couple moved back to Charlotte where they still live with their three children, ages 13, 10 and a four.

Stading says he became interested in becoming a judge after friends encouraged him to consider it. He said he wasn’t sure at first about running, but that “it got

weighing on my heart,” and after praying about it with his wife, he got into the race.

“I thought it was the responsible thing to do to — to take my personal experience, my professional experiences, and apply that to the courtroom from that standpoint. That’s ultimately what led me to do that,” Stading said.

After passing the bar in 2006, Stading started out as a prosecutor the following year in the Mecklenburg County DA’s office. While a prosecutor, Stading handled dozens of jury trials and hundreds of bench trials until forming his own private practice around 2013.

While in private practice, he represented the Fraternal Order of Police, as well as criminal defense and administrative law.

Prior to starting his own firm, he became a board-certified specialist in criminal law in 2012.

Stading was also a captain in the United States Air Force and practiced law in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, also called the JAG Corps. He served in the JAG Corps, stationed with the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base.

“So, I did things a little bit backwards,” Stading said of his time in the Air Force. “After I went into private practice and paid off law school and when I first started the process, I think I had two kids by the time I started commissioned-officer training school.”

“I had never done anything like that before. So, this was the first time I’ve ever set foot on a quad to march was the first day I was in training for being in the Air

Force,” said Stading.

Stading, who still participates in the Air Force Reserves, said that at first his wife took some convincing on the idea of the Air Force, but that ultimately, “my wife is like me,” and that they feel very strongly about service to the country.

When asked what he thought was important in a Court of Appeals judge, Stading said that relevant experience of an individual was key, and for him, it’s his broad base of experience.

“I’ve been a prosecutor, so have that perspective. I did defense work, so I have that perspective. I represented police officers in private practice, for different sets of circumstances, so, that perspective, and then from the military side, going into federal court getting to be a litigator again,” Stading said. “You know, even while I’m still on the bench, when I go from civilian status to military status, I get to be a litigator… a court ordered attorney again… and, so, I get to have that perspective as well.”

Stading added that “It’s important to have judges who have been involved in that process actively and know it intimately. “ “The Court of Appeals is important, because that’s where these cases are reviewed, and we have to make sure that everything is done just right,” said Stading.

When he’s not in the court room, Stading says his favorite thing to do is coach his kids in sports like baseball and wrestling.

Stading said wrestling was “his sport” and that he was captain of the wrestling team in high school.

“I spend every minute I can doing those things with my kids,” said Stading. “I love coaching baseball. I, myself, do not personally like to play baseball, but I love coaching baseball.”

When not coaching, Stading helps out as a member of his local American Legion, of which he is a founding member.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republicans say they won’t raise taxes on corporations. Democrats say they won’t raise taxes on people making less than $400,000 a year. So who is going to pay for the big public-works boost that lawmakers and President Joe Biden say is necessary for the country?

Enter the IRS. Biden is proposing that Congress build up the often-maligned agency, saying that a more aggressive collection of unpaid taxes could help cover the cost of his multitrillion-dollar plan to boost infrastructure, families and education. More resources to boost audits of businesses, estates and the wealthy would raise $700 billion over 10 years, the White House estimates.

It’s just the latest idea emerging in the bipartisan talks over an infrastructure bill, which saw Biden huddle at the White House with congressional leaders and a group of Republican senators. The GOP senators, touting a $568 billion infrastructure plan of their own, said they were “encouraged” by the discussion with Biden, but all sides acknowledged that how to pay for the public works plan remains a difficult problem.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Biden brought up his IRS proposal when he met with the top four congressional leaders.

“My understanding is it’s at least $1 trillion, it could be a trillion-and-quarter, a trillion-anda-half dollars of illegally, unpaid taxes in the country,” Pelosi said.

“Part of the answer is to beef up the IRS so they could take in those taxes, and that’s a big chunk. That could go a long way.”

She was referring to the tax gap, which is the difference between taxes paid and taxes owed.

In a politically charged climate, there isn’t agreement on how big the tax gap is, let alone how much of it could be captured. But it’s a tantalizing target for lawmakers, raising the potential to raise hundreds of billions in revenue without needing to raise taxes at all.

The question is how big the tax gap really is — and how much it can realistically be closed.

The Internal Revenue Service has estimated the tax gap is $440 billion per year. But IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig stunned his audience at a recent Senate hearing when he offered a new number: about $1 trillion annually.

The old estimates don’t take into account the recent boom in income made by self-employed “gig” workers, which can be underreported, concealed offshore income and the rising use of cryptocurrency, which makes it hard for the IRS to identify taxpayers in third-party transactions, ex-

perts say.

The $1 trillion figure “is not crazy. That’s totally possible,” says Steve Wamhoff, director of federal tax policy at the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

But Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, the senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, called it “speculation.” And he’s worried it could push the IRS toward overzealous enforcement.

“It would be detrimental if IRS efforts do not strike the appropriate balance between taxpayer responsibilities and taxpayer rights,” Crapo told Rettig in a letter this week.

Biden’s new spending proposals include an extra $80 billion over 10 years to bolster IRS audits.

Some experts say bolstered audits could fall far short of a $700 billion windfall. The Penn Wharton Budget Model, a research organization associated with the University of Pennsylvania, projects the proposed spending on IRS collection efforts would bring in about $480 billion from 2022 to 2031.

In selling its plan, the White House has emphasized what it describes as fixing a “two-tiered system of tax administration” in the U.S. While regular workers pay taxes on the wages they earn, some wealthy taxpayers find ways to maneuver around them.

The IRS rejects the notion of unfair audit treatment, saying that critics have misinterpreted the data. Rettig bristled at the suggestion at the Senate hearing.

High-income taxpayers “are audited more than any other taxpayer,” he said, at a rate over 8% for those earning more than $10 million.

So far, Republicans are only ruling out revisiting the 2017 tax cuts. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Republicans would rather finance infrastructure through user fees such as tolls and gasoline taxes.

Republican lawmakers with control over funding for the IRS have long accused it of overreaching into ordinary taxpayers’ lives. Their hostility toward the IRS exploded into outrage in 2013 during the Obama administration, when the agency admitted having targeted conservative tea party groups with heightened, often burdensome scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote in his home state newspaper, that he’s not opposed to closing the tax gap, but he has concerns about the scope of the White House’s efforts.

“Instead of promising a chicken in every pot, Biden’s plan promises an auditor at every kitchen table,” Grassley wrote.

SHOOTING from page A1 shooting. ... Brown posed an immediate threat to the safety of the officers and others.”

The sheriff has said his deputies weren’t injured.

The prosecutor said he would not release bodycam video of the confrontation between Brown and the law enforcement officers, but he played portions of the video during the news conference that multiple news outlets broadcast live.

The shooting on April 21 sparked protests over multiple weeks by demonstrators calling for the public release of the body camera video. While authorities have shown footage to Brown’s family, a judge refused to release the video publicly pending a probe by the State Bureau of Investigation.

Womble made his determination to not charge any of the officers after reviewing the bureau’s report.

The three deputies involved in the shooting have been on leave since it happened.

A lawyer who represented the three deputies during a court hearing on petitions to release the video didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.

Four other deputies who were at the scene were reinstated after the sheriff said they didn’t fire their weapons.

An autopsy released by the family found that Brown was hit by bullets five times, including once in the back of the head. Lawyers for Brown’s family who watched body camera footage say that it shows Brown was not armed and that he didn’t drive toward deputies or pose a threat to them.

Separately, the FBI has launched a civil rights probe of the shooting.

PHOTO VIA AP

Pasquotank County District Attorney Andrew Womble shows still images from police body camera footage after announcing he will not charge deputies in the April 21 fatal shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. during a news conference Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at the Pasquotank County Public Safety building in Elizabeth City.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

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Big Tech in NC

Murphy to Manteo

The five companies collectively known as “Big Tech” — Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft — have invested billions of dollars into North Carolina.

In the first decade of the 2000s, the emerging need for massive data centers brought Apple, Facebook, and Google to western North Carolina. Placing facilities in Catawba, Rutherford and Caldwell counties, the rural counties 4 saw new jobs and 14 investment from Silicon Valley.

In the 2010s, the rise of Amazon brought Amazon a new network of distribution and Cities with Distribution Centers: fulfillment centers, which now 1 Concord 5 Pineville blank the state. As of early 2021, Amazon employs over 4,000 North 2 Durham 6 Smithfield* Carolinians and has made two new 3 Fayetteville* 7 Raleigh job announcements on the I-95 corridor.

4 Mills River The addition of computing jobs in Cities with Fulfillment Centers: the Research Triangle will mean a larger presence for Apple and Google 10 Kannapolis 8 Charlotte — and that the white-hot real estate market will likely continue to increase. 9 Garner 11 Kernersville

WEST

Buncombe County Work to demolish and remove a 75-foot-tall stone obelisk built to honor a Confederate leader will begin soon in Asheville.

Barricades have been placed around the Vance Monument ahead of work that will begin this week. Asheville City Council members voted 6-1 in March to remove the monument. Built in 1897, the obelisk honors Zebulon Vance, a former governor, U.S. senator and Confederate military officer. Work will continue for about two weeks. Temporary restoration will be completed by a local black-owned business while planners work with the public on a long-term plan for the site.

Henderson County The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles is opening some of its offices on Saturdays for the first time in a year. Saturday hours resumed at 16 offices across the state. Eight will focus on road testing to help reduce the backlog of teenage drivers: in Jacksonville, Wilmington South, Durham South, Greensboro West, Hudson, Charlotte South, Huntersville and Hendersonville.

The other eight will offer in-house testing for permits and licenses but won’t be doing road tests: Greenville, Fayetteville West, Raleigh North, Greensboro East, WinstonSalem South, Charlotte North, Monroe and Asheville. The offices will take walk-up customers from 8 a.m. to noon.

AP

AP

Pedestrian hit, killed by box truck Haywood County A man walking in the right lane of interstate 40 was struck and killed by a box truck on Saturday. State highway patrol confirmed that Ronnie Dean Dills of Candler was struck. He was pronounced dead on the scene. No charges will be filed against the driver of the box truck.

FOX CAROLINA

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Cemetery vandal ordered released Graham County A judge ordered that Dawn Renee Phillips, 61, be released from state custody after serving more than two years for 61 counts of desecrating a grave site. Phillips tipped over 60 headstones at Lone Oak Baptist Church Cemetery in 2019. The judge based the decision to release Phillips on the results of a mental evaluation, which indicated she lacked the capacity to stand trial.

Four state legislators named to GOPAC’s 2021 emerging leaders class

2 13

NSJ staff

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18 9 12

RALEIGH — National Republican organization GOPAC, which helps elect state-level leaders, named its 2021 class of emerging leaders.

Four legislators from North Carolina made the list this year. Nominated by the legislative leadership in their state, the chosen legislators “have demonstrated promise in positively impacting their state and rising within the Republican ranks,” according to GOPAC. “As Americans are seeking solutions to the issues our communities face, our 2021 class of Emerging Leaders has an excellent opportunity to advance ideas to make the lives of their constituents easier,

6

10

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8 17 5

3

Apple

Google

12 Maiden

15 Lenoir

13 Research Triangle Park*

16 Durham

Facebook

Microsoft

14 Forest City

17 Charlotte

18 Raleigh

Richmond County Leon Junior Johnson, 35, of Rockingham, was arrested and charged with stealing the identity of an Iredell County resident last month. Johnson faces felony charges after using a financial card in the victim’s name to make charges. Johnson used the card to stay at the Sea Crest Resort in Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach police arrested him at the resort. He also faces felony warrants for outstanding child support in South Carolina.

WHKY

Black softball player told to cut hair in game Durham County A black softball player was told to cut her hair because of the beads she was wearing.

Nicole Pyles of Durham Hillside High School was told by two umpires that she would either have to remove the beads or leave the game on April 19 against in-town rival Jordan High School. Pyles let her teammates cut her hair to remove the beads so she could continue playing in the senior night game. The official high school softball rulebook stipulates beads aren’t allowed.

Neither are plastic visors and bandannas.

The rules allow bobby pins, barrettes and hair clips.

WLOS

AP

safer, and better,” said GOPAC Chairman David Avella. “We welcome being part of their development and doing our part to support their success.”

The legislators are state Rep. Destin Hall (Caldwell) and state Sens. Deanna Ballard (Watauga), Dave Craven (Randolph), and Todd Johnson (Union).

The program includes a year-long initiative to help legislators meet counterparts from other states and provide leadership training.

“I’m honored to be part of GOPAC’s 2021 class of Emerging Leaders,” Hall tweeted.

Former Delaware Gov. Pete Du Pont, who helped found GOPAC in 1979, died on Saturday, May 8, after a long illness.

Election Integrity Act set for Senate committee hearing

By Matt Mercer North State Journal

*announced

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Inmate kills self in cell

Rockingham man arrested for identity theft

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DMV resumes Saturday hours at 16 offices

Removal of Asheville Confederate monument set to commence

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Park service evaluating whether to move Ocracoke Lighthouse

Middle school teacher charged with growing marijuana in yard

Surry County Donnie Matthews, an inmate at the Surry County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, killed himself in his cell last weekend.

Matthews used his bed linens to commit suicide within the single cell block where he was being kept. Staff found him and attempted emergency medical care. They performed CPR until EMS arrived, but Matthews was declared dead at the scene.

MY FOX 8

2 charged after gas station line fight amid panic-buying Wake County Two people are charged with assault after a fight in a line at a Knightdale gas station as a fuel pipeline shutdown sparked panicbuying. Police were called to a Marathon station for a report of a crash and a disturbance related to two people fighting over spots in line. The man and woman argued and each spat in the other’s face before the fight turned physical and a cellphone was damaged. The woman was charged with simple assault and the man was charged with assault on a female and damage to personal property.

Brunswick County Catherine Teague, a 47-year-old middle school teacher, grew large quantities of marijuana using a greenhouse at her home. Teague was charged with manufacturing and trafficking marijuana and possession with intent to sell or deliver. Deputies discovered about 25 pounds.

Also known as Catherine Neely, Teague resigned from her job as a sixth-grade math and science teacher at Leland Middle School after her arrest. Deputies discovered the marijuana after responding to a possible structure fire at the home. Teague — who worked for Brunswick County Schools since 1996 — was on a leave of absence and hadn’t taught since Jan. 19.

Hyde County The National Park Service is evaluating whether to relocate the historic lighthouse on Ocracoke Island. The bright white structure is the second-oldest lighthouse in the nation still operating and has been damaged several times by hurricanes. The lighthouse bricks and mortar are deteriorating from moisture trapped by a coat of concrete nearly 70 years old. Water levels are also rising, threatening to inundate the site, which is just 2 feet above sea level. The Park Service is considering a range of options, including whether to repair it as is, elevate and repair it, or relocate it.

RALEIGH — The N.C. Senate Committee on Redistricting and Elections is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, May 19 for a much-anticipated election reform bill.

Senate Bill 326, known as the Election Integrity Act, would make several reforms Republicans say are needed, as the issue of election integrity has become a vital concern for many.

The main change the bill makes regards the timing around absentee bymail ballots, requiring those ballots to be received by Election Day. Currently, absentee by-mail ballots can be received by county boards of elections up to three days after Election Day. In the 2020 general election the deadline was nine days, following a controversial consent agreement that changed the law without legislative approval.

“Every day that passes without a declared winner just breeds suspicions and conspiracy theories in people’s minds.

That’s not healthy. Requiring that at least

all the votes are in on Election Day helps minimize the delay in declaring a winner and, for the most part, helps wrap up the process quickly,” state Sen. Paul Newton (R-Cabarrus) said in a statement after the bill was filed in March.

The bill would also adjust the absenteeballot request deadline to 14 days before Election Day in order for those requests to be processed and mailed.

Additionally, Senate Bill 326 bars county boards of elections from receiving private funds for the purpose of administering elections or employing individuals on a temporary basis. In the 2020 election, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg donated $400 million across the country to boards of elections, nearly $5.4 million of which came to North Carolina, according to a report from the Capital Research Center.

The changes make North Carolina the latest state to consider strengthening election laws in 2021. Earlier, election integrity laws passed in Arizona, Florida and Georgia despite fervent opposition from Democrats and left-leaning organizations.

AP

AP

2 men wrongfully sent to death row awarded $75M in damages

Judge accused of nearly hitting protester with SUV

AP

Cumberland County A woman accused an appeals court judge of nearly striking Black Lives Matter protesters in downtown Fayetteville last month with an SUV. Court of Appeals Judge John Tyson must appear in court next month to answer charges of assault with a deadly weapon. Myah Warren gave a statement about what happened May 7 during a demonstration against fatal police shootings.

She and another protester had to jump out of the way to avoid Tyson’s vehicle. Tyson served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals from 2001 through 2008, then returned in early 2015. His current term ends next year.

AP

Robeson County A jury in a federal civil rights case awarded $75 million to two black, intellectually disabled halfbrothers who spent decades behind bars after being wrongfully convicted in the 1983 rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl. Henry McCollum and Leon Brown received $31 million each in compensatory damages, $1 million for every year spent in prison. The jury also awarded $13 million in punitive damages. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, one of the defendants, settled its part of the case for $9 million. The town of Red Springs settled in 2017 for $1 million.

AP

GARY D. ROBERTSON | AP PHOTO

Paul Newton, R-Cabarrus, left, speaks while Sens. Chuck Edwards, R-Henderson, center, and Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, stand at a news conference at the Legislative Building in Raleigh.

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98 % of ALL Farms Truth are Family Farms

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North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

The most hellish tyranny

A prominent Ron DeSantis critic was exposed, because people dared to ask questions

POOR BARRY GOLDWATER. Had the Arizona senator left out two searingly memorable lines in his presidential nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in 1964 — “I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! Let me also remind you that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!” — his speech would be universally remembered as the launch pad for the near half-century run of conservative dominance in American politics.

Instead, those two lines in his speech are remembered as the frozen O-rings that led to the explosive electoral disaster Republicans suffered in the fall to LBJ and congressional Democrats.

Goldwater laid out traditional Republican, and therefore American, values of how freedom and diversity go hand-in-hand, not in conflict with each other.

We all benefit from diversity and unity but it has to be bathed in freedom. Not in the false notion pushed by Joe Biden and progressive liberal Democrats of forced equity and “unity” enforced by socialism.

We would all benefit, it seems, from another look at Goldwater’s speech, abridged below: Because of this Administration we are a world divided.

We have lost the brisk pace of diversity and the genius of individual creativity. We are plodding at a pace set by centralized planning, red tape, rules without responsibility, and regimentation without recourse.

Rather than useful jobs in our country, people have been offered bureaucratic make-work; rather than moral leadership, they have been given bread and circuses; they have been given spectacles, and they’ve been given trillions of taxpayer dollars to stay at home instead of going back to work.

There is violence in our streets, aimlessness among our youth, anxiety among our elderly; and virtual despair among the many who look beyond material success toward the inner meaning of their lives.

Those who seek to live your lives for you, to take your liberty in return for relieving you of yours, those who elevate the state and downgrade the citizen, must see ultimately a world in which earthly power can be substituted for divine will. This nation was founded upon the rejection of that notion and upon the acceptance of God as the author of freedom.

Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. Let me remind you they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyranny.

Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed. Their mistaken course stems from false notions of equality. Equality, rightly understood as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences; wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, leads first to conformity and then to despotism.

In our vision of a good and decent future, free and peaceful, there must be room for the liberation of the energy and the talent of the individual. Otherwise, our vision is blind at the outset.

We must assure a society here which, while never abandoning the needy, or forsaking the helpless, nurtures incentives and opportunity for the creative and the productive.

We see and cherish diversity of ways, diversity of thoughts, of motives, and accomplishments. We don’t seek to live anyone’s life for him. We only seek to secure his rights, guarantee him opportunity, guarantee him opportunity to strive, with government performing only those needed and constitutionally sanctioned tasks such as securing our national defense which cannot otherwise be performed.

Balance, diversity, creative difference — these are the elements of Republican equation. Republicans agree, and Republicans agree heartily to disagree, on many of their applications. Anyone who joins us in all sincerity, we welcome.

Let our Republicanism be so focused and so dedicated that it is not made fuzzy and futile by unthinking and stupid labels.

The beauty of the very system we Republicans are pledged to restore and revitalize, the beauty of this federal system of ours, is in its reconciliation of diversity with unity. We must not see malice in honest differences of opinion so long as they are not inconsistent with the pledges we have given to each other in and through our Constitution.

Our Republican cause is not to level out the world or make its people conform in computer-regimented sameness. Our Republican cause is to free our people and light the way for liberty throughout the world.

Ours is a very human cause for very humane goals. *speech slightly adapted, modernized and shortened from original 1964 speech given at the Cow Palace in San Francisco

THIRTEEN MONTHS AGO, I wrote a column on how it should be okay to ask questions about when we begin to get back to normal. At the time, there was a growing tendency among some to treat those simply questioning the coronavirus data as though they were conspiracy theorists or people who otherwise didn’t care if they or someone else got sick.

Since that time, unfortunately, not much has changed. People who question government policy still get the third degree for daring to question “the science.” Social media platforms, like Facebook, see to it that a conservative site’s reach gets diminished as a form of punishment for taking issue with statements made by President Biden’s chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci and other medical experts.

Via extension, critics of the red-state governors who managed the pandemic much differently than media darlings in blue states are given the redcarpet treatment, with few questions asked of them from the media, beyond, “What made you decide to speak truth to power?” People who question them are also subjected to mockery and ridicule for refusing to go along with the prevailing narrative.

But this is still a free society, last I checked. And fortunately, there are still plenty of people who remain unbowed by the New Rules that, while unwritten, are understood to mean that you are to sit back, trust and obey until you’re told something different by “the experts.”

One such person is conservative writer Charles C.W. Cooke, who did a little something that is rapidly becoming a lost art in media circles these days: investigative journalism.

Cooke’s target was Rebekah Jones, a Florida data technician who was fired a year ago from the state’s health department for what state records reportedly show was a pattern of making unauthorized public remarks about the Florida coronavirus dashboard she helped manage. It wasn’t long after that Jones went on a media tour, claiming she had been ousted because she refused to manipulate data on the state’s coronavirus

dashboard that would have made Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, look even better.

Because the media despised DeSantis for managing the crisis much differently than New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, Jones was treated with reverence, including by CNN host Chris Cuomo, who as you might have guessed has a very personal connection to Gov. Cuomo (they’re brothers).

She became the go-to DeSantis critic anytime the media wanted to dunk on DeSantis. Jones became so revered for “taking on the DeSantis Gestapo” that in January 2021 she received Forbes Technology’s first-ever “tech person of the year” distinction. She was also a featured speaker at a March journalism conference on “when doing the right thing gets you fired.”

As she basked in the media glow, there were plenty who questioned her story along the way. But they were declared “sexists” and lumped in with supposed conspiracy theorists who didn’t trust the experts.

But Cooke proceeded to dig into her claims anyway in recent weeks. As it turns out, the socalled “data scientist” who was brought on to try to dent DeSantis’ credibility has some serious credibility issues herself. One big one is that she is not actually a data scientist. Another is that she was in fact not fired for refusing to massage coronavirus data.

The laundry list of her deceptions is too long to document here, but if you Google “Rebekah Jones Charles Cooke” you’ll find out all the details. The short of it is that Jones has a history of viciously and dishonestly retaliating when she’s been rejected, whether it be from a job — or by a man.

Jones’ sordid story is yet another reminder of why it’s important to question the experts. Because things are not always as they seem.

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

WILFREDO LEE | AP PHOTO

Surrounded by lawmakers, Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis speaks at the end of a legislative session, Friday, April 30, 2021, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla.

EDITORIAL | BOBBY HURST

Republicans need to come to the table on background checks, or risk Democrats passing anti-Second Amendment bill REPUBLICANS IN NORTH CAROLINA, and in Congress, are understandably on edge about Democrats trying to leverage tragedies to pass gun laws that are obviously infringements on our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. While this fear may be partially founded, given that some Democrats try to argue that this right to personal protection is not guaranteed in the Constitution, our elected officials should not let this stand in the way of closing loopholes in our laws that are currently being exploited by criminals.

It was recently announced that the NRA was launching a digital ad campaign in North Carolina to fight against President Biden’s gun control policies, and I imagine that most gun owners oppose 99% of the president’s and congressional Democrats’ positions on guns. But it may surprise many to learn that a majority — at least 52% — of NRA members polled say they support background checks for private gun sales, and that number is higher, 77%, for Republican voters more generally.

This might seem unlikely given the contentiousness of the gun issue, largely driven by the media narrative, but

when you dig further into the specifics, it makes good sense.

Many Second Amendment supporters believe the Founders prioritized this right so people could protect themselves and their families. Allowing felons, or those who have had their rights removed as a result of due process, to access firearms is a danger for our communities.

For example, no one would say the dangerously mentally ill should be able to purchase firearms.

While there is a lot we can disagree on regarding gun rights, we can make progress by focusing on what we do agree on, which is that we want to keep our families safe from people who should legally not be able to purchase firearms. The best way our elected officials can do this is to close any loopholes in current laws that allow felons to easily gain access to firearms.

This is where Congress comes in. A bipartisan group of Senators is looking at closing loopholes that allow strangers to sell guns to other strangers without a background check.

Some might assume this is already law, but as it stands, only licensed dealers are required to conduct background

checks.

While there is certainly a lot of room for error in any gun legislation, Sens. Thom Tillis and Richard Burr can fight to ensure that any agreement that is reached in the Senate closes loopholes without infringing on our Second Amendment rights. Thankfully, Sen. Pat Toomey, who is leading the negotiations on the Republican side, knows clearly that there are certain lines that cannot be crossed, such as requiring a background check when a father sells a gun to his son or daughter.

What is also clear is that if Republicans refuse to come to the table, Democrats will undoubtedly take any background check bill too far. With the filibuster under constant threat, and a Democratically controlled House, Senate and White House, it is more important than ever that Republicans stand up for our Second Amendment rights. The best way to do so is to support expanding background checks and by taking an active role in drafting any legislation on this issue.

Bobby Hurst, former Fayetteville city councilmember.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

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VISUAL VOICES

COLUMN | LINDALYN KAKADELIS

During COVID, NC charter schools are helping to lead the way MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN about pandemic impacts over the past year as educators and students were pushed to pivot and perform in ways no one had planned. It was, as The New York Times noted, “the most disrupted American school year since World War II.” As stories of learning loss and disengagement accumulate, they serve as stark reminders of the important recovery work ahead for all public schools.

Yet, there’s another story that needs telling, too, especially as we reflect on the road just traveled: How did public charter schools — intended to incubate innovation and ingenuity — navigate the storm and strife of the pandemic?

This week, State Board of Education members will find out, as they review North Carolina’s new 2020 Annual Charter Schools Report.

Every year, the charter report, required by statute, provides an opportunity for state leaders to assess the ongoing “educational effectiveness” of charters — evaluating academic progress and emerging best practices, among other things. But this year, the pandemic has provided a unique lens for evaluating charter performance. How have charters fared? Overall, as the report attests, they responded to pandemic disruption with efficacy and agility, mitigating student learning loss and meeting student needs.

Consider academics. The charter report cites statistics on at-risk students, presented in March to the N.C. Senate Education Policy Committee by Department of Public Instruction leaders. Culled from fall 2020 end-of-course exams, test data revealed a sobering snapshot of pandemic learning loss: 22.91% of students in traditional district schools were deemed “at-risk for academic failure” and were “not successfully progressing through grade level promotion.”

At public charter schools, test data told a different story: just 9.23% of North Carolina’s charter students were deemed at-risk. In ninth grade, the most tumultuous year for academics across the board, 27.5% of students in traditional district schools were at-risk for academic failure. At public charter schools, that figure was 12.55%. Such contrasts compel a closer study.

What was happening at charter schools? Survey data from charter schools, included in the new report, shed some light. Charters leveraged myriad strategies to ensure continuity in student learning. Ninety-eight percent distributed devices to students. Schools utilized an array of strategies to bridge connectivity gaps — providing students with phones equipped with Wi-Fi or directing funds to parents to pay for mobile hotspots on phones. Other schools provided community-based Wi-Fi access. Once public schools were authorized to open their doors for K-5

learning, charters were among the first public schools to do so. Charter ingenuity included flexibility: At KIPP Halifax College Preparatory in Halifax, students were offered virtual classes in the evening. Student participation “increased significantly,” the charter report notes.

Charter teachers worked to ensure continuity and efficacy in communication, utilizing an array of tools strategies, and platforms. Nine out of 10 charter teachers combined synchronous and asynchronous lessons, the charter report notes. Eight in 10 used video conferencing and written comments to give students feedback, as well as communicating with parents via remote and face-to-face conferences. Seven in 10 charter teachers provided tutoring and targeted help for students.

Charter teachers also kept close tabs on student wellbeing. At almost all charters — 97% — teachers conducted regular check-ins with students on academic and personal issues. Nearly two-thirds of charter teachers conducted consistent social-emotional check-ins with their students as well, the charter report found. Such comprehensive oversight, while demanding for teachers, undoubtedly helped keep more students on track during the protracted time of remote learning.

Families clearly like what they see. Even prior to the pandemic, families were flocking to charter schools. With their myriad missions and offerings — language immersion, character education, performing arts curricula, service learning, STEM/STEAM programs, Montessori focus, and more — charter schools hold growing appeal. The state’s 200 public charter schools now serve more than 126,000 students, an increase from 117,000 students in 2019-20.

Seventy-eight percent of charter schools report waitlists, totaling 76,000 students.

As the pandemic progressed, charter enrollments increased at every grade level in 2020-21, even as traditional district enrollment declined. Some charter schools stretched to meet family demand in extraordinary ways. This year, 10 N.C. charter schools overenrolled a total of 401 students — doing so without concurrent state funding. The needs of the student were of utmost importance to these schools.

Now, schools have opened — we hope, for good. But the lessons from this year of disrupted learning remain. As more data and stories come to light, we ought to celebrate and scale successes wherever we can. Our students are counting on it.

Lindalyn Kakadelis is executive director of the North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools.

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

Democrats follow the ‘science’ and reject common sense EVERY TIME I HEAR Democrats sermonize about following “the science,” I feel as though I’m listening to members of the Flat Earth Society. Science is what the left wants to believe to be true. It has become a way to shut off debate, not advance it. Remember: These were the fools who told us to shut down our schools for a year.

We are seeing the debasement of common sense in full bloom now on the economic front. When the latest disappointing jobs report was released with unemployment rising, the Democrats refused to acknowledge that their high welfare benefits kept workers from coming back to work.

President Joe Biden made the laughable observation that he saw “no measurable evidence” that the super-generous unemployment program is a deterrent to working. He needs to get out more.

My colleague Casey Mulligan of the University of Chicago and I predicted in The Wall Street Journal three months ago that the $300 per week extra unemployment benefits would mean 5 to 6 million people not going back to work because the government was paying them more not to work.

The left laughed at this prediction. Now we see record jobs going unfilled, 8.1 million, even when there are 9 million unemployed.

“Help wanted” signs at construction sites, factories, stores and restaurant windows are omnipresent from Maine to California. All the Biden folks needed to do was stop gazing into their cracked crystal ball and go outside and ask business owners if they can find workers. They would have heard an earful. Instead, the liberals paid attention to some cockamamie econometric model saying you can pay people more not to work, and it won’t change their behavior. Brilliant.

It gets worse. Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Michael Bennet of Colorado have sponsored a bill to make the lucrative COVID-19 unemployment benefits permanent and get benefits even if they quit their job “for a good reason.” Would “I couldn’t get up for work in the morning” be a “good reason”?

The real victims of this madness are the workers who have been on the job for the past year and earn less than the couchsitters collecting government checks and watching Netflix.

Or consider the surge of inflation that was recorded by the government last week. It was the most significant increase in consumer prices in a decade at 0.8%, and if this pace were to continue on an annualized basis, we would have about 9% inflation. Biden and Democrats were shocked by these developments. That makes sense as Biden and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell kept reassuring us of “no signs of inflation.”

Perhaps they don’t buy gas at the pump or go to the grocery store or try to hire an electrician, because ordinary people outside the Washington, D.C., bubble saw and felt inflation every day.

Why are the Democrats so surprised that prices are rising?

We have a federal government that has borrowed $5 trillion in two years. We have a Federal Reserve purchasing trillions of dollars of bonds and other assets with the money it prints.

We have the Biden administration giving people “free money.”

Biden now wants to spend and borrow $4 trillion more. Corn prices have nearly doubled. At some point, people will have to fill wheelbarrows with dollars when they head to the grocery store to pay the higher costs for rice, corn, chicken and ice cream.

Yet the experts in Washington told us not to worry.

These people joyously said that they have invented “modern monetary theory,” which allows the government to spend and borrow forever with no cost to anyone, the ultimate free lunch.

Now they tell us the inflation they said wouldn’t happen is temporary. And we are supposed to trust them.

Here is a simple, ironclad law of economics for the “science” mob on the left. If you tax something, you get less of it. If you subsidize something, you get more of it. This may not be science, but it is street smarts, i.e., common sense. If Biden wants to be a successful president, he better get some of it, and soon — before his mysticism bankrupts our country.

Stephen Moore is a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and an economic consultant with FreedomWorks. He is the coauthor of “Trumponomics: Inside the America First Plan to Revive the American Economy.”

COLUMN ADAM KISSEL AND JENNA A. ROBINSON

Problems with new education rule go far beyond critical race theory IN THE NATIONAL and state battles over whether our schools should include critical race theory — the idea that race defines each of us as oppressor or oppressed — the greatest fight right now began in the U.S. Department of Education, which seeks to hijack civic education programs for this divisive ideology.

Last month, this department proposed a new rule in which critical race theory would become a priority in grant competitions for these programs.

When we looked at the rule, we found much more than critical theory to challenge.

First of all, this rule is a wedge that will eventually lead to Common Core-type pressure on all schools to adopt critical race theory at all grade levels. We all know how a suggestion becomes an incentive and then a requirement.

Next, three dozen U.S. senators wrote the agency, stating that the rule is based on divisive and discredited sources. We agree. Most of all, these sources include the 1619 Project, which redefines the American story as hopelessly, thoroughly racist ever since the first slaves were Race features brought to Virginia (and strongly, but not counting the slaves in it identifies Spanish Florida for the previous hundred years). many additional The narrative also is groups as based on professor Ibram “underserved.”

Kendi’s book, “How to Be These an Antiracist,” in support of “anti-racist practices.” Yet include rural this book explains that such communities, practices consist of new but the new discrimination on the basis rule shows no of race as the “only” way to incorporate antiracist interest in, say, practices. disconnected Following this version of areas of antiracism would violate Appalachia. basic civil rights.

But this is far from the only problem in the new rule.

For one thing, the rule fails by the Biden administration’s own standards of inclusion. On his first day, President Biden issued an executive order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities. Race features strongly, but it identifies many additional groups as “underserved.” These include rural communities, but the new rule shows no interest in, say, disconnected areas of Appalachia.

Moreover, the rule is unworkable in practice. It is self-contradictory. One part insists on teaching “systemic marginalization, biases, inequities, and discriminatory policy and practice in American history.” But how then can this divisive teaching also “validate” all students after telling a majority of them that they and their ancestors are part of the oppressor class?

Besides, these terms are hopelessly vague. There is no definition of any of these terms in the rule.

When it comes time to score applicants, graders will bring their own biases and will not grade equitably across grading teams.

Unlike the rules for other competitions, the new rule offers zero guidance on high-quality research into pedagogy that actually helps rather than hurts. Kendi’s brand of antiracism has not been rigorously tested in classrooms, and it seems likely that teaching based on his ideas will further divide Americans. If something out there does work, the Department of Education doesn’t tell us.

Making our children guinea pigs with government funding is a bad idea.

Finally, the rule fails to account for different age and developmental levels among students.

Elementary school students barely understand what the media even is, yet applicants must address how projects would encourage students “to critically analyze the diverse perspectives of historical and contemporary media and its impacts.” Even middle school students commonly do not have the background for this.

To simply indoctrinate students with a preapproved critical analysis, which is what would more likely happen, will thwart genuine critical analysis by students.

The rule is divisive and unworkable. It has become an embarrassment and a distraction to the Biden administration.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

NATION & WORLD

Afghans who helped the US now fear being left behind

By Rahim Faiez The Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan — He served as an interpreter alongside U.S. soldiers on hundreds of patrols and dozens of firefights in eastern Afghanistan, earning a glowing letter of recommendation from an American platoon commander and a medal of commendation.

Still, Ayazudin Hilal was turned down when he applied for one of the scarce special visas that would allow him to relocate to the United States with his family. Now, as American and NATO forces prepare to leave the country, he and thousands of others who aided the war effort fear they will be left stranded, facing the prospect of Taliban reprisals.

“We are not safe,” the 41-yearold father of six said of Afghan civilians who worked for the U.S. or NATO. “The Taliban is calling us and telling us, ‘Your stepbrother is leaving the country soon, and we will kill all of you guys.’”

The fate of interpreters after the troop withdrawal is one of the looming uncertainties surrounding the pullout, including a possible resurgence of terrorist threats and a reversal of fragile gains for women if chaos, whether from competing Kabul-based warlords or the Taliban, follows the end of America’s military engagement.

Interpreters and other civilians who worked for the U.S. government or NATO can get what is known as a special immigrant visa under a program created in 2009 and modeled after a similar program for Iraqis.

Both programs have been dogged by complaints about a lengthy and complicated application process for security screening that grew more cumbersome with pandemic safety measures.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month that the U.S. is committed to helping interpreters and other Afghan civilians who aided the war effort, often at great personal risk. The Biden administration is reviewing the visas programs, examining the delays and the ability of applicants to challenge a rejection.

Former interpreters, who typically seek to shield their identities and keep a low profile, are becoming increasingly public about what they fear will happen should the Taliban return to power.

“They absolutely are going to kill us,” Mohammad Shoaib Walizada, a former interpreter for the U.S. Army, said in an interview after joining others in a protest in Kabul.

At least 300 interpreters have been killed in Afghanistan since 2016, and the Taliban have made it clear they will continue to be targeted, said Matt Zeller, a co-found-

MARIAM ZUHAIB | AP PHOTO

In this Friday, April 30, 2021, photo Mohammad Shoaib Walizada, 31, a former Afghan interpreter for the U.S. speaks during an interview to The Associated Press after a protest against the U.S. government and NATO in Kabul, Afghanistan.

DIEU NALIO CHERY | AP PHOTO

In this Friday, April 30, 2021, photo former Afghan interpreters hold placards during a protest against the U.S. government and NATO in Kabul, Afghanistan er of No One Left Behind, an organization that advocates on behalf of the interpreters. He also served in Afghanistan as a U.S. Army officer.

“The Taliban considers them to be literally enemies of Islam,” said Zeller, now a fellow at the Truman National Security Project. “There’s no mercy for them.”

In December, Congress added 4,000 visas, bringing the total number of Afghans who can come with their immediate family members to 26,500, with about half the allotted amount already used and about 18,000 applications pending. The application process now typically takes more than three years.

Noah Coburn, a political anthropologist whose research focuses on Afghanistan, estimates there could be as many as 300,000 Af-

ghan civilians who worked for the U.S. or NATO in some form over the past two decades.

Former interpreters have support in Congress, in part because many also have former American troops vouching for them.

Walizada, for example, submitted a letter of support from a U.S. Army sergeant who supervised him in dozens of patrols, including one where the interpreter was wounded by Taliban gunfire.

“I cannot recall a linguist who had a greater dedication to his country or the coalition cause,” the sergeant wrote.

Walizada was initially approved for a visa, but it was later revoked.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services told him that it had “adverse information you may be unaware of,” according to a letter he provided to The Associated Press.

Rocket from Gaza kills 2; Israel topples 6-story building

By Fares Akram The Associated Press GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A rocket launched from Gaza killed two Thai workers in southern Israel on Tuesday, police said, hours after Israeli airstrikes toppled a six-story building in the Palestinian territory.

Violence erupted at protests in the West Bank, including in the city of Ramallah. Hundreds of Palestinians burned tires and hurled stones at an Israeli military checkpoint.

Troops fired tear gas canisters at the crowd, and protesters picked up some of them and threw them back.

One protester was killed and more than 70 wounded — including 16 by live fire — in clashes with Israeli troops in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and other cities, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli army said two soldiers were wounded by gunshots to the leg.

Since the fighting began last week between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas’ militant infrastructure, while Palestinian militants have fired more than 3,400 rockets from civilian areas in Gaza at civilian targets in Israel.

The latest attack from Gaza hit a packaging plant in a region bordering the territory. In addition to the two people killed, Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said it took another seven to the hospital.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman

KHALIL HAMRA | AP PHOTO

A Palestinian man inspects the damage of a six-story building which was destroyed by an early morning Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, Tuesday, May 18, 2021.

Tanee Sangrat said the wounded were also Thai.

The Israeli military said rockets also were fired at the Erez pedestrian crossing and at the Kerem Shalom crossing, where humanitarian aid was being brought into Gaza, forcing both to close. It said a soldier was slightly wounded in Erez attack.

Israel continued its airstrikes into Gaza, leaving behind a large pile of rubble in its attack on the six-story building with centers used by the Islamic University and other colleges. Desks, office chairs, books and wires could be seen in the debris.

Israel warned the building’s residents ahead of time, sending them fleeing into the predawn darkness.

There were no reports of casualties.

The fighting began May 10 when Hamas fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israel’s heavy-handed policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

At least 213 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes since, including 61 children, with more than 1,440 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at

Walizada said he has appealed the decision and hasn’t received a response.

Hilal, who translated from Dari and Pashto to English for the U.S. Army from June 2009 to December 2012, was rejected by the U.S. Embassy, which said he did not meet the requirement for “faithful and valuable service,” because he was fired by the contracting firm that hired him after 3 1/2 years of service.

“If I haven’t done faithful and good service for the U.S. Army, why have they given me this medal?” he said, holding the commendation, in an interview at an office in Kabul used by the former interpreters to meet with journalists.

A November 2019 letter of support from his platoon commander was highly complimentary of “stellar” service that “rivals that of most deployed service members.”

Hilal was by the commander’s side on hundreds of patrols and dozens of firefights, monitoring enemy radio traffic and interpreting during encounters with locals, U.S. Army Maj. Thomas Goodman said in the letter.

“He was dependable and performed admirably,” Goodman wrote. “Even in firefights that lasted hours on end, he never lost his nerve, and I could always count him to be by my side.”

The special immigration visa program allows applicants to make one appeal, and many are successful. Nearly 80% of 243 Afghans who appealed in the first quarter of 2021 were subsequently approved after providing additional information, according to the State Department. Hilal said his appeal was rejected.

least 160.

Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, have been killed in the ongoing rocket attacks.

The fighting is the most intense since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. Egyptian mediators are trying to negotiate a cease-fire, but the U.S. has stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the hostilities, and Israel has vowed to press on.

The war has also seen an unusual outbreak of violence in Israel, with groups of Jewish and Palestinian citizens fighting in the streets and torching vehicles and buildings.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the bombardments had set the Palestinian militants back many years.

“I am sure that all our enemies around us see the price we have levied for the aggression against us,” he said, speaking in front of an F-16 fighter jet at an air force base in a video released by his office Tuesday.

The Biden administration has declined so far to publicly criticize Israel’s part in the fighting or send a top-level envoy to the region, and it has blocked a proposed U.N. Security Council statement calling for an end to the crisis.

Among the buildings that Israeli airstrikes have leveled was the one housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.

Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday in Iceland that Israel had given the U.S. information about the bombing.

Pentagon reconsidering huge JEDI cloud-computing contract Washington, D.C. The Pentagon is reconsidering how to make a massive shift to cloud computing, officials said, suggesting it could scrap the so-called JEDI contract potentially worth $10 billion that was awarded to Microsoft but is mired in legal challenges.

“We are going to have to assess where we are in regards to ongoing litigation and determine what the best path forward is for the department,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Jamal Brown said, citing remarks by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks late last month.

Hicks said then that she could not comment on the legal case or say what course of action the Pentagon will take. But she said a move to cloud computing is essential for a number of reasons, including cybersecurity.

“Moving to a cloud architecture is going to be vital to how we innovate in this department and we’re going to have to assess where we are with regard to the ongoing litigation around JEDI and determine what the best path forward is for the department,” Hicks said April 30.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the Pentagon is considering “pulling the plug” on the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure project, known as JEDI, in light of ongoing legal challenges to the Pentagon’s decision in 2019 to award the contract to Microsoft over Amazon Web Services.

Amazon Web Services had long been considered a leading candidate to run the JEDI project, which would store and process vast amounts of classified data, allowing the U.S. military to improve communications with soldiers on the battlefield and use artificial intelligence to speed up its war planning and fighting capabilities.

Amazon has asserted the bidding was improperly influenced by President Donald Trump’s dislike of Amazon and its chief executive officer, Jeff Bezos. Bezos also owns The Washington Post.

The Pentagon had indicated to Congress that if the legal challenges dragged on too long it might have to move in a different direction.

Last month a federal judge rejected a Pentagon move to have key parts of Amazon’s complaint dismissed.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

US sanctions Myanmar military and junta leaders for attacks Washington, D.C. The U.S. placed more members of Myanmar’s ruling military junta on a financial blacklist for the deadly attacks against civilians following the February coup in the southeast Asian nation.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed financial sanctions on 16 people and the newly created State Administration Council.

The designation freezes any assets they have within a U.S. jurisdiction and bars anyone within a U.S. jurisdiction from conducting any financial transactions with them.

Thirteen of the people are senior members of Myanmar’s military, which seized control of the country in February and has killed hundreds of people, including children, to suppress opposition.

The other three are adult children of senior military officials who were previously designated for U.S. sanctions.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

SPORTS

Panthers’ 2021 schedule released, B4

BRETT FRIEDLANDER | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Baseball returned to Fayetteville when the Woodpeckers hosted the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on May 11 at Segra Stadium.

Woodpeckers, drilled by pandemic, return

the Wednesday SIDELINE REPORT COLLEGE SPORTS

NC State AD Corrigan gets 2-year extension into 2026 Raleigh NC State athletics director Boo Corrigan has received a two-year contract extension through April 2026. The school said its board of trustees approved the deal Friday, a little more than two years after Corrigan left Army to begin work as Debbie Yow’s successor. His tenure has included Wolfpack sports teams winning seven ACC championships, including back-to-back tournament titles for women’s basketball.

The Wolfpack also announced a two-year extension with football coach Dave Doeren last month after an eight‑win season played amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Corrigan recently started his term as a member of the College Football Playoff selection committee.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Former Wake coach Gaudio charged with extortion Louisville Former Wake Forest basketball coach Dino Gaudio is facing federal extrotion charges for threatening to report recruiting violations at Louisville in exchange for 17 months in salary. Gaudio’s contract as an assistant with the Cardinals was set to expire when he made the threat March 17, both in a meeting and by text message. Coach Chris Mack had decided to not renew contracts for Gaudio and fellow assistant Luke Murray. Murray has since taken a job on Dan Hurley’s staff at UConn. Louisville later reported Gaudio’s actions to federal authorities. Mack hired Gaudio as an assistant at Louisville in 2018 after they had been on staffs together previously at Xavier and Wake Forest during the last three decades.

Fayetteville’s Carolina League team had a successful inaugural season only to see COVID-19 cancel the 2020 campaign DOUG MCSCHOOLER | AP PHOTO

P.J. Washington and the Hornets played Indiana on Tuesday in the first game of the Eastern Conference’s playoff play-in tournament.

the No. 7 Celtics and No. 8 Wizards. In the West, the game, which will be played on Wednesday, should be a ratings bonanza for the NBA. Two of the biggest names in the league will be featured with LeBron James’ Lakers looking to defend its seventh seed against scoring champion Steph Curry and the Warriors.

James has criticized the playin format, and it’s understandable why a Laker would take issue. Los Angeles finished tied with the Mavericks and Trail Blazers, who received the No. 6 and No. 5 seeds, respectively, based on tiebreakers. Despite having the same record, the Lakers need to win one of two games to officially make the field.

That brings up the other oddity of the play-in.

The game doesn’t have quite the same urgency as a March Madness tournament game or an NBA game seven. Instead of “win or go home,” the 7-8 game is more “win or go elsewhere.”

While the winner heads to the top 16, the loser of the 7-8 game plays for the eighth seed against the winner of the other firstround play-in game.

The No. 9 and No. 10 seeds in each conference who, in previous seasons, would be home digging up lucky charms for the draft lottery, instead have a second chance to enter the playoff

FAYETTEVILLE — A cheer went up when the gates to Segra Stadium opened about an hour before the Fayetteville Woodpeckers took on the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in their first home game in more than a year last Tuesday.

It wasn’t the usual ovation associated with a sports venue, though.

This time, instead of the fans doing the cheering, the paying customers were the ones being saluted by members of the team’s staff.

“It was great to have fans back and being able to hear the sounds and smell the hot dogs,” said Pete Subsara, the Woodpeckers’ assistant general manager and director of operations. “Our ushers cheered at 5:30 when the first fans came through. It was an awesome sight, an awesome atmosphere and we’re super happy to be back in business, playing some baseball.”

It had been 605 days since the Woodpeckers had last taken the field in their sparkling new ballpark, and everyone involved was anxious to get back into the swing of things.

While the layoff was similar to the one felt by teams of all levels across the country, it was especially long for a fledgling organization that was just starting to gain a foothold in its community when the 2020 season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Woodpeckers were coming off a successful debut in 2019 in which the team advanced to the Carolina League championship series on the field while establishing its brand as one of the most marketable in baseball in terms of online sales.

But instead of building on that excitement, the Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros was forced to watch helplessly as its momentum slowly slipped away.

Subsara and his staff did what they could to stay relevant by holding non-baseball functions such as a Drive Shack style golf event and a beer festival. Still, there were no guarantees the fans would embrace the team in the same way once it came back, especially because of the transient nature of the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg area.

“You definitely have concerns when you watch the news and you have loved ones getting sick. It was scary for our staff,” said Victoria Huggins, a former Miss North Carolina and Fayetteville native who now serves as the Woodpeckers’ community relations director. “But now we are back, and we’re stronger than ever.

“To be able to see all those fans and then have the challenge of 2020, as so many people did with the

See HORNETS, page B4

See WOODPECKERS, page B3

Play-in tournament gave Hornets last-ditch shot at NBA playoffs A late-season slump dropped Charlotte to the No. 10 seed

By Shawn Krest North State Journal FOR THE FIRST time since 2016, the Charlotte Hornets have made the NBA postseason.

Sort of.

The Hornets were set to play Tuesday night, two days after the end of the NBA regular season.

Technically, that makes it the postseason.

Charlotte still had some work to do before the Hornets officially made the NBA Playoffs, however. Welcome to 2021.

“This is new,” coach James Borrego said. “I’ve never been in sort of an NCAA-type situation in the NBA.” For the second year in a row, the NBA expanded its postseason to include a play-in tournament. The top six seeds in each conference are in, without any further pre-postseason play. The bottom two seeds, however, need to defend their spots.

The No. 7 and No. 8 seeds — who, in previous years, would be preparing to face the top two seeds in the conference — instead face each other, with the winner becoming the true seventh seed.

In the East, that game — played Tuesday night — matched

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal

“I consider baseball therapy.

You have a stressful life, you have a stressful job, but you come out here, relax and have some family fun.”

Keith Davis, Fayetteville Woodpeckers season ticket holder

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

B2 WEDNESDAY

5.19.21

TRENDING

Eddie Gossage: The longtime Speedway Motorsports executive will retire after 25 years as president of Texas Motor Speedway following next month’s NASCAR All-Star Race. The 62-yearold Gossage has spent 32 years working for Speedway Motorsports and learned under company founder Bruton Smith and longtime executive Humpy Wheeler.

Gossage, the former public relations director at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was sent to Fort Worth by Smith in 1995 to oversee the construction of the track as general manager.

Kelvin Benjamin: The Panthers’ 2014 first-round pick, who has not played in the NFL since 2018 when he split time between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, signed with the New York Giants on Sunday.

Benjamin was drafted by then-Carolina general manager Dave Gettleman, who is now the GM in New York.

In four seasons with the Panthers, Bills and Chiefs, Benjamin had 209 receptions for 3,021 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Alisson: The Liverpool goalkeeper became the first keeper to score a goal in the club’s 129‑year history.

Alisson — with his gloves on and in his black shirt and shorts — glanced a header into the bottom corner from a perfect delivery by Trent Alexander‑Arnold and secure Liverpool a dramatic 2-1 win on Sunday. It was just the sixth time in Premier League history a goaltender had scored, and none of the previous five had been a winner.

Beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

NASCAR

Hendrick Motorsports finished 1-2-3-4 at Dover on Sunday, becoming the first team to sweep the top four spots in a Cup Series race since 2005. Alex Bowman got his second win of the season and was followed by teammates Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and William Byron. On Nov. 25, 2005, Roush Racing accomplished the feat when Greg Biffle won at Homestead and was followed by Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.

MARK TENALLY | AP PHOTO

“We didn’t practice red zone.”

Former Panthers starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater about Carolina’s practice habits last season. The Panthers ranked 28th in red zone scoring at 50.9%.

CHRIS SZAGOLA | AP PHOTO

MLB

NBA

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NHRA

“Timing is everything.”

John Force, the NHRA’s 72-year-old all-time winningest driver, after he won the Four‑Wide Nationals Funny Car title at zMAX Dragway on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

PRIME NUMBER

8 The number Carolina Panthers first-round pick Jaycee Horn plans to wear, in honor of childhood hero Kobe Bryant. Horn wore No. 1 while playing cornerback at South Carolina and planned to wear No. 24 — Bryant’s second number in the NBA — in the NFL, but the league will allow cornerbacks to wear single-digit numbers starting in 2021.

DAVID J. PHILLIP | AP PHOTO

Albert Pujols, the 41-year-old slugger who left the Angels earlier this month after nearly 10 seasons, is set to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pujols, the oldest player in the majors, batted .198 this season with five homers and 12 RBIs for the Angels and was in the final season of a 10-year, $240 million contract.

JEFF CHIU | AP PHOTO

Stephen Curry, 33, became the oldest scoring champion since Michael Jordan at age 35 in 1998, finishing with 46 points in Golden State’s finale to end the season at 32.0 points per games.

Washington guard Bradley Beal was second at 31.3 points per game, followed by Portland’s Damian Lillard (28.9).

HORSE RACING

JULIO CORTEZ | AP PHOTO

Little-known Rombauer pulled off an 11-1 upset to win the Preakness on Saturday, passing Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit. Medina Spirit finished third and will not go on to the Belmont with a Triple Crown on the line and a potential Derby disqualification hanging over the sport. Midnight Bourbon finished 3½ lengths behind Rombauer to take second.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

B3

Duncan enshrined into Hall of Fame, Jordan inducts Kobe Kevin Garnett, Tamika Catchings and Eddie Sutton were also part of the nine-person class

By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press

JERMAINE BIBB | AP PHOTO

Duke’s softball team celebrates during the ACC Tournament. The Blue Devils won their first conference crown and are the 13th seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke softball’s culture at center of success After winning the ACC Tournament, the Blue Devils take aim at the NCAAs

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal IF ANYONE at Duke knows how to build a championship program, it’s Mike Krzyzewski. So it only seemed natural back in 2017, as the Blue Devils’ softball team was still in its formative stages, that the Hall of Fame basketball coach would stop by to offer some words of advice and encouragement to coach Marissa Young and her players.

“His message then was that the group was going to be the founding sisters of what Duke softball was going to be known for,” Young recalled. “They had to figure out what that identity was going to be and then create it.”

Four years later, the Blue Devils have followed the blueprint to the letter.

They’ve established a style built around strong pitching, timely hitting and a competitive culture in which teammates can still be the best of friends off the field while always pushing each other to become better on it.

The Blue Devils won the first game they ever played and, despite being picked to finish last in the ACC, won 29 games during its inaugural season. Saturday in Louisville, Duke took the next step in its development by beating Clemson 1-0 to win its first conference tournament championship.

It’s a title that earned the Blue Devils the No. 13 overall seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, where they will begin play on Friday against UNC Greensboro in an opening-round regional game in Athens, Georgia.

Campbell was the only other North Carolina team to earn a tournament bid and will take on top-seeded Oklahoma State in the Stillwater Regional.

“In my opinion, it’s right on schedule,” Young said of her team’s

WOODPECKERS from page B1 pandemic, and not having a season, it’s really emotional for us to be back because there were so many that wondered if we would ever get back to any sort of normalcy and have baseball again.”

As hard as the shutdown was on the Woodpeckers, including the furloughing of most staff members last November, they were able to weather the storm better than many minor league organizations.

That’s because the team is owned by the Astros, an arrangement that provided financial resources that weren’t available to

rapid rise to the top of the ACC and in the national polls. “I really believe we would have done it last year in Season 3 had the pandemic not hit and cut things short.

“I’m a competitor and I knew that we were building things the right way here and that we would achieve success, so it’s really great to see that happening for us.”

The Blue Devils were 23-4 and ranked for the first time in program history when the 2020 season was halted last March.

They carried the momentum over to this season by upsetting No. 5 LSU in its own tournament on Feb. 12 then reeled off 20 straight wins — including eight by shutout.

The express was derailed briefly during a midyear lull that saw Duke drop nine of its next 10 games.

But it hasn’t lost since, winning 15 straight and finishing with a flourish by taking out sixth-ranked Louisville and No. 2 Florida State in the ACC Tournament before getting a combined three-hit shutout from co-aces Shelby Walters and Peyton St. George in the final against Clemson.

“It was so much fun,” said Walters, a junior right-hander who has compiled a 17-3 record with a 1.30 ERA while sharing the pitching duties with senior St. George (186, 2.02). “(Monday) we were really just starting to come down from the Adrenalin and the power high. All of us were at practice and we were so tired. But oh my gosh, it’s been so fun to experience this time and have these memories with these girls we’ll carry forever and ever.”

And yet, as euphoric and transformational as the experience of bringing home the program’s first title was, the Blue Devils (42-10) still have a way to go when it comes to proving they belong among the nation’s elite.

Despite being the top seed in their pod, they’ll have to play their regional at the home of No. 2 seed Georgia. Western Kentucky is the fourth team in the field.

“If anything, it was a shock to us because we weren’t expecting that,”

locally owned competitors.

It also helped that a majority of season ticket holders and sponsors — who had gone nearly a decade without affiliated minor league baseball in their town before the Woodpeckers arrived — decided to stick with the team rather than bailing and asking for refunds.

“When (last) season was canceled, we were like, ‘What are we going to do?’” Subsara said.

“We’re super grateful that 98% of our season ticket holders and sponsors continued to support us through the last year. They are the backbone of our business.”

Even though that business is back up and running, things ar-

“I’m a competitor and I knew that we were building things the right way here and that we would achieve success, so it’s really great to see that happening for us.”

Marissa Young, Duke softball coach Walters said of the regional site.

“But we’re just going to go out there and say it’s another game. We’re going to have fun, play Duke softball and just compete for one another.”

That’s the kind of philosophy that convinced talented players such as Walters, St. George and leading hitters Deja Davis (.405, 7 home runs, 28 RBIs), Jameson Kavel (.339, 4 home runs, 33 RBIs) and Kristina Foreman (10 doubles, 11 home runs, 40 RBIs) to get in on the ground floor of a startup program.

“Duke is a hard place to turn down academically,” junior second baseman Foreman said. “But not only did Coach (Young) want us to strive in the classroom, she also wanted us to win championships like we’re doing now. It was the fight I saw from her that she wanted us to be a really good program despite the challenges.”

Even Coach K is impressed with what the softball team has accomplished in such a short time, as he told his members in a pep talk following the ACC Tournament.

“He came in with notes about what he noticed about our team,” Young said. “He said it was evident to him what our team culture was and that it’s the strength of our program moving forward.

“He encouraged the players to be who they are through the rest of the postseason, that we don’t need to be anything different, they don’t need to turn it up a notch. We just need to go out and continue to be us.”

en’t completely back to normal.

The sellout crowd that attended last week’s opening game, a 10-1 win over the Cannon Ballers, totaled only 2,100 fans in a ballpark with seating for just under 5,300. At the concession stands and in the luxury suites, there are now prepackaged food options available for those still concerned about the spread of COVID-19.

The product on the field has also gone through some changes.

Thanks to the controversial reorganization of minor league baseball, the Woodpeckers have gone from being at the advanced Class A level, where many of the top prospects begin their profes-

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Vanessa Bryant took Michael Jordan’s hand and walked down from the stage, a familiar chant breaking out throughout the arena as she made her way back to her seat.

“Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!” the crowd shouted.

With that, he was — officially, finally — a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Kobe Bryant is in the Hall now, along with contemporaries Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, headliners of a group of nine who got their delayed and long-awaited enshrinement on Saturday night, more than a year after being announced as the Hall’s Class of 2020.

Bryant, Duncan and Garnett were joined in the class by three-time NCAA champion coach Kim Mulkey, two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, three-time Final Four coach Eddie Sutton, 1,000-game winner Barbara Stevens and longtime FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann.

“I appreciate you,” Garnett said to Duncan from the stage.

“It’s an honor to go into the hall with you, bro. You and Kob.” Duncan — the lightly recruited big man from St. Croix who became a two-time ACC Player of the Year at Wake Forest and was national Player of the Year in 1997 — stayed true to who he is: modest and humble, on a day where his Spurs coach, Gregg Popovich, missed a game to see his enshrinement.

“This is the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life,” Duncan said as he began his speech.

“Been through finals, Game 7’s, this is officially the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve been pacing in my room all day, so let’s see what we get.”

As usual, he delivered in the clutch.

Bryant, Garnett, Duncan and Catchings combined for 58 All-Star appearances. Mulkey, Tomjanovich, Sutton and Stevens combined for more than 3,000 coaching wins. Baumann is widely lauded for his efforts in getting 3x3 basketball added to the Olympic program.

“My life turned out better than my wildest dreams,” Tomjanovich said, his voice cracking.

NBA championships, WNBA championships, national championships, Olympic gold medals,

MVP awards, the class had some of everything.

“We’re Hall of Famers, guys,” Mulkey shouted.

And while it was a celebration, it was also a remembrance for Hall of Famers lost since the last enshrinement in 2019. Threetime Grammy Award winner Ne-Yo performed “Incredible” in their memories, the video clips playing behind him including a message from former NBA Commissioner David Stern, who died Jan. 1, 2020, and Bryant — who died Jan. 26 of that year in a helicopter crash that also killed his daughter Gianna and seven others.

“I’ve always said that I wanted to be remembered as a player that didn’t waste a moment, didn’t waste a day, and lived every day as if he was the 12th guy on the bench,” Bryant said in the video.

Bryant wasn’t the only member to be inducted posthumously; so were Sutton and Baumann.

Sutton’s son Sean Sutton delivered a recorded message on his father’s behalf; Baumann’s son, Paul, and daughter, Bianca, did the same for their father.

Garnett spoke of legacy as well, the one he has in Minnesota and the one he still wants to have there. When he left the Timberwolves in 2007, they started a huge rebuild as a franchise. Now, with Minneapolis in need after a trying year following the 2020 death of George Floyd, Garnett wants to be part of another rebuild.

“My only regret with Minnesota is that I didn’t get to bring a championship,” Garnett said.

“But like I said, I look forward to rebuilding Minneapolis.”

Duncan summarized what the honor meant to him the day before.

“My message is the same: It’s a simple thank you,” Duncan said.

“I’m honored to be here, but my years there and my years on the court are not the same without the people and the fans, without their support. As much as they are honoring me, I’ll be here to thank them.”

On Sunday, Hall of Fame unveiled the 2021 class, which is scheduled to be enshrined in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Sept. 11.

Villanova coach Jay Wright, NBA elite rebounder and defender Ben Wallace and former WNBA MVP Yolanda Griffith led the 16-member class.

Also voted in were coaches Bill Russell — enshrined in 1975 as a player — and Rick Adleman; NBA standouts Chris Bosh, Toni Kukoc Paul Pierce and Chris Webber; three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson; and Val Ackerman, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Howard Garfinkel, Clarence “Fats” Jenkins, Bob Dandridge and Pearl Moore.

KATHY WILLENS | AP PHOTO

Tim Duncan speaks during his enshrinement as part of the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame class Saturday in Uncasville, Connecticut.

sional careers, to the lowest level on the organization ladder.

It’s a change that will undoubtedly affect the quality of play, though, as avid fan Frank Britt suggested, that really doesn’t matter.

“It’s a little disheartening because we probably won’t see as many people from the team make it to the bigs as we might have, since this is the lowest level there is,” Britt said while watching the game from the popular beer garden beyond the right field wall at Segra Stadium. “But minor league baseball is about having a good time. It’s not about the players or how well they do. I don’t like the fact that they moved down a level,

but most of the people that come to these games won’t even notice the difference.”

Season ticket holder Keith Davis, who attended the opening game with his family, is one of those people.

“I consider baseball therapy,” he said. “You have a stressful life, you have a stressful job, but you come out here, relax and have some family fun. Baseball is a slow pace, it’s very soothing.

“Life just went on without it last year. Everything just kept piling on and there was no relief, so to be able to come back out here to this awesome place is really sweet.

This is a lot of fun.”

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

B4 COLUMN | CORY LAVALETTE

‘Original Six’ make up foundation of Hurricanes’ Cup dreams

Three years after he took over, coach Rod Brind’Amour has reshaped Carolina’s team in his image, led by a half-dozen holdovers

RALEIGH — When Tom Dundon bought the Carolina Hurricanes, it didn’t take him long to make top-to-bottom changes in an organization that was closing in on a decade outside of the playoffs.

Ron Francis, the beloved franchise icon who went from player to assistant coach to executive, was relieved of his duties as general manager.

Other cornerstones of the organization, like Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Chuck Kaiton, TV play-by-play mainstay John Forslund and longtime assistant GM Brian Tatum, have either been shown the door, told their price tag was too high or decided to move on — or a combination of some, or all, of those factors.

The changes haven’t just been in the press box or front office.

Coach Bill Peters opted out of his contract following the 2017-18 season in what felt like an “I quit before you can fire me” exit. With Don Waddell ascending to general manager, the other big decision was who would succeed Peters.

Despite the deep weeding of many of the roots the organization had planted and nourished since moving to North Carolina in 1997, Dundon determined Rod Brind’Amour was the one pillar he couldn’t topple without bringing down the whole house.

And so Brind’Amour took the reins from Peters despite having no head coaching experience and only team-related mediocrity on his resume as an assistant.

Dundon’s revamped front office then started slashing at the roster. But unlike predecessor Peter Karmanos Jr., the owner’s cuts weren’t aimed at getting as close to the salary cap floor as possible. It was methodical and

precise, using a combination of analytics, oldschool scouting and forward-thinking roster construction that was built around one central figure: Brind’Amour.

Brind’Amour has made it clear in his three years as coach that the tarnish that had built on the team’s legacy as 2006 Stanley Cup champions needed polishing. His focus, as it was during his career, was on hard work, effort and accountability.

Fast forward three years, and it’s clear Brind’Amour & Co. didn’t see a lot of that in the group that was in front of them at the time. Much like the off-ice departures, the players who moved on did so for a variety of reasons.

Justin Faulk, Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin took a hard line on contract negotiations, and the team didn’t see as much value in those players as they (or perhaps their agents) did. Jeff Skinner was unceremoniously dumped to Buffalo. Cam Ward and, eventually, Scott Darling were replaced in goal.

They were just a few of the trim-thefat moves made to a franchise mired in mediocrity.

Which brings us to Monday’s 5-2 win over the Predators in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. After all of the maneuvering and hard break-ups, the Hurricanes are among the Stanley Cup favorites thanks to Dundon’s commitment to Brind’Amour and the coach’s ethos.

Only six full-time players remain from the team Brind’Amour took over — an Original Six, if you will.

Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin, the foundation of Carolina’s admired defense, were centerpieces of the win despite it being

the first playoff game in two years and a day for Pesce and Slavin going from game-time decision to typical workhorse.

Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho are the epitome of the Finnish stereotype — hardworking and skilled players who put team first, a mindset that aligns perfectly with Brind’Amour’s creed.

Brock McGinn — who the coach called the toughest player he has seen since his playing days — played for the first time in more than six weeks and looked a lot like the player who scored the double-overtime winner in Game 7 two years ago in Washington.

And Jordan Staal, often maligned during Carolina’s Dark Ages for his hefty contract, scored two goals and continued the leadby-example legacy set by both Francis and Brind’Amour when they wore the “C” in Raleigh.

While the Hurricanes have rebuilt from the ground up, those six — along with Brind’Amour — are many of the few who remain from a time not that long ago that didn’t seem so bright. It’s a bond at the center of Carolina’s success and hopes, one the coach recognizes as important.

“It always is when you kind of come through some lean times and are a part of changing,” Brind’Amour said. “It’s special, and that’s what we have here.

“And the new guys, too. They bought into that, and I think they appreciate where we’ve gone. The guys you mentioned are a huge part of that.”

The Hurricanes may have bottomed out three seasons ago, but the changes made and lessons learned have them where they wanted to be all along: with an unlimited ceiling.

Something old, something new for Panthers’ 2021 schedule Reunion games and an expanded regular season highlight Carolina’s slate

Carolina Panthers 2021 schedule

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

PRESEASON Week 1: at Indianapolis, TBD

THE CAROLINA PANTHERS have a mix of old and new on their 2021 schedule, which was released by the league in a televised event last week.

Week 2: Baltimore, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.

Preseason Week 3: Pittsburgh, Aug 27, 7 p.m.

The new For the first time, the Panthers — along with the rest of the NFL — will play 17 regular-season games. The league chose to add a regular-season game to the 16-week schedule, which had been the norm since the league expanded from 14 games in 1978. To make room for the extra game, the league has eliminated a preseason game.

The exhibition schedule before the start of the season will now consist of three games instead of four.

With an odd number of games, teams will no longer have an equal number of home and road contests.

The Panthers come out on the short end of the stick in year one with eight home games and nine road trips. The team does get two preseason games in Charlotte with one on the road.

The old Three big reunion games are sure to stir the emotions of players and fans.

The season begins with a home game at Bank of America Stadium against the New York Jets. While the Jets may not inspire a reaction from most Panther fans, Carolina’s new quarterback is sure to have the game circled. Sam Darnold was drafted third overall by the Jets in 2018 and spent his first three seasons in the green and white. Traded to the Panthers in the offseason, he plays his first game in a new uniform against his original team.

The Panthers are on the oth-

“I’ve never been in sort of an NCAA-type situation in the NBA.” James Borrego, Hornets coach

REGULAR SEASON Week 1: New York Jets, Sept. 12, 1 p.m.

Week 2: New Orleans, Sept. 19, 1 p.m.

Week 3: at Houston, Sept. 23, 8 p.m.

Week 4: at Dallas, Oct. 3, 1 p.m.

BRIAN BLANCO | AP PHOTO

The Panthers will have to face Tom Brady and Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay in two of the final three weeks of the 2021 regular season. game against divisional rival New Orleans.

er side of the quarterback reunion in Week 9 when the New England Patriots come to town to open the month of November. While the Pats drafted Alabama’s Mac Jones in the first round of this year’s draft, there’s a good chance that last year’s starter at quarterback for New England, Cam Newton, will be looking forward to this trip.

Newton spent the first nine years of his career with the Panthers after being drafted first overall in 2011. He left before last season as the most productive quarterback in franchise history.

Even if Jones has the starting job by November, there’s a good chance coach Bill Belichick will find a way to give Newton a shot at his old team at some point in the game.

The third reunion comes two weeks later when Ron Rivera leads the Washington Football Team into Charlotte. Rivera was fired late in the 2019 season and left

as the winningest coach in Panthers history. Carolina got the win last year in Washington in its first game against Rivera since he left town. Riverboat Ron will be looking to even the score.

Here are some other observations from the Panthers 2021 slate.

By the end of Week 4, the Panthers will have played as many games in the Lone Star State as in North Carolina. That’s because Carolina has back-to-back trips to Texas, playing Houston in Week 3 and the Dallas Cowboys the following week. The Texans appear to be down this season, especially if quarterback Deshaun Watson’s legal troubles keep him off the field, but that game is complicated by short rest. It is the Panthers’ only scheduled prime time game of the season and comes on Thursday Night Football, four days after a

The Panthers don’t play divisional rival Tampa Bay until Week 16, then have the Super Bowl champion Bucs twice in the season’s final three weeks. The late-season challenges also include a December trip to Buffalo, where the winter weather could make things difficult.

HORNETS from page B1

This year, the play-in tournament is taking place regardless of how far behind the ninth and 10th seeds are. That helped the Spurs, who were six games out of the eighth spot, continue their season.

In the East, it gave the Hornets a safety net after a late-season fade. For much of the season, Charlotte was not only in the playoff field but competing for a topsix spot and avoiding the play-in altogether.

After reaching their high point of three games over .500 and the fifth seed “if the season ended today,” the Hornets went 6-15 the rest of the way. They closed the regular season with a five-game

losing streak and dropped nine of the last 12, including six of seven.

Charlotte was hurt by the loss of Rookie of the Year candidate LaMelo Ball, who missed 21 straight games with a broken wrist late in the year before returning for the stretch run. The team fared well in Ball’s absence, however, going 10-11. The Hornets were No. 8, tied with thenNo. 7 seed Boston, when Ball went down, but Charlotte was still in the eighth spot, although 2½ games back, when he returned.

The Hornets finished a game behind No. 8 Washington and No. 9 Indiana, but the Hornets had the toughest road of the four play-in teams to the Eastern Con-

field. It begins with a game against each other. The winner then advances to face the loser of the 7-8 game for the No. 8 seed in the conference.

In the West, that game features No. 9 Memphis, which lost to Portland in last season’s play-in, and No. 10 San Antonio, which benefits from a tweak to the play-in format this year.

Last season, the play-in was an option if teams finished within four games of the final playoff spot. That resulted in the Eastern Conference not having one since the top eight put enough distance between themselves and the ninth seed.

Toughest trip

Late bye The last week the NFL schedules byes for any team is Week 14. Carolina doesn’t have to wait that long, but the Panthers will still have one of the latest byes in the league. The Panthers play 12 straight weeks before getting Week 13 off. The team also has its longest trips of the season and another road game in the three weeks prior, heading to Arizona and Miami.

Meet the champs

Week 5: Philadelphia, Oct. 10, 1 p.m.

Week 6: Minnesota, Oct. 17, 1 p.m.

Week 7: at New York Giants, Oct. 24, 1 p.m.

Week 8: at Atlanta, Oct. 31, 1 p.m.

Week 9: New England, Nov. 7, 1 p.m.

Week 10: at Arizona, Nov. 14, 4:05 p.m.

Week 11: Washington, Nov. 21, 1 p.m.

Week 12: at Miami, Nov. 28, 1 p.m.

Week 13: Bye Week 14: Atlanta, Dec. 12, 1 p.m.

Week 15: at Buffalo, TBD Week 16: Tampa Bay, Dec. 26, 1 p.m.

Week 17: at New Orleans, Jan. 2, 1 p.m.

Week 18: at Tampa Bay, Jan. 9, 1 p.m.

ference bracket. Charlotte needed to win back-to-back road games to earn a spot opposite the No. 1 seed Philadelphia 76ers.

The Hornets had plenty of opportunities to improve their playoff fate. In the 3-7 season-ending stretch with Ball back on the floor, the Hornets dropped home games to the Bulls and Pelicans, who each finished 10 games below .500 and went 1-5 in Charlotte. In their regular-season finale, the Hornets lost by five to the Wizards, missing the chance to tie Washington for the 9-10 spot.

The Eastern Conference playin games conclude on Thursday, while the Western Conference field will be set on Friday night.

g Kong flu,” 1977 evidence that the ins in China.

OVID-19 mpletely ve it came out of a

markets and financial outlets. If the U.S. dollar were not the reserveis China’s currency, we would not be able to fund any of these emergency Chernobyl. measures without immediate fear of rampant inflation and currency depreciation.

China has to pay for their aberrant ways and decisions through economic and financial means. Diplomacy has obviously not worked to bring China into the civilized world of 21st century health, hygiene and fair trade. Totalitarian communist regimes never take the blame or express sincere regret and remorse, because that is not what totalitarian governments do. They take advantage of every weakness they find in adversaries and keep pushing until they win or the adversaries push back.

That is, unless an exogenous event happens such as the Chernobyl meltdown in 1986. Some experts believe that event, not the Star Wars program of Reagan, led directly to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1989.

Perhaps COVID-19 is China’s Chernobyl.

Senators in Washington are already talking about the possibility of China forgiving $1.2 trillion in debt we owe them as one way to get China to “pay” for the damage they have caused the US. Don’t hold your breath waiting for a Chinese “Jubilee” to happen but ask your elected representatives to hold China accountable in tangible financial ways for this disaster.

It is about time they are expected to operate as responsible citizens of the world like any other modern nation.

We need The result: a reduc originated in Wuhan Province probably from the completely transparency According to the Neal out Robbins, unregulated and unsanitary wet markets. Some believe it came of aUni Metrics and Evaluati and Chinese honesty Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior biowarfare lab run by the communist army.opinion editor administratio from our Until China adopts rigorous verifiable policing and Trump regulation of peak outbreak was re their food safety and health protocols, American business has no other scientific experts ventilators by nearly choice than to build redundant manufacturing elsewhere purely — we need to plantsAugust by nearly 12,0 for national security and safety reasons as well as supply and delivery know what they Here’s the problem reliability concerns. know, what they questions will al The most direct way to make China “pay” for this disaster is tothat offer First, what is the tr and when U.S. tax credits to companies whodon’t will source at least half of their important because it theyThere hope to production back in the United States. is approximately $120 be open or closed, wh billion worth of American direct investment plants and equipment know what in they more in China. Chinese direct investment in the U.S. is about $65liberalized billion by soci don’t. ought to lock down fu comparison.

We’ve seen case fat An investment tax credit of 30% on half of U.S. investment in China the number of identifi today, or $60 billion, applied to repatriated American manufacturing and the denominator investment to the U.S. would cost the U.S. Treasury $18 billion in have tax revenue spread over a few years. $18 billion in lostpeople revenue is actually number has been ove decimal dust compared to the $6 trillion+ Marshall Plan we are now of death, particularly undertaking to save our own economy, not of defeated enemies as in the sources suggest the n past. many American people are dyin China has been cheating, stealing, pirating and pillaging Even importa business now for the past 30 years. They have made no secret more that they actually have coronav intend to replace the U.S. as the premier superpower in the world and of identified cases co replace the dollar as the reserve currency with their renminbi. number of people wh

Business & Economy

regulation of ness has no other s elsewhere purely pply and delivery

isaster is to offer half of their ximately $120 s and equipment out $65 billion by

vestment in China n manufacturing $18 billion in t revenue is Plan we are now d enemies as in the

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VISUAL VOICES

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

s about when strophe normal

It’s okay to ask questions about to this get back to normal The comfort How Chinawe willbegin payThe for COVID-19 3 big questionscatas noba

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HU COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

A7

WITH MOST STATES under either shelter-in-place or stay-at-home hina lied about the origin of the ONE THING IS CERTAIN; after thisthanks COVID-19 virus cavalierofmanner in which C orders to local ordissipates state governments,The a majority Americans THIS WEEK, virus, according to members ofTHE theand fede ied to tell the world there were only “THIS IS DA around the globe and in the United States, China will pay for this covered up its spread t are having to adjust to what is being called the “new normal.” and state and local governments, Americans have rldwide panic, economic collapse and in it” (Psalm 118:24). catastrophe one way or another.

3,341 related deaths has led to wo Some of these orders extend at least through the end of this month. ce or stay-at-home fallen into place. I understand the seriousness of the virus thetoneed the curve in the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The e being thrown out of work.

I know that during Inand order put the crisis causedVirginia’s

by Chinastay-at-home in perspective, zero millions of Americans needlessly orders go into June. ty of Americans to take precautions, but I’m uneasy with how people who simply ask muted — after all, trends can easily reverse — but ayer at least $2.4 trillion in added working from home worldwide pandemics can trace their source to theCarolina, United States over Gov.The has cost the U.S. taxp Here in North Democratic Roycrisis Cooper stated during normal.” questions about the data, and when things can start getting back to have abided by recommendations and orders.

The Reserve backup liquidity to the be glad” the Bible our 231-year history. At least fourainrecent the 20th century alone be that “we debt plus trillions more Federa coronavirus press can briefing just don’t know yet”asifin the nd of this month. are treated in some circles with contempt. to flu,” stay 1977 at home; they’ve practiced socialthe distancin he U.S. dollar were notnormal the reserve and dad, Easter directly traced to China: 1957 “Asian flu,” 1968 “Hong Kong markets and financial outlets.

If t will extend into May. Since when did state’s stay-at-home orders ELAINE THOMPSON | to AP PHOTO They’re treated as though we as a society simply must accept flu” without they’ve donned masks. fund any of these emergency have be thankful “Russian and the 2002 SARS outbreak.

There is evidence that the currency, we would not be able toa Perhaps If he it, questions should be asked as to the Wedoes needdecide to extend WALTER E. WILLIAMS questioning per stated during question what the government tells us Wash., about when it’s massive safe to begin the The result: a reduction inwithout expected hospitalizat Lenten and of rampant inflation currency pandemic.

1918 “Spanish flu” pandemic also had its origins in China. measures immediate fea Nate Mullins,and a former bartender from Oak, Harbor, who quit his job last November after clashing with managers over enforcing mask rules, poses for a photo near justification for it. And the answers should not be vague ones like “we COVID-19 know yet” if themuralprocess returning back to normalcy.

According to theseasons University of Washington Institu For me, my faith is government a street Monday,ofMay 17, 2021, in Mount Vernon, Wash.

There is 100% agreement, outside oftransparency China, thatofCOVID-19 depreciation. must do this out an abundance Easter of caution.” is China’s No. The government works for us, and we have the right to ask those Metrics and Evaluation model most oft cited by m ant ways and decisions through making.

As I celebra and honesty originated in at Wuhan Province probably from the completely China has to pay for their aberr provide a all levels It will need to be explained in detail to the people of this state who asked as to the And the longer stay-at-home orders are in place all over and the unsanitary wet markets. administration, theand expected need for hosp plomacy has obviouslyquestions. not worked Corinthians 1:4, whi Chernobyl. unregulated believe it Trump came of at a home economic financial means.

D fromSome our to are being told remain joblessout and forfour an undetermined message of become a and Lyft for years before he gue ones like “we country, and the stricter some of them get in states, such as Michigan, peak outbreak was revised down by over 120,000, orld of 21st century health, hygiene affliction, so that we biowarfare lab run by the communist Chinese army. to bring China into the civilized scientific amount of timeexperts why models predicting hundreds of thousands ofofcases w hope that we will abruptly quit last spring bad thing? thethe more people, sitting at home feeling isolated and/or anxious about ventilators by nearly 13,000 and theout number of ov unist regimes never take blame affliction, with the co Until China adopts rigorous verifiable policing and regulation of and fair trade.

Totalitarian are reliable. concern for his health. He has comm — we need to once again enjoy of this state who when they can get back to providing for their families, will demand August by nearly 12,000. rse, because that is not what God.” That is what their food safety and health protocols, American business has no other or express sincere regret and rem spent the last taking techTo know date, what I’ve gone what the state hasyear asked and then they along with ndetermined answers.

Here’s the problem: We still don’t know the ans sporting events, take advantage of every weakness If you are celebrat choice than tofree build redundant manufacturing totalitarian do. The classes a governments federal workcitizens mandated thatplants we do,elsewhere but alongpurely thenology way I’ve also in had questions about housands of cases Leaders at the local and state levels should be as forthcoming as they know, what they questions that will allow the economy to reopen. pushing until they win or the reflect on this concerts, family er training program. for national security safety reasons as well supply andleaders delivery they find in adversaries andmessa keep the data.

StateasRepublican have, too. living inand a free can be with those answers — and again, not vague answers, but concerns. answer First, what is the true52, coronavirus fatality rate?c Smithivas, just got back. his sec- and God’s example don’t and when reliability adversaries push gatherings, Unfortunately, when certain types of questions get asked, there is AMERICA’S COLLEGES are rife with ond vaccination, but hewhether doesn’t society ked and then with details that give their statements believability. important because it determines certain nt happens such asThe the Chernobyl this difficult Th The most direct waywere to make China “pay”hope for this is to offer That is, unless an exogenous they to disaster corruption. financial squeeze resulting sometimes a disturbing tendency among some people to treat thosetime. ev church services want to go back to ride-hailing. ery and reduce Americans’ purThe Associated Press questions about We should all continue to do what we can to keep our families, be open or closed, whether we ought to pursue — believe that event, not the Staropportunities Wars confident we will em supposed from COVID-19 offers for a U.S. tax credits to companies whosimply will source at least half of their meltdown in 1986.

Some experts know what theythe data and asking questioning when we can start getting back and more He many worries about carjackings and chasing power.

Sponsored

by Union and our communities safe. But we stillopportunity continue more liberalized society that presumes wide spreat Sponsored by should also the dissolution of theourselves, Soviet In thisled same spirit bit of remediation.

Let’s first examine what production back in the United There ismost approximately program of are Reagan, directly “This to take to do, last I a States. to normal as though they are$120 conspiracy theorists or people who other crimes targeting drivers in For now, economists see THERE’S A WILD CARD in don’t. after our own asked, there to of ask questions about the data, because while reasonable stay-at-home ought to lock down further. mightisbe the root academic corruption, neighbors helping ne worth of really American direct investment in plants and equipment inor 1989.

Chicago, where he sick. lives. labor shortages as likely to otherwise don’t care if they getbethemselves others the push to return to post-pan- billion step back and think checked. title of a recent study, ehernobyl. to treatsuggested those by the measures are understandable, should also don’t have an date.

We’ve seen case fatality rates — Concord, the number of Cd temporary In a high inexpiration China. Chinese direct investment in the U.S. is about $65 billion by Perhaps COVID-19 isas China’s “I always viewed this joba temporary.

As more Americans demic life:they Many workers Since when did questioning government at all levels become bad “Academic Grievance Studies and the about what you’re doing North State Journal for Wednesday, April 15, 2020 start getting back This is all new to Americans, and it is not normal.

Not in any way, the number of identified COVID-19 cases — but b eady talking about the possibility to buy aare 3-D sacrifices areand temporary, I really dosupposed want are vaccinated, fewer wor- living want to go back to the jobs they comparison.

Senators inmoney Washington alr thing?

That is what freewill citizens in a free society were Corruption of Scholarship.”

The study was we should remain vigilant and stay safe, at are people who shape, or form.

So while and the denominator are likely wrong.

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After “Jub Some say the pandemturn to work, and the extra $300 ployment benefits and stimulus y were supposed Not one little bit. of death, particularly among elderly patients, untableJohn in tangible financial partnership withways Milton in defense of freefor speech. billion lost revenue representatives hold Chinacan acc suffering fromin the H1N1 virus (swine during theprioritize 2009topandemic, ic flu) helped them their in$18 unemployment aid is also setisto checks, gave many Americans the tax revenue spread over a few years.

Authors Helen Pluckrose, James A. sources suggest the number is dramatically under decimal dust compared to the $6 trillion+ Marshall Plan we are now this disaster. mental and physical health. expire intrying early September.

Those been to take extra precautions, because all of this brings up time and the financial cushion to they are actively searching for I’ve the as CDC Lindsay and Peter Boghossian say has that also written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah e, is my family.

I’m Stacey Matthews many people are dying home. d to operate responsible citizens of to save our own economy, not of defeated enemies as in the is at about timenot are expect After aItlifelong career asthey a to barsteps should bring more people work, and a few will stop providrethink their careers. Their for- undertaking way too many memories of a painful experience I’ d prefer repeat. something has drastically wrong ied I will.

After and is a regular contributor to RedState and Legal Even more importantly, we have no clue how mn RALEIGH —gone MAKO Medical ation. tender, 57-year-old Ellen Booth into the job market. ing the supplement. mer employers are hiring againInsurrection. past. the world like any other modern But what also makes me lose sleep is how easily most everyone has in academia, especially Laboratories, a national within certain— and some, like Uber and Mc2009 pandemic, actually scientists wascoronavirus. in constant Some pain from lift- sugges Weitzel gave birth to her have But Heidi Shierholz, a senior China has been cheating, stealing, Sarah pirating and pillaging American fields within the humanities.

They call reference laboratory and ing ice buckets and beer kegs.

But second child in February 2020. of this brings up economist who researches lowDonald’s, are offering higher pay business of identified cases could be an order of magnitude now for the past 30 years. They have made no secret that they these fields “grievance studies,” where leader in COVID-19 testing, has Neal Frank Hill, senior a| college degree, she felt opinion fromRobbins, hernumber job at publisher a ofwithout and middle-income workers with She was on leave — but workers remain hesitant. refer notscholarship to repeat. people who have had coronavirus and n is not so much based upon intend to replace the U.S. as the premier superpower in the world and announced a comprehensive In March, U.S. job openings the Economic Policy Institute, Victoria’s Secret store in St. Louis she had limited options. ost everyone has finding truth but upon attending to the dollar as the reserve with their renminbi.

When the restaurant she when the pandemic threw her life said health concerns and child currency rose 8% to a record 8.1 million, replace partnership with the Centers for

Fixingn.c. college corruption FAST

FACTS

Changed by pandemic, many workers won’t return to old jobs A6

Approved Logos

social grievances. Grievance scholars but overall hiring rose less than Disease Controladministrators and Preventionand other bully students, 4%, according to government (CDC) to provide next-generation departments into adhering to their data. sequencing of SARS-CoV-2. worldview. The worldview they promote is Nate Mullins quit his job as Since January 2021, MAKO neither scientific nor rigorous. Grievance EDITORIAL a bartender last November af- | has utilized sequencing studies consist of disciplines such as ter clashing with managers over processesanthropology, to analyze a group sociology, gender studies, mask rules and worrying that he of more than 2,500 samples queer studies, sexuality and critical race would spread the coronavirus to from tests conducted across studies. his immune-compromised sister. itsIn forty-three 2017 andstate 2018,testing authors Pluckrose, Mullins’ unemployment checks Lindsay Boghossian started footprint.and To date, these efforts don’t match what he was making submitting bogus papers to have identified theacademic occurrence of at his Oak Harbor, Washington academic journals multiple variants ofin thecultural, SARS- queer, bar, but they’re enough to get by race, gender, fat and sexuality studies CoV-2 virus, including the B.1.1.7, while he looks for jobs that would to determine if they variants, would pass peer B.1.351, and B.1.429 provide health care and retireseriousness of and thestates. virus and the review be accepted for need publication. across 25 ment benefits.

Acceptance of dubious research y with how people who simply ask that “The MAKO team is proud “This opportunity to take a editors found sympathetic to their n thingsjournal can start getting back to to partner with the Centers step back and really think about intersectional or postmodern with contempt. for Disease Control to provide leftist vision what you’re doing really changed of the world would prove the problem of sequencing services forwithout samples a societylow simply must accept my mind,” said Mullins, 36. “(It) academic standards. from across the country,” said s us about when it’s safe to begin thepapers made me think long-term for the Several of the fake research first time.”

Josh Arant, Chief Operating alcy. were accepted for publication. The Fat Workers like Mullins are one Officer, MAKO Medical.

“For the us, and we have journal the right to ask those Studies published a hoax paper didin reason U.S. Since hiring when slowed past year, our team has been that argued the term was home orders are in place all bodybuilding over the April. Employers and business committed to providing rapid, questioning andas should be replaced hem get exclusionary in states, such Michigan, groups argue that the $300-perreliable results to patients and with “fat bodybuilding, as a fat-inclusive government supeeling isolated and/or anxious about week federal unemployment providers across forty-three politicized performance.”

One reviewer ng for their families, will demand plement gives at recipients all levelsless instates. recognized the need said, “I We thoroughly enjoyed reading this centive to look for work. Several to introduce sequencing article and believe it hasfor anaimportant become a those states have begun requiring vels should be as as portion offorthcoming samples ourto team contribution to make thethey field and this receiving the benefits to show bad thing? again, not vague earlier answers, collected this but yearanswer and are journal.”

“Our Struggle My Struggle: Solidarity honored to apply Is that experience That is what ents believability.

Feminism as an Intersectional Reply to in this partnership.” at we can to keep our families, free citizens Neoliberal Choice Feminism,” was Since theand emergence of fe. But we should also still continue living in a free accepted for publication COVID-19, scientists haveby Affilia, a ecause while reasonable stay-at-home feminist journal for social workers. The monitored the surge of variants society were y shouldpaper also have an expiration consisted part of adate. rewritten and mutations ofin the virus. supposed d it is not normal.

Not in any way,Two other passage from Mein Kampf.

While a natural process for any d remainhoax vigilant and stay safe, at including papers were to do, last I virus, mutations ofpublished, SARS-CoV-2 “Rape and Queer Performativity mfortable withCulture this “new represent anso-called outsized risk due to checked. at Urban Dog Parks.” This paper’s subject the impact that they may have on was dog-on-dog rape. But the dog rape virus containment and vaccine paper eventually forced Boghossian, efficacy.

Pluckrose and Lindsay to prematurelyBy outDee-Ann Durbin The Associated Press “Over theA past several under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah themselves.

Wall Street Journal writer months, our sequencing team dState and Legal Insurrection. had figured out what they were doing.

RALEIGH — North Carolina has identified the emergence of Some papers accepted for publication Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday that strains like the United advocated Kingdom training in academic journals his administration is acting pruB.1.1.7, South and men like dogsAfrican, and punishing white male dently before recommending when Denmark variants in states college students for historical slavery by andin how state employees should across them the country,” Steve asking to sit insaid silence on the floor to their offices, after doing Hoover,during Vice President chains class andofto be expectedreturn to away with most COVID-19 face Laboratory Operations, MAKO learn from the discomfort.

Other papers covering and capacity mandates celebrated morbid obesity Medical. “As new strains areas a healthy life last week. choice and advocated treating defined, MAKO continues to privately conducted masturbation as a form of Speaking to reporters at a sequence samples and provide bill-signing ceremony, Cooper again sexual violencedata against women. Typically, much-needed to public defended his decision on Friday academic journal editors send submitted health professionals.” papers to referees for review. In to repeal a statewide mask manThis out partnership results date, even for the unvaccinated. He recommending acceptancefor for publication, from the CDC’s solicitation said guidance from the U.S. Cenmany reviewers gave these papers glowing qualified laboratories to conduct ters for Disease Control and Prepraise. genomic surveillance using a vention made it plain “that vacciPolitical scientist Zach Goldberg ran random set of samples from nated people had very little chance certain grievance studies concepts through across the United States. of contracting COVID and they the Lexis/Nexis database, to see how often had very little chance of transmitthey appeared in our press over the years.

He found huge increases in the usages of “white privilege,” “unconscious bias,” “critical race theory” and “whiteness.”

All of this is being taught to college students, many of whom become primary

north STA

worked for closed last year, she care responsibilities seem to be into chaos.

She got a text telling her she said it gave her “the kick I needthe main reasons holding workwas furloughed. Then her hus- ed.” Booth, of Coventry, Rhode Isers back.

Jason In April, she said, at least 25% band lost his restaurant job. In land, started a year-long class to STACEY MATTHEWS of U.S. schools weren’t offering financial straits, they sold their learn to be a medical coder. When in-person learning, forcing many home, moved in with friends, sur- her unemployment benefits ran parents to stay home. And health vived on unemployment insur- out two months ago, she started COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON drawing on her retirement funds. concerns could gain new urgen- ance and fell deeper into debt.

Shelly Ortiz, 25, used to love In the fall, Victoria’s Secret ofcy for some workers now that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control fered Weitzel part-time work that her career as a restaurant servand Prevention has said fully vac- would pay $12 an hour, but she er. But things changed last June, cinated people can stop wearing declined. She and her husband, when her Phoenix restaurant rewho now works long hours at a opened its dining room. She wore masks in most settings.

Shierholz added that unem- new restaurant job, can’t afford two masks and glasses to protect herself, but anxiety in a let us r ployment benefits are designed child care.

“THIS IS THEfallen DAYstill thefelt lord has made, MOSTthe STATES shelter-in-place orof stay-at-home into place.

I understand the full of unmasked din“Something just kind broke, restaurant toWITH give workers time tounder find either in it” (Psalm 118:24). orders thanks to local or state governments, a majority of Americans to take precautions, but I’m unea jobs that are better suited to their where I thought about how hard ers. know that during this challenging time of soc are having to adjust to what is being called the “new questions about the and wh Sexual harassment alsodata, got I was working for normal.” this jobI that abilities. working from home losing a job, would it diffi worse, she or said. paid through about $32,000 a year,” Weit“We want people well-matched Some of these orders extend at least the end of this month. normal arePatrons treated inmay somebecircle toThey’re pull so be glad” asask theher Bible tellsdown us toher do.mask However, as aasC zel said. to their skills and experience,” she Virginia’s stay-at-home orders go into June. treated as though we theyEaster could see how cute she was me oftel Weitzel, 31, Cooper got accepted to the said.

“That’s whatCarolina, helps the econand dad, holiday has reminded j Here in North Democratic Gov. Roy stated during question what the government before tipping Rung for Women, a St. Louis proomy run better.” have to be thankful andher. hopeful for, even in the m a recent coronavirus press briefing that “we just don’t know yet” if the process of returning back to norm in July after she that offers Higher pay for workers can gram Lenten and career coaching pandemic. Ortiz quit state’s stay-at-home orders will extend into May. No.the The government works for restaurant didn’t and training for jobs in high de- learned that push up inflation, which jumped For me, my faith is an important part my da Easter seasons If he does decide to extend it, questions should be asked as to the questions.

And the longer in April as the economy strug- mand, including banking, health deep-clean the bar after a bar-ofstay-atmaking.

As I celebrated Easter my family, justification for it. Andshortages the answerscare, should notabeservice vague ones like “we country, and thewith stricter some ofI tender was potentially exposed. customer and techprovide gled with widespread Corinthians which reminds our Lord “comf and her partner, aus teacher, nology.

In theof fall, when her old- She1:4, of rawdo materials parts amid a of must this outand of an abundance caution.” the more people, sitting at home message curtailed their spending, and Or-to provid affliction, so thatwhen we may becan able to comfort those est daughter starts preschool, faster-than-expected reopening.

It will need to be explained in detail to the people of this state who they get back hopehopes that we returned to school fullwetime.

Weitzel towill get part-time If companies forced to raise and affliction, tiz with the comfort which ourselves ar are being told are to remain jobless at home for an undetermined answers. in a again new career. enjoy prices to cover the cost of higher workonce God.”of cases amount of time why models predicting hundreds of thousands Leaders at the local and state le Mark Smithivas drove for If Uber wages, that could slow the recovSeecelebrating JOBS, page the B6 Easter season, I urge sporting events, you are

VISUAL VOICES

It’s okay to ask questions about when The we begin to get back to comfort normal and hope

are reliable. can be with those answers — and reflect and be comforted, that concerts, family To date, I’ve gone along with what the state has asked and thenon this message with details that give theirso statem God’sabout example andWe comfort in need arou mandated that we do, but along the way I’ve also had questions shouldallallthose continue to do w gatherings, this difficult time.

Through faith and by helping o the data. State Republican leaders have, too. ourselves, and our communities s church services confident we emerge out of this strb howwill much money should be pandemic spent Unfortunately, when certain types ofand questions get asked, there is to ask questions about the data, many more next year.

Budget activities this same spirit, I continue to behave inspired the by sometimes a disturbing tendency among some people to treatInthose measures are understandable, after our own idled for weeks among Republican helping neighbors. simply questioning the data and asking when we can start neighbors getting back This is all new to Americans, a lawmakers the two named cham- Tanne temporary In Concord, a shape, highbecause school senior to normal as though they are conspiracy theorists or are people who bers remain or form.

So while we shoul far apart on a spenda 3-D printer and plastic to make fa sacrifices are sick. money to buy otherwise don’t care if they get themselves or others the same time we shouldn’t get co ing cap figure.

They ultimately will health caresend workers out of his own home.

Since when did questioning government a bad over. at all levels become a normal.” finalized budget to Cooper’s desk, withNot a goal of little getting it enactthing? That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed one bit. ting to someone else.” Many oth- as outside where there are crowds. ed by July 1. to do,it last I checked. said Matthews it makes little Mask-wearing remains required erMy states since as dropped firsthave concern we gotheir along in all this, of course, is my family. I’mCooper Stacey hassense also written for all within schools and on public to settle on a dollar amount now mask mandates as well. worried about them catching the virus, and I’m worried I will.

After and is a regular contributor to Re The CDC’s research made it very transportation, and many retailers when an updated revenue forecast suffering from the H1N1 virus (swine flu) during the 2009 pandemic, difficult to justify keeping manda- are still requiring patrons to wear will become available in June that I’ve extra precautions, incorporates May income tax colthem. because all of this brings up torybeen masktrying orderstointake place for evway too but many memories of a the painful Cooper experience d prefer not to repeat. lections. He anticipates the forecast said I’ DHHS was speakeryone, also emphasized ingiswith officials Mondayhaswill show even more funds for the importance getting vaccinated, But what of also makes me lose sleep howCDC easily most on everyone

Cooper: Office-return advice coming as NC virus mandates end

the governor said. More than 51% of all adults have had at least one COVID-19 vaccination, according to state health data.

“It’s important to know we are turning a corner. This research was significant,” he said outside the Executive Mansion, but “we have a lot of work to do and where we all ought to concentrate our effort is vaccinations.”

The state Department of Health and Human Services still recommends that people who aren’t vaccinated wear a mask indoors as well

before making decisions about how and when employees at state agencies working from home return to their office buildings. The department also could give advice to to other public and private employers. State agencies under Cooper’s oversight will continue their current COVID-19 policies until then, he said.

On another topic, the Democratic governor suggested that the state Senate move forward with passing a two-year budget proposal without first agreeing with the House on

state’s already flush coffers.

“So I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary for the Senate and the House to reach any kind of limit,” Cooper said.

Any spending cap reached soon

by Republicans is likely to be lower than the governor’s bottom line in his budget proposal from late March. Republican leaders and Cooper have expressed guarded optimism that the governor will sign a budget this year after a 2019 budget veto and negotiating stalemate never got fully resolved.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

B6

ncdot CASH REPORT For the week ending 5/13 Total Cash & Bond Proceeds:

$2,494,976,209 Add Receipts:

$103,881,349 Less Disbursements:

$149,014,758 Reserved Cash:

$657,931,887 Unreserved Cash Balance Total:

$5,078,582,646

JOBS from page B5 This month, she is graduating from Glendale Community College with a degree in film and a certificate in documentary directing.

Ortiz stopped getting unemployment benefits in November, when she did some parttime film work. Money is tight, she said, but she’s never been happier. And she doesn’t think she’ll ever be a restaurant server again.

“I don’t know if I could do it with a smile anymore,” she said.

“I don’t think it should be an option for anyone to treat any worker the way that service industry workers are treated in America.”

In a tight labor market, some workers are also finding that if they hold out, they might get a better job than the one they left.

Taryn Henderson spent six years working at Best Buy before she was unexpectedly let go in February.

“They didn’t value the work I put in, the time I put in, because I got laid off,” said Henderson, 24, a college student who lives in Austin, Texas. “It was just really discouraging.”

At first she focused on her schoolwork, living on her unemployment checks and a severance payment that gave her 10 weeks’ worth of pay. But soon she was anxious to work again, and thought a new job that valued her more would make her feel better.

After a few months of searching, she found another job with a music streaming service. She’ll start later this month and will make $10 more per hour than the $17 she made at Best Buy. “As long as I’m making enough money that I can support myself, the people that I love and I can get to travel every once in a while, I’m good,” said Henderson. “I think this job will afford me the opportunities to do that.”

NC SweetPotato Commission launches new school videos focused on healthy meals become top of mind for consumers, we are seeing increased use of sweetpotatoes more than only at the holidays. In an effort to create a greater “following” of lifelong sweetpotato consumers, we set out to captivate them at an earlier age. In doing so, we had developed a K-12 curriculum set up in step with US Board of Education standards featuring sweetpotatoes as a tool for lessons. Coupled with that we have worked with NC Farm to School to create the video series you asked about earlier and have created recipes to use in the school dining setting.

By Elizabeth Lincicome North State Journal ALTHOUGH THE PAST year forced many kids to skip the cafeteria line in favor of virtual learning and lunch at their kitchen tables, increasing vaccination rates among teachers and even school aged children means lunchrooms are filling up again. Just in time, the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission (NCSPC) recently released a new School Foodservice Video series directed at the foodservice sector in an effort to encourage cafeteria workers to incorporate more of the healthy state vegetable into lunch menus.

The NCSPC is a nonprofit corporation made up of over 400 sweetpotato (officially one word) growers along with the packers, processors, and business associates that support them. The sole purpose of the commission is to increase sweetpotato consumption through education, promotional activities, research, and honorable horticultural practices among its producers. NCSPC Communications Specialist CoCo Daughtry says that thanks to the six sweetpotato farmers that first chartered the commission in 1961, the commission has supported its growers and maintained North Carolina as the No. 1 sweetpotato producing state in the United States since 1971. The organization offers members education and benefits in the areas of food science, shelf stability, and best practices for growers.

Daughtry says that the new videos are a way to celebrate this milestone 60-year anniversary, and that they have a number of other planned celebrations and events in the works over the next several months.

Daughtry recently sat down with the North State Journal to explain a bit more about why the sweetpotato is our state’s vegetable and the rich heritage behind this community of farmers:

N.C. is the top producer of sweetpotatoes in the U.S.

Is there more than one use for a sweetpotato? What else do you make with them?

In 1993, Mrs. Celia Batchelor’s fourth-grade civics class at Elvie Street Elementary School in Wilson, N.C. was visited by RepreDaughtry: The sweetpota- sentative Gene Arnold (since reto community in North Caroli- tired and former chairman of the na has the best savvy and innova- Public School Forum of North tive farmers and industry leaders Carolina). His visit inspired her in the country. We are blessed students to become involved in to have a tightly woven ag com- their state government. These munity that is civic-minded and fourth-grade students, along unwavering in support of their with their parents, and teachneighbors. This would include ers, began a letter-writing camnot only sweetpotato farmers paign to the State Legislature and laborers but those in Exten- requesting that the sweetpotasion, in research at the univer- to be named the state vegetable. sities and of course our Depart- The entire community became involved in the campaign. After ment of Agriculture. two years of letter writing and a lot of hard work, the bill passed What kind of climate do in the General Assembly’s sumsweetpotatoes grow best in? mer session of 1995. Our sweet The subtropical climate of superfood was declared the OfNorth Carolina along with our ficial State Vegetable of North sandy soils are the perfect grow- Carolina!

Awareness of the nutritional ing conditions for sweetpotatoes.

The majority are grown along value of the sweetpotato seems to the Piedmont area, but over half be at an all-time high. Is there a the counties in the state produce cult following, and how have you worked to promote our state vegsweetpotatoes. etable?

I don’t know about a cult folHow did it come about that NC chose the sweetpotato as lowing, but we sure would like that! I can say that as health has the state veggie?

As the words in our jingle go: Serve up broad with a dip, or fried sweetpotato chips, sweetpotato pancakes, salads too, Bake em , broil em… good for you. That being said, sweetpotatoes are delicious served sweet or savory.

We encourage sweetpotato consumers to step out of their comfort zones and experiment by using sweetpotatoes in smoothies, roasted in salads, on the grill, or spiralized to replace noodles.

Perhaps unbeknownst to many parents, school nutrition employees play an outsize role in our children’s day to day health.

Nationwide, 100,000 schools serve 29.6 million students lunch each day, and in North Carolina alone there are approximately 15,000 child nutrition employees in our 115 public school districts.

Daughtry says this year the commission came up with three original recipes centered around sweetpotatoes. These include Chicken & Sweetpotato Teriyaki, Sweetpotato Bean Chili, and a Sweetpotato Quesadilla. The recipes for these, along with a slew of other dishes, are listed on the commission’s website at https:// ncsweetpotatoes.com/curriculum/school-food-service-recipes/

CC

NSJ: Tell me about the sweetpotato community of farmers and ag workers, etc.

School nurses, health service corps part of $7.4B virus plan The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — The government is providing $7.4 billion to expand the nation’s public health capacity, including hiring school nurses to vaccinate kids, setting up a health care service corps and bolstering traditional disease detection efforts, White House officials said Thursday.

Biden administration coronavirus testing coordinator Carole Johnson said it’s part of a strategy to respond to immediate needs in the COVID-19 pandemic while investing to break the cycle of ‘boom and bust’ financing that traditionally has slowed the U.S. response to health emergencies.

“We really see this as funding that can help end the pandemic and help us prevent the next one,” Johnson told The Associated Press. The money was approved by Congress in President Joe Biden’s coronavirus response

law. Officials are now acting to pump it out to states and communities through the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A leading public health nonprofit, Trust for America’s Health, welcomed the announcement.

“Given the fact that the core public health workforce is significantly smaller today than it was a decade ago, these are critically important steps,” said John Auerbach, president of the nonpartisan group, which provides its expertise to governments at all levels. “Ensuring Americans’ health security requires a standing-ready public health workforce.” Auerbach served as an adviser to the Biden presidential transition.

About $4.4 billion of the new money will go to immediate priorities in fighting the pandemic.

That includes $3.4 billion for states and local health depart-

ments to step up hiring of vaccinators, contact tracing workers, virus testing technicians and epidemiologists, who are disease detectives trained to piece together the evidence on the spread of pathogens. The White House is stressing that local governments hire people from the communities being served, with an emphasis on lower-income areas.

There’s also $500 million for hiring school nurses, who could play a key role in vaccination now that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been cleared for use by teenagers. Johnson said that would expand the pool of trusted clinicians able to give vaccines.

An additional $400 million will go to set up what’s being called the Public Health AmeriCorps. It would be modeled on AmeriCorps, the volunteer program that annually deploys more than 250,000 people to serve in communities across the coun-

try. The goal of the new program would be to train and nurture aspiring young professionals interested in the public health field.

All told, the money is expected to support tens of thousands of new jobs over a period of five years, Johnson said.

Some of it will go to long-term investments. A pool of about $3 billion will be used to create a competitive grant program allowing states and local communities to sustain their public health efforts after the coronavirus pandemic recedes.

The idea is to offer more permanent employment for community health workers hired for the COVID-19 push. They would gain a chance to continue working as public health professionals, tackling other challenges.

“We need the resources now, but we also need to invest for the long-term in the public health workforce,” Johnson said.

North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives are leading the way to a brighter future for our 2.5 million members and local communities.

Sustainable, Affordable Energy Pursuing a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 using new and existing resources to ensure electricity continues to be delivered at the lowest possible cost.

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BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE NCElectricCooperatives.com/Brighter

CEC CR 31965 Business NC half pages.indd 1

1/6/21 4:37 PM

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

B7

2020 Land Rover Defender PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAND ROVER

The off-road juggernaut The perfect embodiment of off-road lux

practice, a vehicle capable of navigating rather bonkers terrain is total overkill — but it’s nice to know you could.

Everything about the DefendBy Jordan Golson er design is related to practicaliNorth State Journal ty when exploring the Serengeti SAN DIEGO — Fifteen years or having the appearance of such. ago, I owned a Land Rover Discov- There are clever storage bins abery for about 18 months. Against all solutely everywhere in the cabin.

The doors, the dash and the center logic and reason, I adored it.

It was at the mechanic for more console are filled with places to put than four months of my ownership, things. I found spots for my walstruggled to reach 13 miles per gal- let, phone, sunglasses, spare walon, and left me stranded on the ter bottles, lottery tickets, a Chickside of the highway when the en- Fil-A drive-thru order, a laptop and an iPad with room to gine grenaded itself and spare. spread a cloud of bits of My Defender includmetal and smoke and ed the $4,800 Explorer oil all over the road.

Land Rover has a The Land Rover Pack that added a raised air intake, a gorgeous (deserved) reputation Defender can Expedition Roof Rack for questionable quali- get you there for affixing incredible ty and also a (deserved) amounts of gear, and rep for owners that ab- and back again a side-mounted locksolutely love them deable storage compartspite their foibles. My Discovery was a bit like a family ment that hangs off the side of the dog that destroys your shoes and truck near the back. What would tears up the couch cushions, but you put in there? I don’t know, exyou can’t bear to part with it be- tra sunscreen? But it’s the size of a cause it looks at you with such lov- large backpack, and it looks fantastic, which is what matters. ing adoration.

The 360-degree cameras are These days, Land Rover has a new owner and new engines, and some of the highest-quality I’ve a whole new ethos. It’ll take some seen in a vehicle. They’re extra time to figure out if the quality is- handy if you do take it off-road besues have been fixed, but after a cause the Defender has custom week behind the wheel of the new views that can show a live shot Defender, I can tell you that the of the front wheels so you can see Land Rover love is stronger than which way you’re going on a tricky up- or downhill stretch. It also has ever.

The Defender is the hardcore a trick feature that makes the hood off-roader of the Land Rover line- of the car “invisible” to help you up, returning to the US for the navigate boulders in your path.

Sensors can measure the depth first time since the early 90s. It’s not quite as boxy and militaristi- of water you’re trying to ford, while cally practical as the old Defend- the air suspension can give you a er, though. The new one is a touch few extra inches of ground clearsofter and more welcoming, which ance or drop down to make it easthe purists will hate. But of course, ier to climb in and out.

The seats are covered in a rugthey’re wrong, as purists so often ged neoprene material that should are.

My test truck was a four-door make them easy to clean after dirty Defender 110 in Santorini Black outdoor activities, and there are with an Ebony interior. It costs numerous grab handles for every $78,595 and was far better than I passenger should the ride get a litexpected it to be, even coming in tle rough.

The Defender looks terrific. It with high hopes.

At the heart of it all is a 3-liter drives amazingly on-road and off.

6-cylinder turbocharged hybrid And it perfectly embodies someengine making an impressive 395 thing I’m calling “off-road lux.” horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. Most Defenders will likely nevMy old Discovery wasn’t what you er see anything more taxing than would call “sprightly,” but the De- a speed bump in a supermarket fender was almost zippy thanks to parking lot or perhaps a lane that enthusiastic and torque-happy ac- sometimes has leaves on it.

But you know in your heart that celeration, particularly when passno matter where you need to go, the ing.

The outrageously unnecessary Land Rover Defender can get you powertrain has all-wheel drive there and back again. Unlike many with high and low ranges, plus a SUVs that only look the part, the whole host of selectable on- and off- Defender walks the walk.

I’m in love with a Land Rover road drive modes, hill descent control, and an adaptive air suspension all over again. And with a 4-year, with multiple levels. Considering 50,000-mile warranty this time that most Defenders will be used around, what could possibly go to drive to Whole Foods or soccer wrong?

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

B8

features Oprah and CNN: AT&T is merging media business with Discovery The Associated Press

JENNY CANE | AP PHOTO

This Aug. 13, 2020 file photo shows a logo for Netflix on a remote control in Portland, Ore.

Passing on your password? Streaming services are past it The Associated Press NEW YORK — Many of us were taught to share as kids.

Now streaming services ranging from Netflix to Amazon to Disney+ want us to stop.

That’s the new edict from the giants of streaming media, who are hoping to discourage the common practice of sharing account passwords without alienating subscribers who’ve grown accustomed to the hack.

Password sharing is estimated to cost streaming services several billion dollars a year in lost revenue. That’s a small problem now for an industry that earns about $120 billion annually, but something it needs to address as spending on distinctive new programing skyrockets. Amazon’s upcoming “Lord of the Rings” series will reportedly cost $450 million for its first season alone - more than four times the cost of a season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

“Frankly the industry has been gravitating toward that.

It’s a question of when, not if,” said CFRA analyst Tuna Amobi. “The landscape seems to be pretty set in terms of these new entrants, so it seems like a good time to get a much better handle on subscribers.”

It’s a tricky balance. The video companies have long offered legitimate ways for multiple people to use a service, by creating profiles or by offering tiers of service with different levels of screen sharing allowed. Stricter password sharing rules might spur more people to bite the bullet and pay full price for their own subscription. But a tootough clampdown could also alienate users and drive them away.

In March some Netflix users began to get popups asking them to verify their account by entering a code sent via email or text, but also gave them the choice of verifying “later.” Netflix did not say how many people were part of the test or if it was only in the U.S. or elsewhere.

“They’ll be taking a very cautious approach to it,” Amobi said. “Handled the wrong way, there’s always a downside to a move like this.”

The test comes at a crucial time for Netflix. Last year’s pandemic-fueled subscriber growth is slowing. It remains the streaming service to beat with more than 200 million subscribers globally. But a bevy of new competitors have emerged, including Disney+, which is cheaper and has quickly snapped up 100 million subscribers in less than two years.

When Disney+ launched in 2019, then CEO Bob Iger said the service was modeled on sharing.

“We’re setting up a service that is very family-friendly, we

expect families to be able to consume it - four live streams at a time, for instance,” he said in a CNBC interview. “We’ll watch it carefully with various tools, technology tools, that we have available to us to monitor it. But it’s obviously something we have to watch.”

Roughly two in five online adults have shared passwords to online accounts with friends or family members, according to the Pew Center for Internet and Technology. Among millennials it’s even higher: 56% of online adults ages 18- to 29 have shared passwords.

“With the cost of all the streaming platforms bought together equaling a cable bill -which it was supposed to eliminate -- I think it’s a great thing to be able to share your login to help family and friends save a few bucks,” said Ryan Saffell, 39, an IT director from Las Vegas.

Another study found more than a quarter of all video streaming services are used by multiple households. That includes a family or friend sharing the account they pay for outside of the household, or, less commonly, several households splitting the cost. And 16% of all households have at least one service that is fully paid for by someone else according to the study by Leichtman Research Group. That increases to 26% for 18- to 34-year-olds.

Sharing or stealing streaming service passwords cost an estimated $2.5 billion in revenue in 2019 according to the most recent data from research firm Park Associates, and that’s expected to rise to nearly $3.5 billion by 2024.

That may be a small fraction of the $119.69 billion eMarketer predicts people will spend on U.S. video subscriptions this year. But subscriber growth is slowing, and costs are increasing.

Companies are investing dizzying sums to produce own original movies and shows and stand out from competitors. Disney+ said it’ll spend up to $16 billion a year on new content for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ by fiscal 2024. Netflix is expected to spend $19 billion on originals this year, research firm Bankr estimates.

“Programming spend is doubling, or in some cases tripling and quadrupling, so you have to fund it somewhere.” CFRA’s Amobi said. “Most services are looking at losses for the next few years before they break even. So they can use every subscription that they can get.”

Another way to finance all this new programing is to raise prices. Netflix hiked the price of its most popular plan by $1 last October, to $14 a month. Disney+ followed in March with its own $1 a month increase, to $8.

NEW YORK — The merger of Discovery and AT&T’s WarnerMedia operations, marrying the likes of HBO and CNN with HGTV and Oprah Winfrey, is another illustration of the head-spinning speed in which streaming has transformed the media world.

The companies are essentially placing a $43 billion bet that they’ll still be in the mix when consumers decide how to spend their monthly entertainment budgets.

The agreement was announced Monday after AT&T CEO John Stankey and his Discovery counterpart, David Zaslav, worked out the details in Zaslav’s Manhattan brownstone over the past two months.

“I think, together, the combination makes us the best media company in the world,” said Zaslav, who will run the new company if approvals are granted, probably sometime next year.

The deal also represents a strategic retreat for AT&T. The hope for the newly merged company is that, with a wider array of material than either can offer on its own, it can join Netflix, Amazon and Disney in the widely acknowledged top tier of streamers.

Analysts say it also makes it imperative that services below that tier — think Paramount+ or Peacock — find some way to ramp up or risk being left behind.

WarnerMedia and Discovery both launched their own streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+, within the past two years. It’s still not clear whether the merger will result in a single streaming service or several bundled together, but it will have a vast array of content to offer: scripted and reality TV, movies, sports including the NBA and NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and news with CNN. With consumers figuring out which streaming services they use regularly and which they can give up, that depth means a better chance they will use this new one regularly, said Raj Venkatesan, professor of business administration at the University of Virginia. The average U.S. household spends $40 a month on streaming services.

“It either has something for everyone in the family, or is so diverse that it is hard to explain,” said Jim Nail, an analyst for Forrester Research.

David Schweidel, a business professor at Emory University,

RICHARD DREW | AP PHOTO

In this Oct. 21, 2014 file photo, people pass an AT&T store in New York’s Times Square. questioned whether consumers will be better off with the deal.

“If I do decide to cut the cord and I need three to five services to get what I had before, that bill could easily approach what I was paying for cable before,” Schweidel said. “This may end up hurting consumers.”

HBO Max and HBO have a combined global subscriber base of about 63.9 million, and Discovery+ has about 15 million subscribers. That compares with Netflix, which has more than 200 million subscribers worldwide, and Disney+, which counts over 100 million.

In a call with investors, Zaslav said he believes that the standalone company could garner “200, 300, 400 million” subscribers at some point in the future, but there were no details regarding a timeline.

The deal is a stark reminder of how much the entertainment world has changed, said Tim Hanlon, CEO of the media consultants Vertere Group.

“I think most consumers now look at live television as being something of an anachronism,” he said.

While it increases the pressure on smaller streaming services like Peacock or Paramount+ to find partners, those two are affiliated with the NBC and CBS television networks — so doing so would require a rethinking of the broadcast industry regulatory process, Hanlon said.

It’s the second time this year that AT&T has calved off a major acquisition as it navigates a rap-

idly evolving media landscape. In February, the company spun off satellite TV service DirecTV for a fraction of the $48.5 billion it paid in 2015.

Dallas-based AT&T acquired the former company Time Warner for more than $80 billion less than five years ago in a bid to control both sides of the entertainment process: the broadband and wireless services that help deliver entertainment to homes, and the entertainment itself. But the costs involved in trying to do both became a burden.

“That vision clearly has not panned out,” said CFRA analyst Tuna Amobi.

The new company will be able to cut costs by $3 billion annually, the companies said, money that could go toward original streaming content. It will house almost 200,000 hours of programming and bring together more than 100 brands under one global portfolio, including DC Comics, Cartoon Network, Eurosport, Magnolia, TLC and Animal Planet.

That likely means layoffs as the companies consolidate.

The deal is also likely to force major decisions on familiar brands. For instance, CNN Chief Executive Jeff Zucker said he expected to leave at the end of the year. But with the new company being led by Zaslav — who worked with Zucker at NBC in the 1990s — that equation could change.

Zaslav called Zucker an extraordinary talent. “It’s all about the talent, and so we’ll be figuring out how do we get the best people to stay,” he said.

RICHARD DREW | AP PHOTO

In this June 13, 2018, file photo, the logos for Time Warner and AT&T appear above alternate trading posts on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

B9

Home cooks find antidote to blandness on TikTok videos

By Jake Coyle The Associated Press From sourdough to feta pasta, much of the last year at home has been food-focused. And one driver of these delectable fads is the social media platform TikTok. Many people have embraced cooking during the pandemic, when they’ve been home, bored, looking to try something new.

TikTok was ready to fill the gap as a foodie paradise, and has seen more than 15 billion food posts.

“It’s my bedtime routine,” Lori Jackson, 54, of Lynn, Massachusetts, said of watching TikTok cooking videos. “I’ve taken ideas I’ve seen on there and made them.”

One of the burgeoning TikTok celebrity chefs is Harry Heal, a 26-year-old who lives in Dubai.

Heal has a distinct baritone, an English accent, and has garnered about a million followers in the six months he’s been posting cooking videos. He isn’t a chef by trade, though he learned some cooking skills when working in the French Alps as a teen.

“From then on, I have been a huge cooking enthusiast and loved being in the kitchen,” Heal said.

His most viral video – 13.3 million views — is a Valentine’s Day dish with seared chicken breast, roasted garlic, sliced mushrooms and cream. Like most TikTok videos, it’s set to music and has the feel of something professionally crafted.

Tri Phan of Arlington, Virginia, has amassed 1.5 million followers since he began posting workout and healthy cooking videos in November. The 23-year-old, who is working on his master’s degree in data and business analytics at American University, often does two versions of his content, one in English and one in Vietnamese; about 60 percent of his followers are Vietnamese, he says.

“When I first started, it was me wanting to share with the world Vietnamese cuisine, Vietnamese food,” he said. “Now I want to take this TikTok further to really help people learn to cook healthy meals that they could eat and they could eat for the rest of their lives.”

Phan’s love of cooking came despite being told by his traditional mother to stay out of the kitchen. “My mom never wanted the only boy in the family to be in the kitchen,” he said.

“And because of that, I always wanted to cook.”

Now that he’s TikTok famous, he says his mother doesn’t quite grasp what that means. “She’s like, ‘Oh, good job, son. Very good.

But your finance major, how’s that going?’”

About one year ago – somewhere near the “Tiger King” phase of the pandemic – a whipped coffee drink made the rounds on the

PHOTOS VIA AP

This combination photo shows Lori Jackson cooking a steak and asparagus recipe she found on Tik Tok, from left, an image of the Tik Tok app and a recipe for a tomato and feta pasta dish that went viral on Tik Tok.

internet, starting its viral journey on TikTok. The drink originated in South Korea, where it’s called a dalgona coffee. All it required was instant coffee, sugar and hot water to construct a luscious-looking beverage resembling a softserve ice cream cone. The hashtag #whippedcoffee has amassed more than 2.3 billion views.

There’s a lot of variety on “food TikTok.” You can learn to perfect a hamburger or ferment kimchee, make old-fashioned Japanese candy or fry frog legs.

The video-only platform lends

itself to cooking demonstrations, said Crystal King, a social media professor at Boston-based marketing software firm Hubspot. Other social media platforms have multiple features – lots of text or static photos – that can divide a user’s attention. TikTok, however, “sucks people in really easily,” she said. “The format is simple, easily understood and it connects people into a global understanding of food really quickly.”

The vast array of content is a leading attraction of food TikTok,

fans say. Many people, like Julie Vick, a 44-year-old writer and college instructor in the Denver area, look there for new ideas.

“The videos are a little mesmerizing at times,” Vick said. “I’ve liked watching the tortilla ones, where people put four different ingredients in different sections of a tortilla and then fold it up and cook it in a skillet.”

Although they’re generally not hands-on, TikTok’s short videos do create interest in cooking skills, says Geeti Gangle, co-owner of Create a Cook culinary

because of default in the payment of the secured indebtedness and failure to perform the stipulation and agreements therein contained and, pursuant to demand of the owner and holder of the secured debt, the undersigned substitute trustee will expose for sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash at the usual place of sale at the county courthouse of said county at 11:00AM on May 26, 2021 the following described real estate and any other improvements which may be situated thereon, in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Mazilyah Lyde and David Lyde, dated April 30, 2007 to secure the original principal amount of $117,390.00, and recorded in Book 7504 at Page 272 of the Cabarrus County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Tax Parcel ID: 56334450920000 David Present Record Owners: and Mazilyah Lyde

condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is made subject to all prior liens and encumbrances, and unpaid taxes and assessments including but not limited to any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. Following the expiration of the statutory upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

school in Newton, Massachusetts.

“If we engage younger people in learning to cook, they will start making food for themselves one day,” Gangle said. “And they might become interested in learning the skills later on.”

The link between good nutrition and knowing how to cook has been well established. But until the pandemic, cooking skills were on the decline for young people and not frequently taught in school.

Camden Allard, a 21-year-old student in Seattle, has made several recipes from TikTok: bread recipes, the feta tomato pasta that recently broke the internet, trifles, cinnamon rolls and the quarter quesadilla.

“TikTok videos are great to watch because I am able to get the overall information about a recipe – like what it makes, the ingredients, how you cook it – in about a minute,” he said. “I can quickly determine if it’s something that I would be interested in doing.”

Allard, who has been cooking for about eight years, said he enjoys making meals with his girlfriend and family, and TikTok has made it easy for them to expand their repertoire.

“Quarantine has made life bland and repetitive with us staying at home, and having new meals to try out has added some excitement,” he said. “That has made making dinners less of a chore and more an exciting thing.”

TAKE NOTICE

CABARRUS IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CABARRUS COUNTY 21SP112 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY MAZILYAH LYDE AND DAVID LYDE DATED APRIL 30, 2007 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 7504 AT PAGE 272 IN THE CABARRUS COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and

CUMBERLAND IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CUMBERLAND COUNTY 20SP878 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY DARYL E. LONG, JR. AND WHITNEY W. LONG DATED OCTOBER 1, 2007 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 7714 AT PAGE 249 IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CUMBERLAND COUNTY 21SP8 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY WILLIE LEACH AND BARBARA LEACH DATED MARCH 15, 2000 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 5248 AT PAGE 436 IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in the payment of the secured indebtedness and failure to perform the stipulation and agreements therein contained and, pursuant to demand of the owner and holder of the secured debt,

Address of property: Jacob Ave, Kannapolis, NC 28083

3237

Elliot

contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in the payment of the secured indebtedness and failure to perform the stipulation and agreements therein contained and, pursuant to demand of the owner and holder of the secured debt, the undersigned substitute trustee will expose for sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash at the usual place of sale at the county courthouse of said county at 10:00AM on June 1, 2021 the following described real estate and any other improvements which may be situated thereon, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Daryl E. Long, Jr. and Whitney W. Long, dated October 1, 2007 to secure the original principal amount of $61,290.00, and recorded in Book 7714 at Page 249 of the Cumberland County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Address of property:

1

0

2

2

the undersigned substitute trustee will expose for sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash at the usual place of sale at the county courthouse of said county at 10:30AM on June 1, 2021 the following described real estate and any other improvements which may be situated thereon, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Willie Leach and Barbara Leach, dated March 15, 2000 to secure the original principal amount of $76,386.09, and recorded in Book 5248 at Page 436 of the Cumberland County Public Registry.

The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record.

Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Address of property: 413 Country Club Dr, Fayetteville, NC 28301 Tax Parcel ID: 0439-42-3729 Present Record Owners: Willie Leach

Lyde

And Being more commonly known as: 3237 Elliot Jacob Ave, Kannapolis, NC 28083 The record owner(s) of the property, as reflected on the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are David Lyde and Mazilyah Lyde.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance «AS IS, WHERE IS.» Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such

Woodcreek Dr Apt 2, Fayetteville, NC 28314 Tax Parcel ID: 9498-42-7239.102 Present Record Owners: Stewar t›s Creek I Condominium Association, Inc. And Being more commonly known as: Woodcreek Dr Apt 2, Fayetteville, NC 28314

1022

The record owner(s) of the property, as reflected on the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Stewart›s Creek I Condominium Association, Inc. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance «AS IS, WHERE IS.» Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or

And Being more commonly known as: 413 Country Club Dr, Fayetteville, NC 28301 The record owner(s) of the property, as reflected on the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Willie Leach.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance «AS IS, WHERE IS.» Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is made subject to all prior liens and encumbrances, and unpaid taxes and assessments including but not limited to any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is

in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon written notice to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time notice of termination is provided. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is May 5, 2021.

LLG Trustee LLC Substitute Trustee 10130 Perimeter Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 20-110870

Parkway,

Suite

400

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS: If you are a tenant residing in the property, be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued

liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is made subject to all prior liens and encumbrances, and unpaid taxes and assessments including but not limited to any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. Following the expiration of the statutory upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon written notice to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time notice of termination is provided. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is May 10, 2021.

Andrew Vining Substitute Trustee 10130 Perimeter Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 20-110981

Parkway,

Suite

400

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS: If you are a tenant residing in the property, be advised that

required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. Following the expiration of the statutory upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS: If you are a tenant residing in the property, be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon written notice to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided

that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time notice of termination is provided. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is May 10, 2021.

LLG TRUSTEE LLC Substitute Trustee 10130 Perimeter Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 16-081996

Parkway,

Suite

400

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

B10 TAKE NOTICE

CUMBERLAND 21 SP 129 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Manuel Magana and Susana S. Jain to Kelly B. Baumgardner and Jerry B. Flowers, Trustee(s), which was dated October 2, 2018 and recorded on October 2, 2018 in Book 10384 at Page 0716, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the

21 SP 119 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Kevin A. Jones, Sr. and Janice Jones to Donald Steven Bunce, Trustee(s), which was dated December 6, 2005 and recorded on December 13, 2005 in Book 7092 at Page 0476, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

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

21 SP 138 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Richard Riley and Jennifer Riley to National Title Network, Trustee(s), which was dated May 30, 2009 and recorded on June 10, 2009 in Book 08173 at Page 0025, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

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

20 SP 151 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Haven L. Crecelius and Jessica L. Crecelius to H. Terry Hutchens, Trustee(s), which was dated May 22, 2009 and recorded on May 26, 2009 in Book 08158 at Page 0482, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 2, 2021 at 01:30 PM, and will

19 SP 1598 AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Evangaline D. Smith and Nathaniel L. Smith to The Law Firm of Jamie Faye Newsom, Trustee(s), which was dated November 15, 2006 and recorded on November 20, 2006 in Book 7425 at Page 357, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on May 26, 2021 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 6, Block “D”, in a subdivision known as Edenroc, and the same being duly recorded in Plat Book 25, Page 3, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

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

Said property is commonly known as 830 Edenwood Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28303.

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

the sale on May 26, 2021 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered

2, 2021 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

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

BEING ALL OF LOT 355, IN A SUBDIVISION KNOWN AS CLIFFDALE WEST, REVISION OF SECTION SEVEN, ACCORDING TO A PLAT OF SAME BEING DULY RECORDED IN BOOK OF PLATS 57, PAGE 51, CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 6893 Pin Oak Lane, Fayetteville, NC 28314.

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

sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Eric J. Christiansen and Lori Christiansen to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), which was dated December 20, 2010 and recorded on February 1, 2011 in Book 08578 at Page 0551, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on May 26,

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY 20 SP 814 Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Tony L. King and Michelle King, in the original amount of $68,700.00, payable to Household Realty Corporation, dated March 28, 2003 and recorded on April 2, 2003 in Book 6043, Page 652, Cumberland County Registry.

Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Cumberland County, North Carolina, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Cumberland County, North Carolina, at 2:00PM on June 1, 2021, and will sell to the highest

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Jennifer Riley.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale,

Said property is commonly known as 3614 Lakeshore Drive, Hope Mills, NC 28348.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Haven L. Crecelius and wife, Jessica L. Crecelius.

A cash deposit (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written

sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

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

BEING all of Lot Number 72 in a subdivision known as CLIFTON FORGE and the same being duly recorded in Book of Plats 40, Page 7 in the Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

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

BEING ALL OF LOT 512, IN A SUBDIVISION KNOWN AS PONDEROSA, REVISION OF A PORTION OF SECTION TWELVE, ACCORDING TO A PLAT OF THE SAME DULY RECORDED IN BOOK OF PLATS 34, PAGE 11, CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash at the usual place of sale at the county courthouse of said county at 10:30AM on May 24, 2021 the following described real estate and any other improvements which may be situated thereon, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Kevin W. Heath and Anne J. Heath, dated May 26, 2006 to secure the original principal amount of $53,460.00, and recorded in Book 7260 at Page 350 of the Cumberland County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

19 SP 1321 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

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

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

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CUMBERLAND COUNTY 21SP9

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in the payment of the secured indebtedness and failure to perform the stipulation and agreements therein contained and, pursuant to demand of the owner and holder of the secured debt, the undersigned substitute trustee will expose for

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may,

Said property is commonly known as 6847 Shawcross Ln, Fayetteville, NC 28314.

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

Said property is commonly known as 312 Tucson Dr, Fayetteville, NC 28303.

NOTICE OF SALE

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/ are Manuel Magana and wife, Susana S. Jain.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/ are Kevin A. Jones, Sr. and wife, Janice Jones.

BEING ALL OF LOT 246, IN A SUBDIVISION KNOWN AS GLEN REILLY, SECTION FIVE, AND THE SAME BEING DULY RECORDED IN BOOK OF PLATS 60, PAGE 111, CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 2, 2021 at 01:30 PM, and will

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY KEVIN W. HEATH AND ANNE J. HEATH DATED MAY 26, 2006 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 7260 AT PAGE 350 IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA

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

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

6315 Rustic Address of property: Rdg, Hope Mills, NC 28348 Tax Parcel ID: 0404-33-7990 Kevin Heath Present Record Owners: and Anna Heath

2021 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING ALL OF LOT 195, IN A SUBDIVISION KNOWN AS COLLEGE LAKES, SECTION 3, THE SAME BEING DULY RECORDED IN BOOK OF PLATS 25, PAGE 6, CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 5221 Cooper Road, Fayetteville, NC 28311.

A cash deposit (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE

bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: All that certain property situated in the City of Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland and the State of North Carolina, being described as follows: Lot 89 Hollywood Heights Subdivision, Section 6 according to a plat of the same duly recorded in Plat Book 32, Page 45.

Being more fully described in Deed dated 12/30/2000 and recorded 01/05/2001, among the land records of the County and State set forth above, in Deed Volume 5386 and Page 510.

Address: 6116 Hilco Drive; Fayetteville, NC 28314 Tax Map or Parcel ID NO.: 0407-32-5776 Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 6116 Hilco Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28314. Tax ID: 0407-32-5776 Third party purchasers must pay the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105-228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are All Lawful Heirs of Evangeline D. Smith.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale,

And Being more commonly known as: 6315 Rustic Rdg, Hope Mills, NC 28348 The record owner(s) of the property, as reflected on the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Kevin Heath and Anna Heath.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance «AS IS, WHERE IS.» Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is made subject to all prior liens and encumbrances, and unpaid taxes and assessments including but not limited to any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven

RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are All Lawful Heirs of Eric J. Christiansen.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written

General Statutes §7A-308, in the amount of Forty-five Cents (0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of five percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certified funds.

Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS WHERE IS. There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owners of the property is Tony L. King.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and

after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 FAX: (910) 392-8587 File No.: 20-00754-FC02

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and

terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. Following the expiration of the statutory upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 FAX: (910) 392-8587 File No.: 20-13056-FC01

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 FAX: (910) 392-8587 File No.: 14-03746-FC01

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 FAX: (910) 392-8587 File No.: 17-01545-FC02

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 FAX: (910) 392-8587 File No.: 19-16310-FC01

after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time notice of termination is provided. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is May 3, 2021.

LLG Trustee LLC Substitute Trustee 10130 Perimeter Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 18-098959

Parkway,

Suite

400

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS: If you are a tenant residing in the property, be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon written notice to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days,

notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination (North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.16A(b)(2)). Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of termination. If the Trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Substitute Trustee, in their sole discretion, if

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 FAX: (910) 392-8587 File No.: 19-14134-FC01

they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit.

The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Anchor Trustee Services, LLC Substitute Trustee January N. Taylor, Bar #33512 McMichael Taylor Gray, LLC Attorney for Anchor Trustee Services, LLC 3550 Engineering Drive, Suite 260 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 404-474-7149 (phone) 404-745-8121 (fax)

jtaylor@mtglaw.com

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

B11

TAKE NOTICE

FORSYTH NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 21 SP 119

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made

by Eugene Lawrence and Gwendolyn Lawrence (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Sherley Bohonnon) to , Trustee(s), dated October 31, 2006, and recorded in Book No. RE 2708, at Page 548 in Forsyth County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Forsyth County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:15 PM on May 26, 2021 and will

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 21 SP 165

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Joseph Daniel Fritts, Jr. (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Joseph Daniel Fritts, Jr.) to David L. Brunk, Trustee(s), dated August 24, 2007, and recorded in Book No. RE 2779, at Page 2253 in Forsyth County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Forsyth County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:15 PM on May 26, 2021 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Winston Salem in the County of Forsyth, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain property situated in the Township

JOHNSTON IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION JOHNSTON COUNTY 20sp364 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY DWIGHT HERMAN PEEDIN AND CAROLYN NORRIS PEEDIN DATED SEPTEMBER 8, 1998 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 1743 AT PAGE 224 IN THE JOHNSTON COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority

RANDOLPH NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 237

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Virginia M. Wells and Johnny Wells (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Virginia M. Wells) to Gavin, Cox, Pugh & Wilhott, Trustee(s), dated July 16, 2007, and recorded in Book No. RE2034, at Page 552 in Randolph County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Randolph County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on May 25, 2021 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Asheboro in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and

STANLY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION STANLY COUNTY 20sp110 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY CARROLL RAY RANDALL, JR. AND ROBIN RENEE EFIRD AKA ROBIN E. RANDALL DATED SEPTEMBER 24, 2008 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 1252 AT PAGE 1 IN THE STANLY COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in the payment of the secured indebtedness and failure to perform the stipulation

UNION NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, UNION COUNTY 19 SP 664 Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Clayton A. Haile and Melanie Haile, in the original amount of $110,736.00, payable to American Financial Group, Inc., dated November 10, 1994 and recorded on November 14, 1994 in Book 748, Page 244, modified by Loan Modification recorded on September 26, 2018 in Book 7240, Page 861, Union County Registry.

Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Union County, North Carolina, and the holder

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 20 SP 388

sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Winston Salem in the County of Forsyth, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being known and designated as Lot 2, Block D, as shown on the map of Carver Crest, which map is recorded in Plat Book 10, Page 171, in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Forsyth County, North Carolina, reference is hereby made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 846 W 11th Street, Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Tax ID 6826-90-4723 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §4521.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/ security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the

of Winston in the County of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, being described as follows: Lot 34, Ardmore Addition, Plat Book 3, Page 13-A. Being more fully described in a deed dated 04/11/1996 and recorded 05/02/1996, among the land records of the County and State set forth above, in Deed Volume, 1899 and Page 1294. Tax Map or Parcel ID No.: 1095034. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1046 Melrose Street, Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §4521.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/ security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty

contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in the payment of the secured indebtedness and failure to perform the stipulation and agreements therein contained and, pursuant to demand of the owner and holder of the secured debt, the undersigned substitute trustee will expose for sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash at the usual place of sale at the county courthouse of said county at 11:00AM on May 25, 2021 the following described real estate and any other improvements which may be situated thereon, in Johnston County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Dwight Herman Peedin and Carolyn Norris Peedin, dated September 8, 1998 to secure the original principal amount of $42,792.00, and recorded in Book 1743 at Page 224 of the Johnston County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

Address of property:

271 Bunn Rd,

being more particularly described as follows: Back Creek Township, Randolph County, North Carolina BEING all of Lot No. 1, (containing 1.257 acres) as shown on plat entitled “Minor Subdivision for CGI Construction, Inc.”, by Jerry King Surveying, Inc. and designated as Job #3942 and duly recorded in Plat Book 90, Page 63, in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Randolph County, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 773 West Balfour Avenue, Asheboro, North Carolina.

The Deed of Trust was modified by the following:

A Loan Modification recorded on December 4, 2008, in Book No. RE2106, at Page 756.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §4521.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to

and agreements therein contained and, pursuant to demand of the owner and holder of the secured debt, the undersigned substitute trustee will expose for sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash at the usual place of sale at the county courthouse of said county at 10:00AM on June 3, 2021 the following described real estate and any other improvements which may be situated thereon, in Stanly County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Carroll Ray Randall, Jr. and Robin Renee Efird aka Robin E. Randall, dated September 24, 2008 to secure the original principal amount of $60,697.62, and recorded in Book 1252 at Page 1 of the Stanly County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended.

919 Address of property: North Main St, Norwood, NC 28128 Tax Parcel ID: 9613 Carroll Ray Present Record Owners: Randall, Jr. and Robin Renee Efird

of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Union County, North Carolina, at 2:00PM on May 27, 2021, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: Being all of Lot(s) 4, Poplar Glen as shown on plat recorded in Plat Cabinet D, File 516, Union County Registry.

Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 5029 Poplar Glen Drive, Matthews, NC 28105. Tax ID: 07132381 Third party purchasers must pay the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105-228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A-308, in the amount of Forty-five Cents (0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of five percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever

following real estate situated in Marshville in the County of Union, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that real property situated in the County of Union, State of North Carolina:

officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases.

Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and

return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases.

Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

Kenly, NC 27542 Tax Parcel ID: 03Q02012W Present Record Owners: Dwight Peedin and Carolyn N. Peedin

liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is made subject to all prior liens and encumbrances, and unpaid taxes and assessments including but not limited to any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. Following the expiration of the statutory upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

H.

And Being more commonly known as: 271 Bunn Rd, Kenly, NC 27542 The record owner(s) of the property, as reflected on the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Dwight H. Peedin and Carolyn N. Peedin.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance «AS IS, WHERE IS.» Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE

c/o Hutchens Law Firm

And Being more commonly known as: 919 North Main St, Norwood, NC 28128

ten days for upset bids as required by law. Following the expiration of the statutory upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

LLG TRUSTEE LLC Substitute Trustee 10130 Perimeter Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 20-110501

Parkway,

Suite

400

Suite

400

P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 1180314 - 15413

The date of this Notice is May 13, 2021.

LLG TRUSTEE LLC Substitute Trustee 10130 Perimeter Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 20-109346

Parkway,

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS: If you are a tenant residing in the property, be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon written notice to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time notice of termination is provided. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certified funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS WHERE IS. There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owners of the property are Clayton A. Haile and Melanie S. Haile.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written

notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination (North Carolina General Statutes §4521.16A(b)(2)). Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of termination.

If the Trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Substitute Trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit.

The purchaser will have no further remedy.

John P. Fetner, Bar #41811 McMichael Taylor Gray, LLC Attorney for Anchor Trustee Services, LLC 3550 Engineering Drive, Suite 260 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 404-474-7149 (phone) 404-745-8121 (fax) jfetner@mtglaw.com

for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord,

to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

27502 North State Journal: April 28, May 5, 12 and 19, 2021

Anchor Trustee Services, LLC Substitute Trustee

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Janice H. Faulkner (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Janice H. Faulkner, Heirs of Janice H. Faulkner: Erika Peterson, Jack Lee Faulkner) to PRLAP, Inc., Trustee(s), dated December 15, 2006, and recorded in Book No. 04422, at Page 0489 in Union County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Union County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the Judicial Center in Monroe, Union County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:00 PM on May 27, 2021 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §4521.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S.

WAKE

ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations having claims against JB YOUNG, deceased, of Wake County, N.C., are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned

on or before August 2, 2021, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This 28th day of April 2021.

Charlene F. Young, Executor, c/o Lisa M. Schreiner, Stam Law Firm, PLLC, 510 W. Williams St., Apex, NC

ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations having claims against MARY BRASHER SMITH, aka, MARY LUCILLE SMITH deceased, of Wake County, N.C. (2021-E-1608),

are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before August 20, 2021, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to

make immediate payment.

This 19th day of May 2021.

Wesley Wayne Smith, Executor, c/o Lisa M.

Schreiner, Stam Law Firm, PLLC, 510 W. Williams St., Apex, NC 27502 North State Journal: May 19, 26, June 2 and 9, 2021

ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations having claims against JEAN HARE GOODWIN, deceased, of Wake County, N.C., are notified to exhibit the same to

the undersigned on or before August 23, 2021, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This 19th day of May 2021.

Teresa Goodwin Hardy, Executor, c/o Lisa M. Schreiner, Stam Law Firm, PLLC, 510 W. Williams St.,

Apex, NC 27502 North State Journal: May 19, 26, June 2 and 9, 2021

Property Address: 1020 Hamiltons Crossroads Road

The date of this Notice is May 4, 2021.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm

§7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/ security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed.

Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property

Being the same property conveyed to the Grantor by deed recorded in Book 961, Page 272 Union County Registry, to which deed reference is hereby made for a more particular description of this property. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1020 Hamiltons Crossroads Road, Marshville, North Carolina.

an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon written notice to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time notice of termination is provided. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS: If you are a tenant residing in the property, be advised that

to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance «AS IS, WHERE IS.» Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is made subject to all prior liens and encumbrances, and unpaid taxes and assessments including but not limited to any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. This sale will be held open

P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 2936 - 7095

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE

this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/ security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed.

Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge

The record owner(s) of the property, as reflected on the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Carroll Ray Randall, Jr. and Robin Renee Efird.

c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 3319 - 14601

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 3719 - 11959

B12

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

pen & paper pursuits

sudoku

solutions From May 12, 2021

TO SUBSCRIBE: 704-269-8461

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 33 | WEDNESDAY,MAY 19, 2021 | STANLYJOURNAL.COM

Stanly County Journal

Atrium holds event to vaccinate younger teens

By David Larson Stanly County Journal

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ATRIUM HEALTH

Top left, Abigail Isaac reacts as the needle for her fist dose of COVID-19 vaccine is injected into her arm. She received the vaccine at a drive-thru vaccination clinic at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, in Charlotte, on May 13, 2021.

Top right, Ben Shifflet, 12, sits in anticipation, awaiting the stick of the needle for his first COVID-19 vaccination at a clinic for adolescents hosted by Atrium Health on May 13, 2021. Shifflet told his mother after the shot, “I hope I’m awake and not dreaming. This is so surreal. We are getting closer to back to normal!”

Bottom left, Hudson Fox, 14, receives the first dose of his COVID-19 vaccine from his mother, Becky Fox, the chief nursing informatics officer at Atrium Health, at a drive-thru vaccination clinic on May 13, 2021. It was the first clinic sponsored by Atrium Health to accommodate children ages 12 and older.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Bomb threat evacuates elementary school Stanly County Badin Elementary School was evacuated last Wednesday after a threat was made against the school. Students and staff left the building at about 11:30 a.m. after a bomb threat was received. By that afternoon, the threat was determined to be fraudulent.

Police have not released any information about a suspect or a motive for the threat. It’s unknown whether any arrests have been made.

WCNC

Inmate found dead at correctional center Mecklenburg County Karon Golightly, 20, was found unresponsive in his cell at Mecklenburg County Detention Center on Friday morning. He had been an inmate since Oct. 31, 2019, when he was booked on robbery and kidnapping charges. Golightly was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead later that morning. Officials are still investigating the incident, and the medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

AP

5

20177 52016 $0.50

8

Pfeiffer, Stanly Community College hold graduation ceremonies Pfeiffer holds events inperson while SCC uses drive-thru style

By David Larson Stanly County Journal STANLY COUNTY — Stanly County’s two institutions of higher learning, Pfeiffer University and Stanly Community College, both held graduation ceremonies this month, one using a drive-thru style and the other using multiple distanced and masked indoor ceremonies.

On May 6 and 7, SCC held drive-thru ceremonies for their students. Over the two days, 200 graduates received their diplomas outdoors at the Albemarle campus as friends, family and staff applauded.

“On behalf of our Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff, I would like to congratulate our graduating class of 2021,” said Dr. John Enamait, president of SCC, in a press release. “You made it, in what has to be one of the most trying years of any academic season. You persevered and you have reached your goals, congratulations.”

Pfeiffer University, on the other hand, who had their ceremonies May 13-16 after the state lifted more restrictions on gatherings, held their ceremonies indoors. The school required distancing and masking but was still able to have students together in the Merner Gymnasium at their main Misenheimer Campus and to walk across the stage to receive a diploma.

“In May and August of 2020, it definitely felt that something was missing. With COVID still being relatively new to us last Spring, we kept the health and safety of

“You made it, in what has to be one of the most trying years of any academic season. You persevered and you have reached your goals, congratulations.”

Dr. John Enamait, SCC president our community at the forefront of our operations and did not hold any commencement ceremonies,” Casey Habich, a spokesperson for Pfeiffer told SCJ in an email.

“This Spring, as the commencement planning committee began to meet, we felt confident that we could provide a celebration of our students’ achievements in a safe way. With commencement being a pinnacle moment in a student’s college career, we all agreed that this was something we must provide for our 2020 graduates as well.”

Because of the distancing requirements, the school did have multiple ceremonies for graduates from multiple semesters going back to December 2019 graduates (who would have walked in May 2020) and for various majors.

“There was a tremendous response from our alumni who wanted to return to Pfeiffer to participate in a commencement ceremony,” Habich said. “Over the course of a few days, Pfeiffer hosted six commencement ceremonies celebrating our current graduates and those who would have walked in May and August of 2020.

Pfeiffer University is extremely proud of our graduates and grateful we could celebrate with them safely in person.”

CHARLOTTE — Atrium Health, the hospital system that covers much of the greater Charlotte area, including Stanly County, held a vaccination event May 13 for children 12-15 years old. Earlier in the day, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 was approved for use on 12-15-year-olds, and Atrium wasted no time in setting up an event.

“I’m excited; I got to vaccinate two out of my three children,” Becky Fox, chief nursing informatics officer for Atrium Health, said in a press release. “So, I’m really excited because now we have more family members that are protected and safe and ready to get back to normal things in life.”

The decision by NCDHHS and Atrium to expand vaccines to younger teens followed a “review of safety and efficacy data” by the U.S. FDA and CDC. The Pfizer vaccines had been available only to those 16 and up before the an-

nouncement. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are still only approved for those 18 and older.

“Having a vaccine for our younger teens brings us that much closer to being able to end the pandemic,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen. “By getting more teens vaccinated they are protecting themselves from the impact of COVID, and they are protecting their families and their communities by stopping the spread of the virus.”

Atrium provided quotes from many of the youth who decided to get vaccinated, asking them what their motivations were, including Brayton Patt, 13, of Charlotte.

“I’m getting my shot so I do not have to wear a mask all the time and hang out with my friends without worrying,” Patt said.

Sophia Berger, a 13-year-old from Indian Trail, added, “It will help stop the spread of the virus and to go back to a somewhat normal life.”

Those interested in getting their child vaccinated can reach out to Atrium Health Stanly at 980-323-4000.

Stanly commissioners deny zoning request for cell tower

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

gle most thought-about and talked-about decision this board has made in the last year and a half, believe it or not,” Jordan said.

“There is a lot more than just ‘am I going to have to look at this tower over there in the woodline?’ This is one of many towers that are going to have to go up in Stanly County if we are going to get our infrastructure up to date.”

Jordan mentioned that the construction of a cell tower would provide increased 4G cell phone reception to emergency medical services, fire departments, school buses, among “150 things that use this service.”

On March 9, the Stanly County Planning Board requested a denial of the cell tower proposal with a 4-3 vote. At their April 19 meeting, Stanly commissioners voted 4-2 to keep the public hearing on the matter open until the May 17 meeting and to allow the planning board more time to process additional information provided

by Cellco and Verizon.

“When they turned it down the first time, they didn’t have enough information. When the cell phone folks came back to them, they provided information that met all of the requirements of the planning and zoning board,” Ascuitto said, noting that in his estimation the proposed tower would be a net benefit to the county residents.

Ascuitto specifically addressed Charlie Hinson — the owner of the property that has been highlighted by Cellco for the tower — as well as many of Hinson’s neighbors, all of whom spoke in stark opposition to the plan.

“This is difficult because all your folks are here, and you don’t want it in your backyard; but we have 65,000 people in Stanly County,” Ascuitto continued.

“I drove to your area numerous times and it would be put in the middle of the woods.”

ALBEMARLE — After nearly 90 minutes of comments from the public and discussion among Stanly County commissioners at Monday night’s board meeting, a zoning request for the proposed construction of a cell phone tower in the Frog Pond area was denied.

An audible cheer from the crowd in attendance filled the room as the motion to approve the tower plans for the 16271 McLester Road property — outlined

by Cellco Partnership and Verizon — was halted by a 3-3 split vote by the board.

Vice Chairman Tommy Jordan, Commissioner Peter Asciutto and Commissioner Scott Efird voted in favor of the tower while Chairman Bill Lawhon, Commissioner Lane Furr and Commissioner Mike Barbee voted against it.

Commissioner Zach Almond requested to be recused from the vote; that action was approved by a 5-1 vote, with the lone vote against the recusal coming from Asciutto.

“With the reasons I’ve been told for his recusal, I run them through my head — I could have used them many times to recuse myself. I have confidence in my commissioners that we can make impartial decisions up here,” Ascuitto said.

Almond stated that he was following advice by county staff to request a recusal due to a gray area of involvement in the matter at hand.

“I’m not being disrespectful to Mr. Ascuitto, but whenever he obtains a law degree, I might consider heeding his council,” Almond said.

Prior to the vote on the zoning request, a few commissioners explained their reasoning for their particular decisions.

“I think this has been the sin- See COMMISSIONERS, page 2

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

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♦ Melvin, Sterlin Bahil (B /M/29) Arrest on chrg of Pwimsd Sch Vi Cs (F), at 801 East 4th Street, Charlotte, NC, on 5/16/2021 ♦ Bowman, Eli Robert (W /M/33) Arrest on chrg of 1) Assault On Govt Official/emply (M), 2) Resisting Public Officer (M), 3) Larceny Of Motor Vehicle (f) (F), and 4) Surrender By Surety (F), at 4270 Love Mill Rd, Stanfield, NC, on 5/16/2021

Lauren Rose Published each Wednesday by North State Media LLC 1550 N.C. Hwy 24/27 W, Albemarle, N.C. 28001

♦ Mullis, Michael Adam (W /M/49) Arrest on chrg of Possess Methamphetamine (F), at 210 Charter St, Albemarle, NC, on 5/15/2021

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♦ Butler, Zachary Lloyd (WM, 31) Arrest on chrg ofFelony Possession Sch Ii Cs, F (F), ARROYO-LEYVA, Felony Possession at 1904 Us 52 North, Albemarle, on 05/15/2021.

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COMMISSIONERS from page 1 In opposition to the cell tower, Barbee stated that the aesthetics and location concerns were too great to ignore, instead recommending that it could be placed in another location to “protect the scenic view and produce a more harmonious situation.”

The Stanly County Board of Commissioners will hold its next regular meeting on June 7 at 6 p.m.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former tourmates Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris are the leading nominees for the 2021 CMT Music Awards, celebrating the best in country music videos.

CMT on Thursday announced the nominees for their June 9 fan-voted awards show, where Morris and Lambert both have two nominations in the top category of

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Arrest on chrg of 1) Pwimsd Sch Ii Cs (F), 2) Pwimsd Sch Vi Cs (F), 3) Maintain Veh/dwell/place Cs (f) (F), 4) Possess Drug Paraphernalia (M), and 5) Possess Marij Paraphernalia (M), at [Address], on 5/13/2021 ♦ Freeman, Michael Curtis (W /M/38) Arrest on chrg of 1) Possess Methamphetamine (F) and 2) Possess Drug Paraphernalia (M), at 20713 Us 52 Hwy, Albemarle, NC, on 5/13/2021 ♦ Russell, Shauna Andre (W F, 35) Arrest on chrg of Possess Heroin (F), at 1904 Us 52 POPLIN, T. R. Possess Heroin North, Albemarle, on 05/15/2021. ♦ Wallace, Aaron Scott (W /M/30) Arrest on chrg of 1) Larceny Of Motor Vehicle (f) (F), 2) Possess Stolen Motor Vehicle (F), and 3) Possess Methamphetamine (F), at South Broome/old Charlotte, NC, on 5/11/2021

♦ Blalock, Lisa Hiatt (W F, 49) Arrest on chrg of Breaking Or Entering (m), M (M), at229 S Morrow Av, Albemarle, on 05/12/2021 ♦ Treece, Brandon Dwayne (W M, 21) Arrest on chrg of Break Or Enter Motor Vehicle(F), at 220 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Albemarle, on 05/12/202 ♦ Treece, Brandon Dwayne (W M, 21) Arrest on chrg of Simple Possess Sch Iv Cs (m),M (M), at 220 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Albemarle, on 05/12/202 ♦ Mesimer, David Alan (WM, 31) Arrest on chrg of Break Or Enter Motor Vehicle, F (F), at 612 Sunview Dr, Albemarle, on 05/14/2021.

♦ Oxendine, Misty Lee (I /F/35) Arrest on chrg of 1) Resisting Public Officer (M), 2) Possess Methamphetamine (F), 3) Maintain Veh/dwell/place Cs (m) (M), 4) Possess Drug Paraphernalia (M), 5) Other - Free Text (F), 6) Flee/elude Arrest W/mv (f) (F), 7) Fail To Heed Light Or Siren (M), and 8) Reckless Drvg-wanton Disregard (M), at 17218 Country Rd, Oakboro, NC, on 5/11/2021

♦ Robinson, Frank Nmn (B M, 35) Arrest on chrg of Poss Stolen Goods/prop (m), M(M), at 706 Summit Av, Albemarle, on 05/16/2021

♦ Briza, Tiffany Diane Hodges (W F, 38) Anest on chrg of Break Or Enter Motor Vehicle (F), at 612 Sunview Dr, Albemarle, on 05/14/2021.

Moses, Herman Lee (B M, 56) Arrest on chrg of Trafficking In Cocaine, F (F), at 317Hillside Ln/elizabeth Av, Albemarle, on 05/13/2021

♦ Dennis, Christina Ann (W /F/39) Arrest on chrg of Possess Methamphetamine (F), at 201 Shinn Cir/e Andrews St, Norwood, NC, on 5/13/2021

♦ Erskine, George Blake (W M, 30) Arrest on chrg of Assault With Deadly Weapon (m),M (M), at 311 Yadkin St, Albemarle, on 05/11/2021

♦ Eudy, Heather Lynn (W F, 28) Arrest on chrg of Simple Assault, M (M), at 113 LoveSt, Albemarle, on 05/13/2021

♦ Register, Tara Lynn (W /F/32) Arrest on chrg of Resisting Public Officer (M), at 164 E Whitley St, Norwood, NC, on 5/13/2021

♦ Depasquale, Jason Robert (W M, 37) Arrest on chrg of Misdemeanor Larceny, M (M),at 781 Leonard Av, Albemarle, on 05/11/2021

♦ Covington, Tavares Nmn (B /M/37) Arrest on chrg of 1) Resisting Public Officer (M) and 2) Communicate Threats (M), at Norwood, Norwood, NC, on 5/13/2021 Restricted

♦ Freeman, Michael Curtis (W M, 38) Arrest on chrg of Poss Stolen Goods/prop (m), M(M), at 230 Us 52 South/nc 24-27 Bypass W, Albemarle, on 05/11/2021

♦ Covington, Tavares Nmn (B /M/37) Arrest on chrg of 1) Att Robberydangerous Weapon (F), 2) Assault Inflict Serious Inj (m) (M), 3) Assault With Deadly Weapon (m) (M), 4) Misdemeanor Stalking (M), and 5) Injury To Personal Property (M), at 126 South 3rd Street, Albemarle, NC, on 5/14/2021

video of the year, which has 14 contenders.

They are also nominated for female video of the year and collaborative video of the year. Morris shares two nominations with her husband and fellow singer Ryan Hurd, a first-time CMT nominee, on their duet “Chasing After You.” Lambert shares two of her nominations with another former tourmate, rocker Elle King, on their rowdy drinking song “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home.)” Lam-

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bert, Morris and King all toured together in 2019 as a part of Lambert’s all-female lineup on the Pink Guitars and Roadside Bars tour.

Other leading nominees include this year’s show hosts Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, with three nominations each, including bids for video of the year. Also nominated for three awards are Little Big Town and Mickey Guyton.

One of the genre’s top stars, Morgan Wallen, didn’t pick up any nominations. The chart-topping singer was caught on camera using a racial slur earlier this year and as a result, CMT removed his videos from its programming.

“After removing Morgan Wallen from our platforms earlier this year, his videos were deemed ineligible for the 2021 CMT Music Awards,” CMT said in a statement.

Though his videos were removed and he wasn’t allowed to compete

♦ Andrea Broome Preslar, 75, of Norwood, passed away May 10. ♦ Curtis Eugene Blake, 92, of Norwood, passed away May 12. ♦ Bettie Louise Misenheimer Rogers, 88, of Richfield, passed away May 17.

♦ Cisneros-hernandez, Cristian (W M, 21) Arrest on chrg of Simple Possess Sch Vi Cs(m), M (M), at 120 Snuggs St/us 52 North, Albemarle, on 05/12/2021 ♦ Snuggs, Charles Eric (W M, 32) Arrest on chrg of Awdwikisi (F), at 301 Yadkin St,Albemarle, on 05/12/2021

♦ Quesenberry, Stacy Elaine (W /F/42) Arrest on chrg of Possess Drug Paraphernalia (M), at South Main Street, Norwood, NC, on 5/14/2021

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♦ Edwards, Kimberly Ann (W F, 36) Arrest on chrg of Communicate Threats (M), at 304 Second Av, Albemarle, on 05/15/2021.

Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert lead CMT Music Awards noms

By Kristen M. Hall The Associated Press

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Senior Opinion Editor

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♦ Hampton, Jennifer Dawn Gilmore (W F, 43) Arrest on chrg of Misdemeanor Larceny,M (M), at 502 Salisbury Av, ♦ Albemarle, on 05/16/2021

♦ Eudy, Felicia Gail (W F, 29) Arrest on chrg of Simple Assault (M), at 113 Love St,Albemarle, on 05/13/2021 ♦ Huneycutt, Richard Stephen (WM, 66) Arrest on chrg of Conspire B&e Bldg-felony/larceny, F (F), at 907 W Main St, Albemarle, on 05/14/2021.

See OBITS, page 7

at last month’s Academy of Country Music Awards, Wallen has still had major success on both the pop and country charts, even earning six nominations for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, airing later this month.

In a normal year, he would have been a shoo-in nominee for CMT’s video of the year prize. The finalists for that category will be determined in two rounds with the top five nominees announced on June 1 and the top three nominees on June 8, the day before the show airs. Other nominees for video of the year include Kenny Chesney, Sam Hunt, Keith Urban, Ingrid Andress and Carrie Underwood, the most decorated winner in the history of the CMT Music Awards with 22 wins.

She’s nominated twice this year thanks to “Hallelujah,” her duet with John Legend.

As usual, the show’s nomi-

nees are heavy with genre-blending collaborations. Urban and Pink are nominated twice for “One Too Many” and Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus are nominated for “This Is Us.” In the CMT performance of the year category, Nathaniel Rateliff and Margo Price are nominated for “Twinkle, Twinkle,” while Ballerini is nominated for “The Other Girl,” her duet with pop singer Halsey.

This is Brown’s second consecutive year hosting the CMT Music Awards, while this is Ballerini’s first. The show’s producers haven’t announced performers yet, but said in a news release that the night will include “outdoor performances, cross-genre collaborations and a few surprises.”

The show will also air on MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network and TV Land, and fans can vote for their favorite music videos at vote. cmt.com.

AP PHOTO

Miranda Lambert performs at the 53rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on April 15, 2018, left, and Maren Morris performs at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. on June 15, 2019.

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

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OPINION Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor VISUAL VOICES

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Biden is bringing back the 1970s

The reality is in just over 100 days under President Joe Biden, we have gone from energy independence to energy crisis.

GET OUT YOUR BELL BOTTOMS and Bee Gees records. From long gas lines, skyrocketing inflation, terrorists attacking Israel, to a Jimmy Carter photo-op — last week sadly felt like the 70s are back!

Our state was hit hard last week with gas shortages and price increases following a cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline. Nationally, the average price for gas rose to over $3 for the first time in 7 years.

As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I monitored the situation closely throughout the week and requested updated assistance for our state from the Department of Energy. I will continue to make sure our state gets the resources we need to return to normal following this attack, and I will continue to push for cybersecurity and improved energy infrastructure, so we aren’t so vulnerable in the future.

The reality is in just over 100 days under President Joe Biden, we have gone from energy independence to energy crisis. We are the richest nation in the world, with an abundance of energy supply.

Unfortunately, this attack highlighted the importance of pipelines to our nation’s energy independence and exposed the weaknesses of President Biden’s policies. One of President Biden’s first executive actions was to cancel a fuel pipeline. He has made other unilateral moves to restrict our access to American energy. Additionally, his so-called infrastructure bill spends just 25% on actual infrastructure and does not allocate any money for cybersecurity.

Republicans stand ready to work with President Biden to rebuild and protect our existing infrastructure — especially from cyberattacks — and make needed investments in our roads, bridges, broadband and other areas.

So far, all the Washington Democrats are offering is a bloated, partisan bill that spends more on the Green New Deal.

As President Biden paid a visit to former President Jimmy Carter last week, inflation rose at the fastest pace in 12 years — fueled by out-of-control spending coming from Washington. Additionally, the last jobs report showed we must do more to get people back to work. According to the NFIB, a record 44% of businesses have open jobs they cannot fill. While the unemployment rate went up last month, we currently have 8 million job openings across the country — another record — yet the federal and state government are paying

people not to work.

Unfortunately, this economic crisis comes as the Biden border crisis continues to worsen.

New data for April revealed Customs and Border Patrol Agents apprehended the largest monthly number of migrants in 21 years. In my committee on Wednesday, I questioned Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra about the worsening border crisis. As HHS struggles to keep up with the record-setting influx of migrants, it was reported that the department is looking to open a site in North Carolina to hold hundreds of unaccompanied minors. According to the City of Greensboro, HHS contacted the city and visited at least twice. However, in response to my questioning, Secretary Becerra denied these reports. This would not be the first time the Biden administration has lacked transparency concerning the border crisis, but I will continue to ask tough questions on behalf of our state and country.

Internationally, Hamas terrorists continued to target civilians by firing rockets into Jerusalem. They threaten the safety and security of Israel, the closest ally of the United States in the Middle East. I am grateful to President Biden for affirming Israel’s right to self-defense. But the United States must continue to stand with Israel as they protect themselves from those who would threaten their very existence. There must be no daylight between America and Israel.

I believe all of these challenges need strong leadership and bipartisan solutions. I remain optimistic about our future and will never stop working on behalf of you and your family.

Even in the midst of last week’s crises, our nation took time to honor law enforcement during National Police Week. I cosponsored a resolution expressing Congress’ support for recognizing our law enforcement officers, who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. This Police Week, we remember Concord Police Officer Jason Shuping, who was killed while responding to an attempted carjacking in December. We must never forget those officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, or the sacrifice of the families they left behind. Even during times of crisis, their service, like that of our troops, reminds us all what’s most important in our lives and country.

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Biden is off to a disastrous start Demanding we wear masks isn’t the president’s job. Conducting foreign policy is.

And since Biden took the reins, the Middle East has dramatically destabilized.

PRESIDENTS AREN’T SUPREME beings imbued with the power to dictate economic conditions, pandemics or international events. We give them far too much credit and blame for the vagaries of the world.

That said, there are some things that presidents do have the power to influence. The location of MLB’s All-Star Game, for instance, is not Joe Biden’s bailiwick. The economic recovery is. The COVID-19 downturn wasn’t an organic event precipitated by unforeseeable underlying economic factors. It was an event created by state lockdowns, coupled with widespread consumer fear. So, with lockdowns easing and vaccines entering arms, a vibrant bounce-back should be a slam dunk for the president.

Instead, Biden couldn’t resist the opportunity to stuff expensive, technocratic, completely unrelated agenda items into his “rescue” packages. And disincentivizing work and investments, threatening to raise taxes and energy prices and pumping trillions into the economy tend to dampen growth.

Economists expected the country to add about 1 million jobs in April, but we came up 800,000 jobs short. March’s gains were also revised down another 140,000. Leftist pundits and wonks, as is their wont when Democrats hold power, were “perplexed” by the bad numbers. And Biden is simply in denial. “There’s been a lot of discussion since Friday’s report that people are being paid to stay home rather than go to work,” the president explained. “We don’t see much evidence of that.”

There are 7.5 million jobs available in the United States, but only 270,000 were filled. And Americans are getting $300-a-week bonus checks to stay home. As Bank of America economist Joseph Song noted, even those making $32,000 a year would get a raise by going on unemployment.

That seems like evidence.

“I want to put today’s job report in perspective,” Biden also explained. “Quite frankly we’re moving more rapidly than I thought we would.”

So, Biden expected a bigger-than-800,000 miss on jobs? That’s quite the admission. Even as he was alleging that the paltry job numbers were outperforming his expectations, Biden was making the non-falsifiable claim that the situation could be improved by passing more colossal spending bills. When the economy bounces back,

EVAN VUCCI | AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden salutes before boarding Air Force One for a trip to Michigan to visit a Ford plant, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Democrats will credit spending. When stimulus plans underachieve, Democrats blame it on a lack of spending. Convenient.

How much will be enough? It’s unknown. Right now, Biden wants to spend another $4 trillion.

Today, we learned that April consumer prices had “unexpectedly” jumped 4.2% from a year ago. Some economists argue that this is all transitory. Maybe.

What would another massive left-wing goodie bag do for inflation? Biden doesn’t seem to care.

What else can the president control?

Nationalizing elections isn’t the president’s job.

Controlling the southern border is. Yet, when Biden isn’t blaming Donald Trump or seasonal migration patterns for the crisis on the border, he’s pretending nothing is wrong.

There were 178,622 apprehensions on the border in April, according to Customs and Border Protection — the highest total in more than two decades. To put the number in context, last April, there were 17,106 apprehensions.

The president can’t control the movement of migrants outside our borders. But Biden helped trigger this crisis by, among other things, undoing the Trump administration’s “public-charge” policies that barred immigrants from participating in welfare programs and rolling back the “remain in Mexico” policy that impelled migrants to wait in Mexico while their claims were being adjudicated.

Moreover, most modern Democrats talk about laws that govern illegal immigration and border control as inherently racist and unnecessary. All of this incentivizes the anarchy we’re seeing at the border.

Demanding we wear masks isn’t the president’s job. Conducting foreign policy is. And since Biden took the reins, the Middle East has dramatically destabilized.

As Hamas rained down rockets on Israeli civilians (and on their own people), White House press secretary Jen Psaki was informing the nation that the president had “directed his team to engage intensively with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials” and is in “support of de-escalation” while also “candidly” telling off Israel on “settlements.”

Treating Hamas and Israel as morally equivalent international actors only generates more violence.

This is the same Biden administration that restored $235 million in U.S. aid to the corrupt and authoritarian Palestinian Authority without any preconditions that they refrain from terrorist activities or institute democratic institutions.

The White House is bailing out Iranian mullahs, who will almost surely divert some funding to their proxy terror army in Gaza, which will in turn use it — not to buy vaccines or build homes, but to assemble hundreds of rockets that will be fired at Jewish cities. It’s clear that forces in the region understand that Biden would sell out Israel and Sunni Arab nations for a deal with Iran. And they all act accordingly.

Our president has a habit of enthusiastically taking credit for the accomplishments of others — as he does with vaccine production and distribution — while denying responsibility for, or botching, the things over which he does have control.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at National Review and the author of the book “First Freedom: A Ride Through America’s Enduring History With the Gun.”

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

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SPORTS SIDELINE REPORT NFL

Broncos’ Kleine highest-ranking female scouting exec in NFL Englewood, Colo.

The Denver Broncos have hired former Vikings scouting executive Kelly Kleine as executive director of football operations and special adviser to the general manager. That makes Kleine the highest-ranking woman in football operations at an NFL club. Additionally, she’s believed to be the highestranking female scouting executive in league history.

Kleine, who worked with Broncos first-year general manager George Paton for nine years in Minnesota, will have scouting duties and manage several departments, the team said.

Kleine most recently served as the Vikings’ manager of player personnel/college scout from 2019-20.

NHL

Canucks’ Virtanen accused in lawsuit of sexual assault Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel four years ago.

The suit, filed last week in Kelowna, British Columbia, alleges Virtanen took the woman to a hotel in West Vancouver in September 2017 and assaulted her as she repeatedly said no and pleaded with him to stop.

Virtanen’s agent did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Canucks placed the 24-yearold Canadian player on leave May 1.

RUNNING

NYC Marathon returning in November New York The New York Road Runners announced Monday that the 50th running of the New York City Marathon will be staged on Nov. 7.

NYRR says a modified field size of 33,000 runners was determined after consulting with state and city officials.

The race was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Runners registered for last year’s marathon were provided the option to receive a full refund of their entry fee or a guaranteed complimentary entry for the 2021, 2022, or 2023 New York City Marathon.

This year’s race will accommodate all runners who chose to run in 2021.

TENNIS

Serena Williams posts 1st victory in more than 3 months Parma, Italy Serena Williams earned her first victory in more than three months by beating 17-year-old qualifier Lisa Pigato 6-3, 6-2 Monday in the first round of the EmiliaRomagna Open. Williams, who accepted a wild-card invitation for the Parma tournament after losing her opening match at the Italian Open last week, dominated after dropping her serve in the opening game.

Williams, 39, hadn’t won since beating Simona Halep in the Australian Open quarterfinals in February.

She was eliminated from the year’s first Grand Slam tournament by Naomi Osaka in the semifinals.

DAVID J. PHILLIPS | AP PHOTO

Villanova coach Jay Wright leads the 2021 class for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which was announced Sunday.

Wright, Wallace, Griffith lead 2021 basketball hall class A day after the 2020 class was enshrined, this year’s 16-person class was unveiled

By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Jay Wright, Ben Wallace and Yolanda Griffith were part of a 16-person class that was announced Sunday as the 2021 inductees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Longtime standout NBA forwards Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce and Chris Webber were among those selected, along with former coaches Rick Adelman and Cotton Fitzsimmons and three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson.

“It’s not anything you ever even dream of,” Wright said on the ESPN broadcast of the announcement. “It’s pretty cool.”

The class even includes some-

one who has been a Hall of Famer for 46 years already — 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell, enshrined in 1975 as a player, has been selected again as a coach.

Russell becomes the fifth Hall of Famer who will be inducted as both a player and a coach, joining John Wooden, Lenny Wilkens, Bill Sharman and Tommy Heinsohn.

“Special is only reserved for a few,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Russell, the NBA’s first black head coach, who was a player-coach after Red Auerbach retired. “And Bill Russell is as special as they come.”

Fitzsimmons was selected as a contributor, as were former WNBA Commissioner Val Ackerman and Howard Garfinkel, the co-founder and longtime director of the Five-Star Basketball Camp that revolutionized how play-

ers were recruited and how many coaches taught the game.

Toni Kukoc, a three-time NBA champion with Chicago and twotime Olympic silver medalist, was selected by the international committee. Clarence “Fats” Jenkins — whose teams in the 1920s and ’30s won what was called the Colored Basketball World Championships in eight consecutive years — was chosen by the Early African American Pioneers Committee.

Four-time All-Star Bob Dandridge was the pick of the veteran’s committee, and Pearl Moore — a 4,000-point scorer in college in the 1970s, most of those points coming at Francis Marion — was selected by the women’s veteran committee.

Wright said he never imagined when he started coaching at Division III’s Rochester that the Hall of Fame would be a possibility,

and he’s championed the candidacy of one of his Villanova predecessors — Rollie Massimino — for years.

But now, the two-time NCAA champion coach who was on the hot seat at Villanova after a slow three-year start to his tenure there is in the Hall himself. He had the ticket-selling job before getting into coaching at Rochester and turned that chance into a career like few others.

“Jay is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had, and one of the best people I’ve ever known,” said former Villanova guard Kyle Lowry, now with the Toronto Raptors, after he got word about Wright’s selection. “He treated me like a son, and he helped me become the man I am today. He is truly a special person.”

Bosh and Pierce were selected in their first years of eligibility; Webber had been a finalist in each of the last five years before finally getting the call. Bosh was a two-time champion in Miami whose resume was still considered Hall-worthy even after his career ended abruptly — and with him still at an All-Star level — because of blood clots.

Alex Bowman leads Hendrick sweep at Dover The No. 48 won for the second time this season as Hendrick took the top four spots

By Dan Gelston The Associated Press DOVER, Del. — Alex Bowman parked the No. 48 Chevrolet in its familiar spot in Victory Lane at Dover International Speedway, leading a dominant outing for Hendrick Motorsports on Sunday.

Bowman led Hendrick to a sensational 1-2-3-4 finish in the NASCAR Cup Series races. Kyle Larson was second, Chase Elliott third and William Byron fourth.

Bowman won his second race of the season and passed 1,000 laps led in his career. But the victory celebration at the Monster Mile had to seem familiar for Hendrick Motorsports. Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR champion now in IndyCar, won a track-record 11 times at Dover in the 48.

Turns out, Johnson’s successor is just as adept at handling the rigors of the concrete mile track.

“Best race track on the schedule,” Bowman said.

Bowman has followed two of NASCAR’s biggest superstars, first taking the wheel of the No. 88 after Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired and made the move to the 48 this season.

He’s tried to escape their large shadows — but will gladly take the checkered flag.

Bowman came from nowhere with 10 laps to go to win in April at Richmond and stole his first win of the season. Bowman joined Martin Truex Jr. as the only driver this season with multiple victories.

Larson lead a parade for all but a handful of laps into the third stage.

Larson won the first two stages of

CHRIS SZAGOLA | AP PHOTO

Alex Bowman races during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Dover International Speedway, Sunday, May 16, 2021, in Dover, Del.

2 Drivers with multiple wins in the NASCAR Cup Series this season after Alex Bowman won at Dover for his second win and joined three-time winner Martin Truex Jr. the race and seemed poised to turn this race into a rout.

Bowman spoiled the run when he beat the No. 5 off pit road and led the final 98 laps. Larson led a race-high 263 laps.

“Their team just did a good job on getting control on the pit stop,” Larson said. “I feel like I did everything I could.”

Hendrick Motorsports is the first team to finish 1-2-3-4 since Jack Roush in 2005. HMS led 382 of the 400 laps. Hendrick Motorsports has 267 victories, one shy of the NASCAR record held by Petty Enterprises.

Dover wrapped its only NASCAR weekend of the season. The track traditionally held two NASCAR weekends but moved one race date to Nashville Superspeedway. Nashville will have a Cup race on June 20. The 1.33-mile concrete track was built in 2001 by

Dover Motorsports and hosted NASCAR and IndyCar events until 2011. Nashville Superspeedway held Xfinity and Truck events, as well as IndyCar races from 2001 until 2011. Dover hosted one race weekend in 1969 and 1970 and then held two races every season from 1971 to 2020.

NASCAR heads to another new venue next week, traveling to Texas and the Circuit of the Americas for a road course race. COTA joined Indianapolis and Road America in rural Wisconsin as new road course events on a 2021 schedule that already included Sonoma Raceway, Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval.

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

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West Stanly softball caps off perfect season with 2A title South Stanly falls short in the 1A state finals

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By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

KEVORK DJANSEZIAN | AP PHOTO

Marv Albert, center, will retire after announcing this year’s Eastern Conference Finals for TNT, ending his 55-year career as the preeminent voice of NBA play-by-play.

Marv Albert, NBA’s ‘soundtrack,’ retiring before Finals The 79-year-old announcer also called eight Super Bowls and eight Stanley Cup Finals

By Brian Mahoney The Associated Press NEW YORK — From Michael Jordan soaring through the air to Willis Reed simply walking onto the court, Marv Albert supplied the sound that went with the sights.

Albert has called numerous sports during a Hall of Fame career that spans nearly 60 years, though he is mostly linked to basketball.

“There is no voice more closely associated with NBA basketball than Marv Albert’s,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement released Monday by Turner Sports.

Albert plans to retire after calling the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals, ending a career that began on the radio in 1963.

Albert will call the series for TNT. He has been with Turner for 22 years, 19 as an NBA play-byplay announcer.

“My 55 years of broadcasting the NBA has just flown by, and I’ve been fortunate to work with so

many wonderful and talented people,” Albert said. “Now, I’ll have the opportunity to hone my gardening skills and work on my ballroom dancing.”

Albert, known for his signature “Yes!” call, turns 80 next month.

He has covered everything from football and boxing to hockey, baseball and tennis.

But his voice is known to most through basketball, having called 13 NBA Finals and 25 All-Star Games for NBC and Turner, along with the Dream Team’s romp to the gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Silver said his earliest memories of basketball were listening to Albert call Knicks games. Many fans who came to the game during Jordan’s run to six championships in the 1990s heard the same voice first.

“From his remarkable run as play-by-play announcer for the Knicks to his prominent national roles calling our marquee games on NBC and Turner Sports, Marv has been the soundtrack for basketball fans for nearly 60 years,” Silver said.

Albert became the voice of the New York Rangers in 1965 and the Knicks two years later. He was on the radio call in 1970 when the

“There is no voice more closely associated with NBA basketball than Marv Albert’s.”

Adam Silver, NBA commissioner Knicks won their first championship, a memorable moment in NBA history after an injured Reed emerged from the locker room moments before Game 7 against the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden.

“And here comes Willis, and the crowd is going wild!” Albert said.

He began doing Knicks games on TV for MSG Network in 1986 until he and the organization parted in 2004 over disagreements with his salary and style.

Albert was also fired by NBC in 1997 after pleading guilty to assault in a lurid sex case, when a longtime lover accused him of biting her on the back more than a dozen times and forcing her to perform oral sex.

Albert also called eight Super Bowls and eight Stanley Cup Finals.

ALBEMARLE — Two years ago, the West Stanly softball team came away with the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s 2A championship. After a 2020 postseason that was skipped due to a shortened season, the Colts are champions once again.

Eighth-seeded West Stanly (20-0) defeated the second-seeded South Granville Vikings (14-2, 10-0 Northern Carolina Conference) in back-toback games of a best-of-three championship series over the weekend, marking the fourth title for the school’s softball program (1997, 2013, 2019, 2021).

The Colts won by a score of 3-1 Friday night and took home the state title with a 1-0 victory on Saturday afternoon.

West Stanly’s only hit of the championship-winning game — a home run by senior Shelby Barbee in the fourth inning — was enough to push the Colts over the Vikings, who managed two hits but went scoreless thanks to the efforts of pitcher Jordan Hatch.

The Colts senior and East Carolina commit was named series MVP, allowing only two hits while registering 24 combined strikeouts in her pair of appearances. Hatch squared off against South Granville’s own senior pitching ace, Charlotte commit Brooke Bowling.

The Colts’ journey to the state finals included a 10-0 win over ninth-ranked West Stokes (12-2, 12-0 Western Piedmont Conference), a 9-1 win over topranked Hibriten (15-1, 14-0 Northwestern Foothills Conference), an 11-5 win over fourth-ranked West Wilkes (16-1, 14-0 Mountain Valley Conference) and a 2-0 win against second-ranked East Lincoln (16-2, 13-1 South Fork Conference).

In what could be remembered as the West Stanly softball team’s most dominant season in school history, the Colts scored 188 runs while allowing just 19; as a unit, the Colts batted .387 with 30 home runs and a 1.04 ERA. While one softball team from Stanly County claimed the state championship, another fell one win short of doing the same.

With an 11-5 win, the top-ranked South Stanly Rowdy Rebel Bulls (16-4, 8-0 Yadkin Valley Conference) were victorious over the fifth-ranked Camden County Bruins (15-1, 6-0 Albemarle Conference) in Game 1 of the 1A state championship best-of-three series.

The Bulls, however, fell short in both of Saturday’s doubleheader matchups — the Bruins took Game 2 by a score of 7-2 and Game 3 by a score of 3-2.

South Stanly’s two losses over the weekend snapped a seven-game winning streak going into what was the Bulls’ third state championship appearance. The team’s offense gradually cooled off as the series went on, with 17 hits on Friday but only 12 total Saturday’s double-header.

The Bulls’ road to the state finals included a 13-0 win over 13th-ranked Cherryville (7-7, 5-2 Southern Piedmont Conference), a 12-0 win over eighthranked Chatham Central (11-3, 7-1 Yadkin Valley Conference), a 2-1 win over fourth-ranked Alleghany (11-6, 9-5 Mountain Valley Conference) and a 16-6 win over third-ranked Mountain Island Charter (15-1, 12-0 PAC 7 Conference).

State softball titles for West Stanly High School (1997, 2013, 2019, 2021)

NWSL opens 9th season with new team, new backers The North Carolina Courage won the last NWSL championship in 2019

Defender Kaleigh Kurtz, left, and the North Carolina Courage opened the regular season with an 0-0 draw against OL Reign will play their first home game of the season Saturday against the Orlando Pride.

By Anne M. Peterson The Associated Press For the Portland Thorns, lifting the Challenge Cup was just the beginning.

The Thorns won the National Women’s Soccer League’s preseason tournament in dramatic fashion — on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Gotham — and now turn their attention to the league’s ninth season, which opened Saturday. Portland is considered the league favorite.

“We know that when we’re us, and we play to our strengths and we do what we can do, then it’s going to be really hard for other teams to beat us — because that’s how much we believe in our style, our culture, and the way that we can press and build and score,” Portland defender Meghan Klingenberg said.

Beyond the field, change has been everywhere in the NWSL, which has lasted longer than any previous attempt at a top-level women’s pro league in the country.

The addition of Racing Louisville puts the league at 10 teams for the season. There’s more to come as Angel City joins next season with its star-studded ownership group, including tennis star Venus Williams and Oscar winner Natalie Portman.

Several of the league’s teams have also added high-profile investors in the offseason. Chelsea Clinton and Jenna Bush Hager bought into the Washington Spirit. Nao-

ADAM HUNGER | AP PHOTO

mi Osaka became an investor in the North Carolina Courage, while journalist Sarah Spain and music executive Colleen Mares joined Chicago’s ownership group.

Investors aren’t the only sign the NWSL remains on the right track.

The NWSL saw unprecedented growth in viewership last year — up by some 300% — when it became the first professional team sports league in the United States to return amid the pandemic by staging a tournament in Utah.

The Challenge Cup final was on CBS, and the network will also air three regular-season games and the league championship. Other games will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ or streamed live on Twitch.

The Thorns, who went undefeated in the preseason tournament, opened the regular season Sunday with a dominant 5-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars. Portland’s roster includes U.S. national team players — and former Cour-

age standout — Crystal Dunn, Becky Sauerbrunn and Lindsey Horan, as well as Canadian Christine Sinclair.

“For us, we don’t just want to win. We want to also be the best.

We want to be the best that ever was,” Klingenberg said. “We want to be the type of team that — North Carolina was so good that I think people started changing the way that they play and changing the way that they draft to try and beat North Carolina the last cou-

ple of years. That’s amazing. That’s literally changing the culture of the league with how good you are. And that’s what we’re chasing, because there’s no limits once you have that kind of goal and outlook.”

The North Carolina Courage won the last regular NWSL championship in 2019.

The NWSL announced Friday that it has secured a multiyear sponsorship deal with Mastercard.

Earlier this year, Nationwide and Ally became NWSL partners.

ment. area.”

EMPHIS, Tenn. — Faced For Nutbush resident He also cited a widespread fear the threat of overburdened of being unnecessarily exposed to fear of contracting the itals, states across the country matched with the worry th onverting convention centers, Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, Maythe 19, virus.

2021 “All around, people are scared,” could lose stores that are ts facilities and performance the neighborhood. Offici he said. es into backup treatment sites Their fears are not unfounded. ven’t said if stores would oronavirus patients.

In this majority-black city along the Gateway facility was What some Memphis, Tenthe Mississippi River, lawmakers If they did, shopping wo e, residents don’t get is why in and community leaders have been come more difficult for re r city, a shopping center in the sounding the alarm over what they especially for those who ar dle of a predominantly black, see as a disturbing trend of the vi- have no means of transpo income residential neighborrus killing African Americans at a to stores located farther aw d has been chosen.

“For people who don’t higher rate. ty and state officials are conNutbush resident Patricia Har- car, what do they do?” ask ed that an influx of patients ris wondered aloud if city officials ris, who spoke to The Ass m Memphis, as well as nearby were “trying to contaminate” the Press while lugging a bott sissippi, Arkansas and rural tergent, a package of bott neighborhood.

Tennessee, will strain hospi“People around this area are

By Adrian Sainz ter and other items from t Activist Earle Fisher, an AfriTheir fears are echoed across used to lane closures, they’re used The Associated Press ADRIAN SAINZ | AP PHOTO A Lot to her car. She note can American Memphis pastor, country: Governors, mayors to construction, they’re used to grocery store recently clos understands the anxiety.

“This health experts in numerous This Friday, April 2020 photo,is shows Gateway Shopping Center shutdowns, and3, I think everyone MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Repairs just a little on edge because of the to the Interstate 40 bridge linkis an honest and reasonable con- her house and she already es are also researching and in Memphis, Tenn. uncertainty of the time frame of ing Arkansas and Tennessee could cern and skepticism,” Fisher said. travel farther to get to Gat tructing makeshift medical months after a crack was this,” Rose said.

“When we do things “I think it’s par for the course for ities. take Road crews were poised to refound in the span, forcing thougot to consider the people black people to be righteously a Chinese restaurant and other Lee has disclosed a few: the Mun New York City, they’re turnsands of trucks and cars to detour move any cars that crash or otherskeptical of governmental inter- neighborhood,” she said. “W Center Nashville, the businesses. o the Javits wise becomein stuck on the four-lane and Center shutting convention down shipping sic on aCity The next nearest Missectionthe of the Mississippi River for I-55 bridge.

Locating a treatment center for vention that did not consult with need to make the neighb Chattanooga Convention Center, in Chicago, McCormick sissippi River crossings three days. worse than it already is.”

Expo Centerare —about all coronavirus patients there pos- people on the ground first.” e Convention Center; and in the Knoxville 60 miles the south near Lula, es two problems, residents say: TheMountain six-lane bridge into MemU.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, Doug McGowen, the city’s chief sites away fromtoresidential neighdy, Utah, the Amerphis was shut down after inspec- Mississippi, and 100 miles to the phis Democrat, said the d operating officer, said the GateIt could potentially expose them borhoods.

Expo Center. tors found a “significant fracture” north near Dyersburg, Tennessee. doesn’t make sense. way site was being considered beto the virus amid concerns that The Gateway Shopping Cenhe U.S. in Army Corps of EngiInspectors were working to deone of two 900-foot horizontal “I’m sure there are othe cause it could potentially accomthe Nutbush neighborhood s has been if the I-40 bridge could blacks are contracting COVID-19 steelscouting beams thatlocations are crucial forter thein termine ADRIAN SAINZ | AP PHOTO hold its own weight and the weight bridge’s integrity, said Lorie Tudor, Tennessee, and officials here of Memphis is different. The cen- at higher rates; and it could force modate hundreds of beds. He said that would work, and they of construction said Paul some director of of the35 Arkansas A crack a steel beam, has forced the closure of the Interstate 40 used bridgethose that rather t have if it were converted to a treatment of in the stores theyfound rely the on day to before, ter features a Save Acrews, Lot grocery compiled a list possi- DepartDegges, chief engineer for the Ten- connects Arkansas and Tennessee, Wednesday, ment of Transportation.

May 12, 2021, in Memphis, Tenn. site, it would hold only mildly ill into a residential neighbo backup sites. They haven’t re- store, a Rent-A-Center, a Fami- close.

Both states’ transportation nessee transportation department. coronavirus patients who could be Cohen said.

Nutbush resident and commuly Dollar, a beauty supply shop, ed the whole list, but Gov. Bill agencies said they would make sure Barge traffic will not resume un-

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Official: Repairs to interstate bridge could take months

the 48-year-old, 1.8-mile bridge is til engineers decide that the bridge can stand on its own, he said. safe before reopening.

“Certainly, it’s plausible that “This fracture had the potential of becoming a catastrophic event this could be months rather than that was prevented by our staff’s weeks,” Degges said during a news diligent effort in managing our conference. “We are hopeful that bridge inspection program,” Tudor we can find a solution that would allow us to proceed with some said.

Traffic was being rerouted to opening of traffic, but right now we Interstate 55 and the 71-year- just don’t know.”

Engineers were also investigatold Memphis & Arkansas Bridge, ing the cause of the crack. Fatigue about 3 miles south.

The closure created traffic con- of having tens of thousands of vegestion in Memphis and in neigh- hicles pass daily over the bridge boring West Memphis, Arkansas. could be a contributing factor, Degges said.

DeWayne bin Salman, a son of King Salman, Associated Press Rose, West Memphis’ fortunate emergency manager, said officials assented“It’s to the deal. that routine inthere are using contingency plans spection averted a potential disas“I go with the consent, so I UBAI, to United Arab Emirget trauma patients to facilities ter,” said U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a agree,” the prince said, chuckling, — OPEC, Russiaorand other whose district includes in Memphis to other nearby hos- Democrat a round of applause from roducing nations on Sunday drawing Memphis. pitals.

PEC, oil nations agree o nearly 10M barrel cut

“This underscores exactly what I heard from Tennesseans last week on the topic of infrastructure: investing in hard infrastructure — roads and bridges — is exactly the type of investments taxpayers will see a return on and will support,” U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty in Tennessee said.

In an inspection for the 2020 National Bridge Inventory report, the Federal Highway Administration said the I-40 bridge checked out in fair condition overall, with all primary structure elements sound and only some minor cracks and chips in the overall structure.

Its structural evaluation checked out “somewhat better than minimum adequacy to tolerate being left in place as is.”

However, height and width clearances for oversize vehicles were “basically intolerable requiring high priority of corrective action,” the inspectors found. Tennessee recommended “bridge deck replacement with only incidental widening.”

Arkansas transportation officials said the crack did not appear in the last inspection of the bridge, which occurred in September 2020.

The I-40 bridge, which opened in 1973, carried a 2020 average of 35,000 vehicles a day across the river, 29% of them trucks, according to the report. Degges said the average is closer to 50,000 vehicles a day, with about a quarter being trucks. Its traffic volume was ex-

pected to increase to 56,000 vehicles a day by 2040, the report said.

Economic development officials had been concerned that an extended closure of river traffic could hurt the region’s economy and have ripple effects on the nation’s supply chain. But river traffic reopened over the weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The Arkansas Trucking Association estimated the closure would cost the trucking industry at least $2.4 million a day because of the longer routes to cross the river.

“Even if you’re looking at 6-8 weeks, that’s an incredible expenditure that the industry can’t simply absorb,” Arkansas Trucking Association President Shannon Newton said.

ized an unprecedented pro- those on the video call.

But it had not been smiles and ion cut of nearly 10 million els, or a 10th of global supply, laughs for weeks after the soopes of boosting crashing pric- called OPEC+ group of OPEC mid the coronavirus pandemic members and other nations failed in March to reach an agreement a price war, officials said.

This could be the largest re- on production cuts, sending pricion in production from OPEC es tumbling. Saudi Arabia sharply perhaps a decade, maybe lon- criticized Russia days earlier over of balloting over hard-right candiBy Matthew Barakat what it described as comments said U.S. Energy Secretary date Chuck Smith.

The Associated Press Brouillette, who credited critical of the kingdom, which Democrats will choose their finds itself trying to appease nominee next month in a state-run ident Donald FALLSTrump’s CHURCH,perVa. — Glenn primary. Former governor Terry Youngkin, a political newcomer Trump, a longtime OPEC critic. l involvement in getting duelMcAuliffe is the front-runner in a who campaigned as a conservaEven U.S. senators had warned parties to the table and helpfield of five candidates. tive, Christian outsider, bested a to end field a price war between Saudi Arabia to find a way to Virginia bars incumbent govof seven candidates to emerge boost prices as American shale di Arabiaasand Russia. ernors from seeking reelection, so Virginia Republicans’ nominee il pricesfor have collapsed thewhenfirms Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam governor, in a as year the face far-higher production is barred from seeking a second end a 12-year losing costs. American troops had been navirus GOP andhopes the toCOVID-19 SAUDI ENERGY term this year. streakhave in statewide ss it causes largelyraces. halt- deployed to the kingdom for the Virginia is the only state with “I am prepared to lead, excited lobal travel and slowed down first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, In this photo released by Saudi Energy Ministry, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud, Minist an open-seat gubernatorial contest to serve and profoundly humbled attacks over concerns of Irani- Energy of Saudi Arabia, third right, chairs a virtual summitthis r energy-chugging sectors of the Group of is20being energy year; the race close-minister by the trust the people have placed an retaliation amid regional ten- his office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, April 10, 2020, tolycoordinate as manufacturing. to plummet scrutinized a asresponse an early signal in me,” Youngkin It saidhas on Twitter. stated “Virginians the oil industry prices due to an oversupply in the market and a downturn inofglobal demand due to the pandem each party’s political strength have made itinclearsions. that heading into the 2022 congressiothey are ready for a political “They’ve spent over the last U.S., which now pumps more outsidnal elections. er with proven business experience month waging war on American e than any other country.

Republicans have not won a to bring real change in Richmond.” praise.

Andrés ut some producers have been oil producers while we are defend- that Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the deal but its president, statewide race in Virginia since Tom Davis, a former Virgin“The pure Manuel López Obrador, had said the United Arab Emirates would ing theirs.

This is not how friends ctant to iaease supply.

The car2009. But Republicans havesize someof the cu congressman who is now rector precedented, but, Friday that he had agreed with cut another 2 million barrels of treat friends,” said Sen. Kevin nd other nations on Sunday hope of ending their drought this then ag of George Mason University, said year; since 1973, onlyimpact once hasthe the corona is the thatHELBER the U.S. will compenYoungkin’s nomination showsCramer, Vira Republican from North oil a day between them atop the Trump STEVE ed to allow Mexico to cut only | AP PHOTO the on White House said M ginia a Republicans concerned demand,” add controlling to having OPEC+ deal. The three countries sate what Mexico cannot party Dakota, before the OPEC+ deal.

000 barrels month, awere stickgone on to win theGhulam, governor’san race about gubernatorial candidate, Youngkin arrives for an event inthe Richmond, Va.,cuts.

Tuesday, med energy an proposed did Glen not immediately acknowledge U.S.Republican producers have already point for anelectability. accord initially in Virginia the next year.

“I think Youngkin’s in a good May 11, 2021.

Raymond James.

“The big Oil Deal with OPEC been reducing output. The Amer- the cut themselves, though Zanhed Friday after a marathon The convention was open to Virposition to be his own guy,” Davis But Ghulam and huno conference ginia voters who pre-registered as others said. between 23 na- ican Petroleum Institute laud- ganeh attended the video confer- Plus is done. This will save it may not enough. dreds of thousands of energy jobs People ed aSunday’s global pact, saying s. The nations together delegates. who hadbe voted in at the outset of the campaign to ex- statement. said. “He has the know-how to it get ence.

“They’ve got a agreed bazillionaire, pastsaid Democratic primaries werea tempo former CEO of The Youngkin to other position himself cuts Youngkin, Virginia movingnations’ again andstaterebuild pect black woman and a a Latino “This is at least in the aUnited States,” Trump Officials said planned will help get other ut 9.7 million barrels day running they re-industry Carlyle investment firm, is toallowed as a moderate. into the best place to live, work, at the and top ofJune. the ticket,” he said.owned “It’s itoil lief for theifenergy inGroup a tweet.

“I would like thankto participate stand in the deal, meaning production to follow the would ughout May nounced their earlier Democratic making his first run for public ofThe state Democratic Party and raise a family in America.” hard to even put that together in a Pu- the global economy. This i he group reached the deal just lead of U.S. producers that are try- an 8-million-barrel-per-day cut and congratulate President Party Chairman Rich Anderson painted a different picture, calling fice. He lent his campaign more votes and promised to support the back room. It’s a very strong ticktoo big to let to fail and tin of Russia and King Salman of is from July through the end of the ing to adjust to plunging demand. s before Asian markets renominees in be Novemet and it puts a lot of pressure on said Youngkin ran a “flawless cam- Youngkin a “pro-Trump extrem- than $5 million and spent more Republican liance showed responsibil Saudi Arabia.” year and a 6-million-barrel cut for Brouillette said the U.S. did not ned Monday and as internathan any other candidate through ber. paign,” adding that he looked for- ist.”

Democrats.” said Per M The Kremlin beginning in 2021. March 31, commitments of full its force ownof 16 months Youngkin this and agreement,” the Democratal benchmark Brent the crude according to datasaid from President “Throughout this campaign, to throwing “the In a statement, Virginiamake Re- ward ic nominee square off No- of ana the Virginia PublicPutin Accessheld Project.

Youngkin has enable advanced the Republican Virginia publican Nysveen, theinhead Vladimir a joint call will “This will theTrump’s rebalancproduction cuts, butParty wasofable to ed at just over Party $31 acelebrated barrel Younvember only open-seat He campaigned as a and “conservative dangerous conspiracy behind him in— thethat coming months.” ing gkin’s shale nomination, calling him a the Rystad Energy.race “Even tho with Trump Saudi King Sal-in the of the election oil markets andthethe exshow obvious plunging American producers Larry Sabato, political science ories, opposed critical COVID-19 Christian outsider” and highlight- for governor in the country this “homegrown Virginian” who had production cuts are small of the demand because of the pandem- pected rebound of prices by $15 man to express support year. ggle. “nothing handed to him.”

Republicans have not won professor at the University of Vir- relief for working families and ed his business experience. thesince market needed a also said Putin sep- inwhat barrel in theand short term,” said Thedeal. ic is expected to slash U.S.that oil proideo aired “From by the Saudi-owned statewide Virginia 2009, partyItbegan counting bal-spoke small businesses, threatened ginia, acknowledged Youn- per his life experiences, thewell stock withgeneral Trump thetheoilGOPpostpone fromhealth Nigeria’s lite channel Al-Arabiya typically fares in buildi lots inarately the attorney raceabout on but gut Virginians’ care,” oil Glenn has developed the skillsduction. and gkin was not the most pro-Trump ato statement Democratic presi-the wor Delegate Virginia Democratic Party Chair- Sunday. candidate in the field, andZanpeople ministry. to lead straints problem, market andJason otherMiyares issues. years following Iranian Oil Minister Bijan wed the character moment thatVirginia Saudiwith hudential victories. race after three rounds cautious Susan Swecker said in a won a close Youngkin told him woman milityPrince and courage,” party officials now avoided.”

Analysts offered Mexico had initially blocked ganeh who alsoknew told state well television rgy Minister Abdulaziz

Virginia Republicans choose outsider nominee for governor

& CREMATORY 522 North 2nd St. P.O. Box 7 Albemarle, NC 28002 Phone 704-983-1188

460 Branchview Dr. NE P.O. Box 367 Concord, NC 28026 Phone 704-786-1161

13575 Broadway Ave. P.O. Box 100 Midland, NC 28107 Phone 704-888-5571

www.hartsellfh.com

12115 University City Blvd.

P.O. Box 219 Harrisburg, NC 28075 Phone 704-247-1722

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

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obituaries Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, April 15, 2020

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Kid reporter obituaries

who interviewed Obama at White House dies at 23 The Associated Press

Vice President Joe Biden had already accepted.

“Absolutely,” a smiling Obama WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — PATRICIA OSTEEN STEPPLINDA SUE CRANFORD CHARLES ALTON ROGER The student reporter who gained said, shaking the boy’s hand.

He used that meeting to latPAT to her friends-was a devoted SMITH, 78, of Oakboro passed LENTZ, 83, of New London, national acclaim when he interJason Tony Merle Danny Jerry mother to five children, steadfast away Tuesday, May 11, 2021 in NC, passed away at his home viewed President Barack Obama er interview Oprah Winfrey and like Dwyane Wade. friend to a close posse of fellow Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, on Saturday,Helms May 15, 2021. His at theLuther White House in 2009 has athletes Efird Smith Fincher “He was just a nice person, quilters and her Girl Gang, and Winston Salem. No formal services graveside service will be held 2pm died of natural causes, his famiASON “GENE” ONY MONROE SMITH, 72, of Saturday ERLE ANNY ERRY FINCHER from Hardy genuine, verypassed intelligent,” stranger to none,EUGENE once famously are planned.

MayLORRAINE 22, 2021 atAUSTIN Stanly ly says.PAUL LUTHER, EFIRD, 94, went home to be with Rockwell, NC, went to be with HELMS, 72, of Marshville, 65, of Norwood, passed away this life on April 3, 2020 at 8:05outgoing. rolling down the car window to Born October 4, 1942 in Garden of Memory with Pastor Damon Weaver was 23 when said. “Very outspoken, his Lord Tuesday, April 7, 2020, at his his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ passed away Wednesday, April 8, unexpectedly Thursday, April 9, pm. He was surrounded by his family He never said no to anybody.” talk to ahome motorcycle gang.

Though Stanly County, NC, she was the Nina Miller officiating. he died May 1, his sister, Candace in Stanfield. on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 2020 at McWhorter Hospice House 2020 at Atrium Health Stanly in and holding the hand of the love of Weaver got his start in fifth she led a rich was there of the late Alvin Theodore Lentz was born November Hardy, told the Palm Beach Post.

Genelife, wasnever born October 9, 1925, indaughter his home surrounded by family.

A inMr. Monroe.

Albemarle. his life. Jerry is preceded in death grade when he volunteered a person more ready to see Jesus, Cranford and Neppie Thompson 16, 1937 in Stanly County, NC to the Further details were not released.

Cabarrus County to the late Simeon private family service will be held.

Lorraine was born April 28, 1947 Mr. Luther was born March 27, by three siblings, two brothers, Billy for the newscast K.E. Cunningand so Pat went tranquilly toSarah her Ella Cranford. retired can from late Clarence B. Lentz and Virginia Hethe had studying communiJason Efird and the late Online She condolences beStanly made at in Monroe to the late Homer David 1955 to latebeen Robert Fulton and Gilbertschool Fincher, and LarryatRichard ham/Canal Point Elementary in a homeplace onEfird.

May In 13,addition 2021. to his Regional Medical Center as a Eller McIntyre Lentz.

Alton at Albany State UniversiBurris stanlyfuneralhome.com Austin and Jewell Delphia-Jane Helencations Tucker Luther.

Fincher, and one sister, Barbra Joyce Bornparents, May 7,he 1934, Flat in death byCSR Supervisor.

SheAugust was of11,the graduated Newpreceded LondoninHigh ty inwas Georgia. was in preceded Tony was born 1947 Austin. Shefrom was also Danny survived by his wife, Moore.farm community on the shores of Lake Okeechobee.

Rock, N.C., to Massena and Edith Faith andtoattended School in brothers, 1956 andA.D. wasand a retired Weaver Luther was 11ofwhen he inter-He is his wife, Jewell Little Efird; sisters, Christian in Stanly County the late Pearlie death by Teddy Denise Burleson Norwood; survived by his wife, Eleanor Mary Lambert, Fannie Almond, Asbury Smith and Lee Austin; and sister, Joy sons, viewed Jeremy (Karen) and of the home, daughter, “Damon was the kid who ran Jones Osteen, Pat experienced a Porter Methodist forEmmer many years textile supervisor.

HeAustin. enjoyed ObamaLuther for 10 minutes Kate in Fincher Minnie Furr,by Wilma Burleson and before Smith.

He was son in law of Pat The family will receive friendsand Jody Luther; step-sons,Room Bryan on Aug. 13, Cindy after Fincher Jacobs of Wingate me in the hall to tell me he childhood defined the outdoors. moving to the Oakboro. gardening, yardwork, cutting the Diplomatic Aileenmoments Huskey; and brothers, Homer Mrs. and Mick Cagle he worked from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Friday, Whitley and Gregg (Anita) Whitley; NC., son andinterested,” daughter in law, was his Tommy teacher, BriHer favorite were playing Smith waswhere preceded in at splitting firewood and spending 2009, asking questions that foEfirdand andtwo Wayne Efird, death theby fish house for many years until Aprilwith 10, 2020 at Hartsell Funeralhis Grandchildren, Daniel Luther (Tiffany) of New London anFincher Zimmerman, told the Post in outsideEfird, with Getus her sister her husband William time his family, especially cused primarily on and education.

Sr.Of course, her childhood he opened Home of Albemarle. The funeral Hunter as well as hislunches, brother, bullyNC., Step Children, (Lisa) I just saw 2016.

“And Jimmy right away, brothers.

Frank Smith Anchor in 2018.House She isSeafood grandchildren.

HeZado, covered school private funeral service will be survived in Rockwell.

Hesons and his wifeSmith Becky service be at 11:00 Bob Luther Jr (Lorena), uncle Jack of Locust NC, Wanda potential for the(Bob) way he was wasn’t all A sunshine and roses; Pat by three Chris Altonwill is survived byam hisonwife, ing, conflict resolution and howLanier to the held on Saturday, April 11, 2020 owned and operated Anchor House Saturday at Pleasant Hill Baptist Luther and several other loved nieces, Krimminger of Locust NC., Eric on camera. You could see his peroften told her children how she of Oakboro, Todd Smith and Ruby Aliene Lefler Lentz of the succeed. at Love’s Grove United Methodist for 25 years before retiring in 2009.

Church in Marshville, officiated nephews and cousins.

(Sharon) Lanier of Charlotte NC., through. He wasn’t had to walk two miles toinschool in wifeMr. Amanda of Albemarle, Eric home forJohn 65 years. also Weaver asked to sonality come Church Cemetery Stanfield Smith was a charter member

by Rev. Miller He andisRev. Leon Danny recentlythen retired from Obama Grandchildren-Trey (Gera) Whitson nervous being on camera.” the frigid Blue Ridge mountain air.

Smith of Oakboro, brother Tommy survived by two sons, Robin Derek be his “homeboy,” saying thenofficiated by Rev. Jim White. Burial and deacon at Open Door Baptist Whitley. She will lie in state for 30 Charlotte Pipe and Foundry after of Midland, Step-grandchildren, Nonetheless, Pat’satlove for what sheUnitedCranford SC and sister Lentz andprior Clarence Roger Lentz will follow the Love’ s Grove ChurchofinSumter, Richfield.

He loved the minutes to the service.

She will a dedicated 37 years and worked Zach (Brittney) Washington, Aaron called “my mountains” abiding.

Watts of Georgia, three Tony (Kathleen) and daughter, Tyler Methodist Churchwas Cemetery, 4360 Hilda Lord and his family abundantly. be laid to rest inathe church cemetery. there with his sons and several other (Kinsey) Washington, Caleb (Nayeli) Pat was by one Rudolph grandchildren.

Brummitt (Barry) Polkcourted Ford Road, Stanfield. was a wonderful husband, father, and Renee SheLentz is survived by her beloved friends and family members.

Washington, Beth (Robbie) Setzer, Conraid Stepp, who ultimately won allhusband of NewofLondon, Survivors include son Gerald grandfather and could fix anything 47 years,NC; Paul four Helms Danny loved spending time at Matthew ( April ) Wallace, Step her heart with(Gail) cheeseburgers and grandchildren, Cooper Lentz, Wayne Efird of Albemarle; he put his hands on. of the home; son, Alex (Deanna) his lake house with his family and great-grandchildren, Britlyn-Eve daughter (Mark) Mr. Smith is survived by his wife Colbie HelmsLentz, of Pageland; Paula friends as well as vacationing with his Washington, Robert Setzer, George milkshakes, andLisa theEfird two wed in Hartsell Averiedaughter, Brummitt of Stanfield; granddaughters, Becky Cagle Smith of the home, (Cristin Brandt) Helms of Mint Hill; family. Danny and Denise enjoyed (Sara) Setzer, Tracy (Rob) Setzer 1952, wasting no time in starting and Alyssa Brummitt.

He is also Kelly and Lauren sons Walter Smith and Robbie grandchildren, Mason, Grant, and listening to beach music and loved to Bumgardener, Katie Underwood, a family.

PatEfird oftenBarbee said being a preceded in death by two brothers, (Justin) Crump; and greatSmith; daughter Kayla Henderson RaeganEual Helms; brothers, Boyce, shag dance every chance they could Andrew Underwood, Step great motherHartsell was who she was.

Though Vernon Lentz and John grandsons, Patrick and (Brandon); grandchildren Danielle, Wayne Royce,Lentz.

Tim Austin; and sisters, get. He was an amazing father, loving great grandchild, Waylon George that was her true Ian calling, sheSimmons was Elliot Jacob Simmons.

Dustin, and Steele Smith, Keaton Patricia andand Angel Tarleton. grandfather and great friend to Setzer and brother Donald Lewis also a gardener who could make StanlyMullis, Funeral Cremation Memorials may be made to Love’s and Ella Henderson; brother David Memorials may be made to the many. He will never be forgotten.

Fincher of Albemarle, NC. even the most pitiful of plants Care of Albemarle is serving the Grove United Methodist Church, PO Smith; sisters Kay Kriechbaum, Alzheimer’s Association, 4600 Park A celebration of life will be Jerry Fincher will be laid to rest on flourish.

She sewed her whole life, Lentz family.

Box 276, Stanfield, NC 28163-0276.

Karen Stevenson, Ruby Eudy, and Rd., Suite 250, Charlotte, NC 28209. announced once the current Wednesday April 8,2020 at 11:00 am beginning back in home ec class, Dorothy Smith (Nick).

COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. at Canton Baptist Church. Anyone and turning that education into a He is preceded in death by Hartsell Funeral Home of interested in attending, please RSVP vocation then a calling. Not only did brothers Joe Smith, Wayne Smith, Albemarle is serving the Luther at 704-796-2412. Dr. Phil McCray dy, aTommy Republican.

Pat make her daughters’ beautiful The Associated Press Claude Smith, Wade Smith, Robert family. and Pastor Fincher“He will loved Louisiana, contributing to it through everyday and wedding dresses, but Smith, and sister Mary Morris. officiate.

Memorial contributions can be for 13 years she sewed dresses for NEW ORLEANS — Buddy the public and private sector. He made to Open Door Baptist Church children in impoverished countries.

Roemer, a Harvard-educated re- leaves a great legacy. My condoat 44563 Hwy 52, Richfield, NC Later in life, Pat obtained her form-minded politician whose lences to his family.”

28137 or to Hospice & Palliative Care Elected to the U.S. House in realtor license and had a rewarding one tumultuous term as Louiof Cabarrus County at 5003 Hospice career. From the time she became siana’s governor was marked by 1980, Roemer forged a reputaLane, Kannapolis, NC 28081. a Christian as an adult, church bruising political battles over tax- tion as one of the “Boll Weevils” was important to her, and Pat was es, budgets and abortion, died -- conservative Southern DemoMARTHA SUE FRALEY crats who helped President Rona fixture there. Pat taught Sunday Monday at age 77. passed away at Atrium Healthschool, led Acteens, directed VBS, His son, Chas Roemer, said the ald Reagan pass legislation.

Stanly on May 10 at the age of 77.

Linda But no political label quite fit coordinated the library, and headed former governor died peacefully Martha is predeceased by her Pauline the JOY club. at his home in Baton Rouge after Roemer, whose north-Louisiana mother, Pauline Hardister, father, Hatley drawl belied his Ivy league educaPat is survived by a family who a long battle with diabetes.

Robert Hardister, brothers, Donald Tucker loved her beyond measure: her Gov. John Bel Edwards or- tion. Although he was reared in a and Jack Hardister, and sister, INDA TUCKER HATLEY, 69, of AULINE Albemarle, passed away Monday, five children DebbieELIZABETH (Scott) Lesley dered flags at the Capitol and politically active family and electFrancis Taylor.

ALMOND TUCKER, April 13, 2020. of Salisbury, N.C.; Susan (Mike)98, passed She was survived by her brother, state office buildings lowered ed to four congressional terms, away peacefully atN.C.; Trinity Place, Linda was born September 18, Carter of New London, to half-staff and said Roemer he ran for governor in 1987 as an Robert Hardister and wife Louise on Aprilof 11,New 2020. Hardister of Albemarle, sister, 1950 in Concord to the late Jacob and ConnieAlbemarle, (Norman)NC Williams “proudly represented the state he outsider, crusading against spePauline was(Rebekah) born on March 22, Lucille Manner of Norwood, sister, Claris Tucker. She was also preceded cial interests and bureaucracy.

London, N.C.; Gary so dearly loved.”

Cabarrus County, NC to the Laura Brown of Albemarle, sister in death by her brother, Terry Lee “I did step on a lot of toes but Stepp of1922 Mt.inGilead, N.C.; Melanie Roemer, a congressman belate John Richard Almond and Alice Tucker, and her twin sister, Brenda frankly all the toes were hanging (Patrick) Coughlin of Concord, fore he was elected governor in Shirley Hardister of Charlotte and Shirley Ada Ann Lambert Almond.

Tucker Strickland. We know Brenda N.C.; her 11 grandchildren Melissa 1987, never held office again af- out there naked. They needed it,” sister, Linda Justice of Indian Trail.

She is survived by her three and Linda are in Heaven watching Boltz, Kristen Hinceman, Amanda Haire ter he finished third in the 1991 he said in a 1992 interview with Martha is lovingly remembered daughters, Gay Michel (Jack), over us and laughing.

Collins,Oak Shannon Shane race, having switched from the The Associated Press.

Kip Fraley and Island,Moore, NC; Pamela Rushing by her son, Linda was a loving mother, sister, HIRLEY MAE HAIRE, 73, He ran for president in 2012, Carter, (Foreman), Benjamin Oakboro, Williams,NC; Daniel Democratic to the Republican daughter-in-law, Teresa Fraley of Kathy and “Nana.” She was a very giving of Albemarle passed away on first as a Republican, then as Williams, Joseph Williams, Hilton party that year.

He came in beLondon, son, Scotty Fraley of Hunt (Marc), Albemarle, NC; her NewApril and loving person.

Linda would 11, 2020 at Atrium Health Celebrate the life Stepp, Garin Stepp, and(Chris BellaLear), hind populist Democrat Ed- a third-party candidate. He NewStanly.

London,adopted daughter, son, Chris Tucker always do anything she could for The family will hold a private of your loved ones.

Coughlin; 12 great-grandchildren; Washington, DC. She will be greatlyJudygraveside others, especially her family. She win Edwards, who was mak- dropped out after 17 months, Cockrum of Greenville, service for Mrs. Haire.

Submit missed by her five grandchildren, enjoyed working obituaries at FastShop #5, three siblings Shirley Cable of ing a comeback bid after losing never polling above single digits, granddaughter, CoriDecember Fraley of12, Shirley was born and death notices Heather Rushing Chaney (Shannon),Norwood, Locust.

Linda will be forever loved Hendersonville, N.C.; Norman the governorship to Roemer four left out of major TV debates and Diana 1946 ingranddaughter, Washington, DC to the Rushing, Elizabeth Michel Mabry and greatly to bemissed. published in (Joyce) Michael Osteen of Hendersonville, years earlier, and Republican Da- unable to get on the ballot in all husband Dennis Mabry lateand Charles Richard Bateman and Hartzog (Craig), Jackof Michel, Survivors include her son, N.C.; David (Jean) Osteen HorseJr. of Richfield, Elizabethgreat Mae Mulligan Bateman. vid Duke, the ex-Ku Klux Klan states. grandchildren, SCJ at (Jenn), and Woody Hunt as well as Gage and Alan Hatley and wife, Angela, of Shirley is survived byRichfield her husband At aloved December 2012 event Shoe, N.C. leader.Celebrate Edwards trounced Dukeof your Aren Mabry of the life obits@stanlyjournal.com seven great-grandchildren.

Albemarle; brother, Ronnie Tucker 30 years Vaughn Smith of Her life will be celebrated at She also and of in the ensuing runoff, winning a with other former Louisiana govEzra Moua of Norwood. leaves behind cherished nieces and and wife, Linda, of Midland; Albemarle; sister Sandra Painter ernors, and Roemer described in2 p.m. on Sunday, May 23, at fourth term.

She was born in Albemarle, NC ones. Submit obituaries nephews. granddaughter, Leslie Hatley; 1 of Gainesville, VA; half-brother heriting a state teetering near HighlandThe Baptist Church in New Roemer, who became a bankon September 15, 1943.

She worked family expresses its sincere niece; and 2 nephews.

Robert of Stevensville, notices to be published bankruptcy inin1988, with high London.

Visitation will beand in the er in death private life, ran unsuccessServiceBateman Desk Manager at gratitude to the staff caregivers as a MD; The family will receive friends step-children Heather Smith Family at Life Center following thethey fully SCJ for governor again in 1995. unemployment and the nation’s Kmart for 21yrs.

Trinity Place for the care from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Thursday, at obits@stanlyjournal.com of Jacksonville, FL and David service.provided Pauline.

He also briefly ran a campaign lowest bond rating.

Sue enjoyed spending time April 16, 2020 at Hartsell Funeral Smith of New London, NC; 4 “I would go home at night — for the presidency in 2012, railher family, especially A private graveside service will bewithstep-grandchildren; Home in Albemarle. Linda will nieces Cyndi and I’ve never said this publicly — ing against special interest poliand great held on Monday, April 13, 2020. A the grandchildren be laid to rest during a private Hentschel of Leesburg, VA and celebration of Pauline’s life and legacy tics. Though the effort drew little and I would sit on the edge of my grandchildren. loved VA; to shag Cheryl HardyShe of Aylett, 16 grand- committal service at Bethel United will be held this summer.

Methodist Church, Midland. notice, it kept alive Roemer’s rep- bed crying, after another 17-hour and nieces go to square dances.

For the and nephews; and Gus the In lieu of flowers, the family In lieu of flowers, please consider a utation as a reform-minded mav- day,” he said. last several years her passion dog. Stanly Funeral and Cremation requests donations be made to the was Care memorial donation to Bethel UMC, Then, he joked that when he erick. to care for the elderly in her of Albemarle is serving the BrightFocus Foundation at www. community.

12700 Idlebrook Rd, Midland, NC Haire family.

“Buddy’s election as governor lost his re-election bid to Edbrightfocus.org.

28107. signaled a turning point in Lou- wards, “I got back in that same isiana’s history,” Sen. Bill Cassi- bed and smiled.”

Patricia Stepp-Pat

J

Linda Smith

T

Charles Lentz

M

D

J

Former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer has died at 77

Martha Fraley

L

P

S

Simple, Affordable, Convenient Available 24 Hours a Day

Southern Piedmont Cremation Services provides a basic cremation service for families who have experienced the loss of a loved one and do not desire a traditional funeral or farewell ceremony.

When your loved one passes simply call our office and our professional team will come as quickly as possible and bring your loved one into our care.

Phone: 704-985-4851

Fax: 704-550-5508

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8

Stanly County Journal for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

STATE & NATION

New law makes inmates choose electric chair or firing squad

By Jeffrey Collins The Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has signed into law a bill that forces death row inmates for now to choose between the electric chair or a newly formed firing squad in hopes the state can restart executions after an involuntary 10-year pause.

South Carolina had been one of the most prolific states of its size in putting inmates to death. But a lack of lethal injection drugs brought executions to a halt.

McMaster signed the bill Friday with no ceremony or fanfare, according to the state Legislature’s website. It’s the first bill the governor decided to deal with after nearly 50 hit his desk Thursday.

Last week state lawmakers gave their final sign offs to the bill, which retains lethal injection as the primary method of execution if the state has the drugs, but requires prison officials to use the electric chair or firing squad if it doesn’t.

Prosecutors said three inmates have exhausted all their normal appeals, but can’t be killed because under the previous law, inmates who don’t choose the state’s 109-year-old electric chair automatically are scheduled to die by lethal injection. They have all chosen the method that can’t be carried out.

How soon executions can begin is up in the air. The electric chair is ready to use. Prison officials have been doing preliminary research into how firing squads carry out

executions in other states, but are not sure how long it will take to have one in place in South Carolina. The other three states that allow a firing squad are Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Three inmates, all in Utah, have been killed by firing squad since the U.S. reinstated the death penalty in 1977. Nineteen inmates have died in the electric chair this century, and South Carolina is one of eight states that can still electrocute inmates, according to the center.

Lawyers for the men with potentially imminent death dates are considering suing over the new law, saying the state is going backward.

“These are execution methods

that previously were replaced by lethal injection, which is considered more humane, and it makes South Carolina the only state going back to the less humane execution methods,” said Lindsey Vann of Justice 360, a nonprofit that represents many of the men on South Carolina’s death row.

From 1996 to 2009, South Carolina executed close to average of three inmates a year. But a lull in death row inmates reaching the end of their appeals coincided a few years later with pharmaceutical companies refusing to sell states the drugs needed to sedate inmates, relax their muscles and stop their hearts.

South Carolina’s last execution took place in May 2010, and its batch of lethal injection drugs expired in 2013.

Supporters of the bill said the death penalty remains legal in South Carolina, and the state owes it to the family of the victims to find a way to carry out the punishment.

Democrats in the House suggested several changes to the bill

that were not approved, including livestreaming executions on the internet and requiring lawmakers to attend executions.

“We must be willing to look at the faces of the individuals we are voting on today to kill,” said Rep. Jermaine Johnson, a Democrat from Hopkins.

Opponents also brought up the case of 14-year-old George Stinney, who South Carolina sent to the electric chair in 1944 after a one-day trial in the deaths of two white girls. He was the youngest person executed in the U.S. in the 20th century. A judge threw out the Black teen’s conviction in 2014.

Seven Republicans in the House voted against the bill, most of them saying it did not make moral sense to approve sending people to their deaths, when three months ago, many of those same lawmakers approved a bill outlawing almost all abortions, saying all life is sacred.

“If you’re cool with the electric chair, you might as well be cool with burning at the stake,” said Rep. Jonathon Hill, a Republican from Townville.

KINARD LISBON | SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS VIA AP, FILE

This March 2019, file photo, provided by the South Carolina Department of Corrections shows the state’s electric chair in Columbia, S.C.

Fairness issues loom over trial in Iowa student’s slaying The Associated Press DAVENPORT, Iowa — A Mexican national who went on trial Monday for the fatal stabbing of a University of Iowa student has been portrayed by former President Donald Trump as a criminal who exploited lax immigration laws.

Legal experts say ensuring a fair trial for Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the farmhand charged with first-degree murder in the 2018 slaying of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, will be difficult given the extraordinary circumstances of the case.

Rivera’s arrest inflamed anger over illegal immigration ahead of the midterm elections, with Trump weighing in to declare Rivera guilty almost immediately and Iowa’s governor calling him a predator. The case also deepened anxieties about random violence against women, since Tibbetts was brutally attacked while going for a run in her small town of Brooklyn, Iowa.

Nearly three years later, the 26-year-old Rivera will participate in the trial through a Spanish-speaking interpreter.

Jury selection began Monday at an events center in Davenport, where lawyers for both sides will work to whittle a 175-person jury pool to 12 jurors and three alternates. The trial is scheduled to last two weeks.

“This case has a double-edged problem with picking fair and impartial jurors. They can be overcome, but they are problems,” said former federal judge Mark Ben-

KIM CALDERWOOD VIA AP

In this September 2016 photo provided by Kim Calderwood, Mollie Tibbetts poses for a picture during homecoming festivities at BGM High School in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa. nett, now a law professor at Drake University in Des Moines.

“This process can sometimes take a while on cases that have been in the public eye,” prosecutor Scott Brown warned the panel of prospective jurors.

Tibbetts, a friendly woman who was working toward her dream of becoming a child psychologist, is

an extremely likeable victim who “probably didn’t have an enemy in the world,” Bennett said. In addition, jurors will likely question Rivera’s immigration status because of his use of the interpreter, even if the judge doesn’t allow any mention that he illegally came to the U.S. as a teenager from Mexico, he said.

Lawyers outside the case say they are surprised that Judge Joel Yates only expects jury selection to take two days, and that both sides said they would not use an extended written questionnaire to learn more about jurors’ views on critical issues.

“That seems like a really short time for jury selection, given the issues this case raises,” said Iowa defense lawyer Dan Vondra, who routinely represents Spanish-speaking clients. “Jury selection is the best way that I have seen to get people to open up and talk about their background. If you limit that dialogue, that’s where you run into the risk of having a mistake made.”

Yates has barred the public from the trial, citing COVID-19 restrictions, but it will be livestreamed by media outlets.

Tibbetts went for her routine run in July 2018 through Brooklyn, population 1,700, where she ran cross country and excelled in speech during high school. She never made it back to the home where she was dog-sitting for her boyfriend and his brother, who were out of town.

Her disappearance triggered a massive search and investigation that featured hundreds of law enforcement officials and volunteers and drew extensive media coverage. Detectives say they zeroed in on Rivera a month later after obtaining surveillance video showing a dark Chevy Malibu appearing to circle Tibbetts as she ran, and a deputy later spotted him in town driving that vehicle.

A group of investigators that in-

cluded U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents showed up at the dairy farm where Rivera worked to interview him and search his vehicles.

Rivera cooperated, initially denying involvement in Tibbetts’ disappearance. Federal agents put an immigration detainer on him during a lengthy interrogation.

Hours later, investigators say he confessed to approaching Tibbetts as she ran, killing her in a panic after she threatened to call police and hiding her body in a cornfield.

He allegedly led police to the body, which had been buried underneath leaves.

An autopsy found that she died of sharp force injuries after she was stabbed to death. They say that DNA testing on blood found in the trunk of the vehicle showed it was a match for Tibbetts.

Rivera’s defense lawyers have not signaled publicly what their strategy will be, and they declined comment ahead of trial. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole.

The trial was moved to Scott County — about 100 miles east of Brooklyn — after defense lawyers noted local residents had “very strong opinions” about Rivera’s guilt.

Trump seized on Rivera’s August 2018 arrest to argue for strengthening the nation’s “disgraceful” immigration laws, including by building a wall on the border with Mexico.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds expressed anger that “a broken immigration system allowed a predator like this to live in our community.”

The anger cooled after Tibbetts’ family members demanded politicians stop using her killing to promote what they said was a political agenda.

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 34 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

Twin City Herald

KATHY WILLENS | AP PHOTO

Tim Duncan speaks as presenter David Robinson, right, listens, as Duncan is enshrined with th 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame class Saturday, May 15, 2021, in Uncasville, Conn.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Woman shot to death when gunmen fired into home

Popovich misses game to attend Duncan’s Hall enshrinement The Associated Press

Forsyth County Several people got out of a car and started shooting into a home, killing a woman inside and apparently wounding another gunman who was left outside a local hospital. Multiple people arrived in one car in front of the house and used at least four different guns to fire into the home from various angles. Tina Louise Nicholson, 53, was shot and killed. Police said the house was specifically targeted, but it’s not known if Nicholson was the target. Twenty minutes later, a 20-year-old man was left on the pavement outside Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the torso.

AP

Shooting death ruled homicide, not suicide Forsyth County Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a shooting at Woodbriar Path Apartments on Thursday evening and found Keaton Michael Goins, 22, of Rural Hall, unresponsive from a gunshot wound. EMS declared him dead at the scene. At first the sheriff’s office believed the gunshot was self-inflicted.

By Friday morning, however, evidence from the investigation suggested that Goins had been shot by someone else. Police are treating it as a homicide and say it was not a random shooting.

Anyone with information should contact the sheriff’s office.

MY FOX 8

Two charged in overdose death of woman Davidson County Jonathan Alexander Gordon, 30, and Heather Michelle Everhart, 34, are each charged with seconddegree murder in the death of Eva Marie Beckom, 39. Police went to a wooded area behind the Walmart market in Lexington on Dec. 27. Police and emergency personnel tried to revive Beckom, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. A toxicology report showed Beckom died from drug overdose caused by acute fentanyl toxicity. Everhart is facing multiple charges including felony death by distribution and possession with intent to sell or distribute methamphetamine.

AP

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Gregg Popovich took Saturday off, for good reason. There was no way he was going to miss Tim Duncan’s enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Spurs played Saturday afternoon without their head coach, after Popovich made the decision to fly to Connecticut to see Duncan — with whom he won five NBA championships — officially go into the Hall alongside Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and six others.

The bond between Popovich and Duncan started getting forged in 1997, when the Spurs were about to use the No. 1 pick in that year’s draft on the forward who was coming off a stellar career at Wake Forest. Popovich flew to the Virgin Islands, Duncan’s home, and wanted to learn everything about him.

The chemistry was immediate, and it has lasted.

“It started there, it started with him going out of his way to want to know who I was as a person, wanting to meet my friends, wanting to meet my father, sit down and speak with him,” Duncan said. “It started there. And he built that trust from early on, just trying to understand who I was — not just as a basketball player, but as a person and beyond.”

Duncan got emotional when speaking about Popovich during his enshrinement speech Saturday night.

“You are an exceptional person,” Duncan said.

Popovich said earlier this month that he still marvels at Duncan’s story, how a kid from the islands just happened to become one of the best players to touch a basketball.

“I do, especially since he was a swimmer and wanted to be an Olympian, as far as that goes. So, it’s a pretty incredible story. Ev-

erybody knows the story, but it’s true. That’s something that we’re all very happy about. We still toast him when we have dinners; as we’ve said before, ‘Thank you, Timmy.’”

The enshrinement ceremony for this year was moved to the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut largely because of the additional space it provides for a socially distanced event that adheres to protocols put in place for gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2021 enshrinement ceremony, scheduled for September, is tentatively scheduled to return to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts — with some parts of that weekend back at Mohegan Sun as well.

The Spurs’ game Saturday didn’t mean much to San Antonio standings-wise; the Spurs will be the No. 10 seed and be on the road for a play-in tournament game at either Memphis or Golden State on

COVID-19 pet boom has veterinarians backlogged, burned out The Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — During the gloomiest stretches of the pandemic, Dr. Diona Krahn’s veterinary clinic has been a puppy fest, overrun with new four-legged patients.

Typically, she’d get three or four new puppies a week, but between shelter adoptions and private purchases, the 2020 COVID-19 pet boom brought five to seven new clients a day to her practice in Raleigh, North Carolina. Many are first-time pet owners.

Like many veterinarians across the country, she’s also been seeing more sick animals. To meet the demand, vets interviewed by The Associated Press have extended hours, hired additional staff and refused to take new patients, and they still can’t keep up. Burnout and fatigue are such a concern that some practices are hiring counselors to support their weary staffs.

“Everyone is working beyond capacity at this point,” said Krahn, who added evening hours last year.

Approximately 12.6 million U.S. households got a new pet last year after the pandemic was declared in March 2020, according to a COVID-19 Pulse Study by the

American Pet Products Association.

Meanwhile, fewer people relinquished their pets in 2020, so they needed ongoing care, experts said.

And as people worked from home and spent more time with their pets, they’ve had more opportunities to notice bumps, limps and other ailments that could typically go untreated.

Vets were already struggling to meet the pre-pandemic demand, with veterinary schools unable to churn out enough doctors and techs to fill the void.

Krahn left her North Carolina practice three months ago and now oversees nine veterinary and animal hospital clinics across Utah and Idaho under Pathway Vet Alliance.

“All of my practices are booking out several weeks in advance. Clients are actually calling around and scheduling appointments at multiple locations,” and even resorting to emergency care facilities, she said.

Banfield Pet Hospital, one of the largest national providers of preventive veterinary medicine, had approximately half a million more pet visits in 2020 than in 2019. And its telehealth service more than doubled in volume from March

through the end of last year.

Thrive, another veterinary hospital primary care group, with 110 facilities across the U.S., reported a 20% increase in demand during the pandemic. Both repeated a common refrain — as humans spent more time with their pets, they were more in tune with their ailments — big and small.

“With COVID, a lot of people became powerless to the ones closest to them,” said Claire Pickens, a senior director at Thrive, “but the one thing they still had the ability to control was caring for their pet.”

Clinics have been forced to streamline, having patients fill out forms online or by phone pre-appointment because hiring additional staff often isn’t an option.

“The industry is growing at a rate that it can’t fill all the roles needed to keep up with the increased demand for services,” said Pickens.

Veterinary positions are projected to grow 16% by 2029, nearly four times the average of most other occupations, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. Vet tech jobs are expected to increase nearly 20% in the next five years.

“We are still short staffed despite active seeking of additional staff,” said Dr. Katarzyna Ferry, Veter-

Wednesday. For their opponent, the Phoenix Suns, it still meant something — which is part of the reason why Suns coach Monty Williams didn’t hop on a plane like Popovich did.

Williams has never chartered a private jet. He almost did, just so he could be there with Duncan as well.

“I’m really happy for Tim,” said Williams, a former Spurs assistant. “He’s meant so much, not just to the community of basketball, but meant so much to me. He’s one of my best friends. I’ve been able to live vicariously through him.

Some of the highs of his career, I’ve been able to watch when he’s able to achieve something or had something cool going on.”

The last time Popovich missed an entire Spurs game was March 3, 2020 — a matchup when Duncan, who spent last season as a San Antonio assistant, filled in against Charlotte. Duncan got the role that night because he was the assistant coach in charge of that game’s scouting report.

Popovich is expected back in San Antonio for Sunday’s regular-season finale, also against Phoenix. The Suns won Saturday’s game 140-103.

inary Specialty Hospital of Palm Beach Gardens.

Verg, a 24-hour emergency and specialty hospital in Brooklyn, reported a 40% jump in emergency care since the pandemic began.

That’s also meant more pet hospitalizations, straining various specialties like surgery and cardiology.

“The demand continues to grow,” causing extreme weariness in a profession known for its big-hearted workers, said Verg’s chief medical officer, Dr. Brett Levitzke.

“Fear of the unknown with the pandemic leads to more intense emotions from our clients,” said Levitzke. He’s seen expletive-laced outbursts and threats from pet owners, and also outpourings of love, with cards and baked goods.

After the toll on the staff became noticeable, they hired a compassion fatigue specialist for support.

“Unfortunately, compassion fatigue, anxiety, and depression already plagued our profession, and the pandemic has certainly taken it to another level,” Levitzke said.

Krahn said she sold her North Carolina practice to Pathway and later took an administrative role with the company in part to provide practical and emotional support to veterinarians, knowing the toll first-hand.

“As veterinarians, its our job to care, but we also take care of people through their animals,” said Krahn.

“Doctors and support teams struggle with caring for themselves in a way that preserves them to be able to keep doing this.”

Twin City Herald for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

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♦ Allen, Tyler James ( /M/26) Arrest on chrg of 1) Poss Heroin (F), 2) Fail To Appear/ compl (M), 3) Fail To Appear/ compl (M), 4) Fail To Appear/ compl (F), and 5) Fail To Appear/compl (M), at 5185 High Point Rd, Kernersville, NC, on 5/15/2021 15:49. ♦ Bakich, Thomas Albert ( /M/43) Arrest on chrg of 1) Drugs-poss Sched Ii (F), 2) Drugs-misd Poss (M), 3) Drug Paraphernalia (M), 4) Drug Paraphernalia (M), 5) Fail To Appear/compl (F), 6) Fail To Appear/compl (F), and 7) Fail To Appear/compl (M), at 4855 Grakeintemple Ct, Germanton, NC, on 5/13/2021 12:34. ♦ BIGELOW, COY LYNELL was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 2007 LONGSHADOW ST on 5/14/2021 ♦ BOWLES, FREDERICK DONNELL was arrested on a charge of COMMUNICATE THREATS at 5981 UNIVERSITY PW on 5/16/2021 ♦ BRADDY, KEDRICK LAMONT was arrested on a charge of CCW - FIREARM at 1499 NEW WALKERTOWN RD on 5/15/2021 ♦ BRITT, SCOTT CLIFTON was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 500 FOREST HILL AV on 5/16/2021 ♦ CARNEY, SUZANNE JEANNE was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 2020 S HAWTHORNE RD on 5/16/2021 ♦ CARNEY, SUZANNE JEANNE was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 3398 SILAS CREEK PW/S HAWTHORNE RD on

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OPINION | DAVID HARSANYI

Biden is off to a disastrous start PRESIDENTS AREN’T SUPREME beings imbued with the power to dictate economic conditions, pandemics or international events.

We give them far too much credit and blame for the vagaries of the world.

That said, there are some things that presidents do have the power to influence. The location of MLB’s All-Star Game, for instance, is not Joe Biden’s bailiwick. The economic recovery is. The COVID-19 downturn wasn’t an organic event precipitated by unforeseeable underlying economic factors. It was an event created by state lockdowns, coupled with widespread consumer fear. So, with lockdowns easing and vaccines entering arms, a vibrant bounce-back should be a slam dunk for the president.

Instead, Biden couldn’t resist the opportunity to stuff expensive, technocratic, completely unrelated agenda items into his “rescue” packages. And disincentivizing work and investments, threatening to raise taxes and energy prices and pumping trillions into the economy tend to dampen growth.

Economists expected the country to add about 1 million jobs in April, but we came up 800,000 jobs short. March’s gains were also revised down another 140,000. Leftist pundits and wonks, as is their wont when Democrats hold power, were “perplexed” by the bad numbers. And Biden is simply in denial. “There’s been a lot of discussion since Friday’s report that people are being paid to stay home rather than go to work,” the president explained. “We don’t see much evidence of that.”

There are 7.5 million jobs available in the United States, but only 270,000 were filled.

And Americans are getting $300-a-week bonus checks to stay home. As Bank of America economist Joseph Song noted, even those making $32,000 a year would get a raise by going on unemployment. That seems like evidence.

“I want to put today’s job report in perspective,” Biden also explained. “Quite frankly we’re moving more rapidly than I thought we would.” So, Biden expected a biggerthan-800,000 miss on jobs? That’s quite the admission. Even as he was alleging that the paltry job numbers were outperforming his expectations, Biden was making the nonfalsifiable claim that the situation could be improved by passing more colossal spending bills. When the economy bounces back, Democrats will credit spending. When stimulus plans underachieve, Democrats blame it on a lack of spending. Convenient.

How much will be enough? It’s unknown.

Right now, Biden wants to spend another $4 trillion. Today, we learned that April consumer prices had “unexpectedly” jumped 4.2% from a year ago. Some economists argue that this is all transitory. Maybe. What would another massive left-wing goodie bag do for inflation? Biden doesn’t seem to care.

What else can the president control?

Nationalizing elections isn’t the president’s job.

Controlling the southern border is. Yet, when Biden isn’t blaming Donald Trump or seasonal migration patterns for the crisis on the border, he’s pretending nothing is wrong.

There were 178,622 apprehensions on the border in April, according to Customs and Border Protection — the highest total in more than two decades. To put the number in context, last April, there were 17,106 apprehensions.

The president can’t control the movement of migrants outside our borders. But Biden helped trigger this crisis by, among other things, undoing the Trump administration’s “publiccharge” policies that barred immigrants from participating in welfare programs and rolling back the “remain in Mexico” policy that impelled migrants to wait in Mexico while their claims

were being adjudicated. Moreover, most modern Democrats talk about laws that govern illegal immigration and border control as inherently racist and unnecessary. All of this incentivizes the anarchy we’re seeing at the border.

Demanding we wear masks isn’t the president’s job. Conducting foreign policy is. And since Biden took the reins, the Middle East has dramatically destabilized.

As Hamas rained down rockets on Israeli civilians (and on their own people), White House press secretary Jen Psaki was informing the nation that the president had “directed his team to engage intensively with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials” and is in “support of deescalation” while also “candidly” telling off Israel on “settlements.”

Treating Hamas and Israel as morally equivalent international actors only generates more violence. This is the same Biden administration that restored $235 million in U.S. aid to the corrupt and authoritarian Palestinian Authority without any preconditions that they refrain from terrorist activities or institute democratic institutions.

The White House is bailing out Iranian mullahs, who will almost surely divert some funding to their proxy terror army in Gaza, which will in turn use it — not to buy vaccines or build homes, but to assemble hundreds of rockets that will be fired at Jewish cities. It’s clear that forces in the region understand that Biden would sell out Israel and Sunni Arab nations for a deal with Iran. And they all act accordingly.

Our president has a habit of enthusiastically taking credit for the accomplishments of others — as he does with vaccine production and distribution — while denying responsibility for, or botching, the things over which he does have control.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at National Review and the author of the book “First Freedom: A Ride Through America’s Enduring History With the Gun.”

DEATH NOTICES

WEEKLY CRIME LOG ♦ Adams, Terry Levell ( /M/27) Arrest on chrg of 1) P/w/i/s/d Marijuana (F) and 2) Weapposs By Felon (F), at Eb Salem Pw/s Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Winston-salem, NC, on 5/15/2021 15:01.

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5/16/2021 ♦ CARPENTER, JAMES LEROY was arrested on a charge of SEXUAL BATTERY at 3333 SILAS CREEK PW on 5/16/2021 ♦ CRAVER, JORDAN NICHOLE was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 799 W FOURTH ST/N BROAD ST on 5/15/2021 ♦ DAVIS, SYLVIA ANNETT was arrested on a charge of FUGITIVE ARREST (MAGISTRATE`S ORDER) at 1502 OAKSHIRE CT on 5/13/2021 ♦ FAUDE, RAYMOND JON was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 1499 W FOURTH ST/PETERS CREEK PW on 5/14/2021 ♦ FLOYD, BREANNA LEIGH was arrested on a charge of FINANCIAL IDENTITY FRAUD at 100 HANES MALL BV on 5/17/2021 ♦ Ford, Devontae Rayvon ( /M/27) Arrest on chrg of 1) Poss Stolen Goods (F), 2) Drug Trafficking (F), 3) Drug Trafficking (F), 4) P/w/i/s/d Sched Iv (F), 5) P/w/i/s/d Sched Ii (F), 6) P/w/i/s/d Marijuana (F), 7) Drug Paraphernalia (M), and 8) Fail Heed Siren (M), at 4013 Fargo Dr, Winston-salem, NC, on 5/15/2021 20:33. ♦ GILLESPIE, CLAUDE EDWARD was arrested on a charge of PROSTITUTION at 400 N TRADE ST on 5/16/2021 ♦ Goodwin, Tramine Locketon ( /M/40) Arrest on chrg of Fugitive (F), at 1964 Lewisvilleclemmons Rd/linwood Dr, Clemmons, NC, on 5/14/2021 01:53. ♦ HATCHER, ANGELA CAROL was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 2799 THOMASVILLE RD/E CLEMMONSVILLE RD on 5/15/2021 ♦ HUSAIN, RASOOL MUBARAK was arrested on a charge of

2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 100 W FIFTH ST on 5/16/2021 ♦ JIMENEZ, JESUS SANTIAGO was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at SB 421/S STRATFORD RD_SB 421 RA on 5/16/2021 ♦ LADSONDAVIS, DEREK TYRONE was arrested on a charge of OFA/FTA ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 201 N CHURCH ST on 5/14/2021 ♦ LEE, SHANTOE DENISE was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT-SIMPLE at 705 ALEXANDER ST on 5/15/2021 ♦ NELSON, NASHAWN MONTERRIAN was arrested on a charge of CCW - FIREARM at 732 E DEVONSHIRE ST on 5/14/2021 ♦ OLIVER, CLAYTON HOLMON was arrested on a charge of FRAUD-OBT PROPERTY at 201 N CHURCH ST on 5/14/2021 ♦ PERALTA, JAVIER GUTIERREZ was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 124 HANES MALL CR on 5/16/2021 ♦ PORTER, ANDRE DEVON was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 236 EAST DR on 5/16/2021 ♦ REAVES, CASSIUS TERRELL was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 201 N CHURCH ST on 5/17/2021 ♦ RICE, JARVAYE ESHAWN was arrested on a charge of ADW - INFLICT INJURY at 201 N CHURCH ST on 5/16/2021 ♦ Rice, Jarvaye Eshawn ( /M/40) Arrest on chrg of 1) Order For Arrest (M), 2) Ofafta-pwimsd Sch Vi Cs (M), 3) Ofa-fta-simple Possess Ch Vi Cs (M), and 4) Ofa-fta-resisting Public Officer (M), at 201 N Church St, Winston Salem, NC, on 5/17/2021 14:05. ♦ SMITH, JOSEPH KYLE was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 915 BROOKSTOWN AV on

5/16/2021 ♦ SMITH, JOSEPH KYLE was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 899 BROOKSTOWN AV/W SECOND ST on 5/16/2021 ♦ SMITH, KALVIN MICHAEL was arrested on a charge of LARCENY/MISDEMEANOR at 1425 SILAS CREEK PW on 5/15/2021 ♦ SMITH, KALVIN MICHAEL was arrested on a charge of RESISTING ARREST at 1425 SILAS CREEK PW on 5/15/2021 ♦ STEELE, HENRY JOSEPH was arrested on a charge of INTIMIDATE WITNESS at 201 N CHURCH ST on 5/17/2021 ♦ Thorpe, Christy Michelle ( /F/41) Arrest on chrg of 1) Fail To Appear/compl (F), 2) Fail To Appear/compl (M), 3) Fail To Appear/compl (F), and 4) Probation Violation (F), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 5/13/2021 09:50. ♦ UBALDO, OSIEL ACUNA was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 546 E SPRAGUE ST on 5/16/2021 ♦ Voglar, Scherrie Walker ( /F/58) Arrest on chrg of 1) Drugs-poss Sched Ii (F), 2) Drugs-poss Sched Iv (M), and 3) Impaired Driving Dwi (M), at 398 Hastings Hill Rd/sedge Garden Rd, Kernersville, NC, on 5/16/2021 17:35. ♦ WHITE, SCOTTIE ISAIH was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 399 E TWENTY-FIFTH ST/N GLENN AV on 5/16/2021 ♦ WILLIAMS, ANTHONY MONTE was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 3300 NEW WALKERTOWN RD on 5/16/2021 ♦ WILLIAMS, ANTHONY MONTE was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 3078 NEW WALKERTOWN RD/BOWEN BV on 5/16/2021

♦ Charles Michael Bee “Mike”, 69, of High Point, died May 13, 2021. ♦ Ruby “Delphine” Wilkins Black, 91, of WinstonSalem, died May 13, 2021. ♦ James Oakland Cockerham, 95, of Winston-Salem, died May 13, 2021. ♦ Dr. Jerry Davis Collins, 85, died May 12, 2021. ♦ Albert Stanley Cross, Jr., 100, of Colfax, died May 16, 2021. ♦ Norma Lawson Davis, 73, died May 15, 2021.

William Elliott, Jr., 89, died May 14, 2021. ♦ Richard Andrew Epperson, 61, died May 12, 2021. ♦ Virginia Wilkes Kennedy, 87, of Winston-Salem, died May 13, 2021. ♦ Morris Duncan Marley, 71, of Winston-Salem, died May 14, 2021. ♦ Patricia “Pat” Ann New Moore, 75, of WinstonSalem, died May 12, 2021. ♦ Dorothy J. Myers, 93, of Forsyth County, died May 16, 2021. ♦ Joseph “Joe” Frederick Neely, 80, died May 12, 2021. ♦ Wesley Gray Parnell, 88, of Winston-Salem, died May 13, 2021. ♦ Oscar Miguel Pereda, 66, of Winston-Salem, died May 12, 2021. ♦ Robert Newell Pulliam, 78, of Winston-Salem, died May 12, 2021. ♦ Veronica (Ronni) Rainville, 78, of Winston-Salem, died May 13, 2021. ♦ Jeffrey Todd Saunders, 57, of Rowan County, died May 14, 2021. ♦ Kenneth Joel Turner, Jr., 63, of Kernersville, died May 15, 2021. ♦ Marylyn Wood Wright, 84, died May 12, 2021.

Twin City Herald for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

SPORTS

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SIDELINE REPORT NFL

Broncos’ Kleine highest-ranking female scouting exec in NFL Englewood, Colo.

The Denver Broncos have hired former Vikings scouting executive Kelly Kleine as executive director of football operations and special adviser to the general manager. That makes Kleine the highest-ranking woman in football operations at an NFL club. Additionally, she’s believed to be the highestranking female scouting executive in league history.

Kleine, who worked with Broncos first-year general manager George Paton for nine years in Minnesota, will have scouting duties and manage several departments, the team said.

Kleine most recently served as the Vikings’ manager of player personnel/college scout from 2019-20.

NHL

Canucks’ Virtanen accused in lawsuit of sexual assault Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel four years ago.

The suit, filed last week in Kelowna, British Columbia, alleges Virtanen took the woman to a hotel in West Vancouver in September 2017 and assaulted her as she repeatedly said no and pleaded with him to stop.

Virtanen’s agent did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Canucks placed the 24-yearold Canadian player on leave May 1.

RUNNING

NYC Marathon returning in November New York The New York Road Runners announced Monday that the 50th running of the New York City Marathon will be staged on Nov. 7.

NYRR says a modified field size of 33,000 runners was determined after consulting with state and city officials.

The race was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Runners registered for last year’s marathon were provided the option to receive a full refund of their entry fee or a guaranteed complimentary entry for the 2021, 2022, or 2023 New York City Marathon.

This year’s race will accommodate all runners who chose to run in 2021.

TENNIS

Serena Williams posts 1st victory in more than 3 months Parma, Italy Serena Williams earned her first victory in more than three months by beating 17-year-old qualifier Lisa Pigato 6-3, 6-2 Monday in the first round of the EmiliaRomagna Open. Williams, who accepted a wild-card invitation for the Parma tournament after losing her opening match at the Italian Open last week, dominated after dropping her serve in the opening game.

Williams, 39, hadn’t won since beating Simona Halep in the Australian Open quarterfinals in February.

She was eliminated from the year’s first Grand Slam tournament by Naomi Osaka in the semifinals.

DAVID J. PHILLIPS | AP PHOTO

Villanova coach Jay Wright leads the 2021 class for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which was announced Sunday.

Wright, Wallace, Griffith lead 2021 basketball hall class A day after the 2020 class was enshrined, this year’s 16-person class was unveiled

By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Jay Wright, Ben Wallace and Yolanda Griffith were part of a 16-person class that was announced Sunday as the 2021 inductees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Longtime standout NBA forwards Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce and Chris Webber were among those selected, along with former coaches Rick Adelman and Cotton Fitzsimmons and three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson.

“It’s not anything you ever even dream of,” Wright said on the ESPN broadcast of the announcement. “It’s pretty cool.”

The class even includes someone who has been a Hall of Famer for 46 years already — 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell, enshrined in 1975 as a player, has been selected again as a coach.

Russell becomes the fifth Hall of Famer who will be inducted as both a player and a coach, joining John Wooden, Lenny Wilkens, Bill Sharman and Tommy Heinsohn.

“Special is only reserved for a few,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Russell, the NBA’s first black head coach, who was a player-coach after Red Auerbach retired. “And Bill Russell is as special as they come.”

Fitzsimmons was selected as a contributor, as were former WNBA Commissioner Val Ackerman and Howard Garfinkel, the co-founder and longtime director of the Five-Star Basketball Camp

that revolutionized how players were recruited and how many coaches taught the game.

Toni Kukoc, a three-time NBA champion with Chicago and twotime Olympic silver medalist, was selected by the international committee. Clarence “Fats” Jenkins — whose teams in the 1920s and ’30s won what was called the Colored Basketball World Championships in eight consecutive years — was chosen by the Early African American Pioneers Committee.

Four-time All-Star Bob Dandridge was the pick of the veteran’s committee, and Pearl Moore — a 4,000-point scorer in college in the 1970s, most of those points coming at Francis Marion — was selected by the women’s veteran committee.

Wright said he never imagined when he started coaching at Division III’s Rochester that the Hall

of Fame would be a possibility, and he’s championed the candidacy of one of his Villanova predecessors — Rollie Massimino — for years.

But now, the two-time NCAA champion coach who was on the hot seat at Villanova after a slow three-year start to his tenure there is in the Hall himself. He had the ticket-selling job before getting into coaching at Rochester and turned that chance into a career like few others.

“Jay is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had, and one of the best people I’ve ever known,” said former Villanova guard Kyle Lowry, now with the Toronto Raptors, after he got word about Wright’s selection. “He treated me like a son, and he helped me become the man I am today. He is truly a special person.”

Bosh and Pierce were selected in their first years of eligibility; Webber had been a finalist in each of the last five years before finally getting the call. Bosh was a two-time champion in Miami whose resume was still considered Hall-worthy even after his career ended abruptly — and with him still at an All-Star level — because of blood clots.

Alex Bowman leads Hendrick sweep at Dover The No. 48 won for the second time this season as Hendrick took the top four spots

By Dan Gelston The Associated Press DOVER, Del. — Alex Bowman parked the No. 48 Chevrolet in its familiar spot in Victory Lane at Dover International Speedway, leading a dominant outing for Hendrick Motorsports on Sunday.

Bowman led Hendrick to a sensational 1-2-3-4 finish in the NASCAR Cup Series races. Kyle Larson was second, Chase Elliott third and William Byron fourth.

Bowman won his second race of the season and passed 1,000 laps led in his career. But the victory celebration at the Monster Mile had to seem familiar for Hendrick Motorsports. Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR champion now in IndyCar, won a track-record 11 times at Dover in the 48.

Turns out, Johnson’s successor is just as adept at handling the rigors of the concrete mile track.

“Best race track on the schedule,” Bowman said.

Bowman has followed two of NASCAR’s biggest superstars, first taking the wheel of the No. 88 after Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired and made the move to the 48 this season.

He’s tried to escape their large shadows — but will gladly take the checkered flag.

Bowman came from nowhere with 10 laps to go to win in April at Richmond and stole his first win of the season. Bowman joined Martin Truex Jr. as the only driver this season with multiple victories.

Larson lead a parade for all but a handful of laps into the third stage.

Larson won the first two stages of

CHRIS SZAGOLA | AP PHOTO

Alex Bowman races during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Dover International Speedway, Sunday, May 16, 2021, in Dover, Del.

2 Drivers with multiple wins in the NASCAR Cup Series this season after Alex Bowman won at Dover for his second win and joined three-time winner Martin Truex Jr. the race and seemed poised to turn this race into a rout.

Bowman spoiled the run when he beat the No. 5 off pit road and led the final 98 laps. Larson led a race-high 263 laps.

“Their team just did a good job on getting control on the pit stop,” Larson said. “I feel like I did everything I could.”

Hendrick Motorsports is the first team to finish 1-2-3-4 since Jack Roush in 2005. HMS led 382 of the 400 laps. Hendrick Motorsports has 267 victories, one shy of the NASCAR record held by Petty Enterprises.

Dover wrapped its only NASCAR weekend of the season. The track traditionally held two NASCAR weekends but moved one race date to Nashville Superspeedway. Nashville will have a Cup race on June 20. The 1.33-mile concrete track was built in 2001 by

Dover Motorsports and hosted NASCAR and IndyCar events until 2011. Nashville Superspeedway held Xfinity and Truck events, as well as IndyCar races from 2001 until 2011. Dover hosted one race weekend in 1969 and 1970 and then held two races every season from 1971 to 2020.

NASCAR heads to another new venue next week, traveling to Texas and the Circuit of the Americas for a road course race. COTA joined Indianapolis and Road America in rural Wisconsin as new road course events on a 2021 schedule that already included Sonoma Raceway, Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval.

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STATE & NATION

New law makes inmates choose electric chair or firing squad

By Jeffrey Collins The Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has signed into law a bill that forces death row inmates for now to choose between the electric chair or a newly formed firing squad in hopes the state can restart executions after an involuntary 10-year pause.

South Carolina had been one of the most prolific states of its size in putting inmates to death. But a lack of lethal injection drugs brought executions to a halt.

McMaster signed the bill Friday with no ceremony or fanfare, according to the state Legislature’s website. It’s the first bill the governor decided to deal with after nearly 50 hit his desk Thursday.

Last week state lawmakers gave their final sign offs to the bill, which retains lethal injection as the primary method of execution if the state has the drugs, but requires prison officials to use the electric chair or firing squad if it doesn’t.

Prosecutors said three inmates have exhausted all their normal

KINARD LISBON | SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS VIA AP, FILE

This March 2019, file photo, provided by the South Carolina Department of Corrections shows the state's electric chair in Columbia, S.C. appeals, but can’t be killed because under the previous law, inmates who don’t choose the state’s 109-year-old electric chair automatically are scheduled to die by lethal injection. They have all chosen the method that can’t be carried out.

How soon executions can begin

is up in the air. The electric chair is ready to use. Prison officials have been doing preliminary research into how firing squads carry out executions in other states, but are not sure how long it will take to have one in place in South Carolina. The other three states that allow a firing squad are Mississippi,

Oklahoma and Utah, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Three inmates, all in Utah, have been killed by firing squad since the U.S. reinstated the death penalty in 1977. Nineteen inmates have died in the electric chair this century, and South Carolina is one of eight states that can still electrocute inmates, according to the center.

Lawyers for the men with potentially imminent death dates are considering suing over the new law, saying the state is going backward.

“These are execution methods that previously were replaced by lethal injection, which is considered more humane, and it makes South Carolina the only state going back to the less humane execution methods,” said Lindsey Vann of Justice 360, a nonprofit that represents many of the men on South Carolina’s death row.

From 1996 to 2009, South Carolina executed close to average of three inmates a year. But a lull in death row inmates reaching the end of their appeals coincided a few years later with pharmaceutical companies refusing to sell states the drugs needed to sedate inmates, relax their muscles and stop their hearts.

South Carolina’s last execution took place in May 2010, and its batch of lethal injection drugs expired in 2013.

Fairness issues loom over trial in Iowa student’s slaying The Associated Press

DAVENPORT, Iowa — A Mexican national who went on trial Monday for the fatal stabbing of a University of Iowa student has been portrayed by former President Donald Trump as a criminal who exploited lax immigration laws.

Legal experts say ensuring a fair trial for Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the farmhand charged with first-degree murder in the 2018 slaying of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, will be difficult given the extraordinary circumstances of the case.

Rivera’s arrest inflamed anger over illegal immigration ahead of the midterm elections, with Trump weighing in to declare Rivera guilty almost immediately and Iowa’s governor calling him a predator. The case also deepened anxieties about random violence against women, since Tibbetts was brutally attacked while going for a run in her small town of Brooklyn, Iowa.

Nearly three years later, the 26-year-old Rivera will participate in the trial through a Spanish-speaking interpreter.

Jury selection began Monday at an events center in Davenport, where lawyers for both sides will work to whittle a 175-person jury pool to 12 jurors and three alternates. The trial is scheduled to last two weeks.

“This case has a double-edged problem with picking fair and impartial jurors. They can be overLarson’s

Larson’s

Twin City Herald for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

come, but they are problems,” said former federal judge Mark Bennett, now a law professor at Drake University in Des Moines.

“This process can sometimes take a while on cases that have been in the public eye,” prosecutor Scott Brown warned the panel of prospective jurors.

Tibbetts, a friendly woman who was working toward her dream of becoming a child psychologist, is an extremely likeable victim who “probably didn’t have an enemy in the world,” Bennett said. In addition, jurors will likely question Rivera’s immigration status because of his use of the interpreter, even if the judge doesn’t allow any mention that he illegally came to the U.S. as a teenager from Mexico, he said.

Lawyers outside the case say they are surprised that Judge Joel Yates only expects jury selection to take two days, and that both sides said they would not use an extended written questionnaire to learn more about jurors’ views on critical issues.

“That seems like a really short time for jury selection, given the issues this case raises,” said Iowa defense lawyer Dan Vondra, who routinely represents Spanish-speaking clients. “Jury selection is the best way that I have seen to get people to open up and talk about their background.

If you limit that dialogue, that’s where you run into the risk of having a mistake made.”

Yates has barred the public from the trial, citing COVID-19

KIM CALDERWOOD VIA AP

In this September 2016 photo provided by Kim Calderwood, Mollie Tibbetts poses for a picture during homecoming festivities at BGM High School in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa. restrictions, but it will be livestreamed by media outlets.

Tibbetts went for her routine run in July 2018 through Brooklyn, population 1,700, where she ran cross country and excelled in speech during high school. She never made it back to the home where she was dog-sitting for her boyfriend and his brother, who

were out of town.

Her disappearance triggered a massive search and investigation that featured hundreds of law enforcement officials and volunteers and drew extensive media coverage. Detectives say they zeroed in on Rivera a month later after obtaining surveillance video showing a dark Chevy Malibu appear-

Supporters of the bill said the death penalty remains legal in South Carolina, and the state owes it to the family of the victims to find a way to carry out the punishment.

Democrats in the House suggested several changes to the bill that were not approved, including livestreaming executions on the internet and requiring lawmakers to attend executions.

“We must be willing to look at the faces of the individuals we are voting on today to kill,” said Rep. Jermaine Johnson, a Democrat from Hopkins.

Opponents also brought up the case of 14-year-old George Stinney, who South Carolina sent to the electric chair in 1944 after a one-day trial in the deaths of two white girls. He was the youngest person executed in the U.S. in the 20th century. A judge threw out the Black teen’s conviction in 2014.

Seven Republicans in the House voted against the bill, most of them saying it did not make moral sense to approve sending people to their deaths, when three months ago, many of those same lawmakers approved a bill outlawing almost all abortions, saying all life is sacred.

“If you’re cool with the electric chair, you might as well be cool with burning at the stake,” said Rep. Jonathon Hill, a Republican from Townville.

ing to circle Tibbetts as she ran, and a deputy later spotted him in town driving that vehicle.

A group of investigators that included U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents showed up at the dairy farm where Rivera worked to interview him and search his vehicles.

Rivera cooperated, initially denying involvement in Tibbetts’ disappearance. Federal agents put an immigration detainer on him during a lengthy interrogation.

Hours later, investigators say he confessed to approaching Tibbetts as she ran, killing her in a panic after she threatened to call police and hiding her body in a cornfield. He allegedly led police to the body, which had been buried underneath leaves.

An autopsy found that she died of sharp force injuries after she was stabbed to death. They say that DNA testing on blood found in the trunk of the vehicle showed it was a match for Tibbetts.

Rivera’s defense lawyers have not signaled publicly what their strategy will be, and they declined comment ahead of trial. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole.

The trial was moved to Scott County — about 100 miles east of Brooklyn — after defense lawyers noted local residents had “very strong opinions” about Rivera’s guilt.

Trump seized on Rivera’s August 2018 arrest to argue for strengthening the nation’s “disgraceful” immigration laws, including by building a wall on the border with Mexico. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds expressed anger that “a broken immigration system allowed a predator like this to live in our community.”

The anger cooled after Tibbetts’ family members demanded politicians stop using her killing to promote what they said was a political agenda.