North State Journal Vol. 7, Issue 45

A sunset on the Outer Banks

Chief justice: Judges’ safety ‘essential’ to court system

Efforts to restore water continue in western North Carolina

Asheville

Officials in Asheville are continuing to restore public water to swaths of the region after frigid temperatures curtailed the utility last week.

City officials said that water was coming back online in south Asheville as well as lower-lying areas of southern and western Buncombe County. The widespread water outages have lasted a week or more for some people. Residents continued picking up nonpotable water and bottled water from two fire stations in the county on Tuesday. Two of the three sites originally set up for water distribution are still up and running: West Buncombe Fire Department and Enka-Candler Station No. 2. Residents are asked to bring their own containers to fill with nonpotable water — water to be used for flushing toilets and basic needs but not for drinking. A limited supply of drinking water is also available. The YMCA of Western North Carolina also offered up its locations for people who lacked water and needed to shower.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Reno, Nev.

Actor Jeremy Renner was assisting a stranded motorist when he was injured over the weekend in a snow-plow accident in the mountains on the edge of Reno, according to the city’s mayor. Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve told the Reno Gazette-Journal the 51-yearold “Avengers” star was trying to help a stranded car outside his home on the side of a snowy mountain on New Year’s Day when he was run over by his own vehicle. The accident left Renner in critical but stable condition with chest and orthopedic injuries, and Renner’s publicist said in a statement that he remains in the intensive care unit following surgery on Monday. Renner plays Hawkeye, a sharp-shooting member of the superhero Avengers squad in Marvel’s sprawling movie and television universe.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) backed by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has announced it will be sending $80 million to state boards of election over the next five years.

CTCL will be feeding the grants through the U.S. Alli-

ance for Election Excellence (USAEE), which is supported by the Audacious Project, a program housed under TED Conferences that describes itself as a “collaborative funding initiative catalyzing social impact on a grand scale.”

USAEE has already chosen 10 county and municipal elec -

Truitt letter rebuts Governor’s School lawsuit claims

By Matt Mercer North State Journal

RALEIGH — A letter sent to members of the General Assembly by Republican state Superintendent Catherine Truitt rebuts many of the claims made by a teacher at the N.C. Governor’s School program who was fired in 2021.

The Governor’s School is a summer residential program lasting four weeks for “gifted and talented high school students, integrating academic disciplines, the arts, and unique courses on each of two campuses.” Its operations are overseen by officials with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, N.C. Governor’s School Coordinator Rodney Allen, and Director Office of Advanced Learning and Gifted Education Sneha Shah-Coltrane.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in Wake County by the Alliance Defending Free -

dom on behalf of English professor Dr. David Phillips, the firing came after he spoke out about “the harms of the racially divisive ideology embraced by the school.”

The case summary says Phillips had spoken out against the school’s “increasing adoption of critical theory, an ideology that views everyone and everything through the lens of characteristics like race, sex, and religion, labeling people as perpetual oppressors or victims based on group membership alone.”

Phillips had taught at the Gov-

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With security threats to Supreme Court justices still fresh memories, Chief Justice John Roberts on Saturday praised programs that protect judges, saying that “we must support judges by ensuring their safety.”

Roberts and other conservative Supreme Court justices were the subject of protests, some at their homes, after the May leak of the court’s decision that ultimately stripped away constitutional protections for abortion. Justice Samuel Alito has said that the leak made conservative justices “targets for assassination.” And in June, a man carrying a gun, knife and zip ties was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house after threatening to kill the justice, whose vote was key to overturning the court’s Roe v. Wade decision.

Roberts, writing in an annual year-end report about the federal judiciary, did not specifically mention the abortion decision, but the case and the reaction to it seemed clearly on his mind.

“Judicial opinions speak for themselves, and there is no obligation in our free country to agree with them. Indeed, we judges frequently dissent — sometimes strongly — from our colleagues’ opinions, and we explain why in public writings about the cases before us,” Roberts wrote.

Polls following the abortion decision show public trust in the court is at historic lows. And two of Roberts’ liberal colleagues who dissented in the abortion case, Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, have said the court needs to be concerned about overturning precedent and appearing political.

After the leak and threat to Kavanaugh, lawmakers passed legislation increasing security protection for the justices and their families. Separately in December,

ernor’s School for eight years, as well as teaching English at Wake Tech and Guilford Community Colleges. In the lawsuit, Phillips also asserts there was “no appeal or other recourse” offered following his firing.

Truitt writes in the letter dated Dec. 28, 2022 that she read media reports of the story and took time to gather information.

“Like all of you, this story gave me great pause and concern. This was the first time I had ever heard about this situation because a) I very rarely get involved with HR matters as state superintendent, particularly for employees hired for limited periods of time; and b) the teacher in question had never reached out to me with a complaint,” Truitt wrote.

She says most, if not all of the Critical Race Theory claims Phillips alleges took place from 2013 to 2021, before she made several changes that took effect in 2022.

Truitt adds that the school is typically planned a year ahead of time and the 2021 session planning took place before she was sworn in to office. She says her immediate attention was on

The U.S. Supreme Court will begin hearing first arguments for 2023 on Jan. 9

The Associated Press

Two NC counties participating in Zuckerberg-linked elections program

“A judicial system cannot and should not live in fear.”

John Roberts, U.S. Supreme Court chief justice

AP PHOTO

Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Georgetown University in this 2019 file photo.

Jeremy Renner undergoes surgery after snow plow accident

Clouds race toward the sunset on one of the final days of 2022 near the Whalehead Club — a site on the National Register of Historic Places — in Corolla on the Outer Banks.

ISABELLE LAVALETTE | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

According to the lawsuit, the firing came after he spoke out about “the harms of the racially divisive ideology embraced by the school.”

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

Proverbs 3:5-7

The new year often brings resolutions and vows of starting something new or starting over. This week marks the Epiphany on the Christian calendar. The visit of the three wise men to Bethlehem is commemorated by the Epiphany, or Old Christmas as it is called in some parts.

The arrival of the wise men to Jesus marked a key point in the ministry of Jesus. They followed the ancient prophecies, but they also followed orders. The “star of wonder” led them to Jesus but they listened to God when he told them to depart for home without a revisit to King Herod.

As we set goals and adopt resolutions for the new year Christ should be at the center. No mere resolution can free one from Satan’s

bondage. Only Christ can set the devil’s captives free. Those who have long been trying in vain to reform, to break away from evil practices — see in Christ, the Friend who alone can deliver them and save them. No demon-power can resist His command. Only Christ can free us from Satan’s grasp and save us from his terrible sway.

As we start a new year, with hopes of new opportunities, we are reminded that even the wise men trusted in the Lord above their own understanding.

J.R. Miller was a pastor and former editorial superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication from 1880 to 1911. His works are now in the public domain and his words are part of this article.

“The Magi Journeying” (1886-1894) is a painting by James Tissot which is part of the European Art Collection of the Brooklyn Museum.

the problems at hand dealing with COVID-related issues.

The superintendent responded to the media attention over the story and allegations she directed the inclusion of any questionable materials.

“What I find most remarkable about this situation is that I have been vehemently against the teaching of topics characterized by CRT in our classrooms. Why a person claiming to have been terminated because he took on these topics would not reach out directly to the elected conservative state superintendent who has also taken on this fight (and whose agency oversees Governor’s School) is confusing,” Truitt writes.

“But it is clear to me now, after reading this former temporary employee’s file, that his own truth is different from reality. It is very clear from the HR files, previously dismissed EEO case, multiple affidavits, and other pertinent information that this individual was dismissed from their temporary, time-limited position for their conduct, not their content, inside the classroom.”

She says that she supports all types of thoughts and perspectives inside the sessions and that instructors sit in various places along the political spectrum.

“Nobody would be let go from their position if they were genuinely providing a learning environment that was engaging and open. That is not what this former temporary employee did,” Truitt says in the letter.

In response to the story and subsequent attention, she closes saying the Department of Public Instruction will draft an answer to the complaint and provide more relevant details.

Truitt is not named as a defendant in the suit.

“I want to assure you that the accusations of curriculum decisions prior to my administration have been addressed. It’s not possible for me to verify what did or did not happen under a previous State Superintendent’s watch, but wokeness and inappropriate materials for our students should never enter the classroom,” Truitt writes, also saying she is proud of the work done at DPI to clean up multiple divisions that lacked oversight by previous leadership.

tion offices as the first group to receive grants which will have almost no restrictions on what the money can be spent on.

The first counties selected for the 2023 inaugural group include Contra Costa County, CA; Shasta County, CA; Greenwich, CT; Kane County, IL; Macoupin County, IL; Ottawa County, MI; and Clark County, NV.

Also on the list are North Carolina’s Brunswick and Forsyth Counties.

The grants won’t be directed to the over 20 states that have enacted legislation to ban private or outside money for elections.

USAEE grants will head to states where Democratic governors have vetoed such measures including Michigan and Wisconsin. That also means grants will be heading to North Carolina since Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed such a bill in December 2021.

In his veto message of Senate Bill 725, Cooper said money from outside entities was “needed for necessities” like masks, single-use pens and “other protective equipment” during 2020. He also accused the legislature of not properly funding elections board so outside grants would not be needed.

According to the Associated Press, the amount of the USAEE grants will “vary based on the

size of each jurisdiction, from $50,000 for those with fewer than 5,000 registered voters to $3 million for those with more than 1 million voters.”

CTLC showered an estimated $419 million in grants on election boards across the country during the 2020 presidential campaign. The funds were dispersed to around 2,500 counties in 49 states during 2020, including North Carolina.

Thirty-five North Carolina counties received a combined total of $5.395 million from CTCL. The N.C. State Board of Elections and Wake County received a million each and Durham received over $1.46 million.

Additionally, certain boards of election in North Carolina received outside money from the Schwarzenegger Institute. The former California governor’s organization dropped almost $190,000 into 10 counties prior to the November 2020 election.

CTCL’s Executive Director Tiana Epps-Johnson said the first offices will receive grants over a two-year period leading up to the 2024 presidential election, according to the Associated Press.

Brunswick’s Election Director Sara LaVere told North State Journal in an email that she had applied to the program “because working together with other election administrators has always resulted in ideas for improve -

ment.”

She also said having “access to other jurisdictions across the country, and election experts from various fields, is another chance for me to learn more about election administration.”

In 2020, Brunswick County received $67,291 from CTCL.

LaVere provided North State Journal with the county’s application and a member agreement.

The member agreement included statements that USAEE would be nonpartisan, never touch live ballots, give legal advice, or “require you to implement specific advice or recommendations.”

The member agreement also included basic membership perks such as “coaching and consulting from specific Alliance partners,” training, templates and other resources.

There are also membership dues consisting of a Basic Membership at $1,600 a year and a Premium Membership costing $4,800 a year. The member agreement also offers scholarships to applicants to offset the first year’s membership dues.

When asked if she knew what amount Brunswick might receive from USAEE, LeVere said she didn’t yet know.

“No, I do not know what funds might be made available specifically to Brunswick County,” LaVere wrote in an email response to North State Journal. “I know

when we discussed participation during my initial interview, they told me that I could opt out of receiving any funds if I chose too. I believe funds would be available to pay for travel to meetings, to visit other centers, etc.”

Forsyth County Elections Director Tim Tsujii also supplied North State Journal with its application.

“This is a professional development opportunity purely as an educational component, no different than what professional associations offer or other government-type agency certification programs,” Tsujii told North State Journal about USAEE’s program.

Tsujii is a current member of CTCL’s advisory committee and was involved with the group’s Elections Toolkit project providing online resources to election officials.

When asked if USAEE had mentioned or offered grant money similar to that doled out in 2020, Tsujii said Forsyth would not be taking any.

“Even when we first applied, and when we interviewed and then even upon our acceptance as a finalist, we made it clear that we had no desire or interest in receiving grant funds,” Tsujii said.

Forsyth was not one of the North Carolina counties that received CTCL money, also called “Zuck Bucks” during the 2020 election cycle.

lawmakers passed legislation protecting the personal information of federal judges including their addresses.

The law is named for the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, 20-year-old Daniel Anderl, who was killed at the family’s New Jersey home by a man who previously had a case before her.

Roberts thanked members of Congress “who are attending to judicial security needs.” And he said programs that protect judges are “essential to run a system of courts.”

In writing about judicial security, Roberts told the story of Judge Ronald N. Davies, who in September 1957 ordered the integration of Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Davies’ decision followed the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling that segregated schools were unconstitutional and rejected Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus’ attempt to stop school integration.

Davies “was physically threatened for following the law,” but the judge was “uncowed,” Roberts said.

Rock “so that these important artifacts will be used to hold court once again.”

Before that happens, however, the judge’s bench will be on display as part of an exhibit at the Supreme Court beginning in the fall and for the next several years, he said.

“The exhibit will introduce visitors to how the system of federal courts works, to the history of racial segregation and desegregation in our country, and to Thurgood Marshall’s towering contributions as an advocate,” Roberts said. Marshall, who argued Brown v. Board of Education, became the Supreme Court’s first black justice in 1967.

The Supreme Court is still grappling with complicated issues involving race. Two cases this term deal with affirmative action, and the court’s conservative majority is expected to use them to reverse decades of decisions that allow colleges to take account of race in admissions. In another case, the justices could weaken the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, the crown jewel of the civil rights movement.

The justices will hear their first arguments of 2023 on Jan. 9.

“A judicial system cannot and should not live in fear. The events of Little Rock teach about the importance of rule by law instead of by mob,” he wrote.

Roberts noted that officials are currently working to replicate the

courtroom Davies presided over

in

1957. Roberts said the judge’s bench used by Davies and other artifacts from the courtroom

have

been preserved and

will

be installed in the recreated courtroom in a federal courthouse in Little

AP PHOTO

Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts joins other members of the Supreme Court as they pose for a new group portrait, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022.

State agency seeks public comment on proposed changes to disaster recovery plans

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) has issued a press release asking for public comment on proposed amendments to three action plans related to disaster recovery and mitigation plans currently in use.

“The proposed action plan amendments include changes to previously approved federally funded programs that support the state’s long-term recovery from storm damage while also building

future resiliency,” per the NCORR press release.

The changes involve funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) for those areas impacted by hurricanes Matthew and Florence.

Expansion of programs to help more North Carolinians benefit from ongoing disaster recovery work and providing a more comprehensive approach to mitigating

the impacts of future storms are the intended goals of the changes, per NCORR.

The amendments make funding allocation changes to the Homeowner Recovery Program, Affordable Housing Development Fund, Public Housing Restoration Fund, Infrastructure Recovery Program, and Strategic Buyout Program.

Drafts of the Substantial Action Plan Amendment 10 for Hurricane Matthew funding, Substantial Action Plan Amendment 4 for Hurricane Florence funding, and Substantial Action

Plan Amendment 4 for Mitigation funding are available for review online through the Rebuild NC website at rebuild.nc.gov.

The public comment periods for all three action plans begin Dec. 9. CDBG-DR Matthew and CDBG-DR Florence comments will close at 5 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2023, and CDBG-Mitigation comments close at 5 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2023.

Public comments can be submitted two ways: by email to publiccomments@rebuild.nc.gov; or by postal mail to NCORR Public Comments, P.O. Box 110465, Durham, NC 27709.

NCORR press release

Lawmakers quick to unload FTX founder’s contributions

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A writer’s workshop in Alaska. Food banks in California. A charity that fights diabetes.

Lawmakers who accepted piles of cash from onetime wunderkind Samuel Bankman-Fried now can’t move fast enough to offload their contributions from the disgraced crypto mogul to anywhere else but their own campaign coffers.

Before his arrest in the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was a prolific political donor to individual candidates — from local campaigns all the way up to President Joe Biden — as well as super PACs that can wield outsized influence in campaigns. But in a matter of days, Bankman-Fried — a proponent of “effective altruism” — became a pariah facing allegations of massive financial fraud and potentially decades in prison.

The Associated Press contacted more than four dozen lawmakers who received campaign contributions from Bankman-Fried this election cycle — a group that included members of both political parties and chambers of Congress, but predominantly House Democrats. Many of the recipients of Bankman-Fried’s cash were quick to respond, stressing that they had already donated or plan to send the money to charity. Several also stressed that the lawmakers did not solicit the contributions from Bankman-Fried.

Recipients of Bankman-Fried’s campaign largesse included lawmakers at the most senior levels of House and Senate Democratic leadership. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the leader of House Democrats, donated the contribution to the American Diabetes Association. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., the third-ranking House Democrat, donated his contributions from Bankman-Fried to local charities last month.

In the Senate, Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, will donate his contribution to an “appropriate charity,” a spokeswoman said. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who will be third in line to the presidency next year, will donate her cash to a local Washington state charity.

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., donated Bankman-Fried’s contributions to Planned Parenthood North Central States. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., sent his cash to food banks across California. Sen.

Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, donated her contribution to Storyknife Writers Retreat in Homer, Alaska.

Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, who is strongly hinting he’ll challenge Democrat-turned-independent Kyrsten Sinema for the Senate, gave the $5,800 he received from Bankman-Fried to incoming Democratic Rep. Andrea Salinas of Oregon. In her Democratic primary, Salinas defeated a rival backed by millions of spending from Bankman-Fried.

“Congress must take immediate action to regulate the crypto industry, implement strict oversight standards and shield consumers from schemes like this in the future,” said Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., who added she will donate her Bankman-Fried contribution to a bankruptcy fund to compensate FTX customers.

Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., John Boozman, R-Ark., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Susan Collins, R-Maine, John Hoeven, R-N.D., Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Sen.-elect Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., Joe Neguse, D-Colo., Josh Harder,

D-Calif., Kim Schrier, D-Wash., and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., all donated their Bankman-Fried donations to various charities or plan to, according to their aides.

The main campaign committees dedicated to electing congressional Democrats also received tens of thousands from Bankman-Fried, while House Majority PAC, a deep-pocketed outside group backing House Democrats, got a $6 million contribution, according to FEC records. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee did not return requests for comment on what the groups planned to do with Bankman-Fried’s contributions. The House Majority PAC declined to comment.

The White House has also been mum on the multimillion-dollar boost his presidential bid received. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referred inquiries to the Democratic National Committee, which declined to comment.

Then there were the millions given to more obscure political action committees: The Protect Our Future PAC, financed by Bankman-Fried, spent up to $2 million

Brett Kappel, a longtime campaign finance attorney who has worked for both Republicans and Democrats, said it would be “prudent” for members of Congress who received donations from Bankman Fried or other FTX officials to set the money aside “given the high likelihood the bankruptcy receiver will be seeking their return.”

That’s because, in bankruptcy cases, courts have often sided with those looking to recoup money that they unfairly lost. Lawmakers who gave donations from company officials to charity could still find themselves on the hook to return the money they received — or face the perilous optics of stiffing constituents who lost investments when the company melted down.

Still, the lawmakers face no liability themselves “unless they knew the contributions were illegal at the time they received them,” Kappel said.

The U.S. government charged 30-year-old Bankman-Fried with a host of financial crimes, alleging he intentionally deceived customers and investors to enrich himself and others while playing a central role in the company’s multibillion-dollar collapse.

The Securities and Exchange Commission complaint alleges that Bankman-Fried raised more than $1.8 billion from investors since May 2019 by promoting FTX as a safe, responsible platform for trading crypto assets but instead diverted customers’ funds to a privately held crypto hedge fund called Alameda Research LLC without telling them.

The SEC says Bankman-Fried then used those customer funds to make undisclosed venture investments, lavish real estate purchases and large political donations. He contributed funds to both political parties, Bankman-Fried said in an interview last month, adding that “all my Republican donations were dark,” meaning undisclosed.

“The situation with FTX is both distressing and unsettling,” said Rep. Valerie Foushee, D-N.C. She said she donated her contribution to a nonprofit in Chapel Hill.

in ads in support of Lucy McBath, who ran a successful campaign in Georgia’s 7th Congressional District against incumbent Rep. Carolyn Bordeaux. Bankman-Fried wired at least $27 million to the PAC in 2022, according to the FEC website.

“The proposed action plan amendments include changes to previously approved federally funded programs that support the state’s long-term recovery from storm damage while also building future resiliency.”

AP PHOTO

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves court following his extradition to the U.S., Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in New York.

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

Republicans jumpstart 2024 campaign cycle

By Matt Mercer North State Journal

RALEIGH — Former President Donald Trump is not the only Republican who launched a prospective bid for office in 2024 before the calendar flipped to 2023.

The surprise retirement of firstterm Republican Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson led two N.C. House Republicans, Jon Hardister and Ben Moss, to indicate they would be running for the position.

Events across NC in 2023

January

Blowing Rock Winterfest

Blowing Rock, Jan. 26-29

The winter festival has been a tradition for more than 20 years and features a polar bear plunge, chili cook-off, ice carving and more.

February

Carolina Hurricanes NHL Stadium Series

Outdoor Game at Carter-Finley Stadium

Raleigh, Feb. 18

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Washington Capitals in this installment of the NHL’s Stadium Series. The event is years in the making as the Hurricanes were first awarded the game in 2020.

March

ACC Men’s and Women’s Basketball

Tournaments at Greensboro Coliseum

Greensboro, Women’s March 1-5; Men’s March 7-11

The ACC brings both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to Greensboro for what could be the final time as the conference prepares to leave its headquarters in the Triad for Charlotte.

April

Dreamville 2023 Festival

Raleigh, April 1-2

Hip-hop superstar J. Cole brings his annual music festival to Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park.

The multi-staged event brings some of the biggest names in music for the Fayetteville native’s brainchild.

NC Azalea Festival

Wilmington, April 16-19

Spring in Wilmington means the return of the annual celebration of the Azalea. Each year, colorful parades, home tours and nationally known music build to the crowning of the Azalea Queen.

NC Pickle Festival Mount Olive, April 28-29

A 5K, live entertainment and a car show will all serve as warmup acts for the star of Mount Olive’s annual celebration — the pickle! From a recipe contest to a pickle-eating contest, everyone’s favorite brined vegetable will be the start of the show.

May

Wells Fargo Championship Charlotte, May 1-7

The PGA Tour returns to Quail Hollow Country Club for the Wells Fargo Championship.

NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race North Wilkesboro, May 21

In a stunning turnaround for the historic racetrack, North Wilkesboro will host NASCAR’s annual All-Star Race following the revival of racing at the facility.

Coca-Cola 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord, May 28

The stars of NASCAR make their Memorial Day return to the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the series’ longest race of the season.

June

NC Black Bear Festival Plymouth, June 3

The largest black bears on the planet are found in eastern North Carolina, and they’ll be celebrated at the seventh annual Black Bear Festival. The Albemarle-Pamlico peninsula is also home to the highest concentration of black bears in the world.

Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament Morehead City, June 9-18

Last year, more than 750 boats entered Big Rock to compete, the most since 1999. Interest in the tournament has grown and even brought Michael Jordan out for a few days on the water in search of the week’s biggest blue marlin.

July

Savannah Bananas NC Tour Kannapolis, July 12; and Durham, July 14

The Savannah Bananas experience is one that must be seen — unless you’re a baseball purist. The team makes a pair of stops in the state for its sold-out 2023 tour.

Luke Combs Stadium Show Bank of America Stadium Charlotte July 15

Country music superstar and North Carolina native Luke Combs hosts one of his biggest concerts of the year in Charlotte.

August

Wyndham Championship Greensboro, Aug. 2-3

The PGA Tour’s annual stop in Greensboro took on bigger importance with the advent of the FedEx Cup.

Winston-Salem Open Winston-Salem, Aug. 19-26

EASTERN

The Wake Forest University Tennis Complex plays host to the only major professional tennis tournament in the state in August. The yearly event is the last ATP World Tour 250 event prior to the U.S. Open in September and more than 40 of the world’s top 80 players compete for the trophy.

American Legion National Convention Charlotte, Aug. 25-31

The American Legion’s largest annual meeting features members from each of the Legion’s 55 departments, and they’ll meet to determine the course of the Legion, electing a national commander and five national vice commanders.

September

Benson Mule Days Benson, Sept. 21-24

More than 30,000 come to the town of Benson for a weekend packed with rodeos, a mule pulling contest, arts and crafts, vendors, street dances, carnival rides, camping, parades, bluegrass shows and more.

October

NC State Fair State Fairgrounds Raleigh, Oct. 12-22

The State Fair returns after a successful 2022 in which crowds came in large numbers for the food, livestock, shows and celebration of all things North Carolina.

Lexington Barbecue Festival Lexington, Oct. 28

Returning last year, the Lexington Barbecue Festival is highly anticipated across the state and region, celebrating one of our state’s gems: pulled pork barbecue.

November

Carolina Renaissance Festival Huntersville, Sept. 30-Nov. 19

History meets the present during the annual Renaissance Festival, bringing crowds to stroll through a 16th-century European village with an artisan market, jousting knights on horseback and more.

December

Christmas Town USA McAdenville, Dec. 1-31

The Gaston County town of McAdenville transforms each year into Christmas Town USA for its display of Christmas lights, decorations and more.

As North State Journal reported in 2022, N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin, a Republican, made his run for the N.C. Supreme Court official in November. Fellow judge April Wood, who lost in the Republican primary for the state Supreme Court in 2022, is expected to launch another campaign for the office. Democratic Justice Michael Morgan has not announced a reelection campaign and may not choose to run for a second term. Morgan would reach the mandatory

retirement age for judges at around three years into a new eight-year term.

In a year-end social media post, the former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick and Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, Hal Weatherman, said he was running for lieutenant governor in the likely event that current officeholder Mark Robinson runs for governor.

Weatherman has extensive experience in both federal and state government but has not been a candidate himself.

Given the expected campaigns of both Robinson and State Treasurer Dale Folwell for governor, Republicans will be defending half of their spots on the Council of State with new candidates.

Things on the Democratic side, meanwhile, appear quieter.

The expected campaign of Attorney General Josh Stein for governor is the known candidate running statewide. Democrats currently hold those two offices, state auditor and secretary of state among the Council of State.

New counsel named for NC Administrative Office of the Courts

RALEIGH — With the election of Trey Allen to the North Carolina Supreme Court, the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts has tapped his replacement.

Andrew Brown was named as general counsel for the NCAOC on Dec. 30.

Brown served in several roles within the state’s judicial branch since 2013. He was a law clerk to former Associate Justice Robert H. Edmunds, Jr. before serving as chief of staff and administrative counsel to former Chief Justice Mark Martin. He then

became the founding director of the North Carolina Judicial Fellowship, which provides independent legal research and writing support to North Carolina’s superior and district court judges.

In 2018, Brown left for private practice. He practiced with a boutique litigation firm in Raleigh before joining the law firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough.

Brown completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he was a contributing editor to the North Carolina Law Review.

North State Journal

The North Carolina State Legislative building is pictured in this file photo.

FILE PHOTO

STATEment

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Using the flat-rate structure of payroll taxes to reform our tax policy

CLOSE TO 60% of all American taxpayers, about 100 million households, don’t pay one dime in federal income taxes. If a household makes $75,000 or less annually, it will most likely pay zero income tax. Between $75,000 and $100,000 of income, they may pay 1.8% of their income in federal taxes.

Payroll tax collections will constitute 32.6% of all receipts in 2023 whereas they constituted only 9.7% of federal receipts in 1950.

On the other end of the income spectrum, many to most wealthy people don’t pay any payroll or income taxes for the simple reason they don’t take any salary considered to be “earned income.” Many wealthy people take money out of their investments or business in the form of capital gains, which is taxed at about half the rate of marginal income taxes of salaries at a high level.

Perhaps 102 million American taxpayers will pay no attention to any leftist attempt to raise individual taxes because higher earned income tax rates mean nothing to people who are not paying income taxes in the first place.

Higher tax rates affect the same people higher taxes always hit ― the 50 million or so households with incomes between $75,000 and $500,000.

However, everyone who does earn a salary pays a flat-rate payroll tax for Social Security and Medicare entitlements. In 2023, wage-earners will pay payroll taxes on income up to $160,200 to fund Social Security and on all salaried income for Medicare. Payroll taxes are flat taxes ― the same percentage of income is paid by everyone, regressivity be damned.

Republicans typically promise massive tax cuts will lead to vastly more tax revenue from more rapid economic growth ― and magically balance our budget through economic growth alone.

Massive individual tax cuts don’t affect the same 102 million people who currently don’t pay income taxes. If a person doesn’t pay any income tax, they can’t possibly make any economic decisions based on changes in tax rates.

No matter what has happened in the tax code over the past 50 years, revenues flowing to Washington, D.C., via the IRS have stayed roughly at 18.5% of GDP. What has changed, however, is the composition of those tax revenues over the decades.

| BRADFORD MULLER

The share of federal income taxes has remained remarkably stable in the range between 42% and 48% of total tax receipts. However, social insurance payroll tax receipts have skyrocketed as a share of total receipts during the same time period. Payroll tax collections will constitute 32.6% of all receipts in 2023 whereas they constituted only 9.7% of federal receipts in 1950 (granted, pre-Medicare).

Corporate taxes accounted for 32.1% of all tax receipts in 1950. In 2023, it is estimated to be 8.6%.

Excise taxes were responsible for 13.4% of tax receipts in 1950. Next year it will be 1.9%. Even that puny amount will evaporate when everyone stops smoking cigarettes and starts driving EVs which do not generate an excise gas tax.

Tax revenues collected by Washington in 2022 came close to $5 trillion ― an all-time record despite the residual effects of COVID shutdowns and the horrible economic policies of the Biden administration. Even with record amounts of tax revenue flowing to Washington, America racks up more than $1 trillion of debt every year.

The problem we have is spending, not taxation. If Congress would hold annual spending increases down to around 2% per year for the next decade or so, there is at least a slight chance someone living today will once again see a balanced budget at the federal level.

Since we have a flat-rate tax in force already ―the payroll tax ― there has to be some optimal way to use that as a model and replace the existing sclerotic income tax system in its entirety. Abolish all tax deductions, exemptions and exceptions and expose the full amount of income made by every person to the flat rate ― and see what happens to the economy.

We wouldn’t need 87,000 new IRS agents because the entire Internal Revenue Service could be cut by 99% if all we had was one flat-rate tax to collect. That would be one great way to start the new year.

The Christmas catastrophe near miss

FOR THE HOLIDAYS THIS YEAR, Duke Energy gave more than 500,000 customers the “gift” of rolling blackouts across North and South Carolina during one of the region’s coldest weekends in decades.

Overwhelming demand for electricity during the arctic plunge on Christmas Eve led Duke Energy to impose emergency power outages, often lasting hours with little or no warning for customers, in an effort to avoid a system-wide blackout. Needless to say, the unexpected outages raised alarms with public officials and energy experts.

Cooper’s Clean Power Plan is to intentionally shut down fossil fuel electricity generation — literally taking us back to a pre-1859 economy before oil and gas were discovered in America.

“I’m deeply concerned about people who lost power and who didn’t get notice about rotating outages,” North Governor Roy Cooper tweeted on December 26. “I’ve asked Duke for a complete report on what went wrong and for changes to be made.”

It requires a special chutzpah from Gov. Cooper to demand answers from Duke Energy executives when it is his policies that will likely lead to more such calamities in the future. The goal of Cooper’s Clean

Power Plan, which aims to reduce utility carbon emissions 70% from 2005 levels by 2030, is to intentionally shut down fossil fuel electricity generation in favor of intermittent, unreliable “renewable” sources like hydro, wind and solar — literally taking us back to a pre-1859 economy before oil and gas were discovered in America.

In fact, as I pointed out in testimony on the Governor’s Clean Power Plan before the North Carolina Utilities Commission last September, Cooper’s staggering $100 billion force-fed green energy transition is creating systemic vulnerabilities for our grid. The centerpiece of this insanity is shuttering Duke’s perfectly serviceable 8,845-megawatt coal fleet as soon as possible.

But a careful examination of the data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows just how important those coal plants were to avoiding even more widespread and devastating blackouts during a generational freeze over the Christmas weekend. When North Carolinians needed energy most, it was nuclear, natural gas and those dreaded coal plants that held the grid together and provided the lion’s share of the electricity generation.

The work horse during the crisis was Duke’s nuclear fleet (an unwavering 7,390 MWh). If environmentalists really cared about carbon emissions and not just lining their pockets by adding costly, inefficient, and habitat-destroying solar projects to our energy grid, they’d be clamoring for more carbon-free, dependable nuclear generation as soon as possible.

Solar energy proponents would have you believe renewables saved the day when the grid was in jeopardy. But renewables were a non-factor in meeting peak demand. Solar ramped up that sunny Christmas Eve day, but it contributed zilch to the supply when the

temperatures were coldest and demand highest. According to the data, solar was not generating any power at 6:00 am on December 24 when the rolling blackouts began (because it was still dark out) nor was solar contributing any power to the grid when system demand peaked at 7 pm that same day (because the sun had gone down).

Consider how much worse this situation could have been had this incident occurred sometime other than Christmas weekend, when most of the state’s manufacturing plants were offline due to planned holiday shutdowns. Approximately 20% of Duke Energy’s total system demand was not online, yet peak demand still outpaced supply to the point where rolling blackouts became necessary to prevent a disaster. If this had happened on a busy, cold January weekday with the nonresidential load operating at normal levels, the outcome would have catastrophic.

So why, after more than a century and a half of affordable and dependable energy powering the most prosperous country in the world, are we suddenly experiencing third-world blackouts and skyrocketing electricity rates? The answer is obvious. Across America, cheap reliable coal, gas, and nuclear power plants are being prematurely retired, and replaced by heavily subsidized, unreliable wind and solar energy.

As we just experienced, intermittent energy sources that work less than half the time (solar) or rarely (wind) can’t possibly replace consistent, 24/7 electricity generation from nuclear and fossil fuels, no matter how many billions we spend on the fantasy.

In fact, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation has long warned about these system-wide grid vulnerabilities. A recent NERC report cautioned that fossil-fuel plants are being taken offline dangerously fast during a time of rising electricity demand, putting much of the country at risk of grid failure and blackouts during extreme weather. Like a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Future, we got a glimpse into that dystopia this holiday season.

The environmental lobby dismisses such warnings and blames the weekend’s power outages on a “bomb cyclone” supposedly caused by climate change. But frigid storms happened before climate change (whatever happened to “global warming”?) became the default political explanation for everything. The coldest Christmas in a half-century was a near-run disaster, and unless the political class wakes up, next time will be far worse.

Muller, who testified before the North Carolina Utilities Commission, is Vice President of Corporate Communications at Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, a 121-year-old manufacturer based in Charlotte, NC.

Bradford

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Life is getting shorter in America

IT’S ONE THING when government raises your taxes, suffocates your business with regulations or censors your tweets. It’s far worse when government is to blame for actually shortening your life.

U.S. life expectancy dropped to 76.4 years, the lowest in 25 years, according to new federal data. Americans should be gasping. What could be more important than having the chance to live a long life?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention repeatedly has blown its responses to health killers like fentanyl, COVID and lung cancer. All the while, life expectancy gets shorter and shorter.

In 1980, Americans had one of the best life expectancies in the world. Since then, the U.S. has lost ground. People live several years longer in France, Switzerland, Italy and other highly developed countries, reaching ages 83 or 84 on average. Residents of the Czech Republic, Chile and Slovenia can expect longer lives than Americans. Even before COVID, the U.S. ranked 29th in life expectancy, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The virus merely widened an already alarming gap between the U.S. and other nations.

Now, life expectancy in these other nations is rebounding from COVID, while American lives continue to be cut short due to other causes.

Start with the failure of our government, especially the CDC, to tackle the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 49: overdosing. Two-thirds of these deaths are from fentanyl.

Nearly 107,000 Americans died of overdoses in 2021, about 50% more than just two years earlier.

Where’s the campaign to combat fentanyl deaths? Over the last half-century, U.S. health agencies waged several stunningly successful media campaigns to dissuade Americans from smoking cigarettes. The CDC has done nothing like that to fight this new killer.

Blame the agency’s mission confusion. In September 2021, as overdoses soared and COVID raged, the CDC launched a campaign for “inclusive communication.” The agency instructed health care workers to avoid stigmatizing words like “illegal immigrant” and substitute “parent” for gender-tainted terms like “mother” and “father.” As if political correctness is more

COLUMN | DENNIS PRAGER

important than preventing deaths.

The CDC’s failed response to COVID further depressed American life expectancy. Agency head Rochelle Walensky said, “To be frank, we are responsible for some pretty dramatic, pretty public mistakes, from testing to data to communications.”

The U.S. has had a higher per capita death rate from COVID than other developed countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Canada.

As COVID fades. the CDC’s inaction on another front — lung cancer screening — is limiting progress on life expectancy for cancer patients, where the U.S. is otherwise a leader.

Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer, taking about 130,000 lives a year. That’s more than breast, prostate and colon cancer deaths combined. Because lung cancer is rarely diagnosed before it spreads, the chances of survival are an abysmal 18%.

But when lung cancer is diagnosed early with a CT chest scan, a patient has an 80% chance of living another 20 years, reports Claudia Henschke, a radiology expert at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York City. That sure beats 18%.

The scan takes 15 minutes lying flat on a table that glides in and out of the scanning machine. There’s no squeezing like with a mammogram and no yucky preparation like with a colonoscopy.

The technology is widely available, recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and covered by insurance, but few doctors know to order it, and few patients know to ask. Blame the CDC for this knowledge gap. Only 15% of Americans who need lung screening are getting it.

On Dec. 20, the White House announced a pilot project to “screen and treat” cancer. Oh, sorry, that’s not for the U.S. It’s for women in Botswana. Laughable if it weren’t so tragic.

Ten years ago, Americans were told the biggest health challenge was the uninsured. Congress passed Obamacare. Now only 9% of Americans are uninsured, but the whole nation faces the prospect of shorter life expectancy.

For those lost years, you can thank federal health officials, especially the dysfunctional CDC. Call it the Centers for Decline and Confusion.

Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York and chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths.

COVID only accelerated the blue state exodus

WHERE ARE AMERICANS MOVING?

And where, to make things more specific, have Americans been moving since the sudden onset of COVID lockdowns? Answers to these questions come from the annual Christmastime release of the Census Bureau’s estimates of the population of the 50 states and the District of Columbia as of last July.

Comparing those numbers to the decennial census count of April 1, 2020, just when COVID restrictions were put in place, provides a view of how Americans moved, or didn’t, during the pandemic and postpandemic 27 months.

Domestic out-migration — the number of U.S. residents leaving the state minus those entering — in 2020-22 was 3.3% of the 2020 population in New York and 2.2% in Illinois and California. These are staggering numbers, far higher than any other state. The losses are undoubtedly concentrated in central cities, as suggested by the District of Columbia, where the pre-COVID population was growing but in 2020-22 was down 3.8%.

Not coincidentally, these states have some of the nation’s highest state and local tax rates and high housing costs due to restrictive regulations. That has spurred outmigration for more than a decade. The postCOVID woes — lockdowns and masking mandates, the post-George Floyd upward zoom in violent crime and the spread of homeless encampments — have sparked a larger exodus that seems unlikely to be fully reversed.

What else is striking? Looking at the map, you see domestic out-migration from all five states touching the Pacific Ocean, which was once the scenic promised land for many people. And you see domestic in-migration along Interstate 15 to Nevada, though it’s no longer leading the nation in growth as in the 2000s, to heavily Mormon Utah and north to Idaho and Montana.

There’s also been movement eastward, along Interstate 10 to Arizona and Texas. The domestic in-migration into these five Mountain States (413,000) and Texas (475,000) almost precisely matches the domestic out-migration from California (871,000).

One would think that any person with a functioning conscience and a normal human heart would feel for these parents. As I wrote in the column, if the roles were reversed — that is, if a right-wing child severed all contact with his or her parents because the parents were on the left, I would feel awful for those parents and condemn any conservative child who did such a thing.

The column was apparently forwarded to many leftists and discussed on various left-wing websites.

Even though I believe that the further left one goes, the more likely one is to be mean, I admit to having been surprised at the cruelty, even sadism, that characterizes left-wing reactions to my column.

I assumed that the dominant left-wing responses would be either that I exaggerated how widespread this problem is or that many conservative children act the same way. My assumptions were wrong.

Nearly every one of the many left-wing responses I read — both on right-wing and left-wing sites — supported the leftwing children who deprive their parents of contact with them and with the grandchildren.

Here are some typical left-wing responses (from a conservative site, American Greatness): yung god money stax: “... conservatives are whiny, mean little people and their kids don’t want to listen to their racist, homophobic, sexist bs any more or let their kids be around that crap.”

Austin Tucker the_dster694: “There is not an ounce of tolerance in conservative circles.

“Tolerate the intolerance is what you’re asking, and we won’t.”

BartonsInk4: “I’m pretty sure I speak for all of the children who’ve cut off their parents when I say:

“1. We don’t f—-ing miss you. At all. “2. We should have done this years ago.”

Of the nearly 1,000 comments on American Greatness, most of them are like the ones quoted here.

Then there are left-wing websites. I’ll cite two examples. The first is the feminist site, Wonkette, which is headlined: “Won’t Someone Think Of All The Bigots Who Won’t Be Invited To Christmas This Year?”

The article goes on to say:

“People who vote Republican right now ... (hold) views that

are hurtful to actual human beings, who may or may not be their children, their grandchildren or friends thereof ... It is quite easy to imagine that conservatives would freeze out any relative, parent or not, who belonged to one of the various groups they are currently mad at. We know for sure they have a tendency to throw their LGBTQIA+ children out on the streets...

“...apparently ‘parents’ are the only people God demands conservatives be nice to...

“...conservatives who just go around believing everything Tucker Carlson and Dennis Prager tell them are frequently very angry and thus perhaps not the world’s best dinner guests at Christmas or any other time...

“It seems highly unlikely that the parents being frozen out of Christmas dinners are those who ‘just happen’ to vote Republican, but rather those who insist upon torturing their relatives with QAnon conspiracies...”

Then there is an atheist website called OnlySky, which in its own words, “explores the human experience from a secular point of view.”

Its headline read: “Conservatives are upset their kids don’t want to spend Christmas with them: Dennis Prager believes we’re all obligated to spend the holidays with parents who embrace right-wing cruelty”

The author fully defends left-wing children who break off contact with their parents and prohibit the parents from seeing their grandchildren. For example:

“If you care about your health, then people who reject vaccines and spread conspiracy theories about COVID ... are literally putting lives at risk. All of that’s before we get into banning books, denying election results, whitewashing history, denying science, demanding more guns in more hands in more places, and believing whatever other lies FOX hosts shove into their heads...

“Why invite people with dangerous views into your home voluntarily? That’s especially true if you have kids. Parents want to protect their children, and that may mean protecting them from their grandparents’ cuckoo bananas beliefs.”

The author of the piece is identified as “the founder of FriendlyAtheist.com, a YouTube creator, podcast co-host, and author of multiple books about atheism.”

If you have a woke child who talks to you, give him or her a hug.

Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host and columnist. His commentary on Deuteronomy, the third volume of “The Rational Bible,” his five-volume commentary on the first five books of the Bible, was published in October.

Turning to the east side of the map, you see enormous growth in the states along Interstates 95 and 85 south of metro Washington and Richmond. In 2020-22, while the national population grew by 0.6%, North Carolina was up 2.5%, South Carolina 3.2%, Georgia 1.9% and Florida up by 3.3%.

Domestic in-migration in these four states (1,128,000) comes close to matching the combined out-migration from New York and the I-95 states from Virginia north to Massachusetts, plus Illinois (1,285,000).

Florida has been a particular standout. Its domestic in-migration (622,000) almost exactly matches New York’s domestic outmigration (664,000). Total 2020-22 domestic in-migration into Florida was 2.9% of its 2020 population, a rate exceeded only by the much smaller states of Idaho, Montana and South Carolina.

The migration along these Interstate corridors is moving in the opposite directions of movements in the wartime and postwar decades from the 1940s to the 1970s. Then you saw substantial migrations of both black and white Southerners up to the great cities of the Northeast — Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York — and to Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland in the industrial Midwest.

Similarly, wartime industries and postwar growth led people from Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana to the fabled promised land of California and the Pacific Northwest.

Those migrations were larger in absolute numbers and much larger in percentage terms than what we see today. Which makes the really large movements today — out of New York, Chicago and coastal California, into Florida and Texas — stand out so vividly.

For in much of the country, you see something like stasis, people staying in place, with birth rates lower than at any other time in history and with more deaths than births in 25 of the 50 states. In eight Southern states, outside Texas and the South Atlantic, and 11 Midwestern states outside Illinois, the population was up only 0.2% and domestic in-migration was 0.1%.

It should be obvious now that the old cliche about the Snow Belt emptying out into the Sun Belt is obsolete. Instead, you see movement from the supposedly idyllic Pacific coast north on I-15 and east on I-10 to Mountain States and Texas. You see an even larger shift from metro Washington to metro Boston southward on I-95 and I-85 to the Carolinas, Georgia and most of all to Florida.

Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 1201 Edwards Mill Rd., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.

In a generally prosperous and tolerant society — more prosperous and tolerant than the tenor of Twitter debate, in my view — it takes a lot to get people to move. What the census numbers show is that COVID lockdowns, piled atop high taxes and restrictive housing regulations, got several million people on the move in the 27 months from April 2020 to July 2022.

Those who moved are likely to be better off, but the self-damage inflicted on the places they left will be hard, in some respects impossible, to repair.

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

MY LAST COLUMN, “Why Many Conservatives Won’t Be with Their Children or Grandchildren This Christmas,” dealt with the issue of parents whose left-wing adult children have cut off all contact with their parents because the parents are on the right — children who will not even allow their parents to have contact with their grandchildren.

Leftists defend those who won’t allow conservative parents to see them or their grandchildren

NATION & WORLD

Israel’s Netanyahu back in power with new government

JERUSALEM — Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday returned to power for an unprecedented sixth term as Israel’s prime minister, taking the helm of the most right-wing and religiously conservative government in the country’s 74-year history.

The swearing-in ceremony capped a remarkable comeback for Netanyahu, who was ousted last year after 12 consecutive years in power. But he faces numerous challenges, leading an alliance of religious and far-right parties that could cause domestic and regional turmoil and alienate Israel’s closest allies.

His new government has pledged to prioritize settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, extend massive subsidies to his ultra-Orthodox allies and push for sweeping reform of the judicial system that critics say could endanger the country’s democratic institutions. The plans have sparked an uproar in Israeli society, prompting criticism from the military, LGBTQ rights groups, the business community and others, and raised concerns abroad.

In a stormy parliamentary session before his swearing in, the combative Netanyahu took aim at his critics, accusing the opposition of trying to scare the public.

“I hear the constant cries of the opposition about the end of the country and democracy,” Netanyahu said from the podium. “Opposition members: to lose in elections is not the end of democracy, this is the essence of democracy.”

His speech was interrupted repeatedly by boos and jeers from his opponents, who chanted “weak, weak” — an apparent reference to the numerous concessions he made to his new governing partners.

Later, Netanyahu held a brief meeting with his new Cabinet, saying his priorities would include halting Iran’s nuclear program, strengthening law and order and combatting the country’s high cost of living, and expanding Israel’s burgeoning relations with the Arab world.

“I am emotional because of the

great trust the people of Israel gave us,” he told the ministers, adding that he was excited to work with the “excellent team” he has assembled.

“Let’s get to work.”

Netanyahu is the country’s longest serving prime minister, having held office for a total of 15 years, including a stint in the 1990s. After four consecutive inconclusive elections, he was ousted last year by a coalition of eight ideologically diverse parties united by little more than their opposition to his rule.

That coalition collapsed in June, and Netanyahu and his ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox allies secured a clear parliamentary majority in November’s election.

The country remains deeply divided over Netanyahu, who remains on trial for charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three corruption cases. He denies all charges, saying he is the victim of a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media, police and prosecutors.

Netanyahu now heads a government comprised of a hard-line religious ultranationalist party dominated by West Bank settlers, two ultra-Orthodox parties and his nationalist Likud party. They have endorsed a set of guidelines and coalition agreements that go

far beyond the goals he outlined on Thursday and, some say, risk imperiling Israel’s democratic institutions and deepening the conflict with the Palestinians.

Long a hard-liner toward the Palestinians, Netanyahu already is a strong proponent of Israel’s West Bank settlements. That is only expected to be kicked into overdrive under the new government. Netanyahu has created a special ministerial post giving a firebrand settler leader widespread authority over settlement policies. The coalition’s platform says that “the Jewish people have exclusive and indisputable rights” over the entirety of Israel and the Palestinian territories and promises to make settlement expansion a top priority.

That includes legalizing dozens of wildcat outposts and a commitment to annex the entire territory, a step that would snuff out any remaining hopes for Palestinian statehood and draw heavy international opposition.

Israel captured the West Bank in 1967 along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem — territories the Palestinians seek for a future state. Israel has constructed dozens of Jewish settlements that are home to around 500,000 Israelis who live alongside around 2.5 mil-

lion Palestinians. Most of the international community considers Israel’s West Bank settlements illegal and an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians. The United States already has warned the incoming government against taking steps that could further undermine hopes for an independent Palestinian state.

President Joe Biden called Netanyahu his “friend for decades” and said he looked forward to working with him “to jointly address the many challenges and opportunities facing Israel and the Middle East region, including threats from Iran.”

But, Biden warned, the U.S. will “continue to support the two state solution and to oppose policies that endanger its viability or contradict our mutual interests and values.”

At home, the new government has alarmed good-governance groups with its plans to overhaul the legal system — including a proposal that would curb the power of the independent judiciary by allowing parliament to overturn Supreme Court rulings. Critics say this will destroy the country’s system of checks and balances and clear the way for Netanyahu’s criminal trial to be dismissed.

There are also concerns about the rollback of minority and LGBTQ rights. Members of the Religious Zionism party said they would an advance an amendment to the country’s anti-discrimination law that would allow businesses and doctors to discriminate against the LGBTQ community on the basis of religious faith.

Outside parliament, several thousand demonstrators waved Israeli and rainbow gay pride flags. “We don’t want fascists in the Knesset!” they chanted. Crowds of LGBTQ supporters shouting “Shame!” blocked the entrance to a major intersection and highway in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu has promised he will protect minorities and LGBTQ rights. Amir Ohana, a Netanyahu loyalist, was voted in as the first openly gay speaker of parliament as his partner and their two children watched from the audience.

Yair Lapid, the outgoing prime minister who is now in the post of opposition leader, told parliament that he was handing the new government “a country in excellent condition, with a strong economy, with improved defensive abilities and strong deterrence, with one of the best international standings ever.”

“Try not to destroy it. We’ll be back soon,” Lapid said.

US says Chinese intercept could have caused air collision

BEIJING — The U.S. military says a Chinese fighter jet flew dangerously close to an Air Force plane over the South China Sea, forcing the American pilot to maneuver to avoid a collision.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement Thursday that the incident occurred Dec. 21 when the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy J-11 flew in front of and within 20 feet of the nose of an RC-135, a type of large reconnaissance plane operated by the U.S. Air Force.

The U.S. plane was “lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace,” the statement said. Its pilot was forced to “take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision.”

China frequently challenges military aircraft from the U.S. and its allies, especially over the strategically vital South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety. Such behavior led to a 2001 in-air collision in which a Chinese plane was lost and pilot killed.

“The U.S. Indo-Pacific Joint Force is dedicated to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and will continue to fly, sail and operate at sea and in international airspace with due regard for the safety of all vessels and aircraft under international law,” the statement said.

“We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law,” it said.

China deeply resents the presence of U.S. military assets in the South China Sea and regularly demands its ships and planes leave the area. The U.S. says it is fully entitled to operate in and over the South China Sea and ignores the

Chinese demands.

Such dangerous incidents persist despite U.S.-China agreements on how to deal with unexpected encounters.

The U.S. and others have also accused China of harassing military aircraft and ships in the East China Sea off the Chinese coast and as far away as the Horn of Africa, where China operates a naval base.

There was no immediate response to the latest U.S. complaint from the PLA, the military wing of China’s ruling Communist Party.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin offered no details, but accused the U.S. of posing “serious threats to

China’s national security,” with its surveillance operations.

“China will continue to take necessary measures to firmly defend its sovereignty and security and work with regional countries to firmly defend the peace and stability of the South China Sea,” Wang said at a daily briefing Friday.

Wang also renewed Beijing’s objections to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy that Beijing threatens to bring under its control by force if necessary. Washington this week approved the sale of a $180 million anti-tank system to Taiwan as the threat from China’s military rises.

Though the U.S. has no formal ties with Taiwan in deference to Beijing, it is required by U.S. law to ensure the island has the means to defend itself. While Beijing has given Taiwan no deadline to accept its ultimatum, some U.S. defense officials believe Chinese leader Xi Jinping has become more eager to force a military solution in the coming years.

The U.S. “should stop arms sales and military contact with Taiwan and stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” Wang said.

“China will take strong measures to firmly defend its sovereignty and security interests,” he said.

Gender self-determination to be granted in Spain, Scotland

Madrid

Spain’s lower house of Parliament passed a law that allows people over 16 years of age to change their legally registered gender without any medical supervision.

Under the Spanish law, drawn up by the center-left coalition government, minors ages 12 and 13 will need a judge’s authorization to make the change, while those between 14 and 16 will have to be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Up to now, Spanish transgender people needed a diagnosis by several doctors of gender dysphoria, which is the psychological condition of not feeling a match between one’s biological sex and gender identity. In some cases, they also needed proof they had been living for two years as the gender they identified with — or even records showing they had taken hormones.

The Scottish Parliament also passed a bill to make it easier for people to change their legally recognized gender. The approval makes Scotland the first part of the U.K. to have endorsed allowing people to declare their gender on documents without the need for medical certification.

Opponents, including “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, claimed the simplified procedure could give predatory men access to spaces intended for women, such as shelters for domestic abuse survivors.

U.K. Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch has voiced concerns about legal divergences between Scotland and the other constituent parts of the U.K.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Closed-door talks fail to settle state House control fight

Harrisburg, Pa.

A day of closed-door negotiations failed to settle a dispute between Republican and Democratic leaders in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives about when to hold three special elections that will determine control of their chamber.

Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer told lawyers for Rep. Bryan Cutler of Lancaster County, the House Republican leader, and his Democratic counterpart, Rep. Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia, that she will speed consideration of the case.

“These are very, very thorny issues and cannot easily be resolved in a day,” she said when attorneys returned to the courtroom at day’s end. Cutler sued earlier this month after McClinton sought to schedule special elections for all three races on Feb. 7. Cutler has also sought to schedule the special elections — one for Feb. 7 and the other two for the May primary.

Democrats picked up a net of 12 seats in last month’s election, the minimum needed to reclaim majority control of the House after more than a decade in the minority. That left Democrats with 102 representatives to Republicans’ 101, but the three vacancies have given the GOP hopes of maintaining majority status early next year, if only for a few weeks or several months.

One of the Democrats’ reelected incumbents, 85-year-old Rep. Tony DeLuca, died of cancer in October. Two others, Reps. Summer Lee and Austin Davis, recently resigned after being elected to Congress and as lieutenant governor.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

PHOTO VIA AP

A Chinese J-11 military fighter jet flies above the Taiwan Strait near Pingtan, the closest land of mainland China to the island of Taiwan, in southeastern China’s Fujian Province on Aug. 5, 2022.

AP PHOTO

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a special session of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to approve and swear in a new right-wing government, in Jerusalem Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Duke beats UCF in Military Bowl for 9th win

Annapolis, Md.

Riley Leonard threw for 173 yards and ran for two touchdowns, and Duke wrapped up an impressive first season under Mike Elko with a 30 -13 victory over UCF in the Military Bowl. The Blue Devils have won four consecutive bowl games, although this was their first appearance in one since 2018. Jordan Moore ran for a touchdown in the first quarter, and then Duke took control in the second.

UCF lost three of its final four games this season. John Rhys Plumlee managed only 28 yards passing in the first half and 182 for the game.

Terps holds off NC State in Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Charlotte

Taulia Tagovailoa threw a 19 -yard touchdown pass to Octavian Smith, Chad Ryland kicked three field goals and Maryland outlasted No. 25 NC State 16 -12 to win the Duke’s Mayo Bowl last Friday. Tagovailoa finished 19 of 37 for 221 yards with two interceptions. Roman Hemby ran for 65 yards rushing on 24 carries for Maryland. Ben Finley completed 22 of 48 passes for 269 yards with two interceptions and couldn’t find the end zone. Both Maryland and NC State finished the season 8-5.

Nix rallies Oregon past UNC in Holiday Bowl

San Diego Bo Nix threw a 6 -yard touchdown pass to Chase Cota on fourth down with 19 seconds left and Camden Lewis’ PAT bounced off the left upright and went through to give No. 15 Oregon a wild 28-27 victory against UNC in the Holiday Bowl at Petco Park. Cota caught the ball at about the 1 and got it across the goal line as he was being tackled by Don Chapman. The play was upheld on review. Lewis then banked in the PAT. Drake Maye, who was 18 of 35 for 206 yards and three touchdowns, threw a desperation heave into the end zone fell incomplete as time ran out.

LaMelo Ball bounces back in a big way

er,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “One of the advantages of having a point guard with his size, shot creation and shot-making is that he can play with a lot of different players.”

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

THE CHARLOTTE Hornets never expected to spend the first two months of the 2022-23 season without their best player.

Following up his first two pro seasons — which included a Rookie of the Year award and an All-Star Game appearance, LaMelo Ball’s third season in the NBA certainly didn’t start as planned for the 21-year-old point guard phenom — or his struggling team that buckled under the weight of his absence.

In a preseason loss to San Antonio on Oct. 10, Ball sprained his left ankle when his foot was stepped on while driving to the basket, sidelining himself for the first 13 games of the season as the Hornets fell to a 3-10 record in their early Eastern Conference standings descent.

He returned to the court on Nov. 11, posting a 15-point game that was followed by 17-point and 26-point showings the rest of the week; Charlotte was still struggling to score but the team clearly enjoyed having Ball back out there.

He’s an elite offensive play-

In that third game back, however, the injury bug struck again in the same place. Ball reaggravated his left ankle sprain, accidentally stepping on the foot of a fan that was sitting courtside. From there, he was forced to sit out 11 more games to heal up once again as he watched the Hornets slide to a 7-20 record.

Making his second return almost a month to the day after his first one, Ball immediately reminded his team yet again of his talent, particularly his growing confidence in shooting from behind the 3-point line. In just four games back from that injury, Ball made 21 3-pointers, equaling the most in any four-game stretch of his career.

He also delivered 16 points in the fourth quarter versus Sacramento on Dec. 19 — the most by a Hornets player in any quarter this season — and added 12 assists, a season high for Charlotte. Ball is already showing the signs that a dominant 2023 could be forthcoming — and that’s why he’s NSJ’s pick to be

Hurricanes closer than ever to Stanley Cup

Carolina has the high-end skill, depth, goaltending and desperation to reach the pinnacle of the NHL

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

THE ONLY TIME the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup was when they were backstopped by a rookie goalie who went from goalie of the future to Conn Smythe winner.

Cam Ward’s 2005-06 regular season was what should be expected of a rookie goalie — he was 14-8-2 with a 3.68 goals-against average and .882 save percentage, numbers that were bloated compared to those put up by No. 1 goalie Martin Gerber.

But when the lights shined brightest, Ward was his best. He took over the net in the playoffs and seized the big-stage opportunity, leading the Hurricanes to the 2006 championship and doing so with a Game 7 save on Edmonton’s Fernando Pisani that helped clinch the Cup and cement his selection as playoff MVP.

The captain of that team, Rod Brind’Amour, is now Carolina’s coach. And he may just have another rookie goalie, Pyotr Kochetkov, who can lead the Hurricanes to the promised land.

Already one of the top teams in the NHL, Carolina is close to full strength with Sebastian Aho, Max Pacioretty, Frederik Andersen and Ondrej Kase either back in the lineup or close to returning. Frankly, it wasn’t hard to predict the Hurricanes as North State Journal’s 2023 Team of the Year.

NSJ has twice selected the pro hockey team, in its 25th season in North Carolina since relocating from Hartford, Connecticut, as the best professional team of the year.

Last December, the Hurricanes were named NSJ’s 2021 Pro Team of the Year, an honor the team also claimed two years prior.

But this honor predicts what’s to come. And there’s a reason for optimism.

Two of the team’s young stars, Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov, are having career years. So is veteran Jordan Martinook, who has gone from being placed on waivers before the season for salary cap purposes to being Nino Niederreiter’s replacement on Jordan Staal’s left wing.

Stefan Noesen, a journeyman winger who led the AHL in goals

last season, has become a vital part of Carolina’s power play, serving as the net-front presence the team’s top unit has often lacked.

Defenseman Brady Skjei is on pace for his first double-digit goal season, and newcomer Brent Burns — who hasn’t been to the postseason since 2019 with the Sharks — has quickly adjusted to playing with Jaccob Slavin on the team’s top pairing.

And then there’s Kochetkov. The rookie gave observers a taste of his future last season when he was called into action when both Andersen and Antti Raanta were injured. Now this year, with Andersen again sidelined, Kochetkov has emerged as not only the Hurricanes’ best goalie but one of the top netminders in the league at age 23.

If he falters, having Andersen and Raanta — who shared the William M. Jennings Trophy last season as the goaltenders who teamed up to allow the fewest goals — is a solid backup plan.

The Stanley Cup playoffs, however, are grueling, with division winners getting knocked out in the first round and favorites struggling to get over the hump. The Hurricanes took one important step last season, beating the Bruins — who had twice eliminated Carolina in the postseason since Brind’Amour took over as coach — in the first round to exorcise one demon.

This postseason, they will need to prove they can score goals when the games get stingier and opponents grow accustomed to their unique style throughout a seven-game series.

That means solving some of hockey’s best goalies — Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin in the Eastern Conference and perhaps Dallas’ Jake Oettinger or Connor Hellebuyck in a possible Stanley Cup Final.

The team is hoping Pacioretty — a six-time 30-goal scorer who was closing in on making his Hurricanes debut as the calendar flipped to 2023 after injuring his Achilles tendon in August — can add some instant offense to a team that didn’t score more than three goals in their final nine playoffs game a year ago.

But in the end, winning a Stanley Cup comes down to a full team effort, with outstanding goaltending, superb special teams and unlikely heroes coming together for hockey’s ultimate prize.

The Hurricanes have as good of a chance this year as any before.

The Hornets’ star guard puts his 2022 ankle injuries in the past

GODOFREDO A. VÁSQUEZ | AP PHOTO

The Hurricanes again look like Stanley Cup contenders but will need to prove they can get it done in the playoffs.

DAVID ZALUBOWSKI | AP PHOTO

After a difficult 2022, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is poised to reclaim his spot as one of the NBA’s top young young players and superstars.

“You can just see what a terrific player he is.”

Steve Clifford, Hornets coach

Beyond the box score

Zalatoris looks for ‘major’ growth in 3rd PGA season

tion and ninth in birdies average to 13th in driving distance and 10th in scoring average.

Luke Prokop:

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

Putting is where Zalatoris has struggled, ranking 175th in 4-to8-foot putts, 161st inside 10 feet and 172nd from 10 to 15 feet.

THE BIGGEST backhanded compliment in golf is to be deemed “the best player to never win a major.” Right now, that dishonor probably belongs to either Xander Schauffele or Rickie Fowler, who have a combined five second-place finishes in majors without a win.

Will Zalatoris is hoping to never enter that conversation.

The Nashville Predators prospect became the first player signed to an NHL contract to come out as gay. The 19-year-old Canadian, who was a third-round pick in the 2020 draft last fall, posted his announcement to Twitter on Monday.

His troubles on the green date back to his time at Wake Forest, where he was ACC Player of the Year in 2017, and continue to be what critics focus on — just google “Zalatoris” and “putting” — when he falls short.

The Wake Forest alumnus was runner-up at the 2021 Masters and followed that up with second-place finishes at both the U.S. Open and PGA Championships last year.

His time is coming — and soon. That’s why we’re predicting Zalatoris will be North State Journal’s Athlete of the Year in 2023.

To do it, he will need to break through on one of golf’s biggest stages.

Prokop said he hopes his example shows that gay people are welcome in the hockey community. This comes on the heels of Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib becoming the first active NFL player to come out in June.

Zalatoris finally got his first PGA Tour win last season, beating Sepp Straka on the third playoff hole of the St. Jude Championship just two days before his 26th birthday.

And Zalatoris has heard the grumbles. His aforementioned breakthrough win came after he made a 10-foot putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff, and he mimicked Steph Curry — a fellow athlete with ties to the state — with a “What are they gonna say now?!” when he drained the shot.

The

He has been out since August with a back injury but found time in mid-December to marry longtime girlfriend and fellow Wake alumna Caitlin Sellers.

a four‑year, $72

$43

“It’s kind of hard to say ‘about time’ when you’re in your second year on Tour, but about time,”

A 6-foot-4, 218-pound defenseman, Prokop could be a part of Nashville’s youth movement in the coming years.

Zalatoris said. “Considering all the close finishes that I’ve had this year, to finally pull it off means a lot.”

In the PGA Championships earlier in the year, Zalatoris lost a three-hole playoff to Justin Thomas. Then at the U.S. Open, the

California native came up short in the final round against Mark Fitzpatrick. Those two podium finishes joined his runner-up finish to Hideki Matsuyama at the 2021 Masters in Zalatoris’ rapidly expanding “close but no cigar” trophy case.

The win at St. Jude’s partially released the pressure valve, but now all eyes will be on whether or not Zalatoris can get over the hump at a major.

He ranked in the top 15 on tour in several statistical categories, from eighth in greens in regula-

He’s due to make his return Jan. 5-8 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Maui. But things won’t really get real for Zalatoris until the first week in April at Augusta National. With so many defections to LIV Golf, he will have less competition than perhaps he should.

But a win in one of golf’s Big Four will take him from “best without a major” territory into the realm of “best in the world.”

Denver after beginning his career with Washington as a scout in 1997 before working his way up to assistant coach, a job he held from 2005-11. Unseld was also an assistant with Golden State and Orlando.

Panthers tied up their best offensive lineman last week, signing tackle Taylor Moton to

million contract. The Panthers had used their franchise tag on Moton. Moton, who will earn

million in guaranteed money, has played right tackle for Carolina, but it’s possible the team will transition him to the left side.

Collin Morikawa had a bogey free under 66 and won his British Open debut Sunday at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England, beating Jordan Speith by two strokes. He is the first player to win two majors on the first attempt. His first major victory came 11 months ago in the 2020 Championship.

PETER MORRISON | AP PHOTO

MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ | AP PHOTO

DANNY KARNIK | AP PHOTO

Hampshire on Sunday. Almirola became the first Stewart Haas driver to earn a win this season and earned a guaranteed spot in the 16 car playoff field with just four races remaining in the regular season.

The Wake Forest alumnus broke through with his first PGA Tour win last season

MARK HUMPHREY | AP PHOTO

Will Zalatoris holds the trophy after winning the St. Jude Championship on Aug. 14 in Memphis, Tennessee, for his first PGA Tour title.

MARK HUMPHREY | AP PHOTO

Wake Forest alumnus Will Zalatoris will look to get over the hump in 2023 and win his first major title.

Ty Gibbs’ talent, aggressiveness join Cup Series

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

TY GIBBS is just 20 years old, but the Charlotte native already has an Xfinity Series title under his belt and 11 wins in 51 races in NASCAR’s second-tier series.

In February, he’ll make the jump to a full-time ride in the Cup Series, driving the No. 54 for Joe Gibbs Racing, the team owned by the former NFL coach who is also his grandfather.

While the critics will certainly claim the younger Gibbs is the beneficiary of nepotism, there’s no denying his talent. There’s also no doubt he has big shoes to fill. Still, North State Journal has predicted Ty Gibbs will be 2023’s Newcomer of the Year.

Not only will Gibbs carry the weight of his grandfather’s winning reputation, but he will also be replacing two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch in JGR’s stable of drivers. Busch won 56 races and two titles during his 15 seasons with the team, averaging 3.7 wins per season, twice winning eight races and reaching Victory Lane at least once in every year of his decade and a half with the Huntersville-based Gibbs.

Busch also built a reputation as

one of the Cup Series’ most polarizing drivers, sneering at reporters, smiling at booing crowds and earning his “Rowdy” nickname on the track.

It will be tough for Gibbs to match Busch’s on-track success, but he’s well on his way to becoming one of NASCAR’s heels.

He got in hot water in September while driving part-time in the Cup Series for JGR-aligned 23XI

Racing, slamming into Ty Dillon on pit road at Texas and putting crew members and officials at risk. That cost him a $75,000 fine and 25 points in the standings. He had one top-10 in 15 Cup races.

Then Gibbs drew criticism during the Xfinity Series playoffs for bumping teammate Brandon Jones into the wall to win at Martinsville in the penultimate race of the season. It cost Jones a spot in

the Championship 4 race at Phoenix, meaning JGR had only one driver, Gibbs, in contention.

“At JGR, we’re all one big family,” Gibbs said during a half-hour press conference after the incident. “And for me to break that apart through my selfish actions, it really hurts me. … If I could redo it multiple times, I would. I’ve thought this scenario over millions of times. And it’s hard for me be-

cause I have to live with it now.”

Gibbs went on to win at Phoenix to claim the Xfinity title in his first full season in the series. But tragedy struck when Gibbs’ father, Coy, died in his sleep the night of his son’s biggest moment at age 49. Joe Gibbs’ other son, J.D. had died three years earlier of a neurological disorder, also at 49 years old.

Ty Gibbs did not race in the Cup Series finale and went silent in the weeks after his father’s death. He did attend the NASCAR Awards in early December but declined to discuss the sudden passing of Coy.

“I’ve been doing good, thank you for asking, definitely appreciate you guys,” Gibbs said in Nashville. “Right now, I’m not going to touch on that subject at all, just going to stick with the racing questions.”

Both his father’s untimely death and the mercurial start to his career will follow him as he joins NASCAR’s top rung. The lessons learned, both personally and professionally, should serve him well — and he’s poised to become one of the sport’s biggest names all before he reaches age 21.

Ready or not, here comes Ty Gibbs.

this coming year’s Comeback Player of the Year.

“You can just see what a terrific player he is. He’s in the paint, he puts a ton of pressure on the defense, and he has a great feel for where his teammates are,” Clifford said. “Obviously, he makes a huge difference in our team and it’s good that we have him. Now, we’ll get back to getting his offense and get everybody comfortable when he’s out there. I think we’re getting a lot better very quickly.”

While the Hornets are trending toward their worst season in a decade, the magic and wonder of Ball’s playing style make Charlotte an entertaining watch even as the losses pile up.

His no-look passes, ferocious drives to the hoop and improving shooting stroke make him just as likely to dish out the game-winning assist as to make the game-winning shot.

In 2023, Ball should be at the height of his powers. While this season may already be lost, Ball should assure that at the start of next season that both he and the Hornets will be on the rise.

The grandson of Joe Gibbs makes the jump to NASCAR’s top level after winning the Xfinity Series title

RICK SCUTERI | AP PHOTO

Ty Gibbs makes the full-time jump to the Cup Series in 2023 after a year of success, controversy and heartbreak.

RICK SCUTERI | AP PHOTO

Ty Gibbs does a burnout after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship on Nov. 5 at Phoenix.

Wins for Ty Gibbs in 51 career Xfinity Series races

JACOB KUPFERMAN | AP PHOTO

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball winces after reinjuring his ankle in a Nov. 16 game against the Pacers in Charlotte.

Poggi brings much-needed hope to 49ers

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

IT’S NOT OFTEN that a college football team finishes with a 3-9 record right before transitioning to a stronger conference, but that is where the Charlotte 49ers find themselves heading into 2023.

After eight years in Conference USA, the 49ers will start their American Athletic Conference campaign next fall under the new leadership of Francis “Biff” Poggi — the North State Journal’s pick for 2023 Coach of the Year — who is taking over after Will Healy was fired after four seasons in Charlotte.

Healy’s rise — the team’s first bowl appearance in program his-

tory — and fall — the Niners lost 18 of their next 26 games — led to the 37-year-old being dismissed in late October after a 1-7 start to the 2022 season. Offensive line coach Pete Rossomando served as interim coach for the next four games, leading Charlotte to a 2-2 record.

Less than a month after the end of the season, Charlotte introduced Poggi, 63, as the man charged with fixing the 49ers while also adjusting to a new conference with more competitive opponents.

“We are not rebuilding but reshaping,” Poggi said at his introductory press conference. “The AAC is the best Group of 5 conference in the country, there’s no doubt about that. It’s a very exciting opportunity. Our goal is very simple: We want to win the AAC and we want to win it repeatedly, and we want to get to the College Football Playoff. That’s why I left Michigan and that’s what

I’m expecting to do here. You should be asking what’s your timetable. My timetable is now.”

As associate head coach of the second-ranked Michigan Wolverines, Poggi — in his second season in Ann Arbor — helped the team to a 13-1 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff as coach Jim

Harbaugh’s consigliere, right-hand man and personal mentor.

A history teacher-turned-hedge fund manager is certainly not your typical college football coach, but the former Pitt offensive lineman’s confident demeanor is what Charlotte believes it needs right now as the program limps into a new conference with a lot of question marks on the roster.

Poggi’s reputation as a born motivator and natural leader grew even stronger after two seasons with the Wolverines. Before joining Michigan, he gained notoriety as a high school football coach in Baltimore, where he led Gilman School to 13 state titles before founding the football program at St. Frances Academy.

It’s no secret that Poggi has his work cut out for him with the struggling 49ers, but UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon Gaber and Ath-

letic Director Mike Hill have high expectations for what the Duke alumnus can bring to Niner Nation and University City.

“We are extremely fortunate to welcome Biff Poggi as our head football coach,” Hill said in November. “He is a transformational leader, has a sterling reputation as a coach and has had phenomenal success at the highest levels of college and high school football.”

Poggi has said he will hit the transfer portal hard as he attempts to transform the 49ers into a physical, run-heavy football team that can also stop the run. The Niners finished 10th in Conference USA last season in both rushing yards per game (116.1) and rushing yards allowed per game (205.8).

With senior quarterback Chris Reynolds and senior wide receiver Victor Tucker leaving, Poggi has two big holes to fill going forward. Bolstering the defensive secondary will also be a priority.

It’s all a tall task for Poggi, but the 49ers’ new coach hasn’t yet met a challenge he’s unwilling to take on.

NSJ Sports Staff

LAST YEAR’S predictions didn’t have many hits — the Panthers did select NC State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu in the first round of the draft — but that doesn’t dissuade the NSJ Sports crew. From a championship on the ice to a 10win season on the gridiron for one of the state’s college football teams, NSJ has all the 2023 sports hot takes you can handle.

Cory Lavalette, Sports Editor

Hurricanes raise their second Cup

In their 25th season in North Carolina, the Hurricanes will claim the second Stanley Cup in franchise history. And like in 2006 when they were backstopped by a rookie goalie to the title, the Hurricanes ride newcomer Pyotr Kochetkov to the top of the NHL. But it won’t be a one-man show. Andrei Svechnikov will join the league’s elite goal scorers with a breakthrough postseason performance, while Sebastian Aho makes the leap to superstardom and wins the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP when Carolina beats the Dallas Stars in five games.

Kyle Busch has rowdy start with RCR

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch channels his inner Intimidator in his first race with Richard Childress Racing, rubbing doors with former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. on the final lap to win the Daytona 500. It will be the only win for Busch during the season, but he used his playoff berth to make a run to the championship race. In the end, another former JGR driver, Denny Hamlin, will finally win his elusive title, beating out Busch, Chase Elliott and 2022 champion Joey Logano.

Krest, Senior Reporter Leaky will outshine fellow Heels

The Tar Heels will bid farewell to Armando Bacot and Caleb Love, as two of the best players on last year’s Final Four team and this season’s top-rated team forgo their remaining eligibility (Bacot still has a COVID year left and Love has two) to enter the NBA Draft. However, another Tar Heel on those two teams will play more NBA minutes than either — Leaky Black, who has the size and length to defend several NBA positions and has improved his shooting significantly this year, will be a better fit as a role player at the next level than either of the two college stars, much like Theo Pinson has played more minutes than Brice Johnson, Joel Berry, Marcus Paige, Kennedy Meeks or Luke Maye.

Elko says no to A&M

Texas A&M will part ways with coach Jimbo Fisher after another rough start to the 2023 season, and Duke will need to hold its collective breath as the Aggies come after head coach — and former A&M defensive coordinator — Mike Elko with the offer of a large raise if he’ll depart for the Lone Star State and the challenge of competing in the SEC. The Blue Devils won’t match the A&M money, but a raise and extension for Elko and his assistants will take the reigning ACC Coach of the Year off the market, at least for this year’s high-profile opening.

Jesse Deal, Reporter Hornets’ draft luck finally arrives

After years of historically poor NBA Draft Lottery luck paired with unfortunate drafting decisions, the basketball gods will finally smile down upon the Charlotte Hornets on June 22 as they select

center Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick. The 7-foot-4, 209-pound French phenom will instantly give the Hornets the mix of athleticism and size they’ve desired in the paint since Al Jefferson wore teal and purple back in 2014. The downside is that the Hornets will be attempting to bounce back from having the worst record in the NBA — making it difficult to convince star point guard LaMelo Ball to stay in Charlotte or to take his talents elsewhere.

App State parts ways with coach Shawn Clark

Hoping to improve from a 6-6 record following eight consecutive winning seasons, Appalachian State will run into a Sun Belt wall for the second year in a row, costing fourth-year coach Shawn Clark his job. The in-game coaching decisions by the Mountaineers

alumnus — combined with the drop in roster talent spurred by the transfer portal — will force App State Athletic Director Doug Gillin to make a tough decision late in the season as fans grow restless with the team’s inability to get back to the top of the Sun Belt.

Ryan Henkel, Reporter

Young QB leads Wolfpack to elusive 10-win season

After a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Devin Leary in 2022, NC State learned they had two legitimate options for his replacement in MJ Morris and Ben Finley. With Leary transferring to Kentucky and former offensive coordinator Tim Beck hired as the new head coach at Coastal Carolina, NC State’s 2023 offense will be filled with new

blood. That infusion will be just what the Wolfpack needs to propel its offense to be a legitimate complement to their stellar defense, leading them to their first 10-win season since 2002.

ACC football runs through

North Carolina

It’s been a long time since North Carolina was filled with legitimate college football threats all at the same time. With Drake Maye at UNC, Mike Elko turning the tides at Duke, the receiving corps at Wake Forest and the defense at NC State, the Old North State is primed to become the toughest gauntlet for the ACC. All four of the state’s teams will be in contention for the ACC Championship Game late in the season, making North Carolina a hotspot for both college football and basketball next season.

Shawn

“Our goal is very simple: We want to win the AAC and we want to win it repeatedly, and we want to get to the College Football Playoff.”

Biff Poggi, Charlotte football coach

The first-time college head coach brings a winning mindset to Charlotte

KARL B. DEBLAKER | AP PHOTO

NC State will have two options at quarterback in MJ Morris, pictured, and Ben Finley, and one — or both — will lead the Wolfpack to an elusive 10-win season.

KEVIN RICHARDSON | THE BALTIMORE SUN VIA AP

Biff Poggi, pictured in 2018 when he was coach of St. Francis Academy in Baltimore, will look to build the 49ers into a winner in Charlotte’s first season in the AAC.

gone up sharply, and the Fed is expecting that.

The expectation is the federal funds rate will go up to 5% by next year. If you tack on another couple of points, because of the risk involved, then the cost to borrow to buy a home could potentially get up to 8% for some people. And that could be very expensive.

And the flip side of this for businesses is there’s potentially going to be a slowdown in cash flow. If consumers are not spending, then the revenues that businesses depend on to make investments might not be there.

The additional piece in this puzzle is what the banks will then do. I think banks are going to begin to curtail the extension of credit. So not only will interest rates go up for the typical consumer and the typical business, it’s also likely that they are more likely to experience denial of credit, and so that should together begin to slow spending quite a bit.

After massive increases in housing prices, what caused them to suddenly drop?

Ramcharan: As the Fed lowered interest rates, there was a massive shift among the population for various reasons. They decided that housing was the right investment or the right thing. And so when 50 million people all collectively decide to buy homes, the supply of homes is reasonably constrained in the short run. And so that led to this massive increase in house prices and in rents.

In the last three months, the housing market has cooled sharply. We’re now seeing house prices beginning to fall. I would imagine, going forward, the housing market cooling is going to be a major driver behind the slowdown in the inflation rate and in real estate investment trusts. So that’s positive.

Our recent election just changed the composition of Congress. How will that affect the economy?

Blank: Certainly, when we have a divided Congress, we’re less likely to see decisions made that involve passing legislation that might support the economy. And I think it’s likely the Republican House is going to become a little bit more conservative with spending.

And so if we do start to see a downturn, I think you’re less likely to see legislation that might help support an economy that could be in need of it. That is going to make the job of the Federal Reserve more important.

How certain are these predictions?

Ramcharan: I just want to be careful here and let your viewers know that we’re making these statements based on theory, because the inflation that we’re experiencing now comes about from a pandemic, and there really is no evidence, there’s no data available, that people can look to to say, “What happens to an economy after a pandemic?” That data does not exist.

So we’re trying to piece together the data we do have with the theories we do have, but there’s a huge band of uncertainty about what’s going to happen.

Content was provided by The Conversation, a non-profit news source from academic experts.

Funding bill targets online sites amid retail theft concerns

RETAILERS ARE SCORING one win in the governmentwide spending bill, which will force online marketplaces like Amazon and Facebook to verify high-volume sellers on their platforms amid heightened concerns about retail crime.

Tucked in the $1.7 trillion funding package lies a piece of legislation brick-and-mortar retailers have been pushing Congress to pass for more than a year, part of an effort to tamp down the amount of goods being stolen from their stores and resold online.

The bill, called the INFORM ACT, also seeks to combat sales of counterfeit goods and dangerous products by compelling online marketplaces to verify different types of information - including bank account, tax ID and contact details - for sellers who make at least 200 unique sales and earn a minimum of $5,000 in a given year.

It’s difficult to parse out how

much money retailers are losing due to organized retail crime - or if the problem has substantially increased. But the issue has received more notice in the past few years as high-profile smash-andgrab retail thefts and mass shoplifting events grabbed national attention. Some retailers have also said in recent weeks they’re seeing more items being taken from stores.

Target executives said in November the number of thefts has gone up more than 50%, resulting in more than $400 million in losses. Its expected to be more than $600 million for the full fiscal year.

And in an interview with CNBC earlier this month, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon noted that theft at Walmart was higher than it has historically been, and could lead to higher prices and store closures if it persists.

Meanwhile, Joe Parisi, president and chief operating officer of New York City’s grocery chains D’Agostino’s and Grist-

edes, said the chains are fighting increased costs from higher levels of organized crime, and they’ve had to double the security guards at stores from a year ago. Walgreens, Best Buy and Home Depot have also pointed out similar problems.

The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, said its latest security survey of roughly 60 retailers found that inventory loss - called shrink - clocked in at an average rate of 1.4% last year, representing $94.5 billion in losses.

Shrink measures losses from sources other than external theft, including theft by employees and product damage. The greatest portion of shrink - 37% - came from external theft, including products taken during organized shoplifting events, the trade group said. It also noted retailers, on average, saw a 26.5% uptick in organized theft incidents last year.

The funding package that contains the bill seeking to tame the

problem was passed by the U.S. House on Friday. It now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

Amazon, Ebay and Etsy had initially opposed the verification bill, saying it would damage seller privacy and favor brick-andmortar retailers over their online competitors. The online marketplaces later threw their support behind the legislation after some changes, including modifications to limit the amount of sellers who disclose their contact information to customers to those making $20,000 or more in annual revenue.

Under the bill, customers can get a hold of a seller’s name, phone number, email and physical address, with certain exceptions to protect merchants who sell goods out of their homes. The bill says sellers don’t have to disclose their personal address or phone number, provided they respond to customer questions over email or other forms of online messaging provided by the marketplace.

The federal bill would also override similar state laws, a win for e-commerce sites who no longer have to deal with a patchwork of state-level requirements.

Meta, which operates Facebook Marketplace, didn’t reply to a request for comment regarding the bill.

NC doesn’t pick electric mix to lower carbon levels

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — North Carolina utility regulators told Duke Energy Corp. on Friday to carry out a series of activities to generate electricity that they say will help ensure greenhouse gas reductions set in a new state law are met.

But the Utilities Commission’s order involving solar, wind, nuclear and other sources for electricity doesn’t endorse any particular mix of energy sources to meet the mandates currently required for 2030. The order does tell Duke Energy’s subsidiaries in North Carolina to optimally retire its remaining coal-fired plants by 2035, in keeping with a previous announcement by the company.

The bipartisan 2021 state law said the panel needed by Saturday to approve a plan for the state’s electric public utilities — essentially Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress — to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 70% by 2030 as compared to 2005 levels. Net-zero emissions by 2050 also are ultimately necessary, according to the law.

Duke Energy, the state’s dominant electric provider, had offered last spring four different portfolio options, three of which actually delayed meeting the 70% reduction until 2032 or 2034. The law provides for wiggle room on the deadline.

Critics of Duke’s plans said they relied too much on natural gas or unproven technologies and would make customer bills too costly. Some environmental and clean-energy groups offered in July their own carbon-reduction plan that reached the 70% reduction mandate by 2030 while relying more on solar and wind power and battery storage use.

But the seven-member commission, chosen by Democratic Gov.

Roy Cooper, declined to pick any specific portfolios Friday and said it is “not appropriate” now to determine whether to delay the 70% reduction deadline beyond 2030. The 137 pages produced by the panel said it was adopting “all reasonable steps” that the state law ordered to achieve the reduction and directed near-term actions “that support many of the portfolios the parties to this proceeding present.”

The commission held 13 days of hearings to receive expert witness testimony and five public hearings. It also received hundreds of statements from consumers. Carbon reductions are expected to result in higher customer bills.

“As the record amply demonstrates, there is no single, unique resource portfolio that satisfies the required emissions reduction goals,” Commissioner Dan Clodfelter wrote in a separate opinion to the main order, with which he fully agreed. “I believe this is the

most responsible way, and indeed the only responsible way, to proceed on a journey that starts today and will span the next 28 years until 2050.”

The commission is already required to review the plan every two years, and it can make adjustments. Friday’s order told Duke to file a new proposal by September — which reflect the new directives and recent federal legislation — and prepare for hearings in May 2024. Still, the order could be challenged at the state Court of Appeals.

The same coalition that presented a portfolio in the summer warned Friday night that the commission risks missing the 70% reduction by 2030 with its order, while allowing Charlotte-based Duke to use more natural gas.

“North Carolina can meet state carbon-reduction goals on time and in a cleaner and more affordable way than suggested by Duke Energy and endorsed by the com-

mission,” said David Neal, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, which is involved in the coalition.

But Duke Energy called the order a “constructive outcome that advances our clean energy transition, supporting a diverse, ‘all of the above’ approach that is essential for long-term resource planning.”

The law says the panel could examine “the latest technological breakthroughs to achieve the least cost path” and other considerations in determining a way forward. The commission ultimately can delay the date for reaching the 70% target if, for example, the electric grid’s performance is questioned.

A commission news release announcing the order said that last weekend’s power outages caused by the extreme cold and high demand “particularly underscore the need for an orderly transition away from fossil fuels to low and zero-carbon dioxide emitting generating resources while maintaining or improving the reliability of the electric grid.”

Friday’s order directed Duke Energy to conduct by 2024 two more competitive procurements for solar generation that will come online by 2028. The utility also authorizes Duke to procure battery storage to contain the solar-generated electricity; study the acquisition of wind-lease areas off the North Carolina coast; extend the licenses of its current nuclear power fleet and consider new nuclear generation; and plan for additional natural gas-fired turbines.

The two Duke Energy subsidiaries serve 4.4 million customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. The utility said it intends to incorporate Friday’s order into its filing with South Carolina regulators next year.

The Associated Press

AP PHOTO, FILE

Gov. Roy Cooper completes signing into law a major energy bill as several legislators and an aide applaud during an Executive Mansion ceremony in Raleigh in this 2021 file photo

ECONOMY from page B1 AP PHOTO, FILE

A person searches the internet for sales in this file photo.

sudoku solutions

from December 28, 2022

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 22 SP

1968

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Robin L. Maples (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Robin L. Maples, Heirs of Robin L. Maples: Kamar Tremayne Durr) to Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, Trustee(s), dated September 30, 2008, and recorded in Book No. 013261, at Page 01161 in Wake County Registry, North Carolina. The Deed of Trust was modified by the following: A Loan Modification recorded on February 6, 2017, in Book No. 016686, at Page 02679, 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 Wake 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 Wake County

designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on January 9, 2023 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Holly Springs in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 58, Holly Glen East, Phase 2, as shown on map recorded in Book of Maps 2005, Pages 19981999 (1998), Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 101 Rivendell Drive, Holly Springs, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the

Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on January 9, 2023 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Knightdale in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows:

All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in the Town of Knightdale, St. Matthews Township, Wake County, North Carolina, and more particularly described as follows:

All of Lot 168 in The Village at Beaver Dam Subdivision, Phase 1-B, as shown on the map recorded in Book of Maps 2007, Pages 717-718 (717), Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 310 Hope Valley Road, Knightdale, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars

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

($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in

agreement,

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 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

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

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,

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.

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: 4757 - 44990

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.

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: 10218 - 42827

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: 7558 - 28796

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

21 SP 1629

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Dianne Leach (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Dianne Leach, Heirs of Dianne Leach: Gerald Ron Everett, Mary Smith; Heirs of Mary Smith: James Dion Smith, Doris Ann Smith) to Glenn R. Walker, Trustee(s), dated August 26, 1999, and recorded in Book No. 8400, at Page 1015 in Wake 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 Wake 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 Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake

County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on January 9, 2023 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Raleigh in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 14A, FOX HOLLOW SUBDIVISION, as shown on plat recorded in Book of Maps 1987, Page 417, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1813 Fox Hollow Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer

and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit 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.

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: 2471 -

Notice to Creditors

New laws coming 2023

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Hospice of Stanly announces Festival of Trees People’s Choice award winners

Hospice of Stanly recently announced the winners of the People’s Choice Awards at their annual holiday fundraiser, Festival of Trees. Over 50 fully decorated Christmas trees were sponsored by individuals and businesses this year. The first place tree this year went to the “Candy Tree,” sponsored by the Medical Pharmacy of Albemarle. The Lindsey and Austin Burleson’s “Doggie Tree” and the Albemarle Hearing Center’s “Elf Tree” came in second and third place, respectively. The Festival of Trees has been a holiday staple of the Stanly County Community for 25 years. It is held in the Stanly County Commons each year, displaying the decorated trees throughout the month of December. Proceeds from the event directly benefit Hospice of Stanly, which is a nonprofit organization that offers hospice and palliative care to the people of Stanly County.

Stanly Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for Citizenship and Service Award

The Stanly County Chamber of Commerce is currently seeking nominations for its Citizenship and Service Award. To be considered, nominated individuals must live or work in Stanly County and must not have received the award previously. Strong contenders must have made significant contributions to the citizens of Stanly County in one of the following categories: through their work or profession, by serving on an elected body, serving as a volunteer, or by more than one of the above criterium. Recommendations should include the name and contact information of the nominee, pertinent personal information and history of the nominee, and a detailed description of the contributions that the nominee has made to the citizens of Stanly County. Recommendations are due by January 11 and can be submitted via email to sandy@ stanlychamber.org or mailed to Stanly County Chamber of Commerce Citizenship Award, PO Box 909, Albemarle, NC 28002. The award will be presented at the annual meeting on February 2.

2022 in Review: Albemarle, Locust see city changes and rise of new businesses

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

STANLY COUNTY — Both Albemarle and Locust underwent changes in 2022 as the two largest cities in Stanly County saw a rise in new businesses and infrastructural growth.

A new social district in downtown Albemarle made its debut in October, allowing visitors to take an alcoholic drink inside a marked cup into other permitted areas authorized by the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.

Following the mold set by cities like Charlotte and Kannapolis, Albemarle’s social district now allows people to buy alcoholic beverages from a business and enjoy them outside from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. The permitted area spans from the Five Points District to the east to Market Station to the west, along

with North Street to the north and South Street to the south.

There are eight registered businesses initially participating in the social district: Badin Brews, The Boardroom, Glory Beans Coffee House, Armadillo Axe Throwing, Off the Square, The Tomahawk Throwing Range, Five Points Public House, and Uwharrie Brewing.

“Social districts are a hot topic in many North Carolina communities,” Joy Almond, director for the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation and manager of Main Street, said at the Albemarle City Council meeting on June 21.

The city council voted 6-1 to approve the social district plans, with the lone nay vote coming from councilwoman Shirley Lowder.

Last May, the NC General Assembly passed House Bill 781, also known as the “Bring Busi-

ness Back to Downtown” bill. Social districts were added to the bill with the intent of increasing foot traffic for businesses that have struggled since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, empowering municipalities to allow people to buy and consume alcohol within a defined area.

While Albemarle residents are seeing a higher number of dining and retail shopping options than ever, Locust residents over on the western side of Stanly County are experiencing growth too.

Just within the last year, Locust has opened the doors for a new Starbucks, Arby’s, Burger King, Jersey Mikes, The Brew Room, Buzzed Viking Brewing Company, Main Street Cup and Cone, Isla Cancun, La Casa De Los Churros, among other business newcomers to the city.

The area around the Locust Town Center is also slated for patio homes and townhome con-

struction, with new homes in high demand.

“Our vicinity makes it comfortable for people to have access to Charlotte amenities but come home to an environment that’s more peaceful and quiet,” Cesar Correa, city administrator for the City of Locust, told SCJ. “We spend a lot of time and effort giving our police department everything it needs, and I think that’s why people feel safe coming to raise their kids here.”

As Stanly County’s closest outlet to Charlotte — a city that now ranks as the nation’s 16th largest with a 19.6 percent growth since 2010 — Locust’s location makes it a prime spot for additional growth in the future.

“It wasn’t surprising that we saw such a jump from our 2010 population because we’ve been permitting a number of hous-

Appeals court restores NC law addressing farm labor

RALEIGH — A North Carolina law preventing legal settlements between farms and workers from requiring a farm operation to become a union employer doesn’t violate the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday while overturning a lower court decision.

The decision by a panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, restores a provision contained in a 2017 farm law that was challenged by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee — the state’s only farmworker union with several thousand members.

U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs had ordered in 2021 that the provision be permanently blocked, determining that the language prohibited all settlement agreements between workers and farm operators. But the law’s meaning was miscon-

strued, Senior Circuit Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote in the three-judge panel’s prevailing opinion.

The “provision is not aimed at precluding settlements based on who the parties are but rather what those settlement conditions say,” Gribbon Motz wrote in reversing Biggs’ decision and vacating the permanent injunction. “We reject the broad reading advanced by FLOC and adopted by the district court that this statutory provision bars any settlement agreement between an agricultural producer and labor union.” Rather, she added, the law says a legal settlement can’t require union recognition or entry into a bargaining agreement.

The appeals court also agreed with Biggs’ decision upholding another section of the 2017 law that prohibited farming operations from entering into contracts that required farms to collect union dues from workers. There’s nothing to prevent a farm

from collecting dues voluntarily.

Lawyers for FLOC argued in court that the challenged provisions violated their rights of association and discriminated against workers from a legally protected class in a state known for low union membership. About 95% of farmworkers in the state are Latino, primarily of Mexican descent, Wednesday’s opinion said. A substantial portion are noncitizens who enter the country through a federal program to perform seasonal work.

Legislators who advanced the agriculture bill that contained the union language and its allies said the provisions were designed to strengthen North Carolina’s long status as a rightto-work state, according to the opinion. Some legislators wanted to stop what they considered a “coercive practice of using unrelated litigation to pressure agri-

The Associated Press

AP PHOTO

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to The Associated Press during a year-end interview at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, Dec. 14, 2022. The new year will place new hurdles in the path of North Carolina’s current and future governors before states of emergency can become long term. A state law taking effect Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, requires governors to gain formal support from other elected officials for their emergency declarations to last beyond 30 and 60 days.

Neal Robbins Publisher Matt Mercer Editor in Chief Griffin Daughtry Local News Editor Cory Lavalette Sports Editor Frank Hill Senior Opinion Editor Lauren Rose Design Editor

How to complain and get results

By Liz Weston NerdWallet

IF YOU FEEL you have more to complain about these days, you may be right.

The products we use are increasingly complex, which often means they have more ways to malfunction. Companies are still struggling to hire and retain workers, so the customer service representatives who are supposed to help you may not know how. And that’s if you can even get through to a human being after navigating websites, automated chatbots and phone systems that seem designed to thwart you at every turn.

“You’re searching for where to call. Once you get through, you’re going to yell ‘agent!’ in the phone 12 times, and then they send you to the wrong place,” says Scott M. Broetzmann, chief executive of research firm Customer Care Measurement & Consulting in Alexandria, Virginia.

On average, customers made 2.9 contacts with a company while attempting to resolve problems, according to the firm’s 2020 National Customer Rage Study, which polled 1,026 consumers about problems with products or services in the past 12 months.

A whopping 58% of respondents who complained got nothing — zero, zilch — as a result of their efforts. So perhaps it’s not surprising that 65% of those who had a problem experienced consumer rage.

If you want to improve your odds of getting results, and lower

your blood pressure, consider the following tips for complaining effectively.

Prepare to persevere

Broetzmann urges people to “pick their battles,” given how much effort is typically required to solve problems and how often they occur. The 2020 study found 66% of American households had at least one problem with products and services they purchased during the past 12 months, compared with 56% in the 2017 version of the survey.

“You will put yourself into a place of exhaustion and depression if you complain about every single thing that went wrong,” Broetzmann says.

Kevin Doyle, an editor at Consumer Reports, suggests people gather all the documentation they might need before reaching out to a company. That could include account, confirmation and order numbers, warranties and notes from previous interactions with company representatives, for example. Missing information could force you to start over on whatever phone or digital system you’re using to complain.

Choose your venue

People who make complaints are about as likely to use digital tools such as email, live chats, company websites and social media as they are to pick up the phone, the 2020 study found.

Social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter have the advantage of being public, which puts some pressure on the company to resolve the problem. Posting your complaint on social media also bypasses the chatbots, phone trees, hold times and malfunctioning voice recognition software that can make customer service such a trial.

But of the 14% of respondents who used social media to complain about their worst problem, nearly half didn’t receive a response from the company, according to the study. So if you’re tempted to turn to social media first, be ready to have a backup plan that involves connecting with a human by phone, email or chat.

Be concise

Part of your preparation should be boiling down your complaint to the essentials, including what happened and — more importantly — how you want the company to fix it. Too many consumers aren’t specific about what they want from the company, Broetzmann says.

Just make sure the remedy you suggest is commensurate with the problem, Doyle says. If the seatback TV didn’t function on your flight, don’t ask for a free ticket; ask for a credit for a drink or a meal on your next trip, he suggests.

“Are you going to get it? Who knows? But chances are, you’re not going to get it unless you ask,” Doyle says.

Resist the urge to explain every twist and turn of your journey, or to overstate your distress for dramatic effect. Extraneous details and exaggerations could make you easier to dismiss.

“Stick to the facts,” Doyle says. “Embellishing it is going to diminish your credibility.”

Recruit the rep

Being civil or even nice can win you points with weary reps too often exposed to abusive or aggressive customers. Doyle suggests building on that connection by asking the rep to put themselves in your shoes.

“If you invite them to imagine how they would feel, it can be effective,” Doyle says.

If the rep can’t seem to help you, try asking for a supervisor or simply calling back to get a different agent. (I recently had to call a bank three times before I found a rep who was willing to connect me to the department that could finally solve my problem.)

Anger is an understandable response when you get the runaround. But try to remember that the customer service rep is a human being too and didn’t cause the original problem, Doyle notes.

“You want to keep your cool,” Doyle says. “Because that’s the old adage: You really do catch more flies with honey.”

Methodology: The 2020 National Customer Rage Study is an internet survey interviewing a nationally representative household panel of 1,026 respondents with a ±1.8% - 3.0% margin of error at 95% confidence. Respondents were interviewed from Jan. 24 to Feb. 1, 2020.

on — “The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes,” by Arthur Conan Doyle

ing units, and there have been a number of subdivisions that have started and finished since 2010,” Correa continued. “We’ve seen a lot of folks relocate to Locust, so we knew the numbers were going to be good.”

Albemarle and Locust will each experience more growth in 2023, with the various new residential areas currently in the development stage.

WEEKLY CRIME LOG

♦

TUCKER, BRANDON LEE (W /M/27), FELONY POSSESSION SCH II CS, 01/01/2023, Stanly County Sheriff`S Office

♦ ABBOTT, ALISA MARIE (W /F/27), RESISTING PUBLIC OFFICER, 12/30/2022, Stanly County Sheriff`S Office

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HIATT, JORDAN REECE (W /M/30), IDENTITY THEFT, 12/30/2022, Stanly County Sheriff`S Office

♦

♦

KNIGHT, DOUGLAS JUNIOR (W /M/53), CHILD ABUSE (M), 12/30/2022, Stanly County Sheriff`S Office

SPRATLEY, KELLISE TAMARA (B /F/21), ASSAULT LEO/PO W/FIREARM, 12/28/2022, Stanly County Sheriff`S Office

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DEESE, ANDY JOEL (W /M/37), MISDEMEANOR LARCENY, 12/27/2022, Stanly County Sheriff`S Office

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DUNLAP, KEVON DEMARCUS (B /M/22), DIS WEAP OCC DWELL / MOVING VEH, 12/27/2022, Stanly County Sheriff`S Office

♦

LITTLE, LUTHER BENSON (W /M/61), FELONY PROBATION VIOLATION, 12/27/2022, Stanly County Sheriff`S Office

The Associated Press

SHERLOCK HOLMES is finally free to the American public in 2023.

The long-running contested copyright dispute over Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales of a whipsmart detective — which has even ensnared Enola Holmes — will finally come to an end as the 1927 copyrights expiring Jan. 1 include Conan Doyle’s last Sherlock Holmes work.

Alongside the short-story collection “The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes,” books such as Virginia Woolf’s “To The Lighthouse,” Ernest Hemingway’s “Men Without Women,” William Faulkner’s “Mosquitoes” and Agatha Christie’s “The Big Four” — an Hercule Poirot mystery — will become public domain as the calendar turns to 2023.

Once a work enters the public domain it can legally be shared, performed, reused, repurposed or sampled without permission or cost. The works from 1927 were originally supposed to be copyrighted for 75 years, but the 1998 Copyright Term Extension Act delayed opening them up for an additional 20 years.

While many prominent works on the list used those extra two decades to earn their copyright

holders good money, a Duke University expert says the copyright protections also applied to “all of the works whose commercial viability had long subsided.”

“For the vast majority—probably 99%—of works from 1927, no copyright holder financially benefited from continued copyright. Yet they remained off limits, for no good reason,” Jennifer Jenkins, director of Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, wrote in a blog post heralding “Public Domain Day 2023.”

That long U.S. copyright period meant many works that would now become available have long since been lost, because they were not profitable to maintain by the legal owners, but couldn’t be used by others. On the Duke list are such “lost” films like Victor Fleming’s “The Way of All Flesh” and Tod Browning’s “London After Midnight.”

1927 portended the silent film era’s end with the release of the first “talkie” — a film with dialogue in it. That was “The Jazz Singer,” the historic first feature-length film with synchronized dialogue also notorious for Al Jolson’s blackface performance.

In addition to the Alan Crosland-directed film, other movies like “Wings” — directed by Wil-

liam A. Wellman and the “outstanding production” winner at the very first Oscars — and Fritz Lang’s seminal science-fiction classic “Metropolis” will enter the public domain.

Musical compositions — the music and lyrics found on sheet music, not the sound recordings — on the list include hits from Broadway musicals like “Funny Face” and jazz standards from the likes of legends like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, in addition to Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and “(I Scream You Scream, We All Scream for) Ice Cream” by Howard Johnson, Billy Moll and Robert A. King.

Duke’s Center for the Public Domain highlighted notable books, movies and musical compositions entering the public domain — just a fraction of the thousands due to be unleashed in 2023.

BOOKS

— “The Gangs of New York,” by Herbert Asbury (original publication)

— “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” by Willa Cather

— “The Big Four,” by Agatha Christie

— “The Tower Treasure,” the first Hardy Boys mystery by the pseudonymous Franklin W. Dix-

— “Copper Sun,” by Countee Cullen

— “Mosquitoes,” by William Faulkner

— “Men Without Women,” by Ernest Hemingway

— “Der Steppenwolf,” by Herman Hesse (in German)

— “Amerika,” by Franz Kafka (in German)

— “Now We Are Six,” by A.A. Milne with illustrations from E.H. Shepard

— “Le Temps retrouvé,” by Marcel Proust (in French)

— “Twilight Sleep,” by Edith Wharton

— “The Bridge of San Luis Rey,” by Thornton Wilder

— “To The Lighthouse,” by Virginia Woolf

MOVIES

— “7th Heaven,” directed by Frank Borzage

— “The Battle of the Century,” a Laurel and Hardy film directed by Clyde Bruckman

— “The Kid Brother,” directed by Ted Wilde

— “The Jazz Singer,” directed by Alan Crosland

— “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog,” directed by Alfred Hitchcock

— “Metropolis,” directed by Fritz Lang

— “Sunrise,” directed by F.W. Murnau

— “Upstream,” directed by John Ford

— “Wings,” directed by William A. Wellman

cultural producers into collective bargaining agreements,” Gribbon Motz wrote.

The bill was approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

While “FLOC marshals compelling evidence of our nation’s sordid history of racial discrimination in the agricultural industry,” Gribbon Motz added, there’s nothing to indicate that legislators focused on FLOC’s racial

makeup when drafting the provisions.

Kristi Graunke, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union in North Carolina representing FLOC and a farmworker who sued over the provisions, expressed disappointment with the decision but said the “narrowed interpretation of the statute” could “limit some of its harmful impact.”

Outside civil rights, farming, labor and business groups also filed briefs in the case.

Circuit Judge Toby Heytens, who was nominated to the court

by President Joe Biden, joined the opinion written by Gribbon Motz, a nominee of President Bill Clinton. Circuit Judge Julius Richardson, a nominee of President Donald Trump, wrote a separate opinion agreeing with the judgment but suggesting the settlement provision could be challenged in state court.

State Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, is a lawsuit defendant and defends state laws in court.

Still, Graunke singled Stein out for deciding to defend “a law

that doubles down on a shameful legacy of racialized discrimination against farmworkers and their unions.” Asked by email about the ruling and the ACLU lawyer’s words directed at him, spokesperson Laura Brewer said late Wednesday that the Attorney General’s office was reviewing the appeals court’s decision.

FLOC has one collective bargaining agreement between its workers and nearly 700 farms within the North Carolina Growers Association, union President Baldemar Velasquez said.

Stanly County

OPINION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Harry and Meghan, really?

OK, I WILL ADMIT IT. Callista and I got drawn into the six-part series on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The opening music is reminiscent of Downton Abbey, which we adore and constantly rewatch. It is like an old friend. (We were once lucky enough to have Lady Carnarvon take us through Highclere Castle and share scones and coffee with us. It was magic.)

Harry and Meghan as a series is not — repeat not — magic.

It is the home movie coverage of a train wreck. Loving friends are interviewed about the horrible experience Meghan and Harry have had at the hands of the wicked staff of the “institution.” They also bemoan the sheer jealousy of the royals. (Don’t you love that term? Americans always have a secret thing for the family they rebelled against and defeated for our independence.)

Callista and I have a bias in favor of the royals because we watched “The Crown,” and enjoyed the marvelous performance by Helen Mirren as the late Queen Elizabeth in “The Appointment.” That is a play about the weekly appointment the Queen had with each of her prime ministers, starting with Winston Churchill. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair once told me that he was amazed how much Queen Elizabeth had learned over the years and how helpful her advice was.

So, we watched the self-pitying, whining, and cringe-inducing explanations of how marrying

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

into a monarchy had brutalized Meghan — and how poor Harry had never gotten over being born second and watching his older brother William be groomed to be king. I felt I was watching two juveniles who simply could not come to grips with the real world.

It is a little suspicious that they just happen to have so many hours of home movies. It made me wonder if they had been planning this TV extravaganza for a long time. There were reports almost as soon as they resigned from their royal duties that they had signed a $100 million contract with Netflix.

Of course, the series explains why they need the money. Staying in a 22-acre estate in Los Angeles, ensuring enough security, and traveling in private airplanes, all these aspects of “the simple life” add up.

As I watched the series, it became clear that Meghan was a professional actress. She delivered her lines, occasionally had a tear, and paused at the right moments for the right amount of time.

In all fairness, the most poignant and real parts of the series were Harry’s flashbacks to his mother and the impact Princess Diana’s estrangement from the royal family and her death had on him as a child. His memories of his mother and the clips of her interviews in which Princess Diana described how the royal family mistreated her are compelling. They help us understand how easy it was for

Harry and Meghan to cast themselves as the next generation of the same trauma. In a sense, Harry and Meghan are reliving the tragedy of Princess Diana as their own experience.

However, I found it hard to feel sympathy for a couple who have had almost everything. When Meghan described the estrangement from her father, I wondered if at least a little of that isn’t a comment on her. When Harry described the wicked staff at the palace leaking attacks, I wondered about the value of all the good things the palace had done.

There is a telling moment early on when the queen rejected Harry and Meghan’s request to live in Windsor Castle and instead gives them Frogmore Cottage. Only when I looked it up did I learn it has ten bedrooms. So, being denied Windsor Castle and forced into a ten-bedroom mansion (which they call a cottage) set the stage for Meghan’s feeling of alienation. Really?

You may want to watch the series for yourself. It is a nice break from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Iranian effort to get nuclear weapons, the North Korean ballistic missile launches, the excruciatingly petty conflicts and gossip of Washington politics, and, in our case, the tragic Green Bay Packers season.

You may find yourself rooting for Harry and Meghan in their desperate search for happiness in a cold world of nasty royal family staff and vicious British newspapers.

Happy New Year.

Why the redefinition of the word ‘woman’ matters

SAMUEL JOHNSON’S “Dictionary of the English Language,” first published in 1755, defines the word “woman” as “the female of the human race.” And until October 2022, the word “woman” was still defined as “an adult female human being” in the Cambridge Dictionary. What transpired on the topic during the intervening 267 years? Not much. Science confirmed what men and women have known since Adam and Eve began talking past each other — not only do the sexes have immutable physiological differences, down to their genetic matter, but they observe, act and think differently as well.

Yet Cambridge now says the definition of a woman is “an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth” (and the definition of a man is someone who “identifies as male though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.”) How does one use “woman” in a sentence? One of Cambridge’s examples is, “Mary is a woman who was assigned male at birth.” Who assigned Mary’s sex? Her parents? God? Evolution? The SRY gene? And what other human characteristics does Cambridge believe can be altered according to one’s feelings? Lexicographers have a responsibility to offer clarity and accuracy — which is, of course, impossible in this case.

When asked about the change, Sophie White, a spokeswoman from Cambridge University Press, told The Washington Post that the editors had “carefully studied usage patterns of the word woman and concluded that this definition is one that learners of English should be aware of to support their understanding of how the language is used.” This is tautological gibberish. Though, in fairness to White, “Wokeish” is a relatively new

language.

The Post, for instance, claims Cambridge updated its definitions for “woman” and “man” “to include transgender people.” This also makes zero sense. If Cambridge changed the definition of “black” or “Caucasian” to incorporate “Asian people,” it would not be including a new group; it would be altering the fundamental facts of what makes someone black or white or Asian. “Woman” is not a neologism. Our understanding of “woman” hasn’t been altered by new scientific discoveries. Nothing has changed.

At first, these liturgic declarations of one’s “pronouns” seemed relatively harmless to me. And, not that it matters much, but I’ve been perfectly willing to refer to adults in whatever manner they desire. It’s a free country. Pursue your happiness. It’s not like gender-bending is some new idea. In my real-world experience, I find that most people try to be courteous.

It’s one thing to be considerate and another to be bullied into an alternative reality. But that’s where we are right now. Placating the mob has led to the rise in dangerous euphemisms like “gender-affirming care,” a phrase that means the exact opposite of what it claims. In today’s world, “genderaffirming therapy” means telling a girl she can be transformed into a boy, but “conversion therapy” means telling a girl she’s a girl. The corruption of reality has led to the rise of a pseudoscientific cult that performs irreparable mutilation on kids, with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones and life-altering surgeries.

And in their never-ending campaign to smear political opponents, Democrats have latched onto this idea as if it were a universal truth. If a person contends that gender is an unalterable feature of human life these days — a belief shared by all of civilization until

about five minutes ago — they might as well be Bull Connor holding a firehose. Only this week, after signing the same-sex marriage bill, our octogenarian president claimed that Republicans had passed “hundreds of callous and cynical laws introduced in the states targeting transgender children, terrifying families and criminalizing doctors who give children the care they need.”

Speaking of cynical. Does the president really believe these troubled teenagers “need” mastectomies, facial surgery and genital removal to feel loved? Or would it be more prudent to let them wait for adulthood to make life-altering surgical decisions? Has anyone ever asked him? Joe Biden is, of course, right that Americans should be free from threats of violence. That includes kids who are now subjected to abuse at the hands of people who have adopted this trendy quackery.

I simply refuse to accept that most Americans, or even more than a small percentage, believe children should be empowered to choose their sex. Rather, in their well-intentioned effort to embrace inclusivity — and avoid being called bigots — they’ve allowed extremists to, among many other things, circumvent debate by corroding fundamental truths about the world. And that’s what these dictionaries — once a place we collectively went for definitions and etymologies — have shamefully helped them do.

David Harsanyi is a senior editor at The Federalist. Harsanyi is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of five books — the most recent, “Eurotrash: Why America Must Reject the Failed Ideas of a Dying Continent.”

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

Harry and Meghan as a series is not — repeat not — magic.

SIDELINE REPORT

TENNIS

Martina Navratilova diagnosed with throat, breast cancer

New York Tennis great Martina Navratilova says she has been diagnosed with throat cancer and breast cancer. The 18time Grand Slam singles champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame said in a statement released Monday that her prognosis is good and she will start treatment this month. The 66-year-old said she noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck while attending the seasonending WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in November, and a biopsy showed early stage throat cancer. While Navratilova was undergoing tests on her throat, the unrelated, early stage breast cancer was discovered.

GOLF Masters invitation goes to the wrong Scott Stallings

Kapalua,

Hawaii

Scott Stallings received the best package of all for Christmas because it included an invitation to play in the Masters. One problem. It wasn’t delivered to the Scott Stallings who plays on the PGA Tour. The golfer says a Georgia man by the same name received the package and reached out to him on Instagram. The man says it didn’t take long to realize the invitation wasn’t meant for him. Stallings thinks the invitation was sent to his old management company and the man happened to live next door to the building. He says he’ll be sending the other Scott Stallings practice-round tickets for Augusta National.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

BYU offensive lineman Veikoso dies in construction accident

Honolulu Brigham Young University offensive lineman Sione Veikoso was killed in a construction accident in his hometown in Hawaii. His family confirmed that the 22-year-old died Friday after a retaining wall he was helping repair during holiday break from school collapsed. The Honolulu Fire Department reported that three others were injured when the rock wall partially fell behind a home in Kailua. Veikoso had completed his first season at BYU, where he transferred after one year at Arizona State. After high school, Veikoso spent two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Manaus, Brazil, before enrolling in college.

SOCCER

Cristiano Ronaldo makes move to Saudi Arabian club

London Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Nassr has announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo last week, ending speculation about the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future. Ronaldo had been a free agent since his contract was terminated by Manchester United following an explosive TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners. He is coming off a disappointing World Cup where he was benched in the knockout rounds and Portugal lost in the quarterfinals to Morocco.

QB Bennett: Georgia must fix mistakes to win another title

on the Georgia sideline.

offseason when facing the nation’s top teams.

The Associated Press

ATHENS, Ga. — No. 1 Georgia is far from satisfied despite being unbeaten and one win away from back-to-back national championships, Coach Kirby Smart and quarterback Stetson Bennett said Saturday night’s 42-41 College Football Playoff semifinal win over Ohio State showed flaws the Bulldogs must fix in practice this week. That need to improve provides extra motivation for the national championship game against quarterback Max Duggan and No. 3 TCU on Jan. 9 in Inglewood, California.

“We didn’t play our best game, starting with me,” Bennett said after the Peach Bowl win over the Buckeyes. “Coach Smart said

in the locker room, we had two three-and-outs to start the second half. Like that doesn’t happen, and that falls on me, and that falls on our offense. We’ve got to fix that. So we’re going to go to work.”

Bennett, the former walk-on who last season led Georgia to its first national title since 1980, has usually saved his best performances for the biggest stages. He delivered another clutch effort with two fourth quarter scoring passes against Ohio State as the Bulldogs rallied after trailing by two touchdowns.

Overall, Bennett threw for a career-high 398 yards with three touchdowns, but he bemoaned his mistakes, including an interception, that helped place Georgia in a 38-24 deficit in the fourth quarter. Noah Ruggles’ 50-yard field goal attempt for Ohio State with three seconds remaining sailed wide left, setting off a celebration

“Got to go back and look at the tape and see what we could clean up because it felt like there was a 30-minute period there where I just played bad football,” Bennett said. “So we’ve got to fix that.”

Bennett, who also ran for a touchdown, was named offensive MVP for his fourth consecutive postseason game, including both CFP games last season.

Georgia’s proud defense has set season highs for points allowed in two straight games, including a 50-30 win over LSU in the Southeastern Conference championship game. After allowing 502 passing yards to LSU, the Bulldogs gave up 348 yards with four touchdowns through the air to Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.

Georgia’s defense allowed 10 or fewer points in six regular season games, including two shutouts, but defensive back Javon Bullard says expectations change in the

“We knew coming into the game, it wouldn’t be perfect,” said Bullard, the defensive MVP. “You come into a game like this, college playoff, we know you are going to give up some plays, they are going to make some plays, we’re going to make some plays. You can’t get too high up and can’t get too low.”

The defense will be challenged by high-scoring TCU in the national championship game. The Horned Frogs average 41.1 points per game to rank fifth in the nation following a 51-45 win over No. 2 Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.

Georgia, which leaned heavily on its defense in its 2021 national championship season, fell from second to fifth in the nation in scoring defense, at 14.79 points allowed per game.

Smart said the Bulldogs “didn’t play our best football game” against Ohio State. “If we want any chance at winning a national championship, we have to play a lot better football,” he said.

Georgia had a team meeting on Monday to review the Ohio State game and will open practice for the national championship game on Tuesday.

Panthers’ failure to reach playoffs hurts Wilks’ job hopes

Carolina has gone 5-6 since the interim coach took over

CHARLOTTE — Steve Wilks’ bid to become Carolina’s next fulltime head coach took a huge hit Sunday after the Panthers blew an 11-point fourth quarter lead and lost 30-24 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, eliminating them from playoff contention.

Wilks is 5-6 since taking over as interim coach for Matt Rhule, who was fired after Week 5.

And while Wilks has the support of the players in the locker room, it seems unlikely it will be enough to save his job as owner David Tepper heads into decision-making mode. Tepper has endured five straight losing seasons since purchasing the team in 2018 for a then-record $2.3 billion, and his patience has to be growing thin.

So while Wilks finally gave the Panthers (6-10) an identity they so sorely needed by developing a physical style and smash-mouth running game, the reality is most owners prefer to start fresh rather than promote an interim coach.

Since 2000, 40 NFL coaches have held the interim tag after the head coach was fired or left the team midseason. Of those, only 10 have gone on to earn a full-time head coaching job the following season. The most recent to do it was Jacksonville’s Doug Marrone in 2016.

Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore would love to see Wilks return, saying he has brought accountability to the locker room.

“There are a lot of people being up front and honest,” Moore said. “When you mess up, they are going to let you know. It’s not going to be sugar-coated, and everyone on the team is going to know that you messed up. So you ain’t gonna want to get embarrassed on film in front of the team.”

Wilks, a Charlotte native, knew it was an uphill battle at the time but said he didn’t blink whatsoever when accepting the position.

Wilks certainly had his chances to make Tepper’s decision more difficult.

The Panthers controlled their own playoff destiny three different weeks down the stretch, but the key all along to winning the NFC South was beating Tampa Bay in Week 17.

Carolina shut down Brady 21-3 in a Week 7 win — Wilks’ first victory — and led 14-0 on Sunday, but the seven-time Super Bowl champion came back to tear up a depleted secondary and gave the Bucs the division title by scoring 20 points in the final 14 minutes.

The Panthers will close their season against the Saints, a game the team is probably better off losing as it would assure them a top10 draft pick in April.

The Bulldogs will face TCU on Jan. 9

The Associated Press

AP PHOTO

Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks yells during Carolina’s home game against the Steelers on Dec. 18.

AP PHOTO

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett celebrates with coach Kirby Smart after the Bulldogs won the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 to advance to the national championship game against TCU.

Bills’ Hamlin in critical condition after collapse on field

to his feet, appeared to adjust his face mask with his right hand, and then fell backward about three seconds later and lay motionless.

The Associated Press

CINCINNATI — Buffalo Bills

safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field Monday night and was administered CPR before being driven to a hospital, where the NFL said he was in critical condition, and Buffalo’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended for the night.

The NFL announced just over an hour after the injury that the game would not resume. When or if the teams would return to the field was not immediately clear.

“Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available,” the league said in a statement. “The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association which is in agreement with postponing the game.”

Hamlin collided with Bengals receiver Tee Higgins after a completion in what appeared to be a routine, if violent, tackle. He got

Hamlin was treated on the field by team and independent medical personnel and local paramedics, the NFL said. He was surrounded by stunned players from both teams.

An ambulance was on the field four minutes after Hamlin collapsed, with many players in tears, including cornerback Tre’Davious White. The quarterbacks — Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow — embraced.

Hamlin collapsed at 8:55 p.m., and when he was taken off the field 16 minutes later, the Bills gathered in prayer. He was driven to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Five minutes after the ambulance departed, the game was suspended, and players walked off the field slowly and into their locker rooms.

Hamlin’s uniform was cut off and he appeared to be getting CPR from medical personnel. ESPN reported on its telecast that Hamlin was also given oxygen.

“No one’s been through this,” longtime NFL quarterback Troy

Aikman said on the ESPN telecast. “I’ve never seen anything like it, either.”

The Bengals led 7-3 in the first quarter of a game between teams vying for the top playoff seed in the AFC. Cincinnati entered at 11-4 and leading the AFC North by one game over Baltimore, while AFC East champion Buffalo was 12-3.

The 24-year-old Hamlin spent five years of college at Pitt — his hometown — and appeared in 48 games for the Panthers over that span. He was a second-team AllACC performer as a senior, was voted a team captain and was picked to play in the Senior Bowl.

He was drafted in the sixth round by the Bills in 2021, played in 14 games as a rookie and then became a starter this year once Micah Hyde was lost for the season to injury.

Entering the game, the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin had 91 tackles, including 63 solo tackles, and 1½ sacks.

A tweet from the Pitt football account was simple and clear: “Damar Hamlin is the best of us. We love you, 3,” the tweet said, referring to Hamlin by his college jersey number. “Praying for you.”

Fenway Park transforms for NHL’s 14th annual Winter Classic

The Bruins rallied to beat the Penguins 2-1

The Associated Press

BOSTON — Fenway Park, the majors’ oldest active ballpark, was transformed into an outdoor hockey arena for the NHL’s 14th annual Winter Classic on Monday afternoon.

With the logos of the two teams — the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins — hanging high atop the seats above the park’s fabled 37-foot Green Monster, the league’s annual marquee New Year’s event returned to Fenway for the second time.

The Bruins rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Penguins behind two third period goals from Jake DeBrusk.

Those usually clad in red and blue for the Boston Red Sox were replaced by thousands wearing black and gold (actually, the colors of both NHL teams), and they lined up around the soon-to-be 111-year old park hours before the faceoff.

The championship banners of the Red Sox, that usually hang along the outside of the third-base side of the park, were replaced by banners of the Bruins, Penguins and the Winter Classic logo.

Bruins’ players joined into the baseball theme, too, coming into the park wearing vintage white Red Sox uniforms with “Boston” in red letters across the front. Some played catch in front of the home dugout, which had “Boston Bruins” across the top on the first-base side. The visitors had “Pittsburgh Penguins” on the roof.

“It was a lot of fun. ... When we got (the uniforms), it was mind blowing, I loved every second of it,” said Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark, who wore his vintage Sox uniform and cleats to the postgame press conference.

The team’s official souvenir store was filled with Bruins and Penguins Classic gear, with most of the Red Sox stuff pushed to back racks.

The rink stretched from just beyond what’s usually second base across the middle of the diamond, over the pitcher’s mound and toward the visitors’ dugout on an unseasonably warm afternoon with temperatures in the upper 40s.

Last season’s Classic was played at Target Field in Minnesota — the home of MLB’s Twins — and saw the temperature drop to minus-5.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Before the game, a free concert that featured country music star Sam Hunt was held in a parking lot across the street from Fenway, where fans could play a giant table-top hockey game and take a challenge of ingesting hot sauce before sitting in a penalty box for two minutes along with other free events.

Hunt sang his hit song “23” in his nearly hour-long performance, bringing up the start of 2023.

The Carolina Hurricanes will host the NHL’s next outdoor game when they play the Washington Capitals at NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium — adjacent to PNC Arena — on Feb. 18.

Age, in years, of Boston’s Fenway Park

Brazilians mourn Pelé at the stadium where he got his start

his home for most of his career. A Catholic Mass was scheduled for Tuesday morning before his burial at a nearby cemetery.

SANTOS, Brazil — Thousands of mourners, including high school students and supreme court justices, began filing past the body of Pelé on Monday on the century-old field where he made his hometown team one of Brazil’s best.

The soccer great died last Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was the only player ever to win three World Cups, and he was 82.

Pelé’s coffin, draped in the flags of Brazil and the Santos FC football club, was placed on the midfield area of Vila Belmiro, the stadium outside Sao Paulo that was

The storied 16,000-seat stadium was surrounded by mourners and covered with Pelé-themed decorations. Fans coming out of the stadium said they’d waited three hours in line, standing under a blazing sun.

Forty-five years after Pelé played his last game, he’s still a central part of Brazil’s national story.

Geovana Sarmento, 17, came with her father, who was wearing a Brazil shirt with Pelé’s name.

“I am not a Santos fan, neither is my father. But this guy invented Brazil’s national team. He made Santos stronger, he made it big. How could you not respect

him? He is one of the greatest people ever, we needed to honor him,” she said.

In the 1960s and ’70s, Pelé was perhaps the world’s most famous athlete. He met presidents and queens, and in Nigeria a civil war was put on hold to watch him play. Many Brazilians credit him with putting the country on the world stage.

Caio Zalke, 35, an engineer, also wore a Brazil shirt as he waited in line. “Pelé is the most important Brazilian of all time. He made soccer important for Brazil and he made Brazil important for the world,” he said.

Rows of shirts with Pelé’s No. 10 were placed behind one of the goals, waving in the city’s summer winds. A section of the stands was

filling up with bouquets of flowers placed by mourners and sent by clubs and star players — Neymar and Ronaldo among them — from around the world as loudspeakers played a song named “Eu sou Pelé” (“I am Pelé”) that was recorded by the Brazilian himself.

Claudio Carrança, 32, a salesman, said: “I never saw him play, but loving Pelé is a tradition that goes from father to son in Santos. I learned his history, saw his goals, and I see how Santos FC is important because he is important.”

Santos FC said that more than 1,100 journalists from 23 countries were at the funeral. Dignitaries and friends of Pelé in attendance spoke at the funeral.

Among them was Pelé’s best friend Manoel Maria, who is also a

former Santos player. “If I had all the wealth in the world, I would never be able to repay what this man did for me and my family. He was as great a man as he was as a player; the best of all time. His legacy will outlive us all. And that can be seen in this long line with people of all ages here.”

Pelé had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. The medical center where he had been hospitalized said he died of multiple organ failure as a result of the cancer.

The soccer star led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and remains one of the team’s all-time leading scorers with 77 goals. Neymar tied Pelé’s record during this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

The soccer great died last Thursday

The Associated Press

The game was suspended after the Buffalo safety was hurt while making a tackle

The coffin with the remains of Brazilian soccer great Pele lies in state during his wake on the pitch of the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, on Monday.

quarterback Josh Allen, right, pauses as Damar Hamlin is examined after collapsing during the first half Monday’s game against the Bengals in Cincinnati.

AP PHOTO

AP PHOTO

Dems, GOP have distinct priorities for 2023: AP-NORC poll

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Eva Guzman’s expenses have swelled, but she feels comfortable financially thanks to the savings she and her late husband stockpiled for a rainy day. Nevertheless, the 80-year-old retired library clerk in San Antonio limits trips to the grocery store, adjusts the thermostat to save on utilities and tries to help her grandchildren and great-grandchildren get what they need.

It was difficult to raise her own four children, Guzman said, but she and her husband were able to manage. She doesn’t know how young families today stay financially afloat with such high prices for groceries and clothes.

“It’s really gotten worse in this age for a lot of people,” said Guzman, who identifies as a conservative and blames President Joe Biden for inflation and economic instability. “It’s really getting out of hand.”

Like Guzman, 30% of people in the United States consider inflation a high priority for the country, named in an open-ended question as one of up to five issues for the government to work on in 2023,

according to a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

That’s roughly twice the percentage as a year ago, though down from 40% in June, with inflation easing somewhat despite remaining high.

Overall, the economy in general remains a bipartisan issue, men-

tioned by most U.S. adults across party lines. But the poll finds Republicans and Democrats have sharply distinct views of priorities for the country in the new year. More Republicans than Democrats name inflation, gas and food prices, energy and immigration, while Democrats focus on health care, climate change, poverty, racism,

abortion and women’s rights.

There is broad skepticism from members of both parties that progress will be made on the issues about which the public most cares. In the poll results and in interviews with the AP, many people cite hostile political divisions as part of the problem.

Glenn Murray, a 59-year-old in Little Mountain, South Carolina, also called out the distance between the left and the right, wishing that politicians would recognize the “truth in the middle.”

Murray, a moderate Republican, thinks inflation and the economy are critical issues and he worries that the U.S. will soon face a recession. But he is also concerned about energy policy, suggesting the nation’s reliance on foreign oil is driving up gas prices, and he describes the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border as “unsustainable.”

“I definitely understand that immigration is what helped build this country ... but you have to have guardrails,” said Murray, who works for a university’s audit services. “You just can’t open the gates and let everyone in that wants to come in.”

Named by 45% of Republicans, immigration is one of the GOP’s leading priorities. The Supreme Court recently extended Trumpera pandemic restrictions on people seeking asylum, as thousands of migrants gathered on the Mexico side of the border seeking to the enter the United States.

Roughly 2 in 10 Republicans also name crime, foreign policy issues, energy and health care. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to specifically name inflation, 37% vs. 26%, and gas prices, 22% vs. 7%.

Among Democrats, about 4 in 10 rank climate change and health care, 3 in 10 prioritize gun issues and roughly one-quarter name education and abortion or women’s rights. Roughly 2 in 10 Democrats name racism and poverty.

About three-quarters of U.S. adults say they are not confident in the ability of the federal government to make progress on the important problems facing the country in 2023, according to the poll.

About one-third of Republicans and Democrats name the state of politics as a critical issue facing the country.

Michael Holcomb, a 35-year-old audio technician in Los Angeles, wants less polarization in the election process, which he thinks leads politicians to be more extreme. But he sees the issue as extending beyond politics.

“I think that it’s more of a cultural problem,” the independent said. “We all have to figure out a way to get past it.”

‘Lord, I love you’: Aide recounts Benedict’s last words

The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s last words were “Lord, I love you,” his longtime secretary said Sunday, quoting a nurse who helped care for the 95-year-old former pontiff in his final hours.

Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, a German prelate who lived in the Vatican monastery where Benedict took up residence after his 2013 retirement, said the nurse recounted hearing Benedict utter those words at about 3 a.m. Saturday. The retired pope died later that morning.

“Benedict XVI, with a faint voice but in a very distinct way, said in Italian, ‘Lord, I love you,’’’ Gaenswein told the Vatican’s official media, adding that it happened when the aides tending to Benedict were changing shifts.

“I wasn’t there in that moment, but the nurse a little later recounted it,’’ the archbishop said. “They were his last comprehensible words, because afterwards, he wasn’t able to express himself any more.”

Gaenswein did not identify the male nurse who shared the information.

Earlier, the Vatican said that Pope Francis went to pay his respects immediately after Gaenswein called to inform him of Benedict’s death shortly after 9:30 a.m. Saturday Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis stayed in Benedict’s monastery for quite some time before returning to his residence in a hotel located across the Vatican Gardens.

During New Year’s Day remarks on Sunday, Francis prayed for his predecessor’s passage to heaven and expressed thanks for Benedict’s lifetime of service to the church.

Francis departed briefly from reading his homily during a morning Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica to pray aloud for Benedict.

“Today we entrust to our Bless-

ed Mother our beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, so that she may accompany him in his passage from this world to God,” he said.

The basilica is set to host Benedict’s coffin for three days of viewing that start Monday.

Rome Prefect Bruno Frattasi, an Interior Ministry official, told Italian state TV that “no fewer than 25,000, 30,000” mourners were expected to file past the coffin on Monday.

On Sunday, Benedict’s body lay on a burgundy-colored bier in the chapel of the monastery where he had lived during his nearly decade-long retirement. He was dressed in a miter, the headgear of a bishop, and a red cloak-like vest-

ment.

A rosary was placed in his hand. Behind him, visible in photos released by the Vatican, were the chapel’s altar and a decorated Christmas tree.

Francis remembered Benedict again later Sunday while addressing thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square. He told the crowd that “in these hours, we invoke her intercession, in particular for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who, yesterday morning, left this world.”

“Let us unite all together, with one heart and one soul, in giving thanks to God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the church,’’ Francis said, speaking from a window of the

The square will be the setting for Benedict’s funeral led by Francis on Thursday morning. The service will be a simple one, the Vatican has said, in keeping with the wishes of Benedict. Before he was elected pope in 2005, Benedict was a German cardinal who served as the Church’s guardian of doctrinal orthodoxy.

In recent years, Francis hailed Benedict’s stunning decision to become the first pope to resign in 600 years and has made clear he’d consider such a step as an option for himself.

Hobbled by knee pain, Francis, 86, on Sunday arrived in the basilica in a wheelchair and took

his place in a chair for the Mass, which was being celebrated by the Vatican’s secretary of state.

Francis, who has repeatedly decried the war in Ukraine and its devastation, recalled those who are victims of war, passing the year-end holidays in darkness, cold and fear.

“At the beginning of this year, we need hope, just as the Earth needs rain,” Francis said in his homily.

While addressing the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, the pope cited the “intolerable” war in Ukraine, which began more than 10 months ago, and conflicts elsewhere other places in the world.

Yet, Francis said, “let us not lose hope” that peace will prevail.

Apostolic Palace to pilgrims and tourists below.

AP PHOTO

Signs advertise Black Friday deals at a Walmart in Secaucus, N.J., Nov. 22, 2022.

AP PHOTO

Pope Francis holds attends a Mass for the solemnity of St. Mary at the beginning of the new year, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023.

obituaries

Kevin Duan Ledbetter

July 30, 1973 - December 31, 2022

Kevin Duan Ledbetter, 49, of Albemarle passed away on Saturday, December 31, 2022 at Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia, NC.

Kevin was born July 30, 1973 in Stanly County to Effie Lee Ledbetter of Norwood, NC and the late David McClendon. Mr. Ledbetter worked for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools for 25 years. He grew up in First Baptist Church in Norwood and he attended Vortex Church in Albemarle. Kevin loved riding and traveling on his Harley Davidson motorcycle with family and friends. He enjoyed classic cars and was an avid Carolina Tar Heels and Carolina Panthers fan.

Kevin is survived by his wife of 17 years Kristi Kiker Ledbetter of the home; son: Kristopher Allain Maillet of Albemarle, NC; daughters: Karrington LeeSha Ledbetter of Albemarle, NC, Mya Alexa Ledbetter of Albemarle; grandson: Mylz Legend BrewerLedbetter of Albemarle, NC; sister: Victoria Jones (Jay) of Wilmington, NC; nephew: Cy Jones of Wilmington, NC; uncle: Rev. Anthony Ledbetter (Sally) of Polkton, NC; God brother: Damien West of Albemarle, NC.

Robert Edgar Hardister

July 31, 1925 - December 31, 2022

Robert Edgar Hardister, 97 of Albemarle, passed away Saturday, December 31, 2022 in Atrium Health Stanly.

Mr. Hardister was born July 31, 1925 in Randolph County, NC to the late Robert Chisolm Hardister and Amanda Pauline Hoover Hardister. He was a member of Prospect Baptist Church. Robert was the church treasurer at Prospect Baptist Church for fifty years, he also taught Sunday School and served as a deacon. He was a charter member (1956) of Bethany Volunteer Fire Department and was chief from 1972 until 1988 and was Fireman of the Year in 1965, 1972, and 1986. Mr. Hardister was the Stanly County Fireman’s Association Fighter of the year in 1965 and President of the Association in 1974. He served in the United States Army during WWII in Rome with the 88th Infantry Division.

Robert is survived by his wife, Louise Almond Hardister of the home. He is also survived by a son, Ronnie Hardister of Albemarle; four sisters, Laura Brown of Albemarle, Lucille Maner of Norwood, Shirley Hardister of Charlotte, and Linda Justice of Indian Trail. He is also preceded in death by a son, Robert Hardister, two brothers, Donald Hardister and Jack Hardister and two sisters, Francis Taylor, and Sue Fraley.

Mr. Douglas Arthur Craig

April 9, 1943 - December 29, 2022

Douglas Arthur Craig, 79, of Albemarle died peacefully Thursday, December 29, 2022.

Born April 9th, 1943, in Lincoln County, NC, he was the son of the late Robert Harold Craig and Faye Teague Craig. He had a Bachelor’s degree in music from Appalachian State University and a Master’s degree in Library Science from UNCGreensboro. Mr. Craig was a retired music teacher from West Stanly High School and later the librarian from South Stanly Middle School. He was loved by his students and touched many lives.

Doug loved to travel and camp. He was the manager of the VFW pool and was also a member of the Stanly County Concert Band.

Mr. Craig is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sylvia Dane Sechler Craig of the home. Other survivors include sons Tony Craig (Cindy Renea) of Harkers Island, NC, and David A. Craig of Las Vegas, NV; sister Catherine Craig Krupa of Hockessin, DE. A brother, Robert Teague Craig, preceded him in death in 2008.

Ralph Warren “Buddy” Mabry

November 18, 1945 - December 28, 2022

Ralph Warren “Buddy” Mabry, 77, of Albemarle passed away on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.

Born November 18, 1945 in Stanly County, NC he was the son of the late Ralph Lawson Mabry and Mary Ethel Helms Mabry.

He attended Stanly Community College, taught auto mechanics for the Dept. of Corrections, and was the former Owner and Operator of Mabry’s Automotive, which he established in 1980. He was a loyal member of Oak Grove Baptist Church, he loved his church family, and served as a deacon there for many years. Buddy loved God, his wife, his family, and friends with such a great love. Camping trips with his family was one of his favorite things to do. In addition to that he always enjoyed playing card games, talking with his friends, anything involving vehicles, and Western movies.

Buddy was married to the love of his life, Laura Ellen Johnson Mabry of the home for over 55 years. Other survivors include three sons Ralph Warren “Chip” Mabry Jr. of Norwood, Jerrett Johnson “Jay Jay” Mabry (Melinda) of Albemarle, and Michael “Ryan” Mabry (Tiffany) of Albemarle, and two grandchildren Destiny Mabry and Pyper Mabry.

Judy Carter Swaringen

August 3, 1939 - December 27, 2022

Judy Carter Swaringen, 83, of New London passed away on December 27, 2022 in Atrium Health Stanly.

Born August 3, 1939 in Stanly County, NC, she was the daughter of the late Charlie Allen Carter and Mattie Opal Kimrey Carter. She was a member First Baptist Church of New London. She was a homemaker and former employee of E. J. Snyder. She loved to travel and to cook and enjoyed spending time with her family.

She is survived by her husband of 67 years, J. T. Swaringen of the home. Other survivors include children Kathy S. Morrison (husband George) of Peachland, Gene Swaringen (wife Nancy) of New London and Tim Swaringen (wife June) of New London, brother Clifton Carter (wife Julia) of New London, and four grandchildren, Brooke Morgan, Melody M. Biles, Dusty Swaringen and Emily S. Pickett, and two great-grandsons, Logan and Joshua Biles. She was preceded in death by four siblings Charlie Carter Jr., Carrie Faulkner, Wade Carter and James Howard Carter.

August 15, 1953 - December 29, 2022

Annette Lee Burleson, 69, of Albemarle passed away on December 29, 2022 in Atrium Health Cabarrus.

Born August 15, 1953 in Stanly County, NC she was the daughter of the late Bobby Donald Lee and Essie K. Lee. She was a former employee of Allison Manufacturing and Metal Forge and was later a Cashier with Carolina Oil Company. She loved fishing and bowling and she enjoyed playing games and playing cards.

She was married to Mark Kevin Burleson. Other survivors include children Kristi G. Griffin husband Damien of Marshville, Eric L. Burleson of Albemarle, step-daughter Stephanie Hanners (James) of Maine, three siblings Donald Lee, Rhonda "Suzie" Lee Johnson, and Tommy Lee all of Albemarle, and 14 grandchildren. She was preceded in death by siblings Belinda Osborne, Ricky Lee, Steve Lee, and Lana Lee.

Robert Eugene Cordell

October 17, 1935 - December 27, 2022

Robert Eugene Cordell, 87, of Locust, passed away December 27, 2022, at Novant Health Mint Hill, NC.

Mr. Cordell was born October 17, 1935, in Fletcher NC, to the late Julius Harold Cordell and Lula Mae Cordell.

He is survived by his daughter Sheri and predeceased by his loving wife Mary.

Gary Hamilton

May 18, 1970 ~ December 31, 2022

Gary Lynn Hamilton 52 of Mt. Gilead died unexpectedly Saturday evening, December 31, 2022 at his home.

Gary was born May 18, 1970 in Guilford County to Larry and Shirley Wilhelm Hamilton of Mt. Gilead. He was an employee of Union County Schools and attended Lighthouse Ministries in Candor.

Gary will be loving remembered as a person who never met a stranger and always willing to help anyone in need. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather who greatly enjoyed the time he was able to spend with his grandchildren. He enjoyed fishing even though he didn’t get to go much because he was constantly working to provide for his family and help others.

In addition to his parents he is survived by his wife Becky Bowles Hamilton of the home. His four children, Jordyn Reynolds of Star, Brittney Sheffield (Casey) of Locust, Christopher Hamilton (Ashton) of the home and Samantha Morton (Garrett) of Mt. Gilead. Two grandchildren, Miles and Indie Sheffield.

Corena Shorts

May 6, 1937 ~ December 25, 2022

Corena Seiple Shorts 85 of Norwood formerly of Pennsylvania died Sunday evening, December 25, 2022 at her home.

She was born May 6, 1937 in York, Penn. to the late Lillie Horne and was a homemaker.

She is survived by her sons, Rick Shorts (Stella) of Norwood. Michael (Carol) and Matt Shorts and daughter Liz Schwartz(Charlie). Numerous grandchildren,greatgrandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Eugene Edward Shorts, son, Eugene Shorts Jr and daughter, Deidre Shorts Wilson.

Carolyn Biggers

September 5, 1966 ~ January 2, 2023

Carolyn Biggers 56 of Mt. Gilead died Monday morning, January 2, 2023 at First Health Hospice. .

Carolyn was born September 5, 1966 in Montgomery County to the late David Oliver and Martha Ann Chappell Biggers. She was a Certified Nursing Assitant.

She was a giving person with a heart of gold, always caring for and helping out others. She loved her cat Midnight.

She is survived her daughter Felicia Nicole Ridenhour (Brandon) of Albemarle. One sister, Tammy Lee Speakman (Curt) of Mt. Gilead. Two brothers, Steve Biggers(Kathy) of Troy and David Biggers (Teresa) of Wadesboro. Her former husband Kenneth Allen Ridenhour of Gold Hill.

She was preceded in death by two sisters, Rose Richardson and Debbie Dennis.

Annette Lee Burleson

STATE & NATION

Police probe motive in attack on officers near Times Square

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Authorities in New York City are investigating whether a man who attacked three police officers with a machete at a New Year’s Eve celebration, striking two of them, was inspired by radical Islamic extremism, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the matter.

The attack happened a little after 10 p.m. about eight blocks from Times Square, just outside the high-security zone where revelers are screened for weapons. Two of the officers were struck with the machete before an officer shot the man in the shoulder. The two officers were hospitalized, one with a fractured skull and the other with a bad cut, and were expected to recover.

Police did not publicly identify the 19-year-old suspect, but the law enforcement official identified

him to The Associated Press as Trevor Bickford, of Wells, Maine.

Investigators believe Bickford traveled to New York City earlier in the week and are examining whether he came to New York specifically to attack police officers at one of the largest New Year’s celebrations in the world, the law enforcement official said.

New York City police and federal officials are still trying to discern a motive, and investigators have been reviewing Bickford’s online postings, which included some mentions of Islamic extremist views, the official said. The official could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Bickford was expected to recover from the gunshot wound. No charges against him were immediately announced.

Michael Driscoll, the assis-

tant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, said the FBI’s Joint Terrorist Task Force in New York City was investigating but investigators believe the attacker acted alone.

The attack and sound of a gunshot briefly sent some people running, but the festivities in Times Square continued uninterrupted.

Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference early Sunday that he spoke to one of the wounded officers as he was being stitched up at the hospital.

“He was in good spirits,” Adams said. “He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.”

The NYPD mounts a massive security operation every year to keep the New Year’s Eve crowd safe. Thousands of officers are sent to the area, including many new recruits. One of the injured officers just graduated from the police academy on Friday, the may-

or said.

The blocks where the biggest crowds gather to see performances and the midnight ball drop can be accessed only through checkpoints where officers use metal-detecting wands to screen for weapons. Large bags and coolers are

banned. Barriers are set up to prevent vehicle attacks.

The security perimeter extends only so far, though. The attack took place on 8th Avenue, which is often packed with people navigating around the frozen zone or trying to find one of the secure entrances.

US Census Bureau redefines meaning of ‘urban’ America

By Mike Schneider The Associated Press

MORE THAN 1,100 CITIES towns and villages in the U.S. lost their status as urban areas on Thursday as the U.S. Census Bureau released a new list of places considered urban based on revised criteria.

Around 4.2 million residents living in 1,140 small cities, hamlets, towns and villages that lost their urban designation were bumped into the rural category. The new criteria raised the population threshold from 2,500 to 5,000 people and housing units were added to the definition.

The change matters because rural and urban areas often qualify for different types of federal funding for transportation, housing, health care, education and agriculture. The federal government doesn’t have a standard definition of urban or rural, but the Census Bureau’s definition often provides a baseline.

“The whole thing about urban and rural is all about money,” said Mary Craigle, bureau chief for Montana’s Research and Information Services. “Places that qualify as urban are eligible for transportation dollars that rural areas aren’t, and then rural areas are eligible for dollars that urban areas are not.”

The Census Bureau this year made the biggest modification in decades to the definition of an urban area. The bureau adjusts the definition every decade after a census to address any changes or needs of policymakers and researchers.

The bureau says it is done for statistical purposes and it has no control over how government agencies use the definitions to distribute funding.

There were 2,646 urban areas in the mainland U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. islands on the new list released Thursday.

“This change in definition is a big deal and a substantial change from the Census Bureau’s long-standing

procedures,” said Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire. “It has significant implications both for policy and for researchers.”

Under the old criteria, an urbanized area needed to have at least 50,000 residents. An urban cluster was defined as having at least 2,500 people, a threshold that had been around since 1910. Under this definition, almost 81% of the U.S. was urban and 19% was rural over the past decade.

Under the new definition, hammered out after the 2020 census, the minimum population required for an area to be considered urban doubled to 5,000 people. Originally, the Census Bureau proposed raising the threshold to 10,000 people but pulled back amid opposition. The new criteria for urban

areas shift the urban-rural ratio slightly, to 79.6% and 20.4%, respectively.

In 1910, a town with 2,500 residents had a lot more goods and services than a town that size does today, “and these new definitions acknowledge that,” said Michael Cline, North Carolina’s state demographer.

With the new criteria, the distinction between an urbanized area and an urban cluster has been eliminated since the Census Bureau determined there was little difference in economic activities between communities larger and smaller than 50,000 residents.

For the first time, the Census Bureau is adding housing units to the definition of an urban area. A place can be considered urban if it has at least 2,000 housing units,

based on the calculation that the average household has 2.5 people.

Among the beneficiaries of using housing instead of people are resort towns in ski or beach destinations, or other places with lots of vacation homes, since they can qualify as urban based on the number of homes instead of full-time residents.

“There are many seasonal communities in North Carolina and this change in definition to housing units may be helpful in acknowledging that these areas are built up with roads, housing, and for at least one part of the year, host many thousands of people,” Cline said.

Housing, instead of population, is also going to be used for density measures at the level of census blocks, which typically have several hundred people and are the building blocks of urban areas. The Cen-

sus Bureau said using housing units instead of population will allow it to make updates in fast-growing areas in between the once-a-decade censuses.

But there’s another reason for switching to housing units instead of population: the Census Bureau’s controversial new tool for protecting the privacy of participants in its head counts and surveys. The method adds intentional errors to data to obscure the identity of any given participant, and it is most noticeable in the smallest geographies, such as census blocks.

“The block level data aren’t really reliable and this provides them an opportunity for the density threshold they picked to be on par with the population,” said Eric Guthrie, a senior demographer in the Minnesota State Demographic Center.

AP PHOTO

This photo provided by NYPD, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell address the media during a news conference on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.

AP PHOTO, FILE

A portion of the Dorothea Dix Hospital property is seen in the foreground near downtown Raleigh.

Randolph record

Swearing in representatives

2023 should bring changes, progress on projects

Man with multiple warrants sends deputies on car chase

A wanted man is facing multiple charges after refusing to pull over for a traffic stop and leading deputies from the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office on a short chase last Wednesday. According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, Jimmy Ray Pearson had several outstanding warrants for his arrest, and deputies were searching for him in Ramseur and Liberty. During the short pursuit, Pearson rammed a deputy’s vehicle and crashed into a concrete stairway of a residence on Colonial Trading Path. Pearson attempted to avoid arrest on foot, but deputies quickly apprehended him. Following the chase, deputies searched Pearson’s vehicle and found methamphetamine, paraphernalia, and a firearm.

Pearson has been charged with felony possession of a firearm by a felon, felony possession of methamphetamine, felony assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, felony attempt to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, misdemeanor expired registration, misdemeanor resisting public officer, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to maintain lane control, and failure to appear on felony and misdemeanor charges (in multiple counties).

Pearson was transported to the Randolph County Jail and given a secured bond total of $409,500.

Unattended campfire sets Birkhead Mountains

Wilderness Area ablaze

According to officials, an unattended campfire is to blame for starting a woods fire that consumed roughly 1.5 acres in the Birkhead Mountain Wilderness Area last week. At around 2 pm, firefighters from the Ulah Volunteer Fire Department (UVFP) and Rangers from the NC Forestry Service were dispatched to put out the flames. A Facebook post from the UVFP indicated that the fire began approximately 1.5 miles from the trailhead.

Fortunately, responders had the fire contained within an hour of their arrival. The scene was cleared by 4:30 pm. No injuries were reported.

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — There’s plenty to look forward to around Randolph County in 2023.

The past year has set some of the foundation for the future.

Here’s a sampling: Ongoing megasite impact

Certainly, the fallout associated with the Greensboro-Randolph megasite has largely been in its infancy during the past year.

With Toyota’s announcement in late 2021 that it’s building a massive battery manufacturing plant at the location, the impact is only going to grow once the facility is up and running.

To be known as Toyota Battery Manufacturing-North Carolina, this is plugged as a multi-bil-

lion dollar operation. Production is supposed to begin in 2025, but that makes 2023 an important year in order to reach that goal.

The process of reaching that point will bring about changes, particularly in and around Liberty. Some of those changes in traffic and business have already been noticed this past year, and more are bound to develop during this upcoming one.

Update for Randolph Community College

Randolph Community College’s leadership situation could be resolved.

Bill Aiken had been named interim president upon the retirement of Robert Shackleford Jr. In July, the school announced that Elbert Lassiter would serve as acting president while the search

for a permanent president takes place.

Lassiter is the vice president of workforce development and continuing education.

Meanwhile, there was a survey generated to seek ideas and opinions regarding the presidential search. Also, in mid-December, a pair of forums were held to gain feedback and build a presidential profile.

Asheboro High School campus

The renovation project on the campus of the largest high school in the county should move toward completion.

The magnitude of the renovations is likely to be significant, but the impact has loomed large in terms of operations for parts of several school years.

The project involves additional classrooms, an expanded band area, multi-purpose spaces, and landscaping. The gym area has been largely off-limits, meaning that this has been the second school year when indoor sports are being held at other venues, and some of the high school’s teams have been displaced to varying degrees.

Pay boosts in education

In the Randolph County School System, staffing shortages have been a hindrance since the pandemic.

Now retention bonuses are being offered that will reward current employees and new hires.

Current staff members can receive a bonus in late June if they remain employed through the end of the 2022-23 school year.

New hires on board by Jan. 9 will pick up a one-time bonus of $500 in their first paychecks and another $500 if they’re still employed by the end of the school year, albeit some of those will be prorated.

Substitute teachers are also in line for bonuses early this year.

Appeals court restores NC law addressing farm labor

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A North Carolina law preventing legal settlements between farms and workers from requiring a farm operation to become a union employer doesn’t violate the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday while overturning a lower court decision.

The decision by a panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, restores a provision contained in a 2017 farm law that was challenged by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee — the state’s only farmworker union with several thousand members.

U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs had ordered in 2021 that the provision be permanently blocked, determining that the language prohibited all settlement agreements between workers and farm operators. But the law’s meaning was misconstrued, Senior Circuit Judge Di-

ana Gribbon Motz wrote in the three-judge panel’s prevailing opinion.

The “provision is not aimed at precluding settlements based on who the parties are but rather what those settlement conditions say,” Gribbon Motz wrote in reversing Biggs’ decision and vacating the permanent injunction. “We reject the broad reading advanced by FLOC and adopted by the district court that this statutory provision bars any settlement agreement between an agricultural producer and labor union.” Rather, she added, the law says a legal settlement can’t require union recognition or entry into a bargaining agreement.

The appeals court also agreed with Biggs’ decision upholding another section of the 2017 law that prohibited farming operations from entering into contracts that required farms to collect union dues from workers. There’s nothing to prevent a farm from collecting dues voluntarily.

Lawyers for FLOC argued in

court that the challenged provisions violated their rights of association and discriminated against workers from a legally protected class in a state known for low union membership. About 95% of farmworkers in the state are Latino, primarily of Mexican descent, Wednesday’s opinion said. A substantial portion are noncitizens who enter the country through a federal program to perform seasonal work.

Legislators who advanced the agriculture bill that contained the union language and its allies said the provisions were designed to strengthen North Carolina’s long status as a right-to-work state, according to the opinion. Some legislators wanted to stop what they considered a “coercive practice of using unrelated litigation to pressure agricultural producers into collective bargaining agreements,” Gribbon Motz wrote.

Representatives Brian Biggs (R-NC House District 70) and Neal Jackson (R-NC House District-78) are sworn in by the Hon Judge Hill at the Historic Randolph County Courthouse on Monday.

PHOTOS BY SCOTT PELKEY |

OPINION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

| U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Faith and faithfulness

FOR MY FAMILY and many of yours, the Christmas season is the best time of the year. It is a time of celebration where we come together with loved ones to share gifts and give thanks for all that is good in our lives – most important to me is the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ.

As we celebrate this holiday season, let us remember all those who have defended that freedom serving in our nation’s uniform – especially those separated from their own families.

Christmas Day marks the birth of Jesus and the fulfillment of God’s promise to all mankind. As it is written in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

The birth of Christ stands as the beginning of the final stage of God’s saving plan for humanity. Born in a manger into the humblest of conditions, the Son of God would come to spread the good news of hope and charity to the people of the world, before suffering death and rising again to grant us salvation.

This is a love story that stands alone and instills a renewed sense of hope to all who believe in Him. It was and remains the greatest story ever told.

My faith is deeply important to me. It gives me the strength to do my job and live each day with purpose and conviction. While there is much in the world that can get us down, I am grateful for the hope that comes from my faith. I am also deeply grateful to live in a country where all people are free to practice their faith, no matter what it might be.

As we celebrate this holiday season, let us remember all those who have defended that freedom serving in our nation’s

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

Harry and Meghan, really?

OK, I WILL ADMIT IT. Callista and I got drawn into the six-part series on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The opening music is reminiscent of Downton Abbey, which we adore and constantly rewatch. It is like an old friend. (We were once lucky enough to have Lady Carnarvon take us through Highclere Castle and share scones and coffee with us. It was magic.)

Harry and Meghan as a series is not — repeat not — magic.

It is the home movie coverage of a train wreck. Loving friends are interviewed about the horrible experience Meghan and Harry have had at the hands of the wicked staff of the “institution.” They also bemoan the sheer jealousy of the royals. (Don’t you love that term? Americans always have a secret thing for the family they rebelled against and defeated for our independence.)

Callista and I have a bias in favor of the royals because we watched “The Crown,” and enjoyed the marvelous performance by Helen Mirren as the late Queen Elizabeth in “The Appointment.” That is a play about the weekly appointment the Queen had with each of her prime ministers, starting with Winston Churchill. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair once told me that he was amazed how much Queen Elizabeth had learned over the years and how helpful her advice was.

So, we watched the self-pitying, whining, and cringeinducing explanations of how marrying into a monarchy had brutalized Meghan — and how poor Harry had never gotten over being born second and watching his older brother William be groomed to be king. I felt I was watching two juveniles who simply could not come to grips with the real world.

It is a little suspicious that they just happen to have so many hours of home movies. It made me wonder if they had been planning this TV extravaganza for a long time. There were reports almost as soon as they resigned from their royal duties that they had signed a $100 million contract with Netflix.

Of course, the series explains why they need the money. Staying in a 22-acre estate in Los Angeles, ensuring enough

uniform – especially those separated from their own families. Their families bear a heavy burden and deserve our thanks and respect as well. Let us also be thankful to the first responders and healthcare workers serving on the frontlines to protect the health and well-being of our nation. I hope you will join Renee and I in keeping them and their families in our prayers.

While this past year has certainly been challenging, there is still so much for which to be grateful. And as one year ends and another begins, I am confident that we, as a nation, will be able to come together and build a better future for all Americans.

From the bottom of our hearts, Renee and I would like to wish each of you who celebrate a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am excited to get back to work and to start confronting the many challenges still facing you and your family. Until then, I hope you enjoy time with family and remember what’s most important – our faith, our families, our friends, and the many blessings we enjoy as citizens of the greatest nation on Earth.

Richard Hudson is serving his fifth term representing North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and in House leadership as the Republican Conference Secretary.

security, and traveling in private airplanes, all these aspects of “the simple life” add up.

As I watched the series, it became clear that Meghan was a professional actress. She delivered her lines, occasionally had a tear, and paused at the right moments for the right amount of time.

In all fairness, the most poignant and real parts of the series were Harry’s flashbacks to his mother and the impact Princess Diana’s estrangement from the royal family and her death had on him as a child. His memories of his mother and the clips of her interviews in which Princess Diana described how the royal family mistreated her are compelling. They help us understand how easy it was for Harry and Meghan to cast themselves as the next generation of the same trauma. In a sense, Harry and Meghan are reliving the tragedy of Princess Diana as their own experience.

However, I found it hard to feel sympathy for a couple who have had almost everything. When Meghan described the estrangement from her father, I wondered if at least a little of that isn’t a comment on her. When Harry described the wicked staff at the palace leaking attacks, I wondered about the value of all the good things the palace had done.

There is a telling moment early on when the queen rejected Harry and Meghan’s request to live in Windsor Castle and instead gives them Frogmore Cottage. Only when I looked it up did I learn it has ten bedrooms. So, being denied Windsor Castle and forced into a ten-bedroom mansion (which they call a cottage) set the stage for Meghan’s feeling of alienation. Really?

You may want to watch the series for yourself. It is a nice break from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Iranian effort to get nuclear weapons, the North Korean ballistic missile launches, the excruciatingly petty conflicts and gossip of Washington politics, and, in our case, the tragic Green Bay Packers season.

You may find yourself rooting for Harry and Meghan in their desperate search for happiness in a cold world of nasty royal family staff and vicious British newspapers.

Happy New Year.

Harry and Meghan as a series is not — repeat not — magic.

COLUMN

TENNIS

Martina

Navratilova diagnosed with throat, breast cancer

New York

Tennis great Martina Navratilova says she has been diagnosed with throat cancer and breast cancer. The 18time Grand Slam singles champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame said in a statement released Monday that her prognosis is good and she will start treatment this month. The 66-year-old said she noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck while attending the seasonending WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in November, and a biopsy showed early stage throat cancer. While Navratilova was undergoing tests on her throat, the unrelated, early stage breast cancer was discovered.

GOLF Masters invitation goes to the wrong Scott Stallings

Hawaii

Kapalua,

Scott Stallings received the best package of all for Christmas because it included an invitation to play in the Masters. One problem. It wasn’t delivered to the Scott Stallings who plays on the PGA Tour. The golfer says a Georgia man by the same name received the package and reached out to him on Instagram. The man says it didn’t take long to realize the invitation wasn’t meant for him. Stallings thinks the invitation was sent to his old management company and the man happened to live next door to the building. He says he’ll be sending the other Scott Stallings practice-round tickets for Augusta National.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

BYU offensive lineman Veikoso dies in construction accident

Honolulu Brigham Young University offensive lineman Sione Veikoso was killed in a construction accident in his hometown in Hawaii. His family confirmed that the 22-year-old died Friday after a retaining wall he was helping repair during holiday break from school collapsed. The Honolulu Fire Department reported that three others were injured when the rock wall partially fell behind a home in Kailua. Veikoso had completed his first season at BYU, where he transferred after one year at Arizona State. After high school, Veikoso spent two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Manaus, Brazil, before enrolling in college.

SOCCER

Cristiano Ronaldo makes move to Saudi Arabian club

London Saudi Arabian soccer club

Al Nassr has announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo last week, ending speculation about the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future. Ronaldo had been a free agent since his contract was terminated by Manchester United following an explosive TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners. He is coming off a disappointing World Cup where he was benched in the knockout rounds and Portugal lost in the quarterfinals to Morocco.

QB Bennett: Georgia must fix mistakes to win another title

in the locker room, we had two three-and-outs to start the second half. Like that doesn’t happen, and that falls on me, and that falls on our offense. We’ve got to fix that. So we’re going to go to work.”

ATHENS, Ga. — No. 1 Georgia is far from satisfied despite being unbeaten and one win away from back-to-back national championships,

Coach Kirby Smart and quarterback Stetson Bennett said Saturday night’s 42-41 College Football Playoff semifinal win over Ohio State showed flaws the Bulldogs must fix in practice this week. That need to improve provides extra motivation for the national championship game against quarterback Max Duggan and No. 3 TCU on Jan. 9 in Inglewood, California.

“We didn’t play our best game, starting with me,” Bennett said after the Peach Bowl win over the Buckeyes. “Coach Smart said

Bennett, the former walk-on who last season led Georgia to its first national title since 1980, has usually saved his best performances for the biggest stages. He delivered another clutch effort with two fourth quarter scoring passes against Ohio State as the Bulldogs rallied after trailing by two touchdowns.

Overall, Bennett threw for a career-high 398 yards with three touchdowns, but he bemoaned his mistakes, including an interception, that helped place Georgia in a 38-24 deficit in the fourth quarter. Noah Ruggles’ 50-yard field goal attempt for Ohio State with three seconds remaining sailed wide left, setting off a celebration

on the Georgia sideline.

“Got to go back and look at the tape and see what we could clean up because it felt like there was a 30-minute period there where I just played bad football,” Bennett said. “So we’ve got to fix that.”

Bennett, who also ran for a touchdown, was named offensive MVP for his fourth consecutive postseason game, including both CFP games last season.

Georgia’s proud defense has set season highs for points allowed in two straight games, including a 50-30 win over LSU in the Southeastern Conference championship game. After allowing 502 passing yards to LSU, the Bulldogs gave up 348 yards with four touchdowns through the air to Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.

Georgia’s defense allowed 10 or fewer points in six regular season games, including two shutouts, but defensive back Javon Bullard says expectations change in the

offseason when facing the nation’s top teams.

“We knew coming into the game, it wouldn’t be perfect,” said Bullard, the defensive MVP. “You come into a game like this, college playoff, we know you are going to give up some plays, they are going to make some plays, we’re going to make some plays. You can’t get too high up and can’t get too low.”

The defense will be challenged by high-scoring TCU in the national championship game. The Horned Frogs average 41.1 points per game to rank fifth in the nation following a 51-45 win over No. 2 Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.

Georgia, which leaned heavily on its defense in its 2021 national championship season, fell from second to fifth in the nation in scoring defense, at 14.79 points allowed per game.

Smart said the Bulldogs “didn’t play our best football game” against Ohio State. “If we want any chance at winning a national championship, we have to play a lot better football,” he said.

Georgia had a team meeting on Monday to review the Ohio State game and will open practice for the national championship game on Tuesday.

Panthers’ failure to reach playoffs hurts Wilks’ job hopes

Carolina has gone 5-6 since

CHARLOTTE — Steve Wilks’ bid to become Carolina’s next fulltime head coach took a huge hit Sunday after the Panthers blew an 11-point fourth quarter lead and lost 30-24 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, eliminating them from playoff contention.

Wilks is 5-6 since taking over as interim coach for Matt Rhule, who was fired after Week 5.

And while Wilks has the support of the players in the locker room, it seems unlikely it will be enough to save his job as owner David Tepper heads into decision-making mode. Tepper has endured five straight losing seasons since purchasing the team in 2018 for a then-record $2.3 billion, and his patience has to be growing thin.

So while Wilks finally gave the Panthers (6-10) an identity they so sorely needed by developing a physical style and smash-mouth running game, the reality is most owners prefer to start fresh rather than promote an interim coach.

Since 2000, 40 NFL coaches have held the interim tag after the head coach was fired or left the team midseason. Of those, only 10 have gone on to earn a full-time head coaching job the following season. The most recent to do it was Jacksonville’s Doug Marrone in 2016.

Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore would love to see Wilks return, saying he has brought accountability to the locker room.

“There are a lot of people being up front and honest,” Moore said.

“When you mess up, they are going to let you know. It’s not going to be sugar-coated, and everyone on the team is going to know that you messed up. So you ain’t gonna want to get embarrassed on film in front of the team.”

Wilks, a Charlotte native, knew it was an uphill battle at the time but said he didn’t blink whatsoever when accepting the position.

Wilks certainly had his chances to make Tepper’s decision more difficult.

The Panthers controlled their own playoff destiny three different weeks down the stretch, but the key all along to winning the NFC South was beating Tampa Bay in Week 17.

Carolina shut down Brady 21-3 in a Week 7 win — Wilks’ first victory — and led 14-0 on Sunday, but the seven-time Super Bowl champion came back to tear up a depleted secondary and gave the Bucs the division title by scoring 20 points in the final 14 minutes.

The Panthers will close their season against the Saints, a game the team is probably better off losing as it would assure them a top10 draft pick in April.

The Bulldogs will face TCU on Jan. 9

The Associated Press

the interim coach took over

The Associated Press

AP PHOTO

Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks yells during Carolina’s home game against the Steelers on Dec. 18.

AP PHOTO

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett celebrates with coach Kirby Smart after the Bulldogs won the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 to advance to the national championship game against TCU.

Cougars surprise Randleman girls for tourney title

CLIMAX – Southwestern Randolph’s three-game sweep of girls’ basketball games in the Davidson-Randolph Christmas Classic was far from ordinary.

The Cougars knocked off previously undefeated Randleman 4847 in Thursday night’s championship game.

Caressa King scored 19 points on the way to being named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Randleman (12-1) lost a regular-season game for the first time since the abbreviated season in the 2020-21 school year. It was also the Tigers’ first loss to a Randolph County team since that season.

Southwestern Randolph avenged a 55-41 home loss from Dec. 16 in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. The teams are slated to meet again Jan. 27 at Randleman.

Maddie Strider and Jordin George were all-tournament picks for the Cougars (10-3).

Southwestern Randolph defeated Thomasville 66-9 in the first round. Next, the Cougars topped South Davidson 52-41 in the semifinals, when Maddie Small had 14 points, and George posted 11 points.

Gracyn Hall of Randleman also made the all-tournament team.

Randleman received a firstround bye and then defeated North Davidson 56-49 in the semifinals, with Elizabeth York scoring 16 points and Hall adding 15.

Asheboro’s girls went 1-2 with losses to West Davidson (by 5148), and Providence Grove (6646) sandwiched around a rout of

Thomasville (by 56-5). Providence Grove lost to North Davidson by 59-49 before a bye and then the Asheboro game.

** At Ledford, host Ledford won the title by defeating Davie County 46-37 in the final.

Kennedy Jackson of Trinity was picked for the all-tournament team.

Lexington defeated Trinity 6054 in the third-place game. Trinity began the tournament with a 4331 victory against West Davidson, as Autumn Gentry had 18 points. Then the Bulldogs lost 69-31 to Davie County.

Wheatmore won its last two games for fifth place after an opening 50-39 loss to Davie County. The Warriors stopped West Davidson 56-41, with Rian Perry registering 21 points, and blasted East Davidson 54-31, with Bri Hill providing 16 points.

Uwharrie Charter Academy managed seventh place by decking West Davidson 57-35 behind Chloe Painter’s 15 points. Earlier, the Eagles lost to Lexington by 5828 and to East Davison by 49-45 despite Ashara Spuill’s 21 points.

Boys’ basketball

At Climax, Thomasville won the tournament’s Providence Grove site championship by defeating Asheboro 72-56 in the final behind the play of tournament MVP Bryce McCoy.

It was Thomasville’s second victory against the Blue Comets in a 10-night span.

Jerquarius Stanback of Asheboro and James Ellis of Providence Grove were all-tournament selections.

Asheboro had a first-round bye and then defeated Providence

Grove 80-62 behind 19 points from Stanback and 16 points apiece from Tanner Marsh and Camden Walker.

Providence Grove opened with a 55-43 victory against North Davidson as Ellis poured in 19 points. Ellis had 13 points in the Asheboro game. The Patriots recovered to capture third place with a 7954 whipping of South Davidson. Randleman fell 55-50 to South Davidson in its tournament opener and then knocked off Southwestern Randolph 58-52 in the consolation round. Greg Price had 19 points as Randleman won the fifth-place game by 62-49 against North Davidson.

Southwestern Randolph began with a 58-38 loss to Thomasville. The Cougars played just twice because of the seven-team bracket.

** At Ledford, Davie County defeated Ledford 50-46 in the title game.

Dominic Payne and Dylan Hodges of third-place Trinity were all-tournament choices.

Hodges had 20 points when Trinity won its first tournament game with a 75-37 whipping of West Davidson. The Bulldogs fell 64-38 to Davie County despite Hodges’ 19 points.

Trinity finished the tournament by handling Uwharrie Charter Academy 74-28, with Dominic Payne pumping in 31 points and Hodges notching 14 points.

UCA won 69-67 in the first round against Lexington, with Ashton Troutman pouring in 34 points. Troutman had 27 points in a 55-49 semifinal loss to Ledford.

Wheatmore lost 69-48 to Davie County and then defeated West Davidson 50-48 as Tristan Hammonds hit a winning 3-point shot. In the fifth-place game, the War-

Marsh finds Liberty destination

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Tanner Marsh said he had lots of guidance when determining his best path in baseball after he leaves Asheboro High School.

That ultimately led the versatile player to sign with Liberty during the fall signing period.

“All of my brothers are in college playing baseball, and I had good advice,” Marsh said.

He also had extensive playing time in the summer, largely with Randolph County Post 45. He said manager Ronnie Pugh and the staff helped him boost his profile.

“They know a lot about baseball,” he said.

Marsh, who’s frequently a leadoff batter, said he’s expecting to play as a shortstop at Liberty. He’s also a pitcher for Asheboro and Post 45.

“Before I started getting recruited, I didn’t know Liberty was a thing,” Marsh said, noting that he received a boost when college recruiters saw him during the State Games of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. “They liked the way I carried myself on the field.”

Asheboro has other college prospects under coach Brett Hoogkamp. Davis Gore, a catcher among other positions, signed with Division II Belmont Abbey.

“He does well at numerous positions,” Hoogkamp said of Gore, who also has spent time as a third baseman, outfielder, and pitcher.

Josh Meadows, a power hitter who’s a first baseman and outfielder, could land on the college level.

Tanner Marsh’s signing added to a family tradition.

Tristan Marsh began his college stops at Coastal Carolina. Trevor Marsh is in the UNC Wilmington program, and Tatum Marsh is set for another season at Brunswick Community College.

Hoogkamp said that family

factor has served the youngest Marsh well.

“He’s always trying to compete with this,” Hoogkamp said. “He has figured a lot of things out. He’s loaded with talent. He does pretty well in all areas of the game.”

Tanner Marsh, 17, has more to accomplish for the Blue Comets. He’s a starting guard on the basketball team and another baseball season in the spring.

Gage Miller, a third baseman and pitcher, left the Asheboro program for his senior year to join Holly Springs-based Pro5 Academy. He’s a former North Carolina State commit, but in late November, he announced his intention to attend Division I newcomer Queens of Charlotte.

Dylan Hodges

Trinity, boys’ basketball

Hodges is turning in a splendid senior season on the basketball court.

He was the team’s only player to score in double figures in every game last week as the Bulldogs placed third in the Ledford bracket of the Davidson-Randolph Christmas Classic.

Hodges racked up 20, 19, and 14 points in those games.

Hodges, who also has excelled in football and as a high jumper in track and field, is the only senior in the regular rotation for the basketball team.

The Bulldogs entered the new year with a 12-3 record.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Eastern Randolph boys claim tourney title

SANFORD – It was quite a week for Eastern Randolph’s basketball teams. The Wildcats won three games in the Lee County Christmas Classic in boys’ basketball to capture the tournament championship.

Eastern Randolph nipped host Lee County 81-77, rolled past Western Harnett 103-47, and then took down Middle Creek 75-68 in the championship game.

That pushed the Wildcats’ record to 10-1. Eastern Randolph won eight games all of last season.

Davonte Brooks scored 17 vs. Lee County, 42 points vs. Western Harnett, and 29 points vs. Middle Creek. He grabbed 22 rebounds in the Western Harnett game and had 16 boards in the title game. Those were all part of a three-day effort that resulted in his selection as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

All-tournament selection Timothy Brower of Eastern Randolph had games of 15 points, 16 points, and 21 points.

In girls’ basketball at Manteo, Eastern Randolph went on the road and toppled previously undefeated Manteo 60-43 behind Brecken Snotherly’s 28 points.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL Dylan Hodges of Trinity takes a shot against Oak Ridge earlier this season.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Eastern Randolph senior Pierce Leonard, shown here earlier this season, had scoring games of 10, 11, and 12 points in the Lee County Christmas Classic.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Randolph Record

Asheboro’s baseball prospects make various choices

Randolph Record

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Caressa King, the eventual tournament Most Valuable Player from Southwestern Randolph, goes up for a shot against Thomasville in the Davidson-Randolph Christmas Classic at Providence Grove.

Asheboro shortstop Tanner Marsh makes a throw during the 2022 season.

Dems, GOP have distinct priorities for 2023: AP-NORC poll

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Eva Guzman’s expenses have swelled, but she feels comfortable financially thanks to the savings she and her late husband stockpiled for a rainy day. Nevertheless, the 80-year-old retired library clerk in San Antonio limits trips to the grocery store, adjusts the thermostat to save on utilities and tries to help her grandchildren and great-grandchildren get what they need.

It was difficult to raise her own four children, Guzman said, but she and her husband were able to manage. She doesn’t know how young families today stay financially afloat with such high prices for groceries and clothes.

“It’s really gotten worse in this age for a lot of people,” said Guzman, who identifies as a conservative and blames President Joe Biden for inflation and economic instability. “It’s really getting out of hand.”

Like Guzman, 30% of people in the United States consider inflation a high priority for the country, named in an open-ended question as one of up to five issues for the government to work on in 2023,

according to a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s roughly twice the percentage as a year ago, though down from 40% in June, with inflation easing somewhat despite remaining high.

Overall, the economy in general remains a bipartisan issue, men-

tioned by most U.S. adults across party lines. But the poll finds Republicans and Democrats have sharply distinct views of priorities for the country in the new year. More Republicans than Democrats name inflation, gas and food prices, energy and immigration, while Democrats focus on health care, climate change, poverty, racism,

abortion and women’s rights.

There is broad skepticism from members of both parties that progress will be made on the issues about which the public most cares. In the poll results and in interviews with the AP, many people cite hostile political divisions as part of the problem.

Glenn Murray, a 59-year-old in Little Mountain, South Carolina, also called out the distance between the left and the right, wishing that politicians would recognize the “truth in the middle.”

Murray, a moderate Republican, thinks inflation and the economy are critical issues and he worries that the U.S. will soon face a recession. But he is also concerned about energy policy, suggesting the nation’s reliance on foreign oil is driving up gas prices, and he describes the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border as “unsustainable.”

“I definitely understand that immigration is what helped build this country ... but you have to have guardrails,” said Murray, who works for a university’s audit services. “You just can’t open the gates and let everyone in that wants to come in.”

Named by 45% of Republicans, immigration is one of the GOP’s leading priorities. The Supreme Court recently extended Trumpera pandemic restrictions on people seeking asylum, as thousands of migrants gathered on the Mexico side of the border seeking to the enter the United States.

Roughly 2 in 10 Republicans also name crime, foreign policy issues, energy and health care. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to specifically name inflation, 37% vs. 26%, and gas prices, 22% vs. 7%.

Among Democrats, about 4 in 10 rank climate change and health care, 3 in 10 prioritize gun issues and roughly one-quarter name education and abortion or women’s rights. Roughly 2 in 10 Democrats name racism and poverty.

About three-quarters of U.S. adults say they are not confident in the ability of the federal government to make progress on the important problems facing the country in 2023, according to the poll.

About one-third of Republicans and Democrats name the state of politics as a critical issue facing the country.

Michael Holcomb, a 35-year-old audio technician in Los Angeles, wants less polarization in the election process, which he thinks leads politicians to be more extreme. But he sees the issue as extending beyond politics.

“I think that it’s more of a cultural problem,” the independent said. “We all have to figure out a way to get past it.”

I love you’: Aide recounts Benedict’s last words

The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s last words were “Lord, I love you,” his longtime secretary said Sunday, quoting a nurse who helped care for the 95-year-old former pontiff in his final hours.

Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, a German prelate who lived in the Vatican monastery where Benedict took up residence after his 2013 retirement, said the nurse recounted hearing Benedict utter those words at about 3 a.m. Saturday. The retired pope died later that morning.

“Benedict XVI, with a faint voice but in a very distinct way, said in Italian, ‘Lord, I love you,’’’ Gaenswein told the Vatican’s official media, adding that it happened when the aides tending to Benedict were changing shifts.

“I wasn’t there in that moment, but the nurse a little later recounted it,’’ the archbishop said. “They were his last comprehensible words, because afterwards, he wasn’t able to express himself any more.”

Gaenswein did not identify the male nurse who shared the information.

Earlier, the Vatican said that Pope Francis went to pay his respects immediately after Gaenswein called to inform him of Benedict’s death shortly after 9:30 a.m. Saturday Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis stayed in Benedict’s monastery for quite some time before returning to his residence in a hotel located across the Vatican Gardens.

During New Year’s Day remarks on Sunday, Francis prayed for his

predecessor’s passage to heaven and expressed thanks for Benedict’s lifetime of service to the church.

Francis departed briefly from reading his homily during a morning Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica to pray aloud for Benedict.

“Today we entrust to our Blessed Mother our beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, so that she may accompany him in his passage from this world to God,” he said.

The basilica is set to host Benedict’s coffin for three days of view-

ing that start Monday.

Rome Prefect Bruno Frattasi, an Interior Ministry official, told Italian state TV that “no fewer than 25,000, 30,000” mourners were expected to file past the coffin on Monday.

On Sunday, Benedict’s body lay on a burgundy-colored bier in the chapel of the monastery where he had lived during his nearly decade-long retirement. He was dressed in a miter, the headgear of a bishop, and a red cloak-like vest-

ment.

A rosary was placed in his hand. Behind him, visible in photos released by the Vatican, were the chapel’s altar and a decorated Christmas tree.

Francis remembered Benedict again later Sunday while addressing thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square. He told the crowd that “in these hours, we invoke her intercession, in particular for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who, yesterday morning, left this world.”

“Let us unite all together, with one heart and one soul, in giving thanks to God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the church,’’ Francis said, speaking from a window of the Apostolic Palace to pilgrims and tourists below.

The square will be the setting for Benedict’s funeral led by Francis on Thursday morning. The service will be a simple one, the Vatican has said, in keeping with the wishes of Benedict. Before he was elected pope in 2005, Benedict was a German cardinal who served as the Church’s guardian of doctrinal orthodoxy.

In recent years, Francis hailed Benedict’s stunning decision to become the first pope to resign in 600 years and has made clear he’d consider such a step as an option for himself.

Hobbled by knee pain, Francis, 86, on Sunday arrived in the basilica in a wheelchair and took his place in a chair for the Mass, which was being celebrated by the Vatican’s secretary of state.

Francis, who has repeatedly decried the war in Ukraine and its devastation, recalled those who are victims of war, passing the year-end holidays in darkness, cold and fear.

“At the beginning of this year, we need hope, just as the Earth needs rain,” Francis said in his homily.

While addressing the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, the pope cited the “intolerable” war in Ukraine, which began more than 10 months ago, and conflicts elsewhere other places in the world.

Yet, Francis said, “let us not lose hope” that peace will prevail.

‘Lord,

AP PHOTO

Signs advertise Black Friday deals at a Walmart in Secaucus, N.J., Nov. 22, 2022.

AP PHOTO

Pope Francis holds attends a Mass for the solemnity of St. Mary at the beginning of the new year, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023.

obituaries

James Vernon Brewer

January 13, 1945 — December 31, 2022

Mr. James Vernon Brewer, age 77 passed into the arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ, on Saturday, December 31, 2022. He was born in Moore County on January 13, 1945 to the late Alma Cassady Brewer and the late James Otis Brewer.

James was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in Germany from 1965 – 1967. He retired after 36 ½ years from Union Carbide/Energizer. James was a faithful member of Antioch Christian Church in Seagrove and served as a deacon in his church. James loved God, his family, his church and the many close friends that touched his life.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 44 years, Gale Voss Brewer; son, Tal Brewer and wife, Shuni of Williamsburg, VA ; grandsons, Paxton and Mathias Brewer of Williamsburg VA.; half-brother Jimmy Brewer of Beaux Bridge, Louisiana, many cousins, nieces, and nephews plus his devoted canine pet, Lil Bit.

Kathleen Chriscoe Whatley

August 7, 1929 — December 29, 2022

Emily Kathleen Chriscoe

Whatley of Asheboro, North Carolina passed away on December 29, 2022. She was the widow of Lowell McKay Whatley, who died in 1989. Mrs. Whatley was the daughter of Walter Boyd Chriscoe and Lora Rose Chriscoe. She was born in Marston, NC, on August 7, 1929, but lived primarily in Seagrove and Asheboro. She married Captain Whatley on August 1, 1953, at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he was stationed.

Mrs. Whatley is survived by Lowell McKay (Mac) Whatley, Jr. of Franklinville, NC and his sons Sergeant (E-5) Vladimir Whatley (Molly) of Raleigh and Roman Bogdanov (Valentina) of Cyprus; Jill Annette Whatley (Nina Foust) of Morehead City; and Michael Jac Whatley (Kathy), of Spring Lake, N.C. Jac’s children are Virginia Kathleen (Katie) Whatley Noble and (Chad) and their sons, Ryder and Brody and Michael Meiburg DeWhatley (Megan) and their son, Davis, of Austin, Texas.

Mrs. Whatley graduated from Seagrove High School in 1947, and from Meredith College in 1952, with an AB degree in Business Education. Later she received a Master of Education degree from UNC-Greensboro and began work for the Asheboro City Schools, teaching business and typing at Asheboro High.

She later became the media coordinator at Guy B. Teachey School where she served for over twenty-five years until her retirement in 1989. She was a nominee for the Randolph County Teacher of the Year in 1984.

Lisa Renee Smith Hill

September 14, 1973 — December 27, 2022

Lisa Renee Smith Hill, age 49, of Sophia passed away on Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at the Hinkle Hospice House in Lexington.

Mrs. Hill was born in Forsyth County on September 14, 1973 to Denny Smith, Sr. and Martha Pyrtle Smith. Lisa was a graduate of East Forsyth High School and was employed with Quest Diagnostics. She was preceded in death by her father. Lisa loved to be outdoors, fishing, hunting, and riding 4-wheelers. She loved going to the beach with her family and she loved her dog, Bandit.

She is survived by her husband, Shane Hill; children, Christopher Lee Craddock, Jr. and wife Ashley of Walkertown, Dylan Austin King of Walkertown, and Samantha Nicole King of Winston-Salem; grandchildren, Spencer and Alexa Craddock; mother, Martha Miller of Stokesdale; brother, Denny Kelvin Smith, Jr. and wife Valerie of Meadows of Dan, VA; sister, Dana Edwards and husband Shane of Walkertown; several nieces and nephews; and her faithful canine companion, Bandit.

Clara "Tip" Brower Nance

February 25, 1929 — December 26, 2022

Clara "Tip" Brower Nance, age 93, of Asheboro passed away on Monday, December 26, 2022 at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital.

Ms. Nance was born in Archdale on February 25, 1929 to Foster and Lillie Comer Brower, the 8th of 13 children. She retired from Union Carbide and was a member of Fayetteville Street Baptist Church. Tip was a 2-time winner of the Women's City Am Golf Tournament earning backto-back victories. In addition to her parents, Tip was preceded in death by 7 brothers, Lacy, Farrell, Cliff, Talmage, Bud, Edward, and Jerry, and 2 sisters, Colleen and baby girl Brower. She enjoyed being outdoors and doing yard work.

She is survived by her sisters, Faye Allen of Star, Iris Powers (Buddy) of Denton, and Margaret Comer (Clement) of Seagrove.

Julia Esther Frutos Gomez

June 4, 1975 — December 25, 2022

Julia Esther Frutos Gómez, 47, passed away in her home on December 25, 2022. She was born on June 4, 1975, in Monterrey, Mexico to María del Carmen Flores Gómez and Francisco Frutos Márquez.

Throughout her life, Julia dedicated her time to her family–her parents and siblings, and later to her children. For several years, Julia was a stay-at-home mother, dedicating all her time to her three children, Carmen Julia Pinales Frutos, Perla Cecilia Pinales Frutos, and Giovanni Pinales Frutos. Later in life, Julia lived for several years in Virginia and was formerly employed at El Norteño and Los Norteños as a server. After moving to North Carolina, Julia was also formerly employed at San Felipe Mexican Restaurant and Don Julio Mexican Restaurant.

Julia enjoyed going out for coffee with her children and friends, at home, she enjoyed making jewelry and watching novelas and movies with her children. Julia was a spirited and resilient woman who touched the lives of many.

Bobby Jackson Clark

October 15, 1937 — December 28, 2022

Bobby Jackson Clark, 85, of Snow Camp, passed away on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.

Mr. Clark was born in Chatham County on October 15, 1937, the son of the late Robert and Maude York Clark.

Bobby served on the United States National Guard. He spent his working years as a Truck Driver and farmer. He was an avid card player.

He is survived by his children, Jeff Clark and wife Stephanie, Chad Clark and wife Jennifer, and Laurie Clark Branson and husband Ronnie, all of Snow Camp; sister, Carolyn Buckner of Siler City; 9 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren.

The family would like to give a very special Thank You to Donna Bare and family.

Memorials may be made to the local Hospice of your choice.

Siblings who predeceased her were John Wesley Chriscoe, Broadus Chriscoe, Colwell Chriscoe, and Vera Mae Jenkins. She is survived by her sister, Julia Anne Marsh as well as her brother, Bobby Neal Chriscoe. She had numerous nephews and nieces of whom she was very proud.

Elizabeth "Libby" Graham Molina

April 30, 1971 — December 30, 2022

Elizabeth "Libby" Graham Molina, 51, of Star, passed away on December 30, 2022 at First Health Moore Regional Hospital.

Libby was born in McAllen, Texas on April 30, 1971, to David and Gloria Hawkins Graham.

She is survived by her husband, Richard Molina of the home; daughter, Amy Molina of Star; parents, David and Gloria Graham of Winfield, KS; sister, Tamara McEwen of Winfield, KS; and three grandchildren.

October 24, 1938 — January 1, 2023

Betty Lou Coggins Davis, 84, of Biscoe, passed away on January 1, 2023, at First Health Hospice House.

Betty was born in Montgomery County on October 24, 1938, to Clarence and Ila Covington Coggins.

In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husbands, Reece T. Davis and Robert Lee Johnson, daughter, Teresa Maynard, brother, Jack Coggins, grandson, Chad Maynard, and sister, Bernice Brooks.

She is survived by her daughters Julie Daniels of Biscoe; Adriana Paschal (Gary) of Asheboro; sons, Jeff T. Davis of Star, Bob Davis of Biscoe; sister Joann Spivey of Star, and brother Max Coggins (Lorine) of Biscoe. Grandchildren Garrett Maynard, Josh Maynard, Matthew Maynard, Mitchell Davis and Robert Wayne Davis Jr., Jacob Davis, Colby Robinson, and Nicholas Paschal. Great grandchildren Destinee, Dylan, Mason, Cole, Ila, Julianna, Emma and baby Davis; great great grandchild, Noah.

James Lewis Homesley

January 4, 1947 — December 23, 2022

James "Foss" Lewis Homesley, 75, of Goldston, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones at his home on Friday, December 23, 2022.

Mr. Homesley was born in Lee County on January 4, 1947, the son of James and Frances Boyd Homesley.

James was a United States Navy Veteran who proudly served his country during the Vietnam War. He loved his dog, Dylan. He enjoyed watching Nascar and was a huge Earnhardt fan. James liked being outside, whether it was to go fishing or watching the hummingbirds fly around. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his sister, Pat Mills; and brothers, Greg and Freddy Homesley.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Ann Beal Homesley; daughter, Niki Homesley; granddaughters who he was the best Poppy to ever, Sydney and Sienna Homesley; sister in Law, Jill Homesley of Raleigh, Bet Blakeley and husband Pat of Goldston; mother in law, Lilly Beal of Goldston; sister in law, Hope Stevenson of Goldston, and brother in law, Melvin Beal and wife Shelia of Goldston.

January 13, 1944 — January 1, 2023

Jerry Wayne Britt, 78, of Biscoe, passed away on January 1, 2023 at First Health Moore Regional Hospital.

Jerry was born in Forsyth County on January 13, 1944, to Ira and Annie Flippin Britt.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his wife, Martha Brady Britt; sisters, Inez Britt, Ruby Branch, and brother Ira Eugene Britt.

He is survived by his daughters, Faye Stephens (Billy) of Biscoe; and Judy Richardson (Jimmy) of Biscoe; sister, Rosemary Winn (Charlie) of Troy; grandchildren, Brittany Mayes (Matthew), James Richardson (Reva), Hunter Stephens (Katie) and Katie Burleson (Jacob). Great grandchildren, Colton Mayes, Natalie Richardson, Allie Stephens, Emily Mayes, Wyatt Richardson, Andie Brooke Stephens, Averie Stephens, Ryan Richardson, Piper Richardson, Amzie Stephens, and Kade McIntyre.

Betty Coggins Davis

Jerry Wayne Britt

STATE & NATION

Police probe motive in attack on officers near Times Square

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Authorities in

New York City are investigating whether a man who attacked three police officers with a machete at a New Year’s Eve celebration, striking two of them, was inspired by radical Islamic extremism, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the matter.

The attack happened a little after 10 p.m. about eight blocks from Times Square, just outside the high-security zone where revelers are screened for weapons. Two of the officers were struck with the machete before an officer shot the man in the shoulder. The two officers were hospitalized, one with a fractured skull and the other with a bad cut, and were expected to recover.

Police did not publicly identify the 19-year-old suspect, but the law enforcement official identified

him to The Associated Press as Trevor Bickford, of Wells, Maine.

Investigators believe Bickford traveled to New York City earlier in the week and are examining whether he came to New York specifically to attack police officers at one of the largest New Year’s celebrations in the world, the law enforcement official said.

New York City police and federal officials are still trying to discern a motive, and investigators have been reviewing Bickford’s online postings, which included some mentions of Islamic extremist views, the official said. The official could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Bickford was expected to recover from the gunshot wound. No charges against him were immediately announced.

Michael Driscoll, the assis-

tant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, said the FBI’s Joint Terrorist Task Force in New York City was investigating but investigators believe the attacker acted alone.

The attack and sound of a gunshot briefly sent some people running, but the festivities in Times Square continued uninterrupted.

Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference early Sunday that he spoke to one of the wounded officers as he was being stitched up at the hospital.

“He was in good spirits,” Adams said. “He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.”

The NYPD mounts a massive security operation every year to keep the New Year’s Eve crowd safe. Thousands of officers are sent to the area, including many new recruits. One of the injured officers just graduated from the police academy on Friday, the may-

or said.

The blocks where the biggest crowds gather to see performances and the midnight ball drop can be accessed only through checkpoints where officers use metal-detecting wands to screen for weapons. Large bags and coolers are

banned. Barriers are set up to prevent vehicle attacks.

The security perimeter extends only so far, though. The attack took place on 8th Avenue, which is often packed with people navigating around the frozen zone or trying to find one of the secure entrances.

US Census Bureau redefines meaning of ‘urban’ America

By Mike Schneider The Associated Press

MORE THAN 1,100 CITIES, towns and villages in the U.S. lost their status as urban areas on Thursday as the U.S. Census Bureau released a new list of places considered urban based on revised criteria.

Around 4.2 million residents living in 1,140 small cities, hamlets, towns and villages that lost their urban designation were bumped into the rural category. The new criteria raised the population threshold from 2,500 to 5,000 people and housing units were added to the definition.

The change matters because rural and urban areas often qualify for different types of federal funding for transportation, housing, health care, education and agriculture. The federal government doesn’t have a standard definition of urban or rural, but the Census Bureau’s definition often provides a baseline.

“The whole thing about urban and rural is all about money,” said Mary Craigle, bureau chief for Montana’s Research and Information Services. “Places that qualify as urban are eligible for transportation dollars that rural areas aren’t, and then rural areas are eligible for dollars that urban areas are not.”

The Census Bureau this year made the biggest modification in decades to the definition of an urban area. The bureau adjusts the definition every decade after a census to address any changes or needs of policymakers and researchers.

The bureau says it is done for statistical purposes and it has no control over how government agencies use the definitions to distribute funding.

There were 2,646 urban areas in the mainland U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. islands on the new list released Thursday.

“This change in definition is a big deal and a substantial change from the Census Bureau’s long-standing

procedures,” said Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire. “It has significant implications both for policy and for researchers.”

Under the old criteria, an urbanized area needed to have at least 50,000 residents. An urban cluster was defined as having at least 2,500 people, a threshold that had been around since 1910. Under this definition, almost 81% of the U.S. was urban and 19% was rural over the past decade.

Under the new definition, hammered out after the 2020 census, the minimum population required for an area to be considered urban doubled to 5,000 people. Originally, the Census Bureau proposed raising the threshold to 10,000 people but pulled back amid opposition. The new criteria for urban

areas shift the urban-rural ratio slightly, to 79.6% and 20.4%, respectively.

In 1910, a town with 2,500 residents had a lot more goods and services than a town that size does today, “and these new definitions acknowledge that,” said Michael Cline, North Carolina’s state demographer.

With the new criteria, the distinction between an urbanized area and an urban cluster has been eliminated since the Census Bureau determined there was little difference in economic activities between communities larger and smaller than 50,000 residents.

For the first time, the Census Bureau is adding housing units to the definition of an urban area. A place can be considered urban if it has at least 2,000 housing units,

based on the calculation that the average household has 2.5 people.

Among the beneficiaries of using housing instead of people are resort towns in ski or beach destinations, or other places with lots of vacation homes, since they can qualify as urban based on the number of homes instead of full-time residents.

“There are many seasonal communities in North Carolina and this change in definition to housing units may be helpful in acknowledging that these areas are built up with roads, housing, and for at least one part of the year, host many thousands of people,” Cline said.

Housing, instead of population, is also going to be used for density measures at the level of census blocks, which typically have several hundred people and are the building blocks of urban areas. The Cen-

sus Bureau said using housing units instead of population will allow it to make updates in fast-growing areas in between the once-a-decade censuses.

But there’s another reason for switching to housing units instead of population: the Census Bureau’s controversial new tool for protecting the privacy of participants in its head counts and surveys. The method adds intentional errors to data to obscure the identity of any given participant, and it is most noticeable in the smallest geographies, such as census blocks.

“The block level data aren’t really reliable and this provides them an opportunity for the density threshold they picked to be on par with the population,” said Eric Guthrie, a senior demographer in the Minnesota State Demographic Center.

AP PHOTO

This photo provided by NYPD, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell address the media during a news conference on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.

AP PHOTO, FILE

A portion of the Dorothea Dix Hospital property is seen in the foreground near downtown Raleigh.

HOKE COUNTY

New laws coming 2023

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Head-on collision leaves 2 dead in Hoke County

Last Tuesday, authorities received a report about a head-on collision on NC Highway 211 just north of Sanders Road. According to the officers from the State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred after a pickup truck crossed the center line and crashed into a dump truck. The two occupants of the pickup truck – Juventino Morales and Juan Carlos FloresMedina – both passed away. Both individuals were from Raeford. The driver of the dump truck received only minor injuries. At this time, the names of the victims have not been released to the public, and state troopers are still investigating the crash.

Man already in jail connected to 2nd Cumberland County murder

A Fayetteville man already in the Cumberland County Detention Center has been arrested in connection to a second murder, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Zachary Maurice Richardson, 34, was arrested last Friday for the murder of 58-year-old Don Flournoy, which took place on October 28. This additional murder charge comes just a month after Richardson was arrested and extradited from Wayne County, Georgia, for the murder of Lowell Anderson on November 26. Anderson was shot outside an apartment complex on the 3500 block of Town St. near Fayetteville and Hope Mills. Richardson is currently being held without bond for firstdegree murder. His first court appearance is scheduled for this Friday at 2:30 pm. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at (910) 677-6592.

Hoke prep sports in review

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

IT WAS A YEAR of tough sledding for many of the varsity teams at Hoke County High School.

The Sandhills 3A/4A Conference, of which the Fighting Bucks are a part, features some tough opponents from around the region. The conference hosts teams from Pinecrest, Scotland, Richmond, Lee County, Union Pines, and Southern Lee.

However, the Bucks did see some areas of steady improvement in many of their sports throughout 2022.

The boys’ basketball team saw solid results on the season to start the year, finishing off with a winning record overall, 12-8, and in conference play, 7-5.

Senior Jeremiah Melvin led the Bucks on both ends of the court, averaging 13.4 points per game on 57% shooting, as well as recording 9.9 rebounds and 0.8

blocks per game.

The Bucks came up just short of in the second round of the state 3A/4A championships, losing to Athens Drive 50-49.

However, this season’s team has had a bit more of a struggle, with only a 4-10 record and 1-1 conference record so far.

In girls’ basketball, the Bucks managed to win their first conference game since the 2018-19 season.

The football team also saw some improvements over its last two seasons, finishing 5-6 overall and 3-3 in conference play.

The boys ran into some bad luck in the first round of the state playoffs, having to go against the number one seed in their region. However, one bright spot was senior running back Ethan Wallace, who ran for 1679 yards and 31 total touchdowns on the season.

Wallace had seven games of 100+ yards and carried the bulk

of the Bucks’ offense throughout the season, accounting for 31 of the team’s 45 touchdowns on the season.

The soccer team also finished with a solid record, with an overall record of 11-8-1 and a conference record of 6-6-1, good enough for 3rd in the Sandhills 3A/4A conference.

It was a bit of a step down from previous years, but the team still had good results, led by freshman midfielder Pedro Ramos who had 16 goals and eight assists in 19 games. Ramos also took 55 shots on the year.

The girl’s soccer team, however, took a major step backward after a fruitful 2020-21 season in which they went 7-6. This year they went 2-14-3 and just 1-9-2 in conference play.

The girl’s volleyball team also was one of the programs that saw major improvements, going from 1-19 overall and 0-12 in conference play the year before to going

Appeals court restores NC law addressing farm labor

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A North Carolina law preventing legal settlements between farms and workers from requiring a farm operation to become a union employer doesn’t violate the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday while overturning a lower court decision.

The decision by a panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, restores a provision contained in a 2017 farm law that was challenged by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee — the state’s only farmworker union with several thousand members.

U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs had ordered in 2021 that the provision be permanently blocked, determining that the language prohibited all settle-

ment agreements between workers and farm operators. But the law’s meaning was misconstrued, Senior Circuit Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote in the threejudge panel’s prevailing opinion.

The “provision is not aimed at precluding settlements based on who the parties are but rather what those settlement conditions say,” Gribbon Motz wrote in reversing Biggs’ decision and vacating the permanent injunction. “We reject the broad reading advanced by FLOC and adopted by the district court that this statutory provision bars any settlement agreement between an agricultural producer and labor union.” Rather, she added, the law says a legal settlement can’t require union recognition or entry into a bargaining agreement.

The appeals court also agreed with Biggs’ decision upholding another section of the 2017 law

that prohibited farming operations from entering into contracts that required farms to collect union dues from workers.

There’s nothing to prevent a farm from collecting dues voluntarily.

Lawyers for FLOC argued in court that the challenged provisions violated their rights of association and discriminated against workers from a legally protected class in a state known for low union membership. About 95% of farmworkers in the state are Latino, primarily of Mexican descent, Wednesday’s opinion said. A substantial portion are noncitizens who enter the country through a federal program to perform seasonal work.

Legislators who advanced the agriculture bill that contained the union language and its allies said the provisions were designed to

8-14 overall and 4-8 in conference play this past season.

Senior Faith Mason helped lead her team’s turnaround with a 24.8 kill percentage and 0.112 hitting percentage.

But perhaps the most significant story from the Fighting Bucks this season was the softball team who finished with a 15-12 overall record, going 8-4 in conference play. It was a major step forward for the team after finishing 2-12 overall and 1-11 in conference the year prior.

A big part of the success was the development of senior Tamarah Lowrey. Lowrey ended the season with a 0.412 batting average, having hit two home runs and accounting for 31 RBIs. She also pitched in all 27 games, earning 12 wins and an ERA of 2.28. Her OBA was 0.182, and her OBP was 0.255.

The softball team made it to the first round of the 4A state championships before falling to Richmond 4-2.

The Hoke County Edition of the North State Journal will continue to report on high school sports as these teams march forward into the new year.

AP PHOTO

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to The Associated Press during a year-end interview at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, Dec. 14, 2022. The new year will place new hurdles in the path of North Carolina’s current and future governors before states of emergency can become long term. A state law taking effect Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, requires governors to gain formal support from other elected officials for their emergency declarations to last beyond 30 and 60 days.

How to complain and get results

By Liz Weston NerdWallet

IF YOU FEEL you have more to complain about these days, you may be right.

The products we use are increasingly complex, which often means they have more ways to malfunction. Companies are still struggling to hire and retain workers, so the customer service representatives who are supposed to help you may not know how. And that’s if you can even get through to a human being after navigating websites, automated chatbots and phone systems that seem designed to thwart you at every turn.

“You’re searching for where to call. Once you get through, you’re going to yell ‘agent!’ in the phone 12 times, and then they send you to the wrong place,” says Scott M. Broetzmann, chief executive of research firm Customer Care Measurement & Consulting in Alexandria, Virginia.

On average, customers made 2.9 contacts with a company while attempting to resolve problems, according to the firm’s 2020 National Customer Rage Study, which polled 1,026 consumers about problems with products or services in the past 12 months. A whopping 58% of respondents who complained got nothing — zero, zilch — as

a result of their efforts. So perhaps it’s not surprising that 65% of those who had a problem experienced consumer rage.

If you want to improve your odds of getting results, and lower your blood pressure, consider the following tips for complaining effectively.

Prepare to persevere

Broetzmann urges people to “pick their battles,” given how much effort is typically required to solve problems and how often they occur. The 2020 study found 66% of American households had at least one problem with products and services they purchased during the past 12 months, compared with 56% in the 2017 version of the survey.

“You will put yourself into a place of exhaustion and depression if you complain about every single thing that went wrong,” Broetzmann says.

Kevin Doyle, an editor at Consumer Reports, suggests people gather all the documentation they might need before reaching out to a company. That could include account, confirmation and order numbers, warranties and notes from previous interactions with company representatives, for example. Missing information could force you to start over on whatever phone or digital

On average, customers made 2.9 contacts with a company while attempting to resolve problems, according to the firm’s 2020 National Customer Rage Study, which polled 1,026 consumers about problems with products or services in the past 12 months.

system you’re using to complain.

Choose your venue

People who make complaints are about as likely to use digital tools such as email, live chats, company websites and social media as they are to pick up the phone, the 2020 study found. Social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter have the advantage of being public, which puts some pressure on the company to resolve the problem. Posting your complaint on social media also bypasses the chatbots, phone trees, hold times and malfunctioning voice recognition software that can make cus -

tomer service such a trial.

But of the 14% of respondents who used social media to complain about their worst problem, nearly half didn’t receive a response from the company, according to the study. So if you’re tempted to turn to social media first, be ready to have a backup plan that involves connecting with a human by phone, email or chat.

Be concise

Part of your preparation should be boiling down your complaint to the essentials, including what happened and — more importantly — how you want the company to fix it. Too many consumers aren’t specific about what they want from the company, Broetzmann says.

Just make sure the remedy you suggest is commensurate with the problem, Doyle says. If the seatback TV didn’t function on your flight, don’t ask for a free ticket; ask for a credit for a drink or a meal on your next trip, he suggests.

“Are you going to get it? Who knows? But chances are, you’re not going to get it unless you ask,” Doyle says.

Resist the urge to explain every twist and turn of your journey, or to overstate your distress for dramatic effect. Extraneous details and exaggerations could make you easier to dismiss.

“Stick to the facts,” Doyle says. “Embellishing it is going to diminish your credibility.”

strengthen North Carolina’s long status as a right-to-work state, according to the opinion. Some legislators wanted to stop what they considered a “coercive practice of using unrelated litigation to pressure agricultural producers into collective bargaining agreements,” Gribbon Motz wrote.

The bill was approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

While “FLOC marshals compelling evidence of our nation’s sordid

history of racial discrimination in the agricultural industry,” Gribbon Motz added, there’s nothing to indicate that legislators focused on FLOC’s racial makeup when drafting the provisions.

Kristi Graunke, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union in North Carolina representing FLOC and a farmworker who sued over the provisions, expressed disappointment with the decision but said the “narrowed interpretation of the statute” could “limit some of its harmful impact.” Outside civil rights, farming, labor and business groups also filed briefs in the case.

Circuit Judge Toby Heytens, who was nominated to the court by President Joe Biden, joined the opinion written by Gribbon Motz, a nominee of President Bill Clinton. Circuit Judge Julius Richardson, a nominee of President Donald Trump, wrote a separate opinion agreeing with the judgment but suggesting the settlement provision could be challenged in state court.

State Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, is a lawsuit defendant and defends state laws in court.

Still, Graunke singled Stein out

for deciding to defend “a law that doubles down on a shameful legacy of racialized discrimination against farmworkers and their unions.” Asked by email about the ruling and the ACLU lawyer’s words directed at him, spokesperson Laura Brewer said late Wednesday that the Attorney General’s office was reviewing the appeals court’s decision.

FLOC has one collective bargaining agreement between its workers and nearly 700 farms within the North Carolina Growers Association, union President Baldemar Velasquez said.

WEEKLY CRIME LOG

Moody, Tahleeb Charles (B/M/38), Assault on a Female, 01/02/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, ♦ McLean, Shotona (B/F/27), Assault - Simple, 12/31/2022, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, ♦ Grant, Shonta Renae (B/F/26), Assault on a Female, 12/31/2022, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, ♦ Jones, Joshua Lynn (I/M/29), Maintain Veh/Dwell/Place CS, 12/30/2022, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, ♦ Jones, Alexis Nicole (I/F/34), Possess Methamphetamine, 12/30/2022, Hoke

County Sheriff’s Office, ♦ Robertson, Alphonso B (B/M/36), AWDWIK - Serious Injury, 12/29/2022, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, ♦ Jackson, Raymond Otoole (B/M/27), Possess Methamphetamine, 12/29/2022, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, ♦ Locklear, James C (I/M/49), B&E, 12/29/2022, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, ♦ Hooker, Marquez (B/M/22), Unauthorized Opening Mail, 12/28/2022, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office,

OPINION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

| U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Faith and faithfulness

FOR MY FAMILY and many of yours, the Christmas season is the best time of the year. It is a time of celebration where we come together with loved ones to share gifts and give thanks for all that is good in our lives – most important to me is the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ.

As we celebrate this holiday season, let us remember all those who have defended that freedom serving in our nation’s uniform – especially those separated from their own families.

Christmas Day marks the birth of Jesus and the fulfillment of God’s promise to all mankind. As it is written in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

The birth of Christ stands as the beginning of the final stage of God’s saving plan for humanity. Born in a manger into the humblest of conditions, the Son of God would come to spread the good news of hope and charity to the people of the world, before suffering death and rising again to grant us salvation.

This is a love story that stands alone and instills a renewed sense of hope to all who believe in Him. It was and remains the greatest story ever told.

My faith is deeply important to me. It gives me the strength to do my job and live each day with purpose and conviction. While there is much in the world that can get us down, I am grateful for the hope that comes from my faith. I am also deeply grateful to live in a country where all people are free to practice their faith, no matter what it might be.

As we celebrate this holiday season, let us remember all those who have defended that freedom serving in our nation’s

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

Harry and Meghan, really?

OK, I WILL ADMIT IT. Callista and I got drawn into the six-part series on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The opening music is reminiscent of Downton Abbey, which we adore and constantly rewatch. It is like an old friend. (We were once lucky enough to have Lady Carnarvon take us through Highclere Castle and share scones and coffee with us. It was magic.)

Harry and Meghan as a series is not — repeat not — magic.

It is the home movie coverage of a train wreck. Loving friends are interviewed about the horrible experience Meghan and Harry have had at the hands of the wicked staff of the “institution.” They also bemoan the sheer jealousy of the royals. (Don’t you love that term? Americans always have a secret thing for the family they rebelled against and defeated for our independence.)

Callista and I have a bias in favor of the royals because we watched “The Crown,” and enjoyed the marvelous performance by Helen Mirren as the late Queen Elizabeth in “The Appointment.” That is a play about the weekly appointment the Queen had with each of her prime ministers, starting with Winston Churchill. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair once told me that he was amazed how much Queen Elizabeth had learned over the years and how helpful her advice was.

So, we watched the self-pitying, whining, and cringeinducing explanations of how marrying into a monarchy had brutalized Meghan — and how poor Harry had never gotten over being born second and watching his older brother William be groomed to be king. I felt I was watching two juveniles who simply could not come to grips with the real world.

It is a little suspicious that they just happen to have so many hours of home movies. It made me wonder if they had been planning this TV extravaganza for a long time. There were reports almost as soon as they resigned from their royal duties that they had signed a $100 million contract with Netflix.

Of course, the series explains why they need the money. Staying in a 22-acre estate in Los Angeles, ensuring enough

uniform – especially those separated from their own families. Their families bear a heavy burden and deserve our thanks and respect as well. Let us also be thankful to the first responders and healthcare workers serving on the frontlines to protect the health and well-being of our nation. I hope you will join Renee and I in keeping them and their families in our prayers.

While this past year has certainly been challenging, there is still so much for which to be grateful. And as one year ends and another begins, I am confident that we, as a nation, will be able to come together and build a better future for all Americans.

From the bottom of our hearts, Renee and I would like to wish each of you who celebrate a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am excited to get back to work and to start confronting the many challenges still facing you and your family. Until then, I hope you enjoy time with family and remember what’s most important – our faith, our families, our friends, and the many blessings we enjoy as citizens of the greatest nation on Earth.

Richard Hudson is serving his fifth term representing North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and in House leadership as the Republican Conference Secretary.

security, and traveling in private airplanes, all these aspects of “the simple life” add up.

As I watched the series, it became clear that Meghan was a professional actress. She delivered her lines, occasionally had a tear, and paused at the right moments for the right amount of time.

In all fairness, the most poignant and real parts of the series were Harry’s flashbacks to his mother and the impact Princess Diana’s estrangement from the royal family and her death had on him as a child. His memories of his mother and the clips of her interviews in which Princess Diana described how the royal family mistreated her are compelling. They help us understand how easy it was for Harry and Meghan to cast themselves as the next generation of the same trauma. In a sense, Harry and Meghan are reliving the tragedy of Princess Diana as their own experience.

However, I found it hard to feel sympathy for a couple who have had almost everything. When Meghan described the estrangement from her father, I wondered if at least a little of that isn’t a comment on her. When Harry described the wicked staff at the palace leaking attacks, I wondered about the value of all the good things the palace had done.

There is a telling moment early on when the queen rejected Harry and Meghan’s request to live in Windsor Castle and instead gives them Frogmore Cottage. Only when I looked it up did I learn it has ten bedrooms. So, being denied Windsor Castle and forced into a ten-bedroom mansion (which they call a cottage) set the stage for Meghan’s feeling of alienation. Really?

You may want to watch the series for yourself. It is a nice break from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Iranian effort to get nuclear weapons, the North Korean ballistic missile launches, the excruciatingly petty conflicts and gossip of Washington politics, and, in our case, the tragic Green Bay Packers season.

You may find yourself rooting for Harry and Meghan in their desperate search for happiness in a cold world of nasty royal family staff and vicious British newspapers.

Happy New Year.

Harry and Meghan as a series is not — repeat not — magic.

COLUMN

SIDELINE REPORT

TENNIS

Martina Navratilova diagnosed with throat, breast

cancer

New York Tennis great Martina Navratilova says she has been diagnosed with throat cancer and breast cancer. The 18time Grand Slam singles champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame said in a statement released Monday that her prognosis is good and she will start treatment this month. The 66-year-old said she noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck while attending the season-ending WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in November, and a biopsy showed early stage throat cancer. While Navratilova was undergoing tests on her throat, the unrelated, early stage breast cancer was discovered.

GOLF

Kapalua, Hawaii Scott Stallings received the best package of all for Christmas because it included an invitation to play in the Masters. One problem. It wasn’t delivered to the Scott Stallings who plays on the PGA Tour. The golfer says a Georgia man by the same name received the package and reached out to him on Instagram. The man says it didn’t take long to realize the invitation wasn’t meant for him. Stallings thinks the invitation was sent to his old management company and the man happened to live next door to the building. He says he’ll be sending the other Scott Stallings practice-round tickets for Augusta National.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

BYU offensive lineman Veikoso dies in construction accident

Honolulu Brigham Young University offensive lineman Sione Veikoso was killed in a construction accident in his hometown in Hawaii. His family confirmed that the 22-year-old died Friday after a retaining wall he was helping repair during holiday break from school collapsed. The Honolulu Fire Department reported that three others were injured when the rock wall partially fell behind a home in Kailua. Veikoso had completed his first season at BYU, where he transferred after one year at Arizona State. After high school, Veikoso spent two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Manaus, Brazil, before enrolling in college.

QB Bennett: Georgia must fix mistakes to win another title

ATHENS, Ga. — No. 1 Georgia is far from satisfied despite being unbeaten and one win away from back-to-back national championships,

Coach Kirby Smart and quarterback Stetson Bennett said Saturday night’s 42-41 College Football Playoff semifinal win over Ohio State showed flaws the Bulldogs must fix in practice this week. That need to improve provides extra motivation for the national championship game against quarterback Max Duggan and No. 3 TCU on Jan. 9 in Inglewood, California.

“We didn’t play our best game, starting with me,” Bennett said after the Peach Bowl win over the Buckeyes. “Coach Smart said in the locker room, we had two threeand-outs to start the second half. Like that doesn’t happen, and that falls on me, and that falls on our offense. We’ve got to fix that. So we’re going to go to work.”

Bennett, the former walk-on who last season led Georgia to its first national title since 1980, has usually saved his best performances for the biggest stages. He delivered another clutch effort with

Overall, Bennett threw for a career-high 398 yards with three touchdowns, but he bemoaned his mistakes, including an interception, that helped place Georgia in a 38-24 deficit in the fourth quarter. Noah Ruggles’ 50-yard field goal attempt for Ohio State with three seconds remaining sailed wide left, setting off a celebration

on the Georgia sideline.

“Got to go back and look at the tape and see what we could clean up because it felt like there was a 30-minute period there where I just played bad football,” Bennett said. “So we’ve got to fix that.”

Bennett, who also ran for a touchdown, was named offensive MVP for his fourth consecutive postseason game, including both CFP games last season.

Georgia’s proud defense has set season highs for points allowed in

two straight games, including a 50-30 win over LSU in the Southeastern Conference championship game. After allowing 502 passing yards to LSU, the Bulldogs gave up 348 yards with four touchdowns through the air to Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.

Georgia’s defense allowed 10 or fewer points in six regular season games, including two shutouts, but defensive back Javon Bullard says expectations change in the offseason when facing the nation’s top teams.

“We knew coming into the game, it wouldn’t be perfect,” said Bullard, the defensive MVP. “You come into a game like this, college playoff, we know you are going to give up some plays, they are going to make some plays, we’re going to make some plays. You can’t get too high up and can’t get too low.”

The defense will be challenged by high-scoring TCU in the national championship game. The Horned Frogs average 41.1 points per game to rank fifth in the nation following a 51-45 win over No. 2 Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.

Georgia, which leaned heavily on its defense in its 2021 national championship season, fell from second to fifth in the nation in scoring defense, at 14.79 points allowed per game.

Smart said the Bulldogs “didn’t play our best football game” against Ohio State. “If we want any chance at winning a national championship, we have to play a lot better football,” he said.

Georgia had a team meeting on Monday to review the Ohio State game and will open practice for the national championship game on Tuesday.

Panthers’ failure to reach playoffs hurts Wilks’ job hopes

CHARLOTTE — Steve Wilks’ bid to become Carolina’s next fulltime head coach took a huge hit Sunday after the Panthers blew an 11-point fourth quarter lead and lost 30-24 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, eliminating them from playoff contention.

Wilks is 5-6 since taking over as interim coach for Matt Rhule, who was fired after Week 5.

And while Wilks has the support of the players in the locker room, it seems unlikely it will be enough to save his job as owner David Tepper heads into decision-making mode. Tepper has endured five straight losing seasons since purchasing the team in 2018 for a then-record $2.3 billion, and his patience has to be growing thin.

So while Wilks finally gave the Panthers (6-10) an identity they so sorely needed by developing a physical style and smash-mouth running game, the reality is most owners prefer to start fresh rather than promote an interim coach.

Since 2000, 40 NFL coaches have held the interim tag after the head coach was fired or left the team midseason. Of those, only 10 have gone on to earn a full-time head coaching job the following season. The most recent to do it was Jacksonville’s Doug Marrone in 2016.

“There are a lot of people being up front and honest,” Moore said. “When you mess up, they are going to let you know. It’s not going to be sugar-coated, and everyone on the team is going to know that you messed up. So you ain’t gonna want to get embarrassed on film in front of the team.”

The

The

Dr. Tony Santangelo, DC, named NC Chiropractic Association Chiropractor of the Year, based on community service & the profression

The Bulldogs will face TCU on Jan. 9

The Associated Press

two fourth quarter scoring passes against Ohio State as the Bulldogs rallied after trailing by two touchdowns.

Carolina has gone 5-6 since the interim coach took over

The Associated Press

Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore would love to see Wilks return, saying he has brought accountability to the locker room.

Wilks, a Charlotte native, knew it was an uphill battle at the time but said he didn’t blink whatsoever when accepting the position.

Wilks certainly had his chances to make Tepper’s decision more difficult.

Panthers controlled their own playoff destiny three different weeks down the stretch, but the key all along to winning the NFC South was beating Tampa Bay in Week 17.

Carolina shut down Brady 21-3 in a Week 7 win — Wilks’ first victory — and led 14-0 on Sunday, but the seven-time Super Bowl champion came back to tear up a depleted secondary and gave the Bucs the division title by scoring 20 points in the final 14 minutes.

Panthers will close their season against the Saints, a game the team is probably better off losing as it would assure them a top10 draft pick in April.

AP PHOTO

Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks yells during Carolina’s home game against the Steelers on Dec. 18.

AP PHOTO

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett celebrates with coach Kirby Smart after the Bulldogs won the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 to advance to the national championship game against TCU.

Masters invitation goes to the wrong Scott Stallings

Bills’ Hamlin in critical condition after collapse on field

NFL Players Association which is in agreement with postponing the game.”

The Associated Press

CINCINNATI — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field Monday night and was administered CPR before being driven to a hospital, where the NFL said he was in critical condition, and Buffalo’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended for the night.

The NFL announced just over an hour after the injury that the game would not resume. When or if the teams would return to the field was not immediately clear.

“Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available,” the league said in a statement. “The NFL has been in constant communication with the

Hamlin collided with Bengals receiver Tee Higgins after a completion in what appeared to be a routine, if violent, tackle. He got to his feet, appeared to adjust his face mask with his right hand, and then fell backward about three seconds later and lay motionless.

Hamlin was treated on the field by team and independent medical personnel and local paramedics, the NFL said. He was surrounded by stunned players from both teams.

An ambulance was on the field four minutes after Hamlin collapsed, with many players in tears, including cornerback Tre’Davious White. The quarterbacks — Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow — embraced.

Hamlin collapsed at 8:55 p.m., and when he was taken off the field 16 minutes later, the Bills gathered

in prayer. He was driven to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Five minutes after the ambulance departed, the game was suspended, and players walked off the field slowly and into their locker rooms.

Hamlin’s uniform was cut off and he appeared to be getting CPR from medical personnel. ESPN reported on its telecast that Hamlin was also given oxygen.

“No one’s been through this,” longtime NFL quarterback Troy Aikman said on the ESPN telecast. “I’ve never seen anything like it, either.”

The Bengals led 7-3 in the first quarter of a game between teams vying for the top playoff seed in the AFC. Cincinnati entered at 11-4 and leading the AFC North by one game over Baltimore, while AFC East champion Buffalo was 12-3.

The 24-year-old Hamlin spent five years of college at Pitt — his hometown — and appeared in 48 games for the Panthers over that

span. He was a second-team AllACC performer as a senior, was voted a team captain and was picked to play in the Senior Bowl.

He was drafted in the sixth round by the Bills in 2021, played in 14 games as a rookie and then became a starter this year once Micah Hyde was lost for the season to injury.

Entering the game, the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin had 91 tackles, including 63 solo tackles, and 1½ sacks.

A tweet from the Pitt football account was simple and clear: “Damar Hamlin is the best of us. We love you, 3,” the tweet said, referring to Hamlin by his college jersey number. “Praying for you.”

The coffin with the remains of Brazilian soccer great Pele lies in state during his wake on the pitch of the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos, Brazil, on Monday.

Brazilians mourn Pelé at the stadium where he got his start

The soccer great died last Thursday

The Associated Press

SANTOS, Brazil — Thousands of mourners, including high school students and supreme court justices, began filing past the body of Pelé on Monday on the century-old field where he made his hometown team one of Brazil’s best.

The soccer great died last Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was the only player ever to win three World Cups, and he was 82.

Pelé’s coffin, draped in the flags of Brazil and the Santos FC football club, was placed on the midfield area of Vila Belmiro, the stadium outside Sao Paulo that was

his home for most of his career. A Catholic Mass was scheduled for Tuesday morning before his burial at a nearby cemetery.

The storied 16,000-seat stadium was surrounded by mourners and covered with Pelé-themed decorations. Fans coming out of the stadium said they’d waited three hours in line, standing under a blazing sun.

Forty-five years after Pelé played his last game, he’s still a central part of Brazil’s national story.

Geovana Sarmento, 17, came with her father, who was wearing a Brazil shirt with Pelé’s name.

“I am not a Santos fan, neither is my father. But this guy invented Brazil’s national team. He made Santos stronger, he made it big. How could you not respect

him? He is one of the greatest people ever, we needed to honor him,” she said.

In the 1960s and ’70s, Pelé was perhaps the world’s most famous athlete. He met presidents and queens, and in Nigeria a civil war was put on hold to watch him play. Many Brazilians credit him with putting the country on the world stage.

Caio Zalke, 35, an engineer, also wore a Brazil shirt as he waited in line. “Pelé is the most important Brazilian of all time. He made soccer important for Brazil and he made Brazil important for the world,” he said.

Rows of shirts with Pelé’s No. 10 were placed behind one of the goals, waving in the city’s summer winds. A section of the stands was

filling up with bouquets of flowers placed by mourners and sent by clubs and star players — Neymar and Ronaldo among them — from around the world as loudspeakers played a song named “Eu sou Pelé” (“I am Pelé”) that was recorded by the Brazilian himself.

Claudio Carrança, 32, a salesman, said: “I never saw him play, but loving Pelé is a tradition that goes from father to son in Santos. I learned his history, saw his goals, and I see how Santos FC is important because he is important.”

Santos FC said that more than 1,100 journalists from 23 countries were at the funeral. Dignitaries and friends of Pelé in attendance spoke at the funeral.

Among them was Pelé’s best friend Manoel Maria, who is also a

former Santos player. “If I had all the wealth in the world, I would never be able to repay what this man did for me and my family. He was as great a man as he was as a player; the best of all time. His legacy will outlive us all. And that can be seen in this long line with people of all ages here.”

Pelé had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. The medical center where he had been hospitalized said he died of multiple organ failure as a result of the cancer.

The soccer star led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and remains one of the team’s all-time leading scorers with 77 goals. Neymar tied Pelé’s record during this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

AP PHOTO

Bills quarterback Josh Allen, right, pauses as Damar Hamlin is examined after collapsing during the first half Monday’s game against the Bengals in Cincinnati.

AP PHOTO

Dems, GOP have distinct priorities for 2023: AP-NORC poll

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Eva Guzman’s expenses have swelled, but she feels comfortable financially thanks to the savings she and her late husband stockpiled for a rainy day. Nevertheless, the 80-year-old retired library clerk in San Antonio limits trips to the grocery store, adjusts the thermostat to save on utilities and tries to help her grandchildren and great-grandchildren get what they need.

It was difficult to raise her own four children, Guzman said, but she and her husband were able to manage. She doesn’t know how young families today stay financially afloat with such high prices for groceries and clothes.

“It’s really gotten worse in this age for a lot of people,” said Guzman, who identifies as a conservative and blames President Joe Biden for inflation and economic instability. “It’s really getting out of hand.”

Like Guzman, 30% of people in the United States consider inflation a high priority for the country, named in an open-ended question as one of up to five issues for the government to work on in 2023,

according to a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s roughly twice the percentage as a year ago, though down from 40% in June, with inflation easing somewhat despite remaining high.

Overall, the economy in general remains a bipartisan issue, men-

tioned by most U.S. adults across party lines. But the poll finds Republicans and Democrats have sharply distinct views of priorities for the country in the new year. More Republicans than Democrats name inflation, gas and food prices, energy and immigration, while Democrats focus on health care, climate change, poverty, racism,

abortion and women’s rights.

There is broad skepticism from members of both parties that progress will be made on the issues about which the public most cares. In the poll results and in interviews with the AP, many people cite hostile political divisions as part of the problem.

Glenn Murray, a 59-year-old in Little Mountain, South Carolina, also called out the distance between the left and the right, wishing that politicians would recognize the “truth in the middle.”

Murray, a moderate Republican, thinks inflation and the economy are critical issues and he worries that the U.S. will soon face a recession. But he is also concerned about energy policy, suggesting the nation’s reliance on foreign oil is driving up gas prices, and he describes the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border as “unsustainable.”

“I definitely understand that immigration is what helped build this country ... but you have to have guardrails,” said Murray, who works for a university’s audit services. “You just can’t open the gates and let everyone in that wants to come in.”

Named by 45% of Republicans, immigration is one of the GOP’s leading priorities. The Supreme Court recently extended Trumpera pandemic restrictions on people seeking asylum, as thousands of migrants gathered on the Mexico side of the border seeking to the enter the United States.

Roughly 2 in 10 Republicans also name crime, foreign policy issues, energy and health care. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to specifically name inflation, 37% vs. 26%, and gas prices, 22% vs. 7%.

Among Democrats, about 4 in 10 rank climate change and health care, 3 in 10 prioritize gun issues and roughly one-quarter name education and abortion or women’s rights. Roughly 2 in 10 Democrats name racism and poverty.

About three-quarters of U.S. adults say they are not confident in the ability of the federal government to make progress on the important problems facing the country in 2023, according to the poll.

About one-third of Republicans and Democrats name the state of politics as a critical issue facing the country.

Michael Holcomb, a 35-year-old audio technician in Los Angeles, wants less polarization in the election process, which he thinks leads politicians to be more extreme. But he sees the issue as extending beyond politics.

“I think that it’s more of a cultural problem,” the independent said. “We all have to figure out a way to get past it.”

‘Lord, I love you’: Aide recounts Benedict’s last words

VATICAN CITY — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s last words were “Lord, I love you,” his longtime secretary said Sunday, quoting a nurse who helped care for the 95-year-old former pontiff in his final hours.

Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, a German prelate who lived in the Vatican monastery where Benedict took up residence after his 2013 retirement, said the nurse recounted hearing Benedict utter those words at about 3 a.m. Saturday. The retired pope died later that morning.

“Benedict XVI, with a faint voice but in a very distinct way, said in Italian, ‘Lord, I love you,’’’ Gaenswein told the Vatican’s official media, adding that it happened when the aides tending to Benedict were changing shifts.

“I wasn’t there in that moment, but the nurse a little later recounted it,’’ the archbishop said. “They were his last comprehensible words, because afterwards, he wasn’t able to express himself any more.”

Gaenswein did not identify the male nurse who shared the information.

Earlier, the Vatican said that Pope Francis went to pay his respects immediately after Gaenswein called to inform him of Benedict’s death shortly after 9:30 a.m. Saturday Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis stayed in Benedict’s monastery for quite some time before returning to his residence in a hotel located across the Vatican Gardens.

During New Year’s Day remarks on Sunday, Francis prayed for his predecessor’s passage to

heaven and expressed thanks for Benedict’s lifetime of service to the church.

Francis departed briefly from reading his homily during a morning Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica to pray aloud for Benedict.

“Today we entrust to our Blessed Mother our beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, so that she may accompany him in his passage from this world to God,” he said.

The basilica is set to host Bene -

dict’s coffin for three days of viewing that start Monday.

Rome Prefect Bruno Frattasi, an Interior Ministry official, told Italian state TV that “no fewer than 25,000, 30,000” mourners were expected to file past the coffin on Monday.

On Sunday, Benedict’s body lay on a burgundy-colored bier in the chapel of the monastery where he had lived during his nearly decade-long retirement. He was dressed in a miter, the headgear of

a bishop, and a red cloak-like vestment.

A rosary was placed in his hand. Behind him, visible in photos released by the Vatican, were the chapel’s altar and a decorated Christmas tree.

Francis remembered Benedict again later Sunday while addressing thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square. He told the crowd that “in these hours, we invoke her intercession, in particular for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who, yes-

terday morning, left this world.”

“Let us unite all together, with one heart and one soul, in giving thanks to God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the church,’’ Francis said, speaking from a window of the Apostolic Palace to pilgrims and tourists below.

The square will be the setting for Benedict’s funeral led by Francis on Thursday morning. The service will be a simple one, the Vatican has said, in keeping with the wishes of Benedict. Before he was elected pope in 2005, Benedict was a German cardinal who served as the Church’s guardian of doctrinal orthodoxy.

In recent years, Francis hailed Benedict’s stunning decision to become the first pope to resign in 600 years and has made clear he’d consider such a step as an option for himself.

Hobbled by knee pain, Francis, 86, on Sunday arrived in the basilica in a wheelchair and took his place in a chair for the Mass, which was being celebrated by the Vatican’s secretary of state.

Francis, who has repeatedly decried the war in Ukraine and its devastation, recalled those who are victims of war, passing the year-end holidays in darkness, cold and fear.

“At the beginning of this year, we need hope, just as the Earth needs rain,” Francis said in his homily.

While addressing the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, the pope cited the “intolerable” war in Ukraine, which began more than 10 months ago, and conflicts elsewhere other places in the world.

Yet, Francis said, “let us not lose hope” that peace will prevail.

The Associated Press

AP PHOTO

Signs advertise Black Friday deals at a Walmart in Secaucus, N.J., Nov. 22, 2022.

AP PHOTO

Pope Francis holds attends a Mass for the solemnity of St. Mary at the beginning of the new year, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023.

Jean McPhail

November 11, 1930 ~ December 29, 2022

Jean Finch McPhail of Raeford, NC went to be with her Lord and Savior on December 29, 2022, in her home, surrounded by her family.

Jean was born in Bertie County, NC on November 11, 1930, to the late Marion and Ruth Finch.

She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Raeford for over 40 years and was very active with the Women’s Club and Educational Department in town. She was a wonderful Christian woman who loved God, and her family, and always saw the good in everyone. Her family truly and dearly loved her.

Jean is survived by her children, Robert McPhail Jr., William McPhail, Kathryn McPhail, and Donald Lee McPhail; five living grandchildren; one greatgrandchild; her sister Amelia Teel and brother William Finch.

Beulah (Jarrell) Johnson

May 9, 1937 ~ December 28, 2022

Mrs. Beulah Johnson of Raeford, NC passed away at the age of 85 on December 28, 2022, at Cape Fear Medical Center, surrounded by her family.

Beulah was born in Northampton County on May 9, 1937, to the late Edward and Carrie Jarrell.

She was preceded in death by her twin sons, Donald Johnson, and Ronald Johnson; brother, Edward Jarrell; and two sisters, Fleeta Maxwell and Virginia Overton.

Beulah was a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church.

She is survived by her husband of 69 years, Archie Johnson; a daughter, Martha Kelly (Edward); two grandchildren, Justin Price, and Lynn McClish (Jeff); and three great-grandchildren Emilia Price, Spencer McClish, and Audrey McClish.

Memorials may be made to: Hillcrest Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1533, Raeford, NC 28376.

Juan Carlos Flores Medina

May 8, 2003 ~ December 27, 2022

Juventino Flores Morales and his son Juan Carlos Flores Medina passed away together on December 27, 2022.

Juan Carlos was born in Cumberland County, NC on May 08, 2003, to the late Juventino Flores Morales and Petra Medina Islas.

Juan Carlos graduated from Hoke County High School in 2022 and was in the process of joining the United States Army. He enjoyed gaming, animation, drawing, and working with computers.

Juan Carlos is survived by his mother, Petra Medina Islas; sister, Claudia Flores; three nieces and one nephew.

Juventino Flores Morales

January 20, 1976 ~ December 27, 2022

Juventino Flores Morales and his son Juan Carlos Flores Medina passed away together on December 27, 2022.

Juventino was born in Mexico on January 20, 1976, to the late Oracio Flores and Mercedes Morales.

He was a hard worker and enjoyed spending time with his family. In his earlier years, he served as a goalie on a soccer team. He also enjoyed playing music and was a drummer.

He is survived by his wife, Petra Medina Islas; daughter, Claudia Flores; and four grandchildren.

Robert M. Harris

January 19, 1950 ~ December 26, 2022

Mr. Robert M. Harris, of Shannon, NC passed away on December 26, 2022, at the age of 72.

Bob was born on January 19, 1950, to the late Dale and Roberta Harris.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Josephine Harris; his grandmother, Esther; and his faithful companion, Peanut.

Bob volunteered with his local search and rescue as a young adult, and then went on to serve as an airplane mechanic in the United States Air Force. After the military, Bob went to work at Volvo in Ohio for many years. In his later years, he worked at Marada and Wal- Mart. Bob was an avid horseman and performed in local parades. He loved his dog, Peanut, and enjoyed spending time with his family.

He is survived by his daughter, Felicity Sanders (Robert), and his grandson, James Mitton.

LeeChonna Payton

October 11, 1967 ~ December 22, 2022

LeeChonna "Lee-Lee" Payton, age 55, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 22nd, 2022 at Cape Fear Valley Hospital in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She was born as LeeChonna Stokes on October 11th, 1967 in Augusta, Georgia by her late mother, Chiquita A. Ruffin.

She grew up under a military family and is the oldest of 6 children, one of which preceded in her death. She married Anthony Payton Sr. on February 6, 1988 in Anchorage, Alaska and had 3 children together.

LeeChonna loved music and dancing at an early age and there is a rumor that she was in a 90's music video as a background dancer. She loved gardening and decorating the house especially around Christmas, since that was her favorite holiday. She would put everyone first and make sure that they was taken care of and loved her family very much.

LeeChonna survived by her husband, Anthony Sr., her 3 children: Adore, Imani, and Anthony Jr., her grandson: Austin, her sisters, brother, nieces and nephews, and other family members.

Marvin "Bud" Jones

July 11, 1926 ~ December 26, 2022

Mr. Marvin David Jones "Bud" age, 96 went home to rest with his heavenly father on Monday, December 26, 2022. He was the son of the late Virgil and Jeanette Jones.

He leaves to cherish his loving memories his children: Marva Faye Malloy, Donald F. Jones, Sheila Patterson, Lesa Rochester. Marvin will be immensely missed.

In lieu of flowers send donations to First Health Hospice.

Edward Williams III

March 13, 1963 ~ December 29, 2022

Mr. Edward Williams III age, 59 transitioned from earth to glory on December 29, 2022. He was the son of the late Edward and Hattie Williams.

He leaves to cherish his loving memories his wife, Josie Greene Williams; children: Edward "Eddie" Williams, Carrie Williams; sisters: Naomi, Azell; brother, Fred along with a host of other family and friends. Edward will be greatly missed.

STATE & NATION

Police probe motive in attack on officers near Times Square

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Authorities in New York City are investigating whether a man who attacked three police officers with a machete at a New Year’s Eve celebration, striking two of them, was inspired by radical Islamic extremism, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the matter.

The attack happened a little after 10 p.m. about eight blocks from Times Square, just outside the high-security zone where revelers are screened for weapons. Two of the officers were struck with the machete before an officer shot the man in the shoulder. The two officers were hospitalized, one with a fractured skull and the other with a bad cut, and were expected to recover.

Police did not publicly identify the 19-year-old suspect, but the law enforcement official identified

him to The Associated Press as Trevor Bickford, of Wells, Maine.

Investigators believe Bickford traveled to New York City earlier in the week and are examining whether he came to New York specifically to attack police officers at one of the largest New Year’s celebrations in the world, the law enforcement official said.

New York City police and federal officials are still trying to discern a motive, and investigators have been reviewing Bickford’s online postings, which included some mentions of Islamic extremist views, the official said. The official could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Bickford was expected to recover from the gunshot wound. No charges against him were immediately announced.

Michael Driscoll, the assis-

tant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, said the FBI’s Joint Terrorist Task Force in New York City was investigating but investigators believe the attacker acted alone.

The attack and sound of a gunshot briefly sent some people running, but the festivities in Times Square continued uninterrupted.

Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference early Sunday that he spoke to one of the wounded officers as he was being stitched up at the hospital.

“He was in good spirits,” Adams said. “He understood that his role saved lives of New Yorkers today.”

The NYPD mounts a massive security operation every year to keep the New Year’s Eve crowd safe. Thousands of officers are sent to the area, including many new recruits. One of the injured officers just graduated from the police academy on Friday, the may-

or said.

The blocks where the biggest crowds gather to see performances and the midnight ball drop can be accessed only through checkpoints where officers use metal-detecting wands to screen for weapons. Large bags and coolers are

banned. Barriers are set up to prevent vehicle attacks.

The security perimeter extends only so far, though. The attack took place on 8th Avenue, which is often packed with people navigating around the frozen zone or trying to find one of the secure entrances.

US Census Bureau redefines meaning of ‘urban’ America

By Mike Schneider The Associated Press

MORE THAN 1,100 CITIES, towns and villages in the U.S. lost their status as urban areas on Thursday as the U.S. Census Bureau released a new list of places considered urban based on revised criteria.

Around 4.2 million residents living in 1,140 small cities, hamlets, towns and villages that lost their urban designation were bumped into the rural category. The new criteria raised the population threshold from 2,500 to 5,000 people and housing units were added to the definition.

The change matters because rural and urban areas often qualify for different types of federal funding for transportation, housing, health care, education and agriculture. The federal government doesn’t have a standard definition of urban or rural, but the Census Bureau’s definition often provides a baseline.

“The whole thing about urban and rural is all about money,” said Mary Craigle, bureau chief for Montana’s Research and Information Services. “Places that qualify as urban are eligible for transportation dollars that rural areas aren’t, and then rural areas are eligible for dollars that urban areas are not.”

The Census Bureau this year made the biggest modification in decades to the definition of an urban area. The bureau adjusts the definition every decade after a census to address any changes or needs of policymakers and researchers.

The bureau says it is done for statistical purposes and it has no control over how government agencies use the definitions to distribute funding.

There were 2,646 urban areas in the mainland U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. islands on the new list released Thursday.

“This change in definition is a big deal and a substantial change from the Census Bureau’s long-standing

procedures,” said Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire. “It has significant implications both for policy and for researchers.”

Under the old criteria, an urbanized area needed to have at least 50,000 residents. An urban cluster was defined as having at least 2,500 people, a threshold that had been around since 1910. Under this definition, almost 81% of the U.S. was urban and 19% was rural over the past decade.

Under the new definition, hammered out after the 2020 census, the minimum population required for an area to be considered urban doubled to 5,000 people. Originally, the Census Bureau proposed raising the threshold to 10,000 people but pulled back amid opposition. The new criteria for urban

areas shift the urban-rural ratio slightly, to 79.6% and 20.4%, respectively.

In 1910, a town with 2,500 residents had a lot more goods and services than a town that size does today, “and these new definitions acknowledge that,” said Michael Cline, North Carolina’s state demographer.

With the new criteria, the distinction between an urbanized area and an urban cluster has been eliminated since the Census Bureau determined there was little difference in economic activities between communities larger and smaller than 50,000 residents.

For the first time, the Census Bureau is adding housing units to the definition of an urban area. A place can be considered urban if it has at least 2,000 housing units,

based on the calculation that the average household has 2.5 people.

Among the beneficiaries of using housing instead of people are resort towns in ski or beach destinations, or other places with lots of vacation homes, since they can qualify as urban based on the number of homes instead of full-time residents.

“There are many seasonal communities in North Carolina and this change in definition to housing units may be helpful in acknowledging that these areas are built up with roads, housing, and for at least one part of the year, host many thousands of people,” Cline said.

Housing, instead of population, is also going to be used for density measures at the level of census blocks, which typically have several hundred people and are the building blocks of urban areas. The Cen-

sus Bureau said using housing units instead of population will allow it to make updates in fast-growing areas in between the once-a-decade censuses.

But there’s another reason for switching to housing units instead of population: the Census Bureau’s controversial new tool for protecting the privacy of participants in its head counts and surveys. The method adds intentional errors to data to obscure the identity of any given participant, and it is most noticeable in the smallest geographies, such as census blocks.

“The block level data aren’t really reliable and this provides them an opportunity for the density threshold they picked to be on par with the population,” said Eric Guthrie, a senior demographer in the Minnesota State Demographic Center.

AP PHOTO

This photo provided by NYPD, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell address the media during a news conference on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.

AP PHOTO, FILE

A portion of the Dorothea Dix Hospital property is seen in the foreground near downtown Raleigh.

Ukrainian youth choir makes it to Carnegie Hall

Members of the Shchedryk youth choir perform during a Christmas concert at

Denmark, Thursday, Dec. 8 2022. The Shchedryk ensemble,

week for a

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Top searches

of 2022

Google’s overall top searches for 2022 were

Wordle

Election results

Betty White Queen Elizabeth Bob Saget

Johnny Depp and Will Smith were the most searched people. Rupee and oligarch were the two most searched definitions. Qatar and Kyiv were the most searched pronunciations.

Among the things that the Winston-Salem/ Greensboro area searched for more than the rest of the country were “rodeo near me” “blue jays bird” “remote jobs near me” and “egg bites recipe”.

The top “near me” searches on Google for the area in 2022 were

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Ukrainian youth choir defies war with messages of freedom

Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark

— From a dank Kyiv bomb shelter to the bright stage lights of Europe›s theaters, a Ukrainian youth choir›s hymns in praise of freedom offer a kind of healing balm to its war-scarred members.

The Shchedryk ensemble, described as Kyiv’s oldest professional children’s choir, were in the Danish capital this week for a performance as part of an international tour that also took them to New York’s famed Carnegie Hall.

It was supposed to be part of a busy year to celebrate the choir’s 50th anniversary. But Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine changed all that, with members scattering inside their homeland and abroad in search of safety. Some members say they have lost friends and fam-

ily in the fighting.

“It is very difficult to gather the children,” said Marianna Sablina, the choir’s artistic director and chief conductor, whose mother founded the choir in 1971. Some of the members are “outside the borders of Ukraine, and only about a third of the forum currently lives in Kyiv.”

Earlier this year, the choir managed to reassemble and began rehearsing in Kyiv’s National Palace of Arts.

The vagaries of war often plagued the rehearsals. When Kyiv came under bombardment and suffered power outages, air raid sirens forced the choir to assemble in a darkened bomb shelter, illuminating their sheet music with whatever light source they could find.

“When there are sirens, we go

to the shelter and just sing with our phones and flashlights,” said 15-year-old choir member Anastasiia Rusina, whose family fled to western Ukraine following the invasion.

“I think that we’re kind of getting used to it because it’s our job to do. We have a concert, so we just cannot skip any rehearsals,” she said.

The audience at Copenhagen’s Church of The Holy Ghost recently listened to the soaring voices of the choir, made up mostly teenage girls wearing black and white dresses accentuated by red and black squares on their sleeves and colorful beads around their necks.

“I sincerely hope that the concert here will send a message of love and hope and also sympathy and support to all Ukrainian families,” said Nataliya Pop-

The pandemic, Karens, crypto craziness: We’re over you, 2022

THE RUDENESS pandemic, the actual pandemic and all things gray. There’s a lot to leave behind when 2022 comes to a close as uncertainty rules around the world.

The health crisis brought on the dawn of slow living, but it crushed many families forced to hustle for their lives. Karens went on the rise. Crypto currencies tanked.

Pete Davidson’s love thing with Kim Kardashian made headlines.

A list of what we’re over as we hope for better times in 2023:

Incivility be gone

The pandemic released a tsunami of overwrought Karens and Kens, but heightened incivility has stretched well beyond their raucous ranks.

Researcher Christine Porath restricted herself to rudeness, disrespect or insensitive behavior when she recently wrote about the subject in Harvard Business

Review. The professor of management at Georgetown University found incidents of incivility way up, in line with a steady climb stretching back nearly 20 years.

Particularly hammered this year, Porath wrote, were frontline workers in health care, retail, transportation, hospitality and education. All were declared heroes when the pandemic struck. It didn’t take long for that to become a beat down.

Noting that incivility can and does escalate to physical aggression and other violence, Axios dubbed it the rudeness pandemic.

Stop it, mean people. We’re all stressed out, including you we’re quite sure.

Crypto craziness

Will the implosion of FTX, the world’s third-largest cryptocurrency exchange, bring on broader chaos in a digital world that millions of people already distrust?

Time will tell as other and otherwise healthy crypto compa-

nies face a liquidity crisis. And there›s the philanthropic implications of the FTX bankruptcy collapse here in the real world, since founder Sam Bankman-Fried donated millions to numerous causes in “effective altruism” fashion.

The FTX bankruptcy filing followed a bruising of crypto companies throughout 2022, due in part to rising interest rates and the broader market downturn that has many investors rethinking their lust for risk. That includes mom-and-pop investors along for the ride.

While more people than ever before know what cryptocurrencies are, far fewer actually partake. Is it any wonder? Get it together, crypto.

ASMR, pipe down

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It began, innocently enough, as brain tingles brought on by whispering, tapping, brush-

ovych, co-founder of Copenhagen’s Ukraine House, a civil society organization which brought the group to Denmark. “Hopefully next year, all Ukrainian families will be able to celebrate Christmas properly,” she added.

At the core of the performance was the song “Carol of the Bells,” perhaps best known from the 1990 Christmas movie ‘Home Alone’.

The carol was originally arranged by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in the early 1900s. The choir’s name, “Shchedryk,” comes from the song’s Ukrainian title.

“We have to send to people that our culture is so important to our world,” Polina Holtseva, another said 15-year-old choir member, whose family has stayed in Kyiv

The Associated Press

The Associated

AP PHOTO

Copenhagen’s Church of the Holy Spirit, in Copenhagen,

described as Kyiv’s oldest professional children’s choir, were in the Danish capital this

performance as part of an international tour that also took them to New York’s famed Carnegie Hall.

CHOIR from page 1

throughout the conflict.

“It’s our culture, it’s our songs, and it’s so amazing that we have a chance to give you this music,” she said.

Choir members Rusina and Holtseva said they don’t have any concrete career plans. They noted they don’t don’t even know what they’re going to do tomorrow. But amid the horrors of war, Shchedryk choir has become their “safe place.”

“We just don’t think about the war or our situation. We just sing, we’re together with our friends, our family,” Rusina said.

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Why the redefinition of the word ‘woman’ matters

SAMUEL JOHNSON’S “Dictionary of the English Language,” first published in 1755, defines the word “woman” as “the female of the human race.” And until October 2022, the word “woman” was still defined as “an adult female human being” in the Cambridge Dictionary. What transpired on the topic during the intervening 267 years? Not much. Science confirmed what men and women have known since Adam and Eve began talking past each other — not only do the sexes have immutable physiological differences, down to their genetic matter, but they observe, act and think differently as well.

Yet Cambridge now says the definition of a woman is “an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth” (and the definition of a man is someone who “identifies as male though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.”) How does one use “woman” in a sentence? One of Cambridge’s examples is, “Mary is a woman who was assigned male at birth.” Who assigned Mary’s sex? Her parents? God? Evolution? The SRY gene? And what other human characteristics does Cambridge believe can be altered according to one’s feelings? Lexicographers have a responsibility to offer clarity and accuracy — which is, of course, impossible in this case.

When asked about the change, Sophie White, a spokeswoman from Cambridge University Press, told The Washington Post that the editors had “carefully studied usage patterns of the word woman and concluded that this definition is one that learners of English should be aware of to support their understanding of how the language is used.” This is tautological gibberish. Though, in fairness to White, “Wokeish” is a relatively new language.

The Post, for instance, claims Cambridge updated its definitions for “woman” and “man” “to include transgender people.” This also makes zero sense. If Cambridge changed the definition of “black” or “Caucasian” to incorporate “Asian people,” it would not be including a new group; it would be altering the fundamental facts of what makes someone black or white or Asian. “Woman” is not a neologism. Our understanding of “woman” hasn’t been altered by new scientific discoveries. Nothing has changed.

At first, these liturgic declarations of one’s “pronouns” seemed relatively harmless to me. And, not that it matters much, but I’ve been perfectly willing to refer to adults in whatever manner they desire. It’s a free country. Pursue your happiness. It’s not like gender-bending is some new idea. In my realworld experience, I find that most people try to be

courteous.

It’s one thing to be considerate and another to be bullied into an alternative reality. But that’s where we are right now. Placating the mob has led to the rise in dangerous euphemisms like “gender-affirming care,” a phrase that means the exact opposite of what it claims. In today’s world, “gender-affirming therapy” means telling a girl she can be transformed into a boy, but “conversion therapy” means telling a girl she’s a girl. The corruption of reality has led to the rise of a pseudoscientific cult that performs irreparable mutilation on kids, with puberty blockers and crosssex hormones and life-altering surgeries.

And in their never-ending campaign to smear political opponents, Democrats have latched onto this idea as if it were a universal truth. If a person contends that gender is an unalterable feature of human life these days — a belief shared by all of civilization until about five minutes ago — they might as well be Bull Connor holding a firehose. Only this week, after signing the same-sex marriage bill, our octogenarian president claimed that Republicans had passed “hundreds of callous and cynical laws introduced in the states targeting transgender children, terrifying families and criminalizing doctors who give children the care they need.”

Speaking of cynical. Does the president really believe these troubled teenagers “need” mastectomies, facial surgery and genital removal to feel loved? Or would it be more prudent to let them wait for adulthood to make life-altering surgical decisions? Has anyone ever asked him? Joe Biden is, of course, right that Americans should be free from threats of violence. That includes kids who are now subjected to abuse at the hands of people who have adopted this trendy quackery.

I simply refuse to accept that most Americans, or even more than a small percentage, believe children should be empowered to choose their sex. Rather, in their well-intentioned effort to embrace inclusivity — and avoid being called bigots — they’ve allowed extremists to, among many other things, circumvent debate by corroding fundamental truths about the world. And that’s what these dictionaries — once a place we collectively went for definitions and etymologies — have shamefully helped them do.

David Harsanyi is a senior editor at The Federalist. Harsanyi is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of five books — the most recent, “Eurotrash: Why America Must Reject the Failed Ideas of a Dying Continent.”

LOOKING AHEAD from page 1

ing or scraping. Then, bam, it took off on social media like a really loud rocket on a mission to annoy.

Today, we’ve got millions of videos filled with people attempting to calm by speaking in low tones, armed with anything they can get their hands on in conjunction with their expensive, ultra-sensitive mics.

Companies are selling beer and chocolate, paint and home goods using ASMR. All the calming — and commerce — is deafening.

Pete Davidson’s love life

Not the King of Staten Island himself, per se. Look deeply into your hearts and decide for yourselves whether to love him or Ye him.

We’re talking about the vast quantities of air volume his love life has sucked up on a near-hourly basis, especially in 2022, otherwise known as his Kim Kardashian era (which actually started in late 2021 for the obsessives).

Davidson’s love roster has puzzled for years, stretching back to his MTV “Guy Code” days in 2013 while still a teenager, leading to his Carly Aquilino phase.

There were stops along the way with Cazzie David (Larry Davidson’s daughter), Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale (briefly), Kaia Gerber (even more briefly), and others, including his latest: model Emily Ratajkowski.

The “SNL” alum and self-described — in appearance — “crack baby” is a paparazzi, social media, gossip monger magnet. Rather, his love life is.

As Ratajkowski mouthed recently in a TikTok video to some

random audio track while riding in a car: “I would be with multiple men. Also some women as well. Um, everyone’s hot but in an interesting way.”

So be it. Live your life, Pete. Can the rest of us stop chasing every relationship-confirming kiss?

The ultra hustle

Elon Musk put it thusly in an

email to his remaining employees:

“Going forward, to build a breakthrough Twitter 2.0 and succeed in an increasingly competitive world, we will need to be extremely hardcore. This will mean working long hours at high intensity. Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade.”

Musk is Musk, but he illustrates a moment: A need to remain in motion, to work harder,

climb higher, sweat longer. With the volatile economy, political chaos, extreme weather and wars, it’s no wonder that a blanket of anxiety has kept the ultra hustle alive.

As if all the slow living and work-life balance talk is meaningless, or more to the point, can’t exist for many.

“We’re hustling to make ends meet, `building our brand,′ ensuring our startup doesn’t tank, or

dreaming about the day our side hustle takes off and we can walk into the office and give everyone the bird,” wrote Benjamin Sledge on Medium.

It stands to reason, he said, that “most of us are hustling because we literally have to in order to survive.”

Bring on a 2023 that allows for all those long walks in the woods we’ve been hearing so much about.

Kim Kardashian, left, and Pete Davidson attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” exhibition on May 2, 2022, in New York.

“Join the conversation”

Our understanding of “woman” hasn’t been altered by new scientific discoveries.

SIDELINE REPORT

TENNIS

Martina Navratilova diagnosed with throat, breast cancer

New York

Tennis great Martina Navratilova says she has been diagnosed with throat cancer and breast cancer. The 18time Grand Slam singles champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame said in a statement released Monday that her prognosis is good and she will start treatment this month. The 66-year-old said she noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck while attending the seasonending WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in November, and a biopsy showed early stage throat cancer. While Navratilova was undergoing tests on her throat, the unrelated, early stage breast cancer was discovered.

GOLF Masters invitation goes to the wrong Scott Stallings

Kapalua, Hawaii

Scott Stallings received the best package of all for Christmas because it included an invitation to play in the Masters. One problem. It wasn’t delivered to the Scott Stallings who plays on the PGA Tour. The golfer says a Georgia man by the same name received the package and reached out to him on Instagram. The man says it didn’t take long to realize the invitation wasn’t meant for him. Stallings thinks the invitation was sent to his old management company and the man happened to live next door to the building. He says he’ll be sending the other Scott Stallings practice-round tickets for Augusta National.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

BYU offensive lineman Veikoso dies in construction

accident

Honolulu Brigham Young University offensive lineman Sione Veikoso was killed in a construction accident in his hometown in Hawaii. His family confirmed that the 22-year-old died Friday after a retaining wall he was helping repair during holiday break from school collapsed. The Honolulu Fire Department reported that three others were injured when the rock wall partially fell behind a home in Kailua. Veikoso had completed his first season at BYU, where he transferred after one year at Arizona State. After high school, Veikoso spent two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Manaus, Brazil, before enrolling in college.

SOCCER

Cristiano Ronaldo makes move to Saudi Arabian club

London Saudi Arabian soccer club

Al Nassr has announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo last week, ending speculation about the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future. Ronaldo had been a free agent since his contract was terminated by Manchester United following an explosive TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners. He is coming off a disappointing World Cup where he was benched in the knockout rounds and Portugal lost in the quarterfinals to Morocco.

QB Bennett: Georgia must fix mistakes to win another title

in the locker room, we had two three-and-outs to start the second half. Like that doesn’t happen, and that falls on me, and that falls on our offense. We’ve got to fix that. So we’re going to go to work.”

ATHENS, Ga. — No. 1 Georgia is far from satisfied despite being unbeaten and one win away from back-to-back national championships, Coach Kirby Smart and quarterback Stetson Bennett said Saturday night’s 42-41 College Football Playoff semifinal win over Ohio State showed flaws the Bulldogs must fix in practice this week. That need to improve provides extra motivation for the national championship game against quarterback Max Duggan and No. 3 TCU on Jan. 9 in Inglewood, California.

“We didn’t play our best game, starting with me,” Bennett said after the Peach Bowl win over the Buckeyes. “Coach Smart said

Bennett, the former walk-on who last season led Georgia to its first national title since 1980, has usually saved his best performances for the biggest stages. He delivered another clutch effort with two fourth quarter scoring passes against Ohio State as the Bulldogs rallied after trailing by two touchdowns.

Overall, Bennett threw for a career-high 398 yards with three touchdowns, but he bemoaned his mistakes, including an interception, that helped place Georgia in a 38-24 deficit in the fourth quarter. Noah Ruggles’ 50-yard field goal attempt for Ohio State with three seconds remaining sailed wide left, setting off a celebration

on the Georgia sideline.

“Got to go back and look at the tape and see what we could clean up because it felt like there was a 30-minute period there where I just played bad football,” Bennett said. “So we’ve got to fix that.”

Bennett, who also ran for a touchdown, was named offensive MVP for his fourth consecutive postseason game, including both CFP games last season.

Georgia’s proud defense has set season highs for points allowed in two straight games, including a 50-30 win over LSU in the Southeastern Conference championship game. After allowing 502 passing yards to LSU, the Bulldogs gave up 348 yards with four touchdowns through the air to Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.

Georgia’s defense allowed 10 or fewer points in six regular season games, including two shutouts, but defensive back Javon Bullard says expectations change in the

offseason when facing the nation’s top teams.

“We knew coming into the game, it wouldn’t be perfect,” said Bullard, the defensive MVP. “You come into a game like this, college playoff, we know you are going to give up some plays, they are going to make some plays, we’re going to make some plays. You can’t get too high up and can’t get too low.”

The defense will be challenged by high-scoring TCU in the national championship game. The Horned Frogs average 41.1 points per game to rank fifth in the nation following a 51-45 win over No. 2 Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.

Georgia, which leaned heavily on its defense in its 2021 national championship season, fell from second to fifth in the nation in scoring defense, at 14.79 points allowed per game.

Smart said the Bulldogs “didn’t play our best football game” against Ohio State. “If we want any chance at winning a national championship, we have to play a lot better football,” he said.

Georgia had a team meeting on Monday to review the Ohio State game and will open practice for the national championship game on Tuesday.

Panthers’ failure to reach playoffs hurts Wilks’ job hopes

Carolina

CHARLOTTE — Steve Wilks’ bid to become Carolina’s next fulltime head coach took a huge hit Sunday after the Panthers blew an 11-point fourth quarter lead and lost 30-24 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, eliminating them from playoff contention.

Wilks is 5-6 since taking over as interim coach for Matt Rhule, who was fired after Week 5.

And while Wilks has the support of the players in the locker room, it seems unlikely it will be enough to save his job as owner David Tepper heads into decision-making mode. Tepper has endured five straight losing seasons since purchasing the team in 2018 for a then-record $2.3 billion, and his patience has to be growing thin.

So while Wilks finally gave the Panthers (6-10) an identity they so sorely needed by developing a physical style and smash-mouth running game, the reality is most owners prefer to start fresh rather than promote an interim coach.

Since 2000, 40 NFL coaches have held the interim tag after the head coach was fired or left the team midseason. Of those, only 10 have gone on to earn a full-time head coaching job the following season. The most recent to do it was Jacksonville’s Doug Marrone in 2016.

Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore would love to see Wilks return, saying he has brought accountability to the locker room.

“There are a lot of people being up front and honest,” Moore said.

“When you mess up, they are going to let you know. It’s not going to be sugar-coated, and everyone on the team is going to know that you messed up. So you ain’t gonna want to get embarrassed on film in front of the team.”

Wilks, a Charlotte native, knew it was an uphill battle at the time but said he didn’t blink whatsoever when accepting the position.

Wilks certainly had his chances to make Tepper’s decision more difficult.

The Panthers controlled their own playoff destiny three different weeks down the stretch, but the key all along to winning the NFC South was beating Tampa Bay in Week 17.

Carolina shut down Brady 21-3 in a Week 7 win — Wilks’ first victory — and led 14-0 on Sunday, but the seven-time Super Bowl champion came back to tear up a depleted secondary and gave the Bucs the division title by scoring 20 points in the final 14 minutes.

The Panthers will close their season against the Saints, a game the team is probably better off losing as it would assure them a top10 draft pick in April.

The Bulldogs will face TCU on Jan. 9

The Associated Press

has gone 5-6 since the interim coach took over

The Associated Press

AP PHOTO

Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks yells during Carolina’s home game against the Steelers on Dec. 18.

AP PHOTO

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett celebrates with coach Kirby Smart after the Bulldogs won the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 to advance to the national championship game against TCU.

STATE & NATION

Appeals court restores NC law addressing farm labor

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A North Carolina

law preventing legal settlements between farms and workers from requiring a farm operation to become a union employer doesn’t violate the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday while overturning a lower court decision.

The decision by a panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, restores a provision contained in a 2017 farm law that was challenged by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee — the state’s only farmworker union with several thousand members.

U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs had ordered in 2021 that the provision be permanently blocked, determining that the language prohibited all settlement agreements between workers and farm operators. But the law’s meaning was misconstrued, Senior Circuit Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote in the three-judge panel’s prevailing opinion.

The “provision is not aimed at precluding settlements based on who the parties are but rather what those settlement conditions say,” Gribbon Motz wrote in reversing Biggs’ decision and vacating the permanent injunction. “We reject the broad reading ad-

vanced by FLOC and adopted by the district court that this statutory provision bars any settlement agreement between an agricultural producer and labor union.” Rather, she added, the law says a legal settlement can’t require union recognition or entry into a bargaining agreement.

The appeals court also agreed with Biggs’ decision upholding another section of the 2017 law that prohibited farming operations

from entering into contracts that required farms to collect union dues from workers. There’s nothing to prevent a farm from collecting dues voluntarily.

Lawyers for FLOC argued in court that the challenged provisions violated their rights of association and discriminated against workers from a legally protected class in a state known for low union membership. About 95% of farmworkers in the state are Lati-

no, primarily of Mexican descent, Wednesday’s opinion said. A substantial portion are noncitizens who enter the country through a federal program to perform seasonal work.

Legislators who advanced the agriculture bill that contained the union language and its allies said the provisions were designed to strengthen North Carolina’s long status as a right-to-work state, according to the opinion. Some legislators wanted to stop what they considered a “coercive practice of using unrelated litigation to pressure agricultural producers into collective bargaining agreements,” Gribbon Motz wrote.

The bill was approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

While “FLOC marshals compelling evidence of our nation’s sordid history of racial discrimination in the agricultural industry,” Gribbon Motz added, there’s nothing to indicate that legislators focused on FLOC’s racial makeup when drafting the provisions.

Kristi Graunke, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union in North Carolina representing FLOC and a farmworker who sued over the provisions, expressed disappointment with the decision but said the “narrowed interpre -

tation of the statute” could “limit some of its harmful impact.” Outside civil rights, farming, labor and business groups also filed briefs in the case.

Circuit Judge Toby Heytens, who was nominated to the court by President Joe Biden, joined the opinion written by Gribbon Motz, a nominee of President Bill Clinton. Circuit Judge Julius Richardson, a nominee of President Donald Trump, wrote a separate opinion agreeing with the judgment but suggesting the settlement provision could be challenged in state court.

State Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, is a lawsuit defendant and defends state laws in court.

Still, Graunke singled Stein out for deciding to defend “a law that doubles down on a shameful legacy of racialized discrimination against farmworkers and their unions.” Asked by email about the ruling and the ACLU lawyer’s words directed at him, spokesperson Laura Brewer said late Wednesday that the Attorney General’s office was reviewing the appeals court’s decision.

FLOC has one collective bargaining agreement between its workers and nearly 700 farms within the North Carolina Growers Association, union President Baldemar Velasquez said.

US Census Bureau redefines meaning of ‘urban’ America

By Mike Schneider The Associated Press

MORE THAN 1,100 CITIES, towns and villages in the U.S. lost their status as urban areas on Thursday as the U.S. Census Bureau released a new list of places considered urban based on revised criteria.

Around 4.2 million residents living in 1,140 small cities, hamlets, towns and villages that lost their urban designation were bumped into the rural category. The new criteria raised the population threshold from 2,500 to 5,000 people and housing units were added to the definition.

The change matters because rural and urban areas often qualify for different types of federal funding for transportation, housing, health care, education and agriculture. The federal government doesn’t have a standard definition of urban or rural, but the Census Bureau’s definition often provides a baseline.

“The whole thing about urban and rural is all about money,” said Mary Craigle, bureau chief for Montana’s Research and Information Services. “Places that qualify as urban are eligible for transportation dollars that rural areas aren’t, and then rural areas are eligible for dollars that urban areas are not.”

The Census Bureau this year made the biggest modification in decades to the definition of an urban area. The bureau adjusts the definition every decade after a census to address any changes or needs of policymakers and researchers. The bureau says it is done for statistical purposes and it has no control over how government agencies use the definitions

to distribute funding.

There were 2,646 urban areas in the mainland U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. islands on the new list released Thursday.

“This change in definition is a big deal and a substantial change from the Census Bureau’s long-standing procedures,” said Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire. “It has significant implications both for policy and for researchers.”

Under the old criteria, an urbanized area needed to have at least 50,000 residents. An urban

cluster was defined as having at least 2,500 people, a threshold that had been around since 1910. Under this definition, almost 81% of the U.S. was urban and 19% was rural over the past decade.

Under the new definition, hammered out after the 2020 census, the minimum population required for an area to be considered urban doubled to 5,000 people. Originally, the Census Bureau proposed raising the threshold to 10,000 people but pulled back amid opposition. The new criteria for urban areas shift the urban-rural ratio slightly, to 79.6%

and 20.4%, respectively.

In 1910, a town with 2,500 residents had a lot more goods and services than a town that size does today, “and these new definitions acknowledge that,” said Michael Cline, North Carolina’s state demographer.

With the new criteria, the distinction between an urbanized area and an urban cluster has been eliminated since the Census Bureau determined there was little difference in economic activities between communities larger and smaller than 50,000 residents.

For the first time, the Census

Bureau is adding housing units to the definition of an urban area. A place can be considered urban if it has at least 2,000 housing units, based on the calculation that the average household has 2.5 people.

Among the beneficiaries of using housing instead of people are resort towns in ski or beach destinations, or other places with lots of vacation homes, since they can qualify as urban based on the number of homes instead of fulltime residents.

“There are many seasonal communities in North Carolina and this change in definition to housing units may be helpful in acknowledging that these areas are built up with roads, housing, and for at least one part of the year, host many thousands of people,” Cline said.

Housing, instead of population, is also going to be used for density measures at the level of census blocks, which typically have several hundred people and are the building blocks of urban areas. The Census Bureau said using housing units instead of population will allow it to make updates in fast-growing areas in between the once-a-decade censuses.

But there’s another reason for switching to housing units instead of population: the Census Bureau’s controversial new tool for protecting the privacy of participants in its head counts and surveys. The method adds intentional errors to data to obscure the identity of any given participant, and it is most noticeable in the smallest geographies, such as census blocks.

“The block level data aren’t really reliable and this provides them an opportunity for the density threshold they picked to be on par with the population,” said Eric Guthrie, a senior demographer in the Minnesota State Demographic Center.

AP PHOTO

The US 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Courthouse, right, on Main Street in front of the State Capitol in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, June 16, 2021.

AP PHOTO, FILE

A portion of the Dorothea Dix Hospital property is seen in the foreground near downtown Raleigh.

MOORE COUNTY

Swearing in representatives

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Second antisemitic sign discovered on Christmas Day

On December 18, the first night of Hanukkah, deputies from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office were informed about an antisemitic sign hung from a bridge in the Vass area. Last week, the sheriff’s office received word that a second sign had been in Moore County, though this time, it was placed on a bridge on Pinewood Church Road going over US Route 1 in Cameron. Much like the content of the first sign, the second one displayed images of swastikas, the number “1488,” and the phrase “A TOUCH OF DEATH.” The Moore County Sheriff’s Office has the sign and has launched a full investigation into the matter. At this time, it is unknown whether this act is the work of the same perpetrators as the December 18 incident or if this is a copycat crime. If anyone has any additional information regarding either of these two incidents, please contact the sheriff’s office at (910) 947-4444.

Hazmat team investigates suspicious bag at Carthage Town Hall

A hazmat team was called out to the Carthage Town Hall and Fire Station last Tuesday after local officials discovered a strange plastic bag with a “powdery substance” inside. Due to the recent substation attack and the general state of caution on behalf of authorities in Moore County, the response was swift and large. Over a dozen NC Hazmat Response Team members arrived on the scene just off US 501. Following several hours of investigating, the hazmat crews determined that the mystery substance was a letter and turned the investigation over to the Carthage Police Department. At this time, no information about what the letter said or why the hazmat teams were called has been reported to the public. If anyone has any additional information regarding this incident, please contact the Carthage Police Department office at (910) 947-2231.

Moore prep sports year in review

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

IT WAS A BIG YEAR for athletics among Moore County’s high schools. From conference championships to deep runs in the state playoffs, Moore County athletics sets the bar for competitiveness in nearly every single sport.

Here’s a rundown of the notable records and achievements among the schools.

In baseball, North Moore High School captured the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A Conference title after finishing with an overall record of 16-2 and 8-0 in conference play.

The Pinecrest High School Patriots finished with a record of 25-8 and 10-2 in the conference. They went all the way to the 4A State Championship after winning their conference and beating Fuquay-Varina in the 4A East regional, but ultimately fell short, losing to the undefeated Providence High School Panthers.

In basketball, Pinecrest also led the way, finishing with a 21-6 overall record and winning the con-

ference with an 11-1 record. They made it to the second round of the state playoffs.

Union Pines finished with a record of 18-8 and 7-5 in conference play. Kelby Wright led the Vikings in scoring averaging 13.4 points per game on 58% shooting.

In football, North Moore finished with a record of 13-1 and 6-0 in conference play, making it all the way to the fourth round of the 1A State Championship.

The running back duo of juniors Jakarey Gillis and Kolby Ritchie led the way for the Mustangs averaging 107.1 and 98.6 yards per game, and accounted for 28 total touchdowns.

Pinecrest had a record of 9-3 and 6-0 in conference and made it to the second round of the state playoffs.

In boys’ soccer, Pinecrest had a record of 11-8-2 and 10-3-2 conference record, second best in the Sandhills 3A/4A conference.

Union Pines finished with a record of 9-11-1 and 6-7 in conference play.

North Moore went to the fourth

round of the 1A playoffs after finishing with a record of 12-5-2 and 4-4-2 in conference play, led by freshman Christopher Betancourt who averaged 1.5 goals per game and finished the season with 21 total goals scored.

In softball, Union Pines finished 12-10 overall with a 6-6 conference record.

In tennis, Union Pines went 12-4 overall and 10-2 in conference. The Vikings won the Sandhills 3A Conference Tournament and placed 5th in the 3A Mideast Regionals.

Pinecrest had a record of 15-1 and 12-0 in conference play, cruising to another conference title, and made it all the way to the third round of the Dual Team playoffs.

North Moore managed to make it to the second round.

In golf, Pinecrest finished third in the men’s 4A state championship tournament with a team score of +54. Sophomore Carson Bertagnole tied for the tenth-best score with a +10.

In lacrosse, Pinecrest had an overall record of 14-6 and an 8-0

conference record, and they made it to the third round of the state playoffs.

In wrestling, two Moore County Schools students took home individual state championships for their respective weight classes. Aiden McCafferty of Union Pines High School won the 3A, 170 lb division, and Jayden Dobeck of Pinecrest High School won the 4A, 160 lb division.

In girls’ soccer, Union Pines finished with a record of 19-4-2 and an 11-1 conference record, good for second overall. They reached the second round of the state playoffs.

Pinecrest finished with a record of 15-9-2 and won the conference with an 11-1 record. They made it to the third round of the state playoffs.

North Moore went to the second round of the state playoffs after finishing with a 5-9-2 record and a 4-6 conference record.

In girls’ basketball, Union Pines finished with a 16-12 record and 7-5 in conference play. The Vikings

Appeals court restores NC law addressing farm labor

RALEIGH — A North Carolina law preventing legal settlements between farms and workers from requiring a farm operation to become a union employer doesn’t violate the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday while overturning a lower court decision.

The decision by a panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, restores a provision contained in a 2017 farm law that was challenged by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee — the state’s only farmworker union with several thousand members.

U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs had ordered in 2021 that the provision be permanently blocked, determining that the language prohibited all settlement agreements between workers and farm operators. But the law’s meaning was misconstrued, Senior Circuit Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote in the three-judge

panel’s prevailing opinion.

The “provision is not aimed at precluding settlements based on who the parties are but rather what those settlement conditions say,” Gribbon Motz wrote in reversing Biggs’ decision and vacating the permanent injunction. “We reject the broad reading advanced by FLOC and adopted by the district court that this statutory provision bars any settlement agreement between an agricultural producer and labor union.” Rather, she added, the law says a legal settlement can’t require union recognition or entry into a bargaining agreement.

The appeals court also agreed with Biggs’ decision upholding another section of the 2017 law that prohibited farming operations from entering into contracts that required farms to collect union dues from workers. There’s nothing to prevent a farm from collecting dues voluntarily.

Lawyers for FLOC argued in court that the challenged provisions violated their rights of association and discriminated against

workers from a legally protected class in a state known for low union membership. About 95% of farmworkers in the state are Latino, primarily of Mexican descent, Wednesday’s opinion said. A substantial portion are noncitizens who enter the country through a federal program to perform seasonal work.

Legislators who advanced the agriculture bill that contained the union language and its allies said the provisions were designed to strengthen North Carolina’s long status as a right-to-work state, according to the opinion. Some legislators wanted to stop what they considered a “coercive practice of using unrelated litigation to pressure agricultural producers into collective bargaining agreements,” Gribbon Motz wrote.

The bill was approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

While “FLOC marshals compel-

The Associated Press

Representative Neal Jackson (R-NC House District-78) is sworn into a state House seat by the Hon Judge Hill at the Historic Randolph County Courthouse on Monday.

SCOTT PELKEY | FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

WEEKLY CRIME LOG

♦ NUNOZ, JOAQUIN ROBERTO, 45, H, M, 1/2/2023, Out of County Agency, Assault by Pointing a Gun, Carrying Concealed Gun, Fictitious/False Information to an Officer, Poss Opn Cnt/Cons Alc Psg Area, DWI, No Operators License, $5,000 Secured

♦ IVEY, CHASE ALEXANDER, 24, W, M, 1/2/2023, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Misdemeanor Stalking, No Bond

♦ GOMEZGONZALEZ, JOSHUA ISRAEL, 25, H, M, 1/2/2023, Out of County Agency, No Operators License, $1,000 Secured

♦ BIBY, DESTINY LEHANN, 21, W, F, 1/2/2023, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Manufacture Marijuana, PWIMSD Marijuana, Felony Possession Marijuana, Maintn Veh/Dwell/Place CS, Possess Marijuana Paraphernalia, $10,000 Secured

♦ ROBERTSON, HALEY DESIREE, 36, W, F, 1/1/2023, Pinehurst PD, Felony Possession of Cocaine, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, Possess Methamphetamine, $8,500 Secured

♦

MCCRAW, JONATHAN NEILL, 42, W, M, 1/1/2023, Moore

County Sheriff’s Office, Assault on a Female, Assault Indiv w/ Disability, Assault on a Child Under 12, $10,000 Secured

♦ WHITAKER, BOBBY DEAN, 50, W, M, 12/30/2022, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Violate DV Protection Order, $5,000 Secured

made it to the second round of the state playoffs. Aaliyah Balser led the team in scoring, averaging 19 points per game on 38% shooting. She also led the team in rebounds per game (11.6), steals per game (3.1), and blocks per game (0.7).

Pinecrest had a record of 20-6 and 11-2 conference record, finishing second in the conference. They made it to the second round of the state playoffs.

In girls’ tennis, North Moore made it to the second round of the 1A Dual Team Playoffs.

Union Pines finished with a record of 11-3 and 10-2 in conference play, and Pinecrest had a record of 13-3 and 12-0 in conference play.

In girls’ golf, Pinecrest won the 4A State Championship tournament with a team score of +35.

Freshman Julia Herzberg finished with the best score for Pinecrest but the sixth-best score overall of +8.

In girls’ volleyball, North Moore made it to the second round after finishing with a record of 12-14 and a conference record of 6-4.

Union Pines finished with a record of 16-10 and a 9-3 conference record. They made it to the second round of the state playoffs, and Pinecrest had a record of 24-3 and 12-0 in conference play, making it to the third round of the state playoffs.

In girls’ lacrosse, Pinecrest finished with a 10-4 record and a 7-1 conference record and made it to the second round of the state playoffs.

The Moore County Edition of the North State Journal will continue to cover high school sports as each of these teams marches forward into the new year.

The Moore County Edition of the North State Journal will continue to cover high school sports as each of these teams marches forward into the new year.

moore happening

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Moore County:

January 5

Trivia Thursday at the Brewery

6pm

Come out for Trivia at the Southern Pines Brewery! Enjoy fun and prizes each Thursday. Southern Pines Brewing Company is located at 565 Air Tool Dr., Southern Pines, NC.

APPEALS, from page 1

ling evidence of our nation’s sordid history of racial discrimination in the agricultural industry,” Gribbon Motz added, there’s nothing to indicate that legislators focused on FLOC’s racial makeup when drafting the provisions.

Kristi Graunke, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union in North Carolina representing FLOC and a farmworker who sued over the provisions, expressed disappointment with the decision but said the “narrowed interpretation of the statute” could “limit some of its harmful impact.” Outside civil

rights, farming, labor and business groups also filed briefs in the case.

Circuit Judge Toby Heytens, who was nominated to the court by President Joe Biden, joined the opinion written by Gribbon Motz, a nominee of President Bill Clinton. Circuit Judge Julius Richardson, a nominee of President Donald Trump, wrote a separate opinion agreeing with the judgment but suggesting the settlement provision could be challenged in state court.

State Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, is a lawsuit defendant and defends state laws in court.

Still, Graunke singled Stein out for deciding to defend “a law that doubles down on a shameful legacy of racialized discrimination against farmworkers and their unions.” Asked by email about the ruling and the ACLU lawyer’s words directed at him, spokesperson Laura Brewer said late Wednesday that the Attorney General’s office was reviewing the appeals court’s decision.

FLOC has one collective bargaining agreement between its workers and nearly 700 farms within the North Carolina Growers Association, union President Baldemar Velasquez said.

Moore County Planning Board Meeting

6pm

The Moore County Planning Board will meet on Thursday at the Carthage Historical Courthouse in BOC Meeting Room 1.

January 6

Civil War Series 1pm – 2:30pm

The Moore County Senior Enrichment Center is welcoming Dr. Matt Farina, who will be hosting a six-part series on the American Civil War.

The series will take place each Friday in January and February.

January 7

Meet and Greet Pet Adoption 12pm – 4pm

Paws of the Pines Rescue will be at the Pet Supermarket of Southern Pines for a Meet and Greet event! Meet some of the pups that are looking for their forever homes! The Pet Supermarket is located at 1700 Old Morganton Road.

January 9

Music Bingo at the Brewery 7pm – 9pm

Come out to Hatchet Brewery for a fun night of Music Bingo! Hatchet Brewing Company is located at 490 SW Broad Street in Southern Pines.

January 10

Trivia Tuesday Time 6pm

Come out to Sandhills Winery for Trivia Tuesday Time! Trivia at the winery consists of teams up to six people. If you don’t have

OPINION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

| U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Faith and faithfulness

FOR MY FAMILY and many of yours, the Christmas season is the best time of the year. It is a time of celebration where we come together with loved ones to share gifts and give thanks for all that is good in our lives – most important to me is the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ.

As we celebrate this holiday season, let us remember all those who have defended that freedom serving in our nation’s uniform – especially those separated from their own families.

Christmas Day marks the birth of Jesus and the fulfillment of God’s promise to all mankind. As it is written in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

The birth of Christ stands as the beginning of the final stage of God’s saving plan for humanity. Born in a manger into the humblest of conditions, the Son of God would come to spread the good news of hope and charity to the people of the world, before suffering death and rising again to grant us salvation.

This is a love story that stands alone and instills a renewed sense of hope to all who believe in Him. It was and remains the greatest story ever told.

My faith is deeply important to me. It gives me the strength to do my job and live each day with purpose and conviction. While there is much in the world that can get us down, I am grateful for the hope that comes from my faith. I am also deeply grateful to live in a country where all people are free to practice their faith, no matter what it might be.

As we celebrate this holiday season, let us remember all those who have defended that freedom serving in our nation’s

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

Harry and Meghan, really?

OK, I WILL ADMIT IT. Callista and I got drawn into the six-part series on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The opening music is reminiscent of Downton Abbey, which we adore and constantly rewatch. It is like an old friend. (We were once lucky enough to have Lady Carnarvon take us through Highclere Castle and share scones and coffee with us. It was magic.)

Harry and Meghan as a series is not — repeat not — magic.

It is the home movie coverage of a train wreck. Loving friends are interviewed about the horrible experience Meghan and Harry have had at the hands of the wicked staff of the “institution.” They also bemoan the sheer jealousy of the royals. (Don’t you love that term? Americans always have a secret thing for the family they rebelled against and defeated for our independence.)

Callista and I have a bias in favor of the royals because we watched “The Crown,” and enjoyed the marvelous performance by Helen Mirren as the late Queen Elizabeth in “The Appointment.” That is a play about the weekly appointment the Queen had with each of her prime ministers, starting with Winston Churchill. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair once told me that he was amazed how much Queen Elizabeth had learned over the years and how helpful her advice was.

So, we watched the self-pitying, whining, and cringeinducing explanations of how marrying into a monarchy had brutalized Meghan — and how poor Harry had never gotten over being born second and watching his older brother William be groomed to be king. I felt I was watching two juveniles who simply could not come to grips with the real world.

It is a little suspicious that they just happen to have so many hours of home movies. It made me wonder if they had been planning this TV extravaganza for a long time. There were reports almost as soon as they resigned from their royal duties that they had signed a $100 million contract with Netflix.

Of course, the series explains why they need the money. Staying in a 22-acre estate in Los Angeles, ensuring enough

uniform – especially those separated from their own families. Their families bear a heavy burden and deserve our thanks and respect as well. Let us also be thankful to the first responders and healthcare workers serving on the frontlines to protect the health and well-being of our nation. I hope you will join Renee and I in keeping them and their families in our prayers.

While this past year has certainly been challenging, there is still so much for which to be grateful. And as one year ends and another begins, I am confident that we, as a nation, will be able to come together and build a better future for all Americans.

From the bottom of our hearts, Renee and I would like to wish each of you who celebrate a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am excited to get back to work and to start confronting the many challenges still facing you and your family. Until then, I hope you enjoy time with family and remember what’s most important – our faith, our families, our friends, and the many blessings we enjoy as citizens of the greatest nation on Earth.

Richard Hudson is serving his fifth term representing North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and in House leadership as the Republican Conference Secretary.

security, and traveling in private airplanes, all these aspects of “the simple life” add up.

As I watched the series, it became clear that Meghan was a professional actress. She delivered her lines, occasionally had a tear, and paused at the right moments for the right amount of time.

In all fairness, the most poignant and real parts of the series were Harry’s flashbacks to his mother and the impact Princess Diana’s estrangement from the royal family and her death had on him as a child. His memories of his mother and the clips of her interviews in which Princess Diana described how the royal family mistreated her are compelling. They help us understand how easy it was for Harry and Meghan to cast themselves as the next generation of the same trauma. In a sense, Harry and Meghan are reliving the tragedy of Princess Diana as their own experience.

However, I found it hard to feel sympathy for a couple who have had almost everything. When Meghan described the estrangement from her father, I wondered if at least a little of that isn’t a comment on her. When Harry described the wicked staff at the palace leaking attacks, I wondered about the value of all the good things the palace had done.

There is a telling moment early on when the queen rejected Harry and Meghan’s request to live in Windsor Castle and instead gives them Frogmore Cottage. Only when I looked it up did I learn it has ten bedrooms. So, being denied Windsor Castle and forced into a ten-bedroom mansion (which they call a cottage) set the stage for Meghan’s feeling of alienation. Really?

You may want to watch the series for yourself. It is a nice break from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Iranian effort to get nuclear weapons, the North Korean ballistic missile launches, the excruciatingly petty conflicts and gossip of Washington politics, and, in our case, the tragic Green Bay Packers season.

You may find yourself rooting for Harry and Meghan in their desperate search for happiness in a cold world of nasty royal family staff and vicious British newspapers.

Happy New Year.

Harry and Meghan as a series is not — repeat not — magic.

COLUMN

Marvern (Marv) Mercer USAF Ret

March 30, 1934 - January 1, 2023

Marvern (Marv) Mercer, Colonel USAF Ret Marv Mercer, 88, of Southern Pines, North Carolina, passed away on January 1, 2023.

Colonel Marv Mercer was born March 30, 1934, in Tampa, Florida. Raised in Miami, he graduated from Miami Senior High School in 1951.He received a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1956 from the University of Miami, Florida, and in 1969 he earned a master’s degree from Florida Institute of Technology.

His military decorations include the Legion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clusters, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Meritorious Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster, and the Air Force Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his first wife of 42 years Oneida, eldest son Allen, second wife of 21 years Sarah and brother Maurice.

He is survived by his youngest son Jeff Mercer, nephew David Mercer, niece Debbie Clift, grandchildren: Erica Solomon, Sarah Mercer, Michael Mercer, Brooke Mercer and Brandon Sims, and great - grandchildren: Haylee, Raymond, Chaz, Jaymeson, Dustin, Taylor and Lane.

Joyce Marshall Green

April 25, 1942 - December 31, 2022

Joyce Marshall Green, 80 of Aberdeen passed away at home on Saturday, December 31,2022.

She is survived by her husband Robert Green, daughters Amy Currie and husband Bob of Monroe, NC Gina Anderson and husband Larry of Whispering Pines, NC granddaughter Hannah Baldwin and husband Kurt, great granddaughter Ava Baldwin of Aberdeen, sister Geraldine Wall of Carthage.

Preceded in death by her parents Robert and Lettie Marshall, brother Wayne Marshall, Sisters Ernestine Marsh and Betty Hall.

Mary Agnes Covington

March 12, 1933 - December 27, 2022

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Mary Agnes Covington of Aberdeen on December 27, 2022 at the age of 89.

She was born in Moore County, March 12, 1933 to the late Charlie and Dorothy McDonald. She was predeceased by her husband of 71 years, James Oswald; infant son; sister, Anne Herndon; grandson, Sam Covington.

Agnes will be lovingly remembered by her children, Phyllis C. Jones, Stephen E. Covington, Sr. (Suzie); grandchildren, Melissa J. Schlee (Joe), Andrea J. Baxley (Kyle) and Stephen E Covington, II ; greatgrandchildren; Elizabeth, Katie and Lexi Schlee; sisters, Virginia Morgan, Patricia Harrison (Jim); brothers Charles McDonald, George McDonald (Martha).

Ruth Hearn Mills

December 8, 1927 - December 30, 2022

Ruth Hearn Mills of Pinehurst, North Carolina, passed away on December 30, 2022.

She was born in Pinebluff, North Carolina, to William Frank Hearn and Ethel Perdue Hearn.

In 1950 she married James R. Mills who was a student at Georgia Tech and originally from Charlotte, N.C. Ruth and her husband moved to Houston, Texas, in 1972 after having spent several years in Atlanta, GA; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Beaumont, TX: and Chicago, II.

She is survived by her brotherin-law, Raymond (Virginia) Mills, of San Diego, CA; several adorable nieces, nephews and cousins and many wonderful friends. Ruth was pre-deceased by her husband of 63 years, three sisters, Dixie H. Elmore, Janie H. Brandon and Mary Frances Ramsey, and her brother, Robert F. Hearn.

Vivian Ann Snyder Dower

March 9, 1929 - December 28, 2022

Vivian Ann Snyder Dower, age 93, of Pinehurst, NC, passed on December 28, 2022 at Pinehurst Healthcare and Rehabilitation in Pinehurst.

Vivian was born on March 9, 1929 in Middletown, CT to Thomas Wilfred Snyder and Margaret Olive Carling Snyder. She lived most of her life in Portland, CT. She then married Walter Dower, Jr. and raised four children remaining a ‘stay-athome mom’ as the children grew. Vivian was a Den Mother for Pack 15 of the Cub Scouts. She was an avid doll collector and donated a portion of her collection to the North Carolina Museum of Dolls.

Robert Wynkoop

Rigg, Jr.

February 22, 1945 - December 23, 2022

Robert W. Rigg, Jr., age 77, died Friday, December 23, 2022 at his home.

Mr. Rigg is survived by his wife Faye Rigg and two sisters, Judy Oaksmith and Carol Herrmann.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Moore County Humane Society, 5355 NC Hwy 22, Carthage, NC 28327.

James Ray Thomas

October 9, 1936 - December 25, 2022

James Ray Thomas, 86, passed away peacefully at First Health Hospice in Pinehurst on December 25, 2022, after a short illness. His wife, Sally, was by his side when he transitioned to his heavenly home.

Jim Thomas was born October 9, 1936, in Carthage, NC to the late Raymond M. and Ruby Doss Thomas. He was preceded in death by his son, Danny R. Thomas, and his grandson, William D. Thomas. He was also preceded in death by his brother Larry Thomas, and sisters, Janet Dickerson and Carol Reynolds of Sanford.

Jim is survived by his wife, Sally R. Thomas, his two sons, Hamp Thomas (Sherri) of Whispering Pines, and Mark Thomas (Teresa) of Spruce Pine; granddaughter, Dr. Lauren Thomas (Kevin) of Jacksonville, FL, great grandchildren, Camden, Sophia & Charlotte; granddaughter Shelley Upton (Kent), and great granddaughter Amelia. He is also survived by two brothers, Steve Thomas (Donna) of Whispering Pines, and Russell Thomas (Diane) of Sanford, as well as many favorite nieces and nephews.

He loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren; and had a soft spot for all animals.

Gregory Thomas Briley

April 24, 1960 - December 24, 2022

Gregory Thomas Briley, 62 of Ocean Isle Beach, NC, passed away unexpectedly on December 24, 2022 in Anderson, SC while helping coordinate the restoration of power to families in advance of Christmas Day.

Born on April 24, 1960 in Fayetteville, NC to Geraldine White Briley (Nana) and the late Thomas Watson Briley (Papa Tom),

He thoroughly enjoyed hunting, salt and fresh water fishing, kayaking, golfing and baseball. However, nothing brought him as much joy as his family, especially his five precious grandchildren and their mommies’ who he cherished so much.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 41 years, Donna Rakes Briley; two sons, Brian Thomas Briley (Allison) and Duncan James Briley (Michele); one brother, Jeffrey Watson Briley; five grandchildren, Elijah Thomas Briley, Hunter James Briley, Lily Kate Briley, Cayden James Briley and Lexie Claire Briley; also survived by many other loving family members and dear friends.

Richard L. Styers

May 25, 1940 - December 27, 2022

Richard L. Styers, 82, of Aberdeen, NC died peacefully in his home on Dec. 27, 2022 surrounded by his loved ones. He was born on May 25, 1940 to parents Fred Styers Sr. and Grace Peele Styers in Pinehurst, NC.

Richard married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Donna Quinn Styers on September 1, 1962. During their 50 years of marriage, they had 2 daughters, Lisa Wood of Aberdeen, NC and Kimberly Bryan of Seven Lakes, NC (both surviving).

Richard was a local collard farmer; many came from all around the county to buy his delicious collards.

Richard is survived by siblings Sander Garner, Susan Johnson, and Teresa Jones; and grandchildren Melissa Daly and Christopher Sanders and great grandchildren Beau Sanders and Emerson Sanders. Richard was preceded in death by his late wife Donna Styers, his parents, Fred Styers Sr. and Grace Peele Styers and siblings Hazel Styers, Francis Everett, and Fred Jr Styers.

Vivian is survived by her beloved husband of 74 years, Walter A. Dower, Jr. and by their three daughters and their spouses: Linda and Mark Masley of St. Augustine, FL, Jeanie and Richard Riordan of Pinehurst, NC, and Debra and Dennis Genovesio of Portland, CT. Vivian leaves behind her sister Roberta Scribner of Harrison, ME, and her brother Thomas Snyder of Tilton, NH. She was preceded in death by her son Richard Walter Dower, her grandson Gabriel Dower, her sister Louise Ferguson of Killingworth, CT, and her brothers Randall Snyder of Portland, CT and Ronald Snyder of Bethel, ME. Vivian leaves behind nine grandchildren: Jennifer Hintz, Katherine LeBoeuf, Matthew Dower, Amy Grady, Christopher and Brian Genovesio, Kelly Cahill, Melissa Davis, and Shana Proulx. She also had 14 great grandchildren.