North State Journal Vol. 7, Issue 51

Nikki Haley says she is running for president Charleston, S.C.

Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, announced that she is running for president in 2024. She will deliver her announcement speech, on Wednesday, Feb. 15 in Charleston, S.C.

In a video announcement unveiled Tuesday, Haley says, “It’s time for a new generation of leadership – to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border, and strengthen our country, our pride and our purpose.”

NSJ STAFF

Stein won’t defend state in lawsuit

Raleigh Attorney General Josh Stein won’t defend state law in yet another lawsuit, this time one regarding the dispensing of abortion pills being challenged by a Durham physician.

The decision by Stein, a Democrat, means Republican legislative leaders who want to keep abortion restrictions consistent with state law would have to seek to formally intervene in the federal lawsuit filed in January in U.S. District Court.

Stein, who supports abortion and is running for governor next year, is a defendant in the lawsuit along with a district attorney and state health and medical officials. Stein and state Department of Justice attorneys are tasked with defending state laws in court.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Budd introduces

Build the Wall Now Act

Washington, D.C.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Budd has introduced his first bill since taking office in January, which would require the restart of border wall construction, remove all legal impediments to construction, and unlock $2.1 billion in unspent funding.

Co-sponsors of the bill include fellow North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (RTX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), James Risch (R-ID), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).

“President Biden has created the worst border crisis in American history. Instead of taking steps to solve this crisis, the Biden administration has tried to run out the regulatory clock on border wall construction. It’s time for a comprehensive solution to end the Biden Border Crisis, and this bill does just that,” said Budd in a statement Tuesday.

NSJ STAFF

New DPI report ties teacher effectiveness to mitigation of pandemic learning loss

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A new white paper report from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration (OLR) links teacher and principal effectiveness to mitigation of pandemic learning loss.

OLR’s report says that students scored better on the state’s endof-year tests during the 2020-21

school year if their teachers had in past years shown strong student outcomes.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt said in a press release that the latest findings from the state’s learning loss data underscore the value of measuring teacher effectiveness and its impact on student achievement. “We know from our lost instructional time reporting that years of

experience are meaningful,” Truitt said, “but knowing if teachers are effective – measured by results with their students – is more meaningful. The findings from this report are important, as it gives us data that will be used to guide our work and guide decision-making as it impacts student success.”

The report found students linked to teachers rated as effective

See DPI, page A2

Another Parents’ Bill of Rights may be filed in the NC House

The Senate version of the bill now sits in a House committee

“opt-in” for puberty and sexual health instruction.

Will NC students have to get the shot to go to school?

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially added COVID-19 shots to the recommended childhood immunization schedule on Feb. 9.

Last fall, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend the CDC add the shots to the schedule for children ages 6 months up through 18 years old.

Dr. Neil Murthy and Dr. A. Patricia Wodi authored the report recommending COVID-19 shots be added to the schedule.

“This means COVID-19 vac-

cine is now presented as any other routinely recommended vaccine and is no longer presented in a special “call out” box as in previous years,” Dr. Neil Murthy and Dr. A. Patricia Wodi said in a statement. “This, in a sense, helps ‘normalize’ this vaccine and sends a powerful message to both healthcare providers and the general public that everyone

ages 6 months and older should stay up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccines (including a booster, when eligible), just as they would with any other routinely recommended vaccine.”

As for booster shots, the CDC directs the public to its guidance on booster dose vaccination. As new boosters are approved, the guidance will list which boosters are recommended and for what age groups. During a House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting on Feb. 8, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky was questioned by lawmakers about the shots.

In response to a question from Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) about why the shots were added to the schedule for the population least vulnerable to the disease, Walensky said the only reason they did it was in order to pay for COVID-19 vaccines for certain children.

“It was the only way it could be covered in our Vaccines for Children program,” Walensky told Crenshaw. “It was the only way our uninsured children would be able to have access to the vaccines. That was the reason to put See VACCINE , page A2

By A.P.

Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — In an interview with North State Journal on Monday, House Education Committee Chair Rep. John Torbett (R-Gaston) indicated that the House will have some additions to the Senate Bill 49, the Parent’s Bill of Rights.

Senate Bill 49 seeks to increase transparency for parents in a number of areas such as the well-being of students and curriculum. It also bars teaching controversial gender ideology and sexuality topics in Kindergarten through fourth grade.

Similar to last session’s Parents’ Bill of Rights, the bill appears to be in a time-out in a House committee, however, that may be because the House has designs on a bill of its own according to Torbett, who discussed some possible changes in its own version of the bill or may submit it as a companion bill the existing Senate version.

One of the significant changes would be extending the prohibition on sexual topics and gender identity in the classroom through seventh grade when health education occurs as written in state statutes. In addition, tightening up the definitions of puberty education that is given as instruction often in fifth grade will be included.

“Now, I am very much aware about folks concerned about letting kids know about puberty,” said Torbett. “I’m having staff draft some pretty tight language that defines what educating people about puberty actually is.”

Torbett later went on to say “Someone’s really got to explain that to me or let me see the proof in the pudding about what will be taught. I’m asking for at least seventh grade.”

The Gaston legislator also said the House version would include language about giving parents an

“There are some organizations out there that would like to see none of that until high school,” said Torbett. “I don’t think I can get a bill passed that way, but what I think I can do is give the opt-in for parents also across the board.”

Additional language in the realm of more transparency may also be in a House version. Torbett said parents should always be notified first and know exactly what’s going on with their child’s education.

When asked about pushback from LGBT activists and House Democrats on the provisions in the Parents’ Bill of Rights, Torbett

See PARENTS , page A2

The chamber of the North Carolina House of Representatives at the state legislative building in Raleigh. AP PHOTO

Ariel Aviran, 7, in the arms of his father, receives a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from medical staff.

Mark 12:31

Definitions are important. Who is my neighbor? What is it to love my neighbor? If we can make “neighbor” mean just a little set of people, our own set; and if we can define “love” to suit our own selfish notions, it will be comparatively easy to pray, “Lord, incline our hearts to keep this law.” But Scripture does not yield itself to our interpretation in this way. We cannot take its words, as the potter takes the clay, and mold them to suit our pleasure. Both neighbor and love are clearly defined in the Bible.

It once happened that a certain man asked Jesus who his neighbor was, and we have the answer in the parable of the Good Samaritan. A neighbor is anyone who is near us and is in any need, distress, or danger. He could be the worst man in the land, outlawed by his own sins — he is still our neighbor, the man the commandment bids us to love. We would be willing enough to love our neighbors, if we could choose them — but this we cannot do. We must let God choose the particular neighbor He wants us to love.

What is it to love our neighbor? It is the loving that is hard. We could do almost anything else, short of loving unpleasant neighbors.

But love is the word, and no revised version changes it. No matter how disagreeable, unlovely, unworthy, our neighbors for the time may be, still the commandment persistently and relentlessly says to us, “You shall love him.”

Our neighbors are about us all the time, needing our love. Indeed, they touch our lives so continually, that we must guard our every look, word, and act— lest we hurt some sensitive spirit.

Some people seem to forget that other people have feelings. They are constantly saying words and doing things which give pain. True love is thoughtful. We must train our hearts to never jokingly give pain to any other human being. Our neighbors have hearts, and we owe to every one of them—the beggar we meet on the street, the poor wretch we find crawling in the mire of sin’s debasement, the enemy who flings his insults in our face—to

everyone, we owe the love that is thoughtful, gentle, and gives no hurt. Our love ought also to be patient. Our neighbor may have his faults. But we are taught to bear with one another’s infirmities. If we knew the story of men’s lives, the hidden burdens they are often carrying for others, the unhealed wound in their heart—we would have most gentle patience with them. Life is hard for most people, certainly hard enough without our adding to its burdens.

“Your neighbor” is any man, woman, or child, of whatever character, condition, nation, or religion, whom God may place near you in need.

But there is an inner circle. There is a brotherhood in Christ that is closer still. We are to do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of faith. That does not mean, merely one’s own particular church.

“The good Samaritan” (1890) is a painting by Vincent van Gogh which is now in the collection of the KröllerMüller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands.

one great, wide, beautiful landscape of meadow and field and forest, with winding stream and river, shining in rich loveliness beneath the pure skies. So it is, as we rise nearer to God in love and faith and Christian experience. The fences that divide God’s great church into ecclesiastical farms and pasture fields, grow smaller and smaller, until at last they vanish altogether; and we see only one wide, holy, Christlike church. All true Christians are one in Christ. Most differences of denominationalism are but of minor importance, in comparison with the love of Christ, the cross, the Bible, and heaven— which all true Christians have in common. We should learn to love one another as Christians; love soon breaks down the fences. We should comfort one another and help one another, on the way home.

One who went up in a balloon said that as he arose, the fences that divided the country into fields and farms faded out, until soon he saw only

by state governments to undermine a parent’s right to make the best decisions for their children.”

quired to take the vaccine to attend public schools and universities.

it on the schedule.”

Walensky also said 2,000 children had died from COVID since the pandemic started but made no mention of the mounting reports of “sudden” deaths and vaccine injuries.

According to the 2020 Census, 331.4 million people are living in the United States and 73.1 million of them were under the age of 18.

“The CDC’s decision to add the COVID-19 vaccination to its schedule only further erodes public trust, as health experts and other countries have said there is ‘no clear benefit’ to vaccinating young children against the virus,” committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) said in a statement following the meeting.

Rodgers also said that “Like we’ve seen throughout the pandemic, these actions could be used

The CDC’s immunization schedules are a summary of current vaccine recommendations for children, but do not set a vaccine requirements for schools. Requiring the COVID-19 shots for children under the age of 18 can only be done at the individual state level.

The North Carolina Commission on Public Health (NCCPH) is the body in that has the power to add the CDC’s COVID shot recommendation. The NCCPH is a division of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. (NCDHHS).

In the last year, the NCCPH has discussed the addition of COVID shots to the immunization requirements for the state’s K-12 children.

In fall of 2021, the commission was presented with a petition asking for all kids 17 and up to be re-

In February 2022, the commission unanimously voted down the petition with several members stating parents should make that decision for their children. At least one noted a lack of data and longterm studies on the adverse effects of the vaccines on kids.

The NCCPH’s rejection of the petition was bolstered by a letter to the chair from NCDHHS official calling the proposed action “premature.” The letter was signed by NCDHHS State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Tilson as well as Mark Benton, the assistant NCDHHS secretary and Dr. Kelly Kimple, chief of the NCDHHS women’s and children’s health section.

The commission has not signaled any intent to add the COVID shots to North Carolina’s schedule since last February, however, the

DPI from page A1 or higher before the pandemic experienced less impact on academic achievement during the pandemic than students linked to a teacher rated as less effective before the pandemic.

Negative impacts were mitigated for students whose teachers were identified as meeting or exceeding expected growth across all tested subjects, according to the results of the report. This was found to be especially true for reading in grade 4, math in grades 5 and 6, Math 3 in high school and grade 5 science.

Additionally, pre-pandemic teaching effectiveness did not appear to mitigate negative impacts in reading in grades 7 or 8.

A blog post about the report states that “the impact of the pan-

legislature has the power to intervene under the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) if a proposed rule change receives objections from 10 or more persons. Legislation has also been introduced in the N.C. House to bar schools and employers from requiring a COVID vaccination.

The next meeting of the NCCPH is set for May 3, however, the commission’s website does not yet list any details or a location.

The lack of meeting details is part of a distinct public transparency issue with the commission’s website.

In covering the activities of the commission, North State Journal has been routed through NCDHHS’ communications department for access to basic items such as meeting materials as the NCCPH website does not provide meeting videos, agendas, presentations or minutes.

demic on student achievement was much more closely related to teachers than to their principals.” Also, teachers and principals who had been at their school for over three years “moderately mitigated the negative effects of the pandemic on students’ performance.”

According to OLR, the new analysis weighed the longevity of teachers in their same schools before and during the pandemic as a potential factor affecting student outcomes and found longevity “less consequential than effectiveness, as measured by student test scores.”

“Overall, very little difference was observed in student performance during the pandemic when comparing their teachers’ longevity at their schools for teachers serving 4-7 years or 8 or more years,” the report said.

“This, in a sense, helps ‘normalize’ this vaccine and sends a powerful message to both healthcare providers and the general public that everyone ages 6 months and older should stay up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccines, just as they would with any other routinely recommended vaccine.”

“District and school leaders should consider placing their best, not necessarily most experienced, teachers where they can have the most impact, including early grades reading and middle grades math and science,” said OLR Director of Research and Evaluation Dr. Jeni Corn.

OLR partnered with SAS Institute to conduct a comprehensive measure of the pandemic’s impact on student academic progress. SAS Institute’s statistical tool is called EVAAS (Education Value-Added Assessment System). EVAAS measures effectiveness of schools, districts, teachers and principals. The tool has three designations based on progress students make during the school year; does not meet expected growth, meets expected growth or exceeds expected growth.

PARENTS from page A1

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. said in part that “they have every right under our constitution to be wrong.”

Gov. Roy Cooper would likely veto the measure, however, Torbett confirmed to North State Journal that a veto override will likely be successful, largely in part to at least one Democrat voting with Republicans in an override situation. Torbett agreed when asked if that Democrat might be Rep. Tricia Cotham (D-Mecklenburg). Torbett said the focus of legislators for the last 18 months has been looking at a “new form of education” that he calls the “trifecta” of students, parents, and teachers. Also on Torbett’s legislative

agenda are topics like school discipline, teacher licensing, calendar flexibility, and revision of the state’s A-F system for grading schools.

“We are looking to tighten up discipline,” said Torbett. “I believe we have for the last four years been giving a disservice to our kids; to allow them to run the halls of our high schools and middle schools and some cases, even elementary schools with very vulgar language.”

He went on to say that language that used to be “absolutely abhorred and not allowed is now becoming commonplace” and must be dealt.

“If a teacher tells them to sit down and be quiet, then if they have foul language or words that

“We’re losing teachers because of this feeling of unsafe they have in our classrooms. We need to make that go away.”

State Rep. John Torbett (R-Wake)

direct towards that teacher, someone needs to have that teacher’s back,” said Torbett. “We’re losing teachers because of this feeling of unsafe they have in our classrooms. We need to make that go away.”

A final topic touched on by Torbett involved the state’s end-ofgrade testing regimen and House Bill 23, which deals with a program called “Gooru” which gives teachers a real-time dashboard of student progress.

“If you just stop for a minute and think about what an end-ofgrade test is, you’re hoping that child is going to be the best that child can possibly be on one day out of the year,” said Torbett.

“To me, that’s one of the most ludicrous ways of trying to gauge an education of a child,” Torbett said about a single end-of-year test. He went on to say cumulative scores throughout the year to create a child’s grade were a “more valid outcome” regarding what the child has or hasn’t learned.

Torbett also said the reason Gooru had not already been implemented was due to a past budget not being approved and “feet dragging” by the Cooper administration. He said for whatever reason, Cooper’s office has not issued a request for proposal in almost two years.

Torbett said they’ve had enough of waiting.

“We want to get it in schools this past year, but we were unable to,” said Torbett. “If we want to get it in school this next year, we have to act - which is why I pulled it out of the budget and just funded it directly via House Bill 23.”

The bill does not yet have a fiscal note filed or dollar figures for the proposed three-year Gooru contract.

VACCINE from page A1

Dr. Neil Murthy and Dr. A. Patricia Wodi statement

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

COURTESY PHOTO

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt speaks at a House Education Committee hearing.

2022 Top Lobbyists in North Carolina

The 2022 short session at the North Carolina General Assembly proved to be relatively efficient as legislators focused on necessary legislation before departing the capital for election season.

Over 750 individuals registered as lobbyists or legislative liaisons for the 2022 legislative session. Each was considered as the North State Journal sought to determine the top lobbyists in North Carolina for a third year.

For the second year, the North State Journal’s rankings also include the top legislative liaisons, a group of legislative influencers who advocate for the policies of state institutions, cabinet agencies and council of state offices.

The North State Journal staff surveyed legislators,

staffers, reporters and business leaders and parsed data on the clients represented by the registered lobbyists for 2022. Forty Legislators cast ballots for this year’s rankings. Ninety-one individuals received at least one vote.

The alphabetical list includes the Top Ten Lobbyists, Top Five Liaisons, and Top 25 Lobbyists.

The list is primarily comprised of lobbyists with significant clients — both in number and in quality — but also includes company lobbyists, agency advocates, and trade association representatives. The lobbyists survey was conducted in January 2023 and was delivered to every member of the General Assembly via email.

Less than 4% of all registered lobbyists made the list.

Patrick Ballantine, Ballantine Company

The former state Sen. and 2004 Republican nominee for governor represented 12 clients, including the Sports Betting Alliance and Distillers Association of North Carolina.

Harold Brubaker, Brubaker & Associates

The former N.C. House Speaker represented 32 clients, including his familiar stable of blue-chip companies. Brubaker added electric vehicle brand Rivian along with Amazon, BlueCross and Blue Shield of NC, FedEx, GlaxoSmithKline, PepsiCo and SAP. Brubaker also represented the N.C. League of Municipalities, NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers and the High Point Market Authority.

John Hardin, Manning Fulton & Skinner

Attorney and lobbyist Hardin represented 44 clients in 2022. High profile clients like Food Lion, SAS, Charter Communications were joined on Hardin’s client list with Durham Performing Arts, the N.C. Railroad Company, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

Jim Harrell, Bode & Harrell

Former state representative Harrell registered for 33 clients in 2022. His clients included the Accenture, N.C. Retail Merchants and WakeMed.

Tracy Kimbrell, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein

Kimbrell, a former top lieutenant of Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, represented 19 clients, including Apple, SAS Institute, Duke Energy, State Farm, LabCorp and Atrium Health.

Ches McDowell, KTS Strategies

McDowell represented

56 clients at the General Assembly in 2022. His clients included the PGA Tour, NBA, Charlotte Hornets, Major League Baseball, Truist, UPS and DoorDash. At the state level, his clients included the Lumbee Tribe, Piedmont Triad Airport Authority and RDU Airport Authority.

Ryan Minto, Duke Energy

Minto, who heads government affairs for North Carolina’s largest utility, is again on the Top 10 list following a 2021 campaign where he shepherded major energy legislation. Late 2022 attacks on power infrastructure means Duke Energy will again be front and center with increased legislative focus on power grid security.

A member of the UNC Board of Governors, Powers represented 14 clients in 2022, including the Sports Betting Alliance. He also represented Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC and several other health-related interests.

Mitchell & Jernigan

Perennial top-lobbyist Simpson represented 33 clients in 2022. AT&T, Duke Energy, and Nationwide Insurance were some of his national brand clients. Simpson also represented varied pharmaceutical interests, including Gilead Sciences, Novartis, Perdue Pharma, and WakeMed.

TOP 25 LOBBYISTS

Sarah Bales (Brubaker & Associates)

John Cooper (Connect C)

Andy Ellen (N.C. Retail Merchants Association)

David Ferrell (Nexsen Pruet)

Tom Fetzer (Fetzer Strategic Partners)

Nelson Freeman (KTS Strategies)

Bryan Holloway (Holloway Group)

Harry Kaplan (McGuireWoods Consulting)

Laura Kilian (N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)

Andy Munn (EQV Strategic)

Dylan Reel (McGuireWoods Consulting)

Jackson Stancil (Jones Street Consulting)

Cady Thomas (Focus Public Affairs)

Susan Vick (Fetzer Strategic Partners)

Kevin Wilkinson (EQV Strategic)

Zane Stilwell, Stilwell Group Stilwell is making his debut on the Top 10 list this year. He represented 18 clients in 2022, including ALG Senior, Carvana, Penn National Gaming and Golden Entertainment. His portfolio also included several healthcare and education interests.

TOP AGENCY LIAISONS

Matthew Dockham

Appalachian State University

Laura Kilian N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Chris McClure University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Fred Steen N.C. Department of Public Instruction

Sam Watts N.C. Department of State Treasurer

David Powers, Powers Strategies

Dana Simpson, Smith Anderson Blount Dorsett

TOP 10 LOBBYISTS

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

State superintendent presents education legislative agenda to lawmakers

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

At 82, Dionne Warwick staying busy with youth musical, more Buncombe County

With a stunning musical career already spanning decades, Dionne Warwick couldn’t be blamed for slowing down a bit at age 82. That is nowhere near happening. The Grammy-winning, multimillionselling singer and her music producer son Damon Elliott are among the co-producers of an upcoming 50-city touring show called “Hits! The Musical” with performers ranging in age from 10 to 22. It opens in Asheville on Feb. 23. She's also got a new duet with Dolly Parton, plans for a gospel-inflected album recalling Warwick’s church choir beginnings and a new biographical documentary streaming on HBO

Max. AP

Family confirms missing 74-year-old

Florida Lyft driver dead

Rutherford County

The daughter of a South Florida Lyft driver who went missing last month confirmed that the man has died. Lindsay DiBetta posted on Facebook that the family would be announcing information on services for her father, 74-year-old Gary Levin. Levin went missing Jan. 30 after dropping off a customer north of Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. His family reported him missing when he didn’t return home. Levin’s red 2022 Kia Stinger was spotted in Miami, Okeechobee and Gainesville, in north Florida last week. It was stopped Thursday night in Ellenboro, and the driver is being held on $2 million bond. AP

Cardiac arrest call turns out to be shooting

Burke County Burke County Sheriff’s Office deputies and county EMS workers responded to a call for a cardiac arrest at a home near South Mountains State Park on Friday. Instead of someone suffering from heart problems, they found a woman who had been shot. Brandi Deal, 41, later died from the injuries. The police have said that the case is being investigated as a homicide. WCNC

European company considering move to area

Henderson County

A European manufacturer is considering moving some of its operations to the United States, and a location in the Henderson County mountains is under consideration to become the first U.S. location for the company. The company’s name has not been released, and the negotiations are being referred to as “Project Expo”. The county commissioners have offered an $879,000 investment to help facilitate the move. The company would bring $35 million in investment and 92 new jobs to the area. Three other locations, including two in North Carolina, are also being considered. WLOS

Raleigh police release video of stun gun use before man dies

Wake County Police in North Carolina have released body and dashboard camera footage that shows the arrest of a Black man who died after officers repeatedly used stun guns on him. Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said in a report that 32-year-old Darryl Tyree Williams died at a hospital after being confronted and handcuffed by officers early Jan. 17. Williams can be heard in the videos released Friday protesting that he didn't do anything and warning that he has a heart problem. Police have said he was stunned three times as officers tried to take him into custody. Police say they were arresting him for possession of a controlled substance. Several officers are on leave as the investigation continues. AP

Sergeant, former deputy charged in brutal arrest

Lincoln County

A police sergeant has been charged with assaulting a man during a violent 2022 arrest. Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Alden Sutton has been charged with simple assault. Former deputy Tyler Thompson faces an assault inflicting serious injury charge after a monthslong investigation by the state officials. Thompson was fired in August. Body camera footage showed the former officer punching, choking, and using a Taser on Barry Spencer Green during a May arrest. Sutton was suspended last year pending an internal investigation into the use of force.

Upgrades to tower increase

broadband availability

Alexander County Broadband internet access across the county has been increased, thanks to an upgrade at a tower located in the Stony Point community. New fired-wireless equipment was installed recently at the tower, and it is now fully operational. Rollout of the broadband access is in progress throughout the month of February, and, when completed, the new equipment will offer triple the power of the previous set-up. Approximately 350 customers will be served by the upgraded tower. ALEXANDERCOUNTYNC.GOV

Weapons detectors coming to local schools

Person County Person County school officials said that the district will be installing new weapon’s detectors at school buildings in the county. They are aiming to have the installation completed by June of this year. Person High School currently has metal detectors for students, but they will be replaced by machines that use cutting edge EVOLV software, which is also used at Bank of America Stadium. Southern Middle School and Northern Middle School will also get the new machines. WRAL

AP

“It allows us to fulfill our North Star of ensuring that all students have a high quality and excellent teacher in every classroom.”

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt

Retired K9 officer passes away

Currituck County

The Currituck County Sheriff’s Office announced that a retired K9 officer died recently. K0 Lola, who served in the Sheriff’s Office for five years, has passed away. Lola joined the police force in January 2017 and assisted in a number of ways, including helping with traffic stops, apprehending suspects and tracking and locating evidence. She retired in September of last year. She was nine years old. WAVY

Governor appoints two to RoanokeChowan board

Bertie and Halifax Counties

Governor Roy Cooper announced the appointment of two individuals to the Roanoke-Chowan Community College Board of Trustees. Catherine Everett Wilson of Windsor was appointed as a member at-large. Wilson is a Town Commissioner and the Mayor ProTem for the Town of Windsor. Geneva N. RiddickFaulkner of Rich Square was appointed as a member at-large. Riddick-Faulkner is a Northampton County Commissioner and an Instructional Data Analyst for Halifax County Schools.

Large fire battled at industrial facility

Wayne County Firefighters responded to a large-scale fire that engulfed at least 30 acres at the National Salvage and Service Corp. industrial site in Dudley. Firefighters from 23 departments responded around 1:27 a.m. Saturday after the blaze was reported. Joel Gillie, a spokesman for Wayne County, says the caller said when they saw the fire, it was three stories high. No injuries were reported but two homes in the vicinity of the fire were evacuated to ensure the safety of residents. Gillie says the cause of the fire is unknown pending an investigation AP

Couple dies in murder-suicide

Pitt County Police are investigating the gunshot deaths of a married couple in Greenville as a murder-suicide. Pitt County Sheriff’s Office deputies found the bodies of William Oscar Small, 62, and Heather Davenport Small, 44, dead in the home they shared on Lexington Downs Drive on Saturday afternoon. Both had suffered gunshot wounds. Police found the weapon on the scene, and there were no signs of forced entry at the home. WRAL

AP

—

RALEIGH

At a Feb. 7 meeting of the House K-12 Education Committee, N.C. State Superintendent Catherine Truitt presented her agency’s legislative agenda items and an update on Operation Polaris to lawmakers.

A priority Truitt presented would make computer science a required science credit for all state high school students. She also said her office is still working on a redesign of the state’s A-F performance grading system for schools including feedback from stakeholders. The superintendent also discussed the “Pathways to Excellence” program that would shift teacher pay to a performance-based model. The program includes five proposed career pathway base pay levels of $38,000 through $56,000.

“For decades we have been hearing feedback from the field saying that licensure needs to be simplified, beginning teachers need more support, and teachers need

“Wake County is now larger in population than eight states and it’s the largest county in North Carolina with 1.2 million people.”

State Rep. Erin Pare (R-Wake)

to be compensated for the leadership roles they take on,” Truitt said in a statement to North State Journal. “The Pathways to Excellence Plan does all of this, while keeping students at the center of the conversation. It allows us to fulfill our North Star of ensuring that all students have a high quality and excellent teacher in every classroom.”

Pathways to Excellence has three goals: Every student in North Carolina has access to highly effective educators; every student in North Carolina has access to a high-quality education; and North Carolina’s educators are abundant, high-quality, diverse and well-prepared to be licensed, employed, supported, retained and compensated as highly effective educators in North Carolina schools. Rep. John Torbett, a Republican from Gaston County and chair of the committee, said that legislation is going to be introduced to allow K-12 districts to pilot the new teacher pay-for-performance model.

Among Truitt’s asks was $10 million for a statewide professional development platform that would operate through the N.C. Center for The Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT). There is currently a bill working its way through the General Assembly that would put the superintendent in charge of NCCAT.

Later in the meeting a bill seeking to make state board of education members elected positions was discussed. The bill, House Bill 17, would make the state superintendent chair of that board and, if passed, would be a ballot question for voters to decide.

All North Carolina School districts elect their board of education members, and nine other states elect their state board of education members.

House Bill 17 ultimately received a favorable report with a 16-9 vote, but almost every Democrat on the committee who was in attendance voted down the measure. The lone Democrat voting yes was Mecklenburg County’s Tricia Cotham.

Bill would create districts for future Wake County Commissioner elections

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A bill filed on Feb.

13 by Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake) seeks to create voting districts for Wake County Board of Commissioners elections.

House Bill 99 would seek to mirror the Wake County School Board, which uses a method of each candidate or member residing in a specific district and being elected by the voters residing in that district. Additionally, the bill would make the elections of WBOC members

NC Democrats reject establishment choices for party leadership

North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina Democrats on Saturday rejected the party establishment’s preferences for leadership, choosing instead a slate of untested progressives.

Anderson Clayton, the party’s Person County chair, led the upstart team to a shocking win at the party’s state executive committee meeting.

nonpartisan races.

Currently, the seven members of the Wake County Board of Commissioners (WBOC) are elected in an at-large, county-wide format.

In an interview with North State Journal, Paré said House Bill 99 is “a common-sense bill.”

“We need this bill now, especially because Wake County is now larger in population than eight states and it’s the largest county in North Carolina with 1.2 million people,” Paré said.

The Wake County legislator noted that no district lines are being

redrawn and the bill does not affect the term length of any of the WBOC members. Paré cited issues with constituents feeling like they do not have a voice when all six districts are voting for one commissioner in their area who should be accountable to the voters of that area.

“A lot of some people would say it’s taxation without representation,” said Paré. “Right now, it is seven people who have a constituent base larger than a member of Congress, and that doesn’t make any sense.”

Clayton defeated Bobbie Richardson, the party’s first black female chair who was backed by Gov. Roy Cooper, Attorney General Josh Stein and most of the party’s elected officials at the federal and state level. In a statement, Clayton thanked Democrats from across the state “for trusting me to lead our party as we prepare for the 2023 and 2024 elections. I ran for Chair because I believe that we can build a brighter future for NCDP from the ground up, and I can’t wait to get to work.”

Clayton campaigned saying the state party wasn’t doing enough to turn out its base and help candidates in rural areas.

The turnover in the top spot of party leadership stands in contrast to the North Carolina Republican Party, which will see incumbent chair Michael Whatley run for a third term at the June state Republican convention. Whatley has been chair since 2019, leading state Republicans to victories in two U.S. Senate seats, regaining a supermajority in the state Senate and sweeping statewide judicial races in 2020 and 2022.

Insurance Commissioner averts large dwelling rate hike

By A.P. Dillon North

State Journal

RALEIGH — A dwelling rate hike of 42.6% requested by the N.C. Rate Bureau has been negotiated down by N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey.

“I am happy to announce that North Carolina homeowners will save more than $104 million a year in premium payments compared to what the Rate Bureau had requested,” Causey said in the release. “I am also pleased that the Department of Insurance has avoided a lengthy administrative legal battle which could have cost consumers time and money.”

“North Carolina homeowners will save more than $104M a year in premium payments compared to what the Rate Bureau had requested.”

N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey AP PHOTO

According to a Jan. 31 press release by Causey’s agency, the legal dispute with the NCRB ended after data was studied and Causey was able to negotiate a 9.9% increase; 32.7% less than initially requested.

Causey’s release notes Dwelling insurance is not the same as general homeowners insurance.

Dwelling insurance policies are primarily offered to non-owner-occupied residences of no more than four units, including rental properties, investment properties and other properties that are not occupied full-time by the property owner.

The N.C. Rate Bureau (NCRB) is a “nonprofit, unincorporated rating bureau” separate from the N. C. Department of Insurance. Established in statute by the General Assembly of North Carolina in September 1977, the NCRB provides “services and programs for the insurance industry in North Carolina for automobile, property and workers compensation,” according to its website. The NCRB first proposed the 42.6% statewide overall increase in dwelling insurance in August 2022. The request included 19.6% increase effective April 1, 2023, and a 19.2% increase effective April 1, 2024. According to Causey’s office, the 9.9% increase that was agreed on is an average statewide figure and can vary depending on the territory and the highest average premium increase would be $31. A hearing scheduled for April 17 on the matter has been canceled.

New NCDP chair Anderson Clayton is shown.

In this photo June 9, 2015, file photo, builders work on a home under construction in the Briar Chapel community of Chapel Hill.

north STATEment

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Reticence and prudence

ROCHELLE GURSTEIN WROTE “The Repeal of Reticence” in 1996 which detailed ― and implicitly bemoaned ― the loss of personal privacy due mostly to intrusive prurient journalism.

“(Reverence for privacy)” she wrote, “should be understood as a highly elaborated form of the age-old wisdom that joins privacy, shame and the sacred at the very deepest level of consciousness.” Without it, humans are reduced to a brutish level of existence not much above that of the average beast on a farm.

When we escaped the Brazilian samba music festival and found a quiet tributary to the pool, a young woman laid out a yoga mat five feet behind us and proceeded to do her yoga exercises. Which was fine ― except she popped open her laptop and proceeded to lead a class online to whom she gave rather loud verbal instructions for at least an hour.

No one really cares what anyone has to say in public unless there is a reason, and consent, on the part of the hearer to listen.

It is one thing to have uncouth journalists or Twitter trolls willfully invade and destroy someone’s privacy. It is a second thing if a person chooses to view the pornographic art of Robert Mapplethorpe in a private museum one can choose to pay to see or not. Both are dehumanizing in their own way.

It is entirely another matter for a person to open up their lives, warts and all, and force them on the world at large whether the world wants to hear about it or not.

Reticence is required to maintain a person’s individual privacy and dignity. So is prudence.

If Gurstein were to write a sequel in 2023, she should focus on the deleterious effects of the exact opposite premise for her 1996 book ― people who don’t want to keep their own privacy “private.”

On a trip to Mexico after New Year’s, we experienced several mundane but relevant instances where the lack of personal reticence and prudence were noteworthy ― and annoying.

On the flight out of RDU, a woman next to us was speaking loudly on her phone even after takeoff. She then proceeded to snore loudly for at least half of the 2½-hour flight.

On the shuttle from the Cancun airport, a dozen people got to hear, in excruciating detail, another lady’s in-depth instructions to a family member about how to feed her dog during the deep freeze which had descended on the Midwest. None of us wanted to hear her loud instructions for half an hour, but in the interest of maintaining peace in a crowded vehicle, no one told her to end the call ― even though it would have been welcomed.

After arriving at the resort and staking out a claim the next day in what we thought was the “quiet pool,” a young father pulled out a portable speaker which blared out what might have been loud Brazilian music so everyone nearby could hear it whether they liked Brazilian music or not.

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

“If I hear ‘down dog’ one more time…” crossed my mind, but I did not want to blow the whole mood of shanti for her legion of students online. None of these were earth-shattering events on their own. Taken together, they provided a slew of evidence that people today just don’t know when to stay to themselves anymore. They think everyone wants to know every explicit detail about their lives when the truth of the matter is they don’t.

No one really cares what anyone has to say in public unless there is a reason, and consent, on the part of the hearer to listen.

The freedom to not hear someone else’s speech or thoughts out loud is at least as important as the First Amendment guarantee to deliver free speech in the first place.

As pointed out by Gurstein, Victorian values of civility and gentility prevailed for most of the 19th century in the British Empire and America. No one, the Victorians believed, needed to know what a person ate, drank or, God forbid, did in the privacy of their bedroom. No proper gentleman or woman would dare sully public discourse with any revelation about their bodily functions or most private thoughts.

Reducing human beings made in the image of God to such crass examination lowers the integrity of everyone involved ― the subject of the gossip as well as every consumer of such gossip. If the only things people know about you are your use of crass, vulgar language, your sexual habits or your general shallow and intolerant existence, then that is the very definition of a sad, wasted life.

The Bible once again guides us to the right way of conducting our daily lives: “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.”

And talk about them. Not your dog’s feeding schedule in a crowded van.

Kamala Harris feels the chill ahead of 2024 presidential campaign season

FOR THE MOST PART, the first 24 months of Kamala Harris’ term as vice president have been tumultuous with a high turnover rate in her office among senior staffers, one awkward word salad after another, multiple assignment failures, and infighting routinely taking place between her team and President Joe Biden’s team among the many issues plaguing Kamala World.

There have also reportedly been tensions between Harris and Biden directly, with a newly released book alleging that, according to top sources, Joe Biden realized his mistake in picking her to be his running mate very early on.

Twice-failed Democratic candidate for president Hillary Clinton has allegedly expressed her disappointment with what she believed was Harris’ inability to “clear a primary field.”

In the summer of 2022 going into the fall, however, media outlets were suggesting that there was a renewed sense of purpose for Harris after Roe v. Wade was overturned, with some in the media claiming that she’d at long last “found her footing” on the public relations and policy front.

But well into February 2023, we’ve learned that the uncomfortable second-guessing among Democrat leaders including those in “key states” about Harris has cranked up again.

The Washington Post ran a story a couple of weeks ago which detailed how, at “a pivotal point in Biden’s term, many party activists are not sure the vice president has shown she is up to winning the top job.”

“In 2016, she won her Senate seat against weak opposition, they say,” the paper also noted. “In 2019, her presidential run ended before a single ballot was cast, doomed by an uneven performance on the campaign trail, weak support, faltering resources and turmoil among her advisers.”

Almost a week later, the New York Times ran with its own type of “is Kamala up to the task?” (paraphrasing) story, reporting on how even Harris’ allies are said to be “tired of waiting” for her “to carve out a lane for herself” ahead of a potential 2024 run in the event Joe Biden decides to be a one term president.

The also Times wrote about how — now that it appears Biden will

indeed run for a second term after all — the growing concern is that Harris will be a “liability” for him down the home stretch.

And behind the scenes, twice-failed Democratic candidate for president Hillary Clinton has allegedly expressed her disappointment with what she believed was Harris’ inability to “clear a primary field.”

To top it all off, there are other prominent Democrats who are waiting in the wings in the hope that Joe Biden decides he’d rather have someone else run alongside him.

Case in point, Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) eye-opening comments during a recent interview where she expressed support for a Joe Biden 2024 run but refused to commit to supporting Harris as his running mate. This was in stark contrast to how she jumped on board the Biden-Harris train not long after Biden named Harris as his VP choice in 2020, with Warren making sure to alert anyone who would listen that she and Harris were supposedly old pals.

Though Biden is unlikely to choose someone else considering the obligations he undoubtedly feels towards the same prominent backers who pushed him to pick a woman of color in the first place, it was still wryly amusing for those of us on the outside looking in to see Warren and some of Harris’ behind-the-scenes critics on the left confirm in their own swampy way that there are really no true friends in electoral politics — just people, like Harris, who can be tossed to the side once they’ve outlived their usefulness.

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.

To insure domestic hostility

Yale’s sociology department plans to rehabilitate its Christian enrollees by staging seminars that “discuss the paranoid, exclusionary, megalomaniacal tendencies of Christian nationalists and the immediate threat they pose to American democracy.”

AN ITALIAN ONCE SAID that American tourists are easy to spot because Americans are always moving “confidently in the wrong direction.”

The same can be said of America’s self-styled sages, who’ve been moving our universities confidently in the wrong direction — leftward — since the 1970s. Inspired by the Frankfurt School’s neo-Marxists, the hard left aims to “transform” America “into the right kind of society,” a utopia of “social justice” designed by themselves.

Their forced march through our universities began in the mid-1970s, and a half-century later, its foot soldiers remain unfazed by their failure to transform us. French philosopher and former socialist Jean-Francois Revel explained that “Utopia is not under the slightest obligation to produce results: its sole function is to allow its devotees to condemn what exists in the name of what does not.”

Anyone who has wondered what makes certain scholars devote whole careers to condemning Western “inequality” or “inequity” will find the answer in a C.S. Lewis essay that was first published in 1944. Titled “Democratic Education,” Lewis’ essay includes a keen insight into human nature: “The demand for equality has two sources; one of them is the noblest, the other is the basest of human emotions. The noble source is the desire for fair play. But the other is the hatred of superiority.”

No one would deny that a desire for fair play was the left’s original intent, but no one can deny that the progressive left seems just as intent on toppling their betters as they are on rescuing the victims of “inequality” and “inequity.”

The type that hates superiority has always been useful to apparatchiks who would advance a Marxist agenda in Western democracies. Stalin’s henchmen preyed upon Westerners who had been “hurt by fate or nature” and who needed a “sense of belonging to an influential and powerful organization [that] will give them a feeling of superiority over the prosperous people around them.” That line came straight from the Soviets’ playbook, but their approach has worked well with students in American universities.

Students who march lockstep with the hard left aim to halt the “ravages of capitalism” and found “a new world order based on justice, on equity, and on peace” — perhaps unaware that they are quoting from the machinations of Fidel Castro. H.L. Menchen dubbed such youngsters “professional world savers … young wizards who sweat to save the plain people from the degradations of capitalism, which is to say, from the degradations of working hard, saving their money, and paying their way.”

Churchill simply said that such youngsters have succumbed to “the gospel of envy.”

Dissenting students who profess a faith in free markets are tagged “Caucasoid” by classmates

COLUMN | MARIO ROSAS

Venezuelans

All of that changed with the rise of a socialist leader who promised to use the country’s oil wealth to uplift the poor.

SOCIALISM HAS BECOME a hot topic in America with an increasing number of people supporting the ideology, particularly in colleges and universities. Growing up in Venezuela, I witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of these policies that lead a nation once among the wealthiest countries in the hemisphere to be among Syria and Ukraine as one of the three largest refugee crises in the world with an estimated 7 million refugees.

Unlike those nations, Venezuela has not experienced war, only the consequences of socialism.

Now living in the United States, I am shocked to see that many individuals here support similar ideologies. It is surprising to me that people are advocating for policies that have already been proven to be detrimental. Venezuela serves as a warning of what can happen when the government takes control of the economy in the name of giving back to the people.

Venezuela is a country with abundant oil resources, once a thriving economy and a welleducated population that was considered a model for other countries in the region. However, all of that changed with the rise of a socialist leader who promised to use the country’s oil wealth to uplift the poor.

The government took control of industries, such as oil and electricity, and implemented price controls and other policies aimed at making basic goods and services more affordable for the poor. This led to shortages of basic necessities like food, medicine and toilet paper. Many cheered these decisions at the time, while others who opposed them were fired or publicly exposed as ‘traitors.’ The regime continued to spend recklessly, using the country’s oil wealth to finance populist policies and buy political support with the purpose of gaining more power.

The American people must understand that the government takeover of businesses and industries is not a solution. The government’s interference in the economy leads to inefficiencies and corruption. The more the government controls, the less freedom citizens have to make choices for themselves. The result is a loss of individual liberty and a decrease in the standard of living for all.

Many fellow college students who support

who equate capitalism with white supremacy, while students who profess a Christian faith are tagged “Jeezoid” by those who equate religion with ignorance. Yale’s sociology department plans to rehabilitate its Christian enrollees by staging seminars that “discuss the paranoid, exclusionary, megalomaniacal tendencies of Christian nationalists and the immediate threat they pose to American democracy.” Harvard’s plan has students reading “Good Without God,” chaplain Greg Epstein’s best-selling guide from 2010.

When Victorian poet Matthew Arnold died before he had resolved his own crisis of faith, Robert Lewis Stevenson joked, “Poor Matt, he’s gone to Heaven, no doubt — but he won’t like God!” The same might be said of our Ivy League atheists, but the trend they have set for universities nationwide is no laughing matter.

During his tenure as chancellor of Boston University, John Silber wrote, “No institution has contributed so extensively to the deracination and diminishment of our humanity as university faculties.” In the decade since Silber’s death, the plot to incite students’ hostility toward their heritage and their faith has only thickened, and the toll it has taken on young psyches is self-evident.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has noted “the soaring heights of mental health challenges” among today’s youth, but, hilariously, it has taken a con man to pinpoint the source. No less than Sam Bankman-Fried feels “bad for those who get f---ed by … this dumb game we woke westerners play where we say all the right shibboleths and so everyone likes us.”

The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s board of trustees would loosen the grip woke Westerners have on higher education by establishing a School of Civic Life and Leadership, where students can experience “the full freedom of expression, intellectual diversity, and open inquiry” into religion and economics. Faculty objections to a school that would welcome students whose ideas that run counter to the doctrinaire left are as daft as they were predictable.

During a 1979 interview with economist Milton Friedman, talk-show host Phil Donahue pressed Friedman to agree that it was time to replace an economic system that runs on greed. Friedman’s response includes a reminder that all of history’s great achievers have acted out of self-interest — not at the bidding of some “government bureau.” Friedman concluded his primer on economics with a question: “Just tell me where in the world you find these angels who are going to organize society for us.”

If Milton Friedman were alive today, he’d be the first to note that you will not find angels among the smug, self-styled sages who, for now, control the agenda in American universities.

bad

socialism don’t seem to understand the outcomes of what they’re advocating for. Americans don’t want to lose their power to choose their preferred product brands, sources of entertainment, or the quality and quantity of their purchases. These policies go against America’s essence. They choose to believe socialism is a way for all to access food, housing and health care.

In reality, these policies lead to shortages, hunger and tyranny.

The government’s attempts to control the prices of goods only lead to the disappearance of essential items from store shelves. The rationing system in Venezuela is a constant reminder of who is in control of every aspect of life, from what to buy and when to eat. The regime expropriated private businesses and converted them into state-run companies which are, by definition, inherently inefficient, which furthered the scarcity. As the economy collapsed, crime skyrocketed and political persecution became the norm.

A rising support for censorship is another worrying trend among Americans today. The desire to silence differing viewpoints is typical of totalitarian regimes and has no place in a free and democratic society. It is concerning to see individuals call for the firing of those who do not align with their views and demand the suppression of free speech. An ideology that (to gain power) establishes a rhetoric of hostility toward any contrary opinion or denounces a sector of the population as the sole factor responsible for today’s problems is a recipe for disaster.

Americans must resist the urge to support policies that lead to government control and intervention, and instead support policies that promote economic and personal freedom. Years ago, those who warned that Venezuela could end up as a failed state were dismissed as people thought that, with our abundant natural resources, it could not happen. It turns out that there seems to be no boundary to the damages socialism can cause.

We must understand that socialism and a prosperous, free society cannot coexist.

We must protect the values that made the United States a prosperous nation.

Mario Rosas is a Goodnight Scholar at NC State majoring in electrical engineering.

PATIENTS EXPECT DOCTORS

to rely on their training — not their politics — when offering care. Patients may be surprised to find out that at the University of North Carolina Medical School, medical training seems to have taken a back seat to political activism.

The UNC Medical School is moving to implement social justice in its medical curriculum through the “Task Force to Integrate Social Justice.” The task force was established in 2020 in response to an initiative by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) to include social justice education at medical schools throughout America. Support for the task force has been reaffirmed as recently as March 2022.

The Task Force report is a laundry list of political demands masquerading as medical care. One section urges UNC faculty to “develop curriculum for core education training sessions,” including training on “implicit bias” and the history of “racial discrimination” in the American medical system.

The report justifies such measures by claiming that racism should be acknowledged as a “public health emergency” and principles of so-called “anti-racism” — made famous by figures such as Ibrahim X. Kendi — should be implemented into the institution as well. To leave no doubt of UNC’s commitment to social justice, the task force also recommends that they hire a School of Medicine counselor with “expertise and interests in diversity and inclusion.”

UNC’s mandated curriculum is even more blatantly political. One required textbook teaches medical students to see social determinants of health through the “intersectional studies of health disparity and inequality, disability, science and technology, sexualities, narrative in medicine, gender identity and expression, race and ethnicity, and disability.”

In other words, this textbook argues that intersectionality — an ideology that assumes certain groups are more oppressed than others — is important for learning the causes of certain diseases.

What will happen when doctors begin evaluating the worth of their patients based on their supposed oppressed category?

A doctor cannot truly assess a patient’s health on the basis of their race or other characteristics; they must evaluate their individual health condition. The true problem of intersectionality in medicine is that it collectivizes medical decisionmaking. Doctors are trained to care for groups rather than individuals.

Intersectionality also undermines the proper role of a doctor.

Doctors are not called to deal with all of society’s issues. They are medical professionals who are typically specialized and trained in a certain specialty. When doctors start becoming political activists instead of medical care providers, they can no longer focus on their actual job.

Being a doctor is hard enough. Keeping up with the ever-changing demands of the woke culture should not be an added requirement.

North Carolina, on the whole, is not a healthy state. CDC data shows North Carolina has an above-average obesity rate. Compared to the U.S. median, North Carolina has a higher percentage of adults struggling with diabetes. North Carolina has above-average death rates for Alzheimer’s, drug overdoses and cancer. The Wellbeing Index, managed by Boston University, ranks North Carolina 37th out of 50 states. The hospital system in North Carolina has historically suffered from lawsuits from individuals and the federal government alike.

North Carolina is rife with issues that impact patient care. And social justice will not address any of these issues.

UNC is a public institution. It receives support from local and federal tax dollars alike. Its medical school should be focused on developing the most talented and qualified doctors possible, but instead, it’s focused on social justice.

Perhaps UNC knows this is wrong. It appears to have recently scrubbed any mentions of its social justice task force from its website. Maybe that is a tacit acknowledgment that the university knows the people of North Carolina prefer better health care rather than a generation of woke doctors treating patients by race.

But there’s no need to stop. Much like the website, woke diversity, equity and inclusion principles should be scrubbed from the medical school altogether.

Christian Watson is spokesman for Color Us United (colorusunited.org).

Yes, wokeness is lowering the quality of North Carolina’s health care

know how

socialism is now

North Carolina Education Campus

February 8, 2023

The Legislative Services Office of the North Carolina General Assembly seeks the professional services of a Construction Management firm to join the design/construction team in the schematic design phase, providing preconstruction services for the North Carolina Education Campus through schematic design, design development, and construction document phases.

Project Description: Construction of the North Carolina Education Campus to be located at 116 W. Jones Street in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Education Campus will consist of approximately 250,000 gross square feet of space, including 1,000 below-grade parking spaces. The project includes demolition of the current buildings on the site, construction of the site and utility infrastructure to serve the new Education Campus, and parking.

Site: The property consists of approximately four (4) acres located at 116 W. Jones Street in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Schedule: Date of Advertisement:

February 8, 2023

Pre-Response Meeting:

February 22, 2023

Request for Qualifications Closing Date: March 15, 2023

Interview Date: March 20, 2023

Firm Decision Date: March 29, 2023

An Optional Pre-Response Conference will be held on:

February 22, 2023 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center 2450 Alumni Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27606

Contact (EMAIL ONLY): Tim Hiltbrunner, Advanced Construction Concepts, Inc. tim@acci-nc.com

Address:

Room 2129, Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EM-

PLOYER

Request For Qualifications Data Sheet – North Carolina Education Campus

Description: Construction of the North Carolina Education Campus to be located at 116 W. Jones Street in Raleigh, North Carolina, which will house the Department of Commerce, Department of Public Instruction, Community Colleges System, and The University of North Carolina System.

Owner: Legislative Services Office

Project Overview: An Advanced Planning package is currently ongoing and identified approximately 250,000 gross square feet of space, including underground parking for 1,000 below- grade spaces on the Jones Street property.

Advanced Planning Designer & Consultants:

Architect: LS3P Associates Civil Engineer: McAdams Ge-

otechnical: Terracon Landscape: Surface678 Structural: LynchMykins MEP/FP: McKim & Creed Cost Estimating:

MBP

Selection Schedule: Optional Pre-Response Conference Date: February 22, 2023

RFQ Closing Date: March 15, 2023

Interview Date: March 20, 2023

Fee: The Fee for Preconstruction Services will be negotiated.

Selection Criteria:

• Workload that is fully able to accommodate the addition of this project.

• Record of successfully completed projects of similar scope without major legal or technical problems.

• Previous experience with the Owner, a good working relationship with Owner representatives, have completed projects in a timely manner and have performed an acceptable quality of work.

• Key personnel that have appropriate experience and qualifications.

• Relevant and easily understood graphic or tabular presentations.

• Completion of CM-at-Risk projects in which there was little differences between the GMP and final cost.

• Projects that were completed on or ahead of schedule.

Recent experience with project costs and schedules.

Construction administration capabilities.

Proximity to and familiarity with the area where the project is located.

Other factors that may be appropriate for the project.

NOTICE TO RESPONDENTS

This RFQ is subject to certain terms and conditions, which can be supplied to the respondent upon request. By submitting a response to this RFQ, the respondent acknowledges the terms and conditions and accepts all the terms and conditions contained therein. The Legislative Services Office reserves the right to add additional terms after selection of the Construction Management firm, prior to finalizing a contract.

LEGISLATIVE SERVICES OFFICE Qualifications Questionnaire for Preconstruction Services

DUE DATE: Wednesday, March 15, 2023, by 5:00 PM.

Request for Qualifications Submittal must be in the following format: Ten (10) Hard Copies Ten (10) Electronic Copies on Labeled USB Thumb Drive - No more than twenty (20) pages double-sided.

HAND DELIVER TO:

Paul Coble, Legislative Services Officer Room 2129, Legislative Building 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601

PROJECT TITLE: North Carolina Education Campus

RESPONDENT’S NAME AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE SERV-

ING THIS PROJECT:

(Include Company Name and address along with the name of the contact person with telephone number and e- mail address)

PROFILE OF RESPONDENT:

• Give corporate history of the company including organizational structure, years in business and evidence of authority to do business in North Carolina.

• Provide annual workload for each of the last five (5) years; number of projects and total dollar value.

• List projects for which the company is currently committed including name & location of each project, time frame to complete & dollar volume of each project.

• Financials – Attach latest balance sheet and income statement if available, based on company type. Audited statements preferred. If not available, attach a copy of the latest annual renewal submission to the relevant licensing board. Indicate Dunn & Bradstreet rating if one exists. (Firms must submit financial data and may clearly indicate a request for confidentiality to avoid this item becoming part of a public record).

• Attach letter from Surety Company or its agent licensed to do business in North Carolina verifying proposer’s capability of providing adequate performance and payment bonds for this project.

• List all construction projects performed by the proposer for agencies and institutions of the State of North Carolina during the past 10 years. Litigation/Claims. If yes to any of the questions below, list the project(s), dollar value, contact information for owner and designer and provide a full explanation with relevant documentation.

• Has your company ever failed to complete work awarded to it? Yes No

• Has your company ever failed to substantially complete a project in a timely manner (i.e. more than 20% beyond the original contracted, scheduled completion date)? Yes No

• Has your company been involved in any suits or arbitration within the last five years? Yes No

• Are there currently any judgments, claims, arbitration proceedings or suits pending or outstanding against your company, its officers, owners, or agents? Yes No

• Has your present company, its officers, owners, or agents ever been convicted of charges relating to conflicts of interest, bribery, or bid rigging? Yes No

• Has your present company, its officers, owners, or agents ever been barred from bidding public work in North Carolina? Yes No

PROJECT EXPERIENCE:

• List three projects of similar size, scope and complexity performed by the proposer.

• For each of the three projects, include specific details on the extent to which pre-construction & construction phase services were provided.

• For the three projects listed above where CM services were provided, list the Guaranteed Maximum Price (if given), or if not given, the estimated cost provided by you, and the total cost of the project at completion.

• For each of the three projects above where CM services were provided, compare the number of days in the original schedule with the number of days taken for actual completion.

• For each of the three projects listed above, attach project owner references including the name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the project owner representative.

KEY PERSONNEL:

• List of key personnel who will be assigned to the project. Attach sworn statement that the above persons will be exclusively assigned to this project for its duration.

• For each person listed above, list what aspects of pre-construction or construction the person will handle. For those persons who will divide their time between pre- construction and construction phases, indicate what percentage of their time will be devoted to each phase.

• For each person listed above, list his/her experience with firm, other prior and relevant experience with projects of similar size and scope in construction/design, and the person’s location. Attach the resumes and references for each person listed.

• Attach project organizational chart indicating the placement of each of the persons listed above. If the proposer intends to use a joint-venture partnership, it is critical that the project organizational chart indicates all key individuals in response to above.

PROJECT PLANNING:

Provide a brief, overall description of how the project will be organized and managed, and how the services will be performed in both Pre-Construction and Construction Phases. Project planning that offers the same project manager for pre-construction and construction phases shall be given preference.

The objective of this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is for the Owner to select a Construction Management (CM) firm to provide professional construction management services during the design and the construction of the Project as described in this RFQ.

a. The work of the Construction Management firm will be performed in two phases under separate contracts for each phase. Phase I will include the pre-construction phase services. Phase II will include the bidding, award and management of numerous principal and specialty trade contracts for others to provide the actual construction of the Project.

A Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) will be provided by the Construction Management firm at the conclusion of bidding the bid packages.

b. All work performed under this contract shall be in accordance with the General Conditions of the Contract hereinafter set as modified or supplemented by any Contract Amendments, Special Conditions, or other Contract Documents as listed hereinafter any addenda, and other components of the Contract.

B. PRE-RESPONSE CONFERENCE

An Optional Pre-response Conference will be held as set forth on the foregoing RFQ Data Sheet.

a. Should a Respondent find discrepancies in the RFQ documents, or should the proposer be in doubt as to the meaning or intent of any part thereof, he must, not later than ten (10) calendar days prior to the Response due date, request clarification in writing from the Issuing Office, which may issue a written Addendum to the RFQ. Oral explanations or instructions will not be binding; only written Addenda may be relied upon. Any Addenda resulting from these requests, or from questions raised at the mandatory pre-Response meeting, will be sent to all listed holders of the RFQ’s no later than seven (7) calendar days prior to the Response due date.

b. Any addenda/amendments to the Request for Qualifications must be acknowledged in the submitted Response.

C. RESPONSES

a. All Responses shall include the information requested by the Qualifications Questionnaire. Ten (10) electronic copies, plus ten (10) hard copies (for a total of twenty (20) copies of the Response) must be received at the issuing office as set forth on the foregoing Data Sheet in order to be considered. The Response shall be signed. The Owner reserves the right to reject either all Responses after the opening of the Responses but before award, or any Response, in whole or part, when it is in the best interest of the Owner. For the same reason, the Owner reserves the right to waive any minor irregularity in a Response.

b. Respondents must possess all licenses required by North Carolina law, including, at a minimum, an unlimited general contractor’s license in the building classification under N.C.G.S. Chapter 87, and shall submit proof of current licensing with their Response.

c. If the Respondent is a joint venture firm or partnership, the Respondent must provide all identification information for all parties and all requirements for all parties (i.e., licenses, insurance, etc.) as requested. As part of the response, under the category of Project Planning - General, the Respondent must identify the responsibilities of each joint venture or partnership party with respect to the scope of services/work inclusive of the requirements for each entity based on such services as described in this RFQ document. All joint venture/ partnership parties will be held responsible for the contract obligations jointly and severally.

d. Respondents should give specific attention to the identification of those portions of their Responses which they deem to be confidential, proprietary information or trade secrets, and provide any justification of why such materials, upon request, should not be disclosed by the Owner under North Carolina public records laws. Respondents must clearly indicate each section that is deemed to be confidential, proprietary or a trade secret as required by statute. It is NOT sufficient to preface your entire Response with a proprietary statement.

D. RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

a. A Respondent, to be considered, must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience as a Construction Manager or General Contractor. Construction management experience gained by key personnel proposed for this project during previous employment in providing Pre-Construction and Construction Phase Services may be considered in meeting this minimum experience requirement.

b. Each Respondent shall complete the Qualifications Questionnaire for Construction Manager-at-Risk that is part of this Request for Qualifications.

c. In the interest of cost-savings, consistency of submittals and more efficient use of time, the submitted information should not include any extra marketing materials. The format should be in 8-1/2” x11” pages. The package length should not exceed twenty (20) double-sided pages.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

ECU radio voice

Jeff Charles dies during road trip

Greenville

East Carolina men’s basketball radio announcer Jeff Charles died last Friday while traveling with the team in New Orleans. Charles, who was 70 years old, had worked as the team’s “Voice of the Pirates” for more than 30 years, calling 15 football bowl games and more than 1,000 basketball games. The school’s statement offered no details on Charles’ death, while TV station WNCT of Greenville described it only as due to a “medical incident” that required attention from ECU trainers and then emergency personnel. The team’s game Saturday at Tulane was postponed. Charles was named the North Carolina Sportscaster of the Year in 2000 and 2013 by the National Sports Media Association. The Ohio native had previously worked at Virginia Tech, Illinois and Furman, as well as serving as sports director at WSB in Atlanta with a nighttime sports talk show.

NFL Panthers bringing back Capers, add Caldwell to staff

Charlotte

The Panthers announced that Dom Capers, who served as the team’s first head coach from 1995 -98, and former Wake Forest head coach Jim Caldwell have been added to new coach Frank Reich’s staff. The 72-year- old Capers, who will serve as a senior defensive assistant, coached Reich in 1995 when the Panthers broke into the league as an expansion team and was NFL Coach of the Year in 1996 when he led Carolina to a 12- 4 record and trip to the NFC championship game. Caldwell, 68, was named senior assistant, and he was head coach of the Demon Deacons from 1993 -2000. Caldwell was previously head coach of the Colts (2009 -11) and Lions (2014 -17). The team has also hired Josh McCown, who spent two seasons as a Panthers quarterback, as their new quarterbacks coach.

Wolfpack look to avenge earlier loss to Tar Heels

NC State enters the rivalry game as the one team ranked for the first time since January 2013

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RALEIGH — When NC State hosts UNC on Sunday afternoon at PNC Arena, the Wolfpack will be looking for payback for the Tar Heels’ 80-69 win in January when a hard foul to guard Terquavion Smith stoked the flames of the rivalry.

The biggest difference between this meeting and many of the previous encounters between the Tobacco Road rivals is that, for the first time since 2013, the Wolfpack will be the only ranked team in the building.

ously we still have a lot of work and I don’t think anybody is satisfied just yet, but it was rewarding for those guys.”

The Wolfpack are coming off a 92-62 bounce-back win Saturday at Boston College, the third biggest road victory in team history, after having lost a tough game at Virginia last Tuesday.

“We made shots,” Keatts said on the turnaround at Boston College. “When you look back at the Virginia game, I thought we had some opportunities that we left on the rim. We missed a few layups, we missed some open shots. And when you’re playing against a great defensive team at home, you’ve gotta have every basket.

“In parts of our game, as a team, there is inconsistency.”

Davis, UNC coach

NC State is No. 23 in The Associated Press men’s basketball poll and had a NET ranking of 33 heading into its game Tuesday night at Syracuse.

“These guys do all the heavy lifting,” said Kevin Keatts in his weekly ACC presser on Monday. “As coaches, we just try to put people in the right spots, but I’m happy for our guys. I’m happy for our guys in general, but when you look at the guys that were on last year’s roster, I’m really excited for them because they didn’t deserve [last year’s results].

“Getting to 10 wins in February and 20 overall wins, I think it’s special for those guys. Obvi-

“I thought our guys bounced back. We just had to get focused and locked in, and we were going into the BC game playing against a very good team who had just won at Virginia Tech. So it didn’t take a lot for me to get them back focused because they knew how good BC could be.”

After being the preseason No. 1, UNC hasn’t been ranked since Week 8 and currently sits 46 in the NET rankings.

“In parts of our game, as a team, there is inconsistency,” said UNC coach Hubert Davis following Monday’s home loss to Miami. “There’s inconsistency in terms of shooting the ball from the outside, there’s been incon-

The 2023 season begins with new and old drivers, others in different rides and a return to one of racing’s classic N.C. tracks

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

THE GREEN FLAG waves on the 2023 Cup Series season Sunday with stock car racing’s crown jewel, the Daytona 500. Joey Logano will begin defense of his 2022 championship as one of only two active drivers with multiple titles. The other, Kyle Busch, will drive for the first time for his new team. He’s not the only new face in a new place.

Joe Gibbs Racing has replaced Busch with the latest brash rookie to come through the ranks, while 23XI Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing brought in new drivers. There’s even the start of a farewell tour for a former Cup champion who will retire following the season. The 75th season of NASCAR racing should have plenty of intrigue, especially since one of its legendary North Carolina tracks makes its return.

Know your contenders

last year’s Xfinity Series champ joining the Cup Series full time. Busch jumps to Richard Childress Racing’s No. 8 after 15 seasons driving the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing, where he won two titles (2015 and 2019). His new ride opened up when Tyler Reddick made the move to the Hamlin/Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing. The 27-year-old Reddick picked up his first career win last season and then added two more with RCR but will now pilot the No. 45, joining Bubba Wallace with 23XI.

Cup Series cometh: NASCAR returns at Daytona 500 7

Active drivers who have won a Cup Series championship.

Those two moves also cleared the way for 20-yearold Ty Gibbs, last year’s controversial Xfinity champ, to get a ride with his grandfather’s team. The Charlotte native will drive the No. 54, the same number he had in NASCAR’s second-tier series, for JGR, and he is poised to be the Cup Series’ top rookie and also its newest villain after several run-ins with fellow drivers due to his aggressive style.

At Stewart-Haas Racing, a bit of a power struggle between the two namesake owners ended with Tony Stewart getting his way as Ryan Preece will take over the No. 41 previously driven by Cole Custer.

Penske Racing’s Logano enters the season as the de facto favorite after winning the second championship of his career. He has 31 career victories, including at least one in each of the last 11 seasons, and four last year. He also won the 2015 Daytona 500.

The other three drivers who raced for the title in November at Phoenix — Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell and Hendrick Motorsport’s Chase Elliott — all deserve mention. Denny Hamlin, the JGR driver still seeking his first title, two Hendricks drivers — William Byron and 2021 champ Kyle Larson — and Logano’s teammate Ryan Blaney all figure to be competitive again this season.

New rides

Silly season saw several drivers land in new seats, including a three-team shuffle that sees a twotime champion in a new ride and

Ty Dillon is the other bigger name moving on, going from Petty GMS (now Legacy Motor Club) to Spire Motorsports, where he’ll drive the No. 77.

Graybeards exiting, coming back

Kevin Harvick, the 2014 Cup Series champion, announced on Jan. 12 that he will retire following the 2023 season. It will be a soft landing for Harvick, who will enter the Fox broadcast booth in 2024 as an analyst. Harvick has dabbled in broadcasting before, working Xfinity and Truck races several times since 2015.

While Harvick is exiting, Jimmie Johnson is returning — a little, anyway.

The seven-time champion, who retired from the Cup Series after the 2020 season but raced the full IndyCar schedule last year, will drive a part-time schedule for Legacy Motor Club in the No. 84 — the inverse of the No. 48

See NASCAR, page B4

PHELAN M. EBENHACK | AP PHOTO

NASCAR Cup Series returns for the 2023 season with the the crown jewel of stock car racing, the Daytona 500, on Sunday.

Hubert

CHRIS SEWARD | AP PHOTO

State and UNC will renew their rivalry Sunday when the 23rd-ranked Wolfpack host the Tar Heels at PNC Arena.

TRENDING

Zion WIlliamson: The All‑Star forward aggravated his previously injured right hamstring and is expected to be out into March. Williamson has been averaging 26 points per game this season but has missed the Pelicans’ past 20 games. He had progressed to the point where he was able to participate in 3‑on‑3 drills in practice and was on the court when he had his setback. The Pelicans are battling for a Western Conference playoff spot.

Wu Yibing: The 23‑year‑old became the first Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title after rallying in a three‑set, all‑tiebreaker thriller to beat John Isner in the Dallas Open. Wu overcame 44 aces from the big‑serving Greensboro native, a total that was one shy of a three‑set record. Wu was the first Chinese player in an ATP final. Wu had beaten top‑seeded Taylor Fritz in the semifinals. Isner was trying to win in his adopted hometown in the event’s second year.

Kyle Busch:

The Richard Childress Racing driver will end a one‑year break and return this season to drive in NASCAR’s second‑tier Xfinity Series for Kaulig Racing. Busch won 102 races over 362 starts in the series and continued to race in the developmental level even as he became a champion at the Cup level. NASCAR eventually restricted in 2020 the number of Xfinity races a regular Cup driver could compete in each season. Busch is expected to compete in five races, starting March 4 in Las Vegas.

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

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NC State remained the only team in North Carolina ranked in The Associated Press men’s basketball poll, sliding one spot to No. 23 after splitting a pair of games last week. The Wolfpack (20‑6, 10‑5 in the ACC) dropped a 63‑50 decision at then‑No. 8 Virginia last Tuesday but rebounded to blow out Boston College 92‑62 on Saturday in Chestnut Hill. NC State entered the poll for the first time in just over four years last week after last being ranked on Jan. 29, 2019.

Commanders coach

Ron Rivera, on the AP Pro Football Podcast, saying that the former UNC quarterback will open 2023 training camp as Washington’s starter.

Former Panthers cornerback James Bradberry on the controversial penalty called on him and the Eagles that set up the Chiefs’ winning field goal in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

PRIME NUMBER 96

Consecutive weeks the NC State women’s basketball team was ranked until the Wolfpack fell out of The Associated Press Top 25 this week following Sunday’s loss at Virginia.

Longtime Nationals owner Ted Lerner died Sunday of complications from pneumonia at his home in Maryland. He was 97. The Lerners bought the team from Major League Baseball in 2006 for $450 million, and Ted Lerner was managing principal owner until ceding that role to son Mark in 2018.

Former Tar Heels standout

Danny Green is poised to sign with the Cavaliers after being bought out by the Rockets. The three‑time NBA champion began his pro career with Cleveland in 2009. Green, 35, has played in just three games this season after injuring his knee in the playoffs last year with Philadelphia.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr turned down a trade offer to the Saints after reportedly refusing to accept a pay cut to help finalize the deal. The Saints were the only team interested in making a deal for Carr, who has a no‑trade clause. The 31‑year‑old will likely be cut by Las Vegas ahead of Wednesday’s deadline to trade or release him.

NFL

MARK STOCKWELL | AP PHOTO

NBA BRANDON DILL | AP PHOTO

MLB

JOHN BAZEMORE | AP PHOTO

“It was a hold, so they called it.”

“Sam Howell is going to start out as QB1.”

NICK WASS | AP PHOTO

CHRIS SZAGOLA | AP PHOTO

MARK J. TERRILL | AP PHOTO

ACC’s response to officiating issues is too little too late

I’M SORRY. Here’s what went wrong.

This is why it won’t happen again.

Those are the three components of an effective apology. In order to tell someone who has been wronged that you’re sorry, you need to sincerely express regret, explain how it could have happened in the first place and give them a concrete reason why you’re never going to do it again in the future.

If any one of them is missing, the apology will not ring true, and the offended party will not have any closure.

When the ACC doesn’t do the right thing for obvious mistakes by its officials, it opens the door to the lunatic fringe

When all three are missing, you’ve got the ACC basketball season.

Since the first ball was put into play in the first game, fans have complained about officiating. It doesn’t matter the sport or the level, officials take abuse from both sides. In the old days, it was shouts of “kill the ump” from the stands. Now, griping about bad calls has become a cottage industry, thanks to the ability to pull clips of bad calls and distribute them worldwide on social media. A good official may miss a handful of calls in an average game, but now, those slip-ups will be broadcast to everyone within seconds of the play ending as proof that he or she has it in for the poster’s favorite team.

Even when it isn’t a mistake, a close call can often be interpreted as a bad one, either due to ignorance of rules — such as the NFL’s hard-to-understand catch rule — or wishful thinking by fans. Countless times, arenas will run a replay of a foul called on the home team on the video board, and the crowd will ignore plenty of contact between the two players’ bodies to boo loudly because the actual shot block “looks clean.”

So, it’s easy to dismiss complaints from fans about officiating.

“Why don’t you write about the foul differential?” Because they happen. It’s harder to guard skilled players, and the teams with more of them usually end up with more fouls in their favor.

“They should let them play!” Then there will never be a game-winning shot because the final seconds will devolve into a scrum of clutching and hitting.

“What about the clear bias?” The only bias is in the minds of the people openly rooting for one of the teams.

While fans like to speculate about a vast conspiracy to keep their team from succeeding, the ACC has the opposite problem when it comes to officiating this season. Nothing that the league has shown this basketball season indicates that the officials on the floor are consistent enough to pull off any type of conspiracy. What is and isn’t a foul differs wildly, not just from game to game but from the start to end of a given game. Players will often say they can adjust to the way a game is being called, but once the officials make it clear what’s going to be allowed, they need to stick with it until the final whistle.

Instead, what was a charge in the opening minutes may be called a block after halftime, then allowed to continue with no whistle at all in the final minutes, frustrating fans, coaches and players alike.

And then there are the clear mistakes — the ones that necessitate apologies. Duke has been at the forefront of two of them in recent weeks, not because the league has it in for the Blue Devils but just because that’s how things have turned out.

Women’s coach Kara Lawson complained that officials used a men’s basketball — which has a one-inch larger circumference and is two ounces heavier than a women’s ball — for the first half of Duke’s game against Florida State.

Lawson called it a “complete failure” and “an embarrassment to our sport.”

Duke’s Kyle Filipowski goes up for a basket against Virginia as time expires in regulation of the game between the Blue Devils and Cavaliers on Saturday in Charlottesville. A foul was called but then overturned, and Virginia won the game in overtime.

The ACC didn’t even hit the first component of an apology, doubling down and denying that the incident took place. “There was no evidence found to support the claim,” the league said in a statement, although a combined 17-of-64 shooting (.266) by the two teams in the first half, compared to 28 of 69 (.377) in the second half, would seem to be one piece.

Lawson also complained that a mistake like that “would never happen in a men’s game,” but the league promptly proved that statement inaccurate when the Duke men went to Virginia. A back-and-forth game between two of the teams near the top of the league standings came down to the final second, and Duke’s Kyle Filipowski was hit as he tried to lay the ball in at the buzzer.

Officials, who initially called a foul on the play, went to the monitors to review the replay of the incident and concluded that he was hit after the buzzer sounded and overturned the call. The game, tied at the time, meaning any free throws awarded to Filipowski would have won the contest, went to overtime.

“I still would like an explanation exactly what had happened,” coach Jon Scheyer said. “I don’t know exactly what the rule is. I’d like to get some clarification, understand. … I just would like clarity. And hate it for our guys.”

It turned out, the officials didn’t know what the rule was either. The league issued a statement quoting the rule book and admitting that, even if the contact occurred after the buzzer, Filipowski should have been awarded free throws.

The statement from the league “announced an incorrect adjudication of the playing rules.” It concluded with the line, “The conference considers this matter closed and will have no further comment.”

Not sorry. No explanation. No reason to think it won’t be repeated.

When the ACC doesn’t do the right thing for obvious mistakes by its officials, it opens the door to the lunatic fringe. If that call didn’t merit action, then all the other calls will be called into suspicion by fans already leaning in that direction.

I’m sorry. Here’s what went wrong. This is why it won’t happen again.

Until the ACC does something different, it will happen again.

NFL skids into offseason after slippery Super Bowl

The field conditions neutralized both teams’ pass rush, and officiating ended up being perhaps the biggest story

The Associated Press GRATITUDE AND brotherhood were on display at the Super Bowl, where Travis and Jason Kelce tussled for the Lombardi Trophy in a classic back-and-forth clash and Damar Hamlin received a rousing ovation during a pregame ceremony honoring the men and women who saved his life.

The feel-good vibes didn’t last as long as the NFL would have liked, however.

After the NBA encroached on the NFL’s biggest week by moving its trade deadline from late March to smack dab in the middle of Super Bowl week, the Kansas City Chiefs rallied past the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 after the game took on the flavors of both MLB and the NHL.

The NFL’s biggest stage looked too much like a hockey rink when State Farm Stadium lived up to its reputation of slippery fields with players from both teams having a hard time keeping their footing.

The waxy grass neutralized the vaunted pass rush for both teams, helping Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts rack up points like pinball wizards at a vintage arcade.

Yet, just days after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell declared the league’s officiating better than ever, a debatable holding call just after the two-minute warning ensured there would be no chance for a fantastic finish to an otherwise scintillating Super Bowl 57.

The flag — just the ninth penalty of the game — was akin to an umpire suddenly expanding his strike zone in the ninth inning, and it drew condemnation far and wide.

The Chiefs faced third-and-8 at

NC STATE from page B1

sistencies in terms of staying on script and doing the discipline and the details, the little things that allow you to put yourself in a position to be successful. Those are things you just have to fix.”

Inconsistent shooting has plagued the Tar Heels all season, and it was again on display

the Eagles 15-yard line with 1:54 remaining when Mahomes threw incomplete to JuJu Smith-Schuster. But officials flagged James Bradberry for defensive holding, which negated the incompletion and, more importantly, gave the Chiefs a first down.

Replays showed that Bradberry made light contact with Smith-Schuster, though it didn’t appear to affect the play that much.

Referee Carl Cheffers said it was a “clear case of a jersey grab” and added that nobody on his crew disagreed with the penalty. There was plenty of bickering from fans and commentators.

Former NFL tight end Greg Olsen wasn’t happy with the decision on

in UNC’s loss to Miami. The Tar Heels shot just 5 for 33 (15.2%) from beyond the arc and saw a one-point halftime deficit quickly stretched out.

“In the first half, we were able to get to the basket,” Davis said. “We tried to get the ball to Armando [Bacot] a little bit more in the first half, but it felt good because we were still attacking the basket and

the Fox broadcast and ESPN and Amazon analyst Kirk Herbstreit also was critical on social media, as were several current and former NFL players.

ESPN commentator and former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck said it’s too much to ask officials to suddenly swallow their whistles in crucial moments because fans want to see a more climactic ending to the Super Bowl.

“That to me, in a regular-season game on third-and-7, that’s a flag. I don’t want the officials calling it any differently because it’s a tie game in the Super Bowl,” Hasselbeck said. “The job is hard enough. Let’s not have them all of a sudden call it differently based on, ‘Hey it’s

getting points in the paint. In the second half, we tried to do that, and they just did a better job of closing down that paint. The only way you could open that up is to make some perimeter jump shots, and we just weren’t able to do it.”

UNC enters Sunday’s game in Raleigh in need of the Quad 1 victory as the Heels flirt with the outskirts of an NCAA Tournament

a tie game, everyone at home would like a close one.’”

Kansas City was able to essentially run out the clock after the flag, giving coach Andy Reid his second Super Bowl title, this one against the team that once fired him after he couldn’t win the big one in Philadelphia.

After Harrison Butker kicked a 27-yard field goal with 8 seconds remaining, the Eagles got the ball back with only the chance for a desperation heave from Hurts that didn’t get anywhere near the end zone.

Despite all the consternation surrounding what many considered a ticky-tack flag, Bradberry acknowledged he committed a

bid, and Davis said it all starts with shooting and effort.

“How do you respond or move forward?” Davis said. “You get back up and go to work and compete and put yourself in a position to be able to compete to the best of your ability in the next game. We weren’t good enough to beat Miami, it is what it is. So let’s go back to work and let’s see if we can get

penalty on the pivotal play.

“It was a holding,” Bradberry said. “I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide.”

Sliding was the theme of the afternoon, after all.

The Eagles’ pass rushers didn’t record a single sack in the Super Bowl after piling up an incredible 78 during the season, including 10 in the playoffs. Hurts and Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert were among the players who changed their cleats at halftime to get better traction.

“It’s not like we were playing on the on ice and they were playing on grass,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “We all had to play on it, we all have to figure out our shoes.”

better this week and put ourselves in position to play against a really good NC State team on their home floor.”

For the Wolfpack, it’s a chance to not only exact revenge but also kick their bitter rivals while they’re down — and also stake their claim to being, for the first time in a long time, the state’s top team.

ABBIE PARR | AP PHOTO

The slick turf during Sunday’s Super Bowl limited the effectiveness of Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick and other pass rushers.

MIKE KROPF | AP PHOTO

Finally here: Raleigh prepares for NHL Stadium Series

Several events lead up to Saturday’s outdoor game at Carter-Finley Stadium between the Hurricanes and visiting Capitals

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — The main event will be Saturday night, but the Carolina Hurricanes and NHL have served up a week’s worth of activities ahead of the Feb. 18 Stadium Series game against the Washington Capitals at NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium.

Any questions about whether or not the Triangle would have issues hosting such a big event were quickly stamped out by how quickly tickets — an estimated 57,000 will be attendance — were sold.

“I have to admit, we’re surprised by how quickly this fan base gobbled up tickets,” Steve Mayer, NHL chief content officer and event producer, said Monday. “Absolutely incredible. It shows how this market has grown, how much they love hockey. I think it’s one of the fastest-selling games we’ve ever had. And so that says a lot about Raleigh, a lot about Carolina and the interest in the game. We expect quite a crowd here.”

The rink, which is centered on the Wolfpack’s football field, is expected to be ready by Wednesday, and the lead-up to the game includes events in downtown Raleigh, the area surrounding Carter-Finley Stadium and PNC Arena, and inside the stadium.

Both teams are scheduled to skate at the rink on midday Friday, though weather could complicate things: The forecast calls for rain, which would likely lead to the teams moving their practices indoors.

“We’re gonna try to get them on the ice,” Mayer said. “But if the rain is significant, we’ll probably move them into an indoor facility. That’s what we typically do. We don’t want to … but we also want to preserve the ice for Saturday’s game.”

Earlier Friday, the Veterans Showcase Hockey Tournament will take place at Raleigh Polar Ice (2601 Raleigh Blvd.) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. between four teams, includ-

A crew works on preparing the outdoor rink on Monday for the Stadium Series game at NC State’s

Stadium between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals scheduled for Saturday night.

ing one from Fort Bragg.

“Through the Veterans Showcase, we’re able to create a platform for veteran hockey teams to share their stories and celebrate their talent,” said Capt. Keith Hoskins (USN Retired), executive vice president of branch operations for event sponsor Navy Federal Credit Union. “Moments like this are how we honor the hard work, commitment and camaraderie of our members, the NHL and its fans, and we’re very proud of that.”

A fan fest will take place downtown on Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with two live music stages, street hockey, beer stations and more than 30 food trucks, and several local team mascots and activities for children. Fans will have the opportunity to take photos with Hurricanes alumni and the Stanley Cup, and the night will end with a fireworks and drone light show at 9 p.m.

While weather looks iffy for Friday, Saturday is expected to have

Hornets deal Plumlee, McDaniels; keep Rozier, Hayward at trade deadline

Charlotte made a pair of moves as it plans for the future

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — If you’re the front office of an NBA team that is one of the leading candidates to embrace the tank in an effort to land French big man Victor Wembanyama in the draft, the strategy for navigating the trade deadline is deciding which players fit into the team’s future blueprint.

Rumored to be major sellers with Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, Mason Plumlee, PJ Washington, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Jalen McDaniels all serving as potential trade candidates, the Hornets opted to part with just two players last week.

In exchange for Plumlee, the Clippers sent a 2028 second-round pick and Reggie Jackson to Charlotte (16-43). Jackson has since completed a contract buyout with the Hornets and intends to sign with the Nuggets.

For McDaniels, the Hornets agreed to a three-team deal with the Trail Blazers and 76ers that sent the fourth-year forward to Philadelphia for two future second-round picks and New York’s Svi Mykhailiuk, who was flipped by Portland. C harlotte will get, from Philadelphia, the most favorable of

NASCAR from page B1 he drove during his career with Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson will attempt to qualify for this week’s Daytona 500 and also enter the Cup Series’ first street course race, scheduled for downtown Chicago on July 2.

three 2023 second-round picks (Hornets, Hawks and Nets) as well as the most favorable of the Pelicans and Blazers’ 2027 second-round picks (from Portland).

Plumlee and McDaniels had been playing some of the best basketball of their careers.

Plumlee, 32, is averaging 12.2 points and 9.7 rebounds in 56 games this year during the final year of his contract. His trade stock had risen over the past few months as his offensive efficiency increased despite the Hornets’ struggles. McDaniels was also posting career highs in points (10.6), rebounds (4.8) and assists (2.0) this season.

As for the immediate future, the trades serve as a signal that Mark Williams and Nick Richards will receive increased minutes in the center rotation.

On Feb. 10, Williams registered a double-double during his first career start in a loss on the road to the Boston Celtics, producing 11 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes. Three days later, the No. 15 draft pick from Duke notched 15 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 30 minutes in a home victory over Atlanta.

“He had a couple of plays in Summer League like that and he’s had a couple plays in the G League like that,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said of Williams’ ability to go up strong for contested blocks and rebounds. He’s

Get ready for North Wilkesboro

The most intriguing date on the Cup Series schedule is May 21 when NASCAR’s top series returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time since 1996 for the All-Star Race. The track, which

“I think it’s one of the fastest-selling games we’ve ever had.”

The NHL’s Steve Mayer

a high of 52 degrees and low of 35 degrees with no rain.

“We see nothing in the forecast coming up that presents a problem at all,” Mayer said. “There could be a little rain for practice day, so we’re keeping our eye on that. But game day temperatures look great — actually perfect.”

Parking for the game on Saturday — which should be purchased ahead of time at NHL.com/stadiumseries — will open at 2 p.m., and the NHL will have its PreGame festivities running from that time until 7:30 p.m. That will include a chance for fans to face off in bubble hock-

ey or attempt trick shot and stick handling challenges. There will also be an NHL esports event, the EA Sports NHL 23 Stadium Series Open, from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., along with other booths and attractions. The Stanley Cup will again be available for fan photos.

The league announced Tuesday that alternative rock group lovelytheband will perform at 4 p.m. at the PNC Arena East 1000 parking lot.

The gates to Carter-Finley Stadium will open at 6 p.m.

The Hurricanes announced that three alumni of the 2006 Stanley Cup team — Erik Cole, Mike Commodore and Chad Larose — will serve as siren sounders before each period, and during the first intermission of the game, country musician Jake Owen will perform.

The NHL, which is renting Carter-Finley Stadium from NC State for the event, will also try and incorporate aspects of the football game day experience beyond the

tailgating that fans have already integrated into the Hurricanes’ culture.

“The other thing for us which is really important is to celebrate not only the Hurricanes and hockey in this region but to celebrate NC State,” Mayer said. “I think you’ll see in things that we’re going to incorporate from a creative standpoint, we’re really going all in on NC State as well.

“Whether it’s alumni, whether it’s the marching band and other elements that you might see during a football game, that’s part of why it’s so special wherever we go (for outdoor games) to really celebrate where we’re at and show it off. Not only to those who are in the stadium but those who are watching … around the world.

“This is a global game. That is televised around the world and our signature game, these outdoor games. So we’ll be proud to show off NC State as well as Carolina Hurricanes hockey.”

Center

NBA trade deadline.

got really great hands and agility for his size. … He just has to keep learning. He’s super talented.”

While the Hornets did make two moves ahead of the deadline, there was some surprise that more trades weren’t made as Charlotte looks to add more pieces for the future, especially with up to six players being eyed by other teams.

The Suns and the Lakers were reportedly interested in Rozier but no deal was made; Hayward and Oubre were two other veterans thought to be prime candidates to be traded away. Charlotte didn’t exactly get a lot in return for Plumlee or McDaniels and was unable to attract another first-round pick.

slowly fell into disrepair over the past quarter century, received funds in the 2021 North Carolina state budget to spruce it up.

“The allocation toward North Wilkesboro provides the starting capital needed to rebuild the infrastructure of the historic facility,” Marcus Smith, president and CEO

“The way we are going to get better is through the draft and player development.”

Mitch Kupchak, Hornets GM

It’s unlikely that Mykhailiuk, a 25-year-old small forward who appeared in 13 games for New York this season, will be a big part of the Hornets’ plans going forward, although the idea of surrounding LaMelo Ball with the right mix of young supplemental players is elemental to the team’s

of Speedway Motorsports, said in a statement regarding the funding. “With state budget amounts now finalized, we can zero in on project priorities and determine work schedules. The goal will be to modernize the property so that it can host racing and special events again in the future.”

overall progression.

The Hornets are projected to have approximately $40 million in salary cap space this coming offseason, but the team will need to decide on new contracts for Miles Bridges and PJ Washington and focus on hitting its mark in the draft rather than troll the open market for a big addition.

“I don’t think that is something that we can bank on as a small market team — I just don’t,” GM Mitch Kupchak said of his team’s ability to attract major players in free agency. “The way we are going to get better is through the draft and player development. And then if we get lucky, make a couple savvy trades.”

On Sept. 8, 2022, the first “special event” was announced when NASCAR revealed the All-Star Race will be held on the 5/8-mile track this spring. It will be the first time the Cup Series will race there since Jeff Gordon won the Tyson Holly Farms 400 on Sept. 29, 1996.

CORY LAVALETTE | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Carter-Finley

JESS RAPFOGEL | AP PHOTO

Mason Plumlee, right, was one of two players traded away by the Hornets before last week’s

BBQ championship brings delicious bragging rights

The state's best Whole Hog Barbecue cook teams faced off in Kinston for the coveted state championship ring.

North State Journal

RALEIGH — Chris Fineran of Little River, S.C., was named Whole Hog Barbecue State Champion this weekend, winning over Andy Harrison of Louisburg by a mere two points. Wesley Bowers of Washington, last year’s state champion, came in third. Fineran won the state championship in 2016 and 2018.

The 28 cooks competing in the championship had to battle rain or the threat of rain throughout the night as they tried to present certified judges with perfectly crisped skin, moist hams and shoulders and delicious pork pulled straight from the grill and dipped in a crowd pleasing Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue sauce.

C ertified judges evaluate the finished pig following stringent rules based on overall appearance, color, skin crispness, taste and completeness of presentation. The pigs cannot be sauced or seasoned prior to judging.

Each year, a trophy is awarded to the cook who had the highest score in the Crispy Skin section on the scoresheet. For the first time, it was a tie amongst four cooks: Mark Woolard of Bath, Billy John Narron of Middlesex, Kevin Peterson of Benson and Andy Harrison of Louisburg all had perfect scores on skin.

Once the on-site judging was completed, the cooks chopped the pork and seasoned it and boxed it to be taste-tested by a blind set of judges, meaning the judges didn’t know who cooked the barbecue. During the blind judging portion of the event, the judges rate the barbecue on taste, tenderness and appearance.

David Murray of Snow Hill won first place, Richie Fulgham of Wilson won second and Welsey Bowers of Washington placed third in the blind tasting category.

A set of celebrity judges visited each tent to sample the homemade sauces and awarded first place in the Sauce Category to Eli Barnhill of Wendell first place. Mark Woolard of Bath came in second and David Murray of Snow Hill won third.

The final trophies that were awarded were for the People’s Choice categories. A VIP set of judges visited each tent and all of the participants at the Barbecue Summit were invited to sample the prepared barbecue and vote on their favorite. Daniel Jones of Greenville won first place, Ernest Twisdale of Roanoke Rapids won second place and Mat Griner of Zebulon won third place.

C ooking in the State Championship:

Eli Barnhill: Sons of Bacon (Wendell).

Wesley Bowers: Getting Piggy With It (Washington)

Mark Copeland: Pocosin Boys (Colrain)

Patrick Dowdee: Fur and Spur BBQ (Raleigh)

Chris Fineran: Beach Boy’s BBQ (Little River, SC)

Richie Fulgham: Porky’s Defense (Wilson)

Paul Gainey: It’s ‘Que Time BBQ (Cape Carteret)

David Grandy: Lazy Dayz (Morehead City)

Mat Griner: Southern Q (Zebulon)

Andy Harrison: Mr. Curley’s Que Crew (Louisburg)

Mike Hemenway: My Sweet Hog (Newport)

Sammy Hobgood: Space Pigs (Raleigh)

David Hoffman: Grilling Palms BBQ (Kinston)

Daniel Jones: Riverbumz BBQ (Warsaw)

Matt Jones: 392 BBQ (Greenville)

Charlie Meeks: Captain Charlie’s Cooks (Newport)

John Moody: American Piggers (Bethel)

David Murray: Fired Up BBQ (Snow Hill)

Billy Narron: Wicked Pig (Middlesex)

Dana Peterson: Yabotit Cue (Benson)

Kevin Peterson: Showtime’s Legit BBQ (Benson)

Donnie Pierce: Garage Smokers (Fuquay-Varina)

Travis Stafford: The Two Toby’s (Mt. Olive)

Justin Thompson: Fat N Sassy (Staley)

Aliceson Turnage: Miss Alley’s Cooks (Newport)

Ernest Twisdale: The GrillFather (Roanoke Rapids)

Mark Woolard: Millhole BBQ (Bath)

Kevin Wooten: Piggin’ and Grillin’ BBQ (Raleigh)

Each cook team qualified to compete by winning a local North Carolina Pork Council-sanctioned competition. The championship was originally slated to take place last fall, but a tropical storm forced the postponement.

The N.C. Pork Council has organized and sanctioned the Whole Hog Barbecue Championship since 1985 as the culmination of the Whole Hog Barbecue Series local competitions statewide.

The Whole Hog Barbecue Series celebrates the history and artistry of whole hog cooking, supports communities and nonprofits, raising more than $114,000 each year for local charities. The Whole Hog Barbecue Series and championship is one of the ways the N.C. Pork Council supports local communities and events throughout our region. To learn more about the Whole Hog Barbecue Series, visit wholehogbarbecue.com.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy while talking to Terry Bradshaw after the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.

Super Bowl averages 113 million, 3rd most-watched in history

The Associated Press FOX WAS HOPING the matchup of two top teams in the Super Bowl and a close game would lead to a record night.

Even though Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles came down to a field goal with 8 seconds remaining, Fox fell just short of its goal.

The Chiefs’ rally to defeat the Eagles 38-35 is on pace to become the third most-watched television show in history, with an estimated 113 million people watching, according to preliminary numbers released Monday. Fox said the audience estimate includes the broadcasts on Fox and Fox Deportes as well as streaming on Fox and the NFL’s digital sites. The figures are via Nielsen’s Fast National data and Adobe Analytics.

The 2015 game between New England and Seattle on NBC

holds the record at 114,442,000 viewers (not including streaming), followed by Super Bowl 51 in 2017 on Fox between Atlanta and New England (113,668,000).

This was Fox’s 10th Super Bowl since it began airing NFL games in 1994 and the second mostwatched program in Fox Sports history.

It would also be a slight increase over the 112.3 million average for last year’s Super Bowl.

The Los Angeles Rams’ victory over the Cincinnati Bengals was broadcast by NBC and Telemundo and streamed on Peacock and NFL digital sites.

According to Adobe Analytics, this year’s digital feed averaged a Super Bowl-record 7 million streams, an 18% increase over last year (6 million) and more than double Fox’s last Super Bowl in 2020 (3.4 million).

It was the third straight year the streaming average has surpassed 5 million. The first Super

Bowl to be streamed, in 2012, averaged 346,000. Rihanna’s halftime show averaged 118.7 million viewers, making it the second-most watched in Super Bowl history. Katy Perry’s 2015 performance holds the top mark at 121 million.

The Spanish-language audience average for the game was 951,000, a record for the mostwatched Super Bowl game in Spanish-language cable television history. It was also the most watched non-soccer event in Spanish-language cable history.

The Spanish-language number is down from last year’s record of 1.9 million on Telemundo, which unlike Fox Deportes has broadcast affiliates in 90 markets.

The Super Bowl has been televised in Spanish in the United States since 2014. Final Nielsen data will be available on Tuesday, including the English-language television-only figures. After Super

Bowls averaged over 100 million viewers from 2010-18, four of the five games before this year had fallen short of that number because of cord-cutting. That included 95.2 million for the 2021 Super Bowl between Tampa Bay and Kansas City, which was the game’s lowest TV-only average since 2007.

If Sunday’s number can better the 99.18 million from last year, it would mark the first time since 2015 there had been two straight years of increases.

Unsurprisingly, Kansas City and Philadelphia were the two highest-ranked markets. Kansas City led the way with a 52.0 rating and 87 share followed by Philadelphia’s 46.3/77.

The rating is the percentage of television households tuned in. The share refers to a percentage of the TV-watching audience viewing a particular program at the time. Cincinnati, which lost to the

Chiefs in the AFC championship game, and Minneapolis also recorded 77 shares.

The flood of ads during what is easily television’s most-watched event of the year was heavy on celebrities — Ben Affleck, Ozzy Osbourne, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Martha Stewart and “Breaking Bad” cast members.

Steve Williamson, senior vice president of the market research firm GWI. said surveys show that trust in brands is down this year and companies were looking for well-known names for a boost.

“There wasn’t a primary brand that took over the Super Bowl,” he said. “There were all sorts of brands from alcohol to gambling to Jesus.”

Fox also said 15.5 million people watched the season premiere of Gordon Ramsay’s competition show “Next Level Chef” following the game. The spot after the Super Bowl is usually the most-coveted time slot on television.

COURTESY PHOTO

Whole Hog Barbecue winners, left to right: Andy and Tricia Harrison of Mr. Curley’s Cue Crew (2nd place), Steve Summer and Chris Fineran of Beach Boys Barbecue (1st place) and Wesley Bowers and Bruce Lee of Getting Piggy With It (3rd place).

COURTESY PHOTO

Stanly wrestling represented in 1A East Regional Championship

Clockwise from top left

Left to right: Josue Gomez of Thomasville (1st place), I’Key Holt of South Stanly (2nd place), Christian Harris of Albermarle (3rd place), and Brayden Holmes of Rosewood (4th place) of the 113 bracket during the 1A East Regional Championship at Uwharrie Charter in Asheboro, on Feb. 11, 2023.

Left to right: Ethan Hines of UCA (1st place), Colton Lewis of NECP (2nd place), Jamie Crabtree of Eastern Randolph (3rd place), and Jack Curlee of South Stanly (4th place) of the 106 bracket.

Left to right: First place Lorenzo Alston of UCA (1st place), Landon Browning of NECP (2nd place), Ranfere Garcia of South Stanly (3rd place), and Stephen Ribustello of Tarboro (4th place) of the 145 bracket.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Rowan Big Band All Stars to perform this Saturday

The Stanly County Concert Association will be kicking off its year with a performance by the Rowan Big Band All Stars (RBBA) this Saturday, February 18, at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center in Albemarle. The RBAA is an 18-piece community big band in the tradition of Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and other great early twentieth-century bandleaders. The band is homebased in Landis, North Carolina, and was first organized in 2006 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving its unique American style of music. The members of the band volunteer their talents for performances, and the net proceeds from their musical performance as used to support worthwhile local charities. Proceeds from this particular show will go to high school bands in Stanly County. The concert is set to last for about two hours with an intermission. Tickets are on sale in advance at the Agri-Civic Center and Starnes-Bramlett Jewelers. The cost of admission is $20 for adults and $10 for students.

Volunteers are needed for SCS’s Pen Pal Buddy Program

Stanly County Schools is currently looking for new volunteers for its Pen Pal Buddy Program to assist with community projects. This program, which is working in conjunction with the Nehemiah Project, is designed to keep students active in the community. According to the program, students in mentoring relationships are less likely to miss school, consume illegal drugs, engage in school violence, and try alcohol or illegal drugs. In contrast, mentored students are more likely to have higher GPAs in school, go to college, have positive relationships with parents and peers, and have a better attitude towards school, family, and their future careers. For more information about how to volunteer, please contact Melissa Smith, Director of Community Engagement and Dropout Prevention, at (704) 961-3819.

Board approves purchase of new chiller unit

By Ryan Henkel North

Journal

State

ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Board of Education met Tuesday, February 7, with a handful of committee reports and a facilities matter on the agenda

The first item from the meeting was an update by Board Member Dustin Lisk from the finance committee.

“We did have a brief conversation on our funding structure for the next fiscal year,” said Lisk. “The finance department is finalizing some preparations on that. Our priorities will be teacher supplements, classified pay scale, and some of our capital needs, among other things.”

Out of that committee, Lisk also brought forth two items for the board to vote on, those being

a budget resolution update and a coaching supplement scale.

“The board has already approved this budget,” Lisk said. “We’ve continued to add students in ADM, so we’re just updating some of our estimates which is pretty typical. That number right now is appropriated at both state and local funding at about $61.1 million. Most of it is state funding.”

“There is also two, really one position, that we need to add, and that’s for Stanly Middle School for a JV Volleyball coach. We’d like to move the assistant volleyball position from a Grade 6 to a Grade 5. That means they get a little bit of a bump in supplement, and it will align with the JV volleyball coach supplement. The cost to the school system will be no higher than $9,400. It could be less. The JV coach out of that is roughly $4,000-7,000, and the cost

See BOE page 2

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

ALBEMARLE — On Saturday night around 7:30 p.m, the Albemarle Fire Department was alerted of a fire at an abandoned warehouse building located in the 100 block of Aquadale Road, near the Breakfast Nook and behind the Servco station on South Second Street.

The Endy and Southside volunteer fire departments also responded to the scene.

Although the building was severely damaged as a result of the fire, no one was hurt, according to fire officials.

“As crews arrived on the scene, heavy smoke and flames were visible through the building’s roof,” the Albemarle Fire Department posted on its Facebook page. “The building sustained extensive damage to the roof and walls. No injuries have been reported.”

An investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway. While now vacant, the building that

State Health Plan releases all documents related to third-party contract change

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — All documents related to the change from Blue Cross Blue Shield NC to Aetna as the State Health Plan’s third-party administrative services contract (TPA) are now publicly available.

Last week, the State Health Plan (SHP) published all of the materials, including requests for proposals (RFP) and the responses, on a specially created transparency page on its website.

“We are the most transparent and open agency in state government,” Treasurer Dale Folwell said in a statement. “I cannot be prouder of the work done by the staff of the State Health Plan and the bipartisan State Health Plan Board of Trustees. This contract doesn’t change the body or engine of the State Health Plan; it is just a mod-

ernization of the transmission. We look forward to Blue Cross finishing their current contract strong and facilitating a seamless transition to Aetna.”

The documents on the transparency page include details on the procurement process that led to the change in the contract as well as a timeline of events surrounding the move to Aetna.

The repository of documents has already revealed differences in how Aetna and Blue Cross responded to the RFP, which has ramifications for patient billing and transparency.

One of the RFP requirements related to the assignment of benefits payments states, “Upon request, Vendor will pay all claims, including non-network claims, based on the assignment of benefits.” On that item, Blue Cross checked “no,” while Aetna checked “yes.”

In other words, Blue Cross pays the patient directly instead of sending payment to an out-of-network provider.

That practice has been criticized as a means of funneling subscribers to Blue Cross’ preferred providers, but also for creating a potentially bad situation where patients are sent a check but end up spending that cash on things other than treatments or surgeries.

During a Feb. 7 call with media, Folwell noted that his office had received a number of records requests for the documents. He said the production of records and posting of the materials online had been held up by the entities protesting the contract change; Blue Cross and UMR, Inc. The treasurer said his office had been in a holding pattern while wait-

housed the fire was the former home of Stanly Masonry Supply Inc.

The recent incident comes right on the heels of an award recognition given to Albemarle firefighters.

Last week, the Albemarle Firefighter Cadet Academy and the City of Albemarle were awarded Region of Excellence honors in the category of Cross Community Collaboration from the Centralina Regional Council.

Since 2021, the City of Albemarle’s Firefighter Cadet Academy has trained new members of Albemarle’s department and other local firefighters by sponsoring recruits attending the academy. The academy hosts 18 weeks of instruction through classroom and hands-on training led by firefighters and special-skilled instructors.

Albemarle Fire Chief Pierre Brewton addressed the honors in a press release: “This award truly belongs to the entire City of Albe-

See FIRE page 2

Albemarle firefighters respond to abandoned warehouse fire

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Board of Education members sound off on funding deficiencies

WEEKLY CRIME LOG

♦ POLK, ELIJAH LEE (B /M/32), SOLICIT ALMS/BEG FOR MONEY, 2/13/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ ROWIE, ROSALYN LASHONDA (B /F/41), SECOND DEGREE TRESPASS, 02/13/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ DAVIS, JONATHAN WAYNE (W /M/38), ASSAULT ON FEMALE, 02/11/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s

Office

♦ EFIRD, RALPH JUNIOR (W /M/60), LARCENY OF MOTOR VEHICLE (F), 02/10/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ PITTMAN, JERRY WAYNE (W /M/26), SPEEDING, 02/10/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ SMITH, CHRISTOPHER DARRYL (W /M/33), ASSAULT ON FEMALE, 02/10/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s

Office

♦ SHARPE, ANTHONY FRANKLIN (W /M/41), CHILD SUPPORT, 02/09/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ HARRIS, NATHAN ADRYLL (B /M/47), ASSAULT SERIOUS BODILY INJURY, 02/08/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s

Office

♦ HILL, CHRISTOPHER LEE (W /M/40), SEX OFFENDER/CHILD PREMISES, 02/07/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ HARVELL, TREVOR MARK (W /M/30), BREAKING AND OR ENTERING (F), 02/06/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ LEFLER, BOBBY JOE (W /M/40), STAT SEX OFF W/CHILD BY ADULT, 02/06/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s

Office

♦ LYNCH, ERICA MAE (B

FDA declines to regulate CBD; calls on Congress for fix

The Associated Press

THE FOOD AND DRUG Administration said Thursday there are too many unknowns about CBD products to regulate them as foods or supplements under the agency’s current structure and called on Congress to create new rules for the massive and growing market.

The marijuana-derived products have become increasingly popular in lotions, tinctures and foods, while their legal status has been murky in the U.S.

There’s not enough evidence about CBD to confirm that it’s safe for use in foods or as a dietary supplement, FDA Deputy Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement.

“For example, we have not found

adequate evidence to determine how much CBD can be consumed, and for how long, before causing harm,” she said.

The FDA has oversight of CBD because it is the active ingredient in an approved prescription drug, Epidiolex, used to treat two rare seizure disorders. Under FDA regulations, a drug can’t be added to food or sold as a dietary supplement if officials haven’t determined if it’s safe or effective for other conditions.

Questions remain about CBD’s effects on the liver, the male reproductive system and on pregnant women and children, the statement said.

New rules could include clear labels, regulations regarding contaminants, limits on CBD levels and requirements, such as a min-

imum purchase age. Regulations are also needed for CBD products for animals, the agency said.

CBD often comes from a cannabis plant known as hemp, which is defined by the U.S. government as having less than 0.3% THC, the compound that causes marijuana’s mind-altering effect. CBD doesn’t cause that high, but fans of the products claim benefits including relief for pain and anxiety.

The FDA’s action comes after repeated calls from lawmakers, advocates and consumer groups for CBD to be allowed in foods and supplements.

The agency also denied three petitions from advocacy groups that had asked the agency to allow products that contain the hemp ingredient to to be marketed as dietary

supplements. Steve Mister, chief of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade group for the supplement industry and one of the petitioners, expressed dismay at the denial and said FDA was “kicking the can down the road while ignoring the realities of the marketplace” by referring the issue to Congress.

“FDA has repeatedly disregarded evidence demonstrating safety that is relevant to CBD at the levels commonly used in supplements and continues to rely heavily on safety concerns related to high dosage Epidiolex to support the agency’s inaction,” Mister said in a statement.

The FDA will continue to take action against CBD and other cannabis products to protect the public, Thursday’s statement said. The agency has sent warning letters to some companies making health claims for CBD.

Marijuana itself remains illegal at the federal level in the U.S., although it has been allowed for medical and recreational use in many states, including use in pot-laced food and drinks.

In this April 16, 2018 photo, workers assemble pre-rolled cigarettes of hemp flower containing cannabidiol, or CBD, at Unique Food Works, a state-licensed hemp handling facility in Salem, Ore.

ing for those groups to make redactions.

“ I don’t think there’s been any other state agency who was responded this completely in this quickly to these inquiries as we’re about to today,” Folwell told North State Journal during the media call. “And I think it’ll present a lot

to increase the assistant volleyball coach to a Grade 5 will cost anywhere from $1,400 to $2,200 for the season.”

Both items were approved by the board.

The final action the board took was the approval of the purchase of a new chiller unit for Norwood.

“This was something that came up and became an issue after we had already approved the capital budget last year,” said Director of Maintenance Todd Bowers. “I’m coming before you tonight to ask for $174,500 out of capital funds to proceed with this project.”

“It’s working, but we lost half of the circuit. Of course, right now, we’re not in the summer months, but last summer was when we lost it. We’re operating at half capacity. And it’s been doing alright; we

marle Fire Department. From Assistant Chief Kenny Kendall, who developed the academy, to the chief officers through firefighters, every rank in our department has been critical to making the Firefighter Cadet Academy a success.

We’re grateful to our city leaders

of sunshine to folks like you who will really have a full understanding of how this process has gone down over the last year or so.”

Last December, the State Health Plan Board of Trustees voted unanimously to award the TPA contract to Aetna. The contract is for a threeyear service period beginning Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027. The contract has an option for two, one-

run it a little longer than we have to. Hopefully, it will make it till the next.”

According to Bowers, the chiller is set to take 46 weeks to arrive, which is substantially quicker than other bids. He also stated that a temporary chiller could also be rented in the event that it still doesn’t arrive in time.

At the conclusion of the Stanly County Board of Education meeting, board member Bill Sorenson sounded off on both the Stanly County Board of Commissioners and the NC General Assembly.

“People are failing our kids,” Sorenson said. “Our county commission is failing these children. Not for me to point it out, but they are failing them miserably. I think we’re 85th in the state out of 115 in local funding. They’re children. They’re not numbers on a spreadsheet, numbers on a ledger. They’re

and academy partners for supporting us and seeing our academy’s potential to make a long-term positive impact on communities. We also thank the judging panel for recognizing our efforts and the value of this work.”

According to the City of Albemarle’s official Strategic Plan, Firefighter Cadet Academy achieves

year renewal terms. Until Aetna takes over, Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina will continue to be the Plan’s claims processor.

The move to Aetna was announced in early January, with Folwell’s office estimating $140 million in administrative savings with the move and that a partnership with Aetna will lower costs and provide better transparency.

not an ADM number. They’re human beings that are full of hope, potential, and love.”

Sorenson then continued to say, “the biggest thing that aggravates me is that I came through the school system here in Stanly County. Back in the ’70s, we had exponentially better funding back then. When my kids came through South Stanly in the ’90s, they had better funding and better opportunities. We’re on a slippery slope, and how far do we have to go till people in positions of power wake up? I demand our county commission get off this tack of, ‘how can we make it cheaper to put our kids to school?’ and start doing their job. I demand Wayne Sasser and Carl Ford go up to Raleigh and get off their chairs and stand up and say we cannot do this to our kids anymore. The society we’re building for our kids is going to fail if we don’t start investing

two goals: organizational capacity (investing in the city’s workforce to enhance city operations and efficiency to better serve the community) and safety & security (enhancing resources and improve practices to protect residents and safeguard the city in order to improve quality of life).

“Congratulations to all of our Re-

Blue Cross Blue Shield NC and UMR, Inc. both filed protests over the change, which were rejected by the SHP. Future legal action is likely based on statements made by both of the protesting parties. The State Health Plan covers some 740,000 state employees, teachers and retirees and is a division of the Department of State Treasurer.

in our children. I apologize for pontificating, but I don’t apologize at all for the words.”

Lisk followed up Sorenson’s comments with additional comments about the situation but with a more optimistic tone.

“Stanly County Schools does not have any taxing authority,” Lisk reminded everyone. “We are funded strictly by the federal government, the state government, and our local county commissioners. This makes it very difficult on our local leadership to hire and retain when the funding structure is the way that it is. And again, we’re working with the county commissioners. I think we have a great set of commissioners, and communication is happening, and I believe we’re going to find solutions for the taxpayers within their best interests.”

The Stanly County Board of Education will next meet March 7.

gion of Excellence Award winners for making significant and positive advancements in our region,” said Geraldine Gardner, Executive Director of Centralina. “We are excited to celebrate the successful initiatives, collaboration, and innovative local government action that make our region a better place to live and work.”

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Don’t fall for Joe Biden’s economic fairy tale

LIKE NERO BRAGGING about rebuilding Circus Maximus after burning it down, President Joe Biden took to the podium Tuesday night to take credit for solving a slew of problems he helped create.

problematic issue, did Biden begin arguing that more spending would mitigate inflation.

It is no accident inflation took off as Democrats pumped hundreds of billions into a hot economy and aggravated foreseeable problems with policies that disincentivize work and undercut energy production.

At the top of his State of the Union address, the president boasted that he had “more jobs created in two years than any president has created in four years.” No president -- not Joe Biden nor Donald Trump -- creates jobs. But Biden’s contention was exceptionally misleading, considering he inherited an economy that had been unplugged by an artificial, state-induced shutdown. If the government compels businesses to shutter, it doesn’t “create” jobs when allowing them to open.

On more than one occasion during the night, a mercurial Biden contended that COVID-19 had shut down the economy. No, states did. Politicians did.

Biden was an aggressive proponent of those shutdowns. During the 2020 presidential campaign, the president regularly attacked Republican governors for opening too early and for ignoring federal health officials. Even in August 2021, after it was clear that shutdowns hadn’t saved any lives, Biden was still criticizing Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis for rejecting a new round of COVID authoritarianism, telling him to “get out of the way” of those trying to “do the right thing.”

Three years ago, the unemployment rate was at 3.5%. Today, Biden reminded us that it was at a historic low of 3.4%. More than 30 million people lost their jobs to COVID lockdowns. Biden claims to have “created” 12 million jobs during the past two years. The one big difference is that the labor participation rate still hasn’t recovered to pre-COVID numbers. It’s great that people are working again. But millions fewer are in the market for jobs.

Biden also boasted that Americans were seeing “near” historic unemployment lows for Black and Hispanic workers. These historic lows were achieved before COVID lockdowns. So, if Biden deserves credit for this, doesn’t Trump? Of course, there is no specific Biden economic policy that brought us near-historic unemployment lows for minorities or an unemployment rate 0.1% lower than the previous administration. Washington wasted trillions of dollars propping up an economy that it previously shut down.

Speaking of spending, Biden claimed that the preposterously misnamed “Inflation Reduction Act,” which you might recall was initially called “Build Back Better,” had helped alleviate spiking prices. Only when inflation became nontransitory, and a politically

Satan is so hot right now

LAST WEEK, the Grammys were held in Los Angeles. They featured a star-studded cavalcade of singers who can’t sing, songsters who require a team of dozens to write their songs, and dancers who can’t dance. They also featured a full-on satanic ritual onstage, starring used-to-be-just-a-gay-dude-then-genderqueer-now-gender-nonbinary singer Sam Smith and transgender female (translation: biological male) Kim Petras.

And only then did Democrats rename their bill, which was crammed with the same spending, corporate welfare, price fixing and tax hikes -- all long-desired progressive wish list items. “The Inflation Reduction Act is also the most significant investment ever in climate change,” Biden said during his address, as if this sentence made any sense.

Presidents are often unduly blamed or given credit for economic events beyond their control. But it is no accident inflation took off as Democrats pumped hundreds of billions into a hot economy (in the case of the “infrastructure” bill, with the help of Senate Republicans) and aggravated foreseeable problems with policies that disincentivize work and undercut energy production. All this led to the biggest inflation spike since 1982. We are still at historic highs. A slew of products that consumers rely on still remain atypically expensive, and fears of additional price hikes have started to seriously corrode consumer confidence.

Biden lied that “25%” of the national federal debt was incurred by the previous administration when most of that debt was driven by entitlement programs passed, expanded and revered by Democrats. And he misled the nation by claiming that his administration had “cut the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion -- the largest deficit reduction in American history,” when, in fact, those “cuts” were sunsetting pandemic emergency spending that Democrats had complained wasn’t enough.

Biden then went into his well-worn platitudes and myths about how the rich don’t pay taxes -- “no billionaire should be paying a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter!” -- and proposed higher rates on the wealthy and corporations. He also promised to micromanage the economy with a slew of new regulations that would interfere in voluntary contracts struck between employees and employers and consumers and businesses.

There were numerous lies, half-truths and deceptions. There was a slew of antiquated economic ideas and sloganeering. But, surely, the president’s biggest lie of the night was to claim, “I’m a capitalist.”

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.”

Milton meant his Satan to be a villain, rejecting the Good, True, and Beautiful in favor of personal power. But we have followed the path of dissolute romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who argued, “Milton’s Devil as a moral being is as far superior to his God as one who perseveres in some purpose which he has conceived to be excellent in spite of adversity and torture.”

It really is just about how I feel.

Their song, “Unholy,” won them Best Pop Group/Group Performance. Their performance, in which the tubby Smith donned a Satan outfit and top hat with horns while Petras gyrated in a cage surrounded by Satan-costumed strippers, made headlines for its transgressive imagery.

The goal, of course, is to tweak people of a traditionally religious bent, draw a response, and then act offended. “Why can’t you just leave us alone?” cry our cultural elites as they demand our attention.

We’re all supposed to be shocked, of course. That’s the point.

But the fact that the performance is so un-shocking should be the true shock. The Grammys were sponsored by major corporations. Shadow president of the United States and world’s greatest physician Dr. Jill Biden showed up to present an award. And CBS tweeted in anticipation of the Satanic routine, “We are ready to worship!”

But the truth is that Satan is so “in” right now.

After all, Satan’s message has become our society’s: personal “authenticity” requires the destruction of all traditional mores and the trashing of all intermediate institutions of Western civilization. To be “free” means to live without rules or boundaries. And our truest heroes are those who say, as John Milton’s Satan did, “better to reign in Hell than serve in Heav’n.”

Sure, Milton’s Devil provided no good to anyone, including himself — but he stood up to the strictures of an outside, objective moral code. It was Shelley himself who argued that “religion and morality, as they now stand, compose a practical code of misery and servitude: the genius of human happiness must tear every leaf from the accursed book of God ere man can read the inscription on his heart.”

How different are the musings of Shelley from the less-sophisticated musings of Smith and Petras? As Smith says, “It really is just about how I feel.” Or Petras: “it’s a take on not being able to choose religion. And not being able to live the way that people might want you to live... I was kind of hellkeeper Kim.”

God makes demands of us. God suggests that there is a higher Truth to which we are subject, rules, and roles we ought to obey for purposes of societal strength, spiritual durability, and personal fulfillment. Satan makes no demands of us beyond the surrender of our reason, our higher aspirations, and our souls. Milton’s Satan rebelled against God. Today, those of a Godly bent are increasingly fighting a rebellion against the truly dominant spiritual power of a narcissistic culture that prizes self above all, celebrated by a transgressive monolithic culture.

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 | DAVID HARSANYI

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

SIDELINE REPORT

NBA Bridges’ consecutive games streak intact

New York

Mikal Bridges’ consecutive games played streak lives on. Bridges was acquired by the Nets from Phoenix last Thursday in the blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. The deal was approved by the league too late for Bridges to play that night in the Nets’ game against Chicago, so he was listed as “inactive — trade pending.” But the league determined that since Bridges wasn’t eligible to play, it shouldn’t count as a missed game. So his streak, the longest active one in the league, reached 367 games when the Nets visited the New York Knicks on Monday night.

NFL Former Cardinals

lineman Dobler dies at 72 Tempe, Ariz.

Conrad Dobler, one of the NFL’s top offensive linemen and fiercest players in the 1970s, has died. He was 72. The Cardinals announced Dobler died Monday in Pueblo, Colorado. No cause of death was given. Dobler played left guard on an offensive line that included Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf for a St. Louis team that became known as the “Cardiac Cardinals.” Dobler earned three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 197577 while playing under Hall of Fame coach Don Coryell. He played for the Cardinals from 1972-77 before moving on to play two seasons with New Orleans and Buffalo.

TRACK & FIELD

Bol: doping suspension lifted after samples didn’t match

Sydney Olympic 800-meter finalist

Peter Bol says his provisional doping suspension has been lifted after the A and B samples didn’t match. Usually testing of the B sample confirms the original adverse finding in doping cases. In a Twitter post, Bol says: “My provisional suspension has been lifted by Sport Integrity Australia.” Bol says he’s never taken banned performanceenhancing substances and he described the last month as a “nightmare.” Athletics

Australia announced last month that Bol had failed an out-of-competition test on Oct. 11. His A sample tested positive to the banned drug erythropoietin, known as EPO.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Michigan says it had proof against fired football assistant

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Michigan fired football cooffensive coordinator Matt Weiss in January after he failed to attend a meeting to discuss whether he had gained access to computer accounts that belonged to other people, according to documents released to The Associated Press. An athletic department official told Weiss that the university had evidence that he had “inappropriately accessed” the accounts. Weiss was fired on Jan. 20 after skipping a meeting. Campus police are investigating possible computer crimes at the football building known as Schembechler Hall. Weiss has not directly addressed the allegations, saying only that he looks forward to “putting this matter” behind him.

Spring training’s start brings pitch clocks, shift limits

Major League Baseball has implemented new rules for 2023

The Associated Press

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jeff McNeil thinks he’ll adapt quickly to baseball’s big shift — really, an anti-shift.

“I’m playing a normal second base now instead of in short right field. I’ve been playing second base my whole life so it shouldn’t be too hard to adjust to,” the New York Mets All-Star infielder and big league batting champion said.

Spring training opened Monday in Florida and Arizona for players reporting early ahead of the World Baseball Classic, and the rest of

Irving

debuts

The Associated Press

DALLAS — Kyrie Irving isn’t interested in talking about what his long-term future could be with the Dallas Mavericks, and he doesn’t understand why people don’t think he can play well off the ball.

“All I know, this is really playing basketball with a lot of high-level, high-IQ players and making it work,” Irving said before his first home game Monday with the Mavericks and All-Star teammate Luka Doncic. “Every single time I step foot out there, I get a chance to prove it to myself that I can play with anybody and everybody and still be efficient and be myself.”

Irving’s home debut in Dallas came a week after the blockbuster deal became official to bring the potential free agent from the Brooklyn Nets. His first three games with the Mavericks were on the road, and he played with Doncic for the first time Saturday night — Irving had 28 points and Doncic 27 in an overtime loss at Sacramento.

As for what happens after this season, the talented and enigmatic eight-time All-Star said that question constantly getting asked just puts unwanted distractions on him and the team.

“I’ve dealt with it before and it’s very emotionally draining to ask questions about what’s the long

pitchers and catchers will start workouts two days later.

Following an offseason of record spending in which the New York Mets approached a $370 million payroll, opening day on March 30 will feature three of the biggest changes since the pitcher’s mound was lowered for the 1969 season:

— Two infielders will be required on either side of second base and all infielders must be within the outer boundary of the infield when the pitcher is on the rubber.

— Base size will increase to 18inch squares from 15 inches, causing a decreased distance of 4½ inches.

— A pitch clock will be used, set at 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners.

“I hope we get what our fans want — faster, more action, more athleticism.”

Rob Manfred, MLB commissioner

“This has been an eight-year effort for us,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday, thinking back to when the first experiments were formulated. “I hope we get what our fans want — faster, more action, more athleticism.”

Baseball’s timelessness spanned a century and a half in a sport obsessed with its sepia-toned history

of flannel-clad pioneers.

“In baseball, there’s no clock,” Richard Greenberg wrote in “Take Me Out,” his Tony Award-winning play. “What could be more generous than to give everyone all these opportunities and the time to seize them in, as well?”

Turns out, all those dead minutes became an annoyance in an age of decreased attention spans and increased entertainment competition.

The average time of a nine-inning game stretched from 2 hours, 30 minutes in the mid-1950s to 2:46 in 1989 and 3:10 in 2021 before dropping to 3:04 last year following the introduction of the PitchCom electronic device to signal pitches.

With the rise in shifts and higher velocity pitches, the batting average dropped from .269 in 2006 to .243 last year, its lowest since the record of .239 in 1968.

Defensive shifts on balls in play totaled 70,853 last season according to revised totals from Sports Info Solutions. That’s up from 59,063 in 2021 and 2,349 in 2011.

in Dallas not wanting to talk about future

don’t really have the energy to sit and focus on things I can’t control.”

“touché,” then adding that he appreciated their relationship and that it was now up to him to prove it “and control what I can control.”

Dallas also got Markieff Morris in the trade that sent Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round choices to the Nets.

term,” Irving said. “What the future holds is really only going to be dictated on what I do right now, and how I prepare for those next steps, and that’s being the best teammate that I can in that locker room and a great leader out here, I think within the Dallas community. ... So we’re just putting that to bed and just focus on what we have ahead as a team.”

The Mavericks, with 23 games remaining after Monday night’s game against Minnesota, are part of a crowded mix for a playoff spot. They went into the game fourth in the Western Conference, only three games ahead of 11th place — the first spot left out of

the postseason. When Dallas general manager Nico Harrison was asked his response to people who viewed the acquisition of Irving and his expiring contract as a risk, the former Nike executive, who already had a relationship with the player, said that wasn’t the case.

“I don’t see any risk involved at all. I’ve known Kyrie for a long time, I know his core, I know what type of person is. I think anybody who’s ever watched him play basketball knows the type of basketball player he is,” Harrison said.

“So I don’t see risk. I actually see a risk in not doing it.”

Irving smiled and responded,

Irving had a relationship with Nike for the entirety of his NBA career until earlier this season when the sneaker giant dropped him — and canceled the planned release of his next signature shoe just before it came out — after Irving tweeted a link to an antisemitic film.

“I would love to be well-liked by everybody. ... Oh, that’s just not it. That’s just not for I think anyone in this room,” Irving said. “But the genuine love that you have in your heart is the only thing that you can really control. I have open dialogue with everybody that spends time with me, wants to have conversation, wants to ask me questions.”

For those who don’t like him, he said he wishes them well.

“But I have a life to live and I have kids to raise,” he said. “So I don’t really have the energy to sit and focus on things I can’t control.”

The mercurial former Duke star calls speculation “emotionally draining”

TOMMY GILLIGAN | AP PHOTO

Major League Baseball will feature three of the biggest changes since 1969, including one rule that will minimize the infield shift.

AP PHOTO

Mavericks guards Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic during a game last week in Sacramento, California.

“I

Kyrie Irving

Lack of Winter Olympic bids may lead to rotating fixed hosts

Salt Lake City is among the cities that could host be considered

The Associated Press

MERIBEL, France — Considering the dearth of candidates to stage the Winter Olympics amid spiraling venue costs, the IOC may have to resort to lining up a list of fixed, rotating hosts.

A highly theoretical list could include Salt Lake City and Vancouver in North America, Pyeongchang in Asia and places like Switzerland, Italy and Scandinavia in Europe.

“There are talks. It is a challenge with climate change and also infrastructure to be able to find venues for the Winter Olympics,” retired Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

Vonn is on the bid committee for Salt Lake City’s candidacy for the 2030 or 2034 Games.

Most of the rotating hosts would have hosted the Olympics previously or have most of the venues already built.

“A rotating venue option is on the table in which certain altitude standards would be in place and it

would have to have mostly preexisting structures and it would limit the cost for the venues and it would limit the chances of climate change affecting the competitions in a negative way,” Vonn said.

“I know that’s been discussed. How early that will happen, I don’t know, but I don’t think it would happen before 2034.”

Sweden’s Olympic leaders announced last week that they are weighing up whether to bid for 2030 while the International Olympic Committee has delayed the process to search for more contenders.

Sapporo, Japan, was considered the favorite for 2030 before an ongoing bid-rigging scandal related to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo held in 2021. Salt Lake City is the only other known bidder that might consider taking 2030, though officials have said they favor a bid for 2034.

If a Stockholm-centered bid does go ahead, it currently seems sure to win without opposition and get the IOC out of a hole less than seven years before the Games open.

After last year’s Beijing Games were held almost entirely on artificial snow, the Milan-Cortina Games in 2026 will be held across

Pfeiffer introduces new volleyball coach

Heather Schoch, the wife of the Falcons’ men’s basketball coach, replaces Melissa Ferris

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

MISENHEIMER — Pfeiffer University announced on Feb. 8 that it has hired Heather Schoch to be the Falcons’ next volleyball coach.

“Heather Schoch is, without a doubt, exactly what Pfeiffer University Volleyball needs in its next coach,” Jeff Childress, Pfeiffer vice president of athletics and external relations, said in a press release. “I am looking forward to watching our volleyball grow on and off the court. I am very happy for our volleyball team to have this opportunity under her leadership.”

Schoch replaces Melissa Ferris, who was 5477 overall during her five seasons in Misenheimer, including 7-25 this year. The Falcons finished tied for seventh in the USA South Athletic Conference with a 5-13 conference record.

a wide swath of northern Italy. For 2022, Beijing beat Almaty, Kazakhstan — the only other candidate — for hosting rights after several other bids were scrapped by public referendums.

“There’s a lot of events that are really difficult to run,” said Canadian skier James Crawford, who won the super-G last week at the world championships. “I think there’s a lot of places that can host the Winter Olympics … but it’s definitely hard for us when there’s so few that want to.”

Alexis Pinturault, the French skier who won gold in combined and bronze in super-G at the worlds, grew up utilizing the facilities built for the 1992 Albertville Games, which were held a year before he was born.

“There is still some infrastructure. That’s why the Olympics are good in some (ways),” he said. “It’s a big part of our history.”

Italian veteran Christof Innerhofer added: “For 2026, a lot of venues will be renovated and that’s the first step for developing young athletes. For us, the Milan-Cortina Games will be the start of a new cycle. Ten years later, those young athletes will be competing at the Olympics.”

Schoch — the wife of Falcons men’s basketball coach Pete Schoch — has 75 high school wins during the past five years, coaching eight all-conference players and three all-state selections.

She coached the last two years at Cox Mill High School in Concord, where her team won the 2022 Greater Metro 4A Conference title with an 18-9 record and made a run in the NCHSAA 4A playoffs. Senior Jadyn Webb was awarded Greater Metro 4A Player of the Year honors for her performance with the Chargers during the 2022 season.

“I will miss my athletes, students, and colleagues! I will always be part of the Charger family!” Schoch posted on social media following the announcement of her new position.

In 2021, Schoch coached the Chargers junior varsity team that went undefeated and won the South Piedmont 3A title. Additionally, she was assistant coach on the varsity team that made it to the NCHSAA 3A state finals with an 18-1 record.

In the years before that, Schoch had success coaching at Mallard Creek High School and at the club level where she oversaw the Lake Norman Volleyball Club in their 16U national program. In 2020, the LNVC advanced to the finals of the Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic in Washington, D.C.

Returning to Misenheimer after serving as an assistant coach at Pfeiffer during the 2018 season, Schoch will look to get the Falcons back on track. The Falcons went 19-13 in 2021, the program’s first winning season since 2009. The 2023 season will begin on Sept. 16 with a road match at Southern Virginia.

“Heather Schoch is, without a doubt, exactly what Pfeiffer University Volleyball needs in its next coach.”

Jeff Childress, Pfeiffer vice president of athletics and external relations

New Mexico State cancels season after sex, harassment allegations

Three players are accused of attacking a teammate

The Associated Press New Mexico State’s men’s basketball season came to an abrupt halt Sunday after the release of a police report that detailed three players ganging up on a teammate and attacking him in a case that includes allegations of false imprisonment, harassment and criminal sexual contact.

“It’s time for this program to reset,” chancellor Dan Arvizu said in the statement that announced the end of the season. Arvizu said the shutdown was in response to a report filed to campus police on Friday by a player against three teammates. According to the report, the victim said that on Feb. 6, his teammates held him down “removed his clothing exposing his buttocks and began to slap his (buttocks). He also went on to state that they also touched his scrotum.”

The victim, whose name was redacted in the report along with those of the other players, said other incidents involving inappropriate physical and sexual touching had been occurring in locker rooms and on road trips since last summer. Regarding the latest instance, the victim told police he had no choice but to let this happen “because it’s a 3-on-1 type of situation.”

Arvizu, who will be leaving the university in June after regents recently chose not to renew his contract, said “this action is clearly needed, especially after receiving additional facts and reviewing investigation reports related to the hazing allegations involving student-athletes on the team.”

“We must uphold the safety of our students and the integrity of our university,” said Arvizu, who had initially suspended the program on Friday, then revealed what he called hazing allegations a day later.

He said he had spoken with the commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference, which said it was reviewing how to treat

the six New Mexico State games that will be wiped off the schedule in regard to seeding for next month’s conference tournament.

The report said the victim went to campus police to report a possible assault but did not want to press criminal charges for the time being.

The allegations come less than three months after the suspension of forward Mike Peake, who is being investigated in the case of the fatal shooting of a University of New Mexico student in Al-

buquerque on Nov. 19.

Peake has not been charged in that case, which included state police stopping the team bus on Interstate-25 as it headed back to Las Cruces shortly after the shooting. Missing from the bus were Peake and three of his teammates, who had taken him to the hospital with an injured leg.

New Mexico State finished the season at 9-15, with only two conference wins in 12 games. The Aggies, long a source of pride on their 13,000-student campus in

Las Cruces, have been to eight NCAA tournaments since 2007. They are scheduled to move from the WAC to Conference-USA next season. The scrubbing of the 2022-23 campaign came a day after two players quit following the initial reports of the hazing incident.

One of them, redshirt freshman Shahar Lazar, said he was leaving because “I don’t think the program that I originally committed to aligns with my beliefs and core values.”

“I don’t think the program that I originally committed to aligns with my beliefs and core values.”

New Mexico State redshirt freshman Shahar Lazar on leaving the program following the allegations

New Mexico State indefinitely suspended its men’s basketball program Friday and placed first-year coach Greg Heiar and his staff on administrative leave for what it said were violations of university policy.

Italy’s Christof Innerhofer is airborne during an alpine ski in Courchevel, France, earlier this month.

ALESSANDRO TROVATI | AP PHOTO

Bid to keep California reactors running faces time squeeze

The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — A late-hour attempt to extend the life of California’s last nuclear power plant has run into a predicament that will be difficult to resolve: a shortage of time.

A state analysis Monday predicted it will take federal regulators until late 2026 to act on an application to extend the operating run of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. The problem is that the plant is scheduled to shut down permanently by mid-2025.

The future of the state’s remaining reactors could hinge on operator Pacific Gas & Electric’s request to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an unusual exemption that would allow the decades-old reactors to continue making electricity while the NRC reviews the application – not yet filed -- to extend its licenses for as much as two decades.

One reactor is scheduled to close in November 2024, and its twin in August 2025. The plant is located on a seaside bluff, midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

On Monday, anti-nuclear activists and national environmental groups urged the federal agency to reject the request, saying in a petition that the exemption would amount to a dangerous, unprecedented shortcut that would expose the public to safety risks from reactors that began operating in the mid-1980s.

“There is absolutely no precedent for the exemption requested by PG&E. The NRC has never allowed a reactor to operate past its

license expiration dates without thoroughly assessing the safety and environmental risks,” Diane Curran, an attorney for the anti-nuclear advocacy group Mothers for Peace, said in a statement. The dispute over the potential exemption is the latest battlefront in a long-running fight over the safety of the reactors. Construction of the Diablo Canyon plant began in the 1960s and critics say potential shaking from nearby earthquake faults, not recognized when the design was first approved, could damage equipment and release radiation. One

nearby fault was not discovered until 2008. PG&E has long said the plant is seismically safe; federal regulators have agreed.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom — who once supported closing the plant — did a turnaround last year and argued it needed to keep running beyond the scheduled closure to ward off possible blackouts as the state transitions to solar and other renewable sources. At his urging, the Legislature dissolved a complex 2016 agreement among environmentalists, plant worker unions and the utility to close the plant by

2025, opening a pathway to keep it running longer. The utility said it changed direction given the energy policies adopted by the state.

PG&E officials have said they are eager for certainty about the plant’s future because of the difficulty of reversing course on a plant that was headed for permanent retirement, but now needs to prepare for a potentially longer lifespan.

In October, the utility asked the NRC to resume consideration of an application initially submitted in 2009 to extend the plant’s life, which later was withdrawn after

PG&E in 2016 announced plans to shutter the reactors when the licenses expired.

But the idea of going back in time to resume consideration of the previous filing was rejected by the agency, leaving PG&E with the time-consuming task of submitting a new application that it expects to file by the end of the year. Reviewing a request for an extended license typically takes two years or more. Without extended licenses, that means one reactor, or both, might have to close while the NRC reviews the applications.

That led to a separate request:

PG&E wants the NRC to allow the plant to continue running beyond its current, authorized term while the federal agency considers the license extensions. That ruling is not expected until next month.

Typically, if a nuclear plant files for a license extension at least five years before the expiration of the existing license, the existing license remains in effect until the NRC’s application review is complete, even if it technically passes the expiration date. But PG&E would not meet the usual five-year benchmark.

In documents submitted to the NRC, the company said the change it’s seeking “will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety.”

Without the exemption, the NRC would have less than a year to conduct the license-extension review — far less time than is typical — before the current license expires and the plant would be required to close.

The environmental groups said conducting a truncated review in just months “would be difficult if not impossible” and raise safety risks for a plant that until recently was headed for closure.

Completion of the NRC review, before a longer run is permitted, is needed “to assure that continued operation of the reactors will be safe,” they wrote.

Pence subpoena could set up fight over executive privilege

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The subpoena to former Vice President Mike Pence is a milestone moment in an ongoing Justice Department special counsel investigation. But it doesn’t guarantee he’s going to be testifying before a grand jury anytime soon.

Pence is the latest official in former President Donald Trump’s administration to be subpoenaed as part of the investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, but the push for Pence’s testimony is unique because he’s the highest-ranking official known to have been summoned.

The subpoena, the most aggressive step to date taken by special counsel Jack Smith, sets the stage for a potential dispute over executive privilege, creating a dynamic that could test — or at least delay — the Justice Department’s ability to get from Pence the testimony it believes it needs.

Representatives for Pence have not said publicly whether he intends to comply with the subpoena or will instead look to try to limit his grand jury appearance or avoid it altogether. Trump, for his part, has not said whether he plans to assert executive privilege to prevent Pence’s cooperation. But some legal experts say he faces significant hurdles in succeeding if he tried to do so.

“This will be fairly straightforward because the Department of Justice will be able to make a very compelling showing for the testi-

mony,” said W. Neil Eggleston, a former White House counsel in the Obama administration.

Spokespeople for Pence and Smith declined to comment on the subpoena, which a person familiar with the matter said followed back-and-forth negotiations between the two sides. A lawyer for the former vice president did not return emails seeking comment.

Pence has been represented by veteran attorney Emmet Flood, who over decades in Washington has navigated other high-profile political figures through executive privilege disputes.

Pence’s interest to investigators is obvious. Despite having only a ceremonial role in overseeing the

election, Pence was hectored for weeks by Trump to help him stay in power.

Some of the Trump loyalists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 as Pence was presiding over the counting of electoral votes chanted “ “Hang Mike Pence!” as the vice president was steered to safety.

Since then, Pence, who is considering launching a 2024 presidential bid against Trump, has distanced himself from the former president, saying last year that “President Trump is wrong” and that “I had no right to overturn the election.”

In the event he does ultimately testify, a subpoena might give him a degree of political cover,

helping him avoid further alienating Trump supporters he may need for his own election bid by allowing him to say that he was compelled to cooperate rather than did so voluntarily.

If he does not wish to comply, he may look for Trump to intervene by invoking executive privilege, a doctrine meant to protect the confidentiality of the Oval Office decision-making process. Such an action could result in closed-door arguments before the D.C. court’s chief federal judge, Beryl Howell.

Even then, though, the prospects for success are uncertain at best, in part because the privilege is not absolute and courts have held it can be overcome if the evidence being sought is deemed necessary for a criminal trial or a grand jury proceeding.

The Supreme Court made that clear in a 1974 decision that forced President Richard Nixon to turn over damning Oval Office recordings, saying using the principle to “withhold evidence that is demonstrably relevant in a criminal trial would cut deeply into the guarantee of due process of law and gravely impair the basic function of the court.”

Trump has also been unsuccessful in asserting executive privilege in instances where the current Biden administration disagrees. For instance, the Biden White House repeatedly rejected Trump efforts to use executive privilege to prevent the National Archives and Records Administration from producing presidential records about Jan. 6 to the House committee.

The Supreme Court in January 2022 also rebuffed Trump’s efforts to withhold the documents.

Other Trump administration officials have already testified before the grand jury, including former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and his top deputy as well as Pence’s own chief of staff, Marc Short.

Former Trump administration national security adviser Robert O’Brien has also been subpoenaed by the special counsel as part of the Jan. 6 investigation and a separate probe into the presence of classified documents at Trump’s Florida estate, according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss the action.

“It’s a little uncomfortable that that evidence is being sought from his vice president. But the law has not generally differentiated among people in a White House,” Eggleston said.

Other potential complicating factors include the fact that the episodes investigators presumably want to question Pence about — such as Trump’s efforts to influence counting of the votes — don’t concern conventional presidential duties likes the ones typically thought to be shielded by executive privilege, said Daniel Farber, a presidential powers expert and Berkeley Law professor.

“I think there are arguments that Pence can make or the Trump could make,” Farber said. “And of course, you can never 100% predict what the courts will do. But it doesn’t seem like an especially strong argument.”

An aerial photo of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, south of Los Osos, in Avila Beach, Calif., is seen in June 2010.

AP PHOTO, FILE

In this image from video released by the House Select Committee, Vice President Mike Pence looks at a phone from his secure evacuation location on Jan. 6 that is displayed as House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing June 16, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

STATE & NATION

Supreme Court might have easy outs on elections, immigration

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court soon could find itself with easy ways out of two high-profile cases involving immigration and elections, if indeed the justices are looking to avoid potentially messy, divisive decisions.

Off-ramps in those cases could prove attractive in a term with no shortage of big cases that could divide the court’s six conservatives and three liberals. Affirmative action, voting rights, gay rights and student loan forgiveness also are on the agenda for a court that is less than a year removed from overturning nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion and seeing a significant dip in public confidence.

The Biden administration provided one possible way out for the court this week. A legal fight over turning away immigrants at the border because of the coronavirus pandemic, under a provision of federal law known as Title 42, is about to become irrelevant, the administration said in a court filing Tuesday.

That’s because the administration recently announced that the public health emergency that justified the quick expulsion of immigrants will expire on May 11.

“Absent other relevant developments, the end of the public health emergency will (among other consequences) terminate the Title 42 orders and moot this case,” wrote the administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar.

The use of Title 42 began during Donald Trump’s presidency and continued after Joe Biden took of-

fice. It has been used millions of times to quickly turn away illegal immigrants at the border.

Title 42 is at the root of a Supreme Court case that the justices in December put on a fast track, with arguments set for March 1. At issue isn’t the use of Title 42 itself but the question of whether a group of Republican states can insert themselves into a lawsuit over the policy. The states support

keeping it in place. If it ends, they say illegal immigration will increase and they argue their interests aren’t represented in the case. The court could still rule before May 11, though that would be faster than usual. It’s also possible the policy’s end date will be pushed back beyond that date. But if the public health emergency ends as planned and the justices do nothing until then, the case could end

DA says libel case against Stein over

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press RALEIGH — A North Carolina prosecutor said Thursday that campaign-related charges won’t be pursued further against Attorney General Josh Stein or his aides, one day after an appeals court ruled the political libel law her office was seeking to enforce is most likely unconstitutional.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said that the ongoing investigation and prosecution of potential misdemeanor violations related to a 2020 ad from Stein’s campaign has been closed.

A senior assistant prosecutor in Freeman’s office had been investigating allegations whether the commercial criticizing Stein’s Republican challenger at the time broke a 1931 law that makes certain political speech unlawful. When it appeared last summer that Freeman’s office could soon seek indictments, Stein’s campaign and others sued in federal court to stop the effort and asked that the law be declared unconstitutional.

In August, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, blocked enforcement of the law while an appeal

was heard. On Wednesday, the same appeal panel vacated a trial judge’s ruling that had refused to order Freeman to stop using the law to prosecute anyone over the disputed commercial.

A statement released by Freeman also said the ruling prevents

her office from moving foward given that there is two-year statute of limitations for such a misdemeanor.

“Understanding that the case was one of intense public interest, it has been the assigned prosecutor’s intent to exercise due

without a decision.

When the court agreed to take the case in December, the justices were split. Five justices wanted to wade in and four justices — the court’s three liberals and conservative Neil Gorsuch — said they would not have gotten involved in the first place.

The other case the court could dodge involves a closely watched elections issue and comes out of

diligence and to evaluate the evidence and apply the law without partiality from the beginning of this matter,” Freeman said. “As prosecutors, we respect the role of the court in determining the constitutionality of a duly enacted state law.”

The decision by Freeman — the local prosecutor for North Carolina’s largest county — ultimately could make the Stein lawsuit moot. And Stein, who announced last month he would run for governor in 2024, will no longer have the potential for an uncomfortable prosecution from the office led by a fellow Democrat. Current Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper had sided with Stein in the legal affair, previously calling the potential prosecution “an unprecedented repression of free speech.”

The litigation originated from a commercial that Stein has called a corrective to what he considered false accusations made by then-challenger Jim O’Neill. He had alleged Stein had failed to act on more than 15,000 untested rape kits since becoming attorney general in 2017. Stein’s ad accused O’Neill, the Forsyth County district attorney, of letting more than a thousand rape kits go untested.

O’Neill complained to the State Board of Elections, mentioning a law that makes it illegal to help circulate “derogatory reports” about a candidate designed to harm their election chanc -

North Carolina. Last week the state’s top court ordered a new look at the case.

Republicans in North Carolina have asked the justices for a ruling that could leave state legislatures virtually unchecked in making rules for congressional and presidential elections. Such an outcome would for the first time validate what is known as the “independent state legislature” theory, which would dramatically enhance the power of state lawmakers over elections for president and Congress at the expense of state courts.

The justices heard arguments in December in an appeal from Republicans who argued that the state Supreme Court, then with a Democratic majority, improperly tossed the state’s Republican-drawn congressional districts as excessively partisan and adopted a new map that produced a 7-7 split in November’s elections.

Now a new Republican majority on the North Carolina high court has set new arguments for March. It’s unclear how long it might to take to reach a decision.

The justices have been at work on a decision in the North Carolina case for more than two months, but the final word in this and other consequential cases often doesn’t come until late June.

So the court could wait to see what the North Carolina court does before reaching its own conclusions.

Vikram Amar, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, said the court can always find a way out “if it wants to dodge the case,” including if the justices are finding trouble reaching consensus.

But Amar, who filed a brief opposing the Republicans in the case, said it’s important for the court to weigh in.

“The fact that they took the case in the first place tells us they think it needs resolution. Better to resolve this between election cycles,” Amar said.

es while “knowing such report to be false or in reckless disregard of its truth or falsity.” The elections board and ultimately Freeman’s office investigated, with the help of the State Bureau of Investigation.

Wednesday’s ruling overturned a decision by U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles, who had said the law appeared to meet constitutional standards. The prevailing opinion, written by Circuit Judge Toby Heytens, said it was likely unconstitutional because “derogatory reports” could also include statements that were in fact true. And someone could tell tremendous lies about a candidate as long as they weren’t specifically disclosed to hurt the person at the ballot box, Heytens wrote.

Stein campaign strategist Morgan Jackson said late Thursday the Stein ad “was true, and we are gratified that the 4th Circuit put an end to this nonsense.”

Citing the ad’s subject, Freeman’s statement said she hoped that efforts would continue to reduce backlogs for the testing of sexual assault kits following a 2019 state law that was designed to eliminate that inventory, adding that delays continue.

“It would be my hope that the General Assembly and the Attorney General would take steps to fix these delays so that the promises of the (2019 law) become a reality,” Freeman said.

AP PHOTO

An electronic sign flashes “Watch for unexpected pedestrians,” Dec. 20, 2022, on the highway next to the fenced US-Mexican border just east of downtown El Paso, Texas.

AP PHOTO

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein speaks in favor of protecting abortion access during a news conference at the North Carolina Department of Justice in Raleigh, Aug. 3, 2022.

Randolph record

Look out below

Eastern Randolph’s Davonte Brooks ties the game with a dunk late in the third quarter last week at Providence Grove. The Wildcats went on to win to clinch the outright regular-season title in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. For details, see Page 5.

Business questions persist for city, county areas

NC Zoo Council approves ticket price increase

The N.C. Zoo Council recently voted to approve an increase in the cost of admission to the North Carolina Zoo. The council, which is comprised of 15 members appointed by the governor to oversee the operation and development of the zoo, held a virtual meeting to discuss the matter on February 8.

According to Pat Simmons, Director and CEO of the North Carolina Zoo, “zoo funding comes 50% from the State with the other 50% from gate ticket sales,” but the cost of running the zoo has gone up over the years. Revenue from ticket sales has not grown to match the increased maintenance cost. The North Carolina Zoo’s proposal, which was approved, will increase the in-person ticket prices from $15 to $20 for adult admission. In addition, it also recommends a new seasonal rate to accommodate the fact that many African animals’ habitat requirements change in the colder months. Finally, a fixed discounted rate of $5 per person was proposed for holders of electronic benefit cards to make it easier for economically disadvantaged populations to enjoy a day at the zoo. The approved proposal has been sent to the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for a final decision. If approved, the price changes could go into effect as early as midMarch.

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO

— Speculation con-

tinues regarding the site of the former Dodge City Steakhouse at Randolph Mall.

Hull Property Group, which manages the mall, hasn’t revealed any specifics. Local mall officials refer questions to Georgia-based Hull Property Group. Dodge City Steakhouse was considered an outparcel (or separate

building on the mall’s grounds). The restaurant has closed.

Around the county … There could be business opportunities in Randolph County once road work is completed in certain areas in connection to soon-tobe-busier roadways because of the Greensboro-Randolph megasite. Road work has begun on a stretch of U.S. 421 in Randolph County. A $6.2 million contract award-

State Health Plan releases all documents related to third-party contract change

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — All documents related to the change from Blue Cross Blue Shield NC to Aetna as the State Health Plan’s third-party administrative services contract (TPA) are now publicly available.

Last week, the State Health Plan (SHP) published all of the materials, including requests for proposals (RFP) and the responses, on a specially created transparency page on its website.

“We are the most transparent and open agency in state government,” Treasurer Dale Folwell said in a statement. “I cannot be prouder of the work done by the staff of the State Health Plan and the bipartisan State Health Plan Board of Trustees. This contract doesn’t change the body or engine of the State Health Plan; it is just a modernization of the transmission. We look forward to Blue Cross finishing their current contract strong and facilitating a seamless transition to Aetna.”

The documents on the transparency page include details on the procurement process that led to the change in the contract as well as a timeline of events surrounding the move to Aetna. The repository of documents

has already revealed differences in how Aetna and Blue Cross responded to the RFP, which has ramifications for patient billing and transparency.

One of the RFP requirements related to the assignment of benefits payments states, “Upon request, Vendor will pay all claims, including non-network claims, based on the assignment of benefits.” On that item, Blue Cross checked “no,” while Aetna checked “yes.”

In other words, Blue Cross pays the patient directly instead of sending payment to an out-of-network provider. That practice has been criticized as a means of funneling subscribers to Blue Cross’ preferred providers, but also for creating a potentially bad situation where patients are sent a check but end up spending that cash on things other than treatments or surgeries.

During a Feb. 7 call with media, Folwell noted that his office had received a number of records requests for the documents. He said the production of records and posting of the materials online had been held up by the entities protesting the contract change; Blue Cross and UMR, Inc. The treasurer said his office had been in a

ed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation will bring improvements to nearly 15 miles of U.S. 421 in Chatham and Randolph counties.

NC DOT spokesman Jonathan Rand said that work has started along Julian Airport Road.

The contract includes milling, resurfacing, and shoulder reconstruction along both directions of U.S. 421 South between the Chatham County line and U.S. 64.

The work is focused on chang-

ing at-grade intersections to interchanges.

“It improves the traffic operations,” Rand said. Northbound and southbound ramps at exits 180 (Piney Grove Church Road), 181 (N.C. 49), and 183 (Old Liberty Road) will be improved under the project, according to NC DOT. A stretch near Starmount Road in Liberty is slated to be the secondto-last area where work will commence. Rand said that’s scheduled for the fall.

The entirety of the project might not be complete until the fall of 2024. Rand had no additional information earlier this week regarding the NC DOT’s plans for property on Albemarle Road near the exit from I-73/I-74. This also involves West Dixie Drive (or U.S. 64).

Asheboro Council approves rezoning request for development on Golda Avenue

City approves funding for another tribute band concert series

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Council met Thursday, February 9, with one public hearing and a few funding items on the agenda.

The council opened the meeting with a public hearing that was continued at last month’s meeting for a rezoning application for a property on Golda Avenue in order to construct a multi-family development.

“This is an application filed by Darren Lucas, who is the owner of the property,” said Community Development Director Trevor Nuttall. “It is a request to take the property from a medium-density residential district (R10) to a high-density (RA6) conditional zoning district for a multi-family development. It’s about 8.5 acres in size, and the property is currently undeveloped.”

Since the January meeting, the applicant made some changes to the plan in order to placate the concerns brought up at that meet-

ing.

Some of those changes included the reduction of total units from 46 to 44, the addition of at least 10 more feet of landscaping buffer on the western property line, and the full continuation of a sidewalk around the property.

However, one of the biggest concerns over the project was the

page 2

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

State of our Union: Hardworking American families are paying the price

JUST LIKE OUR GREAT NATION, the State of the Union address has a unique history surrounded by traditions and pageantry. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson gave the first inperson address since the 18th century. President Harry Truman’s address was the first to be broadcasted on television in 1947. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan invited the first guest to sit in the gallery and be referenced in his speech. The State of the Union has evolved from an address only given to leaders within our government to one that incorporates and is delivered to you, the American people.

out a credit card, you don’t simply raise the card’s spending limit and allow their spending to continue. You make changes, so they know the importance of creating a budget and sticking to it for the future. As we stare down another debt limit increase, Republicans are ready to work with the President on a new budget framework focused on fiscal restraint and responsibility.

From the economy to the border to national security, the State of our Union continues to be challenged under President Joe Biden and hardworking American families like yours are paying the price.

Regardless of politics, I always look forward to the State of the Union. It is the only time when members of the House of Representatives, Senate, Supreme Court, President’s Cabinet, Diplomatic Corps, and our nation’s top military leaders are all in the same room. The press box is buzzing with members of the media. The House Gallery is full of special guests invited by members of Congress and the White House. Sitting in the House Chamber surrounded by the bright lights brought in by television networks, you feel like you are on the set of a Hollywood movie or at the Super Bowl. The air in the room is electric as everyone is on the edge of their seats, waiting for the President’s arrival.

As I was waiting for the speech to begin last week, I was thinking about you. I was thinking about you and your family and the struggles you have faced over the past year. I hoped President Biden would lay out real solutions on how to reduce inflation, tackle Washington’s out-of-control spending, solve the crisis at the Southern border, and stand up to adversaries like China. Instead, the President’s speech sounded like a lot of recycled rhetoric.

What the President doesn’t understand is that families in North Carolina are hurting. Inflation has cost the average household an extra $10,000 over the last two years. What could you have done with that money in your pocket or savings? Additionally, energy prices this winter are the highest they have been in 15 years, while a record amount of Americans say they are worse off financially since Biden took office.

One of the major drivers of inflation is Washington’s reckless spending and inability to tackle our national debt. The greatest threat to our future is our growing national debt, which has surpassed levels that have not been seen since World War II. Unfortunately, the President did not lay out any strategy to tackle our debt or reduce spending.

Raising the debt limit without making reforms is not the answer to fixing our current debt crisis. Think about your own children, grandchildren, or other teenagers you know. When a child maxes

Satan is so hot right now

LAST WEEK, the Grammys were held in Los Angeles. They featured a star-studded cavalcade of singers who can’t sing, songsters who require a team of dozens to write their songs, and dancers who can’t dance. They also featured a full-on satanic ritual onstage, starring used-to-be-just-a-gay-dude-thengenderqueer-now-gender-nonbinary singer Sam Smith and transgender female (translation: biological male) Kim Petras.

It really is just about how I feel.

Their song, “Unholy,” won them Best Pop Group/Group Performance. Their performance, in which the tubby Smith donned a Satan outfit and top hat with horns while Petras gyrated in a cage surrounded by Satan-costumed strippers, made headlines for its transgressive imagery.

The goal, of course, is to tweak people of a traditionally religious bent, draw a response, and then act offended. “Why can’t you just leave us alone?” cry our cultural elites as they demand our attention.

We’re all supposed to be shocked, of course. That’s the point.

But the fact that the performance is so un-shocking should be the true shock. The Grammys were sponsored by major corporations. Shadow president of the United States and world’s greatest physician Dr. Jill Biden showed up to present an award. And CBS tweeted in anticipation of the Satanic routine, “We are ready to worship!”

But the truth is that Satan is so “in” right now.

After all, Satan’s message has become our society’s: personal “authenticity” requires the destruction of all traditional mores and the trashing of all intermediate institutions of Western civilization. To be “free” means to live without rules or boundaries. And our truest heroes are those who say, as John Milton’s Satan did, “better to reign in Hell than serve in Heav’n.”

Instead of addressing the state of our border and national security, President Biden told the American people Tuesday that the border is secure. Ignoring this crisis has been the strategy of the Biden administration since the beginning, which has led to nearly 5 million illegal migrants and thousands of pounds of fentanyl to enter our nation over the last two years.

Furthermore, the President failed to address China in a meaningful way—especially following the spy balloon incident. Last week, a Chinese spy balloon was able to travel freely across our nation and near sensitive national security sites, including Fort Bragg. The balloon caused air space over our state to be closed for a period of time before it was finally shot down. Yet the fact that the balloon entered U.S. airspace at all is unacceptable. On Thursday, I was proud to stand with my House colleagues and vote to condemn and denounce the Chinese Communist Party’s use of a spy balloon to collect intelligence on our country—a direct violation of our sovereignty.

From the economy to the border to national security, the State of our Union continues to be challenged under President Joe Biden, and hardworking American families like yours are paying the price. Washington Democrat’s inability to address these ongoing crises directly impacting the wallets and safety of you and your family is inexcusable. America is the greatest nation on Earth, and our state of the union should always be strong. I believe our country is at a turning point where we have the opportunity to come together to address these problems you and your family face every day.

Challenges to our economy and national security have certainly set us back, but rest assured, House Republicans have solutions to set our country on the right track. As your Congressman, I will never stop working to make sure you, and our union, are strong, prosperous, safe, and free.

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.

Milton meant his Satan to be a villain, rejecting the Good, True, and Beautiful in favor of personal power. But we have followed the path of dissolute romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who argued, “Milton’s Devil as a moral being is as far superior to his God as one who perseveres in some purpose which he has conceived to be excellent in spite of adversity and torture.”

Sure, Milton’s Devil provided no good to anyone, including himself — but he stood up to the strictures of an outside, objective moral code. It was Shelley himself who argued that “religion and morality, as they now stand, compose a practical code of misery and servitude: the genius of human happiness must tear every leaf from the accursed book of God ere man can read the inscription on his heart.”

How different are the musings of Shelley from the lesssophisticated musings of Smith and Petras? As Smith says, “It really is just about how I feel.” Or Petras: “it’s a take on not being able to choose religion. And not being able to live the way that people might want you to live... I was kind of hellkeeper Kim.”

God makes demands of us. God suggests that there is a higher Truth to which we are subject, rules, and roles we ought to obey for purposes of societal strength, spiritual durability, and personal fulfillment. Satan makes no demands of us beyond the surrender of our reason, our higher aspirations, and our souls. Milton’s Satan rebelled against God. Today, those of a Godly bent are increasingly fighting a rebellion against the truly dominant spiritual power of a narcissistic culture that prizes self above all, celebrated by a transgressive monolithic culture.

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. RICHARD HUDSON

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

SIDELINE REPORT

NBA Bridges’ consecutive games streak intact

New York

Mikal Bridges’ consecutive games played streak lives on. Bridges was acquired by the Nets from Phoenix last Thursday in the blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. The deal was approved by the league too late for Bridges to play that night in the Nets’ game against Chicago, so he was listed as “inactive — trade pending.” But the league determined that since Bridges wasn’t eligible to play, it shouldn’t count as a missed game. So his streak, the longest active one in the league, reached 367 games when the Nets visited the New York Knicks on Monday night.

NFL Former Cardinals

lineman Dobler dies at 72

Tempe, Ariz.

Conrad Dobler, one of the NFL’s top offensive linemen and fiercest players in the 1970s, has died. He was 72. The Cardinals announced Dobler died Monday in Pueblo, Colorado. No cause of death was given. Dobler played left guard on an offensive line that included Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf for a St. Louis team that became known as the “Cardiac Cardinals.” Dobler earned three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 197577 while playing under Hall of Fame coach Don Coryell. He played for the Cardinals from 1972-77 before moving on to play two seasons with New Orleans and Buffalo.

TRACK & FIELD

Bol: doping suspension lifted after samples didn’t match

Sydney Olympic 800-meter finalist

Peter Bol says his provisional doping suspension has been lifted after the A and B samples didn’t match. Usually testing of the B sample confirms the original adverse finding in doping cases. In a Twitter post, Bol says: “My provisional suspension has been lifted by Sport Integrity Australia.” Bol says he’s never taken banned performanceenhancing substances and he described the last month as a “nightmare.” Athletics Australia announced last month that Bol had failed an out-of-competition test on Oct. 11. His A sample tested positive to the banned drug erythropoietin, known as EPO.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Michigan says it had proof against fired football assistant

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Michigan fired football cooffensive coordinator Matt Weiss in January after he failed to attend a meeting to discuss whether he had gained access to computer accounts that belonged to other people, according to documents released to The Associated Press. An athletic department official told Weiss that the university had evidence that he had “inappropriately accessed” the accounts. Weiss was fired on Jan. 20 after skipping a meeting. Campus police are investigating possible computer crimes at the football building known as Schembechler Hall. Weiss has not directly addressed the allegations, saying only that he looks forward to “putting this matter” behind him.

Spring training’s start brings pitch clocks, shift limits

Major League Baseball has implemented new rules for 2023

The Associated Press

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jeff McNeil thinks he’ll adapt quickly to baseball’s big shift — really, an anti-shift.

“I’m playing a normal second base now instead of in short right field. I’ve been playing second base my whole life so it shouldn’t be too hard to adjust to,” the New York Mets All-Star infielder and big league batting champion said.

Spring training opened Monday in Florida and Arizona for players reporting early ahead of the World Baseball Classic, and the rest of

pitchers and catchers will start workouts two days later.

Following an offseason of record spending in which the New York Mets approached a $370 million payroll, opening day on March 30 will feature three of the biggest changes since the pitcher’s mound was lowered for the 1969 season:

— Two infielders will be required on either side of second base and all infielders must be within the outer boundary of the infield when the pitcher is on the rubber.

— Base size will increase to 18inch squares from 15 inches, causing a decreased distance of 4½ inches.

— A pitch clock will be used, set at 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners.

“I hope we get what our fans want — faster, more action, more athleticism.”

Rob Manfred, MLB commissioner

“This has been an eight-year effort for us,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday, thinking back to when the first experiments were formulated. “I hope we get what our fans want — faster, more action, more athleticism.”

Baseball’s timelessness spanned a century and a half in a sport obsessed with its sepia-toned history

of flannel-clad pioneers.

“In baseball, there’s no clock,” Richard Greenberg wrote in “Take Me Out,” his Tony Award-winning play. “What could be more generous than to give everyone all these opportunities and the time to seize them in, as well?”

Turns out, all those dead minutes became an annoyance in an age of decreased attention spans and increased entertainment competition.

The average time of a nine-inning game stretched from 2 hours, 30 minutes in the mid-1950s to 2:46 in 1989 and 3:10 in 2021 before dropping to 3:04 last year following the introduction of the PitchCom electronic device to signal pitches.

With the rise in shifts and higher velocity pitches, the batting average dropped from .269 in 2006 to .243 last year, its lowest since the record of .239 in 1968.

Defensive shifts on balls in play totaled 70,853 last season according to revised totals from Sports Info Solutions. That’s up from 59,063 in 2021 and 2,349 in 2011.

Irving debuts in Dallas not wanting to talk about future

The Associated Press

DALLAS — Kyrie Irving isn’t interested in talking about what his long-term future could be with the Dallas Mavericks, and he doesn’t understand why people don’t think he can play well off the ball.

“All I know, this is really playing basketball with a lot of high-level, high-IQ players and making it work,” Irving said before his first home game Monday with the Mavericks and All-Star teammate Luka Doncic. “Every single time I step foot out there, I get a chance to prove it to myself that I can play with anybody and everybody and still be efficient and be myself.”

Irving’s home debut in Dallas came a week after the blockbuster deal became official to bring the potential free agent from the Brooklyn Nets. His first three games with the Mavericks were on the road, and he played with Doncic for the first time Saturday night — Irving had 28 points and Doncic 27 in an overtime loss at Sacramento.

As for what happens after this season, the talented and enigmatic eight-time All-Star said that question constantly getting asked just puts unwanted distractions on him and the team.

“I’ve dealt with it before and it’s very emotionally draining to ask questions about what’s the long

term,” Irving said. “What the future holds is really only going to be dictated on what I do right now, and how I prepare for those next steps, and that’s being the best teammate that I can in that locker room and a great leader out here, I think within the Dallas community. ... So we’re just putting that to bed and just focus on what we have ahead as a team.”

The Mavericks, with 23 games remaining after Monday night’s game against Minnesota, are part of a crowded mix for a playoff spot. They went into the game fourth in the Western Conference, only three games ahead of 11th place — the first spot left out of

the postseason. When Dallas general manager Nico Harrison was asked his response to people who viewed the acquisition of Irving and his expiring contract as a risk, the former Nike executive, who already had a relationship with the player, said that wasn’t the case.

“I don’t see any risk involved at all. I’ve known Kyrie for a long time, I know his core, I know what type of person is. I think anybody who’s ever watched him play basketball knows the type of basketball player he is,” Harrison said.

“So I don’t see risk. I actually see a risk in not doing it.”

Irving smiled and responded,

“touché,” then adding that he appreciated their relationship and that it was now up to him to prove it “and control what I can control.”

Dallas also got Markieff Morris in the trade that sent Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round choices to the Nets.

Irving had a relationship with Nike for the entirety of his NBA career until earlier this season when the sneaker giant dropped him — and canceled the planned release of his next signature shoe just before it came out — after Irving tweeted a link to an antisemitic film.

“I would love to be well-liked by everybody. ... Oh, that’s just not it. That’s just not for I think anyone in this room,” Irving said. “But the genuine love that you have in your heart is the only thing that you can really control. I have open dialogue with everybody that spends time with me, wants to have conversation, wants to ask me questions.”

For those who don’t like him, he said he wishes them well.

“But I have a life to live and I have kids to raise,” he said. “So I don’t really have the energy to sit and focus on things I can’t control.”

The mercurial former Duke star calls speculation “emotionally draining”

TOMMY GILLIGAN | AP PHOTO

Major League Baseball will feature three of the biggest changes since 1969, including one rule that will minimize the infield shift.

AP PHOTO

Mavericks guards Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic during a game last week in Sacramento, California.

“I don’t really have the energy to sit and focus on things I can’t control.”

Kyrie Irving

Eastern Randolph boys find way to outright PAC title

Wildcats withstand Providence Grove for rare basketball prize

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

CLIMAX — Eastern Randolph had to make changes to figure out how to topple Providence Grove in Thursday night’s unexpected down-to-the-end tussle in boys’ basketball.

Just mark it up as another accomplishment for this group of Wildcats.

They’re outright Piedmont Athletic Conference regular-season champions, collecting the school’s first league title of any sort in boys’ basketball in seven years and only second regular-season title in 29 years. “We wanted to bring something back to Eastern Randolph for basketball and not just football,” senior forward Davonte Brooks said. “Now we can be a basketball and football school, not just football.”

The biggest variation of the past couple of months might come in perception considering Eastern Randolph won just eight games last season.

“It’s hard to change someone’s mindset,” first-year coach Johnny Thomas said.

And it was plenty difficult to dispatch Providence Grove, which turned in perhaps its best performance of the season on Senior Night.

Eastern Randolph clung to a one-point lead in the final minute, making three free throws in the last 12 seconds to secure an 88-84 victory against its neighboring rival.

“We got it done,” reserve Mason Briles said, calling it the wildest environment the Wildcats had competed in all season. “It feels great.”

The Wildcats (22-2, 11-1 PAC) will be the top seed and receive a quarterfinal bye in the league tournament next week before a Wednesday night semifinal at home. Eastern Randolph will be the location of the girls’ and boys’ tournament finals Feb. 17.

Brooks scored 30 points, and Connor Carter had all 11 of his points in the second half, begin-

PREP BOYS ROUNDUP

ning with a go-ahead 3-pointer at the buzzer to close the third quarter.

“I didn’t want to lose, period,” Brooks said. “Especially to PG. After we felt (how it felt) to lose the first two (defeats), we didn’t want another.”

It appeared the Patriots weren’t interested in coming up short again, either.

“All I asked them to do is fight,” Providence Grove coach Wes Luther said. “We’ve had a disappointing season, but the way we played (this game), I’ll take it.”

Sixth-place Providence Grove (7-17, 3-9), which lost by 33 points in the first meeting with Eastern Randolph, went to halftime with a 38-37 lead courtesy of Jacob Grantham’s difficult 16-foot shot at the buzzer. He kept up a personal scoring spree in the third quarter, when the Patriots went up 50-42.

A Brooks dunk tied it at 60-60 shortly before Carter heated up. He was dialed in from both corners in the fourth quarter, with the Wildcats building an eight-point advantage, and later his 3-pointer stretching the edge to 83-78.

Grantham’s two free throws and Zane Cheek’s breakaway layup for Providence Grove – the latter with 51 seconds left – were sandwiched

Diego Gutierrez

around Brooks’ basket off a rebound before the Wildcats sealed it with free throws.

“It was a great game both ways,” Luther said. “We did hit more shots than we have all year. They kept trying to put us away with big shots. We just wouldn’t go away.”

Eastern Randolph’s Timothy Brower tallied 15 points, Pierce Leonard had 13 points, and Nicah Taylor added 11 points. The contributions didn’t end there.

“You’ve got Jani (Norwood) and Will Stalker and those guys in there getting big rebounds,” Thomas said.

Grantham finished with 17 points, Chase Whitaker had 14, and Sakai McKoy notched 13 points for the Patriots, who were last season’s regular-season PAC champions.

Eastern Randolph finished one game ahead of Southwestern Randolph, which snapped the Wildcats’ 19-game winning streak Jan. 31.

“We know everybody is going to come, and everybody is going to fight us the best that they possibly can,” Thomas said. “Coming into halftime, my speech to my kids was, of course, very intense.”

So the Wildcats amped up their pressure defense to extend to full court.

As a result, it was a regular season full of rewards.

Blue Comets hit decades-long high

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — There are lots of reasons that have made this a special season for the Asheboro boys’ basketball team.

The goal will be to keep it going.

The Blue Comets won the Mid-Piedmont Conference’s regular season, going through that portion of conference play without a loss for the first time since 1976.

“We knew we would have some success in conference,” veteran coach Brian Nance said. “We had a good first half (of league play), and next thing you know, you’re 6-0, 7-0 ...”

Asheboro (19-4, 10-0 Mid-Piedmont Conference) made it to the finish line without a league loss going into this week’s conference tournament. Nance said he liked the Blue Comets’ focus in rematches after defeating opponents in the first rotation through the schedule.

Asheboro played its regular-season home finale by overpowering second-place Ledford 49-37 on Feb. 7 to clinch the Mid-Piedmont Conference title. Jerquarius Stanback had 17 points.

The Blue Comets capped the regular season by winning 7042 on Friday night at Montgomery Central, with Camden Walker posting 17 points. That pushed Asheboro’s winning streak to 11 games.

Seniors Hakeeme Butler and Tanner Marsh are three-year starters, and Stanback, a junior, is also a returning starter. Senior D.J. Headen had plenty of varsity experience entering the season. Walker, a junior, has been considered the biggest surprise, Nance said, and has provided a shooting threat on the perimeter.

Stanback averages 18 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. In the 10 Mid-Piedmont Conference games, he racked up a triple-double (that included points, rebounds, and blocked shots) and seven double-doubles.

In conference play, Stanback’s

14.2 points per outing were followed by Butler and Headen before Marsh checked in fourth on the team at 9.5, giving the Blue Comets balanced scoring.

The Blue Comets enter the conference tournament as the defending champion of that event, rising from the No. 3 seed last year. There’s Wednesday’s semifinal against either North Davidson or Oak Grove and potentially Friday night’s final – both at Ledford.

This is Nance’s 17th season. His teams have won four league tournaments but never secured a regular-season and tournament title in the same season. That hasn’t happened for Asheboro since the 1996-97 season. “It has been a fun year,” Nance said. “We would like to win a couple more.”

Piedmont Athletic Conference

Eastern Randolph began last week by trouncing visiting Trinity 98-70, with Davonte Brooks posting 32 points and Timothy Brower pouring in 24. Then the Wildcats

clinched the PAC regular-season title by withstanding an upset from host Providence Grove by 88-84 (see separate story).

Trinity received 31 points from Dominic Payne and 19 from Dylan Hodges in the clash with Eastern Randolph. The Bulldogs bounced back to top visiting Randleman 61-55 behind 20 points from Payne and 19 from Hodges.

Still, that means third-place Trinity (18-6, 8-4) has work to do to produce its second 20-win season in a row. Greg Price of fourthplace Randleman (14-10, 6-6) had 19 points. When Providence Grove whipped host Wheatmore 8152, Sakai McKoy had 17 points. Wheatmore’s Cooper Black had 27 points.

Southwestern Randolph kept its hopes alive for a share of the PAC crown by upending visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy 7246, with Sean Adkins scoring 17 points on Senior Night.

Fifth-place UCA responded by completing a season sweep of lastplace Wheatmore by winning its home finale 76-42.

Asheboro, wrestling

Gutierrez is making his senior season a special one as he heads to the state tournament.

He’s coming off the Class 3-A Midwest Regional championship at 120 pounds.

During the two-day meet at North Davidson, Gutierrez won all four matches. That included a 5-2 decision against Mark Truman of West Rowan in the title bout.

He began the regional with a first-period pin of Peyton Hinson of South Rowan. Then came an 8-6 decision against North Iredell’s Andrew Cockerham and a 3-1 decision against Takota Tala of Parkwood in the semifinal.

Gutierrez, who was a state qualifier at 126 pounds last year, enters the state tournament with a 37-1 record this season. He was an all-conference selection for boys’ soccer in the Mid-Piedmont Conference in the fall.

PREP BASKETBALL

Southwestern Randolph teams reach PAC semifinal rounds

Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Southwestern

Randolph’s girls’ basketball team survived the only tight finish on the opening night of the Piedmont Athletic Conference postseason.

The Cougars prevailed 4746 against visiting Trinity in the PAC Tournament quarterfinals Monday night. They needed a defensive stop on the game’s final possession.

Senior forward Maddie Small made the second of two freethrow chances to break a tie with 9.5 seconds left following an offensive rebound.

Jordin George posted 14 points for the third-seeded Cougars (18-7), who play in the semifinals Wednesday night at second-seeded Eastern Randolph.

For sixth-seeded Trinity (1213), Kennedy Jackson racked up 16 points and Autumn Gentry and Kaelyn Whiteheart both had 13 points. Eastern Randolph defeated seventh-seeded Providence Grove for the second time in five nights, winning 51-33 at home. Brecken Snotherly supplied 38 points and 15 rebounds for the Wildcats (16-6). Providence Grove is 6-18.

Fifth-seeded Uwharrie Charter Academy won 57-39 on the road against fourth-seeded Wheatmore (9-14). UCA (11-14) has a date with regular-season champion Randleman (22-1), which re-

ceived a bye, in the semifinals. The girls’ tournament final is at 6 p.m. Friday at Eastern Randolph, where the boys’ final will follow.

PAC boys

Second-seeded Southwestern Randolph used Sean Adkins’ 14 points on the way to defeating seventh-seeded Wheatmore 5838.

The Cougars (15-9), who also received 12 points from Landon Williamson and 11 points from Thomas Leal, are home against third-seeded Trinity on Wednesday night.

Wheatmore (5-18), which hasn’t won against a PAC opponent, had 12 points from Cooper Black.

Trinity’s Dominic Payne tallied 30 points in a 70-61 victory against visiting Providence Grove (7-18), the sixth seed. Dylan Hodges added 13 points and Brandon Campbell had 12 points for the Bulldogs (19-6).

There were big offensive outputs as fourth-seeded Randleman stopped fifth-seeded UCA 66-52. Tyshaun Goldston led the Tigers (15-10) with 28 points, Greg Price had 17 points and Christian Long added 14.

Those outings helped offset Ashton Troutman’s 35 points for UCA (7-18).

Randleman heads for Wednesday night’s semifinal at first-place Eastern Randolph, which had a quarterfinal bye.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Connor Carter drains a second-half 3-pointer over Providence Grove’s Joseph Coltrane.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Asheboro’s Jerquarius Stanback goes up for a shot last week against Ledford’s Whit Denny.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Southwestern Randolph’s Jordin George shoots against Trinity’s Ava Nance on Monday night.

COURTESY PHOTO

Diego Gutierrez of Asheboro was a Class 3-A regional champion last weekend.

UCA sends 10 to state tournament

Five county schools have regional champions

Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Aldo Hernandez and Grayson Roberts will try to repeat as state champions as Uwharrie Charter Academy will send 10 wrestlers to the state tournament.

UCA, as the host school, rolled through Friday and Saturday’s Class 1-A East Regional.

Hernandez at 138 pounds and Roberts at 170 pounds were regional champions, joining 106-pounder Ethan Hines, 145-pounder Lorenzo Alston, 160-pounder Carson Robinson, and 195-pounder Jaden Maness with those first-place spots.

The Eagles were overwhelming team champions with 251 points compared to runner-up North East Carolina Prep’s 152. Eastern Randolph was sixth with 115½.

The multi-day state tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum

begins Thursday for Class 2-A, Class 3-A, and Class 4-A, while Class 1-A starts Friday. Finals are slated for Saturday night.

Hernandez, who won in the 2021 states for Montgomery Cen-

Asheboro’s Becker claims second in freestyle

Randolph Record

CARY — Freshman Megan Becker of Asheboro was the runner-up in the Class 3-A girls’ 100-yard freestyle in the state championships Saturday at the Triangle Aquatic Center.

Becker finished the race in 53.57 seconds behind Orange’s Katie Belle Sikes, who set a Class 3-A state meet record of 49.45. Becker was also fourth in the 200 freestyle in 1:56.40.

Asheboro’s Madison Burnette, Fiona Wolfe-Roberts, Maci Co -

lumbia, and Becker combined for 10th place in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:48.56.

Ninth in the 400 freestyle relay in 4:01.35.

Indoor track and field

At Winston-Salem, Randleman senior Iniyah Mitchell placed third in the Class 2-A girls’ shot put in the state championships at JDL Fast Track.

Mitchell’s toss of 34 feet, 9 ½ inches was nearly 3 feet farther than the fourth-place mark.

tral, and Roberts both moved up one weight class since last season. Robinson won by a first-period injury default against Eastern Randolph’s Bryce Foland in the final.

The top four finishers in each weight class qualify for states.

UCA will also send regional runners-up Brandon Jordan (126), Jack McArthur (132), and Corbin Grissom (182), along with thirdplace finisher Alec Millikan (152).

The Eagles will have entrants in 10 of the 14 weight classes.

Other than Foland, Eastern Randolph’s qualifiers are Jamie Crabtree (third at 106), Adrian Lopez (third at 126), Ian Moore (third at 220), and Carter Self (fourth at 120).

Class 2-A

At Bunn, Spencer May of Trinity, Dominic Hittepole of Wheatmore, and Jose Flores of Southwestern Randolph won titles in the Mideast Regional.

May won at 120, Hittepole at 160, and Flores at 220.

Trinity was team runner-up behind Eden Morehead. Southwestern Randolph was fourth.

Trinity’s contingent at the state tournament also will include

Brayden Hall (second at 113), Gavin Hardister (second at 182), Levi Dennis (third at 126), Joey Smith (third at 220), and Baron Justice (fourth at 138).

Wheatmore is sending Hittepole, Trey Swaney (second at 132), and Randy Spencer (fourth at 195).

Aside from Flores, Southwestern Randolph’s state qualifiers are Luke White (third at 138), Mason Leonard (third at 145), and Janaksel Perez (fourth at 106).

Providence Grove’s Colton Wood (285) heads back to the states after a runner-up spot in the regional. Teammate Mitchell Freeman was fourth at 152.

Randleman’s Braxton Walker (second at 195) and Kaelob Pearce (fourth at 132) advanced to states.

Class 3-A

At Lexington, Diego Gutierrez of Asheboro won at 120 pounds in the Midwest Regional at North Davidson to lead four Blue Comets into the state tournament.

Gutierrez went 4-0 to improve to 37-1.

Xavier Santos (113), who was a state qualifier last year, Christian Diaz (160), and Eddie Soto (195) also moved on.

Brecken Snotherly achieves history with Eastern Randolph

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

CLIMAX — It’s already a historic season for Eastern Randolph’s girls’ basketball team.

Much of that is coming from senior guard Brecken Snotherly, who racked up a school-record 51 points in Tuesday night’s regular-season home finale against Trinity.

“I was kind of surprised to have that many,” she said. “I would say 25 points was a lot for a game.” She hit six 3-point shots. That might have been the difference from some of her other games.

Snotherly eclipsed her previous best of 43 points last month at Wheatmore.

It’s believed to be the 26th time a girls’ player has reached the 50-point mark in a game in North Carolina High School Athletic Association history. Cedar Ridge’s Amiyah Ware notched 54 points against Western Alamance a few nights before Snotherly’s accomplishment. Only 19 girls have scored 50 or more in the state because a few players have done so multiple times.

Eastern Randolph (15-6, 9-3 Piedmont Athletic Conference) completed its league slate when Snotherly had 28 points in Thursday night’s 62-37 road victory against Providence Grove.

The Wildcats finished second in the PAC and are guaranteed their

first winning season in six years. It’s shaping up as the best season since a 26-3 record in 2006-07.

“We’ve been able to click,” Snotherly said. “Everybody gets along, and that’s huge for a team.”

During the 72-39 romp past visiting Trinity, Snotherly passed the 2,000-point mark for her career (Winston-Salem Christian and Eastern Randolph).

Randleman wrapped up its second consecutive undefeated PAC regular season by defeating host Trinity 55-38, as Gracyn Hall had 22 points and 15 rebounds Thursday night.

It was the only game of the week for the Tigers, who’ll have a firstround bye in the PAC Tournament.

“Randleman is tough, but we’re coming for them,” Eastern Randolph coach Jeff Davis said. “They do what they do very well. We’ve got to go that extra mile.” Southwestern Randolph’s only game of the week resulted in a 6055 home victory against Uwharrie Charter Academy. That puts the third-place Cougars (17-7, 7-5) in contention for a 20-win season for the fourth consecutive full season – not counting the pandemic-reduced 2021 season.

Wheatmore’s Kynnedi Routh tallied 21 points as the Warriors defeated visiting Providence Grove 57-46. The Warriors topped host Uwharrie Charter Academy 42-39 to conclude the regular season.

Tactical

RANDOLPH RECORD

Brecken Snotherly goes up for a shot earlier this season at Trinity.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Carson Robinson, top, works on Eastern Randolph’s Bryce Foland during the 160-pound final in the Class 1-A East Regional.

RANDOLPH RECORD

Swimmer Megan Becker of Asheboro was the area’s top finisher in the state meet.

PREP GIRLS

STATE FINALS

Elizabeth Ann Routh Foley

July 6, 1941 — February 10, 2023

Elizabeth Ann Routh “Libby” Foley, age 81 of Climax, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 10, 2023, at her daughter’s home. Libby was born on July 6, 1941, to Carl Thomas and Arleta Fields Routh. Libby was a graduate of Pleasant Garden High School and worked as a cafeteria lady for 34 years. Libby was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Libby enjoyed watching horror movies, the Beverly Hillbillies, and Everybody Loves Raymond and she attended New Covenant Church. In addition to her parents, Libby was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, Paul Foley, Sr. Libby is survived by her daughter, Pam Poe, grandson: Joshua Law (Stephanie), greatgrandchildren: Tanner Law and Alaina Law; son, Mitch Poe (Dawn), grandchildren: Jessica Poe (Kody Miller), Abigail Poe, Mark Lee and Rebecca Howell, great-grandchildren: Victoria Lee and Harrison Ray Miller; step-son, Paul Foley Jr.; grandchildren, Ashley Lewis, Kasey Foley and Nichole Adee; great-grandchildren, Landon Lewis, Abigail Lewis, Emily Lewis, Bailey Adee and Jax Adee; step-daughter, Bridgett Gaines (David); grandchildren, Kelly Johnson (Brian), Bryant “DBG” Gaines and Brandon Gaines; great-grandchildren, Will Gaines, Emalyn Johnson and Connor Turner; step-daughter, Beverly Spillman (Darrell); grandchildren, Dalton Spillman (Chelsea), Dustin Spillman and Drake Spillman (Ashley); and great-grandchildren, Dawson Spillman, Wyatt Spillman and Garrison Spillman; and her sister, Shirley Fields Cheek (Larry).

Clara Grace (Gracie) Jones Allred

September 21, 1932 — February 9, 2023

Clara Grace “Gracie” Jones Allred, age 90, of Asheboro passed away Thursday, February 9, 2023 after a series of illnesses. Born in Randolph County on September 21, 1932, Gracie was the daughter of the late Iula Routh Jones and Bernice Caswell Jones. After graduating from Franklinville Senior High School, Gracie attended Women’s College (now UNCG) in Greensboro, North Carolina before leaving to marry Hugh Thomas “Tommy” Allred in 1951. After living in New Jersey while Tommy was in military service, they returned to Randolph County … first to Franklinville, then to Asheboro in 1963.

Gracie enjoyed a 30+ year career at Ramseur Interlock Knitting and a lifelong love of spending time with friends and family at Badin Lake. She was a devoted member of Central United Methodist Church and was awarded the United Methodist Women Lifetime Membership pin in recognition for her years of service as UMW Treasurer. Central Methodist is where she made many of the friendships she cherished to the end of her life.

Gracie is survived by her son Gary Thomas Allred (Sharon) of Newport, Rhode Island and daughter, Celia Allred Yow of Greensboro, NC. She was a devoted grandmother to her 4 grandchildren – Meredith Allred Cole (Dave) of Marietta, GA; Kathryn Allred Sheehan (Henry) of Providence, RI; Jeffrey “Reese” Yow, Jr. (Anne) of Atlanta, GA and Clark Thomas Yow of Greenville, NC. She was also blessed with 5 great grandchildren – Wesley and Henry Cole, Jack and Cameron Sheehan and Miller Yow.

In addition to her parents and husband of 70 years, she was preceded in death by both her siblings Ralph Norman Jones and Sarah Anne “Red” Hambleton.

Rebecca Sue Troyer "Becky" Wooters

February 2, 1952 — February 9, 2023

Rebecca Sue Troyer "Becky" Wooters, age 71, died Thursday February 9, 2023, at her home in Asheboro. She was born on February 2, 1952, to Richard Waldo and May Aileen Hollopeter Troyer, in Wolf Lake, Indiana. She spent her early years in Churubusco, Indiana, and spent most of her adult life as a minister's wife, serving alongside her husband, Rev. Alvin Wooters. She was a gifted teacher and passionate about homeschooling, was a teacher's assistant with Randolph County Schools and taught at WesCare Christian Academy in Troy, NC. She coached Wesleyan Bible Bowl and played the piano/organ in the various churches she and Alvin served for more than 50 years. She enjoyed crocheting angel ornaments which she gladly shared with many. She is survived by her husband: Rev. Alvin Wooters; daughters: Rev. Joy (Rev. Phil) Garman of Kannapolis; Deborah May (Lee) Shaw of Asheboro; Elizabeth (Raziel) Blanco of Asheboro; 3 grandchildren: Wesley and Valorie Garman and Danielle Shaw; brothers: Rev. David (Patricia) Troyer of LaOtto, IN; Rev. George Troyer of Frankfort, IN; and Jim (Beverly) Troyer of Churubusco, IN.

Gene Ray Davis

February 5, 1939 — February 5, 2023

Gene Ray Davis, passed away February 5 on his 84th birthday. He was born February 5, 1939, in Gastonia NC, to Boyd and Lila Davis. He graduated from Ashley High School (class of 1957) and married his high school sweetheart from Bessemer City High School, the late Sarah Thomas Davis, on March 31, 1958. They settled in Charlotte, NC where they raised 3 daughters, Terri, Tammi and Kim.

After 54 years of marriage to Sarah, Gene found love again with Rachel Armstrong Davis of Asheboro, also a 1957 graduate of Ashley High School.

Gene joined the Navy after high school. He and Sarah spent their first year of marriage in Monterey California where he was selected to study the Polish language at the Defense Language Institute, one of the most prestigious language programs recognized worldwide.

Gene loved his family more than anything on this earth. He was so proud that his daughters were the first college graduates in his family. He doted on his grandchildren never missing any special event and was fondly referred to as Mr. MGM at many sporting events.

Gene was preceded in death by his first wife, Sarah T. Davis, his brothers Buddy, Bobby, and Jimmy, and sister Carolyn.

Gene is survived by his wife of 9.5 years, Rachel A. Davis; his daughter Terri, her husband Peter, and their daughter Michelle; his daughter Tammi, her husband Russell, their sons Steven, and Kevin and wife Allison; his daughter Kim, and her daughters, Courtney and husband David, Brittany and husband Alex; and Maddison; five great-grandchildren; his sister Janice and her husband Jim of Detroit, MI; his step children, Walker and his wife Gina and their daughter Emily Hilyard and her husband Richard; step daughter Amy and her husband Peter and their son Louis.

Beatrice "Lorraine" Davis

December 30, 1930 — February 10, 2023

Beatrice Lorraine Turner Davis, 92, of Seagrove, passed away on February 10, 2023 at First Health Reid Heart Center in Pinehurst.

Linda Dunlap Brady

November 6, 1942 — February 7, 2023

Linda Marie Dunlap Brady, 80, of Robbins, passed away on February 7, 2023, at her home. Linda was born on November 6, 1942, in Randolph County, to Lester Buren and Lora Mae McNeill Dunlap. She was employed at Ithaca Industries for many years before taking ownership of Little Village Restaurant in 1997. She loved cooking, gardening, NASCAR racing (her favorite Jeff Gordon) and spending time with her grandchildren and family. She was a graduate of Westmoore High School class of 1961 and a member of Dover Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Carolyn Cheek and Janice Wright.

She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Larry Brady of the home; daughters, Sonya Tallant (Neal) of Carthage; Lisa Hussey (Wendell) of Robbins; son, Chris Brady of Robbins; sister, Wanda McNeill of Asheboro; brother, Randy Dunlap of Robbins; grandchildren, Erin Walton (Ben), Kyle Tallant and Aubrey Hussey.

Sherry Ellis Myers

May 17, 1960 — February 5, 2023

Sherry Ellis Myers, 62, of Cameron, passed away on Sunday, February 5, 2023.

Mrs. Myers was born in Chatham County on May 17, 1960, the daughter of Gilbert J. Ellis and Betty Maness Frye.

Josephine "Josie" Nicholson Forbes

May 19, 1937 — February 9, 2023

Josephine "Josie" Nicholson Forbes, 85, of Siler City formally of Burlington, died Thursday, February 9, 2023.

Mrs. Forbes was born in Alamance County on May 19, 1937, the daughter of Thurman Woodrow Nicholson and Anna Mae Pennington Nicholson Hudgins.

She was a member of Calvary Baptist Church. Mrs. Forbes loved playing the piano, painting, antique shopping especially at yard sales and thrift shops. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by the love of her life, her husband, William "Billy" Moore Forbes Jr., and a sister, Idalea Gossett of Burlington.

She is survived by her children: Steven Forbes and wife Delana of Burlington, Teresa F. Bradsher and husband Kent of Burlington, Donna F. Guthrie and husband Dennis of Siler City, and Stacy Forbes of Burlington; sister: Louise Combs of Burlington; 9 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren and beloved lifelong friend Myrna Hayes of Burlington.

Janet Marie Williams Hodge

January 5, 1956 — February 8, 2023

Janet Marie Williams Hodge, age 67 of Randleman, passed away on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at her home. Janet was born in Randolph County on January 5, 1956 to Tiffany and Ina McPherson Williams. Janet was a kind person who had a heart of gold. She worked at Banner Hosiery for a number of years as a knitter. In addition to her parents, Janet is preceded in death by her son, David Hodge; and siblings, David Williams, Randolph Scott Williams, and Chrissy Hancock. Janet is survived by her two brothers, Howard (Carol) Williams of Asheboro, and Larry (Irene) Hicks of Madison; grandchildren, Brooklyn, Kourtney, Casey, and Nicholas Hodge; and one great granddaughter.

Lorraine was born in Stuart, Virginia on December 30, 1930, to Amos and Martha Alice Davis Turner.

Lorraine retired from Black & Decker (formerly General Electric) in 1994. In her spare time she enjoyed gardening, canning and preserving fruit and vegetables from her garden, sewing on one of her many sewing machines, and baking cakes and pies. She loved cooking for her family and friends and friends and family gatherings were centered around her kitchen table. Lorraine really enjoyed the companionship of her two cats, Tom and Fluffy. They along with her family will miss her greatly.

In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband of 74 years, Bernie Davis; sister, Betty Davis; brothers, Troy, Larry, Melvin and Sam Turner; and an infant brother and sister. She is survived by her daughters, Joyce Davis Rich and husband Henry of Seagrove; and Brenda Davis of Norman; brother, Jimmy Turner of Beaufort; grandchildren, Darrell Brewer, Kevin Brewer, Tammy Beane, Ricky Beane, and Randall Beane; great grandchild, Cody Brewer, and great great grandchild Karly Brewer.

Michael Wayne Gluck

January 29, 1971 — February 9, 2023

Michael Wayne Gluck,52, of Eagle Springs, passed away on February 9, 2023.

Michael was born on January 29, 1971, in Orange County, California, to David H. Gluck and Rebecca Freeman Davis.

He is survived by his wife, Suzanna Smith of the home; daughters, Erica Gluck of Star; Megan Gluck of Eagle Springs; sons, Michael Arron Gluck of Sanford; Joshua Allen of Lexington; and Nicholas Alexander of Eagle Springs; mother, Rebecca Davis (Jerry) of Star; father, David Gluck (Susan) of West Virginia; brothers, Keith Gluck of KY and Steven Gluck of Star and six grandchildren.

Sherry loved crafting, and going to White Lake. She enjoyed watching Duke Basketball and Nascar racing on the television. Sherry adored her family, and was always on the sidelines at her grandchildren's sporting events. She is preceded in death by her father, Gilbert Ellis; and niece, Betty Sue Ellis.

She is survived by her husband of 36 years, George "Kenneth" Myers; sons, Isaac Jordan and wife Stephanie of Lemon Springs, and Travis Jordan and wife Kimberly of Cameron; mother, Betty Maness Frye and husband Billy of Pittsboro; sister, Donna Rose Ferguson of Staley; brothers, Walter Steven Ellis of Ramseur, and Gilbert Wayne Ellis of Staley; grandchildren, Marshall Jordan of Callahan, FL, Jonathon Jordan and Matthew Jordan of Lemon Springs, and Izzabella Jordan and Kolton Jordan of Cameron, NC; and several nieces and nephews.

STATE & NATION

Supreme Court might have easy outs on elections, immigration

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court soon could find itself with easy ways out of two high-profile cases involving immigration and elections, if indeed the justices are looking to avoid potentially messy, divisive decisions.

Off-ramps in those cases could prove attractive in a term with no shortage of big cases that could divide the court’s six conservatives and three liberals. Affirmative action, voting rights, gay rights and student loan forgiveness also are on the agenda for a court that is less than a year removed from overturning nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion and seeing a significant dip in public confidence.

The Biden administration provided one possible way out for the court this week. A legal fight over turning away immigrants at the border because of the coronavirus pandemic, under a provision of federal law known as Title 42, is about to become irrelevant, the administration said in a court filing Tuesday.

That’s because the administration recently announced that the public health emergency that justified the quick expulsion of immigrants will expire on May 11.

“Absent other relevant developments, the end of the public health emergency will (among other consequences) terminate the Title 42 orders and moot this case,” wrote the administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar.

The use of Title 42 began during Donald Trump’s presidency and continued after Joe Biden took of-

fice. It has been used millions of times to quickly turn away illegal immigrants at the border.

Title 42 is at the root of a Supreme Court case that the justices in December put on a fast track, with arguments set for March 1. At issue isn’t the use of Title 42 itself but the question of whether a group of Republican states can insert themselves into a lawsuit

DA says libel case against Stein over

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A North Carolina prosecutor said Thursday that campaign-related charges won’t be pursued further against Attorney General Josh Stein or his aides, one day after an appeals court ruled the political libel law her office was seeking to enforce is most likely unconstitutional.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said that the ongoing investigation and prosecution of potential misdemeanor violations related to a 2020 ad from Stein’s campaign has been closed.

A senior assistant prosecutor in Freeman’s office had been investigating allegations whether the commercial criticizing Stein’s Republican challenger at the time broke a 1931 law that makes certain political speech unlawful. When it appeared last summer that Freeman’s office could soon seek indictments, Stein’s campaign and others sued in federal court to stop the effort and asked that the law be declared unconstitutional.

In August, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, blocked enforcement of the

HEALTHCARE from page 1

holding pattern while waiting for those groups to make redactions.

“ I don’t think there’s been any other state agency who was responded this completely in this quickly to these inquiries as we’re about to today,” Folwell told North

law while an appeal was heard. On Wednesday, the same appeal panel vacated a trial judge’s ruling that had refused to order Freeman to stop using the law to prosecute anyone over the disputed commercial. A statement released by Freeman also said the ruling prevents her office from moving foward

State Journal during the media call. “And I think it’ll present a lot of sunshine to folks like you who will really have a full understanding of how this process has gone down over the last year or so.”

Last December, the State Health Plan Board of Trustees voted unanimously to award the TPA con-

given that there is two-year statute of limitations for such a misdemeanor.

“Understanding that the case was one of intense public interest, it has been the assigned prosecutor’s intent to exercise due diligence and to evaluate the evidence and apply the law without partiality from the

tract to Aetna. The contract is for a three-year service period beginning Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027. The contract has an option for two, one-year renewal terms. Until Aetna takes over, Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina will continue to be the Plan’s claims processor.

over the policy. The states support keeping it in place. If it ends, they say illegal immigration will increase and they argue their interests aren’t represented in the case.

The court could still rule before May 11, though that would be faster than usual. It’s also possible the policy’s end date will be pushed back beyond that date. But if the public health emergency ends as planned and the justices do nothing until then, the case could end without a decision.

When the court agreed to take the case in December, the justices were split. Five justices wanted to wade in and four justices — the court’s three liberals and conservative Neil Gorsuch — said they would not have gotten involved in the first place.

The other case the court could dodge involves a closely watched elections issue and comes out of North Carolina. Last week the state’s top court ordered a new look at the case.

Republicans in North Carolina have asked the justices for a ruling that could leave state legislatures virtually unchecked in making rules for congressional and presidential elections. Such an outcome would for the first time validate what is known as the “independent state legislature” the -

beginning of this matter,” Freeman said. “As prosecutors, we respect the role of the court in determining the constitutionality of a duly enacted state law.”

The decision by Freeman — the local prosecutor for North Carolina’s largest county — ultimately could make the Stein lawsuit moot. And Stein, who announced last month he would run for governor in 2024, will no longer have the potential for an uncomfortable prosecution from the office led by a fellow Democrat. Current Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper had sided with Stein in the legal affair, previously calling the potential prosecution “an unprecedented repression of free speech.”

The litigation originated from a commercial that Stein has called a corrective to what he considered false accusations made by then-challenger Jim O’Neill. He had alleged Stein had failed to act on more than 15,000 untested rape kits since becoming attorney general in 2017. Stein’s ad accused O’Neill, the Forsyth County district attorney, of letting more than a thousand rape kits go untested.

O’Neill complained to the State Board of Elections, mentioning a law that makes it illegal to help circulate “derogatory reports” about a candidate designed to harm their election chances while “knowing such report to be false or in reck-

The move to Aetna was announced in early January, with Folwell’s office estimating $140 million in administrative savings with the move and that a partnership with Aetna will lower costs and provide better transparency.

Blue Cross Blue Shield NC and UMR, Inc. both filed protests over

ory, which would dramatically enhance the power of state lawmakers over elections for president and Congress at the expense of state courts.

The justices heard arguments in December in an appeal from Republicans who argued that the state Supreme Court, then with a Democratic majority, improperly tossed the state’s Republican-drawn congressional districts as excessively partisan and adopted a new map that produced a 7-7 split in November’s elections.

Now a new Republican majority on the North Carolina high court has set new arguments for March. It’s unclear how long it might to take to reach a decision.

The justices have been at work on a decision in the North Carolina case for more than two months, but the final word in this and other consequential cases often doesn’t come until late June.

So the court could wait to see what the North Carolina court does before reaching its own conclusions.

Vikram Amar, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, said the court can always find a way out “if it wants to dodge the case,” including if the justices are finding trouble reaching consensus.

But Amar, who filed a brief opposing the Republicans in the case, said it’s important for the court to weigh in.

“The fact that they took the case in the first place tells us they think it needs resolution. Better to resolve this between election cycles,” Amar said.

less disregard of its truth or falsity.”

The elections board and ultimately Freeman’s office investigated, with the help of the State Bureau of Investigation.

Wednesday’s ruling overturned a decision by U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles, who had said the law appeared to meet constitutional standards. The prevailing opinion, written by Circuit Judge Toby Heytens, said it was likely unconstitutional because “derogatory reports” could also include statements that were in fact true. And someone could tell tremendous lies about a candidate as long as they weren’t specifically disclosed to hurt the person at the ballot box, Heytens wrote.

Stein campaign strategist Morgan Jackson said late Thursday the Stein ad “was true, and we are gratified that the 4th Circuit put an end to this nonsense.”

Citing the ad’s subject, Freeman’s statement said she hoped that efforts would continue to reduce backlogs for the testing of sexual assault kits following a 2019 state law that was designed to eliminate that inventory, adding that delays continue.

“It would be my hope that the General Assembly and the Attorney General would take steps to fix these delays so that the promises of the (2019 law) become a reality,” Freeman said.

the change, which were rejected by the SHP. Future legal action is likely based on statements made by both of the protesting parties. The State Health Plan covers some 740,000 state employees, teachers and retirees and is a division of the Department of State Treasurer.

AP PHOTO

An electronic sign flashes “Watch for unexpected pedestrians,” Dec. 20, 2022, on the highway next to the fenced US-Mexican border just east of downtown El Paso, Texas.

AP PHOTO

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein speaks in favor of protecting abortion access during a news conference at the North Carolina Department of Justice in Raleigh, Aug. 3, 2022.

HOKE COUNTY

The award goes to…

The Raeford Kiwanis Club held their 99th Year Anniversary Dinner last week and recognized Raeford Police Chief Marc Godwin as Kiwanis Citizen of the Year, Dr. Tony Santangelo as Kiwanian of the Year, and John Wright as the

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Commissioners, Board of Education at odds over school plans

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners and the school board held a joint meeting this past Wednesday to discuss possible opportunities for building a second high school in the county. The options which were discussed included: a 600-student high school for a cost of $87 million, a 1,000-student school costing $110 million, or a 1,500-student school for roughly $156 million. Despite what appears to be unanimous agreement on the need for an additional school building, several of the commissioners expressed reservations about whether the county could afford to pay for the new plans. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s where our budget is at; it’s at $78 million,” said Commissioner Tony Hunt, who favored sticking with the original budget for the project. “Any other option that comes up other than $78 million, it’s a no for me.” On Monday evening, Superintendent Dr. Debra Dowless announced her resignation, though no mention of the disagreements over the new school building was mentioned in her letter of resignation. At this time, the project remains at a standstill as questions regarding grant funds are determined.

Two arrested in connection to Hoke murder

On Sunday, February 5, deputies from the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a shooting in the 200 block of Gatlin Farm Road, four miles northeast of Raeford. Agents from the State Bureau of Investigations and local emergency services also arrived on the scene, though no life-saving efforts were performed on the victim, who was later identified as 29-year-old Stephon Harris. Two women have been charged with murder following a brief homicide investigation on behalf of the sheriff’s office. Last Tuesday, Jamarie Andrew Hernandez and Selemia Jasniqua-Shena Love were both taken into custody without incident. They have both been placed in the Hoke County Jail without bond. At this time, the investigation is still considered ongoing. Anyone with any information about this case is encouraged to contact Detective Chavis at (910) 875-5111.

NC House GOP modifies rules on veto overrides

Two LPN contracts extended to assist with Health Department staffing

The Associated Press RALEIGH — North Carolina House Republicans are again proposing to modify their chamber’s operating rules on veto overrides for the next two years, only now offering Democratic colleagues some broad limits on when they could be attempted.

Temporary House rules approved on a party-line vote last month omitted a rule from previous years that required chamber leaders to give at least two days’

notice before holding an override vote.

Democrats and left-leaning advocates criticized the rule’s omission, which they said would allow Republicans to pick and choose when override attempts would occur during Democratic House members’ brief floor absences, such as when taking a phone call or break.

A proposal for permanent House rules filed Monday by House Rules Chairman Destin Hall doesn’t restore the previous rule. Instead, it states an override vote may be taken on the same day a veto message is received from Gov. Roy Cooper or from the Senate, or on “any oth-

er legislative day it is printed” on the chamber’s official agenda.

With a 71-49 seat margin after the November elections, House Republicans fell one seat short of holding a majority large enough to override Democratic Gov. Cooper’s veto without needing support from Democrats. This balance of power could affect the outcome of bills on abortion, gun rights and immigration.

House Speaker Tim Moore had downplayed last month’s change, adding he wouldn’t “ambush” Democrats by taking a surprise vote.

Hall, a Caldwell County Republican and a top lieutenant to Moore, said in an interview that a

State Health Plan releases all documents related to third-party contract change

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — All documents related to the change from Blue Cross Blue Shield NC to Aetna as the State Health Plan’s third-party administrative services contract (TPA) are now publicly available.

Last week, the State Health Plan (SHP) published all of the materials, including requests for proposals (RFP) and the responses, on a specially created transparency page on its website.

“We are the most transparent and open agency in state government,” Treasurer Dale Folwell said in a statement. “I cannot be prouder of the work done by the staff of the State Health Plan and the bipartisan State Health Plan Board of Trustees. This contract doesn’t change the body or engine of the State Health Plan; it is just a modernization of the transmission. We look forward to Blue Cross finishing their current contract strong and facilitating a seamless transition to Aetna.”

The documents on the transparency page include details on the procurement process that led to the change in the contract as well as a timeline of events sur-

rounding the move to Aetna.

The repository of documents has already revealed differences in how Aetna and Blue Cross responded to the RFP, which has ramifications for patient billing and transparency.

One of the RFP requirements related to the assignment of benefits payments states, “Upon request, Vendor will pay all claims, including non-network claims, based on the assignment of benefits.” On that item, Blue Cross checked “no,” while Aetna checked “yes.”

In other words, Blue Cross pays the patient directly instead of sending payment to an out-of-network provider.

That practice has been criticized as a means of funneling subscribers to Blue Cross’ preferred providers, but also for creating a potentially bad situation where patients are sent a check but end up spending that cash on things other than treatments or surgeries.

During a Feb. 7 call with media, Folwell noted that his office had received a number of records requests for the documents. He said the production of records and posting of the materials online had been held up by the entities

protesting the contract change; Blue Cross and UMR, Inc. The treasurer said his office had been in a holding pattern while waiting for those groups to make redactions.

“ I don’t think there’s been any other state agency who was responded this completely in this quickly to these inquiries as we’re about to today,” Folwell told North State Journal during the media call. “And I think it’ll present a lot of sunshine to folks like you who will really have a full understanding of how this process has gone down over the last year or so.”

Last December, the State Health Plan Board of Trustees voted unanimously to award the TPA contract to Aetna. The contract is for a three-year service period beginning Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027. The contract has an option for two, oneyear renewal terms. Until Aetna takes over, Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina will continue to be the Plan’s claims processor.

The move to Aetna was announced in early January, with Folwell’s office estimating $140 million in administrative savings with the move and that a partnership with Aetna will lower costs and provide better transparency.

floor vote was expected Wednesday on the permanent rules proposal. Some leading House Democrats received the proposal last week following discussions between the two sides, Hall said.

The override language is “a reasonable compromise,” Hall said. “It certainly calms any fear from members about not having notice that a veto override (vote) is going to take place.”

Based on the state constitution’s veto provisions, Republicans could succeed with an override if only two Democrats are absent and all Republicans are present. Senate Republicans already hold a veto-proof majority in their chamber.

House Minority Leader Robert Reives of Chatham County said Monday he was aware of the permanent rules proposal but needed to “review its actual effect” before saying whether the Democratic caucus will support it. Enacting the rules only requires a simple majority, however.

Blue Cross Blue Shield NC and UMR, Inc. both filed protests over the change, which were rejected by the SHP. Future legal action is likely based on statements made by both of the protesting parties. The State Health Plan covers some 740,000 state employees, teachers and retirees and is a division of the Department of State Treasurer.

Kiwanis Presidents Award for last year. In this photo, Darryl Clark (left) presents Raeford Chief of Police Marc Godwin (right) with the Kiwanis Citizen of the Year award during the 99th year Raeford Kiwanis Club Dinner in downtown Raeford last week.

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

State and provide J-1 Visas, meaning these teachers go through federal screening. These visas cover

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. Ac cording to Chavis, some of the dif ferences in actual enrollment num bers can be attributed to an uptick

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

ever, is located in the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, and they do all of their business only in

North Carolina and South Carolina.

In this April 16, 2018 photo, workers assemble pre-rolled cigarettes of hemp flower containing cannabidiol, or CBD at a state-licensed hemp handling facility in Salem, Ore.

“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.

FDA declines to regulate CBD; calls on Congress for fix

The Associated Press

THE FOOD AND DRUG Administration said Thursday there are too many unknowns about CBD products to regulate them as foods or supplements under the agency’s current structure and called on Congress to create new rules for the massive and growing market.

The marijuana-derived products have become increasingly popular in lotions, tinctures and foods, while their legal status has been murky in the U.S.

There’s not enough evidence about CBD to confirm that it’s safe for use in foods or as a dietary supplement, FDA Deputy Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement.

“For example, we have not found adequate evidence to determine how much CBD can be consumed, and for how long, before causing harm,” she said.

The FDA has oversight of CBD because it is the active ingredient in an approved prescription drug, Epidiolex, used to treat two rare seizure disorders. Under FDA regulations, a drug can’t be added to food or sold as a dietary supplement if officials haven’t determined if it’s safe or effective for other conditions.

A weekly podcast getting to the facts across the state, around the

nabis plant known as hemp, which is defined by the U.S. government as having less than 0.3% THC, the compound that causes marijuana’s mind-altering effect. CBD doesn’t cause that high, but fans of the products claim benefits including relief for pain and anxiety.

The FDA’s action comes after repeated calls from lawmakers, advocates and consumer groups for CBD to be allowed in foods and supplements.

The agency also denied three petitions from advocacy groups that had asked the agency to allow products that contain the hemp ingredient to to be marketed as dietary supplements. Steve Mister, chief of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade group for the supplement industry and one of the petitioners, expressed dismay at the denial and said FDA was “kicking the can down the road while ignoring the realities of the marketplace” by referring the issue to Congress.

Hosted by:

“FDA has repeatedly disregarded evidence demonstrating safety that is relevant to CBD at the levels commonly used in supplements and continues to rely heavily on safety concerns related to high dosage Epidiolex to support the agency’s inaction,” Mister said in a statement.

Questions remain about CBD’s effects on the liver, the male reproductive system and on pregnant women and children, the statement said. New rules could include clear labels, regulations regarding contaminants, limits on CBD levels and requirements, such as a minimum purchase age. Regulations are also needed for CBD products for animals, the agency said.

CBD often comes from a can-

The FDA will continue to take action against CBD and other cannabis products to protect the public, Thursday’s statement said. The agency has sent warning letters to some companies making health claims for CBD.

Marijuana itself remains illegal at the federal level in the U.S., although it has been allowed for medical and recreational use in many states, including use in pot-laced food and drinks.

AP PHOTO

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

of our Union: Hardworking American families are paying the price

State

From the economy to the border to national security, the State of our Union continues to be challenged under President Joe Biden and hardworking American families like yours are paying the price.

JUST LIKE OUR GREAT NATION, the State of the Union address has a unique history surrounded by traditions and pageantry. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson gave the first inperson address since the 18th century. President Harry Truman’s address was the first to be broadcasted on television in 1947. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan invited the first guest to sit in the gallery and be referenced in his speech. The State of the Union has evolved from an address only given to leaders within our government to one that incorporates and is delivered to you, the American people.

Regardless of politics, I always look forward to the State of the Union. It is the only time when members of the House of Representatives, Senate, Supreme Court, President’s Cabinet, Diplomatic Corps, and our nation’s top military leaders are all in the same room. The press box is buzzing with members of the media. The House Gallery is full of special guests invited by members of Congress and the White House. Sitting in the House Chamber surrounded by the bright lights brought in by television networks, you feel like you are on the set of a Hollywood movie or at the Super Bowl. The air in the room is electric as everyone is on the edge of their seats, waiting for the President’s arrival.

As I was waiting for the speech to begin last week, I was thinking about you. I was thinking about you and your family and the struggles you have faced over the past year. I hoped President Biden would lay out real solutions on how to reduce inflation, tackle Washington’s out-of-control spending, solve the crisis at the Southern border, and stand up to adversaries like China. Instead, the President’s speech sounded like a lot of recycled rhetoric.

What the President doesn’t understand is that families in North Carolina are hurting. Inflation has cost the average household an extra $10,000 over the last two years. What could you have done with that money in your pocket or savings? Additionally, energy prices this winter are the highest they have been in 15 years, while a record amount of Americans say they are worse off financially since Biden took office.

One of the major drivers of inflation is Washington’s reckless spending and inability to tackle our national debt. The greatest threat to our future is our growing national debt, which has surpassed levels that have not been seen since World War II. Unfortunately, the President did not lay out any strategy to tackle our debt or reduce spending.

Raising the debt limit without making reforms is not the answer to fixing our current debt crisis. Think about your own children, grandchildren, or other teenagers you know. When a child maxes

Satan is so hot right now

LAST WEEK, the Grammys were held in Los Angeles. They featured a star-studded cavalcade of singers who can’t sing, songsters who require a team of dozens to write their songs, and dancers who can’t dance. They also featured a full-on satanic ritual onstage, starring used-to-be-just-a-gay-dude-thengenderqueer-now-gender-nonbinary singer Sam Smith and transgender female (translation: biological male) Kim Petras.

It really is just about how I feel.

Their song, “Unholy,” won them Best Pop Group/Group Performance. Their performance, in which the tubby Smith donned a Satan outfit and top hat with horns while Petras gyrated in a cage surrounded by Satan-costumed strippers, made headlines for its transgressive imagery.

The goal, of course, is to tweak people of a traditionally religious bent, draw a response, and then act offended. “Why can’t you just leave us alone?” cry our cultural elites as they demand our attention.

We’re all supposed to be shocked, of course. That’s the point.

But the fact that the performance is so un-shocking should be the true shock. The Grammys were sponsored by major corporations. Shadow president of the United States and world’s greatest physician Dr. Jill Biden showed up to present an award. And CBS tweeted in anticipation of the Satanic routine, “We are ready to worship!”

But the truth is that Satan is so “in” right now.

After all, Satan’s message has become our society’s: personal “authenticity” requires the destruction of all traditional mores and the trashing of all intermediate institutions of Western civilization. To be “free” means to live without rules or boundaries. And our truest heroes are those who say, as John Milton’s Satan did, “better to reign in Hell than serve in Heav’n.”

out a credit card, you don’t simply raise the card’s spending limit and allow their spending to continue. You make changes, so they know the importance of creating a budget and sticking to it for the future. As we stare down another debt limit increase, Republicans are ready to work with the President on a new budget framework focused on fiscal restraint and responsibility.

Instead of addressing the state of our border and national security, President Biden told the American people Tuesday that the border is secure. Ignoring this crisis has been the strategy of the Biden administration since the beginning, which has led to nearly 5 million illegal migrants and thousands of pounds of fentanyl to enter our nation over the last two years.

Furthermore, the President failed to address China in a meaningful way—especially following the spy balloon incident. Last week, a Chinese spy balloon was able to travel freely across our nation and near sensitive national security sites, including Fort Bragg. The balloon caused air space over our state to be closed for a period of time before it was finally shot down. Yet the fact that the balloon entered U.S. airspace at all is unacceptable. On Thursday, I was proud to stand with my House colleagues and vote to condemn and denounce the Chinese Communist Party’s use of a spy balloon to collect intelligence on our country—a direct violation of our sovereignty.

From the economy to the border to national security, the State of our Union continues to be challenged under President Joe Biden, and hardworking American families like yours are paying the price. Washington Democrat’s inability to address these ongoing crises directly impacting the wallets and safety of you and your family is inexcusable. America is the greatest nation on Earth, and our state of the union should always be strong. I believe our country is at a turning point where we have the opportunity to come together to address these problems you and your family face every day.

Challenges to our economy and national security have certainly set us back, but rest assured, House Republicans have solutions to set our country on the right track. As your Congressman, I will never stop working to make sure you, and our union, are strong, prosperous, safe, and free.

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.

Milton meant his Satan to be a villain, rejecting the Good, True, and Beautiful in favor of personal power. But we have followed the path of dissolute romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who argued, “Milton’s Devil as a moral being is as far superior to his God as one who perseveres in some purpose which he has conceived to be excellent in spite of adversity and torture.”

Sure, Milton’s Devil provided no good to anyone, including himself — but he stood up to the strictures of an outside, objective moral code. It was Shelley himself who argued that “religion and morality, as they now stand, compose a practical code of misery and servitude: the genius of human happiness must tear every leaf from the accursed book of God ere man can read the inscription on his heart.”

How different are the musings of Shelley from the lesssophisticated musings of Smith and Petras? As Smith says, “It really is just about how I feel.” Or Petras: “it’s a take on not being able to choose religion. And not being able to live the way that people might want you to live... I was kind of hellkeeper Kim.”

God makes demands of us. God suggests that there is a higher Truth to which we are subject, rules, and roles we ought to obey for purposes of societal strength, spiritual durability, and personal fulfillment. Satan makes no demands of us beyond the surrender of our reason, our higher aspirations, and our souls. Milton’s Satan rebelled against God. Today, those of a Godly bent are increasingly fighting a rebellion against the truly dominant spiritual power of a narcissistic culture that prizes self above all, celebrated by a transgressive monolithic culture.

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. RICHARD HUDSON

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

SPORTS

SIDELINE REPORT

NBA Bridges’ consecutive games streak intact

New York

Mikal Bridges’ consecutive games played streak lives on. Bridges was acquired by the Nets from Phoenix last Thursday in the blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. The deal was approved by the league too late for Bridges to play that night in the Nets’ game against Chicago, so he was listed as “inactive — trade pending.” But the league determined that since Bridges wasn’t eligible to play, it shouldn’t count as a missed game. So his streak, the longest active one in the league, reached 367 games when the Nets visited the New York Knicks on Monday night.

NFL Former Cardinals lineman Dobler dies at 72 Tempe, Ariz.

Conrad Dobler, one of the NFL’s top offensive linemen and fiercest players in the 1970s, has died. He was 72. The Cardinals announced Dobler died Monday in Pueblo, Colorado. No cause of death was given. Dobler played left guard on an offensive line that included Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf for a St. Louis team that became known as the “Cardiac Cardinals.” Dobler earned three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 197577 while playing under Hall of Fame coach Don Coryell. He played for the Cardinals from 1972-77 before moving on to play two seasons with New Orleans and Buffalo.

TRACK & FIELD

Bol: doping suspension lifted after samples didn’t match

Sydney Olympic 800-meter finalist

Peter Bol says his provisional doping suspension has been lifted after the A and B samples didn’t match. Usually testing of the B sample confirms the original adverse finding in doping cases. In a Twitter post, Bol says: “My provisional suspension has been lifted by Sport Integrity Australia.” Bol says he’s never taken banned performanceenhancing substances and he described the last month as a “nightmare.” Athletics Australia announced last month that Bol had failed an out-of-competition test on Oct. 11. His A sample tested positive to the banned drug erythropoietin, known as EPO.

Spring training’s start brings pitch clocks, shift limits

Major League Baseball has implemented new rules for 2023

The Associated Press

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jeff McNeil thinks he’ll adapt quickly to baseball’s big shift — really, an anti-shift.

“I’m playing a normal second base now instead of in short right field. I’ve been playing second base my whole life so it shouldn’t be too hard to adjust to,” the New York Mets All-Star infielder and big league batting champion said.

Spring training opened Monday in Florida and Arizona for players reporting early ahead of the World Baseball Classic, and the rest of pitchers and catchers will start workouts two days later.

Following an offseason of record spending in which the New York Mets approached a $370 million payroll, opening day on March 30 will feature three of the biggest changes since the pitcher’s mound was lowered for the 1969 season:

— Two infielders will be required on either side of second base and all infielders must be within the outer boundary of the infield when the pitcher is on the rubber.

— Base size will increase to 18inch squares from 15 inches, caus-

ing a decreased distance of 4½ inches.

— A pitch clock will be used, set at 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners.

“I hope we get what our fans want — faster, more action, more athleticism.”

Rob Manfred, MLB commissioner

— faster, more action, more athleticism.”

Baseball’s timelessness spanned a century and a half in a sport obsessed with its sepia-toned history of flannel-clad pioneers.

“In baseball, there’s no clock,” Richard Greenberg wrote in “Take Me Out,” his Tony Award-winning play. “What could be more generous than to give everyone all these opportunities and the time to seize them in, as well?”

Turns out, all those dead minutes became an annoyance in an age of decreased attention spans and increased entertainment competition.

The average time of a nine-inning game stretched from 2 hours, 30 minutes in the mid1950s to 2:46 in 1989 and 3:10 in 2021 before dropping to 3:04 last year following the introduction of the PitchCom electronic device to signal pitches.

With the rise in shifts and higher velocity pitches, the batting average dropped from .269 in 2006 to .243 last year, its lowest since the record of .239 in 1968.

“This has been an eight-year effort for us,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday, thinking back to when the first experiments were formulated. “I hope we get what our fans want

Defensive shifts on balls in play totaled 70,853 last season according to revised totals from Sports Info Solutions. That’s up from 59,063 in 2021 and 2,349 in 2011.

Irving debuts in Dallas not wanting to talk about future

The mercurial former Duke star calls speculation “emotionally draining”

The Associated Press

DALLAS — Kyrie Irving isn’t interested in talking about what his long-term future could be with the Dallas Mavericks, and he doesn’t understand why people don’t think he can play well off the ball.

“All I know, this is really playing basketball with a lot of high-level, high-IQ players and making it work,” Irving said before his first home game Monday with the Mavericks and All-Star teammate Luka Doncic. “Every single time I step foot out there, I get a chance to prove it to myself that I can play with anybody and everybody and still be efficient and be myself.”

Irving’s home debut in Dallas came a week after the blockbuster deal became official to bring the potential free agent from the Brooklyn Nets. His first three games with the Mavericks were on the road, and he played with Doncic for the first time Saturday night — Irving had 28 points and Doncic 27 in an overtime loss at Sacramento.

As for what happens after this season, the talented and enigmatic eight-time All-Star said that question constantly getting asked just puts unwanted distractions on him and the team.

“I’ve dealt with it before and it’s

Dr. Tony Santangelo, DC, named NC Chiropractic Association Chiropractor of the Year, based on community service & the profression

very emotionally draining to ask questions about what’s the long term,” Irving said. “What the future holds is really only going to be dictated on what I do right now, and how I prepare for those next steps, and that’s being the best teammate that I can in that locker room and a great leader out here, I think within the Dallas community. ... So we’re just putting that to bed and just focus on what we have ahead as a team.”

The Mavericks, with 23 games remaining after Monday night’s game against Minnesota, are part

of a crowded mix for a playoff spot. They went into the game fourth in the Western Conference, only three games ahead of 11th place — the first spot left out of the postseason.

When Dallas general manager Nico Harrison was asked his response to people who viewed the acquisition of Irving and his expiring contract as a risk, the former Nike executive, who already had a relationship with the player, said that wasn’t the case.

“I don’t see any risk involved at all. I’ve known Kyrie for a long

time, I know his core, I know what type of person is. I think anybody who’s ever watched him play basketball knows the type of basketball player he is,” Harrison said. “So I don’t see risk. I actually see a risk in not doing it.”

Irving smiled and responded, “touché,” then adding that he appreciated their relationship and that it was now up to him to prove it “and control what I can control.”

Dallas also got Markieff Morris in the trade that sent Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round choices to the Nets.

Irving had a relationship with Nike for the entirety of his NBA career until earlier this season when the sneaker giant dropped him — and canceled the planned release of his next signature shoe just before it came out — after Irving tweeted a link to an antisemitic film.

“I would love to be well-liked by everybody. ... Oh, that’s just not it. That’s just not for I think anyone in this room,” Irving said. “But the genuine love that you have in your heart is the only thing that you can really control. I have open dialogue with everybody that spends time with me, wants to have conversation, wants to ask me questions.”

For those who don’t like him, he said he wishes them well.

“But I have a life to live and I have kids to raise,” he said. “So I don’t really have the energy to sit and focus on things I can’t control.”

TOMMY GILLIGAN | AP PHOTO

Mavericks guards Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic during a game last week in Sacramento, California.

Lack of Winter Olympic bids may lead to rotating fixed hosts

Salt Lake City is among the cities that could host be considered

The Associated Press

MERIBEL, France — Considering the dearth of candidates to stage the Winter Olympics amid spiraling venue costs, the IOC may have to resort to lining up a list of fixed, rotating hosts.

A highly theoretical list could include Salt Lake City and Vancouver in North America, Pyeongchang in Asia and places like Switzerland, Italy and Scandinavia in Europe.

“There are talks. It is a challenge with climate change and also infrastructure to be able to find venues for the Winter Olympics,” retired Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

Vonn is on the bid committee for Salt Lake City’s candidacy for the 2030 or 2034 Games.

Most of the rotating hosts would have hosted the Olympics previously or have most of the venues already built.

“A rotating venue option is on the table in which certain altitude standards would be in place and it would have to have mostly preexisting structures and it would limit the cost for the venues and it would limit the chances of climate change affecting the competitions in a negative way,” Vonn said.

“I know that’s been discussed. How early that will happen, I don’t know, but I don’t think it would happen before 2034.”

Sweden’s Olympic leaders announced last week that they are weighing up whether to bid for 2030 while the International Olympic Committee has delayed the process to search for more contenders.

Sapporo, Japan, was considered the favorite for 2030 before an ongoing bid-rigging scandal related to the Summer Olympics in To-

kyo held in 2021. Salt Lake City is the only other known bidder that might consider taking 2030, though officials have said they favor a bid for 2034.

If a Stockholm-centered bid does go ahead, it currently seems sure to win without opposition and get the IOC out of a hole less than seven years before the Games open.

After last year’s Beijing Games were held almost entirely on artificial snow, the Milan-Cortina Games in 2026 will be held across a wide swath of northern Italy.

For 2022, Beijing beat Almaty, Kazakhstan — the only other candidate — for hosting rights after several other bids were scrapped by public referendums.

“There’s a lot of events that are really difficult to run,” said Canadian skier James Crawford, who won the super-G last week at the world championships. “I think there’s a lot of places that can host the Winter Olympics … but it’s definitely

hard for us when there’s so few that want to.”

Alexis Pinturault, the French skier who won gold in combined and bronze in super-G at the worlds, grew up utilizing the facilities built for the 1992 Albertville Games, which were held a year before he was born.

“There is still some infrastructure. That’s why the Olympics are

good in some (ways),” he said. “It’s a big part of our history.”

Italian veteran Christof Innerhofer added: “For 2026, a lot of venues will be renovated and that’s the first step for developing young athletes. For us, the Milan-Cortina Games will be the start of a new cycle. Ten years later, those young athletes will be competing at the Olympics.”

New Mexico State cancels season after sex, harassment allegations

Three players are accused of attacking a teammate

The Associated Press

New Mexico State’s men’s basketball season came to an abrupt halt Sunday after the release of a police report that detailed three players ganging up on a teammate and attacking him in a case that includes allegations of false imprisonment, harassment and criminal sexual contact.

“It’s time for this program to reset,” chancellor Dan Arvizu said in the statement that announced the end of the season.

Arvizu said the shutdown was in response to a report filed to campus police on Friday by a player against three teammates. According to the report, the victim said that on Feb. 6, his teammates held him down “removed his clothing exposing his buttocks and began to slap his (buttocks). He also went on to state that they also touched his scrotum.”

The victim, whose name was redacted in the report along with those of the other players, said other incidents involving inappropriate physical and sexual touching had been occurring in locker rooms and on road trips since last summer. Regarding the latest instance, the victim told police he had no choice but to let this happen “because it’s a 3-on-1 type of situation.”

Arvizu, who will be leaving the university in June after regents recently chose not to renew his contract, said “this action is clearly needed, especially after receiving additional facts and reviewing investigation reports related to the hazing allegations involving student-athletes on the team.”

“We must uphold the safety of our students and the integrity of our university,” said Arvizu, who had initially suspended the program on Friday, then revealed what he called hazing allegations a day later.

He said he had spoken with the commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference, which said it was reviewing how to treat

the six New Mexico State games that will be wiped off the schedule in regard to seeding for next month’s conference tournament.

The report said the victim went to campus police to report a possible assault but did not want to press criminal charges for the time being.

The allegations come less than three months after the suspension of forward Mike Peake, who is being investigated in the case of the fatal shooting of a University of New Mexico student in Al-

buquerque on Nov. 19.

Peake has not been charged in that case, which included state police stopping the team bus on Interstate-25 as it headed back to Las Cruces shortly after the shooting. Missing from the bus were Peake and three of his teammates, who had taken him to the hospital with an injured leg.

New Mexico State finished the season at 9-15, with only two conference wins in 12 games. The Aggies, long a source of pride on their 13,000-student campus in

Las Cruces, have been to eight NCAA tournaments since 2007. They are scheduled to move from the WAC to Conference-USA next season.

The scrubbing of the 2022-23 campaign came a day after two players quit following the initial reports of the hazing incident.

One of them, redshirt freshman Shahar Lazar, said he was leaving because “I don’t think the program that I originally committed to aligns with my beliefs and core values.”

“I don’t think the program that I originally committed to aligns with my beliefs and core values.”

New Mexico State redshirt freshman Shahar Lazar on leaving the program following the allegations

ALESSANDRO TROVATI | AP PHOTO

Italy’s Christof Innerhofer is airborne during an alpine ski in Courchevel, France, earlier this month.

New Mexico State indefinitely suspended its men’s basketball program Friday and placed first-year coach Greg Heiar and his staff on administrative leave for what it said were violations of university policy.

Bid to keep California reactors running faces time squeeze

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — A late-hour attempt to extend the life of California’s last nuclear power plant has run into a predicament that will be difficult to resolve: a shortage of time.

A state analysis Monday predicted it will take federal regulators until late 2026 to act on an application to extend the operating run of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. The problem is that the plant is scheduled to shut down permanently by mid-2025.

The future of the state’s remaining reactors could hinge on operator Pacific Gas & Electric’s request to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an unusual exemption that would allow the decades-old reactors to continue making electricity while the NRC reviews the application – not yet filed -- to extend its licenses for as much as two decades.

One reactor is scheduled to close in November 2024, and its twin in August 2025. The plant is located on a seaside bluff, midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

On Monday, anti-nuclear activists and national environmental groups urged the federal agency to reject the request, saying in a petition that the exemption would

amount to a dangerous, unprecedented shortcut that would expose the public to safety risks from reactors that began operating in the mid-1980s.

“There is absolutely no precedent for the exemption requested by PG&E. The NRC has never allowed a reactor to operate past its license expiration dates without thoroughly assessing the safety and environmental risks,” Diane Curran, an attorney for the anti-nuclear advocacy group Mothers for Peace, said in a statement.

The dispute over the potential exemption is the latest battlefront in a long-running fight over the safety of the reactors. Construction of the Diablo Canyon plant began in the 1960s and critics say potential shaking from nearby earthquake faults, not recognized when the design was first approved, could damage equipment and release radiation. One nearby fault was not discovered until 2008. PG&E has long said the plant is seismically safe; federal regulators have agreed.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom — who once supported closing the plant — did a turnaround last year and argued it needed to keep running beyond the scheduled closure to ward off possible blackouts as the state transitions to solar and other renewable sources. At his urging, the Legislature dissolved a complex 2016 agreement among environmentalists, plant worker unions and the utility to close the plant by 2025, opening a pathway to keep it running longer. The utility said it changed direction given the energy policies adopted by the state.

PG&E officials have said they are eager for certainty about the plant’s future because of the difficulty of reversing course on a plant that was headed for permanent retirement, but now needs to prepare for a potentially longer lifespan.

In October, the utility asked the NRC to resume consideration of an application initially submitted in 2009 to extend the plant’s life, which later was withdrawn after PG&E in 2016 announced plans to shutter the reactors when the licenses expired. But the idea of going back in time to resume consideration of the previous filing was rejected by the agency, leaving PG&E with the time-consuming task of submit-

ting a new application that it expects to file by the end of the year.

Reviewing a request for an extended license typically takes two years or more. Without extended licenses, that means one reactor, or both, might have to close while the NRC reviews the applications.

That led to a separate request: PG&E wants the NRC to allow the plant to continue running beyond its current, authorized term while the federal agency considers the license extensions. That ruling is not expected until next month.

Typically, if a nuclear plant files for a license extension at least five years before the expiration of the existing license, the existing license remains in effect until the NRC’s application review is complete, even if it technically passes the expiration date. But PG&E would not meet the usual five-year benchmark.

In documents submitted to the NRC, the company said the change it’s seeking “will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety.”

Without the exemption, the NRC would have less than a year to conduct the license-extension review — far less time than is typical — before the current license expires and the plant would be required to close.

The environmental groups said conducting a truncated review in just months “would be difficult if not impossible” and raise safety risks for a plant that until recently was headed for closure.

Completion of the NRC review, before a longer run is permitted, is needed “to assure that continued operation of the reactors will be safe,” they wrote.

Pence subpoena could set up fight over executive privilege

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The subpoena to former Vice President Mike Pence is a milestone moment in an ongoing Justice Department special counsel investigation. But it doesn’t guarantee he’s going to be testifying before a grand jury anytime soon.

Pence is the latest official in former President Donald Trump’s administration to be subpoenaed as part of the investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, but the push for Pence’s testimony is unique because he’s the highest-ranking official known to have been summoned.

The subpoena, the most aggressive step to date taken by special counsel Jack Smith, sets the stage for a potential dispute over executive privilege, creating a dynamic that could test — or at least delay — the Justice Department’s ability to get from Pence the testimony it believes it needs.

Representatives for Pence have not said publicly whether he intends to comply with the subpoena or will instead look to try to limit his grand jury appearance or avoid it altogether. Trump, for his part, has not said whether he plans to assert executive privilege to prevent Pence’s cooperation. But some legal experts say he faces significant hurdles in succeeding if he tried to do so.

“This will be fairly straightforward because the Department of Justice will be able to make a very compelling showing for the testi-

mony,” said W. Neil Eggleston, a former White House counsel in the Obama administration.

Spokespeople for Pence and Smith declined to comment on the subpoena, which a person familiar with the matter said followed back-and-forth negotiations between the two sides. A lawyer for the former vice president did not return emails seeking comment.

Pence has been represented by veteran attorney Emmet Flood, who over decades in Washington has navigated other high-profile political figures through executive privilege disputes.

Pence’s interest to investigators is obvious. Despite having only a ceremonial role in overseeing the

election, Pence was hectored for weeks by Trump to help him stay in power.

Some of the Trump loyalists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 as Pence was presiding over the counting of electoral votes chanted “ “Hang Mike Pence!” as the vice president was steered to safety. Since then, Pence, who is considering launching a 2024 presidential bid against Trump, has distanced himself from the former president, saying last year that “President Trump is wrong” and that “I had no right to overturn the election.” In the event he does ultimately testify, a subpoena might give him a degree of political cover,

helping him avoid further alienating Trump supporters he may need for his own election bid by allowing him to say that he was compelled to cooperate rather than did so voluntarily.

If he does not wish to comply, he may look for Trump to intervene by invoking executive privilege, a doctrine meant to protect the confidentiality of the Oval Office decision-making process. Such an action could result in closed-door arguments before the D.C. court’s chief federal judge, Beryl Howell.

Even then, though, the prospects for success are uncertain at best, in part because the privilege is not absolute and courts have held it can be overcome if the evidence being sought is deemed necessary for a criminal trial or a grand jury proceeding.

The Supreme Court made that clear in a 1974 decision that forced President Richard Nixon to turn over damning Oval Office recordings, saying using the principle to “withhold evidence that is demonstrably relevant in a criminal trial would cut deeply into the guarantee of due process of law and gravely impair the basic function of the court.”

Trump has also been unsuccessful in asserting executive privilege in instances where the current Biden administration disagrees. For instance, the Biden White House repeatedly rejected Trump efforts to use executive privilege to prevent the National Archives and Records Administration from producing presidential records about Jan. 6 to the House committee.

The Supreme Court in January 2022 also rebuffed Trump’s efforts to withhold the documents.

Other Trump administration officials have already testified before the grand jury, including former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and his top deputy as well as Pence’s own chief of staff, Marc Short.

Former Trump administration national security adviser Robert O’Brien has also been subpoenaed by the special counsel as part of the Jan. 6 investigation and a separate probe into the presence of classified documents at Trump’s Florida estate, according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss the action.

“It’s a little uncomfortable that that evidence is being sought from his vice president. But the law has not generally differentiated among people in a White House,” Eggleston said.

Other potential complicating factors include the fact that the episodes investigators presumably want to question Pence about — such as Trump’s efforts to influence counting of the votes — don’t concern conventional presidential duties likes the ones typically thought to be shielded by executive privilege, said Daniel Farber, a presidential powers expert and Berkeley Law professor.

“I think there are arguments that Pence can make or the Trump could make,” Farber said. “And of course, you can never 100% predict what the courts will do. But it doesn’t seem like an especially strong argument.”

AP PHOTO

An aerial photo of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, south of Los Osos, in Avila Beach, Calif., is seen in June 2010.

AP PHOTO, FILE

In this image from video released by the House Select Committee, Vice President Mike Pence looks at a phone from his secure evacuation location on Jan. 6 that is displayed as House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing June 16, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Jeanne Marie (Pierce) KirkCasperson

June 15, 1947 ~ February 10, 2023

Mrs. Jeanne Kirk-Casperson of Raeford, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, February 10, 2023 at the age of 75. She was born in Albany, NY on June 15, 1947, to the late Vernon Pierce and Gladys Grant Pierce. She was preceded in death by her husband Daniel B. Casperson. She is survived by a daughter, Marissa L. Lassi of Kingsport, TN, a son Frederick Kirk and his wife Georgia of Hope Mills, NC, 5 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, a brother Charles Pierce of Salt Lake City UT, a sister Diana Binkowski of Morristown, TN. A private memorial service will be held later at Evergreen Memorial Park in Colonie, NY

Elizabeth (Liz) Cashwell McNeill

January 16, 1983 ~ February 6, 2023

Elizabeth Cashwell McNeill, 40, of Raeford died Monday, February 6th, 2023. She was born on January 16th, 1983, to Neal Alexander McNeill and Miriam Ropp McNeill. Liz graduated from Hoke County High School in the class of 2001. She received an Associate degree from Sandhills Community College. She graduated from the Agricultural Institute at North Carolina State University with Associate degrees in Agri-Business Management and Livestock and Poultry Management. At the time of her death, Liz was serving as the Executive Director of the Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Commerce and as Executive Director of the North Carolina Fall Festival.

She is survived by her parents, a sister, Katharine Beaty McNeill, her grandmother, Sarah Beaty Ropp, as well as her aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Stephon Harris

November 21, 1993 ~ February 5, 2023

Mr. Stephon Harris age, 29 went home to be with his heavenly father on February 5, 2023.

He leaves to cherish his loving memories his children: A'niyah Ariana Harris, A'lonnah Deon Harris, Shaniyah Harris, Stephon Harris Jr., Jaylen Harris, Malakai Isaiah Hatchell; parents: Angie Graham, Ronnie Graham; grandparents: Theressa Gillespie, John Gillespie; sisters: Ventoria Gillespie, Jasmine Harris, Shontria Graham; brothers: Danny Gillespie, Scott BlueWinston, Torvonte Johnson; aunts: Lashonda Gillespie, Bridgette Gillespie, Melissa Gillespie, Brittany Gathers; uncles: Justin Gates, Willie Gillespie, Maurice Gillespie, Jeffery Harris along with a host of other family and friends. Stephon will be greatly missed.

Keith Jackson Grantham, Sr.

May 5, 1965 ~ February 5, 2023

Mr. Keith Jackson Grantham, Sr. of Raeford, NC went to be with his Lord and Savior on February 05, 2023, at Duke University Hospital, surrounded by his family. Keith was born on May 05, 1965, in Orange County, Fl. to the late Bob and Patricia Grantham. He worked at Carolina Turf for 38 years. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Debra Hendrix Grantham; his children, Christina Audrey Green (Adrian) and Keith Jackson Grantham, Jr. (Jamie); two grandchildren, Tiana and Destinee; and three sisters, Debra Eichler, Amy Tackett (Mike), and Karen Boahn (Jim).

Dwight McKoy

March 13, 1973 ~ February 5, 2023

Mr. Dwight McKoy age, 49 went home to be with his heavenly father on February 5, 2023. He leaves to cherish his loving memories his mother, Melinda McKoy; sister, Katy McKoy; uncle, Linwood McKoy; nieces: Sandra Hollmond, Katlin Hollmond along with a host of other family and friends. Dwight will be greatly missed.

Vernon Ray Crumpler

January 9, 1938 ~ February 5, 2023

Emanuel Wallace

September 11, 1969 ~ February 6, 2023

Mr. Emanuel Wallace age, 53 went home to be with his heavenly father on February 6, 2023. He leaves to cherish his loving memories his wife, Belenchia Wallace; brothers: Mack Wallace Jr. (Joyce), Steven Leon Wallace (Phyllis), Archie Ray Wallace (Kim), aunt, Emma Jane Watts along with a host of other family and friends. Emanuel will be greatly missed.

Cedric Cantrell Monroe

October 8, 1986 ~ January 29, 2023

Mr. Cedric Cantrell Monroe age, 36 transitioned from earth to glory on January 29, 2023.

Vernon Ray Crumpler, of Southern Pines passed away on Sunday, February 05, 2023, at the age of 85. Services will be announced.

He leaves to cherish his loving memories his children, Cedric Monroe Jr, Charisma C. Monroe; parents: Christopher Monroe, Mary Gilchrist Monroe; siblings: Tiffani Belfield, Taylor Belfied, Eric Monroe, Kristopher Monroe along with a host of other family and friends. Cedric will be greatly missed.

STATE & NATION

Supreme Court might have easy outs on elections, immigration

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court soon could find itself with easy ways out of two high-profile cases involving immigration and elections, if indeed the justices are looking to avoid potentially messy, divisive decisions.

Off-ramps in those cases could prove attractive in a term with no shortage of big cases that could divide the court’s six conservatives and three liberals. Affirmative action, voting rights, gay rights and student loan forgiveness also are on the agenda for a court that is less than a year removed from overturning nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion and seeing a significant dip in public confidence.

The Biden administration provided one possible way out for the court this week. A legal fight over turning away immigrants at the border because of the coronavirus pandemic, under a provision of federal law known as Title 42, is about to become irrelevant, the administration said in a court filing Tuesday.

That’s because the administration recently announced that the public health emergency that justified the quick expulsion of immigrants will expire on May 11.

“Absent other relevant developments, the end of the public health emergency will (among other consequences) terminate the Title 42 orders and moot this case,” wrote the administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar.

The use of Title 42 began during Donald Trump’s presidency and continued after Joe Biden took of-

fice. It has been used millions of times to quickly turn away illegal immigrants at the border.

Title 42 is at the root of a Supreme Court case that the justices in December put on a fast track, with arguments set for March 1. At issue isn’t the use of Title 42 itself but the question of whether a group of Republican states can insert themselves into a lawsuit over the policy. The states support

keeping it in place. If it ends, they say illegal immigration will increase and they argue their interests aren’t represented in the case. The court could still rule before May 11, though that would be faster than usual. It’s also possible the policy’s end date will be pushed back beyond that date. But if the public health emergency ends as planned and the justices do nothing until then, the case could end

DA says libel case against Stein over

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press RALEIGH — A North Carolina prosecutor said Thursday that campaign-related charges won’t be pursued further against Attorney General Josh Stein or his aides, one day after an appeals court ruled the political libel law her office was seeking to enforce is most likely unconstitutional.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said that the ongoing investigation and prosecution of potential misdemeanor violations related to a 2020 ad from Stein’s campaign has been closed.

A senior assistant prosecutor in Freeman’s office had been investigating allegations whether the commercial criticizing Stein’s Republican challenger at the time broke a 1931 law that makes certain political speech unlawful. When it appeared last summer that Freeman’s office could soon seek indictments, Stein’s campaign and others sued in federal court to stop the effort and asked that the law be declared unconstitutional.

In August, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, blocked enforcement of the law while an appeal

was heard. On Wednesday, the same appeal panel vacated a trial judge’s ruling that had refused to order Freeman to stop using the law to prosecute anyone over the disputed commercial.

A statement released by Freeman also said the ruling prevents

her office from moving foward given that there is two-year statute of limitations for such a misdemeanor.

“Understanding that the case was one of intense public interest, it has been the assigned prosecutor’s intent to exercise due

without a decision.

When the court agreed to take the case in December, the justices were split. Five justices wanted to wade in and four justices — the court’s three liberals and conservative Neil Gorsuch — said they would not have gotten involved in the first place.

The other case the court could dodge involves a closely watched elections issue and comes out of

diligence and to evaluate the evidence and apply the law without partiality from the beginning of this matter,” Freeman said. “As prosecutors, we respect the role of the court in determining the constitutionality of a duly enacted state law.”

The decision by Freeman — the local prosecutor for North Carolina’s largest county — ultimately could make the Stein lawsuit moot. And Stein, who announced last month he would run for governor in 2024, will no longer have the potential for an uncomfortable prosecution from the office led by a fellow Democrat. Current Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper had sided with Stein in the legal affair, previously calling the potential prosecution “an unprecedented repression of free speech.”

The litigation originated from a commercial that Stein has called a corrective to what he considered false accusations made by then-challenger Jim O’Neill. He had alleged Stein had failed to act on more than 15,000 untested rape kits since becoming attorney general in 2017. Stein’s ad accused O’Neill, the Forsyth County district attorney, of letting more than a thousand rape kits go untested.

O’Neill complained to the State Board of Elections, mentioning a law that makes it illegal to help circulate “derogatory reports” about a candidate designed to harm their election chanc -

North Carolina. Last week the state’s top court ordered a new look at the case.

Republicans in North Carolina have asked the justices for a ruling that could leave state legislatures virtually unchecked in making rules for congressional and presidential elections. Such an outcome would for the first time validate what is known as the “independent state legislature” theory, which would dramatically enhance the power of state lawmakers over elections for president and Congress at the expense of state courts.

The justices heard arguments in December in an appeal from Republicans who argued that the state Supreme Court, then with a Democratic majority, improperly tossed the state’s Republican-drawn congressional districts as excessively partisan and adopted a new map that produced a 7-7 split in November’s elections.

Now a new Republican majority on the North Carolina high court has set new arguments for March. It’s unclear how long it might to take to reach a decision.

The justices have been at work on a decision in the North Carolina case for more than two months, but the final word in this and other consequential cases often doesn’t come until late June.

So the court could wait to see what the North Carolina court does before reaching its own conclusions.

Vikram Amar, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, said the court can always find a way out “if it wants to dodge the case,” including if the justices are finding trouble reaching consensus.

But Amar, who filed a brief opposing the Republicans in the case, said it’s important for the court to weigh in.

“The fact that they took the case in the first place tells us they think it needs resolution. Better to resolve this between election cycles,” Amar said.

es while “knowing such report to be false or in reckless disregard of its truth or falsity.” The elections board and ultimately Freeman’s office investigated, with the help of the State Bureau of Investigation.

Wednesday’s ruling overturned a decision by U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles, who had said the law appeared to meet constitutional standards. The prevailing opinion, written by Circuit Judge Toby Heytens, said it was likely unconstitutional because “derogatory reports” could also include statements that were in fact true. And someone could tell tremendous lies about a candidate as long as they weren’t specifically disclosed to hurt the person at the ballot box, Heytens wrote.

Stein campaign strategist Morgan Jackson said late Thursday the Stein ad “was true, and we are gratified that the 4th Circuit put an end to this nonsense.”

Citing the ad’s subject, Freeman’s statement said she hoped that efforts would continue to reduce backlogs for the testing of sexual assault kits following a 2019 state law that was designed to eliminate that inventory, adding that delays continue.

“It would be my hope that the General Assembly and the Attorney General would take steps to fix these delays so that the promises of the (2019 law) become a reality,” Freeman said.

AP PHOTO

An electronic sign flashes “Watch for unexpected pedestrians,” Dec. 20, 2022, on the highway next to the fenced US-Mexican border just east of downtown El Paso, Texas.

AP PHOTO

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein speaks in favor of protecting abortion access during a news conference at the North Carolina Department of Justice in Raleigh, Aug. 3, 2022.

Love is in the air

Lori Johnson and Sherry Wolf work on classic rose arrangements as they prepare Valentine’s Day orders

Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, at Tara Florist Atelier in St. Joseph, Mich. According to the National Retail Federation, more than half (52%) of consumers plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day and will spend an average of $192.80. This is up from $175.41 in 2022, and the second-highest figure since NRF and Prosper started tracking Valentine’s Day spending.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Local officials appointed by governor

Forsyth County

Governor Roy Cooper announced several appointments and nominations to various boards and commissions across the state. Local officials who received the call from the governor included:

Corey Viers of Winston-Salem, who was nominated to the North Carolina Mining Commission as a representative of the mining industry. Viers is the Vice President of Operations Support for the Vulcan Materials Company. Viers currently serves on the Mining Commission and is being nominated for his third term.

Patricia A. Brown of WinstonSalem was appointed to the North Carolina Arts Council as a member at-large. Brown is a member of the Board of Visitors for the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Brown worked as the honorary co-chair for their 75-million-dollar campaign for the Advancement Office of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. NC.GOV

Appleby wins player of week

Wake Forest grad student Tyree

Appleby was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week on Monday.

A native of Jacksonville, Arkansas, Appleby averaged 25.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.5 steals in wins over North Carolina and Georgia Tech. He scored a season-high 35 points and added 11 assists and seven rebounds in the Tuesday win over UNC. He set ACC records in free throws made (23) and free throws attempted (28), breaking a pair of records that had stood since the 1950s. Appleby followed up by playing all 40 minutes against Georgia Tech, totaling 16 points and six assists in a one-point win. With the Demon Deacons trailing by a point in the waning seconds, Appleby drove and drew a foul with 2.3 seconds remaining before hitting both free throws to lift Wake to the win. He is the first Wake player to win the weekly honor in 13 months.

Minority business enterprise grants awarded to 21 businesses

$223,000

distributed

to help locally-owned companies

Twin City Herald

THE WINSTON-SALEM

Minority Business Enterprise awarded a total of $223,000 in funding to 21 locally-owned small businesses. The grant fund was established in 2020 through private donations to promote sustained economic recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic and job retention for Black and Latinx-Owned small businesses in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. The fund will allocate a total of $1.2 million over five years, culminating in 2024.

Grants ranged from $3,000 to $20,000 per business. Award amounts were based on the applicant’s requested amount and proposed use of funds, sustainabili-

ty, and impact. Businesses that received grants during this cycle are in fields including construction, financial services, mental health and counseling services, transportation, early education and childcare, and more.

The organizations to receive grant awards were:

Abel Flores Masonry, Inc.

Able Transporation Services

Clean and Clear Residential

Cleaning Service

Creando Familias Felices

Design Edge

Dignity Justified

Dove Inner City Notary

Dove’s Inner BEAUTY

Eljean Transport Inc.

Flores Cruz Masonry Corp.

Gentileese Place – Bailey Preschool Infinity Care Landamur Inc.

Little Gifts Learning Academy

Ondrea Dignity Products Inc.

Board of Commissioners to continue public hearing for potential Walkertown development

Board approves construction of new pickleball courts

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

WINSTON-SALEM — The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners met Thursday, February 2 with two public hearings and a handful of contract matters on the agenda. The board first held the two public hearings for rezoning requests, with the first being a request from E. M. Leight Heirs.

“This is a request to rezone

15.5 acres on the east side of Old Hollow Road across from Old 66 Circle from RS20 to RM8-S,” said City/County Planning Director Chris Murphy. “The proposal provides an ideal land use transition between the US-158/ NC-66 activity center and nearby single-family uses. The townhomes kind of serve as a step down in terms of zoning intensity. The request will also provide additional housing close to goods and services in a walkable area.”

However, concerns were raised by citizens and Walkertown – the town where the development will be located –

RubyG’s Buttercreme Sensations

Sandra’s Family Child Care Sherman’s Drop In, Inc.

Team J Construction

Total Enterprise Majorel Winston-Salem Tees

MBE Grants can be used for special projects or general operating expenses such as salary, wages, lease or rent payments, working capital, and capital expenditures. Grantees will report quarterly on the use of the funds and the outcomes generated.

“Local businesses that are thriving and diverse are essential to promoting a strong local economy and sense of community,” Lorena Muñoz-Holladay, cochair of the Entrepreneurial Advisory Committee and member of the Hispanic League board of directors said in a statement released by the city of Winston-Salem. “MBE Grant recipients have

about the actual walkability of the project.

“The concern is that the sidewalk does not have a connection to the commercial center there,” said Walkertown Town Manager Scott Snow. “The easement runs along the entire property line there so there would not be an opportunity to connect that sidewalk to any potential sidewalk that’s built on that final plan.”

There were also concerns on the supposed traffic impact in that area.

“The town currently has on our schedule, a traffic study plan for the Walkertown common circle intersection that’s a very high volume intersection with a lot of turn conflicts,” Snow said.

“The NCDOT widening project stops before that intersection and NCDOT has been very clear that they have no intention to extend that to address any issues at that intersection. We are working with traffic engineers to do a plan for that and what we

been able to enhance the economy and provide new jobs while overcoming the challenges of business ownership throughout the pandemic.”

The MBE Grant program is focused on providing equitable opportunity for business development. As businesses emerge from the pandemic, the grants can open up ways for them to adapt to changing business models and better serve the needs of their clients, customers, and employees,” said Bill McClain, co-chair of the Entrepreneurial Advisory Committee and member of the Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. board of directors.

In 2020, $229,000 was distributed to 21 businesses and in 2021, $219,715 was distributed to 17 businesses through the MBE Grant program. “ We have seen the impact of

See GRANTS, page 2

DON CAMPBELL | THE HERALD-PALLADIUM VIA AP

DEATH NOTICES

♦ Ann Marie Berlinger, 74, of Winston-Salem, died Feb. 8, 2023.

♦ Geraldine Jones Edwards, 95, of Forsyth County, died Feb. 8, 2023.

♦ Arnold Ray Griffith, 77, of Forsyth County, died Feb. 10, 2023.

♦ John “Johnny” William Herbison, 70, of Kernersville, died Feb. 8, 2023.

♦ Joseph Lawrence Lynch I, 90, of Winston-Salem, died Feb. 9, 2023.

♦ Haywood McIntyre Jr., 68, of Winston-Salem, died Feb. 8, 2023.

♦

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

Satan is so hot right now

LAST WEEK, the Grammys were held in Los Angeles. They featured a star-studded cavalcade of singers who can’t sing, songsters who require a team of dozens to write their songs, and dancers who can’t dance. They also featured a full-on satanic ritual onstage, starring used-to-be-just-agay-dude-then-genderqueer-now-gender-nonbinary singer Sam Smith and transgender female (translation: biological male) Kim Petras.

It

Their song, “Unholy,” won them Best Pop Group/Group Performance. Their performance, in which the tubby Smith donned a Satan outfit and top hat with horns while Petras gyrated in a cage surrounded by Satan-costumed strippers, made headlines for its transgressive imagery.

The goal, of course, is to tweak people of a traditionally religious bent, draw a response, and then act offended. “Why can’t you just leave us alone?” cry our cultural elites as they demand our attention.

We’re all supposed to be shocked, of course. That’s the point. But the fact that the performance is so un-shocking should be the true shock. The Grammys were sponsored by major corporations. Shadow president of the United States and world’s greatest physician Dr. Jill Biden showed up to present an award. And CBS tweeted in anticipation of the Satanic routine, “We are ready to worship!”

But the truth is that Satan is so “in” right now.

After all, Satan’s message has become our society’s: personal “authenticity” requires the destruction of all traditional mores and the trashing of all intermediate institutions of Western civilization. To be “free” means to live without rules or boundaries. And our truest heroes are those who say, as John Milton’s Satan did, “better to reign

GRANTS from page 1

this program in allowing minority-owned businesses to achieve sustainable growth and success over time,” said Mark Owens, President and CEO of Greater

COMMISSIONERS from page 1 are asking for is time to complete that study and present the information to the commissioners.”

According to Snow, the engineers anticipate it will take at least six weeks to prepare the traffic analysis as it pertains to this site.

Winston-Salem, Inc. “This program, supported entirely through private local funding, is integral to our goal of being a more equitable community. I am grateful for the support of our donors and the leadership of the Entrepreneurial

ing that the petitioner would do the study rather than them and I think the town has had ample time to do the study,” said Commissioner Gloria Whisenhunt.

The second hearing was a request by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education.

in Hell than serve in Heav’n.”

Milton meant his Satan to be a villain, rejecting the Good, True, and Beautiful in favor of personal power. But we have followed the path of dissolute romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who argued, “Milton’s Devil as a moral being is as far superior to his God as one who perseveres in some purpose which he has conceived to be excellent in spite of adversity and torture.”

Sure, Milton’s Devil provided no good to anyone, including himself — but he stood up to the strictures of an outside, objective moral code. It was Shelley himself who argued that “religion and morality, as they now stand, compose a practical code of misery and servitude: the genius of human happiness must tear every leaf from the accursed book of God ere man can read the inscription on his heart.”

How different are the musings of Shelley from the lesssophisticated musings of Smith and Petras? As Smith says, “It really is just about how I feel.” Or Petras: “it’s a take on not being able to choose religion. And not being able to live the way that people might want you to live... I was kind of hellkeeper Kim.”

God makes demands of us. God suggests that there is a higher Truth to which we are subject, rules, and roles we ought to obey for purposes of societal strength, spiritual durability, and personal fulfillment. Satan makes no demands of us beyond the surrender of our reason, our higher aspirations, and our souls. Milton’s Satan rebelled against God. Today, those of a Godly bent are increasingly fighting a rebellion against the truly dominant spiritual power of a narcissistic culture that prizes self above all, celebrated by a transgressive monolithic culture.

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

Advisory Committee in making this program possible.”

The MBE grant program is managed by the Entrepreneurial Advisory Committee, consisting of Black and Latinx business leaders in Forsyth County. Great-

er Winston-Salem, Inc. provides the grant program with financial oversight and organizational structure.

Applications for the next grant cycle will be announced in the Fall of 2023.

♦

♦

Following the hearing, the board voted to continue the hearing until the traffic study could be completed and provided to the board of commissioners, however one commissioner voted against that motion.

“This is a petition for an approximately 45 acre site located on the east side of Fraternity Church Road at its intersection of Hope Church Road,” Murphy said. “This is a general use rezoning request from RS9 to IP (Institutional, Public).”

“Their request is consistent with what the area plan recognizes as the existing land use,” Murphy said. “Schools are allowed within the institutional public zoning district – they are also allowed in a lot of the commercial and residential districts. The school is non-conforming where it is, but they are requesting a zoning district that gets them in conformity with the institutional use.”

Following the hearing, the board approved the request.

♦

♦

“I think it’s unfair to ask these folks to go through another extension when this was not part of the standard for them to get the zoning to begin with and I do think that Walkertown was hop -

The request will allow the subject property to come into compliance as it is developed with both a middle and elementary school (Clemmons Middle and Ward Elementary), which are allowed within an IP district.

The board also approved an amendment to the 2016 Schools Capital Projects Ordinance to appropriate $100,000 for the design of the new Ashley Elementary School and $350,000 for extensive renovations at East Forsyth High School.

The board then approved four contracts. The first was with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education to allow for the implementation of the BeHealthy School Kids Programs. The board also approved a 75-month, $102,225 contract with Spectrum Southeast to provide WiFi services to the Tanglewood Park Campground, a one-year, $90,000 contract with Sierra-Cedar to provide optimization and consultative services for the Oracle Cloud Solution, and a $317,563 contract with Dreambuilt Construction for the construction of nine pickleball courts at Joanie Moser Memorial Park.

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will next meet February 16.

WEEKLY CRIME LOG

♦ ADAMS, TIOENNE TKEYRAH was arrested on a charge of ASSLT ON OFF/ST EMP at 225 N JACKSON AV on 2/12/2023

♦ A gamanoyola, Juan David (M/18)

Arrest on chrg of Resisting Arrest (M), at 5005 Voss St, Winstonsalem, NC, on 2/8/2023 09:12.

♦ BALDWIN, EVETTE LAKEISHA was arrested on a charge of AFFRAY at 4210 MINERAL AV on 2/9/2023

♦ Breathette, Annette Marie (F/34)

Arrest on chrg of Child Abuse (M), at 1613 Brookway West Cr, Lewisville, NC, on 2/12/2023 20:23.

♦ CISNEROS, GENRI SANCHEZ was arrested on a charge of MURDERFIRST DEG at 815 E BROOKLINE ST on 2/11/2023

♦ CLAYTON, BRYAN DEQUAN was arrested on a charge of ARSON1ST DEGREE at 1610 E FIRST ST on 2/11/2023

♦ COVINGTON, JOSHUA RYAN was arrested on a charge of AWIK/ SERIOUS INJURY at 925 DELMONTE DR on 2/9/2023

♦ Cuffie, Myles Steven (M/54) Arrest on chrg of 1) Assault - Strangulation (F) and 2) Assault On Female (M), at 2878 Amber Ln, Winston-salem, NC, on 2/12/2023 03:25.

♦ ENGLISH, JOEL MILTON was

arrested on a charge of MURDERFIRST DEG at 2331 KAYWOOD LN on 2/11/2023

♦ GARCIA, EMMANUEL ALEJANDRO VEGA was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 201 N CHURCH ST on 2/9/2023

♦ GREEN, SAMUEL ALYN was arrested on a charge of VAND-REAL PROPERTY at 876 N LIBERTY ST on 2/10/2023

♦ GUNTHER, GREGORY JOSEPH was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 3939 COUNTRY CLUB RD/S GORDON DR on 2/11/2023 16:06

♦ GUNTHER, GREGORY JOSEPH was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 3939 COUNTRY CLUB RD/S GORDON DR on 2/11/2023

16:26

♦ GUNTHER, GREGORY JOSEPH was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 4017 COUNTRY CLUB RD on 2/10/2023

♦ GUNTHER, GREGORY JOSEPH was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 3939 COUNTRY CLUB RD on 2/10/2023

♦ Hall, Aaron Jahahod (M/21) Arrest on chrg of 1) Disch Fa/occ Dwell (F) and 2) Discharging Firearms (M), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 2/8/2023 18:08.

♦ HOLBROOK, JOSEPH ALLEN was arrested on a charge of ASSAULTSTRANGULATION at 200 FOREST PARK CR on 2/9/2023

♦ JUAREZCALAT, RAMIRO was arrested on a charge of B&EVEHICLE at 2798 THOMASVILLE RD/E CLEMMONSVILLE RD on 2/13/2023

♦ KELLY, JUSTIN WORTH was arrested on a charge of DRUGS-POSS SCHED I at 100 PARK CR on 2/9/2023

♦ LINEBERGER, DEREK LENARD was arrested on a charge of FRAUD-OBT PROPERTY at 201 N CHURCH ST on 2/10/2023

♦ LIVINGSTON, CANDACE JSARA was arrested on a charge of ASSAULTSIMPLE at 201 N CHURCH ST on 2/12/2023

♦ LONG, ALYSSA VANESSA was arrested on a charge of ADWINFLICT INJURY at 172 HIGHLAND AV on 2/9/2023

♦ Matthews, Mikel Ray (M/44) Arrest on chrg of Assault On Female (M), at 240 Shady Brook Ln, Lewisville, NC, on 2/11/2023 19:24.

♦ Mcconneaughey, Sylvester Lewis (M/55) Arrest on chrg of 1) B&evehicle (F), 2) Larceny-felony (F), 3) Poss Stolen Goods (F), and 4) Aid And Abet Larceny ($1,000 Or Less) (M), at 140 Hidden Hills Dr,

Kernersville, NC, on 2/10/2023 01:20.

♦ Mccormick, Ronald Shu (M/18) Arrest on chrg of Affray, M (M), at E Eleventh St, Winston-salem, NC, on 2/9/2023 01:00.

♦ Mitchell, Timothy Lee (M/37) Arrest on chrg of Vio. Protective Order By Courts Another State/ Indian Tribe (M), at 3381 Cook Place Dr, Clemmons, NC, on 2/9/2023 15:02.

♦ MOORE, JAVON DERSHAWN was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 601 PETERS CREEK PW on 2/11/2023

♦ Norman, Jaylan Thomas (M/19)

Arrest on chrg of 1) Rec/poss Stole Mv (F), 2) Resisting Arrest (M), and 3) Fail To Appear/compl (M), at 2471 Lewisville-clemmons Rd, Clemmons, NC, on 2/10/2023 06:36.

♦ PEREZREYES, SANDER JACIMAR was arrested on a charge of INDECENT LIBERTIES at 893 SALEM

POINTE LN on 2/12/2023

♦ Pettigrew, Natasha Rodriguez (F/39)

Arrest on chrg of Impaired Driving Dwi, M (M), at 1600 Southwest School Rd/holder Rd, Clemmons, NC, on 2/9/2023 11:33.

♦ Pettigrew, Natasha Rodriguez (F/39)

Arrest on chrg of 1) Child Abuse (M), 2) Child Abuse (M), 3) Child Abuse (M), and 4) Impaired Driving Dwi

(M), at 1631 Southwest School Rd, Clemmons, NC, on 2/9/2023 10:50.

♦ RAIFORD, FREDRICK DAYTON was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 1298 E THIRD ST/N LAURA WALL BV on 2/10/2023

♦ RHODES, MARCUS JEROD was arrested on a charge of VIO. PROTECTIVE ORDER BY COURTS ANOTHER STATE/ INDIAN TRIBE at 100 BLK LAURA WALL BV on 2/13/2023

♦ RICHARDSON, KWELI MALIK was arrested on a charge of RESISTING ARREST at 502 N BROAD ST on 2/10/2023

♦ RUIZ GONZALEZ, SANTIAGO was arrested on a charge of SEX OFFENSE-1ST DEG at 201 N CHURCH ST on 2/9/2023

♦ SAVAGE, JOHN DOUGLAS was arrested on a charge of ASSAULTSIMPLE at 1307 W ACADEMY ST on 2/10/2023

♦ Shearin, Sydni Raine (F/20) Arrest on chrg of Assault-simple (M), at 1335 Winfield Dr, Winston-salem, NC, on 2/11/2023 12:58.

♦ STEVENSON, TRAVIS BERNARD was arrested on a charge of DRUGSPOSS SCHED I at 201 N CHURCH ST on 2/10/2023

“Join the conversation”

really is just about how I feel.

SIDELINE REPORT

NBA Bridges’ consecutive games streak intact

New York

Mikal Bridges’ consecutive games played streak lives on. Bridges was acquired by the Nets from Phoenix last Thursday in the blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. The deal was approved by the league too late for Bridges to play that night in the Nets’ game against Chicago, so he was listed as “inactive — trade pending.” But the league determined that since Bridges wasn’t eligible to play, it shouldn’t count as a missed game. So his streak, the longest active one in the league, reached 367 games when the Nets visited the New York Knicks on Monday night.

NFL Former Cardinals

lineman Dobler dies at 72

Tempe, Ariz.

Conrad Dobler, one of the NFL’s top offensive linemen and fiercest players in the 1970s, has died. He was 72. The Cardinals announced Dobler died Monday in Pueblo, Colorado. No cause of death was given. Dobler played left guard on an offensive line that included Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf for a St. Louis team that became known as the “Cardiac Cardinals.” Dobler earned three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 197577 while playing under Hall of Fame coach Don Coryell. He played for the Cardinals from 1972-77 before moving on to play two seasons with New Orleans and Buffalo.

TRACK & FIELD

Bol: doping suspension lifted after samples didn’t match

Sydney Olympic 800-meter finalist

Peter Bol says his provisional doping suspension has been lifted after the A and B samples didn’t match. Usually testing of the B sample confirms the original adverse finding in doping cases. In a Twitter post, Bol says: “My provisional suspension has been lifted by Sport Integrity Australia.” Bol says he’s never taken banned performanceenhancing substances and he described the last month as a “nightmare.” Athletics

Australia announced last month that Bol had failed an out-of-competition test on Oct. 11. His A sample tested positive to the banned drug erythropoietin, known as EPO.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Michigan says it had proof against fired football assistant

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Michigan fired football cooffensive coordinator Matt Weiss in January after he failed to attend a meeting to discuss whether he had gained access to computer accounts that belonged to other people, according to documents released to The Associated Press. An athletic department official told Weiss that the university had evidence that he had “inappropriately accessed” the accounts. Weiss was fired on Jan. 20 after skipping a meeting. Campus police are investigating possible computer crimes at the football building known as Schembechler Hall. Weiss has not directly addressed the allegations, saying only that he looks forward to “putting this matter” behind him.

Spring training’s start brings pitch clocks, shift limits

Major League Baseball has implemented new rules for 2023

The Associated Press

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jeff McNeil thinks he’ll adapt quickly to baseball’s big shift — really, an anti-shift.

“I’m playing a normal second base now instead of in short right field. I’ve been playing second base my whole life so it shouldn’t be too hard to adjust to,” the New York Mets All-Star infielder and big league batting champion said.

Spring training opened Monday in Florida and Arizona for players reporting early ahead of the World Baseball Classic, and the rest of

pitchers and catchers will start workouts two days later.

Following an offseason of record spending in which the New York Mets approached a $370 million payroll, opening day on March 30 will feature three of the biggest changes since the pitcher’s mound was lowered for the 1969 season:

— Two infielders will be required on either side of second base and all infielders must be within the outer boundary of the infield when the pitcher is on the rubber.

— Base size will increase to 18inch squares from 15 inches, causing a decreased distance of 4½ inches.

— A pitch clock will be used, set at 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners.

“I hope we get what our fans want — faster, more action, more athleticism.”

Rob Manfred, MLB commissioner

“This has been an eight-year effort for us,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday, thinking back to when the first experiments were formulated. “I hope we get what our fans want — faster, more action, more athleticism.”

Baseball’s timelessness spanned a century and a half in a sport obsessed with its sepia-toned history

of flannel-clad pioneers.

“In baseball, there’s no clock,” Richard Greenberg wrote in “Take Me Out,” his Tony Award-winning play. “What could be more generous than to give everyone all these opportunities and the time to seize them in, as well?”

Turns out, all those dead minutes became an annoyance in an age of decreased attention spans and increased entertainment competition.

The average time of a nine-inning game stretched from 2 hours, 30 minutes in the mid-1950s to 2:46 in 1989 and 3:10 in 2021 before dropping to 3:04 last year following the introduction of the PitchCom electronic device to signal pitches.

With the rise in shifts and higher velocity pitches, the batting average dropped from .269 in 2006 to .243 last year, its lowest since the record of .239 in 1968.

Defensive shifts on balls in play totaled 70,853 last season according to revised totals from Sports Info Solutions. That’s up from 59,063 in 2021 and 2,349 in 2011.

Irving debuts in Dallas not wanting to talk about future

“I don’t really have the energy to sit and focus on things I can’t control.”

The Associated Press

DALLAS — Kyrie Irving isn’t interested in talking about what his long-term future could be with the Dallas Mavericks, and he doesn’t understand why people don’t think he can play well off the ball.

“All I know, this is really playing basketball with a lot of high-level, high-IQ players and making it work,” Irving said before his first home game Monday with the Mavericks and All-Star teammate Luka Doncic. “Every single time I step foot out there, I get a chance to prove it to myself that I can play with anybody and everybody and still be efficient and be myself.”

Irving’s home debut in Dallas came a week after the blockbuster deal became official to bring the potential free agent from the Brooklyn Nets. His first three games with the Mavericks were on the road, and he played with Doncic for the first time Saturday night — Irving had 28 points and Doncic 27 in an overtime loss at Sacramento.

As for what happens after this season, the talented and enigmatic eight-time All-Star said that question constantly getting asked just puts unwanted distractions on him and the team.

“I’ve dealt with it before and it’s very emotionally draining to ask questions about what’s the long

term,” Irving said. “What the future holds is really only going to be dictated on what I do right now, and how I prepare for those next steps, and that’s being the best teammate that I can in that locker room and a great leader out here, I think within the Dallas community. ... So we’re just putting that to bed and just focus on what we have ahead as a team.”

The Mavericks, with 23 games remaining after Monday night’s game against Minnesota, are part of a crowded mix for a playoff spot. They went into the game fourth in the Western Conference, only three games ahead of 11th place — the first spot left out of

the postseason. When Dallas general manager Nico Harrison was asked his response to people who viewed the acquisition of Irving and his expiring contract as a risk, the former Nike executive, who already had a relationship with the player, said that wasn’t the case.

“I don’t see any risk involved at all. I’ve known Kyrie for a long time, I know his core, I know what type of person is. I think anybody who’s ever watched him play basketball knows the type of basketball player he is,” Harrison said.

“So I don’t see risk. I actually see a risk in not doing it.”

Irving smiled and responded,

“touché,” then adding that he appreciated their relationship and that it was now up to him to prove it “and control what I can control.”

Dallas also got Markieff Morris in the trade that sent Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round choices to the Nets.

Irving had a relationship with Nike for the entirety of his NBA career until earlier this season when the sneaker giant dropped him — and canceled the planned release of his next signature shoe just before it came out — after Irving tweeted a link to an antisemitic film.

“I would love to be well-liked by everybody. ... Oh, that’s just not it. That’s just not for I think anyone in this room,” Irving said. “But the genuine love that you have in your heart is the only thing that you can really control. I have open dialogue with everybody that spends time with me, wants to have conversation, wants to ask me questions.”

For those who don’t like him, he said he wishes them well.

“But I have a life to live and I have kids to raise,” he said. “So I don’t really have the energy to sit and focus on things I can’t control.”

The mercurial former Duke star calls speculation “emotionally draining”

TOMMY GILLIGAN | AP PHOTO

Major League Baseball will feature three of the biggest changes since 1969, including one rule that will minimize the infield shift.

AP PHOTO

Mavericks guards Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic during a game last week in Sacramento, California.

Kyrie Irving

STATE & NATION

Supreme Court might have easy outs on elections, immigration

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court soon could find itself with easy ways out of two high-profile cases involving immigration and elections, if indeed the justices are looking to avoid potentially messy, divisive decisions.

Off-ramps in those cases could prove attractive in a term with no shortage of big cases that could divide the court’s six conservatives and three liberals. Affirmative action, voting rights, gay rights and student loan forgiveness also are on the agenda for a court that is less than a year removed from overturning nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion and seeing a significant dip in public confidence.

The Biden administration provided one possible way out for the court this week. A legal fight over turning away immigrants at the border because of the coronavirus pandemic, under a provision of federal law known as Title 42, is about to become irrelevant, the administration said in a court filing Tuesday.

That’s because the administration recently announced that the public health emergency that justified the quick expulsion of immigrants will expire on May 11.

“Absent other relevant developments, the end of the public health emergency will (among other consequences) terminate the Title 42 orders and moot this case,” wrote the administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar.

The use of Title 42 began during Donald Trump’s presidency and continued after Joe Biden took of-

fice. It has been used millions of times to quickly turn away illegal immigrants at the border.

Title 42 is at the root of a Supreme Court case that the justices in December put on a fast track, with arguments set for March 1. At issue isn’t the use of Title 42 itself but the question of whether a group of Republican states can insert themselves into a lawsuit over the policy. The states support

keeping it in place. If it ends, they say illegal immigration will increase and they argue their interests aren’t represented in the case. The court could still rule before May 11, though that would be faster than usual. It’s also possible the policy’s end date will be pushed back beyond that date. But if the public health emergency ends as planned and the justices do nothing until then, the case could end

DA says libel case against Stein over

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A North Carolina prosecutor said Thursday that campaign-related charges won’t be pursued further against Attorney General Josh Stein or his aides, one day after an appeals court ruled the political libel law her office was seeking to enforce is most likely unconstitutional.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said that the ongoing investigation and prosecution of potential misdemeanor violations related to a 2020 ad from Stein’s campaign has been closed.

A senior assistant prosecutor in Freeman’s office had been investigating allegations whether the commercial criticizing Stein’s Republican challenger at the time broke a 1931 law that makes certain political speech unlawful. When it appeared last summer that Freeman’s office could soon seek indictments, Stein’s campaign and others sued in federal court to stop the effort and asked that the law be declared unconstitutional.

In August, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, blocked enforcement of the law while an appeal

was heard. On Wednesday, the same appeal panel vacated a trial judge’s ruling that had refused to order Freeman to stop using the law to prosecute anyone over the disputed commercial.

A statement released by Freeman also said the ruling prevents

her office from moving foward given that there is two-year statute of limitations for such a misdemeanor.

“Understanding that the case was one of intense public interest, it has been the assigned prosecutor’s intent to exercise due

without a decision.

When the court agreed to take the case in December, the justices were split. Five justices wanted to wade in and four justices — the court’s three liberals and conservative Neil Gorsuch — said they would not have gotten involved in the first place.

The other case the court could dodge involves a closely watched elections issue and comes out of

diligence and to evaluate the evidence and apply the law without partiality from the beginning of this matter,” Freeman said. “As prosecutors, we respect the role of the court in determining the constitutionality of a duly enacted state law.”

The decision by Freeman — the local prosecutor for North Carolina’s largest county — ultimately could make the Stein lawsuit moot. And Stein, who announced last month he would run for governor in 2024, will no longer have the potential for an uncomfortable prosecution from the office led by a fellow Democrat. Current Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper had sided with Stein in the legal affair, previously calling the potential prosecution “an unprecedented repression of free speech.”

The litigation originated from a commercial that Stein has called a corrective to what he considered false accusations made by then-challenger Jim O’Neill. He had alleged Stein had failed to act on more than 15,000 untested rape kits since becoming attorney general in 2017. Stein’s ad accused O’Neill, the Forsyth County district attorney, of letting more than a thousand rape kits go untested.

O’Neill complained to the State Board of Elections, mentioning a law that makes it illegal to help circulate “derogatory reports” about a candidate designed to harm their election chanc -

North Carolina. Last week the state’s top court ordered a new look at the case.

Republicans in North Carolina have asked the justices for a ruling that could leave state legislatures virtually unchecked in making rules for congressional and presidential elections. Such an outcome would for the first time validate what is known as the “independent state legislature” theory, which would dramatically enhance the power of state lawmakers over elections for president and Congress at the expense of state courts.

The justices heard arguments in December in an appeal from Republicans who argued that the state Supreme Court, then with a Democratic majority, improperly tossed the state’s Republican-drawn congressional districts as excessively partisan and adopted a new map that produced a 7-7 split in November’s elections.

Now a new Republican majority on the North Carolina high court has set new arguments for March. It’s unclear how long it might to take to reach a decision.

The justices have been at work on a decision in the North Carolina case for more than two months, but the final word in this and other consequential cases often doesn’t come until late June.

So the court could wait to see what the North Carolina court does before reaching its own conclusions.

Vikram Amar, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, said the court can always find a way out “if it wants to dodge the case,” including if the justices are finding trouble reaching consensus.

But Amar, who filed a brief opposing the Republicans in the case, said it’s important for the court to weigh in.

“The fact that they took the case in the first place tells us they think it needs resolution. Better to resolve this between election cycles,” Amar said.

es while “knowing such report to be false or in reckless disregard of its truth or falsity.” The elections board and ultimately Freeman’s office investigated, with the help of the State Bureau of Investigation.

Wednesday’s ruling overturned a decision by U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles, who had said the law appeared to meet constitutional standards. The prevailing opinion, written by Circuit Judge Toby Heytens, said it was likely unconstitutional because “derogatory reports” could also include statements that were in fact true. And someone could tell tremendous lies about a candidate as long as they weren’t specifically disclosed to hurt the person at the ballot box, Heytens wrote.

Stein campaign strategist Morgan Jackson said late Thursday the Stein ad “was true, and we are gratified that the 4th Circuit put an end to this nonsense.”

Citing the ad’s subject, Freeman’s statement said she hoped that efforts would continue to reduce backlogs for the testing of sexual assault kits following a 2019 state law that was designed to eliminate that inventory, adding that delays continue.

“It would be my hope that the General Assembly and the Attorney General would take steps to fix these delays so that the promises of the (2019 law) become a reality,” Freeman said.

AP PHOTO

An electronic sign flashes “Watch for unexpected pedestrians,” Dec. 20, 2022, on the highway next to the fenced US-Mexican border just east of downtown El Paso, Texas.

AP PHOTO

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein speaks in favor of protecting abortion access during a news conference at the North Carolina Department of Justice in Raleigh, Aug. 3, 2022.

MOORE COUNTY

North Moore wrestler places 2nd at 1A East Regional Championship

North Moore’s Nathan Rogers (right) works against Pamlico County’s Tyler Stevens in the 220 lb during the 1A East Regional Championship at Uwharrie Charter in Asheboro on Feb.11, 2023. Rogers finished 2nd place.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Carthage’s beloved Pik-N-Pig reopened last Thursday

Pik-N-Pig, the beloved hickorysmoked BBQ restaurant in Carthage, reopened its doors this past Thursday. It has been nearly a year and a half since the restaurant was forced to suspend operations after the restaurant caught fire and burned to the ground at the end of May 2021. Customers, many of whom were pilots from the nearby airport, were lined up out the door, trying to get a nostalgic taste of their favorite BBQ. According to the owner, Ashley Sheppard, the rebuilding process was delayed due to complications from the COVID-19 pandemic. On Facebook a recent Facebook post, the Pik-N-Pig crew expressed their excitement about reopening, saying, “we cannot even begin to tell you how excited we are!

Not only are we excited to see everyone again, we are even more excited that our team worked so hard that we were able to open up an entire week early!” Pik-N-Pig will be open Thursday through Sunday, from 11 am until 4 pm. Be sure to stop in and welcome them back!

Moore County Sheriff’s Office is hiring

The Moore County Sheriff’s Office is looking to hire new Detention Officers. Detention Officers, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office, are responsible for providing general supervision to the incarcerated population. If hired, officers will be properly trained to perform duties which include in-take, processing, monitoring, feeding, and transporting inmates to ensure their safety, security, and accountability incarcerated in the jail. Applicants for the Detention Officer position are expected to provide the following traditional: a high school diploma or GED, a North Carolina Driver’s License, and Military DD-214 (if applicable). Applicants are also expected to successfully pass a background check and a psychological exam. Anyone interested in applying for the position can call the Moore County Detention Center at (910) 947-2980 or email rccontact@ moorecountync.gov.

Moore County Schools principal transferred

Melonie Jones will become the assistant principal at Pinecrest High School

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

CARTHAGE — A Moore County Public Schools (MCS) principal has been transferred to another school.

According to a press release by MCS, Crain’s Creek Middle School Principal Melonie Jones had requested to be transferred to Pinecrest High School. She will be in the Assistant Principal position at Pinecrest, where she started her education career in the late 90s.

“I feel honored and humbled to have been the principal at Crain’s Creek Middle School for the last five years, and I will be forever grateful for the relationships that I have built with the students, staff, parents, and community,” Jones

said in the press release.

“I have great respect and appreciation for Melonie and her service to Moore County Schools since 1999,” said MCS Superintendent Dr. Timothy Locklair. “I greatly appreciate her commitment and work at Crain’s Creek Middle School, and I look forward to her continued leadership with Moore County Schools. I am excited to see her positive impact on the students and staff at Pinecrest High School.”

The transfer will be effective Mar. 1, and Scott Absher will take over as interim principal of Crain’s Creek.

Absher has previously retired from Moore County Schools after serving as Principal of North Moore High School. He has served in a part-time role as the Scholarship Coordinator at Union Pines High School and in other interim principal capacities.

As principal of Crain’s Creek,

Jones was being paid $101,880 a year. It is yet unclear what her pay rate will be as assistant principal of Pinecrest High, but it will likely be comparable per the current MCS assistant principal pay scales.

The request for the transfer comes after a year of fighting incidents and discipline issues, as well as complaints by parents and former staff.

Last October, North State Journal reported on a number of student fights caught on video, which were shared on a social media account. At that time, a Crain’s Creek parent shared images of her son with a bruised face as a result of an attack by another student that occurred in one of the middle school’s classrooms. The 13-year-old boy was also diagnosed as having sustained a concussion.

Following the story about the fights at Crain’s Creek, a former teacher of the school contacted North State Journal describing a “hostile work environment” experience while working at the school under Jones.

According to the former teacher, some staffers cried “daily” over how Jones was treating them.

The former Crain’s Creek staffer also said it was typical of Jones to tell teachers that if they had a problem with how she was running the school, “the resignation letters are in my drawer of my desk. And I’ll

State Health Plan releases all documents related to third-party contract change

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — All documents related to the change from Blue Cross Blue Shield NC to Aetna as the State Health Plan’s third-party administrative services contract (TPA) are now publicly available.

Last week, the State Health Plan (SHP) published all of the materials, including requests for proposals (RFP) and the responses, on a specially created transparency page on its website.

“We are the most transparent and open agency in state government,” Treasurer Dale Folwell said in a statement. “I cannot be prouder of the work done by the staff of the State Health Plan and the bipartisan State Health Plan Board of Trustees. This contract doesn’t change the body or engine of the State Health Plan; it is just a modernization of the transmission. We look forward to Blue Cross finishing their current contract strong and facilitating a seamless transition to Aetna.”

The documents on the transparency page include details on the procurement process that led to the change in the contract as well as a timeline of events surrounding the move to Aetna.

The repository of documents has already revealed differences in how Aetna and Blue Cross responded to the RFP, which has ramifications for patient billing and transparency.

One of the RFP requirements related to the assignment of benefits payments states, “Upon request, Vendor will pay all claims, including non-network claims, based on the assignment of benefits.” On that item, Blue Cross checked “no,” while Aetna checked “yes.”

In other words, Blue Cross pays the patient directly instead of sending payment to an out-of-network provider. That practice has been criticized as a means of funneling subscribers to Blue Cross’ preferred providers, but also for creating a potentially bad situation where

patients are sent a check but end up spending that cash on things other than treatments or surgeries.

During a Feb. 7 call with media, Folwell noted that his office had received a number of records requests for the documents. He said the production of records and posting of the materials online had been held up by the entities protesting the contract change; Blue Cross and UMR, Inc. The treasurer said his office had been in a holding pattern while waiting for those groups to make redactions.

“ I don’t think there’s been any other state agency who was responded this completely in this quickly to these inquiries as we’re about to today,” Folwell told North State Journal during the media call. “And I think it’ll present a lot of sunshine to folks like you who will really have a full understanding of how this process has gone down over the last year or so.”

be happy to give you one.”

Discipline problems with students brought to Jones were “always turned around on the teacher,” according to the former teacher. Additionally, the teacher indicated it felt like Jones was purposefully keeping the school resource officer “out of the loop” when it came to discipline or threat issues.

“She [Jones] just did so many things to disrespect us with our discipline. There was no support with discipline,” the former teacher said, later adding that it was “almost like she tries to cause conflict amongst the staff.

The former teacher spoke with North State Journal under the condition of anonymity, citing a fear of reprisals, and stated that under Jones’ tenure, teachers had been “leaving in droves.”

MCS confirmed that the school had seen high and increasing teacher turnover rates under Jones’ tenure of over 15 percent from Mar. 2018 through Mar. 2019, almost 17 percent for the same time frame during 2019-2020, and rose to 17.86 percent during 2020 to 2021.

A total of 20 staff members left Crain’s Creek between June 2021 and June 2022. Of those 20, only two were retirements. Between July 2, 2022, and November 2022, another three staffers left the

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

HEALTHCARE, from page 1

Last December, the State Health Plan Board of Trustees voted unanimously to award the TPA contract to Aetna. The contract is for a three-year service period beginning Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027. The contract has an option for two, oneyear renewal terms. Until Aetna takes over, Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina will continue to be the Plan’s claims processor.

The move to Aetna was announced in early January, with Folwell’s office estimating $140 million in administrative savings with the move and that a partnership with Aetna will lower costs and provide better transparency.

Blue Cross Blue Shield NC and UMR, Inc. both filed protests over the change, which were rejected by the SHP. Future legal action is likely based on statements made by both of the protesting parties.

The State Health Plan covers some 740,000 state employees, teachers and retirees and is a division of the Department of State Treasurer.

school, including one who was terminated.

Crain’s Creek is not the only school where assaults and discipline issues were occurring.

Another MCS parent came forward last November, stating that their son had been “choked out” by another student in the lunchroom at Elise Middle School. That parent also said the student who attacked her child threatened “to kill him and bring a gun on school property.”

The same parent also said her seven-year-old daughter, who attends Robbins Elementary told her a classmate brought a gun to school and that the student now has to use a clear backpack when he comes to school so the contents can be seen by everyone. The school did not inform parents of the situation, according to the parent.

At the Feb. 13 regular meeting of the MCS school board, the change in administration at Crain’s Creek was listed in the district’s personnel report as part of the consent agenda.

During the meeting, multiple individuals spoke out about the situation at Crain’s Creek during the public comments portion of the meeting.

One female speaker, identified by the board as Ms. Warren, spoke about the “identified and unidentified” reports of violence, bullying, and fights at Crain’s Creek. She also talked about the “cottages” on the campus, which are lacking proper ventilation, heating, and access to bathroom facilities.

A female student from Crain’s Creek spoke about how the fights at the school are “still going on,” and she described a fight in the school’s gym where one boy was holding another against a wall by the neck. The student also said an-

other fight near the school’s trailers involved a teacher being hit. Additionally, the student said she hears “racial slurs and cuss words every day, yet teachers turn a blind eye to it.”

A man named Jonathan Bowman also spoke about the situation at Crain’s Creek as well as issues “system-wide” and accused the board of not keeping promises to fix problems at the school.

Another woman called out the “toxic environment,” increased violence, and teacher resignation issues at Crain’s Creek under Principal Jones, but also cited redistricting had fueled problems prior to Jones’ arrival at the school. She said in October, parents hoped their complaints about Jones would be addressed, and she would be “swiftly removed,” but were frustrated with what they perceived to be a lack of action on the matter four months later.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Moore County:

February 16

Live Music: McKenzie Brothers Band

5pm

Come out to Harris Teeter in Pinehurst to enjoy live music from the McKenzie Brother Band!

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.

February 17

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.

Barefoot in the Park at Sunrise Theater 7pm

Join in as Sunrise Theater Live presents Barefoot in the Park! Enjoy this full-length comedic play, performed by all local talent! Seating is assigned. Student tickets are $15 and $25 for adults.

•

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

of our Union: Hardworking American families are paying the price

State

From the economy to the border to national security, the State of our Union continues to be challenged under President Joe Biden and hardworking American families like yours are paying the price.

JUST LIKE OUR GREAT NATION, the State of the Union address has a unique history surrounded by traditions and pageantry. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson gave the first inperson address since the 18th century. President Harry Truman’s address was the first to be broadcasted on television in 1947. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan invited the first guest to sit in the gallery and be referenced in his speech. The State of the Union has evolved from an address only given to leaders within our government to one that incorporates and is delivered to you, the American people.

Regardless of politics, I always look forward to the State of the Union. It is the only time when members of the House of Representatives, Senate, Supreme Court, President’s Cabinet, Diplomatic Corps, and our nation’s top military leaders are all in the same room. The press box is buzzing with members of the media. The House Gallery is full of special guests invited by members of Congress and the White House. Sitting in the House Chamber surrounded by the bright lights brought in by television networks, you feel like you are on the set of a Hollywood movie or at the Super Bowl. The air in the room is electric as everyone is on the edge of their seats, waiting for the President’s arrival.

As I was waiting for the speech to begin last week, I was thinking about you. I was thinking about you and your family and the struggles you have faced over the past year. I hoped President Biden would lay out real solutions on how to reduce inflation, tackle Washington’s out-of-control spending, solve the crisis at the Southern border, and stand up to adversaries like China. Instead, the President’s speech sounded like a lot of recycled rhetoric.

What the President doesn’t understand is that families in North Carolina are hurting. Inflation has cost the average household an extra $10,000 over the last two years. What could you have done with that money in your pocket or savings? Additionally, energy prices this winter are the highest they have been in 15 years, while a record amount of Americans say they are worse off financially since Biden took office.

One of the major drivers of inflation is Washington’s reckless spending and inability to tackle our national debt. The greatest threat to our future is our growing national debt, which has surpassed levels that have not been seen since World War II. Unfortunately, the President did not lay out any strategy to tackle our debt or reduce spending.

Raising the debt limit without making reforms is not the answer to fixing our current debt crisis. Think about your own children, grandchildren, or other teenagers you know. When a child maxes

Satan is so hot right now

LAST WEEK, the Grammys were held in Los Angeles. They featured a star-studded cavalcade of singers who can’t sing, songsters who require a team of dozens to write their songs, and dancers who can’t dance. They also featured a full-on satanic ritual onstage, starring used-to-be-just-a-gay-dude-thengenderqueer-now-gender-nonbinary singer Sam Smith and transgender female (translation: biological male) Kim Petras.

It really is just about how I feel.

Their song, “Unholy,” won them Best Pop Group/Group Performance. Their performance, in which the tubby Smith donned a Satan outfit and top hat with horns while Petras gyrated in a cage surrounded by Satan-costumed strippers, made headlines for its transgressive imagery.

The goal, of course, is to tweak people of a traditionally religious bent, draw a response, and then act offended. “Why can’t you just leave us alone?” cry our cultural elites as they demand our attention.

We’re all supposed to be shocked, of course. That’s the point.

But the fact that the performance is so un-shocking should be the true shock. The Grammys were sponsored by major corporations. Shadow president of the United States and world’s greatest physician Dr. Jill Biden showed up to present an award. And CBS tweeted in anticipation of the Satanic routine, “We are ready to worship!”

But the truth is that Satan is so “in” right now.

After all, Satan’s message has become our society’s: personal “authenticity” requires the destruction of all traditional mores and the trashing of all intermediate institutions of Western civilization. To be “free” means to live without rules or boundaries. And our truest heroes are those who say, as John Milton’s Satan did, “better to reign in Hell than serve in Heav’n.”

out a credit card, you don’t simply raise the card’s spending limit and allow their spending to continue. You make changes, so they know the importance of creating a budget and sticking to it for the future. As we stare down another debt limit increase, Republicans are ready to work with the President on a new budget framework focused on fiscal restraint and responsibility.

Instead of addressing the state of our border and national security, President Biden told the American people Tuesday that the border is secure. Ignoring this crisis has been the strategy of the Biden administration since the beginning, which has led to nearly 5 million illegal migrants and thousands of pounds of fentanyl to enter our nation over the last two years.

Furthermore, the President failed to address China in a meaningful way—especially following the spy balloon incident. Last week, a Chinese spy balloon was able to travel freely across our nation and near sensitive national security sites, including Fort Bragg. The balloon caused air space over our state to be closed for a period of time before it was finally shot down. Yet the fact that the balloon entered U.S. airspace at all is unacceptable. On Thursday, I was proud to stand with my House colleagues and vote to condemn and denounce the Chinese Communist Party’s use of a spy balloon to collect intelligence on our country—a direct violation of our sovereignty.

From the economy to the border to national security, the State of our Union continues to be challenged under President Joe Biden, and hardworking American families like yours are paying the price. Washington Democrat’s inability to address these ongoing crises directly impacting the wallets and safety of you and your family is inexcusable. America is the greatest nation on Earth, and our state of the union should always be strong. I believe our country is at a turning point where we have the opportunity to come together to address these problems you and your family face every day.

Challenges to our economy and national security have certainly set us back, but rest assured, House Republicans have solutions to set our country on the right track. As your Congressman, I will never stop working to make sure you, and our union, are strong, prosperous, safe, and free.

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.

Milton meant his Satan to be a villain, rejecting the Good, True, and Beautiful in favor of personal power. But we have followed the path of dissolute romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who argued, “Milton’s Devil as a moral being is as far superior to his God as one who perseveres in some purpose which he has conceived to be excellent in spite of adversity and torture.”

Sure, Milton’s Devil provided no good to anyone, including himself — but he stood up to the strictures of an outside, objective moral code. It was Shelley himself who argued that “religion and morality, as they now stand, compose a practical code of misery and servitude: the genius of human happiness must tear every leaf from the accursed book of God ere man can read the inscription on his heart.”

How different are the musings of Shelley from the lesssophisticated musings of Smith and Petras? As Smith says, “It really is just about how I feel.” Or Petras: “it’s a take on not being able to choose religion. And not being able to live the way that people might want you to live... I was kind of hellkeeper Kim.”

God makes demands of us. God suggests that there is a higher Truth to which we are subject, rules, and roles we ought to obey for purposes of societal strength, spiritual durability, and personal fulfillment. Satan makes no demands of us beyond the surrender of our reason, our higher aspirations, and our souls. Milton’s Satan rebelled against God. Today, those of a Godly bent are increasingly fighting a rebellion against the truly dominant spiritual power of a narcissistic culture that prizes self above all, celebrated by a transgressive monolithic culture.

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. RICHARD HUDSON

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

Timothy David McGill

May 26, 1957 - February 10, 2023

Timothy David McGill, age 65 of Seven Lakes, NC passed away at Seven Lakes Assisted Living on February 10, 2023. Tim was born in Gulf Port, MS on May 26, 1957 to William (Billy Bob) and Eunice Parker McGill. Tim enjoyed reading and playing the guitar. In his early years he was a boat captain and fell in love with the ocean.

Tim is survived by his mother, Eunice (Gene) Stokes; son, Kyle (Dawn) McGill; granddaughter, Emma Rose McGill; brother Robby (Denise) McGill; brother; Brian (Kim Wise) McGill; sister, Cathy Grant; nephews, Brent (Hilary) McGill and Derek (Debra) McGill; nieces, Jaime McGill, Carrie (Mark) Moon and Amanda Smith; great nephews, Gunner McGill and Gavin Clark and great nieces, Ava Moon and Harper Andrews. He was preceded in death by his father, William Robert McGill and brother-inlaw, Gene Grant.

Val Keith Scantlin

January 11, 1960 - February 8, 2023

Val Keith Scantlin, 63, of Carthage, passed away on Wednesday February 8, 2023 at his residence.

Val was born January 11, 1960 in Tucson, AZ to the late Val Gene Scantlin and Janet “Carol” Keesee Scantlin.

He is survived by wife, Lorraine Rogers Scantlin; mother, Carol Scantlin; children, Brett (April), Daniel (Ivy), Craig (Heather) and Jarrod; and six grandchildren.

Val proudly served his country in the U.S. Marine Corp for 22 years. He had a great love for animals. He had a giving heart toward his family and toward supporting various ministries. He attended New Covenant Fellowship Church in Carthage. He enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, boating, and shooting firearms at his firing range. He and Lorraine purchased 22 acres of property four years ago. He cleared the land with his Kubota tractor and built a new home on the property, which they’ve lived in for the last two years. This property was dear to his heart and they named it “Scantlin Sanctuary.”

Jean Hannah Jenkins

May 5, 1942 - February 7, 2023

Jean Hannah Jenkins, age 80 of West End, NC passed away at FirstHealth Hospice House on February 7, 2023. Jean was born in Montgomery Co., NC on 1942, to James Kenny Hannah and Martha Jane Saunders Hannah. She enjoyed reading, spending time with family, watching her grandson play sports, and Tarheels basketball. More than anything, she loved the Lord.

Jean is survived by her husband, Jimmy; daughter, Angie (Billy) Glover; son, Ken (Dana) Jenkins; grandchildren, Ashton, Kaelyn, and Colby Glover; greatgranddaughter, Tatum Williams; brothers, Junior (Phyllis) Hannah and Bill (Shaw) Hannah; sisters, Elgie (Jim) Brand, Brenda (Billy) Bowyer, and Debbie Pope. Jean was preceded in death by her parents; grandson, Casey Williams; and sister, Doris Moore.

Barbara Tucker Kiser

September 14, 1944 - February 4, 2023

Barbara Tucker Kiser, 78, of Aberdeen passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at First-Health Hospice House in Pinehurst.

Barbara was born in Moore County, on September 14, 1944, to the late Thomas and Julia Deberry Tucker. She is survived by children, Ray Kiser (Erin) of Jacksonville, FL, Mike Kiser of Eagle Springs, and Lynne Kiser of Cameron, NC; daughter in law Lisa Strider Kiser of Aberdeen; 9 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren, and one great great-grandchild. She is also survived by her siblings, Thomas Tucker, Jr. (Delia) of Raleigh, NC, Rebecca Barber of Asheboro, NC, Judy Gray (Jay) of St. Paul, NC, and Patsy Kiser (Mike) of Roxboro, NC

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Shelly R. “Bozo” Kiser; son Tim-my Kiser; grandson Todd Stutts; and her sister Betty Brady.

Jack Howard Pretty

December 15, 1933 ~ February 9, 2023

Jack Howard Pretty of Pinehurst passed away in his home on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at the age of 89.

Jack was born in New York on December 15, 1933, to the late John and Wealthy Pretty. Jack retired from Nestle Corporation after 34 years. After retirement, he and his wife moved to Pinehurst, NC. Sandra Pretty. Jack enjoyed golfing and traveling. He and Sandra would always spend the winter in Costa Rica. He is preceded in death by his son, John W. Pretty. He leaves behind his wife of 66 years, Sandra Pretty of Pinehurst; son, Jeffery Pretty and his wife, Lorraine of Toms River, New Jersey; three grandchildren, Stephanie, Matthew & James Pretty.

William Irvin Rooks

March 26, 1947 - February 4, 2023

William Irvin Rooks, 75 of Pinehurst passed away on February 4, 2023. He struggled with heart failure for many years and died with the love of his life at his bedside.

He was born on March 26, 1947 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to the late William and Rosa Rooks. In 2000, Bill married his sweetheart and wife of 22 years, Betty Rooks. He loved his family. Spending every holiday with his boys and traveling became a lifestyle for him. He loved to cook, plan vacations, and his Siamese cats!

He is survived by his loving wife, Betty Rooks; two sons, Sean Rooks and Patrick Rooks: step-children, Jason Dare and Jennifer Dare; one sister, Pat Hornicek: also survived by five grandchildren.

James Carlton Stewart, Jr.

June 27, 1948 - February 9, 2023

James Stewart, 74, surrounded by his loved ones, went home to be with JESUS on Thursday, February 9, 2023

He was born in Thomasville, NC but lived in Winston Salem from a young age. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, JC and Lois Stewart, his sister, Sheila and other beloved relatives.

Jim is survived by his wife, June; his son, Derek (Katie) and two grandchildren, Caelyn and Ian.

Jim graduated from Pharmacy School at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1971 and was active in his profession for more than 40 years. He belonged to the Kappi Psi Pharmacy fraternity where he made life-long friendships. Many in the group made yearly golf trips together for over 40 years.

Elizabeth (Bettie) Jones McLean

April 13, 1931 - February 3, 2023

Elizabeth (Bettie) Jones McLean, 91, of Cumming, Georgia, passed away on Friday, February 3, 2023.

Bettie was born on April 13, 1931 to Albert Jones and Gladys Greenwood Jones.

It was in Pinehurst that Bettie would meet Thaddeus (Thad) McLean of Aberdeen, North Carolina. They married May 7, 1953, eventually raising their three children in East Point, Georgia. Bettie and Thad were married for 52 years until he preceded her death on June 19, 2005.

Bettie is survived by her three children and their spouses, Bonnie and Jerry Wright (Boiling Springs, NC), John and Karen McLean (Reva, VA), and Richard and Louise McLean (Cumming, GA), six grandchildren, Heather, Nicole, Matthew, Anne Marie, Haley, and TJ, and two great-grandchildren.

Terrence Lee Isaacs

June 24, 1946 - February 3, 2023

Terrence Lee Isaacs, 76, of Pinewild, passed peacefully on Friday, February 3, 2023. Terry was born on June 24, 1946 to his parents, the late Raymond and Edna Mae Isaacs, in Portland, OR.

After high school graduation in Portland, Terry attended the University of California at Santa Barbara, until he responded to the call to serve his country in the U.S. Army in Vietnam. Terry returned to Portland where he resumed his studies and graduated from Portland State University.

On August 12, 1977, he married Victoria “Vickie” Simmons and the two soon started a family.

Terry is survived by his wife, Vickie; his son Zachary and his wonderful daughter-in law Ellis; and his step-sons, David and Mark Remington. He is also survived by his five grandchildren; Wyatt, Kalina, Gillian, Thomas and Guinevere; and five great-grands. Terry was preceded in death by his brother Ron Isaacs and sister Charlene Notos.

Jim was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Faith and family were so important to him. Being available to be involved at his church, Culdee Presbyterian, was important to him, and making time to be with his grandchildren was a top priority from the time they were born. Two Christmas trips to Disney World made standout memories for the whole family. Also, a trip his son, Derek, took him on to Chicago made special memories for him. They saw a ballgame at Wrigley Field and attended a Rolling Stones concert that overwhelmed and delighted him.

Jim was always an avid Tarheel fan; he and June enjoyed going to Chapel Hill for football and basketball games or just to stroll over the campus and eat at their favorite restaurant, Top of the Hill. Jim loved playing golf for the fun of game and for the fellowship he experienced with his playing partners! He was also a Yankees fan from the time he was young. Reading and working crossword puzzles were two pleasures he also enjoyed more and more after he retired.