North State Journal Vol. 7, Issue 47

Jan 22-28 is National

School Choice Week

Raleigh

Celebrations of National School Choice Week have been scheduled across North Carolina and nation for the week of Jan. 22-28.

National School Choice Week celebrates all K-12 educational opportunities available including homeschooling, public charter schools, magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and traditional public schools.

Dozens of events are being hosted across North Carolina, including a school fair event in High Point on Jan. 21 and a luncheon and student rally being held on Jan. 26 in Raleigh.

More than 40 National School Choice Week events will take place in North Carolina.

A.P. DILLON

Cooper joins govs banning TikTok on state devices

Raleigh

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper became the latest state executive to ban the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok in an executive order late last week.

Several government entities in the United States, including multiple branches of the United States Military and other states, have banned TikTok, WeChat, and other applications on federal and state government information technology.

“The governor’s executive order takes an important first step to ensure the privacy of our citizens and the security of North Carolina’s government networks,” said state Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln).

NSJ STAFF

Bojangles announces ‘Hard Sweet Tea’ collaboration

Charlotte Bojangles and Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB) have partnered to launch Bojangles Hard Sweet Tea, an innovative new drink in participating retail stores.

The collaboration represents a new food licensing deal for Bojangles. The hard tea is expected to hit shelves in March in the form of 12-pack, 12-ounce cans and individual 16-ounce cans. It will be available at independent retailers and chains in North and South Carolina.

“AMB couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with such an iconic Carolina company,” said Nathan Kelischek, AMB Founder and Brewmaster.

NSJ STAFF

Tillis chosen for position with Senate Republican leadership

Washington, D.C.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) selected two-term Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) to serve as a counselor to the Senate Republican leadership team.

“North Carolina and the whole country benefit from his service and I’m glad he’s taking on this new leadership role,” McConnell said in a statement to Fox News.

While the counsel position isn’t an official role, McConnell has historically offered one or two counselor positions to rank-and-file members of the Senate to have a seat at the leadership table, according to the report.

NSJ STAFF

NC Congressional Democrats oppose resolution condemning pregnancy center attacks

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — As the 118th Congress began operations last week, a House floor vote on a resolution condemning attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers saw all but three Democratic members vote “nay” on the measure. The vote was 222 to 208.

Every single Democratic member of North Carolina’s House congressional delegation voted no. Their Republican counterparts all voted yes. North Carolina’s Democratic U.S. House congressional delegation includes Reps. Don

Davis (NC-01), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Valerie Foushee (NC04), Kathy Manning (NC-06), Alma Adams (NC-12), George “Wiley” Nickel (NC-13) and Jeff Jackson (NC-14).

Davis, Foushee, Jackson and Nickel are new to Congress having been elected in November 2022.

House Resolution 3 (H.R. 3) “condemns recent attacks of vandalism, violence, and destruction against pro-life facilities, groups, and churches,” as well as recognizing the “sanctity of life and the important role

NC ski slopes offer winter fun for entire family

By Emmie Brooks North State Journal

POST HOLIDAY season, families around the state begin searching for activities to unwind and enjoy the outdoors. North Carolina’s mountains feature many ski and snowboarding options for individuals to get a taste of winter weather.

Appalachian Ski Mountain opened in 1962, the first ski area in northwestern North Carolina, and was known as Blowing Rock Ski Lodge. In 1968 the resort was bought and became what is now Appalachian Ski.

This ski resort features ten slopes and two terrain parks with varying difficulty levels for beginners to professionals. Ticket purchasing is made easy with a flex ticket option that allows people to purchase a ticket at any time and have a full eight hours on the snow after time of purchase.

“I like the variety, I like that our goal is to see people have fun on the snow,” marketing director for Appalachian Ski, Drew Stanley said. “In the winter time your recreation options are somewhat limited because

of the weather but being able to embrace the cold and snow and enjoy it is very exciting.”

They also offer lessons for first time skiers and beginners to help individuals learn how to use equipment, turn and stop in the snow, and practice mounting and dismounting the chair lifts.

We have a constant commitment to upgrading our snowmaking and grooming to make conditions as good as they can be,” Stanley said.

Not only does Appalachian Ski Mountain offer skiing and snowboarding, they also have an ice skating rink and rental skates for those looking for time on the ice. A 200-foot observation deck with a view of the slopes is also an option for those who prefer watching the sport in action.

Wolf Ridge Ski Resort, north of Asheville, is a family-oriented ski resort well known for their attentive staff and faculty.

I enjoy getting people who have never skied before the chance to get on the mountain and to see people who have never seen snow to be able

NC Treasurer welcomes challenges to change in State Health Plan administrator

Two companies have filed protests

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The change in the Third-Party Administrative contract (TPA) for the state health plan announced earlier this month by N.C. State Treasurer Dale Folwell is likely to be challenged by the current plan administrator.

The current plan administrator is Blue Cross Blue Shield NC (BCBSNC), which has held that contract for forty years. The new administrator, approved by a vote taken by the plan’s board of trustees, will be Aetna.

During a monthly call with reporters, Folwell said that while the plan’s board of trustees voted to go with Aetna in December 2022, BCBSNC recently said it will appeal the decision.

“This is a consequential decision that will impact more than

580,000 State Health Plan members and threatens North Carolina jobs,” BCBSNC said in a statement when the change was announced. “Blue Cross NC is pursuing a formal appeal and seeking more information through a public records request to ensure the best outcome for North Carolina and all State Health Plan members.”

BCBSNC followed through, filing its protest with State Health Plan acting director Sam Watts on Jan. 12.

“We welcome the opportunity to engage in a factual, thoughtful and transparent review of the State Health Plan’s contracting process for third party administration services going into effect two years from now,” Folwell said in a Jan. 12 statement on BCBSNC’s appeal. “Just like Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has the right to point fingers at everyone else for losing the contract after 44 years, the State Health Plan, Board of Trustees, professional staff and I all have a duty to seek the best

financial value and member service for those that teach, protect and serve as well as taxpayers like them.”

A second protest was filed on Jan. 13 by UMR Inc., which is a subsidiary of both UnitedHealthcare and the company’s TPA. UMR’s 30-page protest filing claims the decision to choose Aetna was an “improper” contract award and that the review was not a “comprehensive, fair and impartial evaluation.”

Folwell’s response to UMR’s protest filing was similar to that of his statement on BCBSNC in that Folwell welcomes “the opportunity to engage in a factual, thoughtful and transparent review of the State Health Plan’s contracting process for third party administration services,” and that that process was fair.

The multiple protest filings and the contract being worth tens of millions means a likely legal chal-

“I enjoy getting people who have never skied before the chance to get on the mountain and to see people who have never seen snow to be able to see snow.”

Will Walker, sales director for Wolf Ridge Ski

COURTESY PHOTO

Skiers make their way down Sugar Mountain in this courtesy photo.

THE WORD: LIVING UP TO LOFTY STANDARDS

You say that you cannot live up to the things you read in the Bible and in Christian books. I know of no one who can do so. The Bible sets before us very lofty ideals — so lofty that we cannot reach them in a day or a month or in twenty-five years.

So long as you may live, and if you spend every year in striving toward the best things — you will still find that you have not fully attained them.

Paul was a great deal better Christian than most of us, and he said, when he was quite an old man, that he was not yet perfect — but was still striving after the things which he wished to attain. We never measure up to our ideals. We never are so holy any day, as we intend to be in the morning when we set out.

We fall far below God’s requirements. If we did not, there would be no special need of a Savior. Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem us and save us, because we cannot live up to the requirements of His divine law.

You must not judge yourself, therefore, too severely. Christ does not. He is very patient with our slow progress. Always do your best every day, and you will do better still tomorrow.

Make every day as beautiful as you can — pure and true and holy, with obedience and love. Then next day can be made a little better than this one, and so on through every day, unto the end.

Yet you will still find on the last evening of your life, that you have very much to attain, that really you have just begun to be a Christian. I think it was Rubinstein, the great musician, who said at the close of a long life, devoted to intense musical work, “I have just begun to know music.” It is so in Christian life. If you live to be eighty years old, growing every day more and more holy, you can say then no more than that you have begun — just begun, to know Christ and to know how to live a Christian life. Remember that you will never reach your goal, until you leave this poor world, and enter upon the perfect life in Heaven. “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is!” 1 John 3:2 “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus!”

Philippians 3:13-14

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.

the indemnity plan.

to see snow,” Will Walker, sales director for Wolf Ridge Ski.

Wolf Ridge Ski Resort features a wide variety of slopes for all levels as well as chairlifts. The ski lodge at the resort has a comfortable setting to ensure visitors feel as nestled in the mountains as possible, including a pizzeria with a broad menu for all taste buds.

We’re a family run resort, we have a much more intimate atmosphere than most resorts,” Walker said. “There is really nothing commercial about us, we have very high customer service.”

Burrowed in the Blue Ridge mountains lies Beech Mountain Ski Resort, a spot fit for those looking for a relaxing weekend in the mountains.

Opened in winter of 1967, brothers Grover and Harry Robbins founded the resort and began developing. In 1986, the Costin family purchased the resort and began creating what is now one of the premier recreation destinations in the area. Beech Mountain Ski is still owned and operated by the Costin family today.

Along with skiing and snowboarding on some of the highest elevated slopes in the region, Beech Mountain Ski Resort also offers snow tubing located near their resort village.

We own and operate a brewery here in the resort village, there’s fire pits, the brewery, and a nice little coffee shop. The atmosphere in general is just really comfortable,” marketing director for Beech Ski Resort, Talia Freeman said.

Beech Mountain Ski Resort also features live music and events throughout the year. During the warmer months, mountain biking and disc golf are offered to guests along with a popular summer concert series.

Sugar Mountain Resort, located just north of Grandfather Mountain State Park, is a skiing and snowboarding spot for all levels of skill. With twenty trails, eight lifts, an ice skating rink, snowshoeing, and snow tubing area, Sugar Mountain Ski Resort welcomes a variety of individuals with open arms.

“We have excellent terrain all around, from a terrific beginners area to our double black diamond called Whoopdedoo,” vice president of Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, Kimberley Jochl said. “We also have a wonderful children’s program, the sugar bear ski school and polar bear snowboard school.”

Sugar Mountain Resort gains a lot of popularity through its night skiing option. Fourteen of their twenty slopes stay open with lighting for individuals interested to ski from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

lenge is on the horizon.

SKIING from page A1 HEALTH PLAN from page A1 RESOLUTION from page A1

BCBSNC’s current TPA contract was estimated to be paid $79 million just in administrative expenses during 2022. Folwell said an estimated $140 million in administrative savings are possible with the move to Aetna. UMR’s protest filing disputes that savings claim, stating they believe costs will rise by “at least $500 million.”

According to a presentation given to the State Health Plan’s Board of Trustees in December, as of Oct. 2022 the plan’s expenses for fiscal year 2022 came in at $1.4 billion with a beginning cash balance of $590.7 million and ending cash balance of $739 million.

North State Journal asked if retirees would be impacted by the change in the TPA. Folwell said it would not really impact retirees and that most retirees were still on

“Nearly 90% of our 155,000 retirees are participating in the Humana Medicare Advantage program,” Folwell said. “That program continues to be zero premium to the member and zero cost to the taxpayer.”

In answering North State Journal’s question about possible changes to benefits as a result of the move to Aetna, the treasurer corrected inaccurate reporting that BCBSNC was the state’s insurer.

“Blue Cross Blue Shield has never been the insurer for the State Health Plan,” said Folwell. “Think of it like a car and a transmission. You can change the transmission out, which is what we call the Third-Party Administrator. It doesn’t change the chasse or the body or the engine.”

Folwell went on to say, “We continue to be a self-funded plan” and the benefits are set by the health

plan’s board of trustees. He later added he continues to see incorrect reports “across the state” that BCBSNC is the state insurer. Folwell said those reports were “false” and “They are our back-office operator.”

During the call, Folwell also said he expects family premiums which are set by the board of trustees each year to remain frozen at least for the next “year or so.”

“Our expectation is that we continue to freeze family premiums for the next year or so and, hopefully, actually even reduce family premiums sometime during that period of time,” Folwell said.

Folwell added that “As far as the deductibles and copays, we still have our Clear Pricing Project, which allows people who participate in that not to have to pay deductibles, which is very important.”

The treasurer was also optimistic premiums may be reduced

during that year or so which could help attract healthier and younger persons to the plan and offset older subscribers.

“My point of saying that to you is that this is very, very important because we have to lower, not just freeze family premiums so that we can attract younger, healthier people to this plan to offset people like myself at my age,” said Folwell.

The Clear Pricing Project includes 27,000 health care providers as participants, according to Folwell. Citing both President Biden and former President Trump’s efforts to bring transparency to health care pricing, Folwell said his office will continue working on the Clear Pricing Project.

Rising health care and prescription drug costs “going up by double digits” were cited by Folwell to underscore the need for more transparency in pricing as well as reduction in overall costs.

pro-life facilities, groups, and churches play in supporting pregnant women, infants, and families.”

The measure also calls on the Biden administration to use “all appropriate law enforcement authorities to uphold public safety and to protect the rights of prolife facilities, groups, and churches.”

H.R. 3 contains a list of more than 30 attacks on such centers, including the attack on a crisis pregnancy center in North Carolina.

The attack occurred in Asheville on June 6, 2022, where “vandals broke windows and left graffiti on the Mountain Area Pregnancy Services building, including the messages, “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you”, “no forced birth”, and an anarchist symbol,” H.R. 3 states.

Republican Rep. Dan Bishop (NC-08) delivered remarks in support of the resolution.

“Attacks on churches and prolife pregnancy centers are unconscionable and un-American,” Bishop said. “Thugs elevate their extreme political ideology over the most basic gift from God: Life. And this phenomenon is fed from here.”

Bishop went on to say that “all recall Sen. Chuck Schumer’s threat to Supreme Court justices, “You will pay the price.” Now we see the price – firebombing prolife pregnancy centers and assassination attempts.”

The Charlotte-area congressman went on to mention the Asheville attack where vandals wrote a threat in red spray paint that read “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.”

Bishop compared the threat to

the “violent intimidation” of the KKK that the federal government responded to and called out the Biden administration for failing to act.

“Where is the Biden justice department amid this violent campaign of national scope?” asked Bishop. “Mr. President, it is time for action. Do your duty.”

North State Journal reached out to some of the North Carolina congressional Democrats for comment on their vote.

Rep. Manning’s office responded by pointing to an official press release which both rejected violence and vandalism but also attacked it as a “political ploy.”

“I want to be clear: I reject all forms of violence and vandalism and I condemn groups that use destruction as a means to an end. However, instead of uniting the Congress against acts of violence and vandalism, radical Republicans introduced a one-sided resolution that uses inflammatory language to rally Americans against one another and ignores the violence levied against abortion providers,” Manning said in the statement. “In its current form, this resolution is nothing more than a political ploy to district from the harm abortion bans are causing women and families in states across the country.”

Manning went on to list an alternate bill she co-sponsored as well as voting against the BornAlive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R.26) because Manning said H.R. 26 is “an anti-abortion bill” that is “rooted in disinformation and baseless claims.”

Congresswoman Deborah Ross’s office also directed North State Journal to a press statement.

The release says Ross “voted

against a resolution that singles out acts of violence to further an anti-choice political agenda, while failing to protect healthcare facilities.”

“In their first days in the majority, House Republicans are already fast-tracking an extreme agenda that is at odds with the needs of women and the will of the American people,” Ross said. “An overwhelming majority of Americans support a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body. These latest pieces of anti-choice legislation are nothing but political stunts. I stand united with my Democratic colleagues in fighting for women’s reproductive freedom and opposing these dangerous proposals.”

In an email to North State Journal, Nickel’s office also referred to an alternate measure.

“While the Congressman did not support H. Con. Res.3, he did co-sponsor H. Res. 27 introduced by Rep. Dianna Degette (CO-01) condemning all acts of political violence and attacks on health care facilities, personnel, and patients,” responded Nickel staffer Kevin Porter. “This resolution also affirms the right of all people to access reproductive health care and medical advice free from violence and intimidation.”

Late last summer, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and then-Rep. Ted Budd called on Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein to protect crisis pregnancy centers in the state and investigate the attack on the Asheville clinic allegedly perpetrated by the group “Jane’s Revenge.” In a letter dated July 29, the lawmakers urge Stein to use the Freedom of Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 1994 to protect Crisis Pregnancy Centers in North Carolina.

“These despicable acts violate

both North Carolina law and federal law. Specifically, the Freedom of Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 19943 protects clinics that support pregnant women and decline to perform abortions,” the letter to Stein reads. “This law empowers state Attorneys General such as yourself with the authority to seek civil relief for conduct that violates the FACE Act.”

The letter was also signed by Reps. Bishop, Richard Hudson (R-09), and Greg Murphy (R-03). The request to Stein was made after 20 members of the U.S. House sent a letter in June to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland reminding him of his responsibility to defend Crisis Pregnancy Centers.

Stein’s response to Tillis and Budd acknowledged receipt of their letter but did not stipulate he would investigate the attack, yet stated “As our state’s Attorney General, my top priority is to protect the people of North Carolina.”

If you are aware of anyone engaging in violence against people exercising their rights, whether at a pregnancy crisis center or an abortion clinic, I urge you to notify local law enforcement and district attorneys would have authority over any criminal charges related to public safety,” Stein wrote.

In an email statement to North State Journal, Sen. Budd criticized Stein’s response.

“Attorney General Stein refuses to acknowledge that he currently has unique authority to pursue justice against those who threaten crisis pregnancy centers,” Budd wrote. “His office, as well as the federal Department of Justice, can and should do much more to protect these centers in the wake of renewed threats of violence and vandalism.”

PUBLIC DOMAIN

“The Apostle Paul” (circa 1657) is a painting by Rembrandt which is part of the Widener Collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt rolled out updates and some revisions last week to her signature Operation Polaris plan.

“Operation Polaris continues to serve as a long-term, proactive and forward-thinking vision for education in the state and one that evolves to fit the challenges and changes facing the state’s public schools,” Truitt said in a statement. “Many initiatives outlined in the first iteration of Operation Polaris are well underway and others, such as strengthening literacy and workforce development, have been enhanced or added as our work to date has led us to new solutions.”

In the release, Truitt’s Operation Polaris 2.0 plan cited seven core areas as a result of ongoing collaboration between the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), the N.C. State Board of Education, and lawmakers at the General Assembly.

Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration (OLR)

Office of District and Regional Support

Strengthening Literacy Prioritizing Student Support Services

Redesigning Testing and Accountability Piloting Competency-Based Education Transforming the Human Capital Pipeline

Operation Polaris was first launched in the fall of 2021 as Tru-

itt’s long-term roadmap for transforming North Carolina’s public schools with the overarching goal of having “a highly-qualified, excellent teacher in every classroom.” Key components of the plan include literacy, human capital, accountability and testing, and student support services.

Per NCDPI, Operation Polaris 2.0 “promises a sharper focus on schools designated as low performing” and said the renamed Office of District and Regional Support will continue to give “comprehensive, hands-on support” to schools and districts that need it.

The phonics-based reading program adopted to increase literacy statewide, was also mentioned in the press release. The program is called LETRS, which stands for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling.

According to the update in Operation Polaris 2.0, 100% of the state’s school districts are participating in LETRS training. LETRS training for the first two cohort groups began in 2021 and the third cohort in fall 2022. The groups involved in LETRS professional development will complete 160 total hours of training.

All 44,000 elementary teachers were cited previously as being expected to complete the training by 2024, but Operation Polaris 2.0 states “All initial cohort participants are still on track to complete the coursework by Spring 2025.”

Additionally, a goal associated with LETRS in Operation Polaris 2.0 is to hire and assign 115 early literacy specialists; one for each district.

The press release praised the

OLR’s participation in Operation Polaris, highlighting the office’s work in advancing student recovery following the pandemic as its “most significant initiative.”

“There is still much work to be done. But Operation Polaris is helping us chart a steady course to continued improvement of North Carolina’s schools and to improve outcomes for all students,” Truitt said.

According to the Operation Polaris 2.0 updates, during the next year OLR will “adjust its approach from providing PSUs triage support to facilitating conversations and action steps around transformation.”

As part of that transition, OLR is tasked with designing and implementing more than 20 state and local-level research and evaluation studies as well as summer evidence-based academic and workforce-aligned programs for all districts and ESSER-eligible charter schools.

“Progress also has been achieved on other key initiatives outlined in the initial Operation Polaris plan, including the development of the Portrait of a Graduate profile describing key competencies that students should possess when they graduate high school and continuing efforts to overhaul the state’s A-F school performance grade model,” the NCDPI press statement said.

With Operation Polaris 2.0 officially rolled out, the State Board of Education and Truitt will be able to turn their attention to the “Blueprint For Action” which contains proposed revisions to the state’s teacher licensure process linking pay levels to teacher effectiveness and continuing education.

House GOP launch investigations into FBI, China

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republicans swiftly established the marquee investigations of their new majority, voting to create panels focused on China and what they assert is rampant abuse of power in the federal government.

Newly empowered, GOP lawmakers are vowing to bring accountability to the Biden administration and pledging to investigate federal law enforcement agencies.

Republicans also established a committee, with broad bipartisan support, to investigate “strategic competition” between the U.S. and China, in line with the party’s push for a more hardline approach to the Asian nation.

The creation of the committees is the first of many investigative steps Republicans plan to take as they settle into their slim majority and attempt to serve as a check against President Joe Biden and his agenda on Capitol Hill.

It amounts to a massive reshuffling away from the oversight priorities of Democrats, who used their majority to form a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. That committee is no more, and Republicans have no plans to revive it, vowing instead to take a closer look at the actions of law enforcement.

Republicans officially labeled one of the committees as reviewing “the Weaponization of the Federal Government.” The probe will be conducted under the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee, which is headed by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

The committee is being given a broad mandate, told to investigate “the expansive role” of the executive branch to “collect information on or otherwise investigate citizens of the

United States, including ongoing criminal investigations.” Notably, the panel will have access to classified information, a privilege usually reserved for the intelligence committees in the House and Senate.

First up is investigating what they call a coordinated effort by Justice Department “to go after parents” and deem them domestic terrorists following an increase of threats targeting school board members, teachers and other employees in the nation’s public schools.

“The real focus has always been what 14 FBI agents have come and told Judiciary Republican staff about what’s going on with the FBI and the very first one was on the school board,” Jordan told reporters. “We’ll start with those individuals and we’ll move from there once we get up and running with who’s on our committee.”

The GOP focus on issues like parents’ rights in schools stems from the unruliness that engulfed local education meetings across the country since the pandemic began, with board members regularly confronted and threatened by angry protesters. There is no evidence the FBI ever declared protesting parents “domestic terrorists,” despite Republican rhetoric.

Jordan, who is expected to lead the investigation, said the committee is modeled after the bipartisan “Church Committee,” a 1970s congressional investigation that sought to investigate allegations that the U.S. government spied on its own citizens for decades. That investigation led to significant reforms with the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which requires intelligence agencies to seek permission from a secret court before surveilling Americans.

Democrats opposed the creation of the committee, calling it a parti-

san tool for Republicans to go after the Justice Department as Trump is the subject of several federal criminal investigations, including for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and his handling and storing of presidential records at Mar-a-Lago.

“Republicans claim to care about law enforcement. But this new committee is about attacking law enforcement,” Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the ranking member of the Rules Committee, said on the House floor. “It’s about going after people. It’s about destroying people’s careers and lives. It’s about undermining the Department of Justice.”

The sharply partisan debate over the Judiciary committee stood in stark contrast to the bipartisan support for the China panel, which will be led by Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin. Members of both parties said more attention should be devoted to the global implications of China’s economic competition strategy.

“You have my word and my commitment. This is not a partisan committee,” Speaker Kevin McCarthy said. “That is my hope, my desire, my wish that we speak with one voice that we focus on the challenges that we have.”

He added, “The threat is too great for us to bicker with ourselves.” Close to 150 Democrats voted for the committee’s creation.

Who will serve on either committee beyond the chairs will be a decision for congressional leaders. The House is in the process of seating the various standing committees, a process that is expected to be contentious as McCarthy has already pledged to retaliate against Democrats for removing several members from their committee assignments in the last Congress.

Governor’s Racial Equity in Criminal Justice task force releases report

After two years, the task force lists 21 successes out of 125 recommendations

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — In the final days of 2022, Gov. Roy Cooper’s Racial Equity in Criminal Justice task force (TREC) released its 2022 report containing updates on the status of the group’s work.

TREC was created by Cooper in June 2022. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein and N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls are the cochairs for the 24-member task force.

According to a press release by Stein, the task force was supposed to conclude in December 2022, but the governor extended the task force’s operation when he announced the appointments of North Carolina Department of Public Safety Secretary Eddie Buffaloe and Earls as co-chairs of the task force beginning in January 2023.

Per the release, Stein will continue to serve as a member of TREC.

“The progress we’ve made since the Task Force was formed in June 2020 is evidence of North Carolinians’ dedication to moving us closer to the ideal of ‘Equal Justice Under Law.’ By pursuing equality in our criminal justice system, we seek to have all North Carolinians treated with the dignity they deserve at the same time as we make the system more effective,” Stein and Earls wrote in the cover letter for the report to the governor.

The report contains updates on 125 recommendations the task force has been working on, all tagged with statuses ranging from success, partial success or in progress. After two years, 21 of TREC’s 125 recommendations are listed as a “success.” The vast majority remain listed as “in progress” and the remainder as “partial success.”

Success is considered to be a recommendation and/or necessary action that is complete. Partial Success is a recommendation that is “complete and additional effort is needed to fulfill the full recommendation or accomplish implementation.” In progress is self-explanatory and involves continued discussions with “stakeholders.”

The lengthy list of recom-

mendations is broken down into subgroups that include Reimagining Public Safety; Improving Policing Practices; Enhancing Accountability; Strengthening Recruitment, Training and the Profession; Eliminating Racial Disparities in the Courts; Promoting Racial Equity Post-Conviction, as well as Criminal Justice Data Collection and Reporting.

The final recommendation on the task force’s list is to make TREC a “permanent, independent commission.”

Among the items listed as a success are topics like Community Policing, “Diversion” tactics, Encouraging citations and summons in lieu of arrest whenever possible.

Additionally, increasing transparency in officer discipline and decertification, forming a victim advisory group to “develop restorative justice programs” and other equity programs for crime victims, requiring “implicit bias and racial equity training for parole staff,” and efforts to “Collect data on law enforcement recruitment and diversity efforts” were listed as successes.

K-12 safety also made the list of recommendations with a focus on revising School Resource Officer (SRO) policies to include “personnel training on mental health, first aid, cultural competence/ diversity/inclusion, and developmental disability.”

Developing “inclusive processes for selecting and overseeing SROs” and encouraging citations and summons instead of an arrest “whenever possible” were also included.

A related set of recommendations are aimed at stemming the so-called “school-to-prison pipeline,” with one success in that area being the establishment of a juvenile review board within the Governor’s Clemency Office.

Other related recommendations included raising the minimum age of juvenile court jurisdiction to 12 and giving prosecutors the discretion to accept pleas in juvenile court for juveniles charged with Class A through G felonies which the recommendation says is “in line with the Raise the Age Act.”

An additional recommendation included requiring school administrators or school social workers to sign a school-based petition initiated by an SRO before it can be accepted for filing in juvenile court.

PHOTO VIA N.C. DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY

State Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls speaks at the announcement of the Governor’s Racial Equity in Criminal Justice task force on June 9, 2020.

north STATEment

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

The Freedom Caucus went back to the future

IT SURE LOOKED CONFUSING for Republicans at the start of this Congress.

One would have presumed all the negotiation and dickering could have been hammered out behind closed doors during the down months of November and December. No Speaker election had taken as long as this one since before the Civil War.

Congress abided for the next 10 years.

The “concessions” made by Speaker Kevin McCarthy were once considered common sense by a vast majority of elected House Republicans.

However, once the details of the concessions demanded by the Freedom Caucus were made public, all I could think of was why did it take so long for Republicans to finally come to their senses and start acting like fiscal conservatives once again.

It was like watching the Washington version of “Back to the Future.”

The “concessions” made by Speaker Kevin McCarthy were once considered common sense by a vast majority of elected House Republicans. It brings into question why McCarthy didn’t agree to them without a fight in November before this fracas went public.

Two of the bedrock principles of Republicanism since its founding in 1854 have been diffusion of power away from any concentrated source and fiscal and financial prudence and balance. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Henry Clay spoke eloquently and often about the critical importance of legislative bodies holding the key to all power in government ― allowing any single person or small group of elected leaders to hold all the power leads to tyranny and self-interested decision making, not democratic republican freedom.

The Freedom Caucus rebels seem to have restored legislative supremacy power back in the Republican majority caucus at least. The Democrat caucus didn’t seem to mind letting former Speaker Nancy Pelosi run roughshod over House rules and precedent and make all decisions in the Speaker’s office but that is their problem to figure out.

The reforms achieved by the Freedom Caucus are very similar to what fiscal hawks of both parties operated under in Congress in the 1990s. Republicans were in a seemingly permanent 85-seat minority until 1994 but there were 91 Southern Democrats and a few northern rural Democrats who joined together to put the brakes on federal spending.

In 1990, this group of adults met at Andrews Air Force base with OMB Director Richard Darman and other representatives of the President George H.W. Bush 43 White House to hammer out a budget agreement which would flatten the growth of spending over the next decade. Spending was held to about 2% annual growth due to a budget mechanism called PAYGO and discretionary spending caps under which

Joe Biden’s farcical ‘border visit’ will solve absolutely nothing

The 1990 Budget Act was the mother to the 1993 House GOP “Cutting Spending First” proposal which provided the underpinnings to the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. The only four balanced budgets in the last 62 years occurred thereafter from 1998 to 2001. None of them would have happened had the 1990 agreement not contained many of the same principles brought back to life by the Freedom Caucus.

Congress will not consider any new entitlement program without corresponding cuts to the rest of the budget to pay for it and keep it budget-neutral, just like the PAYGO mechanism of the 90s. The Freedom Caucus and Republicans say they will present a budget that will balance in the next 10 years, most likely through holding overall spending to 2% annually ― which is the same thing that came out of the 1990 Budget Agreement.

They reinstated the prime importance of letting congressional committees do their work under normal procedure instead of letting the Speaker and staff make all the decisions on such things as the gargantuanly wasteful $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bills passed in late December. They also reinstated the common-sense rule to give everyone 72-hour notice instead of forcing them to vote on a bill before reading it, or as Nancy Pelosi would say, “We have to pass the bill first to see what is in it”.

What a ridiculous statement by any elected leader in a democratic republic.

The principles laid out by the Freedom Caucus are laudable. The next task is to find a way to work with at least 12 Democrats in the Senate, and maybe more, to put together a reconciliation bill that President Biden will sign into law ― which is a lot harder than reforming House rules.

The 1997 Budget Act had billions of dollars in entitlement spending reductions from the baseline and reforms. Everyone who voted for it lived to see another day. It takes courage, brains and cunning to get something that monumental done.

The next step for the Freedom Caucus is to get such an equally monumental bill done for the American people. If not, then this will be like a “good loss” or a “moral victory” ― it will not mean anything substantive in the long-run.

Downtown El Paso was “sanitized” and scrubbed of migrant street camps prior to his arrival, presumably so Joe Biden didn’t have to see them.

UNDER PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S “leadership,” we’ve seen record numbers of illegal immigrants surge across the border, which actually started before he was even sworn into office. They’d heard Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign promises to, in a nutshell, lay out the welcome mat complete with amnesty and a vast array of taxpayerfunded incentives for people who crossed the border, including “free” healthcare.

For nearly two years now, Republicans have relentlessly criticized Biden for refusing to visit the border, claiming he was deliberately choosing not to because he was in denial about the absolute mess his policies have made, which have among other things exhausted resources at the local level and have also put communities along the border in danger.

Whenever a reporter has asked him or anyone else in his administration about visiting, the standard responses have been to either lie by claiming he had done so in the past or to claim that he was too busy taking care of important issues here at home, which is complete BS.

So at long last, Joe Biden announced earlier this month that he would be traveling to El Paso as part of his visit to Mexico for the socalled “Three Amigos Summit,” an annual

event that includes Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador where regional issues are discussed, including the border crisis.

But before Biden left Washington, D.C. we were already getting reports that downtown El Paso was being “sanitized” and scrubbed of migrant street camps prior to his arrival, presumably so Joe Biden didn’t have to see them.

Speculation at the time from critics was that Biden’s visit to El Paso would be similar to the one Vice President Kamala Harris made to the area in 2021 in her capacity as Biden’s so-called “border czar,” a trip that was widely mocked as nothing more than a photo op, especially considering she did not visit the actual border hot spots and instead met with border officials miles away.

Though Biden did end up technically “visiting” the border during his trip, he did not meet with any actual migrants. Even CNN, which normally can be seen cheerleading for Biden on any given day, noted that “reporters on the ground did not see any migrants at the respite center during the president’s visit there, nor along the motorcade routes throughout the afternoon.”

Instead, the American public was treated to

photos of Biden shaking hands and walking alongside border agents as though he was doing something meaningful.

Something else we didn’t see? During Biden’s visit to El Paso, there were reportedly over 500 migrant encounters in El Paso in the 24-hour period from June 8th to June 9th, according to Fox News, all while Joe Biden was there to supposedly get a firsthand look at what was going on.

Further, the network also reported that migrant encounters for the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 have eclipsed numbers for the same period of time in fiscal year 2022.

In other words, the illegal immigrant crisis that started under Joe Biden’s watch and essentially at Joe Biden’s direction is not going to go away anytime soon. And that is, of course, largely because Joe Biden would prefer to stick his head in the sand rather than acknowledge the harsh realities on the ground which stem directly from the course he set during his campaign and then in his early days in office when he undid much of former President Donald Trump’s border policies with the stroke of a pen.

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

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

New Congress presents opportunity for North Carolina

China was the secondlargest source of imports to North Carolina, accounting for almost 15% of all imports to the state alone.

NOW THAT A SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE has been elected, the country’s political attention is shifting toward what the new session of Congress can accomplish before the next election cycle kicks into high gear.

While the focus has shifted, North Carolina will still be a priority as Republicans look to solidify their majority in the state and Democrats seek to make up ground, meaning the issues North Carolinians care about will be the issues Washington cares about. And right now, no issue weighs more heavily on voters than inflation. Polling from High Point University and Ipsos/Spectrum points to it as the single biggest issue for voters which is reflective of some broader trends across the country.

With inflation taking up so much of the conversation here in North Carolina and throughout the U.S., lawmakers need to prioritize pulling every lever they can to get rising prices under control.

Unfortunately, while Democrats and Republicans have differed on just how to accomplish that, one step that could have an immediate impact has gone mostly overlooked.

For more than four years, companies have been dealing with heavy tariffs on imports from China — with some of those tariffs rising as high as 25% of the price of the items businesses need to import. Given the breadth of the goods hit by tariffs, no industry has gone untouched by the trade war with China.

From agriculture and timber to manufacturers and bicycle companies, the broader economic impact of the tariffs is clear. Tariffs are taxes that unnecessarily add to the cost of goods that businesses need most, which ultimately spills over to the prices that consumers pay in the checkout line.

North Carolina is no exception.

Trade is hugely important for our state. As

of 2020, China was the second-largest source of imports to North Carolina, accounting for almost 15% of all imports to the state alone. The longer the tariffs have been in place, the higher the cost to North Carolina. So far that bill has come to the tune of $3.7 billion and counting. At a time when recession fears linger prominently in the background, leaving the tariffs in place is simply unsustainable.

Thankfully, many of the lawmakers we’ve sent to Washington already recognize this. Last year, Sen. Thom Tillis sent a letter to United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai calling for her and other administration leaders to improve the process for companies to apply for exclusions from the tariffs, calling out the “significant burden and costs placed on business owners, farmers, and families in North Carolina” because of expired tariff exclusions.

Having a functional exclusions process would certainly help, but it would still be best to remove the tariffs entirely and bring an end to a trade war that was always doomed to fail. Tariffs create costs for businesses, workers and consumers in the U.S., not for China. That’s why I hope that Sen. Tillis and our new congressional members will work with Ambassador Tai and President Joe Biden to finally lift the tariffs, something that the administration could accomplish without an extended battle in Congress.

What happens in North Carolina has the potential to set the pace nationally on a whole range of issues for years to come. It’s critical that our lawmakers recognize this and use North Carolina’s unique political standing to both bring attention to the harm the trade war has caused, and ultimately bring it to a close.

Hurst is a former Fayetteville City Council member 2007- 2017

On classified documents, Joe Biden is out of excuses

EVERY PRESIDENT probably stashes away classified documents. The chances of any president being successfully prosecuted for pilfering them are infinitesimal. Nevertheless, Joe Biden has engaged in the same behavior as Donald Trump — perhaps worse, since vice presidents are unable to declassify documents — and precedent and transparency, our very democracy, demanded that Attorney General Merrick Garland name a special counsel to investigate.

Is it possible that Biden and his aides are lying? BE IN TOUCH

Right now, none of the rationalizations offered by the media for Biden’s actions over the past few days work anymore. When the story first broke, outlets stressed that one of the vital “distinctions” between the two incidents was that Biden was in possession of fewer documents than Trump. Biden aides, we learned, had been utterly shocked to discover only a “small number” of classified documents “locked” in the personal offices of the president’s “think tank” — as if the location or the number of documents, or the alleged lock, rather than the contents, were the most newsworthy aspect of the story.

Soon we learned that a second “batch” of classified documents was uncovered at an “undisclosed” location. Biden aides, we are told, began diligently rummaging through boxes to ensure they were in complete compliance with the law. NBC News reported that “the search was described as exhaustive, with the goal of getting a full accounting of all classified documents that may have inadvertently been packed in boxes when Biden cleared out of the vice president’s office space in January 2017.” It’s heartening to know that the Bidens are such diligent, law-abiding folk.

We were told last week that classified documents that are found in a serious office setting, rather than just “lying around” in a home, was an important difference between the two cases. Later, Biden’s lawyer said that a “small number” of classified documents was also found “locked” in Biden’s garage and an “adjacent” room of his Wilmington, Delaware, home. (Don’t worry, the president assures us it was safely stored next to his beloved Corvette.) You know, if we find another “small number” of documents, we might just have ourselves a full cache.

No doubt, journalists are super curious to know how those classified documents got into

Joe’s garage. I mean, the guy had a think tank office at his disposal in D.C. Moreover, the initial documents were alleged to have been discovered before midterms, and yet we’re only hearing about new ones months later — and in convenient dribs and drabs.

Soon after CBS’s initial story, a fourbyline puff piece from CNN reported that the documents found in the think tank were related to Ukraine, Iran and the U.K., so not just keepsakes and letters and such. This week, we also learned, in another soft-peddled report by The New York Times, that Biden, despite his insistence that he knew nothing about his son Hunter’s foreign entanglements, had met with a liaison from the Ukrainian energy interest Burisma, among many other revelations. Recall, Obama officials had also raised concerns about the Biden family business. Is there any chance those Ukrainian documents would have been embarrassing to the president? Seems a reasonable question.

What’s important now, we’re going to be instructed, is that Biden “immediately” contacted the authorities and is fully “cooperating.” Is it possible, and I’m just theorizing here, that Biden and his aides are lying? For one thing, cooperating is fine, but it’s not everything. Trump has every right to hire a lawyer and fight the Archives over documents. Maybe he’s got a case, maybe he doesn’t. But perhaps Biden simply picked an opportune time to cooperate with his own administration to avoid any transparency. Far from “immediately” handing over this material, the president’s been in possession of classified documents for nearly seven years. How does the Justice Department know there aren’t more documents stashed away? How does it know Biden, like Trump, didn’t put them in his garage on purpose? Because he says so?

Don’t get me wrong, it’s entertaining watching the comically obvious attempts to mitigate the damage. But if Biden hasn’t done anything wrong, he has absolutely nothing to fear. Isn’t that how it works?

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.”

What the Democratic trifecta hath wrought

AMERICA HAS JUST EXITED a biennium of Democratic trifecta — control by the nation’s and the world’s oldest political party of the White House and majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives. It is only the third such biennium in the last 40 years, since 1993-95 and 2009-11, the first two years of the Clinton and Obama administrations.

It was a rare opportunity, then, for the party in an era going back most of a century when divided government has been the norm. How did the Democrats do?

Macroeconomically, the verdict is mixed — a disappointing result for a party that once enjoyed a reputation gained in the 1930s for economic stimulus and redistribution. It’s plain that Democrats applied too much stimulus and disappointingly little redistribution. They doubled down on Trump administration stimulus spending and would have gone further but for two senators’ rejection of the Build Back Better bill.

One result was not just transitory but persistent inflation that, previous experience suggests, may take years of slow growth to staunch. Another result was reduced workforce participation, particularly among men, as compared to pre-COVID years.

One consequence is slower economic growth, even with historically low unemployment rates. And male idleness seems correlated with increased substance abuse, physical and mental health problems and reduced life expectancy.

As for redistribution, economic gains in the Trump years were, for the first time in decades, greater in percentage terms for low earners than for the affluent. That’s at risk now and in the next few years if the hugely increased flow of illegal immigrants, encouraged by Biden administration policy, results in newcomers undercutting Americans in job markets. It’s not clear how America benefits from the perhaps 2 million illegal immigrants President Joe Biden has allowed to enter and linger in the United States, though Mexico’s president just thanked him for building not 1 meter of wall.

Similarly, policies supported by the Biden administration and the Democratic Congress, and pressed forward by state and local Democratic officials, have inflicted severe damage on public sector institutions long dominated by liberals — damage from which they have yet to recover.

Public school enrollment has fallen nationally, with the sharpest declines in states where teachers unions pushed successfully for extended lockdowns and masking and vaccination requirements.

Meanwhile, alternatives to standard and union-dominated public schools are thriving. Charter school enrollment rose sharply in the early months of the pandemic, and that growth has been sustained. And the homeschooling population has increased by 1 million students.

Instruction over computer screens not only produced plummeting test scores, especially among children in disadvantaged homes, but it also showed parents repugnant things some schools were pushing, such as critical race theory and gender identity politics.

No part of American society is more tightly controlled by the politically correct than higher education. And “controlled” is the right word for colleges and universities that have more administrators than teachers.

COVID gave them excuses to bully students — adults, legally — with unneeded masking and vaccination requirements. Ever since, college and university enrollment has been in decline. It hasn’t even been revived by the Biden student loan forgiveness program — an example of upward economic redistribution.

Speaking of which, the public health agencies repeatedly disgraced themselves during the COVID pandemic. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention waddled in late with COVID tests, failed to conduct useful research and took dictation from teachers unions on school restrictions.

Recent Twitter revelations have shown how public health authorities tried to squelch the fact that COVID infection conferred immunity comparable or superior to vaccination.

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.

And no part of the public sector has been more grievously damaged than mass transit. Office buildings emptied out during the pandemic in the densest downtowns, and they have not been refilled. Mass transit ridership is thus running about two-thirds of 2019 levels in New York, which accounts for half of American transit users, and in the five other systems (Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and perpetually mismanaged Washington), which account for most of the rest. Commercial real estate operators, a canny lot, will adjust to high vacancy levels, often through bankruptcy. But it’s hard to see how state and local transit agencies, even with some temporary funding from 2021-22 Biden Democrats, can maintain anything like current service.

So while private entrepreneurship may be thriving, as analyst Joel Kotkin argues, the Biden Democrats, who came to power determined to show that government can solve problems, have done quite a bit to prove the opposite.

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.

Bobby

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

NATION & WORLD

DeSantis tested on immigration as he weighs 2024 candidacy

TAVERNIER, Fla. — Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis sent dozens of immigrants from Texas to an island off the Massachusetts coast last year in a high-profile effort to highlight illegal immigration on the eve of the midterm elections.

But as thousands of Cuban migrants flocked to his own state’s shores in recent weeks, he adopted a more cautious approach.

The governor, who is a top Republican presidential prospect, activated the National Guard late last week. But related deployments of soldiers, boat patrols and military planes were slow to materialize. Some residents expressed frustration about the persistent influx of migrants as they recently inspected two large rafts abandoned in a Florida Keys community park.

“If they come over on a boat, they need to turn the boat back around,” Ernest Vaile, a Missouri resident who winters in Florida, said as he examined the collection of cracked wood, adding that he didn’t blame DeSantis. “From all I know, whatever Gov. DeSantis decides to do will be the right thing.”

The episode unfolding in south Florida offers insight into DeSantis’ leadership as he eyes a presidential primary campaign against former President Donald Trump.

The hard-charging governor has won admiration from many Republican voters nationwide by championing hard-line conservative policies on cultural issues. But as he considers a presidential announcement, DeSantis appears to be treading more carefully with immigration developments in his own backyard.

His office declined to answer several questions about his approach to Cuban migrants and activation of the National Guard. In the news release, he blamed the Biden administration while offering empathy to the Cubans.

“Florida has a long history of helping refugees, including Cubans and others fleeing communist regimes, find support after they arrive in the United States,” DeSantis said.

While DeSantis is known for embracing aspects of Trump’s brash style, allies suggest the Harvard-educated former military attorney is more deft at navigating delicate political issues than the former president.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a Trump rival during the 2016 campaign who attended DeSantis’ second inauguration last week,

offered a warm assessment when asked to evaluate the governor’s approach on hot-button issues like immigration.

“I will say that, overall, Gov. DeSantis has done a good job as governor and Florida is on a roll,” Bush told The Associated Press.

DeSantis associates privately believe he will finalize his 2024 decision by the end of March, although a public announcement may not come until early summer. He is eyeing an aggressive conservative policy agenda over the coming months to strengthen his prospective Republican candidacy. As DeSantis moves forward, however, the Cuban migrants pose a test for him.

An estimated 7,400 Cubans have been caught in waters off the coast of Florida trying to seek refuge from their communist island nation over the last five months, a dramatic increase under DeSantis’ watch that could leave him vulnerable to criticism from the right.

Cubans are leaving the island nation in their largest numbers in six decades. More than 6,000 Cubans journeying by sea were caught by federal authorities in the fiscal year between October 2021 and September 2022, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. That’s compared with only about 800 the year before.

Meanwhile, illegal crossings by Cubans at the U.S.-Mexico border surged from 39,000 between October 2020 and September 2021 to more than 220,000 between October 2021 and September 2022, according to U.S. Customs and

Border Protection. Once captured, the Cubans are generally freed to pursue their immigration cases in the courts, and many head to Florida.

That number may drop under new asylum rules announced by President Joe Biden that now also apply to Cubans.

Cubans have long been granted immigration benefits under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act. While some policies changed under President Barack Obama and were not reinstated under Trump, the lack of formal diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba makes it less likely for Cubans to be deported.

Meanwhile, DeSantis’ wouldbe 2024 rivals — and there are many beyond Trump — are quietly hoping the shine of the governor’s political star will fade as his status as a leading presidential prospect attracts new scrutiny.

In recent days, an aide to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who is also weighing a presidential bid, criticized DeSantis for supporting a ban on abortion at 15 weeks after conception as insufficiently conservative. The Florida governor has faced related criticism from anti-abortion activists in his own state who have called on him to impose even stricter limits on the procedure.

At the same time, Democratic operatives are combing through DeSantis’ record and tracking every appearance to generate content designed to weaken his political standing. American Bridge, a pro-Democrat super PAC known

IN COORDINATION WITH

STIP Project No. HL-0025

TOWN

MEETING

MATTHEWS - The N.C. Department of Transportation is hosting a public meeting in coordination with the Town of Matthews to discuss the proposal to extend Greylock Ridge Road from East John Street to Tank Town Road in the Town of Matthews.

The project also proposes a 10-foot multi-use path along the south side of the Greylock Ridge Road Extension and a 5-foot sidewalk along the north side. The purpose of this project is to improve safety for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists along the corridor. The information will be presented at the meeting allowing for one-on-one discussions with engineers. No formal presentation will be provided.

The meeting will be held Jan. 26 at Matthews Town Hall, 232 Matthews Station Street The public is invited to attend at any time between 5 - 7 p.m People may submit comments by phone or email at the address shown below by Feb. 13, 2023

By Mail: Terry Burleson NCDOT Highway Division 10 Phone: 704-983-4400

Email: ext-twburleson@ncdot.gov 716 West Main Street Albemarle, N.C. 28001

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled people who wish to participate in this meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Tony Gallagher, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1598, 919-707-6069 or magallagher@ncdot.gov as early as possible so arrangements can be made.

Those who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior by calling 1-800-4816494.

Brazil’s Supreme Court agrees to probe Bolsonaro for riot

Rio de Janeiro

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks after being sworn in to begin his second term during an inauguration ceremony outside the Old Capitol on Jan. 3, 2023, in Tallahassee, Fla.

Brazil’s Supreme Court has agreed to investigate whether former president Jair Bolsonaro incited the mob that ransacked the country’s Congress, top court and presidential offices, a swift escalation in the probe that shows the ex-leader could face legal consequences for an extremist movement he helped build.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes granted a request from the prosecutor general’s office to include Bolsonaro in the wider investigation, citing a video the former president posted on Facebook two days after the riot. It claimed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wasn’t voted into office, but rather was chosen by the Supreme Court and Brazil’s electoral authority.

best for producing so-called opposition research, has had a team focused on DeSantis, among other potential 2024 Republican candidates, since October.

Meanwhile, DeSantis is planning to bolster his conservative bona fides in Florida’s upcoming state legislative session, which begins in March and is expected to conclude by May.

In late December, DeSantis’ budget office called on state colleges to submit spending information on programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory. The request could be a prelude to a DeSantis push to slash state funding around what he calls “woke” ideology in state schools.

The governor is set to notch another political victory in his fight against Walt Disney World. With his blessing, Republican lawmakers are expected to pass a sweeping bill to increase state control of the private government operated by the entertainment giant over its property in Florida.

It’s not all red meat for the Republican base, however.

In the final year of his first term, DeSantis orchestrated pay raises for teachers and law enforcement, a minimum wage increase for state workers and various state tax suspensions. The governor also secured billions of dollars for Everglades restoration and other environmental projects. This week, he signed an executive order calling on lawmakers to dedicate $3.5 billion more to similar environmental initiatives.

Although Bolsonaro posted the video after the riot and deleted it in the morning, prosecutors argued its content was sufficient to justify investigating his conduct beforehand.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Puerto Rico to privatize power generation amid outages

San Juan, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico announced that it plans to privatize electricity generation, a first for a U.S. territory facing chronic power outages as it struggles to rebuild a crumbling electric grid. The move marks the beginning of the end for Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority, a behemoth long accused of corruption, mismanagement and inefficiency that holds some $9 billion in public debt — the largest of any government agency.

Fermín Fontanés, executive director of Puerto Rico’s Public-Private Partnerships Authority, said the board of directors unanimously approved the privatization of generation, including the members who represent the public’s interest. It was not immediately known which company they selected to take over power generation.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NCDOT TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING PROPOSED SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF N.C. 98 AND MOORES POND ROAD IN WAKE/FRANKLIN COUNTY

STIP Project No. W-5805E

WAKE FOREST - The public is invited to a meeting with the N.C. Department of Transportation Jan. 23 to discuss proposed safety improvements and installing a roundabout at the intersection of N.C. 98 and Moores Pond Road.

Project details, including maps and a video, can be found on the NCDOT project web page: https://publicinput.com/NC98-MooresPond-Roundabout

The information will be presented at the meeting allowing for one-on-one discussions with engineers.

The meeting will be held Jan. 23 at New Life Church, 6900 Zebulon Road (N.C. 96), Wake Forest. There will not be a formal presentation at the meeting; the public is invited to attend at any time between 5-7 p.m.

People may also submit comments by phone at 984-205-6615 (project code 4256), email (NC98-MooresPond-Roundabout@publicinput.com), or mail at the address shown below by Feb. 9, 2023.

By Mail: S. Reid Davidson Division Design Engineer 815 Stadium Drive Durham, N.C. 27704

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled people who wish to participate in this meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Alecia Hardy, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1598, 919-707-6072 or ext-arhardy@ncdot.gov as early as possible so arrangements can be made.

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

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

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

The Associated Press

AP PHOTO

NCDOT

THE

OF MATTHEWS TO HOLD A PUBLIC

REGARDING THE PROPOSAL TO EXTEND GREYLOCK RIDGE ROAD FROM EAST JOHN STREET TO TANK TOWN ROAD IN THE TOWN OF MATHEWS

SOCCER

Duke’s Cooper picked 2nd; Courage busy in NWSL’s 1st round

Philadelphia

The Kansas City Current selected Duke forward Michelle Cooper with the second overall pick of the NWSL Draft last week. The North Carolina Courage dealt forward Diana Ordonez to Houston in exchange for the eighth overall pick — selecting Cal defender Sydney Collins — the Dash’s first round pick next year, $100,000 in allocation money and an international spot for the upcoming season. The Courage had three other first round picks, selecting Notre Dame forward Olivia Wingate sixth overall, Florida State midfielder Clara Robbins ninth overall and Virginia forward Haley Hopkins 11th overall. On top of Cooper, two other Blue Devils players were selected, both in the fourth round: midfielder Delaney Graham, 40th overall by Washington, and midfielder Sophie Jones, 43rd overall by Chicago. UNC defender Tori Hanson was the first pick in the third round, 25th overall, by Orlando, and Wake Forest midfielder Giovanna DeMarco was selected 45th overall by San Diego.

NSJ unveils All-North State football team

had to see how many top-shelf players were snubbed on this year’s team.

All-North State Team, Offense

Keatts, NC State trending up

After picking up wins against two ranked opponents, the Wolfpack are putting together a bounce-back season

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RALEIGH — After a 1-3 start in conference play that saw the team teetering on the edge of yet another failed season, the NC State men’s basketball team has managed to string together key wins to thrust itself back into the NCAA Tournament conversation.

And it’s not just the season that the Wolfpack have managed to save — it’s also cooled coach Kevin Keatts’ hot seat.

and we wanted to get some experienced bigs,” Keatts said before the season. “I also needed an experienced, older point guard to help win in this league and be someone who would be positive in the locker room and be an extension off the floor. And then we wanted a kind of hybrid four who could play the three or the four.”

Joiner has proven to be the perfect fit at point guard to complement leading scorer Terquavion Smith, giving the Wolfpack one of the best backcourts in the ACC.

The pair has combined to average 34.7 points per game heading into Tuesday’s game at Georgia Tech while also fitting into Keatts’ high-pressure defense.

The biggest impact, however, is probably the surprising emergence of Burns.

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL season came to an end earlier this month, and North Carolina was well-represented in the postseason.

A total of six schools from the state participated in bowl games, with Wake Forest, ECU and Duke winning their games and NC Central taking the HBCU national championship. UNC and NC State also played in bowls as the state set a high mark for postseason representation.

Quarterback: Herndon Hooker, Tennessee

In what will look like a huge upset here in North Carolina, the Greensboro Dudley product’s season with the Tennessee Vols gets the nod over a historic season from UNC’s Drake Maye.

Both quarterbacks were in the Heisman conversation, and we’ll defer to those voters, who had Hooker in fifth with 17 first-place votes and 226 points, while Maye came in 10th, with 3 and 42, respectively.

The sixth-year coach has taken NC State to the NCAA Tournament only once, in his first season in 2017-18, and after a string of mediocre seasons culminated with the worst record in the ACC last year, Keatts’ future with the Wolfpack was in doubt.

But this year, Keatts has seemingly found a winning formula for the Wolfpack.

The 6-foot-9, 275-pound Burns wasn’t expected to start for the Wolfpack, with senior Dusan Mahorcic being the projected big-minute center. But after the Serbian forward suffered a season-ending injury, Burns was elevated into a bigger role.

Charlotte The Michael Jordan/Denny Hamlin-owned 23XI Racing will attempt to enter a third car in next month’s Daytona 500 — and the team made an interesting choice on its driver for the No. 67 Toyota. Travis Pastrana, the X Games star who has won championships in supercross, motocross, freestyle motocross, rally racing and offshore powerboat racing, will try and claim one of four open spots in qualifying for the 40-car race that opens the Cup Series season.

Products of North Carolina high schools also highlighted the rosters of teams both inside the state and across the nation, and two players with North Carolina connections were among the top finishers in the Heisman Trophy voting.

As is our tradition, the North State Journal has come up with an All-North State team, highlighting the best seasons for players with connections to the state, either in high school or college. It’s a testament to the successful year that the state

There were plenty of other candidates who, in a normal year, would have a case, including Wake’s Sam Hartman, Duke’s Riley Leonard, ECU’s Holton Ahlers and App State’s Chase Brice.

Running backs: Will Shipley, Clemson; Keaton Mitchell, ECU

Shipley also earns the nod as the All-North State return man after earning All-ACC honors as a running back, all-purpose

“We’re growing,” Keatts said following NC State’s blowout upset of Duke on Jan. 4. “We’ve got an elite guard that came back and I’ve added some new pieces. And I know because they’re transfers everybody thinks that we should jell right away, but we’re still growing. We’re gonna continue to get better.”

NC State’s success can be attributed to a few factors, but almost all of them can be traced back to Keatts’ success in the transfer portal.

Keatts went to the portal looking to fill some needs and find experienced players to supplement his young core. The trio of graduate players he added — Jack Clark, Jarkel Joiner and DJ Burns — have each been big additions to the program.

“We felt like we had young bigs

The Winthrop transfer has taken the opportunity and run with it, averaging 9.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and nearly one block per game. He matched his season high with 18 points in the win over Duke.

Burns has added a physical element to the Wolfpack lineup, someone who can battle in the paint and get rebounds while contributing at the offensive end.

On top of his back-tothe-basket skills, Burns has shown to have a soft touch both in close and from mid-range, all leading to him quickly becoming a fan favorite at PNC Arena.

The Wolfpack have also used Keatts’ aggressive defensive system to create turnovers and score in transition. The Wolfpack are averaging 19.8 points per game off turnovers, outscoring opponents by 128 points this season off of turnovers.

The best of the state’s high school and college products honored after the 2022 season

MATT GENTRY | THE ROANOKE TIMES VIA AP

NC State DJ Burns has become a fan favorite since taking on a bigger role with the Wolfpack.

TERRANCE WILLIAMS | AP PHOTO

Duke tackle Graham Barton was an All-ACC player for the Blue Devils this past season.

“This team keeps putting together good games and it’s always someone else who’s stepping up.”

Kevin Keatts, NC State basketball coach

NASCAR X Games star Pastrana making Daytona bid with 23XI Racing

TRENDING

Antonie Davis:

The Detroit Mercy guard set the NCAA record for career 3‑pointers on Saturday, hitting a career‑best 11 and scoring a season‑high 41 points in an 87‑75 win over Robert Morris. Davis shot 11 for 18 from long distance and was 15 for 26 overall. His 11 3‑pointers increased his career total to 513, eclipsing the previous record of 509 by Fletcher Magee of Wofford from 2014‑19. He also passed former Campbell guard Chris Clemons for third on the NCAA all‑time scoring list.

Devin Willock:

The Georgia offensive lineman and recruiting staff member Chandler LeCroy were killed in a car accident hours after the Bulldogs celebrated their second straight national championship. The school announced their deaths and said two other members of the football program were injured in the crash. The 20‑year‑old Willock was pronounced dead at the scene. The 24‑year‑old LeCroy, the driver of the vehicle, was transported to a hospital where she died from her injuries.

Ethan Salas:

The Padres signed the 16‑year‑old catcher from Caracas, Venezuela, to a $5.6 million bonus on the first day of the international signing period. Salas is the consensus top overall prospect in this year’s class. The left‑handed hitter is the younger brother of Jose Salas, one of the top prospects in the Miami Marlins system. The Salas brothers have a long pedigree, as their father, uncle and grandfather all played professional ball.

Beyond the box score

NFL

POTENT QUOTABLES

NUMBER 68,323

Attendance at Friday’s Spurs‑Warriors game at the Alamodome, the largest crowd ever for an NBA regular season game. The previous record was 62,046 from March 27, 1998, when Michael Jordan and the Bulls played the Hawks at the Georgia Dome.

NASCAR

Jimmie Johnson will drive the No. 84 — the reverse of his longtime No. 48 — when the seven‑time champion returns to the NASCAR Cup Series for next month’s Daytona 500. Johnson will drive for the rebranded race team called Legacy Motor Club, formally Petty GMS. Johnson in November bought into the ownership group that also includes legendary driver Richard Petty.

The Panthers received permission from the Saints to interview Sean Payton for their vacant head coaching position. The Panthers have also asked permission to speak to Eagles defensive consultant Vic Fangio, Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel and Saints defensive backs coach Kris Richard for their defensive coordinator position. Interim coach Steve Wilks, who guided the Panthers to a 6‑6 record after replacing Matt Rhule, is also being considered for permanent head coach.

NELL REDMOND | AP PHOTO

Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and another man have been charged with capital murder after a fatal shooting near campus. Jamea Harris, 23, was shot and killed Sunday morning. The 21‑year‑old Miles and 20‑year‑old Michael Lynn Davis of Charles County, Maryland, were both charged with capital murder.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

GERALD HERBERT | AP PHOTO

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour was named the coach for the Metropolitan Division at next month’s NHL All‑Star Game in Sunrise, Florida. It’s the second consecutive season Brind’Amour has been named the division’s coach. He was chosen because Carolina led the Metro at the midway point of the season.

NHL

KARL B. DEBLAKER | AP PHOTO

“Don’t try to out‑happy, happy. Go Blue!”

University of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, in a statement announcing he is staying with the Wolverines after speaking to multiple NFL teams, including the Panthers.

“They’ve all had a chance, OK?”

Hornets

coach

Steve

Clifford when

asked

if the team should be giving more minutes to its young players.

MARC LEBRYK | AP PHOTO

RICK SCUTERI | AP PHOTO

JENNA FRYER | AP PHOTO

PRIME

Queens makes strides in first Division I season

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — The Queens University of Charlotte men’s basketball team is on track for its 13th consecutive winning season. The difference this year is the Royals have made the jump to Division I.

Known primarily as a swimming powerhouse, Queens had also had one of the most competitive Division II basketball teams around.

Formerly a member of the South Atlantic Conference — and now an Atlantic Sun Conference member — the Royals made the DII tournament seven years in a row and 15 times overall since 1996.

It surely helped the school decide to jump up a level to the top of college sports.

Because of the NCAA’s policy on reclassifying programs, Queens’ postseason streak will end this year as it is ineligible to compete in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT until the 2026–27 season. Paired with the departure of the school’s all-time winningest coach (Bart Lundy, now with Wisconsin-Milwaukee), it wouldn’t have been a surprise if the Royals took a step back in their first season at college basketball’s top level.

That hasn’t been the case so far.

While the Royals’ 13-6 (3-3 ASUN) record is a far cry from the 30-4 (21-3 SAC) mark from a season ago, Queens and first-year head coach Grant Leonard are already proving they belong in Division I.

“Our theme this year is to embrace adversity,” Leonard told North State Journal after Queens’ 107-78 home win over North Alabama on Saturday. “We know we’re going to see a few more tough ones this year than we do in most years, and we really want to just stay together through the

tough times and be able to push forward.”

In Saturday’s win, the Royals shot a season-best 61% from the field and connected on 15 of 27 3-pointers (53%), reaching the century mark for the second time this season. Senior point guard and leading scorer Kenny Dye fin-

ished with 18 points and seven assists, while sophomore AJ McKee added 15 points, reaching double figures for the 19th straight game.

“I think, most importantly, our guys stayed connected on both sides of the floor,” Leonard said. They talked defensively so we had less communication errors, and

our offense really shared the ball well. When you do both of those things, it’s going to go well. … We spread the floor and we take what the defense gives us. If they give us driving lanes, we’ll take them. If not, we’ll kick it out because we believe in our shooters.”

While Queens isn’t postseason

eligible, improved shooting like the Royals had in Saturday’s win could help them climb the Atlantic Sun standings and join frontrunners Liberty, Kennesaw State and Eastern Kentucky, which are all 5-1 in early-season conference play.

In his 19th season as a basketball coach, including eight years as Lundy’s assistant, Leonard said the biggest change from last season — apart from a new slate of conference opponents — has been the size and athleticism of the players his squad is facing.

“ With positional size, the wings and guards are longer,” he said. “With the bigs, they just have more of them and they’re bigger. Our guys have been adjusting offensively where we’ve been fine, but defensively, we need to hunker down.”

While Dye and McKee have been the Royals’ go-to players on offense, 6-foot-8 junior forward BJ McLaurin — a transfer from UNC Asheville — and 6-foot-7 junior forward Gavin Rains have also both contributed. McLaurin is shooting 51.4% from the field, including 53.8% on 3-pointers, and Rains leads the Atlantic Sun in rebounding at 10.5 per game.

With a dozen games left in their first Division I season, the Royals are on their way to building a program that can return to the postseason — this time in Division I.

“We’re taking it one game at a time, to be honest with you,” Leonard said. “We’ve never been in this league and we’ve never been in a lot of these places, so we can’t look too far forward. You have to stay grounded and just take the next one.”

Tar Heels looking for health, urgency as Wolfpack come to town

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

CHAPEL HILL — Assuming they both hold serve early in the week, UNC and NC State could help each other out on Saturday afternoon.

The Tar Heels are a “disappointing for us” 12-6 on the year and 4-3 in ACC play, including a 3-2 record in the last five games. But when State comes to the Smith Center this weekend for a true road game, the Tar Heels will be a Quad I opponent for the Wolfpack.

The quadrant system is the way that the NCAA Tournament selection committee addresses strength of schedule. State is currently 2-3 against Quad I, with both wins — over Duke and at Virginia Tech — coming in the last three games.

State stands at 14-4, 4-3 in the ACC and will also be a Quad I opponent for UNC, which is 1-6 in those games so far this season, with an overtime win over Ohio State as the only feather in its cap.

It’s the first time since January 2019 that the rivalry game will be a Quad I game for both teams. That’s assuming, of course, that both teams win their Tuesday night games, which took place after press time.

The Tar Heels won that previous Quad I showdown, in Raleigh, which is no surprise. Roy Williams always seemed to draw a light blue circle around the State games on the schedule, and the Hall of Fame coach was dominant against the Wolfpack during his time in Chapel Hill, going 33-5.

During his rookie year as head coach last season, Hubert Davis continued the trend, sweeping the Pack with 20- and 10-point wins during the regular season. He’s not ready to be quite as outspoken about his distaste for the guys in red as his predecessor, however, hiding his feelings about the upcoming game behind a screen of coachspeak.

When asked about rivalry games, Davis — who made his name last season with back-toback wins over Duke in Coach K farewell games — pointed to the fact that the next game on the

schedule was Tuesday’s home tilt with Boston College.

“I don’t spend any time with (rivalries),” he said. “I have tremendous respect for all the coaches, programs and universities. I like competing against everybody. It just doesn’t matter. That’s just the way I grew up and was taught: When you cross the line, it’s live action. Whether it’s NC State, College of Charleston, Duke or Ohio State, once you cross over the line, it’s real. The realness doesn’t get higher depending on the opponent. It can’t get any higher. It’s at the highest level for me, always.”

It was suggested that maybe the Tar Heel players feel differently about the upcoming game, to which Davis replied, “I don’t know, and I don’t really care. It’s of no benefit or importance to us.”

That could be because Davis and the Heels have plenty of oth-

er issues to take up their attention as the State game looms. Carolina has had an up-and-down season in Davis’ sophomore year on the bench. After starting 5-0 with lackluster wins at home over mid-major foes, Carolina had a four-game losing streak during which Davis questioned his players’ toughness and dedication. A four-game win streak that includes neutral site wins over Ohio State and Michigan seemed to indicate that the ship had been righted, but the recent stretch of two losses in five games followed.

The Tar Heels have been battling injuries during the current rough patch. Pete Nance has missed the last three games with back problems, and Armando Bacot missed all but 80 seconds of the loss at Virginia, although he was able to return for UNC’s next game, a win over Louisville.

The injuries have forced Davis to go to his bench, something he has been reluctant to do in his year and a half as head coach.

“It’s unfortunate to get any type of injury,” he said, “but one of the things is it gives guys the opportunity to get out and play and made us deeper.”

Freshman Seth Trimble has been a regular part of the rotation, and last year’s freshman class of D’Marco Dunn and Dontrez Styles has seen its minutes increase significantly this year. Freshman Jalen Washington, back from an injury that cost him his senior year of high school and the start of his freshman year at UNC, has also entered the rotation as a backup to Bacot.

Regardless of the depth and the improving health of the team, there’s still the problem that Davis has contended with all season

— motivation. After a trip to the national championship game last season, Davis has bemoaned an overall lack of urgency and hunger from his players this year. He outlined a conversation he had with the team following the Virginia loss.

“I asked them about a number of different situations throughout the game,” he recalled. “I said, ‘Have you been told what to do? Have you been taught what to do? Are you talented enough to do it?’ They said yes every time. So I said, ‘Then why aren’t you doing it? If you haven’t been told or taught, that’s on me. If you’re not talented enough, tell me. But if you can check those three boxes, there’s no excuse.’ I felt like that hit home.”

There’s no better way to find out if Davis’ words were on target than to test them against the red wave headed to Chapel Hill on Saturday.

The Royals are 13-6 after evening their Atlantic Sun record at 3-3

The rivals are on pace to face off in a Quad I showdown

JOHN S. PETERSON | AP PHOTO

Queens guard Kenny Dye has averaged a team-best 17 points and five assists for the Royals in their first season in Division I.

TIMOTHY D. EASLEY | AP PHOTO

UNC forward Jalen Washington has overcome injuries that slowed him since high school and become a backup to star forward

Armando Bacot.

“We really want to just stay together through the tough times and be able to push forward.”

Grant

Leonard, Queens men’s basketball coach

Harvick says 2023 will be final Cup season

The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Kevin Harvick received the same answer nearly every time he asked another athlete how they decided to retire: Harvick would just know it was time.

The driver thrust onto the global stage when he was named Dale Earnhardt’s replacement just days after Earnhardt’s fatal 2001 crash will make this 23rd season his last in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 2014 champion heads into his final year tied for ninth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list with 60 career victories, 13 consecutive playoff appearances and he’s one of the final active drivers from the sport’s halcyon days.

“From talking to all the people I’ve talked to, it always came down to the same, ‘Oh, you’ll know, you’ll know it is time, you’ll know the right moment,’” Harvick said in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of last Thursday announcement.

“It’s great to be able to go out on your own terms and plan it how you want it to go, but the biggest thing that sticks out to me is my kids. Being home with them and seeing the impact that you have with them when you are home, being able to be part of that daily process and be that father figure, it’s just time.”

Harvick at the end of this season will turn his attention to Kevin Harvick Inc., his growing management business, the enjoyable time he’s spent in the television booth, some bucket list racing and, most importantly, his young racing family.

Harvick and his wife, DeLana, were adamant they would not raise racers, but the slow early days of the COVID-19 pandemic gave father and son too much free time and 10-year-old Keelan is now karting on the international level. The young racer spent part of 2022 racing in Italy — sometimes traveling abroad without either parent — and Harvick figures he saw his son race only three times last year.

And then there’s Piper, his 5-year-old daughter who now wants Dad’s attention when she’s in her own go-kart.

“You know, Keelan, he needs that father figure in his life, especially as he goes down the racing route,” Harvick told the AP. “And then Piper probably asks to go to the go-kart track more than he does, and having to send her to the track by herself really frustrates me.

“You don’t want her not to have the opportunity to learn like he did. She makes twice as many strides in a day while I’m there than she would in a day when I’m not there. So there’s just a time when you have to ask yourself ‘What’s the most important thing for me and my time and my family right now?’”

Harvick had already overcome

the NASCAR odds of breaking into the Southern-based sport from Bakersfield, California, when Richard Childress Racing said he’d be a Cup rookie alongside seven-time champion Earnhardt in 2002. But when Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the 2001 season-opening Daytona 500, Harvick’s career was accelerated.

He was in the rebranded No. 29 Chevrolet five days after Earnhardt’s death — less than a week before the 25-year-old’s planned wedding to DeLana — and that hectic season in the spotlight was a blur. Harvick won in his third start, less than a month after Earnhardt’s death, and split his time between his new Cup ride and the Busch Series championship he was chasing.

Harvick competed in 69 NASCAR national races that season with a pair of Cup victories and five wins en route to the Busch title. He was busy but grew jaded by all the attention, the endless Earnhardt comparisons, and the pressure of replacing a superstar during a yearlong grieving period that had engulfed NASCAR.

Perhaps that is what made Harvick so tough.

He fought with his rivals often in his early career and was suspended for a Cup race in 2002 for his actions in a Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway a day earlier. That incident forged a relationship between Harvick and the late Jim Hunter, a NASCAR executive who helped Harvick navigate the politics of the sport.

But he never softened, not even after having children.

After a 2014 playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway in which Harvick was a bystander to a pit road

disagreement between Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski, Harvick shoved Keselowski into Gordon and Gordon’s crew to trigger a melee.

Harvick for days refused to discuss his role in the brawl, only relenting when he finally accepted that son Keelan needed to hear him accept responsibility — even though Harvick had zero remorse.

Harvick doesn’t know if his grittiness developed from those first difficult years after Earnhardt’s death, but he acknowledges an internal pressure to do things his own way and carve out his own legacy that really ramped up around 2006. Some of Earnhardt’s sponsors began pulling off the car and Harvick now had to stand on his own and prove his worth.

“We’d gotten through the tough years of transitioning from what Dale liked to what I liked, and through all those battles and conversations, you put your guard up and become a jerk,” Harvick told the AP. “Looking back at it now, you can see that you could have handled things differently, but it was digging my heels in thinking ‘I need to do this my way now’ and that created some tensions. But I wouldn’t trade anything other than Dale’s death because all those things that came in the next five years were part of

60surviving and being successful and building something and learning what was right and what was wrong.”

His approach led to strained relationships, including a period with seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. Both had come to North Carolina from California and both crashed on Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr.’s couch as they struggled to make it in NASCAR.

But as Johnson surged to title after title and Harvick fought through lean years with RCR, the relationship fractured and Harvick shoved Johnson in the chest following a 2015 playoff race when Johnson tried to speak to him about an ontrack incident.

“We’ve had issues, we’ve been great, we’ve had friendship, we’ve been through it all,” Johnson told AP. “I think there’s a great deal of respect between both of us. I truly admire his path and what he’s overcome. Coming from the West Coast as the starting point, climbing through the ranks, we lose Dale and he’s thrust into that position. ... There’s just a lot of layers there and I respect his work ethic and dedication and career.”

Harvick, who added a second Busch title in 2006, counts the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500 among his crown jewel victories. Harvick also won NASCAR’s first race back during the pandemic, held in front of empty grandstands at Darlington Raceway in May 2020, when NASCAR became the first major sport to return to competition.

Harvick told the AP his own handling of the 2013 parting with Richard Childress — in the works for a full year before he moved to Stew-

He’s forged a strong bond at SHR with co-owner Tony Stewart, crew chief Rodney Childers and his entire No. 4 team. Harvick and Childers are currently the longest active driver-crew chief pairing in the Cup Series at 10 years. Among their 37 wins is a pair of victories last season that snapped a 65-race winless streak — the second longest of Harvick’s career.

It was Stewart, the three-time Cup champion and Hall of Famer, who encouraged Harvick to make an early announcement about his retirement and enjoy his final year. Stewart shunned all sendoffs and appreciations in his final season, something Harvick told the AP that Stewart now regrets.

Harvick opens the season early next month with the exhibition Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, followed by his final season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 19.

“I want Kevin to savor every lap this season, to compete like hell and to take it all in,” Stewart said. “He’s made all of us at Stewart-Haas Racing incredibly proud and we want to make his last season his best season.”

Harvick said with certainty that he will not compete in the Cup Series after this year, but he’s not completely finished racing. In fact, he’s already got plans for the souped-up late model he plans to prepare for himself the day that Keelan is old enough to race against his father.

“He’s a cocky 10-year-old right now who thinks he can beat anyone,” Harvick told AP. “We’ll see when the time comes.”

back and returner. The Matthews Weddington product rushed for 1,182 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Tigers.

Mitchell repeated as first-team All-AAC, becoming the first Pirate since Justin Hardy in 2014 to earn multiple first-team spots.

Wide Receiver: Josh Downs, UNC; A.T. Perry, Wake Forest

Another loaded position in the state. Downs finished with 94 catches for 1,029 yards and 11 scores, while Perry had 81 catches for 1,096 and 11 touchdowns. The two were both first-team All-ACC and eclipsed outstanding seasons by Duke’s Jalon Calhoun, UNC’s Antoine Green, NC State’s Thayer Thomas, ECU’s CJ Johnson and Charlotte’s Grant DuBose.

Tight end: Henry Pearson, App State

The Mountaineers’ fifth-year senior had career highs in catches (25), yards (329) and touchdowns (5) while earning second-team All-Sun Belt honors. UNC’s Bryson Nesbit also deserves mention.

Guards: Robert Mitchell, NC Central; Jovaughn Gwyn, South Carolina

Mitchell was named the MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year and helped lead the Eagles to the HBCU national title. Gwyn, from Charlotte Harding, earned second-team All-SEC with the

Gamecocks at right guard. NC State’s Chandler Zavala just missed out on a spot.

Tackles: Graham Barton, Duke; Cooper Hodges, App State

Another deep position. UNC’s Asim Richards, App’s Anderson Hardy, State’s Timothy McKay and Wake’s DeVonte Gordon all have legitimate beefs. But we went with the first-teamers in the ACC (Barton) and Sun Belt (Hodges).

Center: Grant Gibson, NC State

The sixth-year Wolfpack lineman and pride of Mallard Creek earned the All-North State spot in his fourth year as starter. Wake’s Michael Jurgens, UNC’s Corey Gaynor and App’s Isaiah Helms also deserve mention.

All-North State Team, Defense Defensive end: Amir Siddiq, Charlotte; KJ Henry, Clemson

Siddiq was second-team All-CUSA, and West Forsyth’s Henry was second-team All-ACC. They beat out a pair of Wake Forest pass rushers in Jasheen Davis and Rondell Bothroyd.

Defensive tackle: DeWayne Carter; Duke; Cory Durden; NC State

Carter was the heart and soul of a Duke defense that lifted the Blue Devils to a surprisingly successful season, while Durden earned third-team All-ACC honors giving the Pack a push up the middle.

Linebacker: Cedric Gray, UNC; Drake Thomas, NC State; Nick Hampton, App State

Yet another spot where we could stock at least one more AllNorth State team with the talent available. Gray was first-team AllACC and Thomas second, while Hampton was first-team All-Sun Belt. Then there’s State’s Isaiah Moore and Payton Wilson, Wake’s Ryan Smenda, Duke’s Shaka Heyward, UNC’s Power Echols and Virginia Tech’s Dax Hollifield, of Shelby.

Cornerback: Aydan White, NC State; Malik Fleming, ECU

White earned All-ACC honors, and Fleming was named to the All-AAC second team. Storm Duck battled injury for part of the Tar Heels’ season, which was enough to keep him off the team in a crowded position group. App’s Steven Jones and State’s Tyler Baker-Williams also had cases.

Safety: Tanner Ingle, NC State; Darius Joiner, Duke Ingle earned second-team AllACC, while Joiner was third-team. Joiner’s Blue Devils teammate Brandon Johnson was the next player up at this position.

All-North State Team, Special Teams

Kicker: Chris Dunn, NC State When we named Dunn to

the preseason All-North State team, we said, “This was not the no-brainer some may have expected,” and that was even more the case after the season played out. Dunn is the Wolfpack’s career scoring leader and earned first-team All-ACC, but on the opposite coast, Western Alamance’s Joshua Karty had a huge season for Stanford.

NSJ from page B1 NC STATE from page B1

Dunn was nearly perfect, hitting all 30 extra point attempts and 28 of 29 field goals, including both attempts from 50-plus yards. He needed to be to hold off Karty, who was 24 of 25 on PATs and hit all 18 of his field goal attempts. He was 3 for 3 from 50plus, including a 61-yarder, and hit another 10 from 40-49 yards.

Punter: Ben Kiernan, UNC

Kiernan earned third-team All-ACC and was able to hold off Duke’s Porter Wilson.

Long snapper: Joe Shimko, NC State

He snapped for all of Dunn’s kicks and played a key role in the placekicker’s near-perfect season, which allowed him to break UNC’s Drew Little’s recent stranglehold on this spot.

Return Man: Will Shipley, Clemson

Shipley, also our team’s running back, was first-team AllACC on special teams and held off Duke’s Jalon Calhoun, State’s Thayer Thomas and UNC’s Josh Downs.

“I think our team has taken on the identity of defense and grit,” Keatts said after his team’s second win over a ranked opponent, Saturday’s 83-81 home win over then-No. 16 Miami. “We’re making big plays and big stops when we need to. What’s special about this team is that every game where we get a win, I’m able to point at someone who made a difference in the game.”

Clark had been a big part of that defensive game, leading the team in rebounds and steals per game, but he has been out of action since suffering a core muscle injury Dec. 30 against Clemson.

But as Keatts mentioned, others have been stepping up in Clark’s absence too. Ernest Ross, for example, had a career game against Miami to lead the Wolfpack to victory.

“This team keeps putting together good games and it’s always someone else who’s stepping up,” Keatts said after the win over the Hurricanes. “When we put the team together for the first time, we thought we had 10 guys that could play.”

If the Wolfpack can continue to get contributions from up and down their lineup while suffocating opponents with their defense, Keatts should not only be able to keep his job — he might be able to get his team back to the tournament for the second time since he arrived in Raleigh.

His career began when he was elevated to the Cup Series after the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr.

art-Haas in 2014 — is the biggest regret of his career and is grateful the relationship is repaired.

Career Cup Series wins for Kevin Harvick, tied for ninth in the tour’s history.

DAVID GRAHAM | AP PHOTO

Kevin Harvick celebrates winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship at Homestead on Nov. 16, 2014.

tral Bank President Christine Lagarde speaking in sessions.

Inflation soared as the world reopened from the pandemic and Russia invaded Ukraine, driving up food and energy prices, and though it has started to slow in major economies like the U.S. and those in Europe, inflation is still painfully high.

Georgieva said in an IMF blog post Monday that divides between nations — the theme at Davos this year is “Cooperation in a Fragmented World” — are putting the global economy at risk by leaving “everyone poorer and less secure.”

Georgieva urged strengthening trade, helping vulnerable countries deal with debt and ramping up climate action.

Prioritizing climate

A major climate theme emerging from the forum’s panel sessions is the energy transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore will be talking about decarbonization, efforts to build clean energy infrastructure and ensure an equitable transition.

It follows a strong year for the energy transition: Many countries passed incentives for renewable energy in 2022.

One hot topic on the agenda — harnessing nuclear fusion — focuses on science that offers immense potential but is many decades away from a commercial rollout that could feed the world’s skyrocketing thirst for energy.

Sessions on issues like adaptation to climate change and panels on deforestation, biodiversity and the future of environmental protection will give a greener hue to the gathering.

Critical voices

The elite gathering is regularly skewered by critics who argue that attendees are too out-of-touch or profit- or power-minded to address the needs of common people and the planet.

Throughout the week, critics and activists will be waiting outside the Davos conference center to try to hold decision-makers and business leaders to account.

It started Sunday, when dozens of climate activists — some with clown makeup — braved snowfall to wave banners and chant slogans at the end of the Davos Promenade, a thoroughfare now lined with storefront logos of corporate titans like Accenture, Microsoft, Salesforce, Meta, as well as country “houses” that promote national interests.

Greenpeace International also blasted use of corporate jets that ferry in bigwigs, saying such carbon-spewing transportation smacks of hypocrisy for an event touting its push for a greener world. It said over 1,000 private-jet flights arrived and departed airports serving Davos in May.

Forum President Borge Brende acknowledged Sunday that some government leaders and CEOs fly in that way.

“I think what is more important than that is to make sure we have agreements on how we, overall, move and push the envelope when it comes to the green agenda,” he said.

Elon Musk’s next drama: a trial over his tweets about Tesla

SAN FRANCISCO — While still grappling with the fallout from a company he did take private, beleaguered billionaire Elon Musk is now facing a trial over a company he didn’t.

Long before Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October, he had set his sights on Tesla, the electric automaker where he continues to serve as CEO and from which he derives most of his wealth and fame.

Musk claimed in a August 7, 2018 tweet that he had lined up the financing to pay for a $72 billion buyout of Tesla, which he then amplified with a follow-up statement that made a deal seem imminent.

But the buyout never materialized and now Musk will have to explain his actions under oath in a federal court in San Francisco. The trial, which begins on Tuesday with jury selection, was triggered

by a class-action lawsuit on behalf of investors who owned Tesla stock for a 10-day period in August 2018.

Musk’s tweets back then fueled a rally in Tesla’s stock price that abruptly ended a week later, after it became apparent that he didn’t have the funding for a buyout after all. That resulted in him scrapping his plan to take the automaker private, culminating in a $40 million settlement with U.S. securities regulators that also required him to step down as the company’s chairman.

Musk has since contended he entered that settlement under duress and maintained he believed he had locked up financial backing for a Tesla buyout during meetings with representatives from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

The trial’s outcome may hinge on the jury’s interpretation of Musk’s motive for tweets that U.S. District Judge Edward Chen has already decided were a falsehood.

Chen dealt Musk another setback on Friday, when he rejected Musk’s bid to transfer the trial to a federal court in Texas, where Tesla moves its headquarters in 2021. Musk had argued that negative coverage of his Twitter purchase had poisoned the jury pool in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Musk’s leadership of Twitter — where he has gutted the staff and alienated users and advertisers — has proven unpopular among Tesla’s current stockholders, who are worried he has been devoting less time steering the automaker at a time of intensifying competition. Those concerns contributed to a 65% percent decline in Tesla’s stock last year that wiped out more than $700 billion in shareholder wealth — far more than the $14 billion swing in fortune that occurred between the company’s high and low stock prices during the Aug. 7-17, 2018 period covered in the class-action lawsuit.

The lawsuit is based on the

premise that Tesla’s shares wouldn’t have traded at such a wide range if Musk hadn’t dangled the prospect of buying the company for $420 per share. Tesla’s stock has split twice since then, making that $420 price worth $28 on adjusted basis now. The shares closed last week at $122.40, down from its November 2021 split-adjusted peak of $414.50.

After Musk dropped the idea of a Tesla buyout, the company overcame a production problem, resulting in a rapid upturn in car sales that caused its stock to soar and minted Musk as the world’s richest person until he bought Twitter. Musk dropped from the top spot on the wealth list after the stock market’s backlash to his handling of Twitter.

The trial is likely to provide insights into Musk’s management style, given the witness list includes some of Tesla’s current and former top executives and board members, including luminaries such as Larry Ellison, Oracle co-founder, as well as James Murdoch, the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The drama also may shed light on Musk’s relationship with his brother, Kimbal, who is also on the list of potential witnesses who may be called during a trial scheduled to continue through Feb. 1.

Fidelity pledges $250 million to support minority students

FIDELITY INVESTMENTS will commit $250 million to a new education initiative to support up to 50,000 underserved minority students with scholarships and mentorship programs in the next five years.

The Invest in My Education program, announced Tuesday, plans to increase graduation rates and students’ ability to complete their education debt free.

Pamela Everhart, Fidelity’s head of Regional Public Affairs and Community Relations, said the program is part of the firm’s plans to direct more resources to some minority communities.

“It’s a strategic focus to mitigate some of the systemic and complex barriers that historically underserved students face,” Everhart said. “We believe that all students, regardless of their backgrounds, should have an opportunity to access higher education and economic mobility and then begin to build a path to generational wealth.”

Fidelity research found that 21% of Black students and 32% of Latinx students graduate from college in four years, compared to 45% of white students. The company also found that, on average, Black and Latinx students accrue $25,000 more in student debt than their white peers. To address those inequalities, Fidelity is partnering with UNCF, the nation’s largest private provider of scholarships and other educational support to Black students, and other nonprofits.

Michael Lomax, UNCF’s president and CEO, said the compre -

hensiveness of the support in Fidelity’s Invest in My Education program will help students succeed. However, he said the most exciting part of the program is that it targets students who are not necessarily getting top grades at elite schools because they have to balance their studies with working jobs to pay for them –what he calls “The Mighty Middle.”

“I’m glad to see they’re getting a little respect — they’re the Rodney Dangerfield of students,” Lomax said. “They’re not always achieving the highest academic results. But they’re staying in the fight. They’re doing the work. And they’re getting the degree. And they have to work doubly hard because people don’t always focus on them and give them the support.”

He said these students, at-

tending “the workhorse institutions of American higher education — community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, state universities,” also work hard and can make a major impact on their communities once they graduate.

“Helping them on that journey is super important,” said Lomax, adding that the mentorship component of the program, which will include Fidelity employees as well as other volunteers, is just as important as the financial scholarships.

Drew Ve’e, a junior at the University of Utah, said the mentorship he has received from the Fidelity-sponsored Opportunity Scholars program in in just the past four months has been incredibly helpful to his studies as a finance major and as a student in

general.

Ve’e, 29, said he moved to the University of Utah to focus fully on his studies, after leaving Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he was a quarterback on the football team. His mentor has made the transition easier and made him feel better about his decision, as well as offering tips on his resume and finding scholarships.

“It’s really helped me to gain a lot more confidence,” Ve’e said. “And we have similar backgrounds in sports and college, so it was really easy to connect with him and made me feel a lot more comfortable.”

Ve’e said that between scholarships and campus jobs, he should be able to graduate debt-free, an accomplishment that Fidelity is prioritizing because college debt has become not just a financial problem, but an emotional one as well because of all the worry associated with it.

Fidelity’s Invest in My Education program is structured to address as many barriers to debtfree graduation as it can, Everhart said, including systemic donations to better prepare high school students for further education. But for her, the emphasis on mentorship is personal.

“I’m looking forward to sharing my background as a young Black girl growing up in a small town where people invested in me and saw something in me to incentivize to continue,” she said. “I want to make sure that these students hear from people who will believe in them and will take time to listen to them, listen to their backgrounds.”

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

AP PHOTO

AP PHOTO, FILE

Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C.

This Jan. 2023 photo provided by Fidelity Investments shows Drew Ve'e at the University of Utah. He is a junior studying finance at the university and part of Fidelity Investments' Opportunity Scholars program.

Volvo VNR Electric

Eastbound and charged

Testing an Electric Big Rig

By Jordan Golson North State Journal

DUBLIN, Va. — At first glance, driving the electric version of the Volvo VNR regional big rig truck is the same as driving the internal-combustion version: release the yellow parking brake (whipshhhhhhhhhh), shift to Drive, and set off.

I tested the new electric VNR at the Volvo Trucks factory in Virginia, where it’s made on the same line as its diesel-powered brethren. Outside or in, it’s nearly impossible for any non-trucker to tell the two apart. And, at least partially, that’s the idea. The trucks share numerous components from the frame to the body, the tires, and even significant chunks of the drivetrain downstream from the transmission are the same.

That’s because for these sleeperless-trucks — those without a bed for long-haul drivers to grab some shut-eye in — typically used to de-

liver groceries or other goods from a warehouse to final distribution, among many other uses, it’s commonplace for drivers to move from one rig to another from one day to the next. That means the electric and diesel versions must operate as similarly as possible.

Aside from the dash cluster, which shows the current battery charge in place of diesel fuel in the tank, and an energy meter instead of an engine tachometer, just about everything else is identical. The biggest difference is a lever typically used to control engine braking that instead adjusts the aggressiveness of the regenerative braking used to recharge the battery when the truck slows down. As you can imagine, slowing a 60,000-pound tractor and trailer can generate a fair amount of electricity.

I’d driven an electric big rig before, a Freightliner eCascadia around the parking lot of a Los Angeles MLS stadium, so I knew what to expect. Lots of smooth, low-end torque and an unsurprisingly quietish ride. The compa-

ny pointed out that the best part of an electric truck is that acceleration is significantly smoother as there’s no herky-jerk of constant gear changes. Even with a smooth automatic transmission like the VNR uses, the driver and cargo get tossed about during acceleration.

The VNR Electric, on the other hand, has a two-speed transmission, but the shift is seamless and only happens once in the mid-20 mph range. The two gears ensure plentiful low-end torque when pulling away from a stop and enough oomph from the electric motor to maintain highway speeds with ease.

When most people think of big rigs, they imagine the long-distance drivers on the interstate, sleeping at truck stops and traveling across the country in a matter of days. But for the thousands of regional trucks on the road, an all-electric rig makes a lot of sense. They often have predictable routes, perhaps heading from a warehouse to a series of stores and back again, over and over, every day.

The trucks are offered in 4x2, 6x2, and 6x4 configurations (with one or two rear axles, depending on the weight that needs to be pulled) and different battery configurations depending on the range required. A four-battery unit might have a range of 175 miles, while a 6-battery rig could go up to 275 miles. These numbers will vary depending on the load, terrain, and traffic, but they are reasonable representations.

Volvo is working with its customers to help examine routes and the utilization of individual trucks to determine where electric rigs might fit best. Since customers are typically running fleets of trucks replaced in small numbers as they age, it’s reasonably easy for companies to adopt electric trucks in small numbers and grow them over time.

Since logistics and analytics are already second nature for the trucking industry, there’s plentiful data to determine which trucks could benefit from being replaced with an electric version and how much companies can expect to save on maintenance, fuel, and uptime. Diesel saw tremendous price increases in 2022 for various reasons, adding urgency to considering electric big rigs.

Volvo is working with a number of electric-certified dealers to help companies determine how and where to install chargers, best practices, and more. For trucking companies, the simple questions may be how much can I save, and when can I start?

A Volvo executive told me that major trucking companies like Schneider are already highly familiar with their electric options and are working on projects and pilots at a high level. But small and mid-sized firms don’t have the time and energy to manage their transition to electric, which is where Volvo and its dealers come in, providing education and answering questions.

Volvo is taking a similar path to Ford’s fleet division, Ford Pro, in how electric vehicles are introduced to somewhat skeptical customers. But the cost savings are real and significant, and if it helps the bottom line, businesses are likely to be enthusiastic about it.

The next time you see a Volvo truck hauling goods around town, look just beneath the door handle for the word “Electric” — it might be your only indication, aside from a lack of diesel engine rumble, that something new and exciting is rolling alongside.

Parcel ID: 0415-95-2237Commonly known as 2305 Gray Goose Loop, Fayetteville, NC 28306 However, by showing this address no additional coverage

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.

the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are

is provided 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

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

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

prorated

of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina,

NC 28403

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: 6343 - 24355

COURTESY PHOTO

KEITH W SHEEHY AND WIFE, MELANIE SHEEHY.

pen & paper pursuits

sudoku solutions

from January 11, 2023

WAKE

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

Address of property: 1 129 Woodbrook Way, Garner, NC 27529 Tax Parcel ID: 0134424

Present Record Owners: The Estate

of sale at the Wake County courthouse at 11:00AM on January 26, 2023, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Wake County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Seydou Ziao and Rachelle A. Ziao, dated September 30, 2013 to secure the original principal amount of $178,571.00, and recorded in Book 15460 at Page 846 of the Wake County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 2 309 Shepherd Valley Street, Raleigh, NC 27610 Tax Parcel ID: 0346139

Present Record Owners: S eydou Ziao and Rachelle A. Ziao The record owner(s) of the property, according to

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

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

form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days written notice to the landlord. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to

Jason K. Purser, NCSB# 28031 Andrew Lawrence Vining, NCSB# 48677 Morgan R. Lewis, NCSB# 57732 Attorney for LLG Trustee, LLC, Substitute Trustee LOGS Legal Group LLP 10130 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 | (704) 333-8156 Fax | www.LOGS. com 19-107715

the effective date of the termination. The date of this Notice is November 28, 2022.

Jason K. Purser, NCSB# 28031

Andrew Lawrence Vining, NCSB# 48677 Morgan R. Lewis, NCSB# 57732 Attorney for LLG Trustee, LLC, Substitute Trustee LOGS Legal Group LLP 10130 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 333-8107 | (704) 333-8156 Fax | www.LOGS.

§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.

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 18 SP 822 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Christine M. Thompson (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Christine M. Thompson) to National Corporate Research, Ltd., Trustee(s), dated June 25, 2007, and recorded in Book No. 12632, at Page 1926 in Wake County Registry, North Carolina. The Deed of Trust was modified by the following: A Loan Modification recorded on January 25, 2016, in Book No. 16273, at Page 425, 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 23, 2023 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Garner in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at an iron in the southern right of way of Dubose Street at the corner of Edgebrook Drive; thence running along the right of way of Dubose Street South 47 degrees 20’ East 105.50 feet to an iron; thence continuing South 42 degrees 40’ West 163.89 feet to an iron; thence North 33 degrees 32’ 43” West 108.63 feet to an iron; thence North 42 degrees 40’ East 138.00 feet to an iron, according to a survey by Vernon Wayne Johnson, R.L.S., dated June 9, 2000, and being all of Lot 94 and a portion of Lot 93, Edgebrook Subdivision, as depicted in Map Book 1969, Page 315, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1211 Dubose Street, Garner, 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.

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 23, 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 68, as shown on the Map or Plat of Berkshire Downs, Section III, Part A, which is duly recorded in Plat book 1982, Page 801, Register of Deeds for Wake County, North Carolina, to which plan reference is here made for a more complete and accurate description thereof. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 7313 Berkshire Downs 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

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.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law

including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

the 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

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Stanly law enforcement joins multi-county chase

Last Tuesday, Stanly County law enforcement officers engaged in a high-speed chase that left began in Montgomery County and crossed into Stanly County. As the vehicle approached the Albemarle city limits, deputies from the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office successfully deployed stop sticks on East Main Street near Charter Street in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The vehicle continued to travel on only its rims until it reached the city limits of Locust and the occupants attempted to flee. Both of the assailants were eventually caught and arrested. Oakboro Police, Locust Police, Stanfield Police, also engaged in the chase and arrest. An investigation after the incident revealed that the vehicle involved in the chase had been stolen the night before from a dealership located in Fuquay -Varina.

Arts Council seeking nominations for Arts Person of the Year Award

The Stanly County Arts Council is currently seeking nominations for their Arts Person of the Year Award. This award, which was created in 2014, recognizes individuals in Stanly County who have made a significant positive impact on the arts in the community. Previous winners include Charlotte Maness, Angela Moore, Wes Tucker, Carmella Hedrick, Tim Harris, John Williams, Aza Hudson, and Kent Harkey/Edna-Lipe Harkey. Anyone who lives or works in the county is eligible to nominate someone for this award. All nominees should also live or work in Stanly County and have made notable contributions to the art community. Nominations forms can be accessed through the Arts Council’s website at www. stanlycountyartscouncil.com, by visiting their Facebook page, calling (704) 982-8118, or by emailing stanlycountyartscouncil1974@ gmail.com. The deadline for nominations is February 3.

Locust Police Dept. recognizes 2022 Citizen of the Year

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

LOCUST — At the Locust City Council meeting last week, the Locust Police Department officially recognized Travis McKinney — a loss prevention associate at the city’s Walmart — as the department’s selection for 2022 Citizen of the Year.

“Congratulations, Travis, on a well and very long-deserved honor,” the LPD announced. “We appreciate the job you do and for representing the very best of the City of Locust!”

The second-annual award honors a Locust citizen or citizen associated with the city that “has performed exemplary deeds or services for their city or their fellow citizens, and/or exhibits a strong sense of selflessness, caring, and responsibility.”

Locust Police Chief Jeff Shew released a public statement on the award selection: “Over the

last nine and a half years, Travis has shown a tremendous ability to read behavior and body language, identify those engaged in criminal activity, and an outstanding visual recall of previously unidentified suspects who return to the business to commit additional crimes.”

In the first eleven months of 2022, McKinney was involved as the loss prevention investigator in 134 property crime reports at the Locust Walmart. Of those reports, 110 of them resulted in an arrest or other positive clearance, which is equal to an 82.1% positive clearance rate.

“This level of clearance has remained consistent throughout Mr. McKinney’s tenure with the constant in that stretch being Travis’ abilities as an investigator, his contributions to department investigations, and the relationships and partnerships he has established with Locust officers,” Shew continued. “The extremely efficient job that Mr. McKin-

ney does daily and his dedication to his role mitigating loss to the business assists the Locust Police Department greatly in bringing criminals to justice and in sending a very strong message opposing any type of criminal activity in Locust.”

Last year, Autumn Huneycutt — a then-first-grade student at Locust Elementary — was awarded the inaugural Citizen of the Year award.

Huneycutt was honored for her efforts in selling many of her own toys at a yard sale to help raise money for the “Shop with a Cop” program that pairs officers with children to purchase them presents during the holidays. Additionally, she donated her unsold toys to West Stanly Christian Ministries to distribute.

The Locust Police Department’s 2023 Citizen of the Year will be announced during the first Locust City Council meeting of 2024.

EPA chief Regan speaks at NC Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance

RALEIGH — The drive for clean water and air for minority and low-income residents is inexorably linked to the march toward racial equality that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. championed, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan told North Carolina state employees Friday.

Regan, a Goldsboro native and Gov. Roy Cooper’s former environment secretary, delivered the keynote address to hundreds attending the annual King Day state workers’ observance at a downtown Raleigh church. The slain civil rights leader was born 94 years ago on Sunday.

Regan became President Joe Biden’s head of EPA in early 2021. Regan mentioned his travels while administrator to communities to speak with people fearful about the threat of toxic waste, unclean water and lead poisoning to themselves or their children.

“It’s never been more clear that the fight for civil rights

State Sen. Carl Ford attends NCGA biennium

State Sen. Carl Ford, wife Angela, and family pose for photos at the opening of the 202324 biennium of the General Assembly on Wednesday, Jan. 11. Ford was appointed to serve as the Chairman of Appropriations on General Government and Information Technology, Chairman of State and Local Government and Chairman of Pensions and Retirement and Aging.

is inseparable from the fight for environmental, economic, health and racial justice,” Regan said. “We simply cannot be for one without the other.”

Cooper introduced Regan at the service, praising him for helping “position our state as a

leader in environmental justice” while Department of Environmental Quality secretary.

The observance was held in person for the first time since 2020.

Coronavirus concerns prompted virtual ceremonies in 2021 and 2022.

“The extremely efficient job that Mr. McKinney does daily and his dedication to his role mitigating loss to the business assists the Locust Police Department greatly in bringing criminals to justice and in sending a very strong message opposing any type of criminal activity in Locust.”

The Associated Press

Locust Police Chief Jeff Shew

AP PHOTO

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan speaks during a news briefing, Sept. 7, 2022, in Jackson, Miss.

NORTH STATE JOURNAL

♦

STARKES, OCTAVIA DIMANDIMANI CYA (B /F/29), ASSAULT ON GOVT OFFICIAL/ EMPLY, 1/15/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ KINLEY, BLAKE RILEY (W /M/39), NONSUPPORT CHILD, 01/14/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦

♦

MAGNESS, MARCUS KEVIN (B /M/19), FELONY CONSPIRACY, 1/14/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

BRYE-SKIPPER, JOHN WESLEY (B /M/18), POSSESS STOLEN MOTOR VEHICLE, 1/13/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ MCKILLIAN, KAUNDRE TYREE CHARLES (B /M/29), ASSAULT LEO/PO W/ FIREARM, 01/12/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦

TILLIA, KEITH EDWARD (W /M/46), CONTEMPT OF COURT, 01/12/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ RUSHING, MATTHEW WADE (W /M/42), FELONY LARCENY, 01/11/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦

JONES, BRANDON (W /M/30), RESISTING PUBLIC OFFICER, 01/10/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ STURDIVANT, MARCUS DWAYNE (B /M/49), INTOXICATED AND DISRUPTIVE, 01/10/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

Millennial Money: Up the odds of meeting money goals in 2023

By Sara Rathner NerdWallet

WITH A NEW YEAR ahead and the holiday fanfare behind, this is a great time to set money goals, especially if you recently spent a lot on gifts and travel and want to get your finances in shape.

Right now, you may be highly motivated to solve every single one of your money issues in the next few months, but daily life is guaranteed to get in the way. Your financial to-do list, once so full of promise, can eventually get stuffed in the back of a drawer while you manage more pressing matters.

So how can you improve your odds of success? It comes down to accepting that you won’t have the time or energy to complete every task to perfection. Creating a system where you can prioritize, plan ahead and hold yourself accountable can help.

Consider unexpected high-impact actions

Many start by setting a goal to trim frivolous costs, which can certainly be helpful, but there are other ways to make a big difference. Taylor Schulte, a certified financial planner and founder of Define Financial, an advisory firm in San Diego, recommends starting with a few overlooked financial tasks.

Freezing your credit is a quick, easy way to guard yourself against identity theft. It’s free to do, and you can temporarily lift the freeze when you’re applying for a loan or credit card. Schulte also suggests looking into umbrella insurance, which offers additional coverage beyond what your auto, homeown-

ers and other insurance policies provide. This coverage can spare you from massive out-of-pocket costs in the event you get sued.

Basic estate planning, including creating a will, is another thing to put high on your list. Putting off this task can create a major headache for your loved ones if something happens to you unexpectedly. “I know it’s a pain point and it’s often kicked down the road,” Schulte says.

Paying attention to your spending is always important, but don’t neglect taking steps to protect your money, yourself and your loved ones.

Focus on what actually

matters to you

So many money goals are born out of social pressure. You “should”

want to save up to own a home, even if you’re happily renting. You “should” sacrifice short-term needs and wants to stash away as much as possible for retirement, even though it leaves you feeling deprived. But money goals should be tied to the things that matter most to you. If they aren’t, you’ll quickly lose interest.

“If you don’t know what goals to choose, go back to your values and have them guide the goals you set,” says Eric Roberge , a certified financial planner and founder of Beyond Your Hammock, a financial advisory firm in Boston.

You can combine goal-setting with a little planning, so expenses are less likely to creep up on you throughout the year. Think about what expected costs will be coming up in the next six to 12 months, like recurring bills, vacations, an-

ticipated home or car repairs, and other expenses. This approach allows you to set money aside each month to put toward planned costs, as well as longer-term goals.

Hold yourself accountable

Forgetting your goals can be far too easy, so to make something stick, write it down. It can be as simple as a handwritten list you keep on the fridge, or online calendar reminders that will nudge you every so often.

For time-sensitive goals, set deadlines. One tactic is to make multiple lists based on what you need to complete within the next week, month or three months. As time passes and you check off items, you can update the list.

Enlist others’ help, too. Weekly or monthly household money meetings are useful if you’re completing financial tasks as a group. Or share your goals with a trusted friend or family member who can serve as an accountability partner. Looping in loved ones can help keep you on track. “We don’t mind letting ourselves down,” Schulte says. “But we hate to let other people down.”

Recognize when ‘done’ is better than ‘perfect’

It’s easy to get stuck in decision-making mode when trying to pick a high-yield savings account, credit card or possible investments, but eventually, you need to make a good-enough choice. Taking action now can have more of a positive effect on your life than waiting until you’ve painstakingly considered each option.

Roberge says that though he’d prefer to optimize every financial decision, he doesn’t because if he did, he wouldn’t get things done. “Everything in moderation is one of the things that I live by,” he says. “Going to extremes in any one thing, at the detriment of other things that are important, doesn’t work long-term.”

The Associated Press

VACCINATION RATES for U.S. kindergarteners dropped again last year, and federal officials are starting a new campaign to try to bring them up.

Usually, 94% to 95% of kindergarteners are vaccinated against measles, tetanus and certain other diseases. The vaccination rates dropped below 94% in the 20202021 school year, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found rates dropped again in the 2021-2022 school year, to about 93%.

The pandemic disrupted vaccinations and other routine health care for children, and also taxed the ability of school administrators and nurses to track which children weren’t up-to-date on shots. CDC officials said decreased confidence in vaccines is another likely contributor.

“I think it’s a combination of all those things,” said Dr. Georgina Peacock, director of CDC’s immunization division.

Health officials focus on kindergarten because it’s when most children enter school systems. Public schools typically require vaccinations as a condition of attendance, though some exemptions are allowed.

Such exemptions were up slightly last school year, but the CDC’s Shannon Stokley said they are not the main driver of the decrease. Rather, more schools relaxed their policies to allow enrollment while giving families a grace period to get shots, she said.

The new numbers suggest that as many as 275,000 kindergartners lack full vaccine protection.

Falling vaccination rates open the door to outbreaks of diseases once thought to be in the rearview mirror, experts say. They point to a case of paralytic polio reported last year in New York, and to recent measles surges in Minnesota

and Ohio.

Those outbreaks coincide with anecdotal and survey information suggesting more parents are questioning bedrock childhood vaccines long celebrated as public health success stories.

A Kaiser Family Foundation poll last month found less support among parents for school vaccine requirements vs. a 2019 survey.

“It’s crazy. There’s so much work to be done,” said Dr. Jason Newland, a pediatric infectious diseases doctor at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and vice chair for community health at Washington University.

Other physicians have told him that more parents are being selective about which vaccines to give their kids. CDC data reflected that: The chickenpox vaccination rate fell more sharply than the rate for

shots against measles, mumps and rubella.

This week, the CDC launched a campaign called “Let’s RISE” — an acronym for Routine Immunizations on Schedule for Everyone. It includes new educational materials to help doctors talk to families about vaccinations, as well as information for families who have questions about the shots.

Building trust in vaccinations “is something that has to happen at the local and community level,” Peacock said.

Thursday’s CDC study was based on public school kindergarten vaccination reports from 49 states, and reporting on private schools from 48 states. Montana did not report data.

Rates vary across the country. CDC officials noted significant in-

creases in a few states, including Hawaii, Maine, Maryland and Wyoming. But most states saw declines, with the largest drops in Mississippi, Georgia and Wisconsin.

A second CDC report found overall vaccination rates among younger children remained high and stable, although there were declines among kids who were poor and lived in rural areas. The report was based on a 2021 national telephone survey of parents of children who were about 2 years old.

CDC officials said it appears doctors and parents made sure younger and more vulnerable children got initial vaccine protection during the pandemic, but there may have been a drop-off in getting booster doses and additional shots as kids got older.

Stanly County Journal

AP PHOTO

Jackson, Miss., Feb. 16, 2022.

AP PHOTO

In this file photo cash is fanned out from a wallet.

OPINION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Accountability is coming

LAST WEEK in the House of Representatives, the 118th Congress kicked off in earnest. Republicans passed our first bills in the majority in more than four years. Though all of these bills will strengthen our country and economy, they were nearly universally opposed by Democrats.

My top focus in Congress is breaking the Swamp’s status quo to ensure the government works for the people – not the other way around. This is just the beginning of what our Republican Conference will accomplish this Congress.

The first order of business was undoing the Democrats’ $80 billion meant to fund an army of 87,000 IRS agents who will undoubtedly only audit and harass hardworking Americans. Every Democrat voted against this bill despite knowing that the bill will preserve upgrades to customer service and operations, while defunding the new IRS army. The last thing that hardworking Americans need are more meddling and ineffective bureaucrats.

In a huge win for the American people, the House officially established a Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. This is something I’ve worked diligently on for months, and securing this investigative subcommittee was a crucial aspect of our successful efforts to reform the House and drain the Swamp last week.

I spoke on the House floor in support of forming this

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

investigative subcommittee. Any bureaucrat who violates Americans’ Constitutional rights is on notice – we are coming for you, on behalf of the American people.

On the same day, Republicans and Democrats voted together to form a Select Committee on China. The Chinese Communist Party is a grave threat worthy of increased Congressional attention, and this committee will treat that threat with the seriousness it deserves.

The House also passed legislation to prohibit the Biden Administration from exporting oil in our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. When Americans are struggling to afford gas, the last thing our country should be doing is shipping our oil to China.

I proudly cosponsored and voted for my colleague Mike Johnson’s resolution condemning the 78 attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and 100+ attacks on churches since the Dobbs decision leaked.

We passed this resolution, as well as legislation to protect babies that are born alive during botched abortions. Every Republican voted for this legislation, while nearly every Democrat opposed. These votes show the true divide on the essential question of life that exists between Republicans and Democrats in Washington.

I was proud to support these common sense bills. Our work is just beginning.

Our blundering, intrusive government

OUR GOVERNMENT SEEKS more and more control.

Our government is not competent.

At the same time our government proves itself shockingly unable to perform its most basic functions, it continues to expand its ambitions.

These two statements are both true, and together amount to a nightmare for institutional credibility. A government that seeks more control must at the very least demonstrate credibility in implementing its goals; a government that is incompetent can only regain legitimacy by limiting its authority. And yet we have a government that presents the worst of both worlds: incapacity to perform its most basic functions, combined with an ever-expanding encroachment into daily life.

Recently, the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to ground virtually all flights in the United States after an outage in the so-called Notice-to Air-Missions systems, designed to warn pilots of weather problems, runway issues or other obstacles. The NOTAM system relies on a reportedly outmoded computer system that has not been updated for years. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is most famous for taking a two-month paternity leave and then bragging about it repeatedly on national television, helpfully commented, “There was a systems issue overnight that led to a ground stop because of the way safety information was moving through the system.” He then reported this problem to President Joe Biden, who helpfully commented that Buttigieg ought to “restore the system quickly and safely, and to determine causes.”

Job well done, gentlemen.

The air traffic control nightmare is but the latest example of a government well over its skis. Whether we are talking about the nation’s scattershot but brutal COVID-19 lockdown and mandate policies, its utter incapacity to handle a historically unprecedented flood of illegal immigration across our southern border, railroad strikes barely averted by congressional force or the inability to recruit members of our military, our government seems to be failing repeatedly at issues that implicate core

competency.

And yet, at the same time, our government proves itself shockingly unable to perform its most basic functions, it continues to expand its ambitions. We found out that the Consumer Product Safety Commission may consider banning gas stoves in the home, supposedly thanks to the risk of childhood asthma caused. There are approximately 40 million households in the United States currently using gas stoves.

When governments promise much but deliver little — and when they seek to control much, but only succeed in controlling the most minute and irritating aspects of daily life — they lose their legitimacy. And that is precisely what has been occurring over the course of the last century in the United States. The growth of the regulatory state means that government now reaches into the nooks and crannies of the lives of its citizens — and yet government cannot actually do the most basic things required of it. The response of citizens, unsurprisingly, is distrust in government itself.

But that distrust does not manifest, unfortunately, in widespread calls by citizens to restrict the size, scope and intrusion of government. Instead, it manifests as a cry to “elect the right people.” This is a category error. The problem with our government is not one of staffing, but one of incentives — and all the incentives are on the side of inefficiency, blundering and encroachment. That is not likely to stop until the American people recognize that they can have competent government or intensely involved government, but not both. In a representative republic, the problems of government are, in the end, the problems of the people who vote for them.

Ben Shapiro, 38, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+.

COLUMN | U.S. REP. DAN BISHOP

My top focus in Congress is breaking the Swamp’s status quo to ensure the government works for the people – not the other way around.

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL NFL ratings down 3% over last season

New York

NFL regular season ratings dropped 3% from last season, which was not unexpected with “Thursday Night Football” moving from Fox and NFL Network to exclusively airing on Amazon Prime Video. The 272 regular season games averaged 16.7 million viewers across television and digital platforms, The league also said that 185 million fans watched games at some point during the 18 weeks. Despite the dip, it is the third-highest average since 2016. Last season averaged 17.1 million. According to Nielsen figures, the 15-game “Thursday Night Football” package on Prime Video averaged 9.58 million viewers.

TENNIS

Kyrgios out of Australian Open, will have knee

surgery

Melbourne, Australia

Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of the Australian Open a day before he was scheduled to play his first-round match. He has a knee injury and will have arthroscopic surgery. Kyrgios was the runnerup at Wimbledon last year in singles and teamed with longtime friend Thanasi Kokkinakis to win the men’s doubles championship at the 2022 Australian Open. The 27-year-old Australian was considered the host country’s strongest chance to win a title at Melbourne Park this year. Kyrgios announced his withdrawal on Day 1 of action at the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Clemson hires TCU OC Riley to spark Tigers’ offense

Columbia, S.C. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney hired TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to reenergize the Tigers’ slumping offense. The school’s board of trustees compensation committee approved a three-year deal that will pay the 33-year-old Riley $1.75 million a season. It’s the first time Swinney has gone outside his staff for a coordinator hire since 2012 when he brought in Brent Venables of Oklahoma to lead the defense. The Tigers hope Riley — the brother of USC coach and former ECU offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley — can have the same spark with the offense as Venables did during his 10 seasons at Clemson.

MMA

Jon Jones to headline UFC 285 in heavyweight title fight

Las Vegas UFC President Dana White announced Jon Jones will fight for the heavyweight title March 4 against Ciryl Gane in Las Vegas as the headline event for UFC 285. White said he offered former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou the richest deal for a heavyweight in UFC history to fight Jones. White said Ngannou turned down the offer, so White turned to Gane. Jones will make his first appearance since February 2020 when he beat Dominick Reyes to defend his light heavyweight championship.

Kelce, Jefferson unanimous AP All-Pros

Sixteen first-time players made the team

The Associated Press

TRAVIS KELCE and Justin Jefferson are unanimous choices for The Associated Press 2022 NFL All-Pro Team, and Sauce Gardner is the first rookie cornerback selected in 41 years.

The Chiefs’ Kelce and the Vikings’ Jefferson received firstteam votes Friday from all 50 members of a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league.

Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa and Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones each got 49 of 50 first-team votes. The Chiefs and Niners led the way with four players each on the first team.

Gardner, the fourth overall pick by the New York Jets, was named on all 50 ballots, receiving 43 firstplace votes. Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott was the last rookie cornerback chosen for the first team in 1981.

“That’s a big deal to me,” Gardner told the AP. “It was one of my goals before training camp.”

Kelce’s older brother, Jason, also earned first-team honors for the fifth time in his career to stay one ahead of his pass-catching brother.

Jason Kelce’s fellow Philadelphia Eagles linemate, right tackle Lane Johnson, joins him on the squad.

“Big honor, especially happy for (Johnson), who is the best tackle in the NFL without question, especially on the right side,” Jason Kelce told the AP.

Johnson, a second-time All-Pro, has missed the past two games with an adductor injury but hopes to return when the No. 1 seed Ea-

Years since a rookie cornerback made the first team. The Jets’ Sauce Gardner received 43 firstplace votes to become the first rookie since Ronnie Lott in 1981.

gles host a divisional round playoff game next week.

“We put in a lot of time and effort in the game, especially as you get older, you start to cherish it,” Johnson told the AP.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs is among the 16 firsttime All-Pros. Jacobs led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards, scored

12 touchdowns rushing and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. The Raiders had three first-team picks despite finishing 6-11.

41“The year definitely didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but, individually, it’s definitely an honor to be selected,” Jacobs told the AP.

Jefferson, who had a leaguebest 128 catches and 1,809 yards receiving, is the other newcomer on offense. Miami’s Tyreek Hill made it for the fourth time, third as a receiver. Hill had 119 catches for 1,710 yards and seven TDs in his first season with the Dolphins. Raiders wideout Davante Adams got the nod for a third time. Adams had 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and 14 TDs in his first season in Las Vegas.

This was the first year of the AP’s new voting system. Voters chose a first team and a second team. Firstteam votes are worth 3 points, and second-team votes are worth 1.

High school student Thompson selected 1st in NWSL Draft

The NC Courage made four picks in the first round

The Associated Press

ALYSSA THOMPSON was the top pick in the National Women’s Soccer League draft on Thursday by Angel City, becoming the first high school player to be selected in the history of the league.

Thompson, an 18-year-old forward out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, declared her eligibility for the draft late last week. She initially committed to Stanford.

“It’s a crazy feeling,” said Thompson, who watched the draft from her home in Los Angeles. “And I’m so happy that I get to be surrounded by my friends and family. I’m just really excited. My heart’s beating really fast.”

Thompson made her debut with the U.S. senior national team last year while also playing for the under-19 Total Futbol Academy boys’ team in MLS NEXT. Thompson and her younger sister, Giselle, also became the first high school players to sign a name, image and likeness deal with Nike last year.

“Alyssa Thompson, for us, is a phenom and generational player. She’s a player who can make an immediate impact, but she’s also young and can develop and look to be a player that we’re building a future off of, too,” said Angela Hucles Mangano, ACFC’s general manager. The team traded for the top pick last week in order to land Thompson.

The Kansas City Current selected Duke forward Michelle Cooper, winner of the MAC Hermann Trophy for best college

player, with the second pick of the draft. The Current acquired the pick in a trade with Gotham for forward Lynn Williams.

The North Carolina Courage dealt forward Diana Ordonez, who scored 11 goals as a rookie last season, to Houston after the native of Mexico asked to traded to be closer to her family. In return, the Courage received the eighth overall pick, selecting Cal defender Sydney Collins, the Dash’s first round pick next year, $100,000 in allocation money and an international spot for the upcoming season.

The Courage used their three other first round pick on players from the ACC, picking Notre Dame forward Olivia Wingate sixth overall, Florida State mid-

fielder Clara Robbins ninth overall and Virginia forward Haley Hopkins 11th overall.

On top of Cooper, two other Blue Devils players were selected, both in the fourth round: midfielder Delaney Graham, 40th overall by the Washington Spirit, and midfielder Sophie Jones, 43rd overall by the Chicago Red Stars. UNC defender Tori Hanson was the first pick in the third round, 25th overall, by the Orlando Pride. Wake Forest midfielder Giovanna DeMarco was chosen 45th overall by the San Diego Wave.

In the hours before the draft, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman spoke to reporters at length about the state of the 12-team league, which is pre -

Alyssa Thompson was the top pick in last Thursday’s National Women’s Soccer League draft by Angel City, becoming the first high school player to be selected in the history of the league.

paring for its 11th season amid ongoing fallout from a pair of investigations into coach misconduct.

Earlier this week, the league permanently banned four coaches, including former Courage coach Paul Riley, and imposed other sanctions. Berman said the NWSL will now focus on making lasting change.

The NWSL is expected to name two expansion teams to join the league in 2024, and Berman said the league is “closing in on a decision.” Additionally, the Portland Thorns and the Chicago Red Stars are currently up for sale.

Berman said that this season will be the first that the league utilizes a Video Assistant Referee, or VAR, for games.

HANS GUTKNECHT / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER VIA AP

AP PHOTO

The Jets’ Sauce Gardner, right, became the first rookie cornerback since Ronnie Lott in 1981 to be named to The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team.

Malcolm in the driver’s seat: Muniz starts NASCAR career

“I want to prove to people that like I’m here to take it seriously,” Muniz said during a half-hour Zoom with reporters. “I’m not just here for a fluke. I’m not just here for publicity. I wanted this my entire life, you know what I mean?

THERE MIGHT BE a reboot on the horizon for actor Frankie Muniz, one aptly titled “Malcolm in the Middle of a Pileup.”

Muniz, who starred in “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Agent Cody Banks,” announced this week that he’s competing as a fulltime race car driver in the ARCA Menards Series. It’s a low-level feeder series for NASCAR — one that typically features less-experienced drivers — and will serve as a starting point for Muniz’s stock-car career.

The 37-year-old Muniz got behind the wheel of the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing during a test session Friday at Daytona International Speedway and said, “I wanted this my entire life.”

His first of 20 scheduled races in 2023 will come at Daytona on Feb. 18.

“I’m mad I waited 12 years after my last racing experience to get here. I want people to look at me and see me on track and go, ‘Wow, he belongs,’ and I’m ready to prove to everyone that I do. Hopefully I do.”

A longtime racing enthusiast, Muniz drove the pace car for the 2001 Daytona 500 — a race in which seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap. Coincidentally, the chassis of the car Muniz is scheduled to drive at Daytona in the ARCA season opener was driven by Sterling Marlin that fateful day more than two decades ago.

Muniz said Earnhardt signed his jacket before the race and even told him how much he loved “Malcolm in the Middle.”

“He said, ‘Your show has brought me and my daughter so

much closer together. I love your show,’” Muniz recalled. “And it was like insane to me that Dale Earnhardt is telling me that.”

Muniz has long been a racing enthusiast and first started thinking about becoming a professional driver in 2004 after competing in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach, California. He’s also raced in Formula BMW events as well as the Champ Car Atlantic Series.

His last full-time season came in 2009. He said he broke his back, broke an ankle and had a pin inserted into his hand following a crash. He has raced sporadically since.

Instead of getting back in a race car immediately, he became drummer of the indie rock band Kingsfoil. More recently, he married Paige Price and they had a son in 2021.

He expects plenty of “Malcolm in the Middle” jokes during races, so much so that he’s considering making T-shirts to sell at events.

“I’m going to capitalize on that before someone else does,” he said.

West Stanly boys win 4th straight game

Four of five Stanly County teams earned wins

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

AFTER A 2-8 START to the season, the West Stanly varsity boys’ basketball team has reeled off four straight wins and is tied for first in the Rocky River Conference.

The Colts (8-10, 3-1 RRC) picked up an 81-68 road victory over Central Academy on Jan. 13 to move into a three-way tie with Forest Hills (6-11, 3-1 RRC) and Monroe (5-6, 3-1 RRC) atop the conference.

First-year coach Dusty Pflugner and the Colts now have a shot to move past Monroe when they travel to face the Redhawks on Jan. 20 before hosting Anson (7-9, 1-3 RRC) on Jan. 24.

North Stanly 74, Forest Hills 60

North Stanly ended a four-game losing streak with a 74-60 win over Forest Hills on Jan. 14.

The Comets (9-8, 2-3 Yadkin Valley Conference) trailed 37-36 at halftime before outscoring the Yellow Jackets by 15 points in the second half, holding Forest Hills to just 11 points in the fourth quarter. The Comets now sit in fourth place in the YVC standings behind Robinson (11-6, 5-0 YVC), Mount Pleasant (11-7, 5-1 YVC) and Albemarle (8-8, 3-2 YVC)

North is scheduled for three straight road matchups: Robinson on Jan. 20, Gray Stone Day (0-14, 0-5 YVC) on Jan. 24 and Union Academy (2-12, 1-3 YVC) on Jan. 26.

South Stanly 70, Gray Stone Day 17

South Stanly had its most lopsided win of the season on Jan. 13, rolling to a 70-17 victory over winless Gray Stone Day in Misenheimer.

The Bulls (6-10, 2-4 YVC) have won three of their past four games and are in fifth place in the YVC standings, ahead of only Union Academy and Gray Stone. Up next, South Stanly will host Albemarle on Jan. 20 before heading to Mount Pleasant (Jan. 24) and North Stanly (Jan. 27).

Still searching for their first win of the year, the Knights travel to Mount Pleasant on Jan. 20 and then challenge North Stanly (Jan. 24) and Albemarle (Jan. 25).

Albemarle 61, Anson 57

Albemarle responded from having its four-game winning streak snapped three days before, defeating Anson 61-57 and regaining third place in the YVC standings.

A lbemarle will next travel to South Stanly on Jan. 20 before hosting Gray Stone and Mount Pleasant on Jan. 25 and Jan. 27, respectively.

Second-year coach Chauncey Bruton and the Bulldogs are currently on pace to outperform last season’s record (11-13, 5-7 YVC).

Robbie Knievel, daredevil son of Evel Knievel, dies at 60

lives,” Kelly Knievel told The Associated Press. “He was a great daredevil. People don’t really understand how scary it is what my brother did.”

LAS VEGAS — Robbie Knievel, an American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father — including at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1989 and a Grand Canyon chasm a decade later — has died in Nevada, his brother said. He was 60.

Robbie Knievel died early Friday at a hospice in Reno after battling pancreatic cancer, Kelly Knievel said.

“Daredevils don’t live easy

As a boy, Robbie Knievel began on his bicycle to emulate his famous father, Evel Knievel, who died in 2007 in Clearwater, Florida.

But where Evel Knievel famously almost died from injuries when he crashed his Harley-Davidson during a jump over the Caesars Palace fountains in Las Vegas in 1967, Robbie completed the jump in 1989 using a specially designed Honda.

Robbie Knievel also made headline-grabbing Las Vegas Strip jumps over a row of lim-

ousines in 1998 at the Tropicana Hotel; between two buildings at the Jockey Club in 1999; and a New Year’s Eve jump amid fireworks in front of a volcano attraction at The Mirage on Dec. 31, 2008.

After a crash-landing to complete a motorcycle leap over a 220-foot chasm at an Indian

reservation outside Grand Canyon National Park in 1999, Robbie Knievel noted that his father always wanted to jump the spectacular natural landmark in Arizona but never did. Robbie Knievel broke his leg in his crash.

Evel Knievel instead attempted to soar over a mile-wide Snake River Canyon chasm in Idaho in September 1974. His rocket-powered cycle crashed into the canyon while his escape parachute deployed.

Robbie Knievel’s brother recalled other stunts, including a 2004 jump over a row of military aircraft on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid.

Robbie Knievel, who promoted himself as “Kaptain Robbie

Knievel,” set several stunt records but also failed in several attempts. In 1992, at age 29, he was injured when he crashed into the 22nd of 25 pickup trucks lined up across a 180-foot span in Cerritos, California.

“Injuries took quite a toll on him,” Kelly Knievel said Friday.

Kelly Knievel lives in Las Vegas. He said his brother died with three daughters at his side: Krysten Knievel Hansson of Chicago, Karmen Knievel of Missoula, Montana, and Maria Collins of Waldport, Oregon.

Services were not immediately scheduled, but Kelly Knievel said his brother will be buried with other family members in Butte, Montana.

His family said he died of pancreatic cancer

The Associated Press

The former child star will race in the ARCA Menards Series

The Associated Press

“Injuries took quite a toll on him.”

Kelly Knievel, brother of Robbie Knievel

Robbie Knievel lands a motorcycle jump before the start of the IRL Firestone 550 race at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2010. Knieval died last Friday of pancreatic cancer.

Frankie Muniz, best known for his leading role in “Malcolm in the Middle,” is planning to compete full time in the ARCA Menards Series. AP PHOTO

ISAAC HALE / STAR TRIBUNE VIA AP

Analysis: Documents probe dents

Biden’s claims to competence

By Zeke Miller The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe

Biden offered himself to Americans as a president they wouldn’t have to think about after the tumult of his predecessor. But an excruciating week of awkward disclosures and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate classified records found at his Delaware home and a former office dating to his time as vice president is beginning to strain his claim to competence.

The surprise revelations that on at least four different occasions Biden’s lawyers found improperly stored classified documents and official records evoked the turmoil surrounding Donald Trump’s presidency, which Biden has tried to move the country past. In the latest development, the White House acknowledged on Saturday that Biden’s lawyers had turned up even more such documents at the home than previously known.

It’s an embarrassment to Biden, and the selection of a special counsel to investigate potential criminal wrongdoing in the matter exposes the president to a new, self-inflicted risk.

Further, it complicates the Justice Department’s calculus about whether to bring charges against Trump over his handling of classified material, hands fresh ammunition to newly empowered House Republicans eager to launch investigations and undercuts a central plank of Biden’s pitch to voters just as he looks to launch a reelection bid in the coming months.

“It just won’t be so exhausting,” former President Barack Obama had promised about a Biden presidency in the closing days of the 2020 campaign, adding that voters are “not going to have to think

about the crazy things … and that is worth a lot.”

The Biden has caused private frustration among Biden allies and some advisers because the president and his team, as billed, were supposed to be better than this.

The current White House explanation, offered by lawyer Richard Sauber, is that the special counsel’s inquiry “will show that these documents were inadvertently misplaced” — a “mistake” with the nation’s secrets.

Biden seemingly ignored or forgot about a cardinal rule in politics: Check your closet for skel-

etons before you complain about someone else’s. His public criticisms about Trump’s “ irresponsible “ handling of classified documents, however different the circumstances, are now coming back to haunt him.

Biden allies say the packing up of his vice presidential office happened swiftly. Biden aimed to run through the tape on his eight years alongside Obama even as aides worked to close down his office before Trump’s inauguration at noon on Jan. 20, 2017.

But that explanation, said Richard Painter, the top ethics official in the George W. Bush ad-

ministration, suggests behavior that was “incredibly careless and really quite shocking.”

Painter said that while Biden probably would avoid the criminal issues looming over Trump because there is so far no sense that Biden intentionally mishandled classified records, it still merited investigation.

“You never just pack stuff up and cart it out of there,” Painter said. He said aides and lawyers are supposed to carefully sift through what are official records that are property of the National Archives and personal records that may be removed.

“To say nothing of classified documents which have these distinctive markings on them,” Painter said. “It’s still very worrisome. It’s a serious national security breach.” Beyond all that, the piecemeal way that word of the discoveries became public — more than two months after the first batch of classified documents had been found at the Penn Biden Center in Washington — has drawn bewilderment from crisis management experts.

“The White House can’t let itself be seen as hiding information or be bled to death by investigators’ or others’ leaks,” said Adam Goldberg, who served as special associate counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1996-1999.

It wasn’t until last Monday that the White House confirmed that classified documents had been found at Biden’s former office on Nov. 2, days before the midterm elections. Even then, that acknowledgement came only in response to news inquiries.

Not until Thursday did Biden lawyers acknowledge the Dec. 20 discovery of documents in the garage of Biden’s house in Wilmington, Delaware, and inform the Justice Department that another classified record had been found the night before in Biden’s home library.

“If there’s any further bad news out there, they better be the ones to put it out and put it out all at once,” Goldberg said.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had said Thursday that Americans can “assume” there are no more classified documents or government records improperly stored after Biden’s personal lawyers conducted a final search that concluded on Wednesday evening.

She repeatedly deflected questions about the White House’s public disclosures, insisting the president’s team was handling the matter the “right way” by deferring to the Justice Department.

A statement from Sauber on Saturday about the latest discovery of classified documents in Delaware did not explain why the White House waited two days to provide an updated accounting.

State auditor, Medical Board clash over review results

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s state auditor and the panel that disciplines physicians clashed over a performance review released Thursday in which auditors said they were hamstrung scrutinizing how the state Medical Board handled provider complaints because the panel denied them information.

The board pushed back, saying that state and federal law prohibits it from giving access to details about over 4,400 investigations covering a two-year period ending in June 2021 sought by auditors because they contained confidential medical and investigative information. The auditors received heavily redacted documents instead. Board officials also said they disagreed with other findings in the review.

State Auditor Beth Wood’s office said state law ensures that all information obtained and used in an audit remains confidential. The audit recommended that the legislature pass a law to affirm access to such documentation while conducting audits.

The auditors said they did receive slightly more information in their review about the roughly 200 additional investigations that

resulted in public action against a licensee. In these documents, the review’s authors declared that the board failed to complete investigations of medical providers within six months — what they called a state law requirement. And it failed to ensure that providers receive disciplinary actions for wrongdoing — such as license restrictions or agreements to not practice medicine for a period.

“As a result, there was an increased risk that medical providers whose actions posed a threat

to patient safety could continue serving patients,” the report read.

In a response attached to the final review, Medical Board CEO David Henderson wrote that Wood’s office is mistaken that investigations must be completed in six months. And the board’s program to monitor wayward providers wasn’t designed to ensure that those who lose their medical license never practice again, saying that’s a criminal matter left to prosecutors, Henderson wrote.

The auditor’s office agreed that

it “had received no complaints that prompted the audit and that there have been no allegations and there is no evidence that (the board) ever failed to review all complaints, administer discipline in an equitable manner or report all its public actions,” Henderson said.

Still, the limited access to investigative documents prevented Wood’s office from auditing four of the six objectives sought for review. Those were largely focused on whether the board followed the

law, its policies and best practices when investigating complaints on allegations like substandard medical care, sexual misconduct or overprescribing medication, the report said.

And auditors also accused the Medical Board of making “several inaccurate and potentially misleading statements” within their written response to the performance review.

The 13-member board — 11 were appointed by the governor and the remainder picked by legislative leaders — licensed over 57,000 physicians, physician assistants and other medical professionals at the end of the 2021.

The board, which runs on licensing fees only, said its staff investigates almost 3,000 cases annually. It can decide that no violation of the state’s Medical Practice Act occurred; find no violation occurred but still issue privately a warning or order remedial action; or determine a violation occurred and take public action against the provider, up to and including license revocation.

Henderson wrote that the board has taken steps to improve areas of concern cited by the state auditor and was willing to hire an outside firm to perform an outside audit to address the objectives.

The Associated Press

AP PHOTO

The access road to President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Del., is seen from the media van Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.

STOCK PHOTO

obituaries

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.

Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor.

She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor.

Survivors include children, Debbie (Mike) Williams of Albemarle, Teresa (Tom) Curry of Oakboro, Douglas (Tammy) Drye of Oakboro; grandchildren, Melissa (Don) Parrish of Albemarle, Samantha (Destiny) Smith of Oakboro, Bradley Smith of Oakboro, Jonathan Stover of Peachland, and Jessie Stover of Lylesville; sisterin-law, Beatrice Goodman; many nieces and nephews; and her beloved cats, Bo and Garfield.

Barbara was a member of Oakboro Baptist Church for over 60 years. She worked over 30 years at Stanly Knitting Mills. After just two years of retirement, she began managing the Oakboro Senior Center and did that for 18 years until this past week. Barbara was known for her good cooking and always taking care of others. She also loved going on day long shopping trips - she could out walk and out shop people half her age. She kept her mind and body active through gardening, word searches, and various other hobbies.

Dwight Farmer

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.

Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran. He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheriff’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.

Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.

He is survived by his wife Hilda Whitley Farmer; one son D. Britten Farmer Jr. (Mary) of McLeansville, NC; one daughter Sharon Farmer Lowe (David) of Norwood; one sister Geraldine Dennis of Troy; two grandchildren, Dwight Britten “Dee” Farmer III and Whitley Rose Hui Lowe.

He was preceded in death by his son Alex, brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, sisters, Nancy, Cornelia Annabell, Glennie Mae, and Betty.

Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Cemetery or Choir Fund c/o Pam Smith 36071 Rocky River Springs Road, Norwood, NC 28128.

James Roseboro

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.

Mr. Roseboro was born on June 23, 1967 to the late Robert and Delena Shipp Roseboro. He graduated from South Stanly High School and was employed by Triangle Brick. He enjoyed watching football and basketball, especially the Carolina TarHeels and Miami.

In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his brothers and sisters: Barbara Lee Roseboro, Dorothy Brown, Verna Roseboro, Henrietta Ingram, and Harold Roseboro.

He is survived by his sisters: Helen (James) Roseboro Edwards of Albemarle, Mary Roseboro of Washington DC, and Marion Morrison of Albemarle; brothers: Thomas D. Roseboro of Charlotte, Robert Roseboro (Patricia) of Norwood, and Van Horne; a special friend of over 40 years, Michelle McLendon of the home; special nieces: Nybrea Montague, Knya Little, and Laquanza Crump; special nephews: Robert Jr., Desmond Roseboro, and Marcus Lilly; and God daughter, Daphne Johnson; and special friends, Vetrella Johnson and Ben McLendon.

John B. Kluttz

March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023

John grew up in the Millingport community where he drove a school bus and worked at the local gas station during his High School years. He graduated from Millingport High in 1954 and entered into service with the US Airforce immediately afterward. Upon return from the service, he and his high school sweetheart Julie were married in 1956. He graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College later in 1959 and began his career as a diesel mechanic at Mitchell Distributing Company, moving his growing family to Charlotte where they lived until their retirement.

When John purchased his first Model A Ford at the age of 17, he said that he took the car to the community mechanic when he had a small problem.The mechanic told him that if he was going to keep the car, he needed to learn to work on it. This is when John’s passion for Model A Fords began and how he spent his happiest days with his best friends from around the globe for the rest of his life!

At age 50, after years as a Detroit Diesel Mechanic he and Julie decided to take the plunge and open a full Model A Restoration Shop. They thrived at their shop in Cornelius, NC until their retirement in 1998 when they moved back to Cabarrus County. John once again set up shop in his back yard garage where he attracted a loyal group of friends who visited almost daily. While on the farm in Gold Hill, John also began a lifelong love with Alis Chalmers tractors after he restored his Dad’s tractor and began amassing his collection of tractors as well.

Doris Jones Coleman

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, went home into God’s presence on January 10 after a sudden illness and a valiant week-long fight in ICU.

Doris was born on October 11, 1944, in the mountains of Marion, NC while her father was away fighting in the US Navy during World War II. Raymond Jones was so proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Durham High School. She furthered her studies at Watts Hospital School of Nursing in Durham and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1966.

Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC.

Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion. The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over 40 years of nursing.

Darrick Baldwin

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

Darrick Vashon Baldwin, age 50, entered eternal rest, Sunday, January 8, 2023, Albemarle, North Carolina. Born January 7, 1973, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Darrick was the son of Eddie James Baldwin Sr. and the late Phyllis Blue Baldwin. Darrick enjoyed life, always kept things lively and enjoyed making others smile. His presence is no longer in our midst, but his memory will forever live in our hearts.

He was educated in the Stanly County public schools and attended Albemarle Senior High School, Albemarle.

He was a great conversationalist and loved meeting people. Darrick never met a stranger and always showed love and compassion for his fellowman. He also loved his dog, Rocky.

He is survived by his father, Eddie J. Baldwin Sr.; sisters: Crystal (Eric) Jackson, LaFondra (Stoney) Medley, and Morgan Baldwin; brothers: Eddie Baldwin Jr., Anton Baldwin, and Lamont Baldwin; a host of other relatives and friends. A limb has fallen from our family tree. We will not grieve Darrick’s death; we will celebrate his life. We give thanksgiving for the many shared memories.

John restored many cars of his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Awardthe highest award given to members at the national level.

This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men.

John is survived by his wife Julie Ussery Kluttz, for 66 years of the home. He is also survived by a son John David Kluttz (Kim) of Oakboro, NC; two daughters, Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and Betsy Tusa (John) of Lafayette, CO; three grandchildren, Bonnie Kluttz Sammons (Ben) of Richfield, NC John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; five great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Meredith, Grant, Victoria and Ronan. John is also preceded in death by his parents, J.S. Kluttz and Mary Wyatt Clayton Kluttz; a large and loving group of brothers and sisters, Jack Methias Kluttz, Annie Lou Kluttz Honeycutt, Jake Nelson Kluttz, Julius Kluttz, Mary Patricia Phillips and a grandson, Kevin Fowler Kluttz.

Doris was a gentle and sweet spirit and loved her Lord. She never met a stranger, and she always left you feeling uplifted after talking with her. She would often claim that she had “adopted” friends into her immediate family, and honestly, she never made a distinction between the two. Positivity radiated from her like sunlight. She was selfless, funny, smart, and sentimental. During her lifetime she was an active member of First Baptist Church of Durham, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Augusta, and Palestine United Methodist Church in Albemarle. She especially loved helping at church with older adults, youth, and children.

She was especially talented at sewing from a young age and made gifts for friends, Christmas ornaments, Halloween Costumes, doll clothes, pageant dresses, prom dresses, coats, tote bags, scarves, outfits for Amy and Laura, and Christening gowns for each of her grandchildren.

Doris was preceded in death by her father Arthur Raymond Jones, her mother Mary Ellen Cameron Jones, and her sister Maryanne Jones Brantley.

Survivors include her two precious daughters: Amy Cameron Coleman (partner Dr. Edward Neal Chernault) of Albemarle, NC, and Laura Lindahl Coleman Oliverio (husband David) of Cincinnati, Ohio; seven grandchildren: Cameron David Oliverio, Stephanie Jae Dejak, Luca Beatty Oliverio, Coleman John Dejak, Carson Joseph Oliverio, Ryan Nicholas Dejak, and Jadon Richard Oliverio; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones.

STATE & NATION

House GOP demands visitor logs in Biden classified docs case

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republicans on Sunday demanded the White House turn over all information related to its searches that have uncovered classified documents at President Joe Biden’s home and former office in the wake of more records found at his Delaware residence.

“We have a lot of questions,” said Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Comer, R-Ky., said he wants to see all documents and communications related to the searches by the Biden team, as well as visitor logs of the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, from Jan. 20, 2021, to present. He said the aim is to determine who might have had access to classified material and how the records got there.

The White House on Saturday said it had discovered five additional pages of classified documents at Biden’s home on Thursday, the same day a special counsel was appointed to review the matter.

In a letter to White House chief of staff Ron Klain, Comer criticized the searches by Biden representatives when the Justice Department was beginning to investigate and said Biden’s “mishandling of classified materials raises the issue of whether he has jeopardized our national security.”

Comer demanded that the White House provide all relevant information including visitor logs by the end of the month.

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Comer referred to Biden’s home as a “crime scene” though he acknowledged that it was not clear whether laws were broken.

“My concern is that the special counsel was called for, but yet hours after that we still had the president’s personal attorneys, who have no security clearance, still rummaging around the presi-

dent’s residence, looking for things — I mean that would essentially be a crime scene, so to speak,” Comer said.

While the U.S. Secret Service provides security at the president’s private residence, it does not maintain visitor logs, agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Sunday.

“We don’t independently maintain our own visitor logs because it’s a private residence,” Guglielmi said. He added that the agency does screen visitors to the president’s properties but doesn’t

maintain records of those checks.

The White House confirmed that Biden has not independently maintained records of who has visited his residence since he became president.

“Like every President in decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said. “But upon taking office, President Biden restored the norm and tradition of keeping White House visitors logs, including publishing them regularly, after the previous administration ended them.”

Indeed, President Donald Trump’s administration announced early in his presidency that they wouldn’t release visitor logs out of “grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.” Democrat Barack Obama’s administration initially fought attempts by Congress and conservative and liberal groups to obtain visitor records. But after being sued, it voluntarily began disclosing the logs in December 2009, posting records every three to four months.

A federal appeals court ruled in 2013 that the logs can be withheld under presidential executive privilege. That unanimous ruling was written by Judge Merrick Garland, who is now serving as Biden’s attorney general.

White House officials “can say

they’re being transparent, but it’s anything but,” the committee chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

White House lawyer Richard Sauber said in a statement Saturday that a total of six pages of classified documents were found from Biden’s time serving as vice president in the Obama administration during a search of Biden’s private library. The White House had said previously that only a single page was found there.

The latest disclosure was in addition to the discovery of documents found in December in Biden’s garage and in November at his former offices at the Penn Biden Center in Washington.

Sauber said that Biden’s personal lawyers, who did not have security clearances, stopped their search after finding the first page on Wednesday evening. Sauber found the remaining material Thursday, as he was facilitating their retrieval by Justice Department. Sauber did not explain why the White House waited two days to provide an updated accounting. The White House is already facing scrutiny for waiting more than two months to acknowledge the discovery of the initial group of documents at the Biden office.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said the Justice Department rightfully appointed special counsels to “get to the bottom” of the Biden classified documents matter as well as in a separate investigation into the handling of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s private club and residence in Florida.

Expanded US training for Ukraine forces begins in Germany

By Lolita C. Baldor The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — The U.S. military’s new, expanded combat training of Ukrainian forces began in Germany, with a goal of getting a battalion of about 500 troops back on the battlefield to fight the Russians in the next five to eight weeks, said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Milley, who plans to visit the Grafenwoehr training area on Monday to get a first-hand look at the program, said the troops being trained left Ukraine a few days ago. In Germany is a full set of weapons and equipment for them to use.

Until now the Pentagon had declined to say exactly when the training would start.

The so-called combined arms training is aimed at honing the skills of the Ukrainian forces so they will be better prepared to launch an offensive or counter any surge in Russian attacks. They will learn how to better move and coordinate their company- and battalion-size units in battle, using combined artillery, armor and ground forces.

Speaking to two reporters traveling with him to Europe, Milley said the complex training — combined with an array of new weapons, artillery, tanks and other vehicles heading to Ukraine — will be key to helping the country’s forces take back territory that has been captured by Russia in the

nearly 11-month-old war.

“This support is really important for Ukraine to be able to defend itself,” Milley said. “And we’re hoping to be able to pull this together here in short order.”

The goal, he said, is for all the incoming weapons and equipment to be delivered to Ukraine so that the newly trained forces will be able to use it “sometime before the spring rains show up. That would be ideal.”

The new instruction comes as

Ukrainian forces face fierce fighting in the eastern Donetsk province, where the Russian military has claimed it has control of the small salt-mining town of Soledar. Ukraine asserts that its troops are still fighting, but if Moscow’s troops take control of Soledar it would allow them to inch closer to the bigger city of Bakhmut, where fighting has raged for months.

Russia also launched a widespread barrage of missile strikes, including in Kyiv, the northeast-

ern city of Kharkiv and the southeastern city of Dnipro, where the death toll in one apartment building rose to 30.

Milley said he wants to make sure the training is on track and whether anything else is needed, and also ensure that it will line up well with the equipment deliveries.

The program will include classroom instruction and field work that will begin with small squads and gradually grow to involve larger units. It would culminate with

a more complex combat exercise bringing an entire battalion and a headquarters unit together.

Until now, the U.S. focus has been on providing Ukrainian forces with more immediate battlefield needs, particularly on how to use the wide array of Western weapons systems pouring into the country.

The U.S. has already trained more than 3,100 Ukrainian troops on how to use and maintain certain weapons and other equipment, including howitzers, armored vehicles and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS. Other nations are also conducting training on the weapons they provide.

In announcing the new program last month, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said the idea “is to be able to give them this advanced level of collective training that enables them to conduct effective combined arms operations and maneuver on the battlefield.”

Milley said the U.S. was doing this type of training prior to the Russian invasion last February. But once the war began, U.S. National Guard and special operations forces that were doing training inside Ukraine all left the country. This new effort, which is being done by U.S. Army Europe Africa’s 7th Army Training Command, will be a continuation of what they had been doing prior to the invasion. Other European allies are also providing training.

AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden waves before boarding Air Force One at Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Del., Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, en route to Atlanta.

AP PHOTO

From left, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US Army general Chris Cavoli, U.S. Assistant

Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste A. Wallander, Chairman of the Joint

Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, attend a meeting of NATO defense ministers in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group format at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022.

Randolph record

Lion adjusts to NC Zoo

Haji is settling in at the North Carolina Zoo. Haji, a male lion, came to the zoo in Asheboro in early December. He was designated to be a new companion to female a lion, Mekita. The zoo last week provided information that pointed out that Haji had his first steps in his new habitat. Haji and Meita are alternating schedules in habitat as they get to know each other. Haji is almost three years old. He was born at Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Haji means “journey.” Also, the zoo will be closed Jan. 2327 for staff training and maintenance.

Commissioners approve new departmental positions and reclassifications

Randolph Sheriff’s Office seeking applicants for Citizen Academy

The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office is running its Citizen Academy for local residents. The Sheriff’s Citizen Academy is designed to give Randolph County residents an opportunity to learn more about law enforcement operations and the county’s internal processes. According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, “the basic goal of the Sheriff’s Academy is to improve law enforcement/ community relationships” by providing “a wide range of topics and demonstrations, similar to what your sheriff’s deputies receive.” Through attendance and participation in the Sheriff’s Citizen Academy, citizens will be able to make more informed judgments about the sheriff’s office and law enforcement activities. In addition, the sheriff’s office hopes to become more aware of the feelings and concerns of the community. The academy will consist of ten sessions (plus graduation) that meet once a week on Tuesday evenings from 6 pm until 9 pm.

Enraged parent arrested after triggering lockdown at Ramseur Elementary

Ramseur Elementary School was briefly placed on a modified lockdown this past Tuesday after an enraged parent triggered a response from the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office’s school resource officer (SRO). While the SRO was responding, Randolph County 911 received a call where the contact claimed that someone had fired a weapon into the school. According to the sheriff’s office, the SRO identified the angry parent as Brittany Desha Andrews. Andrews openly admitted that she was the one who called 911, but that no shooting occurred. Andrews’ 911 call triggered a modified lockdown, which was lifted once the sheriff’s office completed all necessary security checks around the school. Following an investigation into the matter, Andrews was arrested and transported to the Randolph County Jail, where the magistrate found probable cause for felony false report of mass violence on educational property, misdemeanor disorderly conduct on school property, and misdemeanor false report to law enforcement. She is also facing felony charges for breaking and entering with intent to terrorize or injure, related to another incident in Ramseur. Andrews was issued a $25,000 secured bond.

Annual audit provides unmodified opinion on county financials

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday, January 3, with a full agenda to kick off the new year.

The board was first presented with its annual audit report, which was conducted by Cherry Bekaert LLC.

“We issued what we call an unmodified opinion on your financial statements,” said April Adams, a partner at Cherry Bekaert LLP who oversaw the audit. “That is otherwise known as the clean opinion. That’s the opinion that you want. It’s the highest level of assurance that we can give you as an audit firm that your financial statements are free from material misstatements.”

Adams stated that the audit found no issues with any of the financials for the county, and the only thing they found was one

non-material, noncompliance which was issued for the single audit for one of the 60 employees tested where there were inconsistencies with how they reported their time.

The board was also presented with an update on the Business Gym program they previously approved funding for.

“The Business Gym is basically a learning portal for anyone and everyone, and it’s free, and it’s on-demand training,” said Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce President Linda Brown. “Just the meat and potatoes, five to eight minute videos, quick, downloadable information packets that they can take, and the beauty of it is it is available 24/7, 365. It’s the same information every time, so it’s very consistent.”

The Business Gym’s purpose is to standardize and streamline the information given to businesses and to be easier to access to a wide array of people.

“We had a 62.5% increase in new business startups in Randolph County, and historically as much as 70% of those business-

es will fail if they don’t have some sort of support or assistance. So, we had a two-fold problem, not just people trying to start new businesses, but people who had existing businesses that struggled through COVID and were trying to rebuild and become sustainable once again.”

The board also approved four funding requests, one for $152,265 for the Randolph Heritage Conservancy, Inc., to pay for an engineering study, an environmental study, and a rendering of what architects think the rebuilding outside of the Textile Museum would look like.

In addition, the board also approved a $25,000 request for the Trinity Museum, $416,501 for the Sheriff’s Office to purchase nine new vehicles (three 2023 Chrysler 300 Touring and six 2023 Ford 150s), and $161,450 to Dbm Construction for the paving the parking lot of the Sheriff’s Office Fleet Maintenance Garage.

In order to keep funding from the Duke Endowment Grant for a school-based oral health program, the board approved subcontracting the grant to Kintegra Family

Dentistry, with whom the board had previously approved entering into a partnership with to take over the county dentistry services.

“In late 2020, early 2021, our public health dental clinic team applied for a Duke Endowment grant,” said Public Health Director Tara Aker. “The intent of that grant was to be used for us to implement a school-based oral health program to do preventive services on-site at schools. In the summer of 2021, the county was awarded that grant for $375,000, and the intent was for us to do it. But as you may recall, we entered into a partnership with Kintegra Family Dentistry to take over the dental services for the county since we were unsuccessful in finding a dentist. We want those funds to stay here and for Kintegra to assume those funds and implement that school-based oral health program.”

According to Aker, the Duke Endowment is aware and supportive of the plan for Kintegra to assume the funding.

Randolph Early College senior recognized before board of education for United States Presidential Scholar selection

Archdale Elementary selected as Lighthouse School nominee

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

ASHEBORO – The Randolph County Board of Education met Monday, Jan. 9 with recognitions and quarterly updates the only items on the agenda.

The board recognized the 2023 United States Presidential Scholar Nominee, Toby Cuna Zamora.

“Toby Cuna Zamora, a senior at Randolph Early College High School, has been selected by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) as one of North Carolina’s nominees to apply for the United States Presidential Scholars Program in the General Education category,” said Public Information Officer Tim Moody. “Nineteen nominees were selected from a pool of submissions through an extensive committee review process. As a result of his selection, Toby

has been invited by the NCDPI Presidential Scholars Nomination Committee to move forward in the next round of the scholars program.”

United States Presidential Scholars candidates will go through the application process at the national level and the Commission on Presidential Scholars will notify the semifinalists in April 2023. Scholar finalists will then be announced in May 2023.

Those selected will receive the Presidential Scholars Medallion at a ceremony in their honor in Washington, D.C. and scholars selected from North Carolina will be honored by the State Board of Education in early June 2023.

The board also recognized the county’s 2022-23 Lighthouse School nominee.

“The North Carolina Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development has a prestigious Lighthouse School award that is presented annually to one or more North Carolina schools that are leading the way in innovative programs and practic-

es,” Moody said. “For the 2022-23 school year, the leadership team of Randolph County School System has nominated Archdale Elementary School for the Lighthouse School award.”

Schools selected for the award will be announced at the NCSCD 2023 annual conference in February in Pinehurst.

In its quarterly budget update, the district reported cash balances of $3,511,363 in current expenses, $1,843,158 in capital outlay, $1,849,711 in AT Tax and $4,362,246 in child nutrition funds.

In its quarterly student assignment update, Randolph County Schools saw a net loss in overall enrollments of 82 students. It is also seeing three schools – Archdale Elementary, Hopewell Elementary, and Randleman High – approaching capacity, all currently having enrollment that is over 90% of total capacity for those schools.

The Randolph County Board of Education will next meet Feb. 20.

COURTESY PHOTO

OPINION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

It’s time to get to work

IT IS A NEW YEAR and the 118th Congress has begun. It’s an honor to continue serving you and our community representing North Carolina’s new 9th District. This includes all or portions of Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, and Scotland Counties. I will continue maintaining a district office in Fayetteville, while also operating a new primary district office in Southern Pines. My office locations can be found on my website at Hudson.House.gov.

Three counties I represented previously – Cabarrus, Stanly, and Montgomery – are now in North Carolina’s 12th and 8th Districts. It has been an honor to represent these communities throughout my time in Congress. Cabarrus County has also been home to me and my family for many years, and I am proud of all we have been able to accomplish together. My family and I are getting settled into the new home we purchased in Southern Pines. I look forward to serving the new 9th District and continuing to work on common sense solutions to challenges facing our entire region, Fort Bragg, and our nation.

Solving problems has always been my focus as your Congressman. Due in part to the misguided policies of Washington Democrats and the Biden administration, we have seen our nation weakened on many fronts. Across the country, families like yours have suffered the highest inflation in 40 years and record prices at the gas pump. In fact, North Carolina is experiencing some of the highest increases in gas prices in the country, up 14 cents from one week ago.

We have also witnessed an ongoing humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border, as record numbers of illegal migrants crossed into the country over the course of last year. This border crisis has threatened the safety and security of communities nationwide, including exacerbating the fentanyl epidemic robbing countless Americans of their lives. President Joe Biden has been in office for more than 715 days, but last week announced his first ever visit to the southern border. This crisis can no longer be ignored, and House Republicans are ready

to pass solutions to secure our border and protect our communities.

Washington Democrats have been largely unable, or unwilling, to address the many issues affecting you and your family. However, with Republicans now in the majority in the House, we have an obligation to address these issues and set things in the right direction. Our “Commitment to America” is a plan to do just that by implementing common sense policies to create an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a government that’s accountable, and a future built on freedom.

Last week, House Republicans hit the ground running to follow through on that agenda. I introduced my first bill of this Congress – the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. H.R. 38 is a key piece of legislation that will protect law-abiding citizens’ rights to conceal carry and guarantees the Second Amendment does not disappear when we cross invisible state lines. It has even been called the “the greatest gun rights boost since the ratification of the Second Amendment in 1791.” I have introduced this bipartisan legislation each Congress and have promised to continue championing this measure until it becomes law.

Additionally, House Republicans voted on legislation to stop the hiring of 87,000 new IRS agents to spy on your bank account, a bill to block the Biden administration from selling oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to communist China, and pro-life bills to protect babies who survive a botched abortion and mothers who rely on crisis pregnancy centers.

We have a lot of work to do and it is an honor to serve as your Congressman. In this new year, and new Congress, I will never waiver from doing everything I can to fight for you and build a better future for your family.

Richard Hudson is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House and represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. He currently serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

| U.S. REP. DAN BISHOP

Accountability is coming

LAST WEEK in the House of Representatives, the 118th Congress kicked off in earnest. Republicans passed our first bills in the majority in more than four years. Though all of these bills will strengthen our country and economy, they were nearly universally opposed by Democrats.

My top focus in Congress is breaking the Swamp’s status quo to ensure the government works for the people – not the other way around. This is just the beginning of what our Republican Conference will accomplish this Congress.

The first order of business was undoing the Democrats’ $80 billion meant to fund an army of 87,000 IRS agents who will undoubtedly only audit and harass hardworking Americans. Every Democrat voted against this bill despite knowing that the bill will preserve upgrades to customer service and operations, while defunding the new IRS army. The last thing that hardworking Americans need are more meddling and ineffective bureaucrats.

In a huge win for the American people, the House officially established a Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. This is something I’ve worked diligently on for months, and securing this investigative subcommittee was a crucial aspect of our successful efforts to reform the House and drain the Swamp last week.

I spoke on the House floor in support of forming this

investigative subcommittee. Any bureaucrat who violates Americans’ Constitutional rights is on notice – we are coming for you, on behalf of the American people.

On the same day, Republicans and Democrats voted together to form a Select Committee on China. The Chinese Communist Party is a grave threat worthy of increased Congressional attention, and this committee will treat that threat with the seriousness it deserves.

The House also passed legislation to prohibit the Biden Administration from exporting oil in our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. When Americans are struggling to afford gas, the last thing our country should be doing is shipping our oil to China.

I proudly cosponsored and voted for my colleague Mike Johnson’s resolution condemning the 78 attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and 100+ attacks on churches since the Dobbs decision leaked.

We passed this resolution, as well as legislation to protect babies that are born alive during botched abortions. Every Republican voted for this legislation, while nearly every Democrat opposed. These votes show the true divide on the essential question of life that exists between Republicans and Democrats in Washington.

I was proud to support these common sense bills. Our work is just beginning.

COLUMN

My top focus in Congress is breaking the Swamp’s status quo to ensure the government works for the people – not the other way around.

Washington Democrats have been largely unable, or unwilling, to address the many issues affecting you and your family.

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL NFL ratings down 3% over last season

New York

NFL regular season ratings dropped 3% from last season, which was not unexpected with “Thursday Night Football” moving from Fox and NFL Network to exclusively airing on Amazon Prime Video. The 272 regular season games averaged 16.7 million viewers across television and digital platforms, The league also said that 185 million fans watched games at some point during the 18 weeks. Despite the dip, it is the third-highest average since 2016. Last season averaged 17.1 million. According to Nielsen figures, the 15-game “Thursday Night Football” package on Prime Video averaged 9.58 million viewers.

TENNIS

Kyrgios out of Australian Open, will have knee surgery

Melbourne, Australia Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of the Australian Open a day before he was scheduled to play his first-round match. He has a knee injury and will have arthroscopic surgery.

Kyrgios was the runnerup at Wimbledon last year in singles and teamed with longtime friend Thanasi Kokkinakis to win the men’s doubles championship at the 2022 Australian Open. The 27-year-old Australian was considered the host country’s strongest chance to win a title at Melbourne Park this year. Kyrgios announced his withdrawal on Day 1 of action at the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Clemson hires TCU OC Riley to spark Tigers’ offense

Columbia, S.C.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney hired TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to reenergize the Tigers’ slumping offense. The school’s board of trustees compensation committee approved a three-year deal that will pay the 33-year-old Riley $1.75 million a season. It’s the first time Swinney has gone outside his staff for a coordinator hire since 2012 when he brought in Brent Venables of Oklahoma to lead the defense. The Tigers hope Riley — the brother of USC coach and former ECU offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley — can have the same spark with the offense as Venables did during his 10 seasons at Clemson.

MMA

Jon Jones to headline UFC 285 in heavyweight title fight Las Vegas

UFC President Dana White announced Jon Jones will fight for the heavyweight title March 4 against Ciryl Gane in Las Vegas as the headline event for UFC 285. White said he offered former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou the richest deal for a heavyweight in UFC history to fight Jones. White said Ngannou turned down the offer, so White turned to Gane. Jones will make his first appearance since February 2020 when he beat Dominick Reyes to defend his light heavyweight championship.

Kelce, Jefferson unanimous AP All-Pros

The Associated Press

TRAVIS KELCE and Justin Jefferson are unanimous choices for The Associated Press 2022 NFL All-Pro Team, and Sauce Gardner is the first rookie cornerback selected in 41 years.

The Chiefs’ Kelce and the Vikings’ Jefferson received firstteam votes Friday from all 50 members of a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league.

Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa and Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones each got 49 of 50 first-team votes. The Chiefs and Niners led the way with four players each on the first team.

Gardner, the fourth overall pick by the New York Jets, was named on all 50 ballots, receiving 43 firstplace votes. Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott was the last rookie cornerback chosen for the first team in 1981.

“That’s a big deal to me,” Gardner told the AP. “It was one of my goals before training camp.”

Kelce’s older brother, Jason, also earned first-team honors for the fifth time in his career to stay one ahead of his pass-catching brother.

Jason Kelce’s fellow Philadelphia Eagles linemate, right tackle Lane Johnson, joins him on the squad.

“Big honor, especially happy for (Johnson), who is the best tackle in the NFL without question, especially on the right side,” Jason Kelce told the AP.

Johnson, a second-time All-Pro, has missed the past two games with an adductor injury but hopes to return when the No. 1 seed Ea-

41

gles host a divisional round playoff game next week.

“We put in a lot of time and effort in the game, especially as you get older, you start to cherish it,” Johnson told the AP.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs is among the 16 firsttime All-Pros. Jacobs led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards, scored

12 touchdowns rushing and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. The Raiders had three first-team picks despite finishing 6-11.

“The year definitely didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but, individually, it’s definitely an honor to be selected,” Jacobs told the AP.

Jefferson, who had a leaguebest 128 catches and 1,809 yards receiving, is the other newcomer on offense. Miami’s Tyreek Hill made it for the fourth time, third as a receiver. Hill had 119 catches for 1,710 yards and seven TDs in his first season with the Dolphins. Raiders wideout Davante Adams got the nod for a third time. Adams had 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and 14 TDs in his first season in Las Vegas.

This was the first year of the AP’s new voting system. Voters chose a first team and a second team. Firstteam votes are worth 3 points, and second-team votes are worth 1.

High school student Thompson selected 1st in NWSL Draft

ALYSSA THOMPSON was the top pick in the National Women’s Soccer League draft on Thursday by Angel City, becoming the first high school player to be selected in the history of the league.

Thompson, an 18-year-old forward out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, declared her eligibility for the draft late last week. She initially committed to Stanford.

“It’s a crazy feeling,” said Thompson, who watched the draft from her home in Los Angeles. “And I’m so happy that I get to be surrounded by my friends and family. I’m just really excited. My heart’s beating really fast.”

Thompson made her debut with the U.S. senior national team last year while also playing for the under-19 Total Futbol Academy boys’ team in MLS NEXT. Thompson and her younger sister, Giselle, also became the first high school players to sign a name, image and likeness deal with Nike last year.

“Alyssa Thompson, for us, is a phenom and generational player. She’s a player who can make an immediate impact, but she’s also young and can develop and look to be a player that we’re building a future off of, too,” said Angela Hucles Mangano, ACFC’s general manager. The team traded for the top pick last week in order to land Thompson.

The Kansas City Current selected Duke forward Michelle Cooper, winner of the MAC Her -

mann Trophy for best college player, with the second pick of the draft. The Current acquired the pick in a trade with Gotham for forward Lynn Williams.

The North Carolina Courage dealt forward Diana Ordonez, who scored 11 goals as a rookie last season, to Houston after the native of Mexico asked to traded to be closer to her family. In return, the Courage received the eighth overall pick, selecting Cal defender Sydney Collins, the Dash’s first round pick next year, $100,000 in allocation money and an international spot for the upcoming season.

The Courage used their three other first round pick on players from the ACC, picking Notre Dame forward Olivia Wingate

sixth overall, Florida State midfielder Clara Robbins ninth overall and Virginia forward Haley Hopkins 11th overall.

On top of Cooper, two other Blue Devils players were selected, both in the fourth round: midfielder Delaney Graham, 40th overall by the Washington Spirit, and midfielder Sophie Jones, 43rd overall by the Chicago Red Stars. UNC defender Tori Hanson was the first pick in the third round, 25th overall, by the Orlando Pride. Wake Forest midfielder Giovanna DeMarco was chosen 45th overall by the San Diego Wave.

In the hours before the draft, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman spoke to reporters at length about the state of the 12-

Alyssa Thompson was the top pick in last Thursday’s National Women’s Soccer League draft by Angel City, becoming the first high school player to be selected in the history of the league.

team league, which is preparing for its 11th season amid ongoing fallout from a pair of investigations into coach misconduct.

Earlier this week, the league permanently banned four coaches, including former Courage coach Paul Riley, and imposed other sanctions. Berman said the NWSL will now focus on making lasting change.

The NWSL is expected to name two expansion teams to join the league in 2024, and Berman said the league is “closing in on a decision.” Additionally, the Portland Thorns and the Chicago Red Stars are currently up for sale.

Berman said that this season will be the first that the league utilizes a Video Assistant Referee, or VAR, for games.

Sixteen first-time players made the team

The NC Courage made four picks in the first round

The Associated Press

HANS GUTKNECHT / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER VIA AP

AP PHOTO

The Jets’ Sauce Gardner, right, became the first rookie cornerback since Ronnie Lott in 1981 to be named to The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team.

Years since a rookie cornerback made the first team. The Jets’ Sauce Gardner received 43 firstplace votes to become the first rookie since Ronnie Lott in 1981.

Caraway recognizes 2022 champions, gears up for more

SOPHIA – The top three drivers in each division were honored as part of Caraway Speedway’s awards banquet Saturday at the track.

In Late Models, Coy Beard guided the No. 27 car to the division championship for the second time in three years. He won four features. Tony Black was second and Donnie Apple placed third.

The Rookie of the Year in Late Models went to Jeffery Wood, who missed the last one-third of the season.

In Challengers, Brian Rose was the champion, aided by four victories. He held a 66-point edge on

Matthew Smith, who was the division’s Rookie of the Year.

Smith had one victory and four top-five finishes on his way to one point more than third-place finisher Tommy Raino. Veteran driver Archie Adams Sr. was fourth.

In Modifieds, Carson Loftin secured the championship in the last points race of the season, edging Cody Norman. Loftin also was Rookie of the Year.

Loftin’s four-point margin came despite Norman’s five race victories. Jaxson Casper took third, winning once.

In Mini Stocks, Jimmy Crigger won four times on his way to the class championship. Rudy Hartley was the division’s runner-up, while

Rookie of the Year Alex Higginson placed third.

In UCARs, Daniel Hughes claimed the division title, winning twice and placing second seven times. Teammate Corey Rose was second. Caleb Allred, the Rookie of the Year, was third.

The speedway will open its 2023 season of racing Jan. 29 with the Winter Heat 2023 with races in the following categories: Late Models (75 laps), Street Stocks (50), Challengers (40), Mini Stocks (40, UCARs (20) and Bootleggers (10).

This replaces what would have been the 2022 season-ending Thanksgiving Classic, which was called off because of weather concerns.

Bri Hill

Wheatmore, girls’ basketball

Hill helped the Warriors to a three-game winning streak. Wheatmore won home games against Southwestern Randolph and Uwharrie Charter Academy sandwiched around a road triumph at Providence Grove.

Hill’s 20 points were huge in the 52-43 conquering of Southwestern Randolph. The sophomore guard had 17 points in the Providence Grove game.

Going into this week, the Warriors had won five of their last six games. Wheatmore held a 3-3 record in the Piedmont Athletic Conference after an 0-3 start to league play.

Eastern Randolph boys keep rolling

The Wildcats followed that by pounding visiting Providence Grove 93-60 to push their record to 15-1 by the end of last week.

WITH THREE PLAYERS scoring 20 or more points, Eastern Randolph came away with a 9577 road victory against Trinity in boys’ basketball last week.

Pierce Leonard led the Wildcats with 29 points, Nicah Taylor scored 27 and Davonte Brooks had 20.

Those offset Dominic Payne’s 37 points for Trinity. Teammate Dylan Hodges had 22.

Southwestern Randolph’s Sean Adkins hit the go-ahead basket in 57-56 victory at Uwharrie Charter Academy.

The duo of Camden Walker (22 points) and Jerquaris Stanback (20) propelled Asheboro in a 74-63 victory at Central Davidson. Walker had 20 points in a 74-37 home romp past North Davidson.

Tyshaun Goldson of Randleman tallied 28 points as the Tigers won a non-conference game against

visiting Ledford by 70-52.

Trinity was back on the winning path when Hodges posted 23 points in a 67-55 victory at Randleman. The Tigers received 25 points from Goldston.

UCA road Ashton Troutman’s 38 points in a 58-48 triumph at Wheatmore.

Girls’ basketball

Seth Baxter’s six-season record as girls’ basketball coach at Southwestern Randolph reached 100-34 with last week’s 47-45 victory at UCA.

Brecken Snotherly’s 28 points and 12 rebounds along with Ziera Watson’s 20 points were enough to help Eastern Randolph past host Trinity 71-55. Trinity received 24 points from Kennedy Jackson.

Snotherly racked up 39 points and 10 rebounds in a 75-26 crushing of Providence Grove.

Sion Murrian’s 24 points lifted Asheboro past host Central Davidson by 69-47.

Providence Grove’s Jada Nixon had 24 points in a 65-64 overtime loss to visiting Burlington Williams.

Wrestling

At Eden, Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Jack McArthur (132 pounds), Aldo Hernandez (138),

Lorenzo Alston (145) Alek Millikan (160), Grayson Roberts (170) and Corbin Grissom (182) were individual champions Saturday in the Sarah Wilkes Invitational at Eden Morehead.

Teammates Spencer May (120) and Joey Smith (220) of Trinity were also champions.

In finals, Hernandez, Millikan and Alston won by first-period pins, Grissom prevailed with a second-period pin and Roberts registered a technical fall in the second period. McArthur defeated Trinity’s Gavin McCall 8-2 in the title bout.

Roberts had three earlier pins. Ethan Hines (106) of UCA and Levi Dennis (126) of Trinity were runners-up.

UCA was team champion.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

PREP SPORTS ROUNDUP

Randolph Record

Baxter hits milestone win with SWR

Randolph Record

COURTESY PHOTO

Awards were presented Saturday night at Caraway Speedway.

Wheatmore’s Bri Hill, left, goes up for a shot against Eastern Randolph’s Kenly Whitaker during a PAC game earlier this season.

PHOTOS BY SCOTT PELKEY | RANDOLPH RECORD

Left, Asheboro’s Elijah Woodley locks in defensively on North Davidson’s Payton Eccles during last week’s game at the Asheboro Recreation Center. In the background, Asheboro’s Jerquarius Stanback keeps tabs on Caiden Bean. Right, Asheboro’s Sion Murrain checks out the situation as North Davidson’s Lettie Michael, left, and Kyndall Moore set the defense during last week’s game at Asheboro Recreation center. North Davidson won 64-36.

Analysis: Documents probe dents

Biden’s claims to competence

By Zeke Miller The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Biden offered himself to Americans as a president they wouldn’t have to think about after the tumult of his predecessor. But an excruciating week of awkward disclosures and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate classified records found at his Delaware home and a former office dating to his time as vice president is beginning to strain his claim to competence.

The surprise revelations that on at least four different occasions Biden’s lawyers found improperly stored classified documents and official records evoked the turmoil surrounding Donald Trump’s presidency, which Biden has tried to move the country past. In the latest development, the White House acknowledged on Saturday that Biden’s lawyers had turned up even more such documents at the home than previously known.

It’s an embarrassment to Biden, and the selection of a special counsel to investigate potential criminal wrongdoing in the matter exposes the president to a new, self-inflicted risk.

Further, it complicates the Justice Department’s calculus about whether to bring charges against Trump over his handling of classified material, hands fresh ammunition to newly empowered House

Republicans eager to launch investigations and undercuts a central plank of Biden’s pitch to voters just as he looks to launch a reelection bid in the coming months.

“It just won’t be so exhausting,” former President Barack Obama had promised about a Biden presidency in the closing days of the 2020 campaign, adding that voters are “not going to have to think about the crazy things … and that is worth a lot.”

The Biden has caused private frustration among Biden allies and some advisers because the president and his team, as billed, were supposed to be better than this.

The current White House explanation, offered by lawyer Richard Sauber, is that the special counsel’s inquiry “will show that these documents were inadvertently misplaced” — a “mistake” with the nation’s secrets.

Biden seemingly ignored or forgot about a cardinal rule in politics: Check your closet for skeletons before you complain about someone else’s. His public criticisms about Trump’s “ irresponsible “ handling of classified documents, however different the circumstances, are now coming back to haunt him.

Biden allies say the packing up

of his vice presidential office happened swiftly. Biden aimed to run through the tape on his eight years alongside Obama even as aides worked to close down his office before Trump’s inauguration at noon on Jan. 20, 2017.

But that explanation, said Richard Painter, the top ethics official in the George W. Bush administration, suggests behavior that was “incredibly careless and really quite shocking.”

Painter said that while Biden probably would avoid the criminal issues looming over Trump because there is so far no sense that Biden intentionally mishandled classified records, it still merited investigation.

“You never just pack stuff up and cart it out of there,” Painter said. He said aides and lawyers are supposed to carefully sift through what are official records that are property of the National Archives and personal records that may be removed.

“To say nothing of classified documents which have these distinctive markings on them,” Painter said. “It’s still very worrisome. It’s a serious national security breach.”

Beyond all that, the piecemeal way that word of the discoveries became public — more than two months after the first batch of classified documents had been found at the Penn Biden Center in Washington — has drawn bewil-

derment from crisis management experts.

“The White House can’t let itself be seen as hiding information or be bled to death by investigators’ or others’ leaks,” said Adam Goldberg, who served as special associate counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1996-1999.

It wasn’t until last Monday that the White House confirmed that classified documents had been found at Biden’s former office on Nov. 2, days before the midterm elections. Even then, that acknowledgement came only in response to news inquiries.

Not until Thursday did Biden lawyers acknowledge the Dec. 20 discovery of documents in the garage of Biden’s house in Wilmington, Delaware, and inform the Justice Department that another classified record had been found the night before in Biden’s home library.

“If there’s any further bad news out there, they better be the ones to put it out and put it out all at once,” Goldberg said.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had said Thursday that Americans can “assume” there are no more classified documents or government records improperly stored after Biden’s personal lawyers conducted a final search that concluded on Wednesday evening.

She repeatedly deflected questions about the White House’s public disclosures, insisting the president’s team was handling the matter the “right way” by deferring to the Justice Department.

A statement from Sauber on Saturday about the latest discovery of classified documents in Delaware did not explain why the White House waited two days to provide an updated accounting.

State auditor, Medical Board clash over review results

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s state auditor and the panel that disciplines physicians clashed over a performance review released Thursday in which auditors said they were hamstrung scrutinizing how the state Medical Board handled provider complaints because the panel denied them information.

The board pushed back, saying that state and federal law prohibits it from giving access to details about over 4,400 investigations covering a two-year period ending in June 2021 sought by auditors because they contained confidential medical and investigative information. The auditors received heavily redacted documents instead. Board officials also said they disagreed with other findings in the review.

State Auditor Beth Wood’s office said state law ensures that all information obtained and used in an audit remains confidential. The audit recommended that the legislature pass a law to affirm access to such documentation while conducting audits.

The auditors said they did receive slightly more information in their review about the roughly 200 additional investigations that

resulted in public action against a licensee. In these documents, the review’s authors declared that the board failed to complete investigations of medical providers within six months — what they called a state law requirement. And it failed to ensure that providers receive disciplinary actions for wrongdoing — such as license restrictions or agreements to not practice medicine for a period.

“As a result, there was an increased risk that medical providers whose actions posed a threat

to patient safety could continue serving patients,” the report read.

In a response attached to the final review, Medical Board CEO David Henderson wrote that Wood’s office is mistaken that investigations must be completed in six months. And the board’s program to monitor wayward providers wasn’t designed to ensure that those who lose their medical license never practice again, saying that’s a criminal matter left to prosecutors, Henderson wrote.

The auditor’s office agreed that

it “had received no complaints that prompted the audit and that there have been no allegations and there is no evidence that (the board) ever failed to review all complaints, administer discipline in an equitable manner or report all its public actions,” Henderson said.

Still, the limited access to investigative documents prevented Wood’s office from auditing four of the six objectives sought for review. Those were largely focused on whether the board followed the

law, its policies and best practices when investigating complaints on allegations like substandard medical care, sexual misconduct or overprescribing medication, the report said.

And auditors also accused the Medical Board of making “several inaccurate and potentially misleading statements” within their written response to the performance review.

The 13-member board — 11 were appointed by the governor and the remainder picked by legislative leaders — licensed over 57,000 physicians, physician assistants and other medical professionals at the end of the 2021.

The board, which runs on licensing fees only, said its staff investigates almost 3,000 cases annually. It can decide that no violation of the state’s Medical Practice Act occurred; find no violation occurred but still issue privately a warning or order remedial action; or determine a violation occurred and take public action against the provider, up to and including license revocation.

Henderson wrote that the board has taken steps to improve areas of concern cited by the state auditor and was willing to hire an outside firm to perform an outside audit to address the objectives.

AP PHOTO

The access road to President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Del., is seen from the media van Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.

STOCK PHOTO

Zendal Ray “Jake” Johnson

November 3, 1962 — January 13, 2023

Zendal Ray “Jake” Johnson, age 60 of Franklinville, passed away on Friday, January 13, 2023, at High Point Medical Center in High Point.

Jake was born in Chatham County on November 3, 1962, to Clay Van and Dessie Johnson. Jake was a very humble, truthful, and honest person. He was a very loving and devoted husband, father, and brother. Jake worked for more than 30 years in construction for Interior Enterprises. When he wasn’t working construction, he enjoyed watching his goats and taking care of his farm. Most of all, he loved to spoil his three granddaughters that he fondly called, Little Bird, Babydoll, and Button. Jake is preceded in death by his parents.

Jake is survived by his wife of 41 years, Angela J. Johnson; daughters, Stefanie (Tim) Johnson of Asheboro, Kendal (Jesse) Pearson of Climax; granddaughters, AlyMadison, Kensse, and Paisleigh; and his sister, Lydia “Cathy” Parsons of Greensboro.

Peggy Ann Griffin Damron

September 17, 1947 — January 11, 2023

Peggy Ann Griffin Damron, age 75 of Asheboro, passed away on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at Clapp’s Convalescent Nursing Home in Asheboro.

Peggy was born on September 17, 1947, to Jay Griffin and Marie Jones. Peggy enjoyed spending time with her family and had a very giving heart. Her door was always open to folks needing help or an animal needing a home. She enjoyed playing cards and going dancing with her friends when she was growing up. In addition to her parents, Peggy is preceded in death by her husband, Benny Damron; daughters, Crystal Hash and Karen Williams; and her sister, Betty Dales.

Peggy is survived by her son, Teddy Heath of Maryland; grandchildren, John, Brian, Joey, Angela, Rebekka, and Caleb; one great grandson; and her brother, John Woodrow of Maryland.

Memorials may be made in Peggy’s honor to the Randolph County SPCA, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro, NC 27203.

Jackie “Jack” Lee Lewis

June 3, 1930 — January 11, 2023

Jackie “Jack” Lee Lewis, age 92, of Climax passed away on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at his home.

Mr. Lewis was born in High Point on June 3, 1930 to Julius Avery and Vesta Mae Helsabeck Lewis. Jack was a graduate of High Point High School and attended High Point College. He served his country in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Korea during the Korean Conflict. He was a good mechanic and loved “hit and miss” engines.

He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Pugh Lewis; daughter, Lorri Kidd (Mark) of Coleridge and their children, Erin, Andrew, and Eric Kidd; and daughter, Amy Barfield (Rodney) of Ramseur and their children, Joshua Barfield and Tiffanie Faircloth (Bryce).

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Christians United Outreach Center (CUOC), P.O. Box 784, Asheboro, NC 27204 or the Grays Chapel Church Cemetery Fund, 5056 NC Hwy 22 North, Franklinville, NC 27248.

Kathlene “Kathie” Parsons Stabile

March 25, 1957 — January 10, 2023

Kathlene “Kathie” Elizabeth Parsons Stabile, age 65, of Asheboro passed away on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at her home with her loving and dedicated husband by her side.

Mrs. Stabile was born in Bridgeport, CT on March 25, 1957 to Wiliam Chamberlain and Mary Wythe Porter Parsons. She was a graduate of Roger Ludlowe High School in Fairfield, CT and attended Green Mountain College in Vermont. Kathie was a member of First United Methodist Church in Asheboro. In addition to her parents, Kathie was preceded in death by her son, John Anthony Stabile, Jr. Kathie was a loving, wonderful person with a great sense of humor. She was patient, courageous, and always put others first. She enjoyed puzzles, crafting, cooking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

She is survived by her husband of 46 years, John Stabile; son, Richard Stabile (Melissa) of Shelton, CT; brother, Mac Parsons (Nora) of Durham, CT; niece, Melissa Parsons of Los Angeles, CA; and her constant cat companions, Rocco and Cleo.

Norman Frank Lamb, Jr.

November 2, 1926 — January 10, 2023

Norman Frank Lamb, Jr., age 96, of Asheboro passed away on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Randolph Hospital.

Mr. Lamb was born in Randolph County on November 2, 1926 to Norman Frank and Ethel Yeargen Lamb. Frank served his country in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He was a carpenter and retired from Eveready Battery.

Frank was a lifelong member of Central United Methodist Church. In addition to his parents, Frank was preceded in death by his wife, Carlene Lamb, and sister, Inez Raines. Frank was an avid fan of UNC football and was a former member of the Rams Club.

He is survived by his sons, Kevin Lamb (Charlene) of Trinity, Norman Keith Lamb (Jane) of Jamestown, and Kyle Lamb (Jeanne) of Asheboro; daughter, Kerri Lamb of Asheboro; grandchildren, Joe Lamb (Carla), Mark Lamb (Jenny), Will Lamb (Elizabeth), Reba Lamb, and Krystal Kidd (Eric); and 5 great grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Randolph County Animal Shelter, 1370 County Land Road, Randleman, NC 27317 or Central United Methodist Church, 300 South Main Street, Asheboro, NC 27203.

August 23, 1941 — January 14, 2023

Claudine Davis Greene, 81, of Star, passed away on January 14, 2023, at First Health Hospice House.

Claudine was born in Montgomery County on August 23, 1941, to Claude R. and Nonnie Spivey Davis. She was retired from Acme-McCrary of Asheboro and Renfro Hosiery of Star with over 35 years of combined service. She was a faithful member of Dover Baptist Church.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Greene; sisters, Martha Nooe, Nancy Greene, Annie Mae Batten and Janie Welch; brothers, Lenny M. Davis, James Lewis “Jimmy” Davis and Bobby Ray Davis.

She is survived by her son Jeff F. Greene (Kim) of Star; and daughter, Wanda Greene of Star. The loves of her life were her grandchildren, Makayla Greene, Kallie Greene and Daniel Greene. She is also survived by her sister, Betty Lucas of Biscoe; brother Claude Davis Jr. of Asheboro and many nieces and nephews.

Ciara Aaliyah McNeill

November 3, 2005 — January 13, 2023

Ciara Aaliyah McNeill,17, of Star, passed away on January 13, 2023.

Ciara was born on November 3, 2005 in Moore County to Demetrice Chandler and Hannah McNeill.

She is survived by her parents Demetrice Chandler and Hannah McNeill of Star; brother, Dakota Chandler; sisters, Josie Chandler, Peyton Chandler, Ashleigh Chandler, and Ashlynn Chandler; maternal grandfather, Paul McNeill of Robbins; maternal grandmother, Bobbie Greene of Shallotte; paternal grandparents, Johnny and Jackie Moore of Candor and paternal grandfather, Ray Cozart Sr. and paternal grandmother, Creola Crouch of Biscoe.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Ciara’s honor to the New Testament Baptist Church Youth Group, 2230 N. Moore Road Robbins, NC 27325.

Christopher Wayne Goodwin

April 20, 1980 — January 10, 2023

Christopher Wayne Goodwin (Skeeter), 42, of Biscoe, passed away on January 10, 2023 at his home.

Christopher was born on April 20, 1980, at Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, NC to Ricky and Toni Morgan Goodwin.

He was a member of Star Presbyterian Church. Chris was an artist and DJ (he loved music and anything artistic). He enjoyed refurbishing antique furniture and playing video games with his nephews, but his true heart was with animals. He would rescue them all if he could have.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Robert (Bob) and Annie Ruth Morgan; Ronnie and Bonnie Goodwin; aunt, Vicki Morgan Moore; uncle, Chuck Moore; aunt, Julia Smith Morgan and countless friends.

He is survived by his parents, Ricky and Toni Morgan Goodwin of the home; sister, Erin Harlow (Timothy) of Conway, SC and nephews, Darrick Caddell and Austin Caddell of Conway, SC and his beloved kitty Willow.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Montgomery County Humane Society, 1150 Okeewemee Road Troy, NC 27371.

Dorothy Louise Lambert

July 5, 1928 — January 9, 2023

Dorothy Louise Williamson Lambert, 94, of Candor, passed away on January 9, 2023 at Autumn Care.

Dorothy was born on July 5, 1928 in Richmond County, to Igal and Maude Hogan Williamson.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Ernest Melvin Lambert and grandson Steven Lambert.

Mrs. Lambert is survived by her son, David Lambert (Patrina) of Candor and grandson, Tracy Lambert (Lorraine Hutcherson) of Marion, NC,.

Agnes Brown Fox

November 4, 1944 — January 14, 2023

Agnes Brown Fox, 78, of Bear Creek, passed away on Saturday, January 14, 2023, at Westfield Rehabilitation in Sanford.

Mrs. Fox was born in Chatham County on November 4, 1944, the daughter of Joseph Gale and Ruth Dixon Brown.

Agnes was a member of Oakley Baptist Church. After high school, she spent her working years with Kellwood, A.J. Schneider & Sons, then later retiring as a Carburetor Assembler for Magneti Marelli in Sanford. Agnes loved fishing with a cane pole, playing solitaire, knitting and baking character cakes for her friends. She was an avid collector of salt and pepper shakers. Agnes was an animal lover, who enjoyed spending time with her beloved dog Duchess. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her sister, Brenda Parker.

Agnes is survived by her husband, Edward Francis Fox; son, Dwain Light and wife Lora Baird of Sanford; brother, Joseph Wayne Brown and wife Allene of Bear Creek; grandchildren, Dylan Light, and Jacob Light (Tiffanie Thomas), both of Sanford; and great grandchildren Liam and Piper Light.

Memorials may be made to the ASPCA, or to the American Cancer Society.

Claudine Davis

Greene

The family will hold a Celebration of Kathie’s life in Connecticut at a later date.

STATE & NATION

House GOP demands visitor logs in Biden classified docs case

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republicans on Sunday demanded the White House turn over all information related to its searches that have uncovered classified documents at President Joe Biden’s home and former office in the wake of more records found at his Delaware residence.

“We have a lot of questions,” said Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Comer, R-Ky., said he wants to see all documents and communications related to the searches by the Biden team, as well as visitor logs of the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, from Jan. 20, 2021, to present. He said the aim is to determine who might have had access to classified material and how the records got there.

The White House on Saturday said it had discovered five additional pages of classified documents at Biden’s home on Thursday, the same day a special counsel was appointed to review the matter.

In a letter to White House chief of staff Ron Klain, Comer criticized the searches by Biden representatives when the Justice Department was beginning to investigate and said Biden’s “mishandling of classified materials raises the issue of whether he has jeopardized our national security.”

Comer demanded that the White House provide all relevant information including visitor logs by the end of the month.

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Comer referred to Biden’s home as a “crime scene” though he acknowledged that it was not clear whether laws were broken.

“My concern is that the special counsel was called for, but yet hours after that we still had the president’s personal attorneys, who have no security clearance, still rummaging around the presi-

dent’s residence, looking for things — I mean that would essentially be a crime scene, so to speak,” Comer said.

While the U.S. Secret Service provides security at the president’s private residence, it does not maintain visitor logs, agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Sunday.

“We don’t independently maintain our own visitor logs because it’s a private residence,” Guglielmi said. He added that the agency does screen visitors to the president’s properties but doesn’t

maintain records of those checks.

The White House confirmed that Biden has not independently maintained records of who has visited his residence since he became president.

“Like every President in decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said. “But upon taking office, President Biden restored the norm and tradition of keeping White House visitors logs, including publishing them regularly, after the previous administration ended them.”

Indeed, President Donald Trump’s administration announced early in his presidency that they wouldn’t release visitor logs out of “grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.” Democrat Barack Obama’s administration initially fought attempts by Congress and conservative and liberal groups to obtain visitor records. But after being sued, it voluntarily began disclosing the logs in December 2009, posting records every three to four months.

A federal appeals court ruled in 2013 that the logs can be withheld under presidential executive privilege. That unanimous ruling was written by Judge Merrick Garland, who is now serving as Biden’s attorney general.

White House officials “can say

they’re being transparent, but it’s anything but,” the committee chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

White House lawyer Richard Sauber said in a statement Saturday that a total of six pages of classified documents were found from Biden’s time serving as vice president in the Obama administration during a search of Biden’s private library. The White House had said previously that only a single page was found there.

The latest disclosure was in addition to the discovery of documents found in December in Biden’s garage and in November at his former offices at the Penn Biden Center in Washington.

Sauber said that Biden’s personal lawyers, who did not have security clearances, stopped their search after finding the first page on Wednesday evening. Sauber found the remaining material Thursday, as he was facilitating their retrieval by Justice Department. Sauber did not explain why the White House waited two days to provide an updated accounting. The White House is already facing scrutiny for waiting more than two months to acknowledge the discovery of the initial group of documents at the Biden office.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said the Justice Department rightfully appointed special counsels to “get to the bottom” of the Biden classified documents matter as well as in a separate investigation into the handling of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s private club and residence in Florida.

Expanded US training for Ukraine forces begins in Germany

By Lolita C. Baldor The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — The U.S. military’s new, expanded combat training of Ukrainian forces began in Germany, with a goal of getting a battalion of about 500 troops back on the battlefield to fight the Russians in the next five to eight weeks, said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Milley, who plans to visit the Grafenwoehr training area on Monday to get a first-hand look at the program, said the troops being trained left Ukraine a few days ago. In Germany is a full set of weapons and equipment for them to use.

Until now the Pentagon had declined to say exactly when the training would start.

The so-called combined arms training is aimed at honing the skills of the Ukrainian forces so they will be better prepared to launch an offensive or counter any surge in Russian attacks. They will learn how to better move and coordinate their company- and battalion-size units in battle, using combined artillery, armor and ground forces.

Speaking to two reporters traveling with him to Europe, Milley said the complex training — combined with an array of new weapons, artillery, tanks and other vehicles heading to Ukraine — will be key to helping the country’s forces take back territory that has been captured by Russia in the

nearly 11-month-old war.

“This support is really important for Ukraine to be able to defend itself,” Milley said. “And we’re hoping to be able to pull this together here in short order.”

The goal, he said, is for all the incoming weapons and equipment to be delivered to Ukraine so that the newly trained forces will be able to use it “sometime before the spring rains show up. That would be ideal.”

The new instruction comes as

Ukrainian forces face fierce fighting in the eastern Donetsk province, where the Russian military has claimed it has control of the small salt-mining town of Soledar. Ukraine asserts that its troops are still fighting, but if Moscow’s troops take control of Soledar it would allow them to inch closer to the bigger city of Bakhmut, where fighting has raged for months.

Russia also launched a widespread barrage of missile strikes, including in Kyiv, the northeast-

ern city of Kharkiv and the southeastern city of Dnipro, where the death toll in one apartment building rose to 30.

Milley said he wants to make sure the training is on track and whether anything else is needed, and also ensure that it will line up well with the equipment deliveries.

The program will include classroom instruction and field work that will begin with small squads and gradually grow to involve larger units. It would culminate with

a more complex combat exercise bringing an entire battalion and a headquarters unit together.

Until now, the U.S. focus has been on providing Ukrainian forces with more immediate battlefield needs, particularly on how to use the wide array of Western weapons systems pouring into the country.

The U.S. has already trained more than 3,100 Ukrainian troops on how to use and maintain certain weapons and other equipment, including howitzers, armored vehicles and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS. Other nations are also conducting training on the weapons they provide.

In announcing the new program last month, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said the idea “is to be able to give them this advanced level of collective training that enables them to conduct effective combined arms operations and maneuver on the battlefield.”

Milley said the U.S. was doing this type of training prior to the Russian invasion last February. But once the war began, U.S. National Guard and special operations forces that were doing training inside Ukraine all left the country. This new effort, which is being done by U.S. Army Europe Africa’s 7th Army Training Command, will be a continuation of what they had been doing prior to the invasion. Other European allies are also providing training.

AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden waves before boarding Air Force One at Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Del., Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, en route to Atlanta.

AP PHOTO

From left, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US Army general Chris Cavoli, U.S. Assistant

Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste A. Wallander, Chairman of the Joint

Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, attend a meeting of NATO defense ministers in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group format at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022.

Hoke County Varsity Basketball

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Cape Fear Valley Health holds ribbon cutting ceremony

Cape Fear Valley Health hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening event this past Friday for their new Center for Medical Education and Neuroscience Institute.

This new five-story building is located on the campus of Cape Fear Valley Medical Center at the corner of Owen Drive and Melrose Road. The new facility will feature an auditorium, a food court, a faculty office, classrooms, a state-of-the-art Simulation Center, intensive care, emergency and trauma treatment, physician offices, exam rooms, and much more.

The Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation raised over $7.8 million in funding for the construction of these new facilities. “In this facility, Cape Fear Valley Health is going to cultivate a new generation of physicians to transform the landscape of healthcare in southeastern North Carolina,” said Cape Fear Valley Health CEO Michael Nagowski.

Hoke man arrested for sexual offenses with a child

The Hoke County Sheriff’s Office recently announced that a man was arrested this past Tuesday for sexual offenses involving a minor. The sheriff’s office received a report about a potential assault on a minor at sometime between M<ay 6 and May 9 in the 1400 block of North Main Street in Raeford.

Daniel McElveen, 28, has been arrested and charged with two counts of felony indecent liberties and two felony counts of statutory sexual offense with a child by an adult. McElveen was given a $75,00 secured bond. According to authorities, the investigation into this incident is still ongoing.

Board of Education approves new contract for international teacher support services

Bright Ideas Grant winners recognized

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — The Hoke County Board of Education met Tuesday, January 10, where they recognized a few award winners in the district as well as approved a new contract and budget amendment.

The board was first presented with the 2022 Bright Ideas Grant Award winners.

“For nearly 30 years, North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives have helped light up learning in K-12 classrooms statewide through what’s known as the Bright Ideas Educational Grant Program,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dawn Ramseur. “What happens is these North Carolina teachers have these innovative ideas and creative learning projects, and they can submit them online be-

tween April and September. Approximately 600 of those submissions are awarded annually.”

Hoke County School ended up with two Bright Idea winners, Niquette Dockery from Scurlock Elementary School and Sarah Latta-Johnson From Rockfish Hoke Elementary School.

Dockery’s idea was for a project titled Learn Through Play which emphasizes play-based learning, which focuses on developing a child in a more natural environment that most younger learners are accustomed to.

According to Dockery, learning through play encourages a student’s inquisitive nature, builds their confidence, helps with social-emotional learning, and develops cognitive skills. Through constant interaction, students develop social skills which are crucial in life and will help develop the whole child and foster imagination and creativity.

Latta-Johnson’s idea was enti-

tled STEM for the Future.

“This was the first year we had STEM, and so we really didn’t have much, but what I’ve noticed that the kids really enjoy is hands-on, and we’re really trying to focus on the engineering and design process so that when they are trying to design something or come up with a solution to a problem they really need to think out their design first before they start to implement,” said Latta-Johnson.

The board also handed out the NCDPI Academic Growth Awards for the 2021-22 school year.

“Academic growth is an indication of the progress that students in the schools have made over the previous year,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Shannon Register. “The standard is roughly equated to a year’s worth of expanded growth for a year of instruction as measured by EVAS, which stands for Education Value-added Assessment System –a statistical tool that NC uses to

EPA chief Regan speaks at NC Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — The drive for clean water and air for minority and low-income residents is inexorably linked to the march toward racial equality that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. championed, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan told North Carolina state employees Friday.

Regan, a Goldsboro native and Gov. Roy Cooper’s former environment secretary, delivered the keynote address to hundreds attending the annual King Day state workers’ observance at a downtown Raleigh church. The slain civil rights leader was born 94 years ago on Sunday.

Regan became President Joe Biden’s head of EPA in early 2021. Regan mentioned his travels while administrator to communities to speak with people fearful about the threat of toxic waste, unclean water and lead poisoning to themselves or their children.

“It’s never been more clear that the fight for civil rights

is inseparable from the fight for environmental, economic, health and racial justice,” Regan said. “We simply cannot be for one without the other.”

Cooper introduced Regan at the service, praising him for helping “position our state as a

Coronavirus concerns

measure student growth when common assessments are administered.”

The five schools that exceeded growth were Hawk Eye Elementary, Hoke County High, SandHoke Early College High, Scurlock Elementary, and Upchurch Elementary, and the schools that met growth were Don D. Steed Elementary, Rockfish Hoke Elementary, Sandy Grove Elementary, West Hoke Elementary and West Hoke Middle.

The board then approved an amendment to the 2022-23 State Budget to account for differences between projected and actual enrollment numbers.

“As stated earlier, NCDPI projected the number of students that Hoke County Schools will have for the fiscal year,” said Financial Officer Wannaa Chavis. “Our projected Average Daily Membership (ADM) was 9,088. After two months of school, NCDPI looks at

leader in environmental justice” while Department of Environmental Quality secretary. The observance was held in person for the first time since 2020.

prompted virtual ceremonies in 2021 and 2022.

AP PHOTO

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan speaks during a news briefing, Sept. 7, 2022, in Jackson, Miss.

AP PHOTO

The Hoke County varsity basketball teams played Pinecrest last week. Unfortunately, both teams suffered losses against their conference opponents. The boys’ team just barely lost to the Patriots, 64-61. The lady Bucks lost to the undefeated lady Patriots, 60-36. Hoke County’s Dede Riggins lays the ball up against Pinecrest during a SAC 3A/4A Conference game at McDonald Gym in Raeford, on January 13, 2023.

used to determine if there will be a budget revision. Our actual ADM for month 1 was 8,498, and for Month Two, it was 8,665. Therefore the ADM for Month Two - 8,665 was used for our budget revision which is a difference of 423 students less than what was projected in our initial budget allotment.”

The difference accounts for about $804,520.52 in funding that will return to the state’s budget. According to Chavis, some of the differences in actual enrollment numbers can be attributed to an uptick

in enrollment in charter schools.

Finally, the board approved a new partnership and contract with Global Teaching Partners for the acquisition of international teachers.

“This is a new organization that will be an international partnership that will sponsor our J-1 Visa teachers and international faculty, which was previously referred to as our visiting international faculty or VIF,” said Assistant Superintendent Shawn O’Connor.

According to O’Connor, Hoke County Schools currently has established partnerships with Participate (8 teachers in the district) and Education Partners Internationals (22 teachers), which are officially recognized cultural exchange programs by the US Department of

State and provide J-1 Visas, meaning these teachers go through federal screening. These visas cover three years and can be extended for an additional two.

Some of the other services these partners cover are teaching experience reviews, educational program audits, instructional and behavioral interviews and observations, english language proficiency assessments, cultural adaptiveness assessments, state licensure reviews, international background checks, and specifically Global Teaching Partners helps provide specific NC teacher training.

Global Teaching Partners, however, is located in the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, and they do all of their business only in

North Carolina and South Carolina.

“We’re not just filling vacancies with these individuals,” O’Connor said. “The people that we have gotten, their attrition rate, which means they come back every year and don’t quit their job, is so much lower than all of our other teachers. They typically stay their five years, and a lot of them are very effective teachers. These are quality individuals who want to be here to teach our kids, and with the J-1 Visa, they’re here for five years.”

Hoke County Schools currently has 30 international employees from eight different countries across nine different schools.

The Hoke County Board of Education will next meet February 14.

♦ Loudermilk, Annbracha Krisshe Amari (B/F/20), Communicate Threats, 01/15/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Roper, Calvin Jamale (B/M/32), Attempted Common Law Robbery , 01/15/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Staples, Chad Matthews (W/M/38), Firearm by Felon, 01/14/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Collins, Laura Lashay (I/F/33), Identity Fraud, 01/14/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Willard, Brandy Jo (W/F/32), DWI, 01/11/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Haywood, Maleki Capone (B/M/19), Possess Stolen Firearm, 01/11/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Smith, Carressia Leanne (W/F/36), Resisting Arrest, 01/10/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Taylor, Freddie (B/M/67), Assault on a Female, 01/09/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

A weekly podcast getting to the facts across the state, around the world and at home HERE in Raeford, Hoke County, NC.

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OPINION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

It’s time to get to work

IT IS A NEW YEAR and the 118th Congress has begun. It’s an honor to continue serving you and our community representing North Carolina’s new 9th District. This includes all or portions of Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, and Scotland Counties. I will continue maintaining a district office in Fayetteville, while also operating a new primary district office in Southern Pines. My office locations can be found on my website at Hudson.House.gov.

Three counties I represented previously – Cabarrus, Stanly, and Montgomery – are now in North Carolina’s 12th and 8th Districts. It has been an honor to represent these communities throughout my time in Congress. Cabarrus County has also been home to me and my family for many years, and I am proud of all we have been able to accomplish together. My family and I are getting settled into the new home we purchased in Southern Pines. I look forward to serving the new 9th District and continuing to work on common sense solutions to challenges facing our entire region, Fort Bragg, and our nation.

Solving problems has always been my focus as your Congressman. Due in part to the misguided policies of Washington Democrats and the Biden administration, we have seen our nation weakened on many fronts. Across the country, families like yours have suffered the highest inflation in 40 years and record prices at the gas pump. In fact, North Carolina is experiencing some of the highest increases in gas prices in the country, up 14 cents from one week ago.

We have also witnessed an ongoing humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border, as record numbers of illegal migrants crossed into the country over the course of last year. This border crisis has threatened the safety and security of communities nationwide, including exacerbating the fentanyl epidemic robbing countless Americans of their lives. President Joe Biden has been in office for more than 715 days, but last week announced his first ever visit to the southern border. This crisis can no longer be ignored, and House Republicans are ready

to pass solutions to secure our border and protect our communities.

Washington Democrats have been largely unable, or unwilling, to address the many issues affecting you and your family. However, with Republicans now in the majority in the House, we have an obligation to address these issues and set things in the right direction. Our “Commitment to America” is a plan to do just that by implementing common sense policies to create an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a government that’s accountable, and a future built on freedom.

Last week, House Republicans hit the ground running to follow through on that agenda. I introduced my first bill of this Congress – the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. H.R. 38 is a key piece of legislation that will protect law-abiding citizens’ rights to conceal carry and guarantees the Second Amendment does not disappear when we cross invisible state lines. It has even been called the “the greatest gun rights boost since the ratification of the Second Amendment in 1791.” I have introduced this bipartisan legislation each Congress and have promised to continue championing this measure until it becomes law.

Additionally, House Republicans voted on legislation to stop the hiring of 87,000 new IRS agents to spy on your bank account, a bill to block the Biden administration from selling oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to communist China, and pro-life bills to protect babies who survive a botched abortion and mothers who rely on crisis pregnancy centers.

We have a lot of work to do and it is an honor to serve as your Congressman. In this new year, and new Congress, I will never waiver from doing everything I can to fight for you and build a better future for your family.

Richard Hudson is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House and represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. He currently serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

BISHOP

Accountability is coming

LAST WEEK in the House of Representatives, the 118th Congress kicked off in earnest. Republicans passed our first bills in the majority in more than four years. Though all of these bills will strengthen our country and economy, they were nearly universally opposed by Democrats.

My top focus in Congress is breaking the Swamp’s status quo to ensure the government works for the people – not the other way around. This is just the beginning of what our Republican Conference will accomplish this Congress.

The first order of business was undoing the Democrats’ $80 billion meant to fund an army of 87,000 IRS agents who will undoubtedly only audit and harass hardworking Americans. Every Democrat voted against this bill despite knowing that the bill will preserve upgrades to customer service and operations, while defunding the new IRS army. The last thing that hardworking Americans need are more meddling and ineffective bureaucrats.

In a huge win for the American people, the House officially established a Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. This is something I’ve worked diligently on for months, and securing this investigative subcommittee was a crucial aspect of our successful efforts to reform the House and drain the Swamp last week.

I spoke on the House floor in support of forming this

investigative subcommittee. Any bureaucrat who violates Americans’ Constitutional rights is on notice – we are coming for you, on behalf of the American people.

On the same day, Republicans and Democrats voted together to form a Select Committee on China. The Chinese Communist Party is a grave threat worthy of increased Congressional attention, and this committee will treat that threat with the seriousness it deserves.

The House also passed legislation to prohibit the Biden Administration from exporting oil in our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. When Americans are struggling to afford gas, the last thing our country should be doing is shipping our oil to China.

I proudly cosponsored and voted for my colleague Mike Johnson’s resolution condemning the 78 attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and 100+ attacks on churches since the Dobbs decision leaked.

We passed this resolution, as well as legislation to protect babies that are born alive during botched abortions. Every Republican voted for this legislation, while nearly every Democrat opposed. These votes show the true divide on the essential question of life that exists between Republicans and Democrats in Washington.

I was proud to support these common sense bills. Our work is just beginning.

COLUMN | U.S. REP. DAN

My top focus in Congress is breaking the Swamp’s status quo to ensure the government works for the people – not the other way around.

Washington Democrats have been largely unable, or unwilling, to address the many issues affecting you and your family.

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL NFL ratings down 3% over last season

New York

NFL regular season ratings dropped 3% from last season, which was not unexpected with “Thursday Night Football” moving from Fox and NFL Network to exclusively airing on Amazon Prime Video. The 272 regular season games averaged 16.7 million viewers across television and digital platforms, The league also said that 185 million fans watched games at some point during the 18 weeks. Despite the dip, it is the third-highest average since 2016. Last season averaged 17.1 million.

According to Nielsen figures, the 15-game “Thursday Night Football” package on Prime Video averaged 9.58 million viewers.

TENNIS

Kyrgios out of Australian Open,

Kelce, Jefferson unanimous AP All-Pros

The Associated Press

TRAVIS KELCE and Justin

Jefferson are unanimous choices for The Associated Press 2022 NFL All-Pro Team, and Sauce Gardner is the first rookie cornerback selected in 41 years.

The Chiefs’ Kelce and the Vikings’ Jefferson received firstteam votes Friday from all 50 members of a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league.

Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa and Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones each got 49 of 50 first-team votes. The Chiefs and Niners led the way with four players each on the first team.

Gardner, the fourth overall pick by the New York Jets, was named on all 50 ballots, receiving 43 first-place votes. Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott was the last rookie cornerback chosen for the first team in 1981.

will

have knee surgery

Melbourne, Australia Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of the Australian Open a day before he was scheduled to play his first-round match. He has a knee injury and will have arthroscopic surgery.

Kyrgios was the runnerup at Wimbledon last year in singles and teamed with longtime friend Thanasi Kokkinakis to win the men’s doubles championship at the 2022 Australian Open. The 27-year-old Australian was considered the host country’s strongest chance to win a title at Melbourne Park this year. Kyrgios announced his withdrawal on Day 1 of action at the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Clemson hires TCU OC Riley to spark Tigers’ offense

Columbia, S.C. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney hired TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to reenergize the Tigers’ slumping offense. The school’s board of trustees compensation committee approved a three-year deal that will pay the 33-year-old Riley $1.75 million a season.

It’s the first time Swinney has gone outside his staff for a coordinator hire since 2012 when he brought in Brent Venables of Oklahoma to lead the defense. The Tigers hope Riley — the brother of USC coach and former ECU offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley — can have the same spark with the offense as Venables did during his 10 seasons at Clemson.

“That’s a big deal to me,” Gardner told the AP. “It was one of my goals before training camp.”

Kelce’s older brother, Jason, also earned first-team honors for the fifth time in his career to stay

one ahead of his pass-catching brother. Jason Kelce’s fellow Philadelphia Eagles linemate, right tackle Lane Johnson, joins him on the squad.

“Big honor, especially happy for (Johnson), who is the best tackle in the NFL without question, especially on the right side,” Jason Kelce told the AP.

Johnson, a second-time AllPro, has missed the past two games with an adductor injury but hopes to return when the No. 1 seed Eagles host a divisional round playoff game next week.

“We put in a lot of time and ef-

fort in the game, especially as you get older, you start to cherish it,” Johnson told the AP.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs is among the 16 first-time All-Pros. Jacobs led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards, scored 12 touchdowns rushing and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. The Raiders had three first-team picks despite finishing 6-11.

“The year definitely didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but, individually, it’s definitely an honor to be selected,” Jacobs told the AP.

Jefferson, who had a leaguebest 128 catches and 1,809

The Jets’ Sauce Gardner, right, became the first rookie cornerback since Ronnie Lott in 1981 to be named to The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team.

yards receiving, is the other newcomer on offense. Miami’s Tyreek Hill made it for the fourth time, third as a receiver. Hill had 119 catches for 1,710 yards and seven TDs in his first season with the Dolphins. Raiders wideout Davante Adams got the nod for a third time. Adams had 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and 14 TDs in his first season in Las Vegas. This was the first year of the AP’s new voting system. Voters chose a first team and a second team. First-team votes are worth 3 points, and second-team votes are worth 1.

High school student Thompson selected 1st in NWSL Draft

The Associated Press

ALYSSA THOMPSON was the top pick in the National Women’s Soccer League draft on Thursday by Angel City, becoming the first high school player to be selected in the history of the league.

Thompson, an 18-year-old forward out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, declared her eligibility for the draft late last week. She initially committed to Stanford.

“It’s a crazy feeling,” said Thompson, who watched the draft from her home in Los Angeles. “And I’m so happy that I get to be surrounded by my friends and family. I’m just really excited. My heart’s beating really fast.”

Thompson made her debut with the U.S. senior national team last year while also playing for the under-19 Total Futbol Academy boys’ team in MLS NEXT. Thompson and her younger sister, Giselle, also became the first high school players to sign a name, image and likeness deal with Nike last year.

“Alyssa Thompson, for us, is a phenom and generational player. She’s a player who can make an immediate impact, but she’s also young and can develop and look to be a player that we’re building a future off of, too,” said Angela Hucles Mangano, ACFC’s general manager. The team traded for the top pick last week in order to land Thompson.

The Kansas City Current selected Duke forward Michelle Cooper, winner of the MAC Hermann Trophy for best college player, with the second pick of the draft. The Cur-

rent acquired the pick in a trade with Gotham for forward Lynn Williams.

The North Carolina Courage dealt forward Diana Ordonez, who scored 11 goals as a rookie last season, to Houston after the native of Mexico asked to traded to be closer to her family. In return, the Courage received the eighth overall pick, selecting Cal defender Sydney Collins, the Dash’s first round pick next year, $100,000 in allocation money and an international spot for the upcoming season.

The Courage used their three other first round pick on players from the ACC, picking Notre Dame forward Olivia Wingate sixth overall, Florida State midfielder Clara

Robbins ninth overall and Virginia forward Haley Hopkins 11th overall.

On top of Cooper, two other Blue Devils players were selected, both in the fourth round: midfielder Delaney Graham, 40th overall by the Washington Spirit, and midfielder Sophie Jones, 43rd overall by the Chicago Red Stars. UNC defender Tori Hanson was the first pick in the third round, 25th overall, by the Orlando Pride. Wake Forest midfielder Giovanna DeMarco was chosen 45th overall by the San Diego Wave.

In the hours before the draft, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman spoke to reporters at length about the state of the 12-team league, which is preparing for its

Alyssa Thompson was the top pick in last Thursday’s National Women’s Soccer League draft by Angel City, becoming the first high school player to be selected in the history of the league.

11th season amid ongoing fallout from a pair of investigations into coach misconduct.

Earlier this week, the league permanently banned four coaches, including former Courage coach Paul Riley, and imposed other sanctions. Berman said the NWSL will now focus on making lasting change.

The NWSL is expected to name two expansion teams to join the league in 2024, and Berman said the league is “closing in on a decision.” Additionally, the Portland Thorns and the Chicago Red Stars are currently up for sale.

Berman said that this season will be the first that the league utilizes a Video Assistant Referee, or VAR, for games.

Dr. Tony Santangelo, DC, named NC Chiropractic Association Chiropractor of the Year, based on community service & the profression

Sixteen first-time players made the team

AP PHOTO

The NC Courage made four picks in the first round

HANS GUTKNECHT / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER VIA AP

Malcolm in the driver’s seat: Muniz starts NASCAR career

ternational Speedway and said, “I wanted this my entire life.”

His first of 20 scheduled races in 2023 will come at Daytona on Feb. 18.

THERE MIGHT BE a reboot on the horizon for actor Frankie Muniz, one aptly titled “Malcolm in the Middle of a Pileup.” Muniz, who starred in “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Agent Cody Banks,” announced this week that he’s competing as a full-time race car driver in the ARCA Menards Series. It’s a low-level feeder series for NASCAR — one that typically features less-experienced drivers — and will serve as a starting point for Muniz’s stock-car career.

The 37-year-old Muniz got behind the wheel of the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing during a test session Friday at Daytona In-

“I want to prove to people that like I’m here to take it seriously,” Muniz said during a half-hour Zoom with reporters. “I’m not just here for a fluke. I’m not just here for publicity. I wanted this my entire life, you know what I mean?

“I’m mad I waited 12 years after my last racing experience to get here. I want people to look at me and see me on track and go, ‘Wow, he belongs,’ and I’m ready to prove to everyone that I do. Hopefully I do.”

A longtime racing enthusiast, Muniz drove the pace car for the 2001 Daytona 500 — a race in which seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap. Coincidentally, the chassis of the car Muniz

is scheduled to drive at Daytona in the ARCA season opener was driven by Sterling Marlin that fateful day more than two decades ago.

Muniz said Earnhardt signed his jacket before the race and even told him how much he loved “Malcolm in the Middle.”

“He said, ‘Your show has brought me and my daughter so much closer together. I love your show,’” Muniz recalled. “And it was like insane to me that Dale Earnhardt is telling me that.”

Muniz has long been a racing enthusiast and first started thinking about becoming a professional driver in 2004 after competing in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach, California. He’s also raced in Formula BMW events as well as the Champ Car Atlantic Series.

His last full-time season came in 2009. He said he broke his back, broke an ankle and had a

pin inserted into his hand following a crash. He has raced sporadically since.

Instead of getting back in a race car immediately, he became drummer of the indie rock band Kingsfoil. More recently, he married Paige Price and they had a

son in 2021.

He expects plenty of “Malcolm in the Middle” jokes during races, so much so that he’s considering making T-shirts to sell at events.

“I’m going to capitalize on that before someone else does,” he said.

jump before the start of the IRL Firestone 550 race at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2010. Knieval died last Friday of pancreatic cancer.

Robbie Knievel, daredevil son of Evel Knievel, dies at 60

lives,” Kelly Knievel told The Associated Press. “He was a great daredevil. People don’t really understand how scary it is what my brother did.”

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Robbie Knievel, an American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father — including at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1989 and a Grand Canyon chasm a decade later — has died in Nevada, his brother said. He was 60.

Robbie Knievel died early Friday at a hospice in Reno after battling pancreatic cancer, Kelly Knievel said.

“Daredevils don’t live easy

As a boy, Robbie Knievel began on his bicycle to emulate his famous father, Evel Knievel, who died in 2007 in Clearwater, Florida.

But where Evel Knievel famously almost died from injuries when he crashed his Harley-Davidson during a jump over the Caesars Palace fountains in Las Vegas in 1967, Robbie completed the jump in 1989 using a specially designed Honda.

Robbie Knievel also made headline-grabbing Las Vegas Strip jumps over a row of lim-

ousines in 1998 at the Tropicana Hotel; between two buildings at the Jockey Club in 1999; and a New Year’s Eve jump amid fireworks in front of a volcano attraction at The Mirage on Dec. 31, 2008.

After a crash-landing to complete a motorcycle leap over a 220-foot chasm at an Indian

reservation outside Grand Canyon National Park in 1999, Robbie Knievel noted that his father always wanted to jump the spectacular natural landmark in Arizona but never did. Robbie Knievel broke his leg in his crash.

Evel Knievel instead attempted to soar over a mile-wide Snake River Canyon chasm in Idaho in September 1974. His rocket-powered cycle crashed into the canyon while his escape parachute deployed.

Robbie Knievel’s brother recalled other stunts, including a 2004 jump over a row of military aircraft on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid.

Robbie Knievel, who promoted himself as “Kaptain Robbie

Knievel,” set several stunt records but also failed in several attempts. In 1992, at age 29, he was injured when he crashed into the 22nd of 25 pickup trucks lined up across a 180-foot span in Cerritos, California.

“Injuries took quite a toll on him,” Kelly Knievel said Friday.

Kelly Knievel lives in Las Vegas. He said his brother died with three daughters at his side: Krysten Knievel Hansson of Chicago, Karmen Knievel of Missoula, Montana, and Maria Collins of Waldport, Oregon.

Services were not immediately scheduled, but Kelly Knievel said his brother will be buried with other family members in Butte, Montana.

The Associated Press

ISAAC HALE / STAR TRIBUNE VIA

Frankie Muniz, best known for his leading role in “Malcolm in the Middle,” is planning to compete full time in the ARCA Menards Series.

His family said he died of pancreatic cancer

“Injuries took quite a toll on him.”

Kelly Knievel, brother of Robbie Knievel

Robbie Knievel lands a motorcycle

AP PHOTO

Analysis: Documents probe dents

Biden’s claims to competence

By Zeke Miller The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe

Biden offered himself to Americans as a president they wouldn’t have to think about after the tumult of his predecessor. But an excruciating week of awkward disclosures and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate classified records found at his Delaware home and a former office dating to his time as vice president is beginning to strain his claim to competence.

The surprise revelations that on at least four different occasions Biden’s lawyers found improperly stored classified documents and official records evoked the turmoil surrounding Donald Trump’s presidency, which Biden has tried to move the country past. In the latest development, the White House acknowledged on Saturday that Biden’s lawyers had turned up even more such documents at the home than previously known.

It’s an embarrassment to Biden, and the selection of a special counsel to investigate potential criminal wrongdoing in the matter exposes the president to a new, self-inflicted risk.

Further, it complicates the Justice Department’s calculus about whether to bring charges against Trump over his handling of classified material, hands fresh ammunition to newly empowered House Republicans eager to launch investigations and undercuts a central plank of Biden’s pitch to voters just as he looks to launch a reelection bid in the coming months.

“It just won’t be so exhausting,” former President Barack Obama had promised about a Biden presidency in the closing days of the 2020 campaign, adding that voters are “not going to have to think about the crazy things … and that is worth a lot.”

The Biden has caused private frustration among Biden allies and some advisers because the president and his team, as billed, were supposed to be better than this.

The current White House explanation, offered by lawyer Richard Sauber, is that the special counsel’s inquiry “will show that these documents were inadvertently misplaced” — a “mistake” with the nation’s secrets.

Biden seemingly ignored or forgot about a cardinal rule in poli-

tics: Check your closet for skeletons before you complain about someone else’s. His public criticisms about Trump’s “ irresponsible “ handling of classified documents, however different the circumstances, are now coming back to haunt him.

Biden allies say the packing up of his vice presidential office happened swiftly. Biden aimed to run through the tape on his eight years alongside Obama even as aides worked to close down his office before Trump’s inauguration at noon on Jan. 20, 2017.

But that explanation, said Richard Painter, the top ethics official in the George W. Bush administration, suggests behavior that was “incredibly careless and really quite shocking.”

Painter said that while Biden probably would avoid the criminal issues looming over Trump because there is so far no sense that Biden intentionally mishandled classified records, it still merited investigation.

“You never just pack stuff up and cart it out of there,” Painter said. He said aides and lawyers are supposed to carefully sift through what are official records that are property of the National Archives and personal records that may be removed.

“To say nothing of classified documents which have these distinctive markings on them,” Painter said. “It’s still very worrisome. It’s a serious national security breach.”

Beyond all that, the piecemeal way that word of the discover-

ies became public — more than two months after the first batch of classified documents had been found at the Penn Biden Center in Washington — has drawn bewilderment from crisis management experts.

“The White House can’t let itself be seen as hiding information or be bled to death by investigators’ or others’ leaks,” said Adam Goldberg, who served as special associate counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1996-1999.

It wasn’t until last Monday that the White House confirmed that classified documents had been found at Biden’s former office on Nov. 2, days before the midterm elections. Even then, that acknowledgement came only in response to news inquiries.

Not until Thursday did Biden lawyers acknowledge the Dec. 20 discovery of documents in the garage of Biden’s house in Wilmington, Delaware, and inform the Justice Department that another classified record had been found the night before in Biden’s home library.

“If there’s any further bad news out there, they better be the ones to put it out and put it out all at once,” Goldberg said.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had said Thursday that Americans can “assume” there are no more classified documents or government records improperly stored after Biden’s personal lawyers conducted a final search that concluded on Wednesday evening.

She repeatedly deflected questions about the White House’s public disclosures, insisting the president’s team was handling the matter the “right way” by deferring to the Justice Department.

A statement from Sauber on Saturday about the latest discovery of classified documents in Delaware did not explain why the White House waited two days to provide an updated accounting.

State auditor, Medical Board clash over review results

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s state auditor and the panel that disciplines physicians clashed over a performance review released Thursday in which auditors said they were hamstrung scrutinizing how the state Medical Board handled provider complaints because the panel denied them information.

The board pushed back, saying that state and federal law prohibits it from giving access to details about over 4,400 investigations covering a two-year period ending in June 2021 sought by auditors because they contained confidential medical and investigative information. The auditors received heavily redacted documents instead. Board officials also said they disagreed with other findings in the review.

State Auditor Beth Wood’s office said state law ensures that all information obtained and used in an audit remains confidential. The audit recommended that the legislature pass a law to affirm access to such documentation while conducting audits.

The auditors said they did receive slightly more information in their review about the roughly 200 additional investigations that

resulted in public action against a licensee. In these documents, the review’s authors declared that the board failed to complete investigations of medical providers within six months — what they called a state law requirement.

And it failed to ensure that providers receive disciplinary actions for wrongdoing — such as license restrictions or agreements to not practice medicine for a period.

“As a result, there was an increased risk that medical providers whose actions posed a threat

to patient safety could continue serving patients,” the report read.

In a response attached to the final review, Medical Board CEO David Henderson wrote that Wood’s office is mistaken that investigations must be completed in six months. And the board’s program to monitor wayward providers wasn’t designed to ensure that those who lose their medical license never practice again, saying that’s a criminal matter left to prosecutors, Henderson wrote.

The auditor’s office agreed that

it “had received no complaints that prompted the audit and that there have been no allegations and there is no evidence that (the board) ever failed to review all complaints, administer discipline in an equitable manner or report all its public actions,” Henderson said.

Still, the limited access to investigative documents prevented Wood’s office from auditing four of the six objectives sought for review. Those were largely focused on whether the board followed the

law, its policies and best practices when investigating complaints on allegations like substandard medical care, sexual misconduct or overprescribing medication, the report said.

And auditors also accused the Medical Board of making “several inaccurate and potentially misleading statements” within their written response to the performance review.

The 13-member board — 11 were appointed by the governor and the remainder picked by legislative leaders — licensed over 57,000 physicians, physician assistants and other medical professionals at the end of the 2021.

The board, which runs on licensing fees only, said its staff investigates almost 3,000 cases annually. It can decide that no violation of the state’s Medical Practice Act occurred; find no violation occurred but still issue privately a warning or order remedial action; or determine a violation occurred and take public action against the provider, up to and including license revocation.

Henderson wrote that the board has taken steps to improve areas of concern cited by the state auditor and was willing to hire an outside firm to perform an outside audit to address the objectives.

AP PHOTO

The access road to President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Del., is seen from the media van Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.

STOCK PHOTO

Franklin (Lin) Niven Webb

August 25, 1952 ~ January 12, 2023

Mr. Franklin (Lin) Niven Webb died Thursday, January 12, 2023, at his home with family after fighting cancer for five years.

He was born in Moore County on August 25, 1952, to the late Martin and Ann Webb. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother David Webb. Lin attended Hoke County High School and in January 1970, Lin was certified as an Eagle Scout and served in the NC National Guard 19701976. Lin was a member of Bethel Presbyterian Church. He retired from the Carolina Telephone Company as a service technician with 35 years of service.

Lin was known for his love of outdoors and his enthusiasm for hunting. He volunteered with the NC Hunters Safety to teach and mentor future hunters with the experience he gained from his years of being in the woods. Lin was also a natural photographer who captured his love of outdoors and wildlife in every photo he took.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Gail Bowen Webb; his son Keith Webb and wife Erica of St. Paul’s, his daughter Valerie Webb of Fayetteville; two grandsons, Conyer and Cameron Webb members of the U.S. Navy stationed in San Diego, CA; one brother Marty Webb and wife Linda of Raeford. His family also includes three nieces, one nephew, and four great-nephews. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to: Bethel Presbyterian Church

Doris Jeannette (Steen) Kennedy

November 12, 1945 ~ January 11, 2023

Mrs. Doris Steen Kennedy of Raeford went to be with her Lord and Savior on January 11, 2023, at the age of 77.

Doris was born in Marlboro County, SC on November 12, 1945, to the late John and Elizabeth Steen.

She was preceded in death by 11 of her siblings.

Doris was a member of the United Pentecostal Church for many years. She was a Godly woman who loved her family very much. Not a day went by where she didn’t speak of the Lord. She was dedicated, a hard worker, and a strong woman who prayed often. Doris would invite soldiers who didn’t have a place to go during the holidays over for dinner. She was also a singer and would often travel to different nursing homes and sing for them. She loved gardening, sewing, crafting, and taking care of her family. Doris lived for her children and grandchildren. They will miss her very much.

Doris is survived by her husband of 56 years, Jerry Wilkins Kennedy; 5 children, Charles Jr., Stephanie, Jerry Jr. (Bit), Tonya, and Crissie; 7 grandchildren; 2 greatgrandchildren; and 3 siblings, Kathy, Gary, and Nell.

‘Diamond,’ of pro-Trump duo Diamond and Silk, dies at 51

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Lynette Hardaway, an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump and one half of the conservative political commentary duo Diamond and Silk, has died, according to the pair’s Twitter account. She was 51.

Hardaway, known by the moniker “Diamond,” carved out a unique role as a Black woman who loudly backed Trump during his most recent presidential campaign, earning fame first on the Internet and then as a cable television commentator.

She and her sister, Rochelle “Silk” Richardson, rose to prominence during the 2016 presidential campaign cycle when they appeared on stage in support of Trump, who embraced the two Black women amid widespread accusations of racism and sexism.

Hardaway’s cause of death has not been released. Trump, who called her death “really bad news for Republicans” in a Monday night post on his Truth Social platform, said it was “totally unexpected.”

“Our beautiful Diamond of Diamond and Silk has just passed away at her home in the State she loved so much, North Carolina,” Trump wrote. “There was no better TEAM anywhere, at any time!”

The pair’s verified Twitter account had asked people to “please pray for Diamond” in a November tweet but did not elaborate on the circumstances.

“The World just lost a True Angel and Warrior Patriot for Freedom, Love, and Humanity,” the

account wrote Monday night, linking to a memorial fundraising page.

A memorial ceremony will be announced.

The sisters, who called themselves Trump’s “most outspoken and loyal supporters,” have said they switched political parties to support his first presidential bid, in which he carried only about 8% of Black voters in the 2016 general election. He invited them to his inauguration in 2017 and, later, to the White House.

In the introduction to their co-written autobiography “Uprising,” published in 2020, the pair wrote that they faced criticism

throughout the 2016 campaign cycle from people who called them “sellouts” and worse names as they stumped for Trump. They said their time in the spotlight wasn’t planned.

“We were just going along with our lives as usual, then we were thrust into this political arena all because we dared to speak out and speak up for what we believed,” they wrote.

Raised in Hoke County, the two amassed a following of 347,000 subscribers on YouTube and leveraged their Internet stardom to land many network television appearances and regular roles at Fox News.

April 27, 1975 ~ January 6, 2023

from this life on Monday, January 9, 2023.

Trina Latisha Williams

Trina Williams departed

AP PHOTO

Lynnette Hardaway, left, and Rochelle Richardson, a.k.a. Diamond and Silk, arrive at the LA Premiere of “Death of a Nation” at the Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live on July 31, 2018, in Los Angeles.

STATE & NATION

House GOP demands visitor logs in Biden classified docs case

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republicans on Sunday demanded the White House turn over all information related to its searches that have uncovered classified documents at President Joe Biden’s home and former office in the wake of more records found at his Delaware residence.

“We have a lot of questions,” said Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Comer, R-Ky., said he wants to see all documents and communications related to the searches by the Biden team, as well as visitor logs of the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, from Jan. 20, 2021, to present. He said the aim is to determine who might have had access to classified material and how the records got there.

The White House on Saturday said it had discovered five additional pages of classified documents at Biden’s home on Thursday, the same day a special counsel was appointed to review the matter.

In a letter to White House chief of staff Ron Klain, Comer criticized the searches by Biden representatives when the Justice Department was beginning to investigate and said Biden’s “mishandling of classified materials raises the issue of whether he has jeopardized our national security.”

Comer demanded that the White House provide all relevant information including visitor logs by the end of the month.

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Comer referred to Biden’s home as a “crime scene” though he acknowledged that it was not clear whether laws were broken.

“My concern is that the special counsel was called for, but yet hours after that we still had the president’s personal attorneys, who have no security clearance, still rummaging around the presi-

dent’s residence, looking for things — I mean that would essentially be a crime scene, so to speak,” Comer said.

While the U.S. Secret Service provides security at the president’s private residence, it does not maintain visitor logs, agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Sunday.

“We don’t independently maintain our own visitor logs because it’s a private residence,” Guglielmi said. He added that the agency does screen visitors to the president’s properties but doesn’t

maintain records of those checks.

The White House confirmed that Biden has not independently maintained records of who has visited his residence since he became president.

“Like every President in decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said. “But upon taking office, President Biden restored the norm and tradition of keeping White House visitors logs, including publishing them regularly, after the previous administration ended them.”

Indeed, President Donald Trump’s administration announced early in his presidency that they wouldn’t release visitor logs out of “grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.” Democrat Barack Obama’s administration initially fought attempts by Congress and conservative and liberal groups to obtain visitor records. But after being sued, it voluntarily began disclosing the logs in December 2009, posting records every three to four months.

A federal appeals court ruled in 2013 that the logs can be withheld under presidential executive privilege. That unanimous ruling was written by Judge Merrick Garland, who is now serving as Biden’s attorney general.

White House officials “can say

they’re being transparent, but it’s anything but,” the committee chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

White House lawyer Richard Sauber said in a statement Saturday that a total of six pages of classified documents were found from Biden’s time serving as vice president in the Obama administration during a search of Biden’s private library. The White House had said previously that only a single page was found there.

The latest disclosure was in addition to the discovery of documents found in December in Biden’s garage and in November at his former offices at the Penn Biden Center in Washington.

Sauber said that Biden’s personal lawyers, who did not have security clearances, stopped their search after finding the first page on Wednesday evening. Sauber found the remaining material Thursday, as he was facilitating their retrieval by Justice Department. Sauber did not explain why the White House waited two days to provide an updated accounting. The White House is already facing scrutiny for waiting more than two months to acknowledge the discovery of the initial group of documents at the Biden office.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said the Justice Department rightfully appointed special counsels to “get to the bottom” of the Biden classified documents matter as well as in a separate investigation into the handling of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s private club and residence in Florida.

Expanded US training for Ukraine forces begins in Germany

By Lolita C. Baldor The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — The U.S. military’s new, expanded combat training of Ukrainian forces began in Germany, with a goal of getting a battalion of about 500 troops back on the battlefield to fight the Russians in the next five to eight weeks, said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Milley, who plans to visit the Grafenwoehr training area on Monday to get a first-hand look at the program, said the troops being trained left Ukraine a few days ago. In Germany is a full set of weapons and equipment for them to use.

Until now the Pentagon had declined to say exactly when the training would start.

The so-called combined arms training is aimed at honing the skills of the Ukrainian forces so they will be better prepared to launch an offensive or counter any surge in Russian attacks. They will learn how to better move and coordinate their company- and battalion-size units in battle, using combined artillery, armor and ground forces.

Speaking to two reporters traveling with him to Europe, Milley said the complex training — combined with an array of new weapons, artillery, tanks and other vehicles heading to Ukraine — will be key to helping the country’s forces take back territory that has been captured by Russia in the

nearly 11-month-old war.

“This support is really important for Ukraine to be able to defend itself,” Milley said. “And we’re hoping to be able to pull this together here in short order.”

The goal, he said, is for all the incoming weapons and equipment to be delivered to Ukraine so that the newly trained forces will be able to use it “sometime before the spring rains show up. That would be ideal.”

The new instruction comes as

Ukrainian forces face fierce fighting in the eastern Donetsk province, where the Russian military has claimed it has control of the small salt-mining town of Soledar. Ukraine asserts that its troops are still fighting, but if Moscow’s troops take control of Soledar it would allow them to inch closer to the bigger city of Bakhmut, where fighting has raged for months.

Russia also launched a widespread barrage of missile strikes, including in Kyiv, the northeast-

ern city of Kharkiv and the southeastern city of Dnipro, where the death toll in one apartment building rose to 30.

Milley said he wants to make sure the training is on track and whether anything else is needed, and also ensure that it will line up well with the equipment deliveries.

The program will include classroom instruction and field work that will begin with small squads and gradually grow to involve larger units. It would culminate with

a more complex combat exercise bringing an entire battalion and a headquarters unit together.

Until now, the U.S. focus has been on providing Ukrainian forces with more immediate battlefield needs, particularly on how to use the wide array of Western weapons systems pouring into the country.

The U.S. has already trained more than 3,100 Ukrainian troops on how to use and maintain certain weapons and other equipment, including howitzers, armored vehicles and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS. Other nations are also conducting training on the weapons they provide.

In announcing the new program last month, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said the idea “is to be able to give them this advanced level of collective training that enables them to conduct effective combined arms operations and maneuver on the battlefield.”

Milley said the U.S. was doing this type of training prior to the Russian invasion last February. But once the war began, U.S. National Guard and special operations forces that were doing training inside Ukraine all left the country. This new effort, which is being done by U.S. Army Europe Africa’s 7th Army Training Command, will be a continuation of what they had been doing prior to the invasion. Other European allies are also providing training.

AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden waves before boarding Air Force One at Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Del., Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, en route to Atlanta.

AP PHOTO

From left, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US Army general Chris Cavoli, U.S. Assistant

Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste A. Wallander, Chairman of the Joint

Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, attend a meeting of NATO defense ministers in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group format at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022.

Playoffs continue

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Area gets a pair of National Endowment

for the Arts grants

Forsyth County

The National Endowment for the Arts announced the first round of recommended awards for fiscal year 2023, with more than $34 million in funding to support the arts nationwide. This is the first of the NEA’s two major grant announcements each fiscal year.

Organizations in WinstonSalem received a pair of NEA Grants for Arts, which is the agency’s largest grant program. For this round of funding, the NEA received 1,939 eligible applications and will award grants to 1,251 organizations for a total of nearly $28.8 million in funding. Grants range from $10,000 to $100,000 and require a cost share/ match of at least one to one. This grant program covers a wide variety of projects in 15 artistic disciplines and fields supporting public engagement with, and access to, various forms of art across the nation; the creation of excellent art; learning in the arts at all stages of life; and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life.

W inston-Salem’s Triad Cultural Arts Inc. received $20,000 for use in the Design field, and the School of the Arts in WinstonSalem received $10,000 in the Presenting and Multidisciplinary Works field.

NEA

Folwell delivers over $500k in found funds to state education officials

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Last week, N.C.

State Treasurer Dale Folwell delivered a check for over half a million dollars to State Superintendent Catherine Truitt and N.C. State Board of Education chairman Eric Davis.

“At a time when so many schools are in need of money and resources, especially in rural and inner-city districts, every penny found to further North Carolina’s educational mission is a blessing,” Folwell said in a press release. “I see that need not only as a member of SBE, but as chairman of the Local Government Com-

mission, which reviews and approves financing for school projects throughout North Carolina.”

Folwell presented a check for $519,029.16 to Truitt and Davis at the regularly scheduled State Board of Education meeting. The treasurer’s office had identified funds that were the result of unclaimed stock dividends that had apparently been misdirected.

Shares of stock had been issued in the name of “Department of Education State of North Carolina” based on a Prudential Financial group life insurance plan the state board of education had once held.

“Upon the shares and accrued dividends being deemed

unclaimed and held by Prudential for the required holding period, the property was placed with DST’s Unclaimed Property Division (UPD), commonly called NCCash.com,” according to the press release from Folwell’s office.

“As keeper of the public purse, a North Carolina taxpayer and a believer in the power of education to change a person’s trajectory in life to achieve upward mobility and the joy of achievement, I am honored to return this money to its rightful owners so that it can be put to use where it’s most needed,” Folwell said.

Truitt told North State Journal that no decision has been made yet as to what will be done with

the newly found money.

Folwell and his office have routinely highlighted the NCCash program for citizens in the state to find out whether or not they have unclaimed funds.

According to the program’s website, $105,158,116 has been returned to citizens in the state between Jul. 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. Folwell tells North State Journal $110 million was claimed using the program last year. The largest payout to date was around $1.7 million to a single individual.

More information, including how to find out if you are owed money, can be found at https:// www.nccash.com/.

County commissioners approve amendment to employee pay plan

ARPA funding approved for various projects

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

WINSTON-SALEM — T he Forsyth County Board of Commissioners met Thursday, January 5, with an update to the employee pay plan, the key item on the agenda.

The first action the board took was approving the county’s amended pay plan for county employees.

In the face of the rising cost of living and higher wages being offered by competitors, the county recognized the need to increase employee salaries.

The amendment establishes a minimum salary of $11.50 per hour and will increase each county employee’s current salary 2.5% for each 5% increase

in the employees new pay range minimum compared to the employee’s current pay range minimum, and for jobs identified as high turnover, the increase will be 5% for each 5% increase.

The pay increases are in line with the comparative study the county had done in order to be competitive with other employers, according to Human Resources Director Shannon Hutchins.

However, some of the commissioners still questioned if this change was enough.

“As we progress to being a top paying county, what would it take to be the top paying county in North Carolina?” said Commissioner Shai Woodbury. “I do find it concerning though that we are at $11.50 per hour and not $15 at least per hour which really doesn’t put you in a competitive bracket to take care of your necessities as a citizen, es -

pecially if you have children. That is a concern I have and I look forward to a time where we can have a minimum salary of at least $15 per hour.”

However, according to Hutchins, raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour would require the moving of all of the other pay grades up by the same increment to maintain equity, which would also bring a larger financial burden onto the county.

The board then approved an amendment to the 2021 PayGo Capital Projects Ordinance to transfer $141,106 from inflation contingency to the Pickleball Project and approved the submission of an application to the state library of North Carolina to apply for and accept, if awarded, a Library Services and Technology Act

Proj-

AP PHOTO

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, left, catches a pass as Cincinnati Bengals safety and former Demon Deacon Jessie Bates III defends in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

Accountability is coming

Published each Wednesday as part of North State Journal 1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607

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DEATH NOTICES

♦ John Franklin “Frank” Barber, 96, of Burlington, died January 11, 2023.

♦ Earl Taylor Bowles, 76, died January 12, 2023.

♦ Reece “Alan” Bull, 88, died January 12, 2023.

♦ Larry Parker Burton, 68, of Winston-Salem, died January 12, 2023.

♦ Bobbie Jacqueline Irvin Coone, 92, of Forsyth County, died January 14, 2023.

♦ Shelby “Sheb” Wilburn Doub, 84 of Olin, died January 13, 2023.

♦ Dorothy Grubbs HenryDavis, 87, of Lewisville, died January 14, 2023.

♦ Rachel Warren Hudson, 83, of Oak Ridge, died January 15, 2023.

♦ Michael “Mike” James Jessup, 65, of Forsyth County, died January 11, 2023.

♦ Edgar “Allen” Mabe, Sr., 65, of Winston-Salem, died January 11, 2023.

♦ Phillip Wayne McGee, 78, of Forsyth County, died January 12, 2023.

♦

Donald Alexander Palmer, 96, of WinstonSalem, died January 14, 2023.

♦

♦

Nellie “Jean” Killen Sawyer, 91, of Ashe County, died January 12, 2023.

Irmma Ruth TorrezLinker, 70, died January 11, 2023.

♦

Leonard Elton Vannoy, 94, of Winston-Salem, died January 13, 2023.

♦ Roy Kenneth “Kenny” Whitaker, Jr., 66, of Kernersville, died January 14, 2023.

♦ George Sudduth White, 90, of Winston-Salem, died January 13, 2023.

LAST WEEK in the House of Representatives, the 118th Congress kicked off in earnest. Republicans passed our first bills in the majority in more than four years. Though all of these bills will strengthen our country and economy, they were nearly universally opposed by Democrats.

My top focus in Congress is breaking the Swamp’s status quo to ensure the government works for the people – not the other way around. This is just the beginning of what our Republican Conference will accomplish this Congress.

The first order of business was undoing the Democrats’ $80 billion meant to fund an army of 87,000 IRS agents who will undoubtedly only audit and harass hardworking Americans. Every Democrat voted against this bill despite knowing that the bill will preserve upgrades to customer service and operations, while defunding the new IRS army. The last thing that hardworking Americans need are more meddling and ineffective bureaucrats.

In a huge win for the American people, the House officially established a Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. This is something I’ve worked diligently on for months, and securing this investigative subcommittee was a crucial aspect of our successful efforts to reform the House and drain the Swamp last week.

I spoke on the House floor in support of forming

COMMISSIONERS from page 1

ect grant of up to $200,000 to fund the purchase and installation of a library lending kiosk in an unincorporated area of Forsyth County.

The board also approved the execution of ARPA funding for two agreements, one with Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County, Inc. to provide down payment assistance for homes

and the other with Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers, Inc. for $60,701 for resident meals.

“[Habitat for Humanity] will provide $10,000 in down payment assistance for 11 homes for people who meet the program income limits,” said Deputy County Manager Damon Sanders-Pratt.

Also with ARPA funding, the board approved two requests from the Forsyth County’s Emer -

WEEKLY CRIME LOG

♦ Adams, Mark Howard (M/62) Arrest on chrg of Aid And Abet Larceny ($1,000 Or Less), M (M), at 1060 Candlewood Dr, Kernersville, NC, on 1/11/2023 09:25.

♦ Atkins, Michael Paul (M/42) Arrest on chrg of 1) Probation Violation (M) and 2) Probation Violation (M), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/14/2023 06:42.

♦ AVIZAR, ERNESTO OLMES was arrested on a charge of DRUG TRAFFICKING at 4825 COMERCIAL PLAZA ST on 1/13/2023

♦ Bankins, Justin Lee (M/20) Arrest on chrg of Possession Control Substance Jail (F), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/13/2023 09:30.

♦ Beck, Ricky Lee (M/39) Arrest on chrg of Assault On Female (M), at 6079 Claudias Ln, Clemmons, NC, on 1/12/2023 23:27

♦ Davidson, Mark Alan (M/38) Arrest on chrg of Vio. Protective Order By Courts Another State/ Indian Tribe (M), at 4530 Burwell Rd, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/11/2023 21:52.

♦ DOBY, RONALD CROSBY was arrested on a charge of DRUG TRAFFICKING at 4825 COMERCIAL PLAZA ST on 1/13/2023

♦ Flemming, Nieymafabre Aaniece (F/24) Arrest on chrg of Fugitive (F), at 201 N Church St, Winstonsalem, NC, on 1/14/2023 12:45.

♦ GENTRY, JOHN WESTLY was arrested on a charge of ADW - INFLICT INJURY at 585 E NORTHWEST BV on 1/15/2023

♦ Gerald, Ginger Elizabeth (F/40) Arrest on chrg of 1) Fugitive (F), 2) Fail To Appear/compl (F), and 3) Fail To Appear/compl (F), at 6815 Nc Hwy 8, Lexington, NC, on 1/11/2023 09:00.

♦

Gladden, Maggie Ann (F/50) Arrest on chrg of 1) Assault-

simple (M) and 2) Assault-simple (M), at 300 Woodbriar Path, Rural Hall, NC, on 1/11/2023 19:16.

♦ Gladden, Timothy Lamont (M/53) Arrest on chrg of 1) Assault On Female (M) and 2) Assault On Female (M), at 300 Woodbriar Rd, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/11/2023 19:16.

♦ GREENE, DAVEON ASHERA was arrested on a charge of TRAFFICKING IN METHAMPHETAMINE OR AMPHETAMINE at 4825 COMMERCIAL PLAZA ST on 1/13/2023

♦ HINES, JOSHUA DAVID was arrested on a charge of ASSLT ON OFF/ST EMP at 5998 UNIVERSITY PKWY on 1/15/2023

♦ JACKSON, MARQUELL AHMAD was arrested on a charge of DRUG TRAFFICKING at 4825 COMMERCIAL PLAZA ST on 1/13/2023

♦ Jessup, Ronald Dewitt (M/44) Arrest on chrg of 1) Fail To Register - Sex Offender Registration (F), 2) Sex Offender Residency Violations (F), 3) Sex Offender Unlawfully On Premises. (F), 4) Sex Offender Unlawfully On Premises. (F), 5) Sex Offender Unlawfully On Premises. (F), 6) Sex Offender Unlawfully On Premises. (F), 7) Sex Offender Unlawfully On Premises. (F), 8) Sex Offender Unlawfully On Premises. (F), 9) Sex Offender Unlawfully On Premises. (F), 10) Sex Offender Unlawfully On Premises. (F), 11) Fail To Change Address - Sex Offender Registration (F), and 12) Fail To Change Address - Sex Offender Registration (F), at 1151 Red Sage Rd, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/11/2023 11:30.

♦ Johnson, Clarence David (M/35) Arrest on chrg of 2nd Degree Trespass (M), at 201 N. Church St, Wonston Salem, NC, on 1/14/2023 20:10.

♦ Jordan, Damien Daeron (M/19) Arrest on chrg of 1) Vand-real

this investigative subcommittee. Any bureaucrat who violates Americans’ Constitutional rights is on notice – we are coming for you, on behalf of the American people.

On the same day, Republicans and Democrats voted together to form a Select Committee on China. The Chinese Communist Party is a grave threat worthy of increased Congressional attention, and this committee will treat that threat with the seriousness it deserves.

The House also passed legislation to prohibit the Biden Administration from exporting oil in our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. When Americans are struggling to afford gas, the last thing our country should be doing is shipping our oil to China.

I proudly cosponsored and voted for my colleague Mike Johnson’s resolution condemning the 78 attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and 100+ attacks on churches since the Dobbs decision leaked.

We passed this resolution, as well as legislation to protect babies that are born alive during botched abortions. Every Republican voted for this legislation, while nearly every Democrat opposed. These votes show the true divide on the essential question of life that exists between Republicans and Democrats in Washington.

I was proud to support these common sense bills. Our work is just beginning.

gency Services Department, $149,250.75 for the protective rescue gear funding and $2.8 million for the fire engines.

“The engines will be funded with $2,800,000 of ARPA funds,” Sanders-Pratt said. “These funds will acquire four fire engines, one each for Horneytown, Mineral Springs, Salem Chapel and Union Cross Volunteer Fire Departments.”

Finally, the board approved

two contracts, one for $62,909 for professional media services for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office to be provided by Hunter D. Laughlin and the second for the provision of school nursing services by the Forsyth County Department of Public Health for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education.

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will next meet January 19.

Property (M), 2) Possession Control Substance Jail (F), 3) Possession Control Substance Jail (F), and 4) Weap - Possession In Prison (F), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/12/2023 14:00.

♦ Jones, Shakeem Mohammad (M/29) Arrest on chrg of 1) Vandreal Property (M) and 2) Weap - Possession In Prison (F), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/12/2023 14:00.

♦ Kilby, Zachary Amadeus (M/25) Arrest on chrg of Poss Heroin (F), at 2795 Lewisville-clemmons Rd, Clemmons, NC, on 1/11/2023 16:23.

♦ LOWNES, MICHAEL JONATHAN was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 362 GEORGE BIG REDD CT on 1/15/2023

♦ MARSH, TIMOTHY RENARD was arrested on a charge of DRUG TRAFFICKING at 4825 COMMERCIAL PLAZA ST on 1/13/2023

♦ MESSICK, CHRISTOPHER ALLEN was arrested on a charge of OFA/ FTA-BREAK OR ENTER A MOTOR VEHICLE at 201 N CHURCH ST on 1/13/2023

♦

MORALES, RENE ORTIZ was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 803 UTAH DR on 1/14/2023

♦ MORRISON, GEVONTAE DAERON was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 4825 COMMERCIAL PLAZA ST on 1/13/2023

♦ Pelagio, Rodrigo Cortez (M/22)

Arrest on chrg of Possession Control Substance Jail, F (F), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/11/2023 14:00.

♦ Pelagio, Rodrigo Cortez (M/22) Arrest on chrg of Possession Control Substance Jail (F), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/12/2023 14:00.

♦ Pelagio, Rodrigo Cortez (M/22)

Arrest on chrg of Possession Control Substance Jail (F), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/13/2023 09:30.

♦ Pocock, Diane Nicole (F/37) Arrest on chrg of Assault-simple (M), at 5440 Walls Lake Rd, Walnut Cove, NC, on 1/13/2023 22:00.

♦ Reide, Niki Ayanna (F/44) Arrest on chrg of 2nd Degree Trespass (M), at 7654 Pine St, Rural Hall, NC, on 1/11/2023 21:51.

♦ Robinson, Jamil Edward (M/26) Arrest on chrg of Assault On Female (M), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/15/2023 08:34.

♦ RODRIGUEZ, ALAIN LEGUIZAMO was arrested on a charge of CCW - FIREARM at 3081 WAUGHTOWN ST on 1/14/2023

♦ Sanchez Altamirano, Victor Hugo (M/41) Arrest on chrg of Assault On Female (M), at 518 Porter Ct/, Kernersville, NC, on 1/12/2023 00:20.

♦ SHIPP, DAMIEN KENNARD was arrested on a charge of DRUG TRAFFICKING at 4825COMM COMMERCIAL PLAZA ST on 1/13/2023

♦ SKAGGS, BOBBY EUGENE was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 2707 PATRICK AV on 1/15/2023

♦ THOMAS, VICTOR ANTOINE was arrested on a charge of BREAKING/LARC-FELONY at 971 SALISBURY RIDGE on 1/15/2023

♦ Vestal, Kenneth Gray (M/51) Arrest on chrg of Assault-simple (M), at 701 Sommerdale Ct, Rural Hall, NC, on 1/13/2023 19:13.

♦ West, Matthew Logan (M/25) Arrest on chrg of 1) Possession Control Substance Jail (F) and 2) Possession Control Substance Jail (F), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 1/12/2023 14:00.

Twin City Herald

“Join the conversation”

My top focus in Congress is breaking the Swamp’s status quo to ensure the government works for the people – not the other way around.

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL NFL ratings down 3% over last season

New York

NFL regular season ratings dropped 3% from last season, which was not unexpected with “Thursday Night Football” moving from Fox and NFL Network to exclusively airing on Amazon Prime Video. The 272 regular season games averaged 16.7 million viewers across television and digital platforms, The league also said that 185 million fans watched games at some point during the 18 weeks. Despite the dip, it is the third-highest average since 2016. Last season averaged 17.1 million.

According to Nielsen figures, the 15-game “Thursday Night Football” package on Prime Video averaged 9.58 million viewers.

TENNIS

Kyrgios out of Australian Open, will have knee surgery

Melbourne, Australia

Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of the Australian Open a day before he was scheduled to play his first-round match. He has a knee injury and will have arthroscopic surgery. Kyrgios was the runnerup at Wimbledon last year in singles and teamed with longtime friend Thanasi Kokkinakis to win the men’s doubles championship at the 2022 Australian Open. The 27-year-old Australian was considered the host country’s strongest chance to win a title at Melbourne Park this year. Kyrgios announced his withdrawal on Day 1 of action at the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Clemson hires TCU OC Riley to spark Tigers’ offense

Columbia, S.C.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney hired TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to reenergize the Tigers’ slumping offense. The school’s board of trustees compensation committee approved a three-year deal that will pay the 33-year-old Riley $1.75 million a season. It’s the first time Swinney has gone outside his staff for a coordinator hire since 2012 when he brought in Brent Venables of Oklahoma to lead the defense. The Tigers hope Riley — the brother of USC coach and former ECU offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley — can have the same spark with the offense as Venables did during his 10 seasons at Clemson.

MMA

Jon Jones to headline UFC 285 in

heavyweight title fight

Las Vegas

UFC President Dana White announced Jon Jones will fight for the heavyweight title March 4 against Ciryl Gane in Las Vegas as the headline event for UFC 285. White said he offered former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou the richest deal for a heavyweight in UFC history to fight Jones. White said Ngannou turned down the offer, so White turned to Gane. Jones will make his first appearance since February 2020 when he beat Dominick Reyes to defend his light heavyweight championship.

Kelce, Jefferson unanimous AP All-Pros

The Associated Press

TRAVIS KELCE and Justin Jefferson are unanimous choices for The Associated Press 2022 NFL All-Pro Team, and Sauce Gardner is the first rookie cornerback selected in 41 years.

The Chiefs’ Kelce and the Vikings’ Jefferson received firstteam votes Friday from all 50 members of a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league.

Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa and Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones each got 49 of 50 first-team votes. The Chiefs and Niners led the way with four players each on the first team.

Gardner, the fourth overall pick by the New York Jets, was named on all 50 ballots, receiving 43 firstplace votes. Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott was the last rookie cornerback chosen for the first team in 1981.

“That’s a big deal to me,” Gardner told the AP. “It was one of my goals before training camp.”

Kelce’s older brother, Jason, also earned first-team honors for the fifth time in his career to stay one ahead of his pass-catching brother.

Jason Kelce’s fellow Philadelphia Eagles linemate, right tackle Lane Johnson, joins him on the squad.

“Big honor, especially happy for (Johnson), who is the best tackle in the NFL without question, especially on the right side,” Jason Kelce told the AP.

Johnson, a second-time All-Pro, has missed the past two games with an adductor injury but hopes to return when the No. 1 seed Ea-

gles host a divisional round playoff game next week.

“We put in a lot of time and effort in the game, especially as you get older, you start to cherish it,” Johnson told the AP.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs is among the 16 firsttime All-Pros. Jacobs led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards, scored

12 touchdowns rushing and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. The Raiders had three first-team picks despite finishing 6-11.

“The year definitely didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but, individually, it’s definitely an honor to be selected,” Jacobs told the AP.

Jefferson, who had a leaguebest 128 catches and 1,809 yards receiving, is the other newcomer on offense. Miami’s Tyreek Hill made it for the fourth time, third as a receiver. Hill had 119 catches for 1,710 yards and seven TDs in his first season with the Dolphins. Raiders wideout Davante Adams got the nod for a third time. Adams had 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and 14 TDs in his first season in Las Vegas.

This was the first year of the AP’s new voting system. Voters chose a first team and a second team. Firstteam votes are worth 3 points, and second-team votes are worth 1.

High school student Thompson selected 1st in NWSL Draft

The NC Courage made four picks in the first round

The Associated Press

ALYSSA THOMPSON was the top pick in the National Women’s Soccer League draft on Thursday by Angel City, becoming the first high school player to be selected in the history of the league.

Thompson, an 18-year-old forward out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, declared her eligibility for the draft late last week. She initially committed to Stanford.

“It’s a crazy feeling,” said Thompson, who watched the draft from her home in Los Angeles. “And I’m so happy that I get to be surrounded by my friends and family. I’m just really excited. My heart’s beating really fast.”

Thompson made her debut with the U.S. senior national team last year while also playing for the under-19 Total Futbol Academy boys’ team in MLS NEXT. Thompson and her younger sister, Giselle, also became the first high school players to sign a name, image and likeness deal with Nike last year.

“Alyssa Thompson, for us, is a phenom and generational player. She’s a player who can make an immediate impact, but she’s also young and can develop and look to be a player that we’re building a future off of, too,” said Angela Hucles Mangano, ACFC’s general manager. The team traded for the top pick last week in order to land Thompson.

The Kansas City Current selected Duke forward Michelle Cooper, winner of the MAC Hermann Trophy for best college

player, with the second pick of the draft. The Current acquired the pick in a trade with Gotham for forward Lynn Williams.

The North Carolina Courage dealt forward Diana Ordonez, who scored 11 goals as a rookie last season, to Houston after the native of Mexico asked to traded to be closer to her family. In return, the Courage received the eighth overall pick, selecting Cal defender Sydney Collins, the Dash’s first round pick next year, $100,000 in allocation money and an international spot for the upcoming season.

The Courage used their three other first round pick on players from the ACC, picking Notre Dame forward Olivia Wingate sixth overall, Florida State mid-

fielder Clara Robbins ninth overall and Virginia forward Haley Hopkins 11th overall.

On top of Cooper, two other Blue Devils players were selected, both in the fourth round: midfielder Delaney Graham, 40th overall by the Washington Spirit, and midfielder Sophie Jones, 43rd overall by the Chicago Red Stars. UNC defender Tori Hanson was the first pick in the third round, 25th overall, by the Orlando Pride. Wake Forest midfielder Giovanna DeMarco was chosen 45th overall by the San Diego Wave.

In the hours before the draft, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman spoke to reporters at length about the state of the 12-team league, which is pre -

Alyssa Thompson was the top pick in last Thursday’s National Women’s Soccer League draft by Angel City, becoming the first high school player to be selected in the history of the league.

paring for its 11th season amid ongoing fallout from a pair of investigations into coach misconduct.

Earlier this week, the league permanently banned four coaches, including former Courage coach Paul Riley, and imposed other sanctions. Berman said the NWSL will now focus on making lasting change.

The NWSL is expected to name two expansion teams to join the league in 2024, and Berman said the league is “closing in on a decision.” Additionally, the Portland Thorns and the Chicago Red Stars are currently up for sale. Berman said that this season will be the first that the league utilizes a Video Assistant Referee, or VAR, for games.

Sixteen first-time players made the team

HANS GUTKNECHT / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER VIA AP

AP PHOTO

The Jets’ Sauce Gardner, right, became the first rookie cornerback since Ronnie Lott in 1981 to be named to The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team.

Years since a rookie cornerback made the first team. The Jets’ Sauce Gardner received 43 firstplace votes to become the first rookie since Ronnie Lott in 1981.

STATE & NATION

House GOP demands visitor logs in Biden classified docs case

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — House

Republicans on Sunday demanded the White House turn over all information related to its searches that have uncovered classified documents at President Joe Biden’s home and former office in the wake of more records found at his Delaware residence.

“We have a lot of questions,” said Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Comer, R-Ky., said he wants to see all documents and communications related to the searches by the Biden team, as well as visitor logs of the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, from Jan. 20, 2021, to present. He said the aim is to determine who might have had access to classified material and how the records got there.

The White House on Saturday said it had discovered five additional pages of classified documents at Biden’s home on Thursday, the same day a special counsel was appointed to review the matter.

In a letter to White House chief of staff Ron Klain, Comer criticized the searches by Biden representatives when the Justice Department was beginning to investigate and said Biden’s “mishandling of classified materials raises the issue of whether he has jeopardized our national security.”

Comer demanded that the White House provide all relevant information including visitor logs by the end of the month.

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Comer referred to Biden’s home as a “crime scene” though he acknowledged that it was not clear whether laws were broken.

“My concern is that the special counsel was called for, but yet hours after that we still had the president’s personal attorneys, who have no security clearance, still rummaging around the presi-

dent’s residence, looking for things — I mean that would essentially be a crime scene, so to speak,” Comer said.

While the U.S. Secret Service provides security at the president’s private residence, it does not maintain visitor logs, agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Sunday.

“We don’t independently maintain our own visitor logs because it’s a private residence,” Guglielmi said. He added that the agency does screen visitors to the president’s properties but doesn’t

maintain records of those checks.

The White House confirmed that Biden has not independently maintained records of who has visited his residence since he became president.

“Like every President in decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said.

“But upon taking office, President Biden restored the norm and tradition of keeping White House visitors logs, including publishing them regularly, after the previous administration ended them.”

Indeed, President Donald Trump’s administration announced early in his presidency that they wouldn’t release visitor logs out of “grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.” Democrat Barack Obama’s administration initially fought attempts by Congress and conservative and liberal groups to obtain visitor records. But after being sued, it voluntarily began disclosing the logs in December 2009, posting records every three to four months.

A federal appeals court ruled in 2013 that the logs can be withheld under presidential executive privilege. That unanimous ruling was written by Judge Merrick Garland, who is now serving as Biden’s attorney general.

White House officials “can say

they’re being transparent, but it’s anything but,” the committee chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

White House lawyer Richard Sauber said in a statement Saturday that a total of six pages of classified documents were found from Biden’s time serving as vice president in the Obama administration during a search of Biden’s private library. The White House had said previously that only a single page was found there.

The latest disclosure was in addition to the discovery of documents found in December in Biden’s garage and in November at his former offices at the Penn Biden Center in Washington.

Sauber said that Biden’s personal lawyers, who did not have security clearances, stopped their search after finding the first page on Wednesday evening. Sauber found the remaining material Thursday, as he was facilitating their retrieval by Justice Department. Sauber did not explain why the White House waited two days to provide an updated accounting. The White House is already facing scrutiny for waiting more than two months to acknowledge the discovery of the initial group of documents at the Biden office.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said the Justice Department rightfully appointed special counsels to “get to the bottom” of the Biden classified documents matter as well as in a separate investigation into the handling of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s private club and residence in Florida.

Expanded US training for Ukraine forces begins in Germany

By Lolita C. Baldor The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — The U.S. military’s new, expanded combat training of Ukrainian forces began in Germany, with a goal of getting a battalion of about 500 troops back on the battlefield to fight the Russians in the next five to eight weeks, said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Milley, who plans to visit the Grafenwoehr training area on Monday to get a first-hand look at the program, said the troops being trained left Ukraine a few days ago. In Germany is a full set of weapons and equipment for them to use.

Until now the Pentagon had declined to say exactly when the training would start.

The so-called combined arms training is aimed at honing the skills of the Ukrainian forces so they will be better prepared to launch an offensive or counter any surge in Russian attacks. They will learn how to better move and coordinate their company- and battalion-size units in battle, using combined artillery, armor and ground forces.

Speaking to two reporters traveling with him to Europe, Milley said the complex training — combined with an array of new weapons, artillery, tanks and other vehicles heading to Ukraine — will be key to helping the country’s forces take back territory that has been captured by Russia in the

nearly 11-month-old war.

“This support is really important for Ukraine to be able to defend itself,” Milley said. “And we’re hoping to be able to pull this together here in short order.”

The goal, he said, is for all the incoming weapons and equipment to be delivered to Ukraine so that the newly trained forces will be able to use it “sometime before the spring rains show up. That would be ideal.”

The new instruction comes as

Ukrainian forces face fierce fighting in the eastern Donetsk province, where the Russian military has claimed it has control of the small salt-mining town of Soledar. Ukraine asserts that its troops are still fighting, but if Moscow’s troops take control of Soledar it would allow them to inch closer to the bigger city of Bakhmut, where fighting has raged for months.

Russia also launched a widespread barrage of missile strikes, including in Kyiv, the northeast-

ern city of Kharkiv and the southeastern city of Dnipro, where the death toll in one apartment building rose to 30.

Milley said he wants to make sure the training is on track and whether anything else is needed, and also ensure that it will line up well with the equipment deliveries.

The program will include classroom instruction and field work that will begin with small squads and gradually grow to involve larger units. It would culminate with

a more complex combat exercise bringing an entire battalion and a headquarters unit together.

Until now, the U.S. focus has been on providing Ukrainian forces with more immediate battlefield needs, particularly on how to use the wide array of Western weapons systems pouring into the country.

The U.S. has already trained more than 3,100 Ukrainian troops on how to use and maintain certain weapons and other equipment, including howitzers, armored vehicles and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS. Other nations are also conducting training on the weapons they provide.

In announcing the new program last month, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said the idea “is to be able to give them this advanced level of collective training that enables them to conduct effective combined arms operations and maneuver on the battlefield.”

Milley said the U.S. was doing this type of training prior to the Russian invasion last February. But once the war began, U.S. National Guard and special operations forces that were doing training inside Ukraine all left the country. This new effort, which is being done by U.S. Army Europe Africa’s 7th Army Training Command, will be a continuation of what they had been doing prior to the invasion. Other European allies are also providing training.

AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden waves before boarding Air Force One at Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Del., Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, en route to Atlanta.

AP PHOTO

From left, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US Army general Chris Cavoli, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste A. Wallander, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, attend a meeting of NATO defense ministers in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group format at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Moore County Sheriff’s Office to find new K-9

Last September, Roki, a K-9 from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, made headlines after helping deputies locate a missing elderly woman suffering from cognitive issues. Unfortunately, just a few weeks after becoming a local celebrity, Roki passed away due to a serious illness that caused his kidneys to fail. This past Tuesday, however, the Moore County Board of Commissioners approved a request from the Sheriff’s Office to apply for a grant administered by the American Kennel Club in an attempt to find a successor for Roki. The expected grant will provide roughly $7,500 towards a new police dog, with the sheriff’s office looking for the rest of the donations locally. In obtaining another police dog, Sheriff Ronnie Fields will maintain his legacy of reestablishing the local k-9 program, which had been inactive prior to his election in 2018.

Missing juvenile found after car chase near Locust Locust Police officers engaged in a vehicle pursuit this past Tuesday after receiving word about a potentially stolen vehicle and a missing 17-year-old juvenile.

Officers located the vehicle after it ran a red light at the intersection of Main and Central. Officers chased the vehicle into Charlotte, where the driver eventually lost control of the car and crashed into a tree off of the roadway. Police confirmed that the missing teenager was, indeed, in the vehicle. The juvenile suffered minor injuries and was released from a medical facility that day. The driver of the vehicle, who is believed to be the non-custodial biological father of the missing teenager, suffered serious injuries from the crash and is still in the hospital in critical condition. At this time, police have not released the names of the driver or the juvenile. Felony charges are expected to be brought forth against the driver.

Pinehurst approves new strategic goals

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday, Jan. 10 with the a couple of contracts needing approval and a presentation of the Village’s revised strategic operating goals on the agenda.

The council approved a contract with Oakley Collier Architects, PA for design services for renovations to the Given Memorial Library and Tuft Archives.

“Last month we met and went over the proposal that Oakley Collier gave us and this contract was in line with what the proposal was,” said Assistant Village Manager Doug Willardson.

“It will be $140,000 for the schematic design services which includes the existing conditions documentation, the programming and the overall schematic design. After that, when we have a better idea of what we want the building to look like and have a good cost estimate for that, we will go back and amend the contract for the full amount.”

According to Willardson, the schematic design phase will take approximately 12 weeks to be completed, after which the final plans can be agreed upon and construction can begin.

The council also approved an amended task order with McGill Associates for on-call engineering assistance.

“We have a standing task order with McGill for their oneoff engineering services that they provide in support of our efforts throughout the year,” said Village Manager Jeff Sanborn. “I had

previously approved a contract for $50,000 for those services, but we are going to exceed that amount for services this year.”

According to Public Services and Engineering Director, Mike Apke, P.E., the various services that McGill helps with are engineering site plan reviews, especially with large-site reviews or when the Village is short staffed, construction inspections on commercial sites and engineering consultation, such as price estimates.

The agreed upon amendment was for an amount not to exceed $80,000 and will require no additional funding as the necessary funds are already within the current FY23 Public Services Budget.

“We were hopeful we’d have been in his delegated authority of $50,000 for FY23, however, we were without an engineering technician for a while,” Apke

said. “We have a position for an engineering technician in my department and that position was vacant from April to October. One of the duties of that position is that they do the construction inspection on commercial projects. So we relied pretty heavily on McGill in Q1 and Q2 for inspection services.”

The council was then presented with the FY 2024 Balanced Scorecard.

“The balanced scorecard indicates our proposed goals, objectives, key performance indicators and our areas of focus/short term goals,” said Organizational Performance Director Matthew McKirahan. “The three areas of focus from the Strategic Planning retreats were to develop codes and ordinances to protect the character of Village neighborhoods, to support the busi-

Second Annual school choice expo announced for Moore County

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Moore County School Choice Expo and Education Summit has announced the date for an upcoming free school options event which will take place during National School Choice Week.

The Second Annual Moore County School Choice Expo will be held on Saturday, January 28, from 1-5 pm in the Dempsey Student Center on the campus of Sandhills Community College.

The event, which is the second annual offering by the Moore County School Choice Expo, will feature exhibits and informational sessions from public, charter, online, and private schools, as well as home education groups.

Additionally, education service and resource providers are slated to exhibit at the expo, including representatives from Sandhills Community College’s Promise Program, Classical Conversations, Liberty University Online Academy, Fellowship Christian Academy, Sandhills Classical Christian School, as well as a number of other organizations.

There will be question-and-answer break-out sessions regarding a variety of topics, according to a press release by Moore County School Choice Expo.

A wide variety of information will be on hand for parents interested in the various school choice options in Moore County. Additionally, parents and students will be able to meet and talk with

representatives exhibiting at the expo.

More information can be found on the Moore County School Choice Expo Facebook page: facebook.com/mocoeducationsummit.

The group’s first expo was held in May 2022 with the goal of bringing “education providers and parents under one roof so that parents can learn about the variety of educational options in our county.”

One of the expo’s lead organizers is Caroline Kelly, who grew up in the United Kingdom but whose husband’s family is from Moore County. The couple decided to retire to Moore County in 2012. The Kelly’s have grandchildren who attend Wake County public schools.

Council approves contract for design services for renovations to Givens Library and Tufts Archives

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Union Pines basketball

Union Pines’ Zion Kiser goes up for a basket against Montgomery Central in a non-conference game at Union Pines High School in Cameron, on January 11, 2023.

WEEKLY CRIME LOG

♦

MARSHALEK, ROBERT AARON, 43, W, M, 1/15/2023, Whispering Pines PD, Violate Domestic Violence Protection Order (x3)

♦ LOVE, KRISTOPHER KELVIN, 30, W, M, 1/15/2023, Out of County Agency, Possession of Firearm by Felon, Carrying Concealed Gun

♦

♦

CARSON, JASMINE LATRESE, 33, B, F, 1/15/2023, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, AWDW with Minor Present

JOHNSON, JENNIFER PARKS, 47, W, F, 1/14/2023, Out of County Agency, Resisting Public Officer, Simple Possess Schedule VI CS, Possess Drug Paraphernalia (x2)

♦

WILLIAMS, JAMES EARL, 40, W, M, 1/13/2023, Robbins PD, Possess Methamphetamine, Possession of Firearm by Felon, Possess Drug Paraphernalia

♦ KEETON, ANNA KAY, 30, W, F, 1/13/2023, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, AWDW Intent to Kill, Abuse Disable Elder with Injury, Communicating Threats

♦

GIBSON, JAMES EDWARD, 35, B, M, 1/13/2023, Bonding Company, PWIMSD Cocaine, Felony Possession of Cocaine, PWIMSD Marijuana, Felony Possession of Marijuana, Maintain Veh/ Dwell/Place CS, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, Possess Marijuana Paraphernalia

♦ BEAVER, THOMAS FLETCHER, 39, W, M, 1/13/2023, Out of County Agency, Possess CS Prison/Jail Premisses, Possess Schedule II CS

PINEHURST, from page 1 ness community

provide a safe and effective multi-modal transportation system.”

Along with the key areas of focus, the council also settled on nine Initiative Action Plans which are defined, measurable activities needed to address certain opportunities that may involve a significant amount of financial or staff resources or have a significant community impact.

Those nine IAPs include to design, build, staff and equip Fire Station 98, the relocation of the Public Services Complex to allow for redevelopment of Village Place, updating the Pinehurst Development Ordinance, expanding Downtown

parking facilities, developing and implementing a consolidated multi-modal transportation plan, retrofitting current athletic fields with synthetic turf and the expansion and renovation of Given Library/Tufts Archives.

Finally, the council elected Mayor John Strickland as a voting member for North Carolina League of Municipalities in regards to its 2023-24 Biennium Legislative Goals.

The League of Municipalities – who does a lot of lobbying of the general assembly on behalf of many cities and towns across North Carolina – asked various towns for their top legislative goals to be lobbied for and so the council put together their top ten to be submitted.

These included enhancing state systems and resources for local law enforcement officer recruitment, training, and retention; expanding broadband access through innovative partnerships, expanding state transportation funding streams for construction and maintenance for municipal and state-owned secondary roads; supporting integrated and multi-modal transportation solutions; revising state contracting laws; creating an adequate and permanent funding stream for local infrastructure; encouraging regionalization of water and sewer; and various changes to municipal services.

The Village of Pinehurst Council will next meet Jan. 24.

moore happening

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Moore County:

January 19

National Popcorn Day at Sunrise Theater

1pm – 6pm

Stop by the Sunrise Theater to celebrate National Popcorn Day! Enjoy free popcorn and free movie posters from 1pm until 6pm!

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.

January 20

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.

Cosmic Bowling 6pm

Enjoy fun for the whole family with Cosmic Bowling at Sandhills Bowling Center! Cosmic Bowling takes place every Friday and Saturday beginning at 6pm. The cost is $5.50 per game or $17.00 for two hours of unlimited bowling.

OPINION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

It’s time to get to work

IT IS A NEW YEAR and the 118th Congress has begun. It’s an honor to continue serving you and our community representing North Carolina’s new 9th District. This includes all or portions of Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, and Scotland Counties. I will continue maintaining a district office in Fayetteville, while also operating a new primary district office in Southern Pines. My office locations can be found on my website at Hudson.House.gov.

Three counties I represented previously – Cabarrus, Stanly, and Montgomery – are now in North Carolina’s 12th and 8th Districts. It has been an honor to represent these communities throughout my time in Congress. Cabarrus County has also been home to me and my family for many years, and I am proud of all we have been able to accomplish together. My family and I are getting settled into the new home we purchased in Southern Pines. I look forward to serving the new 9th District and continuing to work on common sense solutions to challenges facing our entire region, Fort Bragg, and our nation.

Solving problems has always been my focus as your Congressman. Due in part to the misguided policies of Washington Democrats and the Biden administration, we have seen our nation weakened on many fronts. Across the country, families like yours have suffered the highest inflation in 40 years and record prices at the gas pump. In fact, North Carolina is experiencing some of the highest increases in gas prices in the country, up 14 cents from one week ago.

We have also witnessed an ongoing humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border, as record numbers of illegal migrants crossed into the country over the course of last year. This border crisis has threatened the safety and security of communities nationwide, including exacerbating the fentanyl epidemic robbing countless Americans of their lives. President Joe Biden has been in office for more than 715 days, but last week announced his first ever visit to the southern border. This crisis can no longer be ignored, and House Republicans are ready

to pass solutions to secure our border and protect our communities.

Washington Democrats have been largely unable, or unwilling, to address the many issues affecting you and your family. However, with Republicans now in the majority in the House, we have an obligation to address these issues and set things in the right direction. Our “Commitment to America” is a plan to do just that by implementing common sense policies to create an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a government that’s accountable, and a future built on freedom.

Last week, House Republicans hit the ground running to follow through on that agenda. I introduced my first bill of this Congress – the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. H.R. 38 is a key piece of legislation that will protect law-abiding citizens’ rights to conceal carry and guarantees the Second Amendment does not disappear when we cross invisible state lines. It has even been called the “the greatest gun rights boost since the ratification of the Second Amendment in 1791.” I have introduced this bipartisan legislation each Congress and have promised to continue championing this measure until it becomes law.

Additionally, House Republicans voted on legislation to stop the hiring of 87,000 new IRS agents to spy on your bank account, a bill to block the Biden administration from selling oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to communist China, and pro-life bills to protect babies who survive a botched abortion and mothers who rely on crisis pregnancy centers.

We have a lot of work to do and it is an honor to serve as your Congressman. In this new year, and new Congress, I will never waiver from doing everything I can to fight for you and build a better future for your family.

Richard Hudson is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House and represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. He currently serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

| U.S. REP. DAN BISHOP

Accountability is coming

LAST WEEK in the House of Representatives, the 118th Congress kicked off in earnest. Republicans passed our first bills in the majority in more than four years. Though all of these bills will strengthen our country and economy, they were nearly universally opposed by Democrats.

My top focus in Congress is breaking the Swamp’s status quo to ensure the government works for the people – not the other way around. This is just the beginning of what our Republican Conference will accomplish this Congress.

The first order of business was undoing the Democrats’ $80 billion meant to fund an army of 87,000 IRS agents who will undoubtedly only audit and harass hardworking Americans. Every Democrat voted against this bill despite knowing that the bill will preserve upgrades to customer service and operations, while defunding the new IRS army. The last thing that hardworking Americans need are more meddling and ineffective bureaucrats.

In a huge win for the American people, the House officially established a Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. This is something I’ve worked diligently on for months, and securing this investigative subcommittee was a crucial aspect of our successful efforts to reform the House and drain the Swamp last week.

I spoke on the House floor in support of forming this

investigative subcommittee. Any bureaucrat who violates Americans’ Constitutional rights is on notice – we are coming for you, on behalf of the American people.

On the same day, Republicans and Democrats voted together to form a Select Committee on China. The Chinese Communist Party is a grave threat worthy of increased Congressional attention, and this committee will treat that threat with the seriousness it deserves.

The House also passed legislation to prohibit the Biden Administration from exporting oil in our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. When Americans are struggling to afford gas, the last thing our country should be doing is shipping our oil to China.

I proudly cosponsored and voted for my colleague Mike Johnson’s resolution condemning the 78 attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and 100+ attacks on churches since the Dobbs decision leaked.

We passed this resolution, as well as legislation to protect babies that are born alive during botched abortions. Every Republican voted for this legislation, while nearly every Democrat opposed. These votes show the true divide on the essential question of life that exists between Republicans and Democrats in Washington.

I was proud to support these common sense bills. Our work is just beginning.

COLUMN

My top focus in Congress is breaking the Swamp’s status quo to ensure the government works for the people – not the other way around.

Washington Democrats have been largely unable, or unwilling, to address the many issues affecting you and your family.

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

obituaries

Bonnie Bell McGowan

October 27, 1954 - January 12, 2023

Bonnie Bell McGowan, the eldest child of LPGA founding member Peggy Kirk Bell and an institution herself in the golf instruction and resort management business at her family-owned Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, passed away peacefully January 12, 2023 with her family by her side. She was 68 years old.

Bonnie was born on Oct. 27, 1954, and sometimes traveled as an infant with her mother, nurse and her mother’s best friend and Bonnie’s Godmother, Babe Zaharias, around the fledgling LPGA Tour. Bullet ran the resort operation while Peggy played the tour and began what would become a life-long passion of teaching golf-particularly to women.

Bonnie graduated from Pinecrest High in 1973 and played basketball and golf. She attended St. Mary’s Jr. College from 1973-75 and played golf & basketball at Rollins College (her mother’s alma mater) from 1975-76. She then transferred to the University of North Carolina and was there from 1976-78, graduating in 1978 with a degree in education and playing on the golf team.

She was preceded in death by her father, Warren “Bullet” Bell and her mother, Peggy Kirk Bell; she is survived by her husband, Pat McGowan, of Southern Pines; two children, Michael and Scotti, both also of Southern Pines; grandson James Bullet; and two siblings, Peggy Ann Bell Miller (Kelly) of Southern Pines and Warren Kirk Bell (Sallie Beth) of Washington, D.C., and the many nieces & nephews she so loved.

Sarah Ann Barlow Abbott

March 8, 1935 - January 11, 2023

Sarah Ann Barlow Abbott, 87, of Seven Lakes, NC passed away peacefully on January 11, 2023 at FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst.

Sarah was born March 8, 1935 in Johnson City, TN, to the late Tate and Armelda Barlow.

Sarah is survived by her husband of 67 years, James H. “Jim” Abbott; daughter Deborah Abbott-Brown and her husband Kevan of Colorado and their son Conor Abbott Brown; son Jim Abbott and his wife Deanna of Nevada and their daughters Aspen Hixon and Olivia AbbottPisenti.

Sarah graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from Mars Hill College. Both Sarah and Jim were avid golfers and long-term members of Beacon Ridge Golf Club. Sarah was a formidable golfer and bridge player, an expert seamstress, and a stained glass artist. She found great satisfaction and joy in comforting others and was a valued member of her church and community.

Doris Dawn Buckland Gwinn

December 28, 1939 - January 11, 2023

Doris Dawn Buckland Gwinn, age 83 of Pinehurst, NC passed away at First Health Hospice House on January 11, 2023. Doris was born in Peterstown, WV on December 28, 1939, to Theodore H. Buckland and Ella Owen Buckland. Doris was an avid golfer and enjoyed the game immensely. She enjoyed hosting friends and neighbors for social gatherings and was known for her cooking skills and her knack for entertaining. Doris (Nana) was a loyal and avid sports fan, especially football where she supported the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Emory & Henry Wasps.

Doris is survived by her daughters, Andrea J. Lutfey (grandsons Joseph and Jonathan Lutfey) and Leigh Ann Irvin (husband Steve Irvin and grandsons Parker and Peyton Coe), brother Marshall Buckland (wife Carloyn). Stepdaughter Billie Jo Graham (husband Mike Graham, grandchildren Chris Graham and Ashleigh Smith). Doris was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Lt. Col. (USAF) David H. Gwinn.

George Alvin Lovette

June 19, 1970 - January 11, 2023

George Alvin Lovette, age 52 of Aberdeen, NC passed away at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital on January 11, 2023.

George was born in Moore, NC on June 19, 1970 to William Ted Lovette Jr. and Margaret Hunt Lovette.

George above all loved being a father and grandfather.

George is survived by his daughter, Maggie Elizabeth Lovette of Sanford, NC; son, Alexander McNair (Barbara) Lovette of West End, NC; mother, Margaret (Tommy) Brewer of Aberdeen, NC; brothers, William “Skip” Lovette III of Greensboro, NC, Travis Lovette of Aberdeen, NC, Patrick (Amanda) Lovette of Hickory, NC and Jeremy Brewer of Robins, NC; grandchildren, Lilyian Rose, Brody, August and Nova Lovette; uncle, Robert (Claudia) Hunt of Carthage, NC; aunts, Brenda Thomas of Pinehurst, NC, Gay (Terry) Workman of San Antonio, TX and Kathy (Bob) Blowers of Clayton, NC.

George was preceded in death by his father, William Ted Lovette Jr.

Geraldine (Jerry) White Briley

August 23, 1934 - January 10, 2023

Geraldine (Jerry) White Briley, 88 of Southern Pines, passed away on January 10, 2023 at Peak ResourcesPinelake in Carthage.

Jerry was born on August 23, 1934 in Bethel, NC to the late Leroy and Lillian Idell White. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas (Tom) Watson Briley; brothers and sisters; and son, Gregory Thomas Briley.

Steadfast in her faith in God and love for Jesus Christ, Jerry devoted her life to serving others. She was a member at Grace Baptist Church in Fayetteville and later at First Baptist of Aberdeen where she served in the church choir, worked with children ministries and visited the homebound. After completing a three year hospital-based nursing apprenticeship program, she worked as a registered nurse in floor, supervisory and educational capacities.

Tom and Jerry, with their two sons, traveled the world throughout his twenty-year career in the United States Air Force, forging countless friendships along the way. Jerry was known by all as supportive, caring and focused on her family whom she loved dearly.

She is survived by one son, Jeffrey Watson Briley; daughter-in-law, Donna Rakes Briley; grandchildren, Brian Thomas Briley (Allison), Duncan James Briley (Michele) and Samantha Briley Robbins (Matt); great grandchildren, Elijah Thomas Briley, Greilyn Sky Robbins, Hunter James Briley, Lily Kate Briley, Asher Dean Robbins, Cayden James Briley and Lexie Claire Briley.

Patricia McKeon

March 13, 1930 - January 8, 2023

Patricia McKeon passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 8, 2023 at FirstHealth Hospice House, West End, NC with family at her side.

Patricia was born March 13, 1930 in Bronx, NY to Mary Ellen and Patrick Duffy. She graduated from Cathedral High School in NYC and also attended Bergen Community College in NJ. She was employed in the Medical magazine industry where she was a print salesperson.

She married Arthur J. McKeon in New York City on November 17, 1951. They resided in Dumont, NJ for 45 years where they raised their three children.

She is predeceased by her husband of 62 years, Arthur, and survived by her son James and wife Karen, her daughter Patricia, and daughter Maureen Hall and husband Stephen, four grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

Jane Womack

Thomas

November 18, 1943 - January 9, 2023

Jane Womack Thomas, 79, of Pinehurst, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 9, 2023 at The Greens in Pinehurst.

She was born on November 18, 1943 in Thomasville, NC to the late Fred Rudolph and Dorothy Brown Womack.

Jane is survived by her sister, Judith Wilson (Larry) from Raleigh, NC. and brother-in- law William Michael Thomas (Kim) of Mosley VA. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Robert Clyde Thomas.

Jane graduated from Carthage High School and attended both Meredith College and East Carolina University where she graduated with a degree in Education. She played basketball in high school. She was teacher of the year several times while teaching sixth grade social studies for almost 40 years in Chesterfield, VA.

James Craig Harper

February 5, 1954 - January 8, 2023

James Craig Harper, 68 of Pinebluff, North Carolina, passed away on January 8, 2023 in his home.

Born on February 5, 1954 in Prince Albert, SK Canada to the late Roy and Joan Harper. Craig worked as a firefighter for over 26 years in Canada. He was an outgoing man that was always up for new adventures. Anyone who would have met him would experience his contagious enthusiasm and joy of life. Craig enjoyed flying, after getting his private pilot’s license and guitar playing. He also had a passion for fixing and inventing new things, as well as connecting with and helping people. He was married for 47 years to the love of his life.

He is survived by his loving wife, Lauren Harper; two children, Kendall Smith (Chris) and Erin Harper (Simon); also survived by two grandchildren, Gavin and Gage Smith.

September 5, 1936 - January 11, 2023

Gretchen Ann Buckminster. 09/05/36 - 01/11/23. The Best Mum to 3 brothers; Timothy, Anthony, and Johnathan. Lived a wonderful life and always had a kind heart to those in need and feral cats and homeless dogs. Heaven is rejoicing with one of the key Mothers of Nature.

Gretchen Ann Buckminster