North State Journal Vol. 8, Issue 14

the BRIEF this week

NC Democratic political strategist dies in boating accident

Raleigh

Conen Morgan, a political strategist and former president of the Young Democrats of North Carolina was killed in a Sunday in a boating accident. He was 42.

A Cape Lookout National Seashore release stated that the boat took a wave that capsized three people on board. One man collapsed after making it to Shackleford Banks and was unresponsive.

“Conen Morgan’s hard work and determination made a real, positive difference for people of North Carolina. His loss is a tragedy and we send our deepest sympathy to his family and friends,” Gov. Cooper said.

House Minority Leader Robert Reives (D-Chatham) said Morgan’s death is not just shocking, but heartbreaking. Morgan graduated from Garner High School and from N.C. State University.

NSJ STAFF

Cooper brings back senior advisor

Raleigh Gov. Roy Cooper’s former senior advisor Ken Eudy has apparently been rehired as of April 1 according to government salary data.

Records show Eudy was rehired as an “administrative officer” with a salary of $148,523; a $65,043 increase over his final salary in 2021 and $73,523 more than he was paid as a “policy director” in 2017. No announcement was made by the governor or his office related to Eudy’s return.

Eudy was one of the first hires named by Cooper after being elected in 2016. Even before Cooper was sworn in, Eudy drew sharp criticism for penning a column in which he said he sits in protest when crowds cheer and stand to honor military service members.

By December 2021, a party was held at the Executive Mansion celebrating Eudy’s retirement.

The retirement followed a series of hearings on the Dominion Energy and Duke Energy Atlantic Coast Pipeline project during which communications came to light involving Eudy and a $57.8 million dollar “mitigation fund” that would be controlled by the governor.

NSJ STAFF

Air Force One doubles as a campaign jet for Biden’s reelection run.

Who pays what?

Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — When Joe Biden was running for president three years ago, he flew on a white private jet with his campaign logo painted on the side.

Now he has a larger, more recognizable ride as he seeks a second term. Like his predecessors, he’ll be crisscrossing the country on Air Force One.

Every president blends their governmental and political duties, but never more than when they’re running for reelection. “Official” events can sound especially political, while “political” events can delve deeply into the policy initiatives of the day. And decisions

on how to divvy up the costs of a president’s travels between taxpayers and the campaign is no simple task.

The massive logistical and security apparatus that surrounds a president continues no matter where they are or whether they’re on government or political business. Even mundane trips require an assortment of helicopters, armored cars and other vehicles and staff to ferry the president, aides, security personnel and journalists from place to place.

By longstanding practice, most of those costs are borne by taxpayers, a smaller amount picked up by

See BIDEN, page A2

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Sporting a red blazer and matching Air Jordans, Rep. Ken Fontenot (R-Wilson) smiled ear to ear while discussing his activities during his first term in the North Carolina House with North State Journal.

In addition to serving at the legislature, Fontenot is currently a pastor but is also a military veteran, having served in the Marines from 2005 through 2014.

Fontenot, grinning about his matching footwear, said he draws inspiration from basketball legend Michael Jordan.

“What I loved was the passion - that he was going to make his mark while he was there” Fontenot said. “And so that’s what I said I’m going to do is I don’t know how I’m going to be here, but I am coming to play.”

And play he has as evidenced by his charismatic floor remarks, including his vocal support for House Bill 823, which expands school choice scholarships to all students in the state.

Last week, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper launched a “state of emergency” over the bill that included a video statement on Twitter and a “state of emergency” banner on the governor’s official state website.

Fontenot, who hails from the

Sports betting, medical marijuana back on legislative radar

By Matt Mercer North State Journal

RALEIGH — Legislation that would establish sports betting and open the door to legalized medical marijuana is back on the General Assembly’s plate this week.

An N.C. Senate committee made several changes to the March bill approved by the N.C. House of Representatives, including language to make it easier for adults to bet in person and adding horse racing to the list of approved betting options.

The measure also increases the tax rate on the revenues that the legalized sportsbooks would generate.

The chief sponsor of the House measure declined to comment after

“I’ll wait and see what the final product is.”

Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln)

the committee vote on the changes. The Senate version must still go through two committees and floor votes.

“I’ll wait to see what their final product is,” GOP Rep. Jason Saine of Lincoln County said in a text message to the Associated Press.

“Betting on sports in our state is occurring. But in order for us to regulate it, in order for us to tax it and provide a public benefit from

those taxes, we have to authorize it first,” Sen. Tim Moffitt, a Henderson County Republican, told colleagues. Legal sports gambling is only available right now at three casinos operated by two American Indian tribes. Largely similar to the House version approved in March, the Senate’s proposal would direct the North Carolina Lottery Commission to issue up to 12 interactive sports wagering licenses to entities that would be subject to robust background checks and $1 million application fees.

While the House would levy a 14% privilege tax on operators’ gross revenue, minus winnings and other

same county as former “education governor” Jim Hunt, had some choice words about Cooper’s rhetoric on school choice.

“First off I would say the governor’s actions unfortunately reek of political politics and dramatics and desperation knowing that we have veto override power and yes, we’re going to use it,” said Fontenot. He added it was no secret they would override a veto on the bill and said that “on day one” lawmakers agreed “we will override every veto.”

“When it comes to this education thing, what I find frustrating is he is championing this system [one of] his children didn’t participate in,” Fontenot said. “They went to a private school – St. Mary’s.”

“Why is it that because he’s more affluent… he has access to these things and then the people that need it, because their school system was not meeting their needs, shouldn’t have it?” asked Fontenot.

Following his time in the Marine Corps., Fontenot was a teacher at a private Christian school in Wilson County before becoming a teacher for Wilson County Public Schools.

Citing support for school choice by minorities, Fontenot said comments made by one Hispanic mother about children having an

See FONTENOT, page A8

Like Jordan, Wilson’s freshman lawmaker has come ‘to play’

The North Carolina National Guard presents the colors during the opening session of the N.C. House of Representatives Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Raleigh.

#386

“One of One”

Visit us online nsjonline.com

North State Journal (USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365)

President Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States, issued the following Memorial Day proclamation after Congress passed a joint resolution making Memorial Day as a day for Nation-wide prayer for permanent peace in addition to honoring and remembering the nation’s fallen warriors.

Since war is the world’s most terrible scourge, we should do all in our power to prevent its recurrence.

It was the hope of mankind that with the cessation of hostilities of World War II the way would be open to founding a permanent peace. Instead, that war has left the world in a state of continued unrest. Accordingly, we feel the need of turning in humble suppliance to Almighty God for help and guidance.

Published each Wednesday by North State Journal 1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607

TO SUBSCRIBE: 336-283-6305 or online at nsjonline.com

Annual Subscription Price: $50.00

Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, N.C. and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER:

Send address changes to: North State Journal 1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607

expenses, the Senate proposed an 18% tax that omits certain deductions for operators.

A 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision permitted states to legalize sports betting. In a 6-3 decision, Justice Samuel Alito said that, “Congress may not simply ‘commandeer the legislative process of the States by directly compelling them to enact and enforce a federal regulatory program.’” The result permitted each state to consider their own plans for sports betting.

Since that decision, nearly 30 states and the District of Columbia have enacted some form of sports betting, according to the American Gaming Association.

A House Committee is also taking up SB 3, the NC Compassionate Care Act, which would open the state to medical marijuana sales.

The bill is a priority for Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick), the powerful Senate Rules Committee chair and cancer survivor.

The measure provides funds for the initial development and implementation of the medical cannabis supply system, but mandates that none of the state’s General Fund will be used to operate the system.

The bill aims to use license fees and a monthly fee equal to 10% of the gross revenue derived from the sale of cannabis and cannabis-infused products sold at the medical cannabis centers.

Other aspects of the bill include establishing a Compassionate Use Advisory Board that would have the power to add new debilitating medical conditions to approved uses, ID cards demonstrating that individuals qualify as having a debilitating medical condition for which a physician has issued a written certification and create a series of violations and penalties for violating legal use of products. A sales tax exemption is also included in the bill’s language.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Biden’s campaign or the Democratic National Committee.

“It’s well established, and there’s a pretty intricate set of formulas,” said Norm Eisen, who served as a White House ethics lawyer under President Barack Obama.

Yet piecing together how much taxpayers will be on the hook for to fund a president’s campaign travel is far from clear-cut. Many of the true costs pertaining to transporting and securing the president are classified, and even the formulas used to determine how much the president’s campaign must reimburse the government are difficult to scrutinize.

Federal regulations guide the calculations, which look at the share of the president’s time spent on the ground devoted to political and official activities. And rules require

In recognition of this need, the Congress has fittingly provided, in a joint resolution which I approved on May 11, 1950, that Memorial Day, which has long been set aside for paying tribute to those who lost their lives in war, shall henceforth be dedicated also as a day for Nation-wide prayer for permanent peace. The Congress has also requested that the President issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe Memorial Day in that manner.

Now, Therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America, pursuant to the aforementioned resolution, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, Tuesday, May 30, 1950, and each succeeding Memorial Day, as a day of prayer for permanent peace. And I designate the hour beginning at eleven o’clock in the morning of that day, Eastern Daylight Saving Time, as a period in which all our people may unite in prayer, each in accordance with his own religious faith, for divine aid in bringing enduring peace to a troubled world.

I also request the agencies of the press, radio, television, and other media of public information to join in the observance

of that day and of the specified hour by announcements and programs designed to unite the Nation in a universal prayer for permanent peace.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington this 22nd day of May in the year of our Lord nineteen

hundred and fifty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventy-fourth.

HARRY S. TRUMAN

By the President: JAMES E. WEBB, Acting Secretary of State.

that government flights like Air

Force One are reimbursed at higher rates for a similar flight aboard a charter airfare instead of commercial flights.

For every trip, it’s up to the White House counsel’s office to determine what percentage is political and the amount of reimbursement, officials involved with the process said. And it’s a time-honored practice by presidents in both parties to tack official events onto political trips to defray the cost to their campaigns.

But even official events can get plenty political as presidents push their agenda. Biden uses official events to criticize “MAGA Republicans” for “holding the economy hostage” in the standoff over the debt ceiling.

When it comes to paying back the government for travel, “it’s always somewhat of an opaque process for how it’s reimbursed,” said Aaron

Scherb, senior director of legislative affairs at the watchdog group Common Cause. “It’s a little bit more of an art than a science.”

The Democratic National Committee has a special escrow account where it collects travel reimbursements that will eventually be sent to the U.S. Treasury. For example, after Biden went to Florida to attend a fundraiser for Charlie Crist’s ill-fated campaign for governor last year, Crist’s campaign deposited $27,726.95 into the account. Then-Senate candidate Val Demings’ campaign kicked in another $23,610.51 for a joint rally that evening with Crist’s campaign, which came after an official event meant to highlight his efforts to lower drug prices for seniors.

That combined sum was a small fraction of the cost to send Biden from Washington on Air Force One and by helicopter from near Fort

Lauderdale to Miami Gardens.

The helicopters that operate as Marine One when the president is on board cost between $16,700 and nearly $20,000 per hour to operate, according to Pentagon data for fiscal year 2022. The modified Boeing 747s that serve as the iconic Air Force One cost about $200,000 per hour to fly. That’s not to mention the military cargo aircraft that fly ahead of the president with his armored limousines and other official vehicles.

All told, more than $2.8 million has been deposited in the escrow account for travel since Biden took office in January 2021, according to Federal Election Committee records. However, because of the slow pace of government processing, only about $133,000 has been relayed to the government.

The current generation of Air Force One planes dates back to

President George H.W. Bush’s administration, and two replacements are currently being built. Even if Biden wins a second term, he’s unlikely to have an opportunity to fly on them before leaving office — they’re scheduled to be delivered in 2027 and 2028.

Administration officials said that the Biden White House and the campaigns his travel benefits comply with all federal rules and precedents.

But the cost of presidential travel often becomes a target in an election year.

For example, then-House Speaker John Boehner complained after Obama spoke to college students during official events in battleground states while running for reelection.

“His campaign ought to be reimbursing the Treasury for the cost of this trip,” Boehner said.

AP PHOTO

Christian Jacobs, 5, of Hertford, N.C., dressed as a Marine, pauses at his father’s gravestone on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.

LEGISLATION from page A1

AP PHOTO

A person gambles as betting odds for NFL football’s Super Bowl are displayed on monitors at the Circa resort and casino sports book Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in Las Vegas.

BIDEN from page A1

Tillis joins colleagues on bill protecting U.S. farmland from foreign purchases

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) has joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in co-sponsoring a bill that would increase oversight and transparency of purchases of U.S. agricultural land that could pose a threat to national security.

Along with Tillis, Sens. James Lankford (R-OK), Jim Risch (RID), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Security and Oversight of International Landholdings (SOIL) Act.

Earlier this year, Lanford gave remarks on the Senate floor, citing Chinese ownership of over 194,000 acres in 2020. He also said that in 2021 China had bought

close to additional 384,000 acres.

“Food security is national security, and it’s alarming how the Chinese Communist Party has been buying up American farmland as fast as they can,” Tillis said in the release. “This commonsense legislation increases transparency and oversight on these purchases so we can protect both North Carolina farmers and the world’s most abundant food supply from our adversaries.”

According to Tillis’ office, the SOIL Act will require the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review agriculture real estate purchases by certain foreign entities as well as ban federal assistance for certain foreign-held real estate holdings. Additionally, the SOIL

Act seeks to broaden disclosure requirements for foreign entities attempting to buy land in the United States.

“Food security is national security, and it’s alarming how the Chinese Communist Party has been buying up American farmland as fast as they can,” said Tillis. “This commonsense legislation increases transparency and oversight on these purchases so we can protect both North Carolina farmers and the world’s most abundant food supply from our adversaries.”

Similar moves to protect farmland from foreign adversaries have been made by the North Carolina state legislature.

House Bill 463, the Farmland and Military Protection Act, would prohibit China, Russia, Iran

Audit finds possible misuse of Guilford County Schools vehicles

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — An investigative audit report issued by the North Carolina State Auditors Office has found the misuse of some vehicles belonging to Guilford County Public Schools (GCS).

The report says allegations were received that three GCS vehicles were being used for personal use. The vehicles were assigned to GCS’ Building Services Department. Auditors were unable to unable to determine if the allegations

were true “because the Department did not maintain documentation of vehicle usage,” according to the report’s findings.

The three vehicles included in the allegations were a Chevrolet Tahoe assigned to the Senior Executive Director, a Ford Explorer assigned to the Director of Maintenance and Operations, and a Nissan Pathfinder assigned to the Director of Health and Safety, Custodial Services, and Logistics.

GSC disagreed with the findings, stating in their response “To be clear, there was no evidence

that the vehicles were used inappropriately at any time by any employee.”

“The School System’s statement is misleading,” the audit report countered. “As clearly stated in the report, there was no way to determine if the vehicles were used for personal use because there was no documentation to support the business purpose for the miles driven and the locations traveled to for the three vehicles included in the allegation.” GCS also said, “All three of the directors are aware of and abide by the policy and there is no evidence to the contrary.”

The audit report also labeled that response as “misleading” because there was no documentation to support any of the travel done in the vehicles.

The state auditor’s office recommended GCS shore up its accounting and procedures for district owned vehicles.

NCDOT TO CONDUCT A COMBINED PUBLIC HEARING FOR PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO U.S.1 (CAPITAL BOULEVARD) FROM I-540 IN RALEIGH TO HARRIS ROAD/PURNELL ROAD IN WAKE FOREST WAKE COUNTY STIP Project No. U-5307

The N.C Department of Transportation will hold an open-house public meeting and a combined public hearing on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at the Living Word Family Church auditorium, located at 10520 Star Road in Wake Forest. A pre-hearing open house will be held from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. followed by a formal presentation at 7p.m.

NCDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), has published the Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA contains a summary of the impacts associated with the various alternatives under consideration for the project. With the EA now available to the public, the formal review period has begun. The public meeting and hearing will provide an opportunity for the public to make formal comments that will be included in the project record.These comments will be considered in the selection of the Preferred Alternative for the improvements along the project corridor.

NCDOT representatives will be available at the public meeting to answer questions and receive comments regarding the project. The opportunity to submit written comments and questions will be provided. Interested citizens may attend at any time during the above hours.

The formal Public Hearing will include an explanation of the location of the detailed study alternatives, land acquisition and relocation requirements, state-federal relationship, and project procedures. Residents will have the opportunity to comment. The presentation and comments will be recorded and a written transcript will be prepared.

The EA, along with maps showing the location of the detailed study alternatives are available for review at the following locations:

• NCDOT – Division 5 Office: 2612 N. Duke Street, Durham

• NCDOT – Division 5, District 1 Office: 4005 District Drive, Raleigh

• City of Raleigh, Planning Department: One Exchange Plaza, Suite 300, Raleigh

• Town of Wake Forest Planning Department: 301 S. Brooks St, 3rd Floor, Wake Forest

The EA and maps are also available for review on the project website at: https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/capital-boulevard-upgrade/Pages/default.aspx

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

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

and other foreign adversaries and state-controlled entities from purchasing agricultural land in North Carolina. The bill also includes property surrounding military installations.

According to the bill, “no adversarial foreign government shall purchase, acquire, lease, or hold any interest in the following: (1) Agricultural land. (2) Land situated within a 25-mile radius of a military base, military installation, or military airport.”

The bill unanimously passed the House by a vote of 114-0 and has already passed a first reading in the Senate.

“By preventing these foreign land grabs, this legislation will mitigate an unnecessary threat to our national and food security,” said House Majority Leader Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne) in a press statement. “With agriculture and military making up our state’s top two economic impacts, it is critical that we ensure our military bases and farmland are protected and secure.”

“Food security is national security, and it’s alarming how the Chinese Communist Party has been buying up American farmland as fast as they can.”

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)

Council of State news roundup

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The N.C. Council of State’s activity for May includes Forever Farms, National Business Week, transparency in medical billing, awards and a robocalls lawsuit, as well as an update on the state auditor’s legal woes.

The North Carolina Council of State (COS) is an administrative body of ten elected officials who are heads of their departments. Council members include the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of insurance, commissioner of labor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer and superintendent of public instruction.

The Secretary of State celebrated National Small Business Week, with Secretary Elaine Marshall reporting new business filings for 2023 at “near-record levels” creating 60,000 new businesses between January and April.

“The North Carolina’s entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well as new business creation filings remain historically high compared to pre-Covid creations,” Marshall said in a statement. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey issued a statement expressing concern over House Bill 346, which would allow Blue Cross Blue Shield NC to put policyholder money into investments without the current regulatory oversight currently in place for the healthcare giant.

“Passing this bill is a sure way to raise health insurance premiums for Blue Cross NC policyholders.”

“Blue Cross NC has said this is a good bill, but I disagree,” Causey said in a statement. “If it is such a good bill today, it will still be in two weeks’ time. There has been a large public outcry. The department and I have received hundreds of emails, calls and letters from the public from across the state, and not one person has stated that they disagree with our position. I’m very concerned that consumers’ concerns are falling on deaf ears.”

The Department of Labor gave out annual safety awards for outstanding achievements in 2022 to employers and businesses in both Lenoir and Stanly Counties this month.

“North Carolina’s employers and employees show us the true importance of a strong commitment to safety and health each and every day,” Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson said. “North Carolina’s injury and illness rate remains at a historic low. These businesses’ dedication to safety is the reason why North Carolina is one of the safest states in which to work and they deserve this distinguished recognition.”

State Treasurer Dale Folwell praised the NC Senate for the passage of Senate Bill 321, the Medical Deweaponization Act. The bill offers greater transparency in pricing while helping citizens with aggressive medical debt collections.

“I want to thank the members of the North Carolina Senate who unanimously passed this bipartisan bill,” Folwell said in a statement. “It could be a significant accomplishment by the General Assembly making a generational difference in the lives of so many families faced with financial ruin due to medical debt.”

Throughout his tenure, Folwell has been active in reducing medical costs for State Health Plan enrollees as well as expenses for North Carolinians in general through calls for increased trans-

parency in pricing by health care providers.

Folwell also signaled good news for the State Health Plan with the announcement an additional $47 million had been saved due to enrollment in Humana Medicare Advantage Plans (HMAP).

Attorney General Josh Stein turned his attention once again to robocalls by entering North Carolina into a 49-state effort to sue Michael D. Lansky, LLC, which does business under the name Avid Telecom.

The lawsuit includes the owner, Michael Lansky, and its vice president Stacey S. Reeves, alleging they initiated and facilitated “billions of illegal robocalls to millions of people and violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws,” per Stein’s press statement.

Robocalls have been one of Stein’s top priorities during his two terms, issuing around 30 press releases on the topic since 2018.

Now a candidate for governor, Stein also issued a “public safety” package that focuses on gun restrictions and hiring of more law enforcement officers. This appears to be the first package of its kind issued by Stein in his seven years as the state’s attorney general.

“The package includes measures to combat drugs, support law enforcement officers, protect kids, test sexual assault kits, improve public safety, and fight fraud,” a press release from Stein’s office said.

The Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) announced Donna L. Bledsoe, principal of Cedar Ridge Elementary School in Surry County, as the 2023 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year at an awards luncheon on May 19.

Purple Star Awards, which recognize schools with military family-friendly policies and activities were also given out to 336 K-12 schools across the state, per NCDPI.

State Auditor Beth Wood was speeding prior to her car accident in downtown Raleigh last December of which she had fled the scene. Downtown Raleigh streets have a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour and Wood was doing at least 32 miles per hour according to the tracker data on her state vehicle recently released by the N.C. Department of Administration.

A statewide audit from Wood’s office found “inadequate monitoring” of various funds, including COVID relief money, Medicaid, and student financial aid funding. A different audit released in May has Carteret County officials asking the county sheriff’s office to pursue a criminal investigation after an investigative audit found almost $60,000 in questionable purchases by a now-defunct EMS station.

North Carolina’s agriculture industry received big news on May 19 when an economic impact report confirmed agriculture and agribusiness in the state has risen from $92.9 billion last year to over $103.2 billion.

Agriculture is North Carolina’s top industry and accounts for one fifth of the state’s workforce. The department also announced the “NC Forever Farms Program” on May 19. The program recognizes “family farms that have taken the ultimate step in protecting precious working lands that are vital to the future of agriculture in North Carolina.”

north STATEment

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Americans choose to do the hard things

PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY delivered his “Moon Speech” at Rice University on September 12, 1962.

In a brief 18-minute speech, he encapsulated what separates Americans from every other nation and culture on earth in words which should inspire us to do great things today.

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

first

We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we’re willing to accept. One we are unwilling to postpone.

And therefore, as we set sail, we ask God’s blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure that man has ever gone.”

We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

JFK used his talents ― and those of his speechwriter and muse, Ted Sorensen ― in rhetoric, charisma and leadership ability to inspire all Americans to join together in one of the greatest endeavors in human history ― landing an American astronaut on the moon within the next seven years.

“We meet in an hour of change and challenge, in a decade of hope and fear, in an age of both knowledge and ignorance...Condense, if you will, the 50,000 years of man’s recorded history in a time span of about a half a century. Stated in these terms, we know very little about the first 40 years, except at the end of them, advanced man had learned to use the skins of animals and cover them.

About 10 years ago, under this standard, man emerged from his caves to construct other kinds of shelter. Only five years ago, man learned to write and use a cart with wheels. Christianity began less than two years ago. The printing press came this year. And then less than two months ago, during this whole 50-year span of human history, the steam engine provided a new source of power. Newton explored the meaning of gravity. Last month, electric lights and telephones and automobiles and airplanes became available. Only last week, we developed penicillin and television and nuclear power.

This is a breathtaking pace and such a pace cannot help but create new ails as it dispels old…

We shall send to the moon 240,000 miles away, a giant rocket, more than 300-feet tall on an untried mission to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to Earth.

But why some say the moon? Why choose this as our goal? They may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why 35 years ago fly the Atlantic?

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

Americans have always “done the hard thing.” It was a “hard thing” to win independence from King George III an establish the world’s first true self-governing democratic republic. It was a hard thing to keep the Union together through the Civil War while ending slavery. It was a hard thing to help Europe defeat the Kaiser in World War I and Hitler’s Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire in World War II.

When other nations ran from adversity, Americans ran to them. Our fathers and grandparents ran to them to advance freedom and democracy worldwide after World War II. Americans faced off against the threat of communist Soviet Union in a Cold War for fifty years before they crumbled into the dustbin of history, not us. Americans have raced to free nations, not enslave them.

These were all herculean tasks accomplished by our parents, grandparents and forebears under great hardship for everyone, not only the soldiers whom we remembered this past Memorial Day. As American generations go, aging Baby Boomers have had a relatively easy time of it compared to them.

We Boomers owe future Americans some form of generational heroism before we shuffle off these mortal coils, don’t we? How about returning public education to world-class status? How about stopping the spread of socialism and protecting and defending free speech everywhere in every circumstance? How about doing the hard things we have been unable to solve for lo these many years?

It’s ‘doom and gloom Republican presidential candidates’ season for the MSM

IT’S THAT TIME of the year again. No, I’m not talking about the time of year when the temperatures get even warmer and the urge to take a vacation trip to the beach gets much stronger.

I’m talking about that time of year when the mainstream media ramps up the dooming and glooming on Republican presidential candidates whom they don’t like.

“The $8.2 million figure is more than the $6.3 million that Joseph R. Biden Jr. raised in his first 24 hours as a candidate in 2019, or the $6.1 million haul raised by former Representative Beto O’Rourke that same year,” the paper reported.

They went on to note that the “$8.2 million DeSantis haul in 24 hours compares to the $9.5 million the Trump campaign — despite having his 2020 presidential contact list — raised in its first six weeks.”

The DeSantis campaign raised $8.2 million in that timeframe, which even the Debbie Downers at the New York Times conceded was pretty impressive.

The Republican field has broadened considerably in the last six months, with former President Donald Trump being the first to declare followed by several others, including former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

DeSantis is this campaign season’s lucky winner in the media “doom and gloom” sweepstakes, with one negative story after another being published, including pieces attacking the fact that he trusts his wife, Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, more than GOP consultants as well as tweets and articles declaring DeSantis’ candidacy for president over before he even officially announced he was running.

Last Wednesday, DeSantis did just that, formally announcing his intentions during a Live Spaces chat on Twitter alongside the social media platform’s CEO, Elon Musk.

But it got off to a rocky start thanks to technical glitches brought on by the surge in people who wanted to hear what DeSantis had to say. 20 or so minutes after it was supposed to start, it actually did.

Because of that, we got stories galore from the Usual Suspects about “Why DeSantis’ disastrous launch matters” (Politico), “It Was More Than a #DeSaster” (New Yorker), and “Awkward Silence: Ron DeSantis’s Bold Twitter Gambit That Flopped” (New York Times).

And in a blatant display of dramatic media hyperbole, Politico breathlessly informed us that DeSantis’ launch was “marred by horrendous tech failures,” which was comical considering what happened in the 24 hours after the event took place.

The DeSantis campaign raised $8.2 million in that timeframe, which even the Debbie Downers at the New York Times conceded was pretty impressive.

The fact of the matter is that, outside of the Very Online Left and Right, very few care about the technical problems from the Twitter chat. Joe Sixpack working overtime at the hardware store and Susie Everywoman will not give second thought to DeSantis’ launch woes, much in the same way few people outside of partisan actors on the left and in the press gave a rip about then-President Trump holding a glass of water with two hands or walking down a ramp slowly one time ― both incidents of which the media absolutely lost their minds over.

Most Americans are going to be thinking about the kitchen table issues that matter to them, and will be wondering how the candidates plan on addressing those issues.

The moral of the story here is to not get caught up in the sense of inevitability stunts the media tries to pull. Conservatives know not to fall for the media’s tactics, but at the same time it’s easy to believe that something is bound to happen so we should just surrender to it.

“The walls are closing in!” “He’s finished.” Do not listen to these people. Do your own research on the candidates and ignore the press’ hyperventilating as often as possible. In my opinion, this country would be much better off if that standard was the rule instead of the exception.

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.

Mugged by reality? Or respectful of common sense?

A CONSERVATIVE, to paraphrase and slightly alter Irving Kristol’s saying, is a liberal who has been mugged by reality — especially by a reality that is plain to the vast bulk of ordinary people but remains inexplicably invisible to liberal intellectuals and politicians.

The disastrously generous crime and welfare policies of Mayor John Lindsay (196673)more than doubled crime and welfare dependency.

That saying applies, to varying extents, to two important political figures who died earlier this month. Both started off as liberals in the 1970s and ended up taking conservative stands on important issues. One was the Brooklyn-based urban politics professor Fred Siegel and the other was California political operative Michael Berman, both of whom I was fortunate enough to encounter in my years of observing American politics.

Fred Siegel started off working for the socialist magazine Dissent, founded in the 1950s by Irving Howe and others steeped in Marxist politics and Yiddish literature, and teaching at New York’s Cooper Union. There he learned how the big-government policies of the New Deal and Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia (1934-45) helped immigrants and minorities move upward. And he saw how the disastrously generous crime and welfare policies of Mayor John Lindsay (1966-73) more than doubled crime and welfare dependency — bankrupting the city government as nearly a million New Yorkers moved out.

He told that story, and the similar fates of Los Angeles and Detroit, in his 1997 book “The Future Once Happened Here.” But even as he was writing, he was witnessing and, as a Manhattan Institute scholar, inspiring the turnaround initiated by Mayor Rudy Giuliani (1994-2001), whose police reforms, widely imitated elsewhere, cut murders by more than half and shrunk welfare rolls by 650,000. Those who know Giuliani only from his recent antics should read Siegel’s account in “The Prince of the City” (2004) of his unrelenting persistence that brought about this change over the continuous scorn of The New York Times and other liberal organs.

Siegel put these accounts in historical perspective in his 2014 book “The Revolt Against the Masses: How Liberalism Has Undermined the Middle Class,” which shows how, in the wake of the disasters of President Woodrow Wilson’s progressive politics, the literary and journalistic liberals of the 1920s heaped scorn on the public.

Although New Dealers liked to praise the common man, Siegel showed how this element of snobbery (which I noticed early on) recurs when most people recoil from the negative effects of some liberal policies. It’s a lesson that many these days have forgotten — or need to learn.

Unlike Fred Siegel, Michael Berman left no

such written record behind (the Los Angeles Times couldn’t find a picture to run with his obituary) aside from the redistricting maps for California and other states in the cycles following the 1980, 1990 and 2000 censuses. He learned the craft from San Francisco Rep. Phillip Burton (D-CA), who lost a bid for House majority leader by one vote in 1976 and died in 1983 and was succeeded by his widow and, in 1987, by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

Behind the scenes, Michael Berman managed campaigns for Henry Waxman and his brother Howard Berman, UCLA buddies who won Assembly and then congressional seats on the heavily Jewish West Side of Los Angeles and who served 40 and 30 years in Congress.

The so-called Berman-Waxman machine raised money, endorsed candidates and prepared campaign flyers and TV ads for various California Democrats, until in 1992 (the oft-proclaimed “year of the woman”), its two LA-based candidates lost Senate primaries to the Bay Area’s Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Barbara Boxer (DCA).

Michael Berman seldom talked to journalists and almost never emerged from his eternally smoke-filled office, but because I’d followed redistricting closely in “The Almanac of American Politics,” I got to know him in the 1980s. He didn’t make much of a secret that by the early 1990s, he had moved some distance away from liberal Democrats.

Like most people in America, but contrary to most congressional Democrats, he supported the Gulf War in 1990-91 and was an especially big fan of Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf. He was a strong backer of robust responses to the 9/11 attacks as well and didn’t sneer at the average person’s desire to see the United States prevail.

His last hurrah came in the 2000 redistricting cycle, when he was hired with generous fees by incumbents of both parties to redistrict the state’s 53 congressional and 120 legislative seats. He wrote personal notes to each incumbent to explain how he’d drawn their districts. His maps were more geographically regular and politically neutral than those of many supposedly nonpartisan redistricting commissions in later cycles. Were these two men mugged by reality? Or were they, as I think, more respectful than many of their fellows to the common sense of their fellow citizens?

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

Gov. Cooper’s education stunt hurts students in NC

Gov. Cooper and the special interest groups may be afraid of losing political control over education, but parents are right to seek the option that’s best for their children and families.

AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, I am appalled by Gov. Roy Cooper’s latest stunt. He has declared a state of emergency for an “education crisis” that does not exist. This is nothing more than a publicity stunt to try to score political points with those that oppose freedom in education.

Schools closed unnecessarily for months on end; THAT is a crisis. Learning loss, social struggles and youth mental health; THAT is a crisis. Toxic ideologies permeating our teachers colleges; THAT is a crisis. Indeed, the real crises in education stem from arrogant politicians like Roy Cooper failing our students over and over again.

As I write, we have far too many students who are not grade-level proficient in reading and math. For the governor to be fooling around with fake emergency declarations over his dissipating political power is an insult to every struggling child in this state. Gov. Cooper knows this, but he is beholden to the radical political organizations who purport to represent public school teachers like me. They, and therefore Gov. Cooper, are opposed to any changes that would give parents more control over their children’s education.

Gov. Cooper and the special interest groups may be afraid of losing political control over education, but parents are right to seek the option that’s best for their children and families. Moreover, Republicans in the N.C. General Assembly are right to offer educational choice to each and every child in North Carolina.

Publicity stunts like the one Gov. Cooper pulled last Monday hurt our schools, whether it be public or private. Instead of resolving to ensure North Carolina’s public schools remain a great option for North Carolina families by offering transparency and a focus on academics, he instead seeks to hold all our students hostage.

If the governor truly doesn’t believe parents have a right to choose the best education for their children, he should say so. But first, he should do some research, because most North Carolina families vehemently disagree. Surveys consistently show a vast majority of North Carolinians, across all political stripes, support school choice policies. And it’s not just one outlier poll, either.

A 2022 poll by the Civitas Institute found that 78% of North Carolinians support school choice, including 63% of Democrats and 92% of Republicans.

A 2021 poll by the Public Policy Institute of North Carolina found that 72% of North Carolinians support school choice, including 62% of Democrats and 84% of Republicans.

A 2020 poll by the Elon University Poll found that 70% of North Carolinians support school choice, including 58% of Democrats and 82% of Republicans. These numbers constitute a strong trend of support for school choice policies with which the governor is completely out of step.

As a public school teacher, I want my students to realize their full potential to lead prosperous lives. For some of them, that might mean a different learning environment. They should be afforded that opportunity.

I urge Gov. Cooper to withdraw his phony state of emergency and to stop fighting against the vast majority of North Carolinians who believe school choice policies are a commonsense reform that enables children to get the best out of education.

Governor, please put students first. Stop the theatrics in opposition to North Carolina families, and start working in a genuine way to improve our public schools.

Susan Mills is the Vice Chair of the North Carolina Republican Party

WITH THE NATION officially moving on from COVID-19 emergency mode, we are in grave danger of leaving behind friends and family who still need help. And if the federal government does not take action soon, we will see the suffering of individuals and our economy continue. Post-acute long-haul COVID-19, or “Long COVID,” is when those infected by COVID continue to experience symptoms for weeks, months, and even years after the initial infection.

As a Social Security Disability attorney, I’ve had clients who are struggling with Long COVID, and I’ve seen how the Social Security system lets them down and leaves them behind.

Federal programs like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are intended to help the members of our society who are unable to work ― and long COVID fits this description for many people.

And yet, people with Long COVID continue to struggle without the benefits our government offers to people with other debilitating conditions. At this pivotal moment, we cannot forget and abandon victims of Long COVID.

The barrier to care is the position of the Social Security Administration, which sets an unjustifiably high bar for receiving benefits.

To help, Sen. Thom Tillis, Sen. Ted Budd and North Carolina’s entire Congressional delegation should make a bipartisan request that President Joe Biden advise the Social Security Administration (SSA) to release a draft policy interpretation to reduce the burden of proof on applicants in establishing the debilitating nature of the disease. Without action by SSA, tens of thousands of people, along with our economy, could continue suffering great harm.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), long COVID is not a single condition but “a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems that people experience after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.”

There’s no standard treatment or diagnosis for Long COVID, but health problems can include brain inflammation, cardiovascular abnormalities, organ damage, migraines, mental health impairments, malaise and fatigue among others.

The impact on the economy is undeniable. Information from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services estimated in Nov. 2022 that $50 billion in annual salaries is lost every year due to Long COVID — while the Brookings Institute estimated in August 2022 that the number was closer to $170 billion. Another study indicates that Long COVID is responsible for nearly 10 million unfilled jobs.

The human toll is also high. As of January 2023, SSA received about 44,000 applications for disability that referenced COVID. It can take more than 7 months for SSDI and SSI benefit decisions to get made, and this influx of new cases will likely have an effect on processing speeds.

But that doesn’t change what’s right. People with Long COVID are struggling, and we must make their paths easier.

Our elected leaders should encourage the SSA to promulgate a Social Security Ruling which provides guidance on how to develop evidence to establish that a person has a medically determinable impairment of Long COVID and how to evaluate it in disability claims.

There is precedence for this ― the SSA has released policy interpretations for fibromyalgia and other conditions that can be hard to diagnose and treat, including chronic fatigue syndrome, reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome, and several more.

Social Security is intended to help people facing the exact challenges those suffering from debilitating long COVID are dealing with. Without quick action by the SSA, a large number of people will continue to suffer unjustly and needlessly.

Rick Fleming is an attorney at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, where he heads the Social Security Disability Department. He is a Past Chair of the Disability Advocacy Section for the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.

Long COVID isn’t over, but there’s a way to help

NATION & WORLD

Special counsel Durham to testify before Congress next month about his report on Trump-Russia probe

The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former special counsel John Durham is scheduled to testify before a House committee next month about his recently completed report on the FBI’s investigation of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Durham is due to appear on June 20 in a closed-door session with the House intelligence committee and will testify publicly the

following day before the House Judiciary Committee, according to a person who discussed the dates on the condition of anonymity because they had not been publicly announced.

Durham was appointed in 2019 by then-Attorney General William Barr to investigate possible government mistakes and misconduct in the investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. His report concluded that the

FBI acted too hastily and without sufficient justification to launch a full investigation in 2016. But many of the errors that it identified were also flagged in an earlier 2019 report by the Justice Department’s inspector general. Durham’s four-year investigation produced just three criminal prosecutions — one that resulted in a guilty plea from an FBI lawyer and a sentence of probation, and two others that ended with acquittals before a jury.

After Durham’s report was released, Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote on Twitter that he had invited Durham to appear before his panel the following week. The committees have been in negotiations since then over the testimony, and finalized the dates late last week, the person said.

Durham no longer works for the Justice Department, and a spokesperson there declined to comment.

Saudi, US report better adherence to Sudan cease-fire by warring forces after days of fighting

Cairo Saudi Arabia and the United States said the warring sides in Sudan’s conflict are adhering better to a new, weeklong cease-fire following days of sporadic fighting.

The truce, brokered by Riyadh and Washington, went into effect last week, but fighting continued in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and the western Darfur region. Particularly intense clashes flared up on Wednesday, the two mediators said in a joint statement.

The conflict in Sudan erupted in mid-April after months of escalating tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict has killed at least 863 civilians, including at least 190 children, according to the most recent numbers from the Sudanese Doctors’ Syndicate.

The latest, cease-fire is the seventh attempt at a truce after the others were violated.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned both parties of possible sanctions if the latest ceasefire was not adhered to.

The United Nations says that more than a million Sudanese have been internally displaced, while some 300,000 have fled to neighboring countries. The conflict has pushed the East African country to the brink of collapse, with urban areas of Khartoum and its adjacent city of Omdurman disintegrating into battlegrounds.

FONTENOT from page A1

immediate need for educational choices “really hit the nail on the head.”

Paraphrasing, he said the woman had asked, “Why should we have to wait for you to get your act together? Our children need to be educated now. If a school is failing, it’s failing now. If they don’t have a substitute, they don’t have a teacher, it’s now. What are you doing now?”

Fontenot remarked that the governor continues to ignore this problem of “now” and that this is “not a race issue, it’s an education issue.”

Common sense policies were strong issue for Fontenot, who cited major policy decisions implemented when he served in the military that put soldiers at risk. His passion for common sense policy items is highlighted by a bill to update statutes with new criminal offenses for the unlawful sale of and possession of embalming fluid after constituents brought it to his attention the fluid was being used to augment certain drugs.

House Bill 278, the Rakim Shackleford Embalming Fluid Act, would make it a Class I felony for a funeral director, embalmer, or a trainee to give or sell the fluid to another person who is not in the profession. The bill also makes it unlawful to possess the fluid by a person not in those professions.

“They take embalming fluid and they mix it with PCP and they dip either cigarettes or joints in it,” said Fontenot. “It causes psychosis. You can’t feel pain.”

Due to the numbing effect of the fluid, people using the concoction and who resist arrest typically don’t even feel it when police use a taser, according to Fontenot, who was referring to remarks from the Wilson County Sheriff.

“That was from the mouth of my sheriff. He’s a black Democrat who is very common sense on drug laws who even told me he’s like, ‘Look, race is not the issue. The issue is that we have prosecutors that won’t prosecute. I can arrest them all day, but unless we can prosecute, it makes no difference’.”

The Wilson lawmaker said a group of women came to him about the matter and one said, “Hey, my son was killed in an embalming overdose. It’s not even illegal. What will you do?”

“I only made one promise,” said Fontenot. “My promise was that I would see this bill passed first session and it looks like we’re not too far from that line.” Fontenot added that he believes the bill will pass the Senate sometime in the coming week.

One of the things Fontenot has seen in his first term and that he believes in is that “you have to work together.”

“I’m pretty passionate about just coming to some common ground. Are we always going to be able to do that? Well, no, not always,” said Fontenot, who added, “But you know what I’m not going to do is assassinate your character when we don’t.”

He also spoke about working with colleagues on the other side of the aisle on their bills and the lack of trust in those who hold public office.

Fontenot said it is fine not to agree, “But what I don’t like, honestly, is executive overreach and he’s [Cooper] being criticized justly with this ‘state of emergency’.” He asked who will listen to the governor if a real state of

emergency happens before Cooper leaves office.

“When we have all-time low in public trust of office, we don’t need more unsubstantiated posturing in a state of desperation to hopefully get at people - who already told you plainly their agenda – to not do it,” said Fontenot. “Especially when we have a public outcry over transgenders… trans boys and sports. They don’t want it, nobody wants it.”

“It’s one of the only bills that we passed that actually didn’t get a whole lot of flak on it,” Fontenot said of the bill barring biological males from women’s sports. “I was pretty surprised. But I’ve even had people on the other side of the aisle say, ‘I really support the bill, but can’t vote that way’.”

The bill mentioned by Fontenot is House Bill 574, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which has passed the House and is expected to also pass the Senate. A veto of the bill by Cooper is expected, as is an override.

While this is Fontenot’s first term as a legislator, he narrowly lost a bid for the House four year earlier.

In 2018, he ran as an unaffiliated candidate and narrowly lost to Democrat Jean Farmer Butterfield by just 449 votes or 1.6%. At that time, the North Carolina

Republican Party had already reached out to him after noticing his leadership abilities in his community.

When he ran again in 2022, he ran as a Republican and faced a new opponent, Democrat Linda Cooper-Suggs. Fontenot also had stronger support from the NCGOP which dropped over $279,000 into Fontenot’s campaign. Additionally, maximum donations to Fontenot also came from NC Red, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis’ PAC, as well as from the campaign committee for House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain).

Fontenot beat Cooper-Suggs by 2,353 votes or over 8.4% of the total votes cast.

When asked how he ended up flipping a historically Democratic district to Republican, Fontenot refuted the notion “gerrymandered maps” had anything to do with it.

He said that Democrats making that claim needed to explain how he and a Native American Indian candidate both won their races when they “ran with the maps your Supreme Court drew and that your people voted for 110 to 5.”

Fontenot, who has been married for 16 years and has three young children, will be run for reelection in 2024.

Riyadh and Washington called on the Sudanese military and the RSF to continue to respect the ceasefire.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

UK’s Treasury chief accepts that recession may be necessary to get inflation down London

Britain’s Treasury chief said he would be prepared to see the U.K. economy slip back into recession if further interest rate hikes are necessary to bring down inflation.

With the Bank of England expected to keep raising rates following higher-thananticipated inflation figures this week, Jeremy Hunt said it was necessary to prioritize measures to slow the pace of price increases.

In an interview with Sky News, Hunt said the “only path to sustainable growth” is to bring inflation under control.

Asked if he was comfortable with further rate hikes even if it could precipitate a recession, Hunt said, “Yes, because in the end, inflation is a source of instability. ... It is not a tradeoff between tackling inflation and recession.”

Like other central banks, the Bank of England has been raising interest rates aggressively over the past 18 months or so to a 15-year high of 4.5% after inflation spiked sharply, first because of bottlenecks caused by the coronavirus pandemic and then Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which caused energy and food prices to surge.

“If we want to have prosperity, to grow the economy, to reduce the risk of recession, we have to support the Bank of England in the difficult decisions that they take,” Hunt said.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP PHOTO

Special counsel John Durham, the prosecutor appointed to investigate potential government wrongdoing in the early days of the Trump-Russia probe, arrives to the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse, Monday, May 16, 2022, in Washington, D.C.

NSJ PHOTO

Rep. Ken Fontenot (R-Wilson), left, talks with Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson) at his legislative office in Raleigh.

COLLEGE LACROSSE

Notre Dame tops

Duke in men’s lacrosse title game

Philadelphia

Liam Entenmann made a season-high 18 saves and Brian Tevlin scored a go -a head goal with 27 seconds left in the third quarter to help Notre Dame claim its first men’s lacrosse national title with a 13 -9 v ictory over Duke. Third-seeded Notre Dame (14 -2) had lost in its previous two championship game appearances in 2010 and 2014 — both to Duke. The top -seeded Blue Devils (16 -3) were playing in their seventh national championship game in program history.

Entenmann made eight saves on nine shots in the first half as Notre Dame cruised to a 6 -1 lead after scoring six unanswered goals — from six different players. Notre Dame scored two goals in the final 30 seconds of the third for a 9 -7 lead and Quinn McCahon capped a 6 -1 scoring run.

MLS Swiderski’s goal

lifts Charlotte FC over Galaxy

Carson, Calif.

Karol Swiderski scored a second-half goal, Justin Meram added to his club record with an assist and Charlotte FC kept the Los Angeles Galaxy reeling with a 1- 0 v ictory. Swiderski scored his fourth goal of the season when he took a pass from Meram and found the net in the 70th minute.

Meram extended his team record by contributing to a goal in five straight matches. Kristijan Kahlina finished with two saves to earn the clean sheet for Charlotte (6 - 6 -3), which was coming off a 3 -1 road win over Atlanta United. It’s the first time Charlotte has won two straight on the road. Charlotte stays on the road to play the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday.

Kinston losing its minor league team again, B3

Ryan Blaney wins Coca-Cola 600, snaps drought

It was the eighth career victory for the Team Penske driver

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

Wake Forest leads

8 NC teams in NCAA baseball tournament

The Demon Deacons earned the top overall seed and will host a regional

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

Wake Forest, which spent the last few weeks of the regular season as the consensus No. 1 team in the nation, received the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Demon Deacons earned its first No 1 overall seed in program history and were the ACC’s first top seed since UNC in 2013.

“To be the No. 1 national seed is a tremendous accomplishment for our program.” coach Tom Walter said. “To do that, you have to demonstrate both consistency and toughness. We have battled through four season-ending injuries on the mound, four temporary injuries to key position players and rebounded quickly from tough losses. Our Deacon Nation has shown up for this team in droves during the second half of this season. Friday night will be an electric atmosphere. We look forward to seeing everyone at The Couch!”

Wake will be hosting a regional for the fourth time in school history and the first since 2017. The Demon Deacons won the Winston-Salem regional in 2017, lost to Richmond in the regional final in 2002 and won when they hosted in 1999.

Wake will open play against George Mason and will also need to get past Maryland and North-

eastern to advance to the super regionals in week two. Maryland also joined Wake in Winston-Salem the last time the Deacs hosted a regional, six seasons ago.

George Mason (34-25) won the Atlantic 10 tournament to earn its first NCAA bid since 2014. Maryland (41-19) won the Big Ten tourney, while Northeastern (4414) received an at-large bid, along with Wake (47-10).

If Wake advances from its regional, it will likely face No. 16 seed Alabama, which hosts Nicholls State, Boston College and Troy in a regional.

Wake is one of eight teams from North Carolina to get bids to the tournament, although the Deacs are the only in-state team to get a national seed or to host a regional.

Charlotte will head to Clemson, where the 49ers will open with Tennessee (38-19). Charlotte won the Conference USA title and enter with a 34-26 mark. The 49ers are making their second NCAA trip in three years and the seventh in school history. They received the No. 3 seed in the region. The ACC champion Tigers (43-17) received a No. 4 national seed. Atlantic Sun champion Lipscomb (36-24) rounds out the regional. No. 15 South Carolina hosts a regional in Columbia, and the Gamecocks (39-19) will be joined by a pair of teams from north of

CONCORD — In a wild fiveand-a-half-hour Coca-Cola 600 that had five wrecks in the final 50 laps, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney came out on top in the rain-postponed conclusion to Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The 29-year-old snapped a 59race winless streak for his eighth career victory on Monday night as he held off pole sitter and second-place finisher William Byron after leading a career-high 163 laps throughout the race.

A fter a late restart at lap 381, Blaney edged past Byron and went on to lead the final 26 laps for his first Cup Series victory since the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona in August 2021.

Following Blaney and Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chris Buescher, Austin Dillon and Zane Smith rounded out the top 10 in the Cup Series’ longest race.

It was a monumental weekend for team owner Roger Penske, whose drivers pulled off a Memorial Day weekend sweep as Josef Newgarden won the Indianapolis 500 a day earlier.

Celebrating his win, Newgarden jumped out of his vehicle and climbed into the crowd to interact with cheering fans — a symbolic gesture of appreciation and excitement that Blaney reenacted in Concord.

“I only did it because Josef did it,” Blaney told Fox Sports. “I was pretty fired up. I don’t get that excited very often, but I was super pumped. I loved how Josef did it Sunday. ... I said, ‘I am going to go in the stands like Josef did and have some human contact.’”

A visibly emotional Blaney reflected on the weight that had been lifted from his shoulders as he piloted the No. 12 Ford to Victory Lane after going almost two years without a win.

“You start to feel like you can’t win anymore. We hadn’t won in a while and that can get hard.

I want to thank the 12 team for believing in me,” Blaney said.

“Obviously, Memorial Day weekend means a lot, growing up here watching Dad [longtime Cup Series driver Dave Blaney] run this

race for a long time. And it was so cool to just be a part of it, let alone win it. I was able to get the lead on the restart, and our car was so good that I could kind of bide my time a little bit and we were gonna drive off.”

The race — originally set for a start time of 6 p.m. on Sunday night — was pushed to Monday after a rain-soaked weekend in the Carolinas that also washed out practice and qualifying.

For the first time in Coca-Cola 600 history, drivers began the race at 3 p.m. on Monday without even having turned a single lap of the 1.5-mile oval racetrack. Perhaps the tension and frustration from the rain delays spilled out into the performances of the drivers as there were 16 cautions and 31 lead changes in the 600mile race.

Defending race winner Denny Hamlin and the sport’s most popular driver, Chase Elliott, got into a battle on lap 186 as the two traded blows until Elliot sent Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota into the barrier. It’s a tantrum and he shouldn’t be racing next week,” Hamlin said of Elliott, claiming that the Hendrick Motorsports driver intentionally wrecked him after a prior incident in the race and deserves to be suspended. “Right rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable. I don’t care.”

NASCAR has confirmed that its sanctioning body will be investigating the situation between the drivers.

Wallace and Aric Almirola were caught on camera in a physical altercation after the two exchanged words.

Additionally, it was a challenging day for seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who started in last place and also finished there, 285 laps behind the winner.

With Blaney’s Coke 600 victory, he now leads NASCAR in average finish position this season and moved into second place in the Cup Series standings with 445 points, sitting just a single point behind Ross Chastain, who finished 22nd at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Byron (442), Kevin Harvick (438) and Truex (433) round out the current top five spots.

Following a three-week series of races in North Carolina, the NASCAR Cup Series will head to the World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis for the Enjoy Illinois 300 on June 4 at 3:30 p.m.

Ryan Blaney, center, celebrates on his car in Victory Lane after winning the Coca-Cola 600 Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

AP PHOTO

Jarrod Belbin and Campbell will face NC State on Friday in the Columbia Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament hosted by South Carolina that also includes Central Connecticut State.

“To be the No. 1 national seed is a tremendous accomplishment for our program.”

Tom Walter, Wake Forest coach

TRENDING

Adrian Griffin: The Raptors assistant coach is finalizing a deal with the Bucks to be Milwaukee’s next head coach, according to reports. The decision comes after the Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer in the wake of their stunning first‑round playoff loss to the Miami Heat. Griffin has spent the last five seasons in Toronto as an assistant coach on Nick Nurse’s staff. The Raptors fired Nurse last month.

Liam Hendriks: The White Sox closer is ready to rejoin the team after recovering from non‑Hodgkin lymphoma. The White Sox posted a video on Twitter welcoming Hendriks back to the team, and the eccentric closer confirmed his return in an Instagram post that read “See you soon Southside,” along with Monday’s date. The 34‑year‑old Hendriks had no record and a 10.80 ERA in six rehab appearances with Triple‑A Charlotte. The Australian right‑hander allowed one run and one hit in one inning in his last game with the Knights on May 16.

Sergio Rico: The Paris Saint‑Germain goalkeeper has been hospitalized with a head injury after being hit by a loose horse in an accident in Spain. Rico’s representatives said in a statement that the accident happened near the southern Spanish city of Seville, where Rico used to play for Sevilla. The statement said “Sergio is in good hands, fighting to recover” and that Rico had just arrived from France and was headed to a mass with his relatives when the accident happened.

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

Harold Varner III, who was raised in Gastonia and played collegiately at East Carolina, two‑putted for birdie on the 18th hole at Trump National for a one‑shot win over Branden Grace and his first LIV Golf victory. Varner, who had never won on the PGA Tour, had two previous wins were the Australian PGA and the Saudi International. He won $4 million for his LIV Golf‑DC victory.

Marcus Ericsson on IndyCar’s decision to have a one‑lap finish to the Indianapolis 500 after a caution, resulting in Josef Newgarden passing him for the win.

Former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell on a podcast admitting he smoked marijuana before playing some games during his career.

PRIME NUMBER

Consecutive wins for the Oklahoma softball team, a new Division I record. The Sooners, who are pursuing their third straight NCAA title, last lost on Feb. 19 at Baylor and enter the Women’s College World Series with a 56‑1 record.

NC State freshman Diana Shnaider reached the second round of the French Open, defeating Rebecca Marino 6‑3, 7‑5 on Monday for her second win in a Grand Slam event. Shnaider, who will next face 14th‑seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia, helped the Wolfpack reach the NCAA Tournament championship match earlier this month.

HORSE RACING

Josef Newgarden won his first Indianapolis 500, passing defending winner Marcus Ericsson in a 2.5‑mile sprint to the finish. The race had been red‑flagged for the third time in the closing laps, setting up a one‑lap race to the end during which Newgarden slingshotted around Ericsson and held him off the rest of the way.

Horse racing’s oversight authority will hold an emergency summit with Churchill Downs, Kentucky’s racing commission and HISA veterinary teams to review information and analysis in the wake of 12 horse fatalities the past month at the home of the Kentucky Derby. Seven horses died from training or racing injuries leading up to the Kentucky Derby, including two on race day.

INDYCAR

MICHAEL CONROY | AP PHOTO

TENNIS

ASANKA BRENDON RATNAYAKE | AP PHOTO

“I don’t think it’s a fair way to end the race.”

ROB BAKER | AP PHOTO

JULIO CORTEZ | AP PHOTO

“When I was playing football, I smoked, bro.”

MATT ROURKE | AP PHOTO

New owners plan to move Down East Wood Ducks out of Kinston

Plans call for the team to be relocated to Spartanburg

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

ON APRIL 8, 1949, Grainger High School beat Tarboro High 5-4 in the first baseball game held at Kinston’s Grainger Stadium.

Several teams have called the historic building home over the past seven-plus decades, and the latest, the Down East Wood Ducks, planned to hold a special ceremony on April 8 of this year, to commemorate the 75th year of Grainger Stadium. It rained. The game ended up getting called off, and the anniversary was instead celebrated a little over two weeks later.

Once again, reality is raining on Kinston’s baseball history, as the Wood Ducks are preparing to depart for Spartanburg, South Carolina, leaving the city without a minor league franchise for the second time in the last dozen years.

The Texas Rangers announced last week that the two North Carolina-based minor league franchises the team owned were both being sold.

The Wood Ducks and the team’s High-A franchise, the Hickory Crawdads, are both being sold to Diamond Baseball Holdings, a subsidiary of Endeavor which now owns more than 20 minor league teams across the country, including the Iowa Cubs, Memphis Redbirds, Oklahoma City Dodgers and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders.

Endeavor, an entertainment conglomerate, created Diamond Baseball Holdings in 2021, and the organization has been aggressive in acquiring properties over the last two years. Hickory and Down East

are the sixth and seventh teams acquired by the organization since March.

“The Texas Rangers are excited to enter into this agreement with Diamond Baseball Holdings,” said Neil Leibman, Texas Rangers president of business operations and chief operating officer. “We thank the staffs of the Crawdads and Wood Ducks for their outstanding efforts during our ownership, and we look forward to continuing our close relationship with both affiliates going forward. Pat Battle, Peter Freund, and the rest of the DBH team will be great partners to the Rangers organization through our ongoing affiliation with both clubs,

and we have great confidence in their stewardship.” A statement from DBH welcomed the two teams, saying, “We are thrilled to welcome the Crawdads and Wood Ducks to the DBH family. Thank you to the Texas Rangers for entrusting us with the continuing success and growth of both of these clubs. We look forward to our partnership with the Rangers organization.”

That partnership will include relocation. While there are currently no plans to move Hickory, reports surfaced almost immediately — later confirmed by all parties — that the Wood Ducks would be moving to Spartanburg.

The city is building a 3,500-seat stadium as part of a $250 million downtown renovation.

That’s more than 600 shy of the capacity of the team’s current home. Kinston also underwent a series of upgrades to the turf, parking, lighting and seating at Grainger Stadium that were estimated to cost around a million dollars when the Wood Ducks returned baseball to the region.

Down East continued Kinston’s long baseball tradition. The city has hosted a minor league team, on and off, as early as 1908. The Kinston Eagles played for much of the 1920s, featuring future Hall of Famer Rick Ferrell. The Great De-

Wake claims first women’s golf title

The Demon Deacons posted a 3-1 win over Southern California

By John Marshalll

The Associated Press

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Wake Forest stumbled in its first trip to Grayhawk Golf Club, finishing 12th in the 2021 NCAA women’s championship. The Demon Deacons slipped even further last season, ending up 16th.

The lessons learned from those disappointments fueled a veteran-led team to a hard-earned national championship.

Lauren Walsh closed out her match against Brianna Navarrosa with a conceded par on the 16th hole and Wake Forest won its first women’s golf championship by beating Southern California 3-1 on Wednesday.

“They’ve worked hard, they have control of their golf ball,” Wake Forest coach Kim Lewellen said.

“The past was the past and now this is the future.”

Wake Forest lost to Duke in the 2019 final and had a school-record five tournament wins this season with a team led by Walsh, fellow senior Rachel Kuehn and sixthyear senior Emilia Migliaccio.

The trip helped the Demon Deacons put USC on the ropes early at Grayhawk with big early leads in two matches.

Kuehn, the two-time ACC player of the year, beat Amari Avery 6 and 4. Migliaccio then closed out Cindy Kou 4 and 2, leaving the stage to Walsh.

The senior from Ireland had a 5-up lead through 12 holes and hit her tee shot to about 20 feet on No. 16 after Navarrosa rallied to 3 down. Navarrosa chipped it close for par and Walsh hit her putt

close just past the hole, sending the Demon Deacons rushing onto the green after Navarrosa conceded.

“We stepped on campus freshman year the first week and they just finished runners-up the year before,” Walsh said. “So, from that first week, the goal was to win a national championship, and to close out my college career doing this, it’s just the stuff of dreams.”

Mimi Rhodes rallied from an early 2-down deficit by winning five of six holes and had a birdie putt on the 17th green with a 2-up lead over Christine Wang when Walsh clinched it.

USC had an emotional Tuesday, beating No. 4 South Carolina in the morning then taking down reigning national champion Stanford and two-time national champion Rose Zhang in the afternoon semifinals.

The Trojans got down early against Wake Forest and couldn’t

make up the ground, finishing second at the NCAA Championships for the sixth time. USC freshman Catherine Park capped of a stellar week beating Carolina Lopez-Chacarra 3 and 1 after finishing as co-runner-up in the individual championship.

“I really think we emptied the tank against Stanford yesterday,” USC coach Justin Silverstein said. “Just the weight Rose carries in the Stanford program and beating them took a lot out of us.”

Navarrosa played in the anchor match Tuesday against Stanford and hit one clutch shot after another to beat Zhang, the top-ranked amateur in the world.

Navarrosa was in trouble from the start against Walsh, losing the opening hole with a bogey. Walsh won three straight holes starting on No. 3 and went 5 up with a birdie on the par-5 seventh.

Navarrosa won consecutive

pression caused the team to fold, but the Eagles returned in 1934, playing every season until 1952. The team then folded, only to return for two seasons in 1956. After a four-season absence, the Eagles once again took the field in 1962, playing every season until 1973. Over those early years, Kinston represented several MLB teams, including the Pirates, Braves, Yankees, Expos and Senators. Notable Eagles included Yankees outfielder Charlie “King Kong” Keller, Atlanta Braves coach Leo Mazzone and Cy Young Award winner Ron Guidry, as well as future NFL quarterback Jay Schroeder.

After another three-year absence, the Eagles returned as a Blue Jays affiliate, briefly renaming the team the Kinston Blue Jays. That affiliation gave the city its second future Hall of Famer as 2023 inductee Fred McGriff played briefly in Kinston.

In 1987, Kinston affiliated with Cleveland and was known as the Kinston Indians for the next 25 years, representing the longest period of stability in Kinston minor league baseball history. Among the players to come through Kinston included Hall of Famer Jim Thome and All-Stars Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Charles Nagy and CC Sabathia.

In 2012, the city found itself on the wrong end of a multiteam shuffle, with Kinston getting sold and moved to Zebulon to replace the Mudcats franchise that was moved to Florida. For the first time since 1976, Grainger went dark to minor league baseball and remained so until Down East returned, as part of another multiteam shuffle, in 2017.

The move is expected to occur as early as 2025, and the Rangers and DBH both confirmed that the current front office staffs of the Crawdads and Wood Ducks would remain intact.

The move brings baseball back to Spartanburg for the first time since 1994, when the franchise — known as the Spartanburg Phillies for more than 30 years — left for Kannapolis, although nearby Greenville has had a team since then.

holes to cut the lead to 3 down through 13 holes, but Walsh saved par on 15 with a nifty chip shot and closed it out with a solid tee shot on No. 16.

“I didn’t quite think it would come down to me,” Walsh said.

Kuehn won three straight holes for a 3-up lead at the turn, won the 11th with a birdie and went to 5 up with a par on No. 13 Kuehn closed out Avery with a birdie on the par4 14th for Wake Forest’s first point. Migliaccio led 2 up after a birdie at No. 11, only to give it back with a double bogey on No. 12. The sixth-year senior pushed it back to 2 up with a birdie on the par-4 14th, pumping her fist as the putt dropped.

Migliaccio followed with another birdie after nearly holing out on 15 and won her match with a par the next hole.

“I thought if we could survive that first six (holes), we’d have a good chance and it proved that we did,” Silverstein said. “We just got behind too early.”

And a veteran Wake Forest team took advantage.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Kinston’s minor league baseball team, the Down East Wood Ducks, will be relocated to Spartanburg, South Carolina, for the 2025 season.

golfer

WSSU’s Donald Evans and the value of spreading yourself thin

The recently inducted N.C. Sports Hall of Famer made a career and life out of not specializing

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

RALEIGH — Young athletes are cautioned from specializing in one sport too soon. The best approach, modern training and medicine now seem agreed upon, is to have kids get exposed to a wide variety of different activities rather than focus on one at a young age.

Heck, Donald Evans knew that 30 years ago.

The former Winston-Salem State football star and member of the 2023 North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame is a testament to the value of spreading yourself thin. Now 59, Evans still hasn’t settled on the one thing he wants to focus on.

The Raleigh native — “I grew up a few blocks from here,” he said at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Raleigh downtown convention center — was the youngest of 18 kids, along with his twin brother, and there were always plenty of things to do.

At Athens Drive High School, he ran track, was a power forward on the basketball team and played both ways on the football team, doing well enough as a running back and linebacker to get his number retired by the school.

He went on to college at WSSU, but legendary coach Bill Hayes still didn’t make him settle on one position. He played halfback, linebacker, tight end and defensive end for the Rams.

Despite not having one full-time position, Evans was inducted into

the WSSU Hall of Fame in 2004 and the CIAA Hall in 2012. He also earned the attention of the NFL, not an easy task to accomplish at the time.

“An NFL scout (Charles Bailey) came by, and he had some influence with the Combine,” Evans recalled of his senior year at Winston-Salem State. “1987 was the first year of the Combine.”

While the league had brought in college players for predraft workouts for the previous five years, 1987 was the year that the NFL Combine

took its first steps toward becoming the weeklong, televised event that it is today. That was the first year it was held in Indianapolis, and it began attracting larger numbers of players and evaluators. Evans was one of those early pioneers, starting at the Combine along with other future NFL stars such as Rod Woodson.

“I went to the Combine, and I was ranked in the top five, athletically, that year,” Evans recalled. “And that’s how I pretty much got known.”

The exposure paid off as Evans was selected in the second round of the 1987 draft, becoming the highest-chosen player in WSSU history.

“Going to a small school like Winston-Salem State University and to get chosen in the second round was exciting,” Evans said. “It was a surprise, really, because it was unheard of for someone from a small school to go so high.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean the Rams, or any of the three NFL teams Evans played for after, were quite sure what to do with him. The

Rams tried him at running back, then let him depart for the Eagles the next season, who put him into five games as a linebacker.

He finally found a home with the Steelers at defensive end in 1990.

“We discussed focusing on one position,” he recalled. The plan worked out. He played the next four seasons with Pittsburgh, starting 62 of a possible 64 games and recording 14.5 sacks. Of course, just because he had one position to his name didn’t mean Evans was put into a box. The Steelers featured some of the most creative defensive coaches in NFL history, using a 3-4 zone blitzing scheme with assistants like Dom Capers, Marvin Lewis and Dick LeBeau, who went on to be some of the biggest names in the coaching profession.

“My versatility was the driving factor in my success,” he said. “You had to be able to play the run, rush the quarterback and also drop into coverage against the pass.”

Then, it was on to a new team and, of course, a new position, as the New York Jets moved him to defensive tackle.

After his retirement in 1995, Evans left the sport behind, heading off in a few new directions. He immersed himself in philanthropic causes. His official biography from the WSSU Rams Foundation lists 11 causes with which he divides his time, including The V Foundation, the American Heart Association and End Slavery Now. He also has helped coordinate several fundraising campaigns for WSSU athletics.

Then there’s his day job — with his twin brother, Evans founded the Nehemiah Builders, a Raleigh-based contractor that specializes in building churches and renovating longtime family homes.

Evans feels like the work keeps him connected to his roots.

“Growing up how I did, I felt compelled to always do better. Be better,” he said. “It’s fulfilling to me to be able to help others and give them the opportunity to become the best they can be.”

Even if that turns out to be an ever-changing menu of things.

At exit interviews, Hurricanes look ahead to next year

Several of Carolina’s players are unrestricted free agents

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — Just two days after the Carolina Hurricanes saw their season end with a sweep at the hands of the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference finals, there was optimism as the team heads into another offseason having fallen short of its goal of winning the Stanley Cup.

“The good thing is I think we’re gonna be a good team for a long time,” Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho said Saturday, “and we just have to keep giving ourselves a chance to get there and, hopefully, one day it’ll happen.”

Aho, who remains one of the key pieces of the Hurricanes’ bright future, is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible to negotiate an extension with Carolina this summer.

“I like to be here, right? So we’ll see,” he said. “I haven’t been thinking about it at all. I’ll probably give you a better answer a little later.”

Aho’s last contract negotiation with the Hurricanes ran into a historic roadblock when Aho’s agent, Gerry Johannson, landed a fiveyear, $42.295 million offer sheet from the Canadiens that Carolina matched without pause.

There won’t be any such avenue to making a new agreement with Aho this time around. Following the 2023-24 season, Aho will be an unrestricted free agent who can negotiate with any team. That makes talks this summer critical: If Carolina and Aho’s camp find there isn’t a compromise to be made between the two sides, the Hurricanes may need to explore an offseason trade or face losing Aho for nothing after next season.

Carolina shouldn’t have any

BASEBALL from page B1

the border. NC State (35-19) received an at-large bid after getting snubbed by the selection committee last season. This will be the first tournament appearance for the Pack since their COVID-interrupted trip to Omaha two years ago. State will open against Campbell, which won the Big South and enter with a 44-13 mark. It is the seventh trip to the tournament for the Camels, who have made the

such problem with Jordan Staal.

The 34-year-old’s 10-year, $60 million contract is over, but the Hurricanes captain made it clear he wants to stay in Raleigh.

“I don’t plan on going anywhere,” Staal said. “I’ve obviously been here long enough and have no reason to leave, but I’m sure we’ll find a way to get a deal done.”

That should also come with some cap relief for Carolina as a Staal extension shouldn’t carry a $6 million cap hit.

last five. The Camels are the No. 2 seed in the region, while the Wolfpack are No. 3. Central Connecticut (36-12), winner of the Northeast Conference tournament, rounds out the regional.

The state of South Carolina will host another matchup of teams from North Carolina. No.

10 national seed Coastal Carolina (39-19) hosts the Conway regional, which also includes Duke and UNC Wilmington. The Blue Devils enter with a 35-21 mark

Most of the Hurricanes’ eligible unrestricted free agents are unlikely to price themselves out of Raleigh. Jesper Fast, whose threeyear deal worth $2 million annually expires, could receive interest after a strong postseason, but he said he wants to return.

“I had three great years, probably the most fun I had in a long time,” Fast said. “Me and my family love it here, having both kids born in Raleigh as well. So it’ll always mean something special.

and are making their 10th trip to the tournament, with half of them coming since 2016. Duke opens play against the Seahawks, who won the Colonial tournament to earn their first bid since 2019. UNCW enters with a 34-21 mark. Duke is the No. 2 seed in the region, while UNCW is No. 3. Rider (35-19), which won the Metro Atlantic, is the fourth team in the region.

The winner of the Conway region will face the Charlottesville

So, of course, the priority is, if they want me here and we can figure it out, that would be the best thing for me.”

Both of Carolina’s veteran goalies also have expiring contracts. With Pyotr Kochetkov expected to take one spot, the Hurricanes can likely only re-sign one — or perhaps look elsewhere.

“Anywhere from a year or more I’m interested in,” Frederik Andersen said of returning to the Hurricanes. “My priority is to be back

region, hosted by No. 7 national seed Virginia (45-12). That region also features East Carolina, which earned the No. 2 seed in the region with a 45-17 record. ECU opens with Oklahoma (31-26).

The Sooners were one of the last four teams in the tournament, earning one of the final at-large bids. ECU earns its fifth straight NCAA bid and seventh in the last eight seasons that ended with a tournament (excluding COVID interrupted 2020). Army West Point (38-16), win-

here, but we’ll see how it goes.”

Antti Raanta echoed Andersen. “We’ll see what happens in the summertime,” he said. “It’s easier said than done.”

Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, acquired from Arizona before the trade deadline, will likely be one of the hottest commodities on the open market, and it’s unlikely he’ll fit into Carolina’s budget given his third-line role with the team.

“It’s the first time I’m a free agent,” he said, “and I feel like I deserve that in a sense that I could choose where I want to go maybe and have some options. But this is definitely on the table. … We enjoyed it here so much and this team is obviously very close to winning a championship.”

One player who will definitely be back is Andrei Svechnikov, who missed the last month of the regular season and all of the playoffs after undergoing surgery on an injured knee.

“There’s nothing to say but hate it,” Svechnikov said of watching the postseason rather than playing in it. “To not be there, you know, it was tough to watch it. It’s fun to watch when we’re winning, but when we’re losing it’s kind of tough to watch it because you want to get out there and help the boys.”

Svechnikov is returning to Russia but plans to Raleigh in early July when he will start skating.

By then, Carolina’s roster for the 2023-24 season should start to take shape — though the Hurricanes have made many of their big moves, like trading for Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty last summer, later in the offseason.

Then the quest starts all over again.

“Just win it all,” Aho said of his personal goals for next season. “I’m really just trying to help this team win the Stanley Cup. … It’s all about winning.”

ner of the Patriot League, is the fourth team in the region.

The final team in the field are the UNC Tar Heels, who are headed to Terre Haute for the regional hosted by No. 14 national seed Indiana State, the Missouri Valley champion. The Heels (35-22) are the No. 3 seed in the region and open with Iowa (42-14). Wright State (39-21), winner of the Horizon League, is the final team in the region.

Action in every region gets started on Friday.

SHAWN KREST | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Former Winston-Salem State and NFL player Donald Evans speaks following his induction into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in April.

KARL B. DEBLAKER | AP PHOTO

Hurricanes center Jordan Staal’s 10-year, $60 million contract is up and the Carolina captain’s contract expects to come to an agreement on a new deal with the team.

$2,663,993,337

Receipts $285,906,146

$285,906,146

$1,118,294,471

$125,000,000 Loan Balance $0

DEBT from page B5 the process and avert a default by next Monday.

The White House briefed Democratic senators Sunday and McCarthy briefed Republicans. But most senators remained quiet on the deal as they waited for the full text and to see if McCarthy can navigate it through the House.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky cut themselves out of the negotiating process early on, saying it should be a negotiation between the White House and McCarthy. McConnell issued a statement supporting the legislation on Sunday but some in his caucus have criticized it. The two leaders will have to navigate any potential objections over the coming week as they seek to win full support to move quickly on the deal.

“With Republicans like these, who needs Democrats?” tweeted Utah Sen. Mike Lee on Saturday, aligning himself with the House Republicans who say the deal is not conservative enough.

Ford electric vehicle owners to get access to Tesla Supercharger network starting next spring

The Associated Press DETROIT — All of Ford Motor Co.’s current and future electric vehicles will have access to about 12,000 Tesla Supercharger stations in the U.S. and Canada starting next spring.

Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the agreement Thursday during a “Twitter Spaces” audio chat.

“We think this is a huge move for our industry and for all electric customers,” Farley said. Musk said he didn’t want Tesla’s network to be a “walled garden” and that he wants to use it to support sustainable transportation.

“It is our intent to do everything possible to support Ford and have Ford be on an equal footing at Tesla Superchargers,” Musk said.

Farley said there will be a cost to Ford owners, perhaps a monthly subscription, but he didn’t give spe-

”We think this is a huge move for our industry and for all electric customers. We love the locations. We love the reliability.”

Ford CEO Jim Farley

cifics. Details of any financial arrangement between Ford and Tesla were not announced.

At first, Ford’s current electric vehicles will need an adapter to hook into the Tesla stations, which have their own connector. But Ford will switch to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard connector with its second-generation EVs starting in 2025, Farley said.

Ford said Tesla’s connector is smaller and lighter than those in

use by other automakers.

Farley said Tesla’s Superchargers have great locations. “We love the locations. We love the reliability,” he said. They will join Ford’s own Blue Oval charging network which has about 10,000 fast-charging stations, he said.

Ford EV owners will be able to access the Tesla chargers seamlessly with Ford’s app, Musk said.

Tesla has about 17,000 Supercharger stations in the U.S. There are about 54,000 public charging stations in the U.S., according to the Department of Energy, but many charge much more slowly than the Tesla stations.

The Ford-Tesla deal is separate from a plan to open part of Tesla’s charging network to all EVs.

The White House announced in February that at least 7,500 chargers from Tesla’s Supercharger and Destination Charger network would be available to non-Tesla

electric vehicles by the end of 2024.

The chat between Musk, who last fall bought Twitter for $44 billion, and Farley came off without the embarrassing technical glitches that plagued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ announcement Wednesday that he was running for president.

With Musk, DeSantis released the news that he would seek the Republican nomination, but the chat was delayed by glitches for nearly a half hour. Musk blamed it on straining of servers because so many were trying to listen in.

The Farley-Musk chat had a much smaller audience, than DeSantis, about 18,000 listeners at the start.

The number on the DeSantis chat topped out at 420,000, far from the millions who have watched televised presidential announcements. After the problems were fixed, the audience remained under 500,000.

After yearslong delay, DEA revokes license of drug distributor over opioid crisis failures

The Associated Press

THE U.S. DRUG Enforcement Administration stripped one of the nation’s largest drug distributors of its license to sell highly addictive painkillers Friday after determining it failed to flag thousands of suspicious orders at the height of the opioid crisis.

The action against Morris & Dickson Co. that threatens to put it out of business came two days after an Associated Press investigation found the DEA allowed the company to keep shipping drugs for nearly four years after a judge recommended the harshest penalty for its “cavalier disregard” of rules aimed at preventing opioid abuse.

The DEA acknowledged the time it took to issue its final decision was “longer than typical for the agency”

but blamed Morris & Dickson in part for holding up the process by seeking delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its lengthy pursuit of a settlement that the agency said it had considered. The order becomes effective in 90 days, allowing more time to negotiate a settlement.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in the 68-page order that Morris & Dickson failed to accept full responsibility for its past actions, which included shipping 12,000 unusually large orders of opioids to pharmacies and hospitals between 2014 and 2018. During this time, the company filed just three suspicious order reports with the DEA.

Milgram specifically cited testimony of then-president Paul Dickson Sr. in 2019 that the company’s compliance program was “dang

and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

In a statement, the company said it has invested millions of dollars over the past few years to revamp its compliance systems and appeared to hold out hope for a settlement.

good” and he didn’t think a “single person has gotten hurt by (their) drugs.”

“Those statements from the president of a family-owned and operated company so strongly miss the point of the requirements of a DEA registrant,” she wrote. “Its acceptance of responsibility did not prove that it or its principals understand the full extent of their wrongdoing ... and the potential harm it caused.”

Shreveport, Louisiana-based Morris & Dickson traces its roots to 1840, when its namesake founder arrived from Wales and placed an ad in a local newspaper selling medicines. It has since become the nation’s fourth-largest wholesale drug distributor, with $4 billion a year in revenue and nearly 600 employees serving pharmacies and hospitals in 29 states.

“Morris & Dickson is grateful to the DEA administrator for delaying the effective date of the order to allow time to settle these old issues,” it said. “We remain confident we can achieve an outcome that safeguards the supply chain for all of our healthcare partners and the communities they serve. ... Business will continue as usual and orders will continue to go out on time.”

Morris & Dickson’s much larger competitors, a trio of pharmaceutical distributors known as the Big Three, have already agreed to pay the federal government more than $1 billion in fines and penalties to settle similar violations. Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen and McKesson also agreed to pay $21 billion over 18 years to resolve claims as part of a nationwide settlement.

But as the ensuing years passed, neither the Biden-nominated Mil-

gram nor her two predecessors took any enforcement action against Morris & Dickson. Past DEA officials told the AP such decisions usually take no more than two years. As the pills kept flowing, Morris & Dickson attempted to stave off punishment, appealing directly to Milgram to order a reopening of the proceedings, arguing it would introduce new evidence showing it had implemented an “ideal” compliance program with the help of a consultant who is now second-in-command at the DEA, Louis Milione. The DEA said that Milione has recused himself from all agency business related to Morris & Dickson.

Milione retired from the DEA in 2017 after a 21-year career that included two years leading the division that controls the sale of highly addictive narcotics. Like dozens of colleagues in the DEA’s powerful-but-little-known Office of Diversion Control, he went to work as a consultant for many of the same companies he regulated, including a $3 million consulting contract with Morris & Dickson in 2018.

Ford’s chief executive eEngineer

Linda

Zhang unveils the Ford F-150

on May 19, 2021, in Dearborn, Mich. All of Ford Motor Co.’s current and future electric vehicles

will

have access to about 12,000

Supercharger stations starting in 2024, according to an announcement Thursday, May 25, 2023, by Ford CEO Jim Farley

Hamlin blames Elliott for crash at Coca-Cola 600

Denny Hamlin (11) crashes on the front stretch during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Monday, May 29, 2023, in Concord, N.C.

COUNTY NEWS

Stanly Chamber of Commerce to host several events this June

The Stanly County Chamber of Commerce has announced that it will be hosting several events this June. On June 2 at 6 p.m., a ribbon-cutting celebration will be held for the Carolina Hemp Company, located at 11624 Red Bridge Blvd. in Locust. Chamber Night with the Uwharrie Wampus Cats will take place on June 8. There will be drawings for “Wampus Cash,” which can be used at the concession stands. Chamber members get in free, but everyone must register with anissa@stanlychamber.org.

At 11 a.m. on June 12, a ribboncutting ceremony for Faith Alive Ministries, which is located at 303 N.C. Hwy 740 in Albemarle, will take place. On June 13 at noon, the Leads and Lunch event will take place at Stanly County Community College. Interested parties can enjoy a nice lunch, opportunities for networking, brainstorming, idea sharing, and gaining feedback from fellow business owners. Pre-registration is required and can be accessed through the SCC Small Business Center website.

Anonymous donors pay over $4K in lunch debts at North Stanly Middle

Last week, several anonymous donors gave over $4,000 to North Stanly Middle School to cover outstanding lunch debts. Because of the unpaid balances, students were threatened with having some of their end-of-theyear school activities canceled, as well as report cards and yearbooks withheld, leading many local parents to complain about how students were being shamed. After multiple parents began circulating posts on social media raising awareness about the problem, several community members volunteered to donate to resolve the issue. Thanks to these anonymous donors, the school’s unpaid lunch balance of $4,500 has been completely paid off, and the issue has been resolved.

Leadership Stanly celebrates its 2023 graduating class

By Jesse Deal North State Journal ALBEMARLE

— The Leadership Stanly Class of 2023, now the 32nd group in program history, recently celebrated its graduation ceremony at the Morgan Ridge Vineyards-Brewhouse on May 23.

With roots dating back to 1989, the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Stanly program is a comprehensive nine-month initiative specifically crafted to empower a group of local citizens from varied backgrounds with the skills to actively participate in the community as leaders.

“We are so proud of this Leadership Stanly Class,” the Chamber of Commerce posted on its social media page. “We had a blast celebrating them last night at Morgan Ridge Vineyards-Brewhouse.

Thank you for the amazing food and great service. We would really like to thank our wonderful Leadership Stanly Steering Committee for all their hard work this

The SCC Foundation has announced the appointment of Adam Elkins, Trent Helms, Cathy Lowder and Frank Sparger to their board of directors.

year. You did an amazing job!” Per the program’s goals, the primary objective is to recognize the economic impact on the county from varying monthly sessions that focus on history, manufacturing, industry, business, health care, human services, environmental resources and other local factors.

“As part of Leadership Stanly, each class plans and executes a class project,” the Chamber added. “Our 2023 graduates built a beautiful outside area for the local Esther House. They also donated some other items to Esther House.”

In recent weeks — as a component of its community service initiative — the group constructed a wooden pergola featuring a double swing set outside of Esther House, a facility that offers aid to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in Stanly, Cabarrus, and Montgomery counties.

Additionally, Leadership Stanly has taken the initiative to supply duffle bags to residents as they transition from Esther House to their next subsequent locations.

The 2023 graduating class includes the following members: Janet McClure (State Employees’ Credit Union), Rodney Myers (Better Badin, Inc.), Malayne Martinez (State Employees’ Credit Union), Christopher Saavedrea (Preformed Line Products), Charlie Lentz (Uwharrie Bank), Shields Howard (Hospice of Stanly & the Uwharrie), Ashlyn Barbee (Stanly Community Christian Ministry) and Emily McCallum (Stanly County Senior Center).

The class also included Abby Elkins (Stanly Community Col-

NC Farmland Preservation Division announces NC Forever Farms Program

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Farmland

Preservation Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) announced its “NC Forever Farms Program” on May 19.

The NC Forever Farms Program recognizes “family farms that have taken the ultimate step in protecting precious working lands that are vital to the future of agriculture in North Carolina.”

Via permanent agricultural conservation easements, NC Forever Farms are protected from

development and conversion threats.

“A special thank you goes to the farmers, foresters, and landowners that have committed to keeping their land as a natural resource that will benefit future North Carolinians,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement. An inaugural NC Friends of Farmland Aware was presented to Dewitt Hardee, per the press release from department. Hardee is a Johnston County native who served as the first Farmland Preservation Director for NC Agriculture from 2006 until his retirement in 2021, per a press statement from the agency.

The NC Friends of Farmland Award will be given annually to “an individual or group that delivers exemplary service in the preservation of working lands in North Carolina and provides extraordinary efforts to foster the growth, development, and sustainability of North Carolina family farms.”

During his time as the Farmland Preservation Director, Hardee coordinated the preservation of nearly 30,000 acres of farmland. Landowners interested in preserving their working farm or forest can visit https://www. ncadfp.org or call 919-707-3071 for more information.

lege), Zeb Bost (What-A-Burger

13), Christian Payne (Stanly Community College), Scott Howard (Town of Norwood), Julie Long (Albemarle Police Department), Pierre Brewton (City of Albemarle Fire Department), Carla Poplin (Nehemiah Project Covenant of Love), Tonya Lowder (Uwharrie Bank), Sandy Carelock (Stanly Adult Care Center), Joshua Rich (Hartsell Funeral Home) Rachel Watkins (Atrium Health Stanly) and Mark Stogner (Preformed Line Products).

Every year, the Leadership Stanly Steering Committee chooses a class of motivated leaders for a series of seminars and retreats where they are exposed to regional opportunities through a series of forums. A program fee of $800 for Chamber members (and $900 for non-Chamber members) covers all costs pertaining to hired speakers, meals, lodging, materials, transportation, orientation and the graduation celebration.

In order to make a nomination or request an application for the next Leadership Stanly class, contact Sandy Selvy-Mullis at 704982-8116 sandy@stanlychamber.org. All candidates must be a resident of or working within the county; the candidate’s participation must be endorsed by their employer or sponsored by a civic or non-profit organization.

“Join the conversation”

Stanly County Journal ISSN: 2575-2278

Neal Robbins Publisher Matt Mercer Editor in Chief Griffin Daughtry Local News Editor Cory Lavalette Sports Editor Frank Hill Senior Opinion Editor Lauren Rose Design Editor Published each Wednesday as part of North State Journal 1550 N.C. Hwy 24/27 W, Albemarle, N.C. 28001

North State Journal

BOSTON — Teens have long been vital to filling out the summertime staffs of restaurants, ice cream stands, amusement parks and camps.

Now, thanks to one of the tightest labor markets in decades, they have even more sway, with an array of jobs to choose from at ever higher wages.

To ease the labor crunch, some states are moving to roll back restrictions to let teens work more hours and, in some cases, more hazardous jobs.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: North State Journal 1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607

We stand corrected:

At Funtown Splashtown USA, an amusement park in southern Maine, teens play a critical role in keeping the attractions open, which isn’t as easy as it used to be.

General Manager Cory Hutchinson anticipates hiring about 350 workers this summer, including many local high schoolers, compared with more than 500 in past summers.

days a week, and will close at 6 p.m., instead of 9 p.m.

In April, nearly 34% of Americans aged 16 to 19 had jobs, according to government data. That compares with 30% four years ago, the last pre-pandemic summer.

More jobs are available for those who want them: There are roughly 1.6 jobs open for every person that is unemployed, according to the Labor Department. In normal times, that ratio is about 1:1.

At RideAway Adventures on Cape Cod, which offers kayak, bike and paddleboard rentals and tours, finding enough teen workers hasn’t been a challenge. Owner Mike Morrison chalks it up to the fact that RideAway is a desirable place to work compared with other options.

“They’re not washing dishes and they get to be outside and active,” Morrison said.

about finding the highest pay available.

“Having a job is just so I can sustain myself, be more independent, not rely on my parents too much,” said Christopher Au, 19, who has been dishing out ice cream at a J.P. Licks in Boston for the past few months.

Jack Gervais, 18, of Cumberland, Maine, lined up an internship shooting photography at an arts venue and will earn roughly the minimum wage of $13.80 an hour while gaining skills that relate to his career goals. But he said many kids he knows are seeking — and commanding — higher paying jobs.

“Nobody I know would work for minimum wage, unless there were major tips involved,” he said.

Other states are considering a variety of proposals to expand teens’ role in the workplace. In Wisconsin, lawmakers are backing a proposal to allow 14-year-olds to serve alcohol in bars and restaurants. In Iowa, the governor signed a bill into law Friday that will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to serve alcohol in restaurants, and to expand the hours minors can work.

“Nobody I know would work for minimum wage, unless there were major tips involved.”

Jack Gervais, 18

businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and tourist sites. But immigration fell sharply during the COVID outbreak as the federal government tightened restrictions. In 2022, nearly 285,000 of the summer visas were issued, down from about 350,000 before the pandemic.

The Federal Reserve in March estimated that the overall drop in immigration has cost the United States nearly one million workers, compared with pre-pandemic trends. Immigration is rebounding to pre-COVID levels, but the effects are still being felt.

Another factor straining the labor market is Baby Boomers reaching retirement age. The Federal Reserve calculates that rising retirements has left the economy with about 2 million fewer workers.

CRIME LOG

♦ WATKINS, JASMINE NICOLE (B /F/30), SIMPLE ASSAULT, 05/29/2023, Stanly County

Sheriff’s Office

♦ CAMPBELL, AMY THREAT (W /F/47), PWIMSD

METHAMPHETAMINE, 05/28/2023, Stanly County

Sheriff’s Office

♦ BEAVIS, MICHAEL STEPHEN (W /M/51), BREAK OR ENTER MOTOR VEHICLE, 05/26/2023, Stanly County

Sheriff’s Office

♦ CROWDER, DEMAUREE

JASUN (B /M/20), PWIMSD

MARIJUANA, 05/26/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ RIDENHOUR, MAKARI

KIREEF-SHAMAUD (B /M/21), PWIMSD MARIJUANA, 05/26/2023, Stanly County

Sheriff’s Office

♦ WILLIAMS, JALIN NISEAN (B /M/18), PWIMSD

MARIJUANA, 05/26/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ BENTON, STEVEN JACOB (W /M/25), LARCENY OF MOTOR VEHICLE (F), 05/25/2023, Stanly County

Sheriff’s Office

♦ PAGE, GERALD WOODSON (W /M/50), BREAKING AND OR ENTERING (F), 05/25/2023, Stanly County

Sheriff’s Office

♦ GILLIS, JAMES EDWARD (W /M/32), CRIME AGAINST NATURE, 05/24/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ JOHNSON, ROBERT MITCHELL (W /M/32), ASSAULT ON FEMALE, 05/24/2023, Stanly County

Sheriff’s Office

♦ BRYANT, JENNIFER LYNN (W /F/31), INT CHILD ABUSESERIOUS BODILY INJURY, 05/23/2023, Stanly County

Sheriff’s Office

♦ INGOLD, MITCHELL GLENN (W /M/43), ASSAULT BY STRANGULATION, 05/23/2023, Stanly County

Sheriff’s Office

♦ SONTOS, RAFEAL OLIVERAS (U /M/24), RESISTING

PUBLIC OFFICER, 05/23/2023, Stanly County

Sheriff’s Office

“We literally do not have enough people to staff the place seven days a week and into the evenings,” he said. This summer, Funtown Splashtown will only be open six

Plus, while he typically starts off new teen hires at $15 an hour, the state’s minimum wage, he will bump up the pay of hard workers by as much as 50 cents per hour toward the end of July to help keep them through the end of summer.

Child welfare advocates worry the measures represent a coordinated push to scale back hard-won protections for minors.

Economists say allowing more legal immigration is a key solution to workforce shortages, noting that it has been central to the country’s ability to grow for years in the face of an aging population.

For many teens, the point of a summer job doesn’t have to be

Many resort towns rely on immigrants with summer visas to staff

Yet despite the significant challenges employers face this summer, labor shortages are much less of a problem than they were in 2021, when the pandemic made many people reluctant to return to consumer-facing jobs. Higher inflation has also incentivized many people to seek work to help their families cover food and rent.

To report an error or a suspected error, please send NSJ an email: corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line. AP PHOTO

Country singer Tyler Hubbard’s growth expands beyond Florida Georgia Line

The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Singer-songwriter Tyler Hubbard was fully prepared to hang up his boots so to speak when his duo partner in Florida Georgia Line, Brian Kelley, said he wanted to go solo.

The pair had been together more than a decade, and whether you were a fan of their bro country sound or not, their music (“Cruise,” “Meant To Be,” “Round Here”) set the tone for a generation of country fans. Hubbard, who had notched more than a dozen hits as a songwriter for FGL and other artists like Jason Aldean, thought he’d focus on just writing for other artists.

“That’s a really big transition in one’s career, 10 years or 12 years, and to say we’re going to pivot right now,” Hubbard said. “I didn’t expect it to come then. And it took me a minute, you know, it really did. But we were also in the middle of a pandemic. And so I didn’t have a choice anyway.”

But the COVID-19 pandemic made him realize that his need to perform and record was as strong

“I’ve really enjoyed being able to strip it back and play these smaller shows and really have little to no production.”

singer

as ever. Now a year after launching his solo career, Hubbard has reintroduced himself to fans with two No. 1 songs and a debut record.

“I’m thankful that (Brian) had the courage to step into this new space and to make that decision that ultimately kind of pushed me to make the same decision and lead me to where I’m at now,” said Hubbard.

Both Kelley and Hubbard have said there’s no bad blood between them and that FGL isn’t breaking up, but rather “taking a break.” Now the two seem set on exploring music that they couldn’t make together. Kelley, the Florida-born

singer, has been exploring his coastal country music, while Hubbard’s self-titled solo debut record released in January gave him an opportunity to reflect on his personal life, being a father and a husband and his faith.

But Hubbard acknowledges that there’s always skepticism when an artist goes solo after unprecedented success in a group or band. The Georgia-born singer took that as a challenge.

“I had quite a few people tell me that it couldn’t be done and that I should definitely continue with FGL,” Hubbard said. “And it sort of lit a spark in me, a fire.”

Hubbard’s two singles, the platinum-certified “5 Foot 9,” about his wife and “Dancin’ in the Country,” which was co-written with Keith Urban, show that fans haven’t forgotten Hubbard, or possibly that he’s changing minds of people who never considered themselves FGL fans.

Producer and songwriter Jordan Schmidt was the first person signed to Hubbard and Kelley’s publishing company Tree Vibez,

and he recalls that they instilled in him a strong work ethic. The duo would bring their writers out on a bus with them as they toured and spend time before or after shows just writing and creating songs.

So Schmidt was a natural fit as a co-producer and co-writer for Hubbard’s solo album.

“Naturally it’s going to be different, he’s calling all the shots,” said Schmidt. “But in the grand scheme, it’s the same mentality and work ethic he had with FGL in terms of ‘I want to write songs that move the needle.’ He’s still putting out songs that do sound unique and different, just like ‘Cruise’ back in the day.”

And he’s putting in his dues just like any newer act. Hubbard opened for Urban on his tour last fall and is hitting the festivals and fairs this summer, a somewhat different vibe from the high-energy, big pyro arena shows of Florida Georgia Line.

“I’ve really enjoyed being able to strip it back and play these smaller shows and really have little to no production,” said Hubbard.

And just as Hubbard’s grown up, so have his fans.

“I hope they can evolve with me, because I feel like it was a season,” said Hubbard. “It was a chapter of my life, probably a chapter of a lot of the fans’ lives, probably a soundtrack to a lot of memories.”

Teen workers are in high demand for summer and commanding better pay

Tyler Hubbard

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Where are Woodward and Bernstein when we need them

THE CONSPIRACY BETWEEN a corrupt set of bureaucracies (including the Justice Department, the IRS, and the intelligence community) and an equally corrupt and enabling elite media is astonishing. The Durham Report is just one more confirmation of the devastating level of dishonesty and manipulation which have characterized the last few years.

The signal had been sent that protecting the left would itself be protected.

Some analysts believe the open corruption can be traced back to Lois Lerner and the IRS scandal, in which she clearly stonewalled conservative organizations from getting tax status. When she was found to be in contempt of Congress, the Obama Justice Department spent two years ignoring the congressional contempt charge and then decided not to prosecute her.

As Congressman Jim Jordan said at the time, US Attorney Ronald Machen was “us[ing] his power as a political weapon to undermine the rule of law.” Jordan went on “Mr. Machen … unilaterally decided to ignore the will of the House of Representatives. He and the Justice Department have given Lois Lerner cover for her failure to account for her actions at the IRS.”

The signal had been sent that protecting the left would itself be protected.

This lesson was reinforced in the cover up about the terrorist attack at Benghazi. The Obama administration was worried that the killing of an American ambassador — despite his consistent appeals to the State Department for more security — would hurt the president’s reelection campaign. So, the administration adopted a strategy of simply lying to the American people.

This began the week of the attack when the administration did everything it could to avoid responsibility for a terrorist killing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. In fact, the Obama White House immediately sent former United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice on five network shows to blame an Americanmade anti-Muslim video for causing the supposed unrest. It was exactly what Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick had warned against in her famous “Blame America First” description of liberals. We now know that the entire story was a falsehood, and no one in Benghazi was motivated by a film they had never seen.

When then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before Congress, she dismissed the whole question of responsibility for the failure to protect Stevens. She even failed to be honest about his murder famously saying: “With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they’d they go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?”

The leftists in the national bureaucracies learned a big lesson from Lerner and Clinton. Whatever you need to do to defeat the right or protect the left is OK. You can get away with it. There is no responsibility for your actions if you are protecting the corrupt system.

This Pride stuff isn’t healthy

I’VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD ethnic, race, gender or sex pride. Even as a kid. For my bar mitzvah, someone gave me a book titled “Great Jews in Sports” or something like it.

Aside from the usual jokes — it was not a long book; the print and the photos were very large — what I remember best was that I had little interest in the book. I loved sports. And I strongly identified as a Jew — I was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home and attended yeshivas until the age of 19. So, my disinterest in the book didn’t emanate from either disinterest in sports or disinterest in Jews. I was keenly interested in both.

But even at the age of 13, the idea of ethnic pride meant little to me.

As far as I could tell, my friends — and, of course, the relative who gave me the book — considered the book quite meaningful. They were proud of Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg, of the great Cleveland Indians third baseman Al Rosen, of the lightweight boxing champ Benny Leonard, and the other Jews who were featured.

I apparently marched to the beat of a quirky drummer. It turned out, however, that my attitude at 13 wasn’t a quirk. Though I didn’t realize it then, it was actually the dawning of a conviction — that maybe group pride wasn’t a great idea.

The next time that view hit me was when I was in college and the slogan “black is beautiful” was becoming popular. This time I did more than not relate to group pride; I objected to it. How could a race be beautiful? Isn’t the idea of a beautiful race itself racist? When I raised these questions in my college and graduate school years, I was given one of two answers: After being put down for so many years, blacks needed to bolster their self-image. And since blacks — especially black women — had suffered greatly because white beauty was the normative standard of physical beauty, “black is beautiful” was a much-needed corrective. These were entirely understandable explanations. But I still recoiled. Perhaps being a Jew born only a few years after the Holocaust rendered race-based pride scary.

It turned out my instinct was right: It is scary. “Black is beautiful” soon morphed into “black power,” a phrase that, often accompanied with a raised clenched fist, was meant to be scary. And then, in an echo of Aryan racism, terms like “race traitor” were thrown around to describe any black who wasn’t into “black power” or “black solidarity.”

Soon, feminist women joined the group solidarity bandwagon with “girl power”; “I am woman, hear me roar”; “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle”; “Any job a man can do, a woman can do better” and other puerile celebrations of “sisterhood,” a term which applied only to women who shared feminist views. Women who didn’t share those views were not just gender-traitors; they weren’t even women. Ms. magazine founder Gloria Steinem famously called conservative Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison a “female impersonator.”

Group pride is a characteristic of all left-wing thought and activism.

That lesson was publicly driven home in late June 2016, when former President Bill Clinton walked uninvited onto the airplane of Attorney General Loretta Lynch at the Phoenix airport. The FBI was investigating the former president’s wife (and Democratic presidential candidate) for a variety of charges including deleting more than 33,000 government emails and having staff destroy computer hard drives with a hammer.

It is hard to imagine anything more inappropriate than a former president visiting an attorney general while his wife (and presidential candidate) was being actively investigated by the FBI.

As then-candidate Donald Trump described in a tweet “Take a look at what happened w/ Bill Clinton. The system is totally rigged. Does anybody really believe that meeting was just a coincidence?”

We now know from the Durham Report — and the reports from Chairman James Comer and the House Oversight Committee — that candidate and then-President Trump has been consistently smeared and defamed by corrupt elements of the Washington bureaucracy on a scale which makes Watergate look trivial.

At the same time, the corrupt system was working overtime to protect Joe Biden and his family. The stunning dual nature of the corruption makes the present moment so dangerous for the future of the rule of law — and the entire constitutional process which has protected American freedom for more than 200 years.

As deeply and persuasively corrupt as the bureaucracy has become, the other great decay since Watergate has been the corruption of the elite media.

The New York Post, Fox News, and a few others have attempted some sense of honest coverage. Smaller conservative publications, podcasts, and social media have called out the big media systems for being active allies of the corrupt bureaucracy. Still, when needed, the elite corporate media have eagerly smeared President Trump and enthusiastically lied to protect the Bidens.

There are no Bob Woodwards or Carl Bernsteins courageously working to uncover the truth and get it published. (Indeed, Woodward has reinvented himself into a chief Trump smear-monger.)

There are no courageous editors like Ben Bradley backing up the reporters. There are no fearless publishers like Katharine Graham willing to risk lawsuits and withstand the anger of the government.

Today, there is only a corrupt media protecting a corrupt establishment. The challenge to the American people to get at the truth is far more difficult than it was when Richard Nixon was under attack.

The establishment rot threatens our survival as a free people, and it is increasingly difficult to uproot. Where are the Woodwards and Bernsteins when we need them most?

The most recent incarnation of group pride is LGBTQ pride. Every company, every professional sports team, every Democratic politician, even the armed forces and American embassies around the world are expected to celebrate Pride Month, Pride Night and year-round LGBTQ Pride.

This is problematic for at least two reasons.

First, what exactly is one proud of? What accomplishment is involved in being gay, lesbian or bisexual? Even trans is allegedly built into one’s nature. Isn’t the entire premise of the LGBTQ movement that one does not choose one’s sexual orientation or sexual identity? Wasn’t anyone who argued that homosexuality is a choice declared a hater and a science denier? So, then, if no choice is involved, no effort on the part of the individual — let alone no moral accomplishment — what is there to be proud of? Maybe I couldn’t identify with Jewish pride over great Jewish athletes, but at least they all actually accomplished something.

The other problematic element has to do with why the LGBTQ movement does everything possible to bludgeon every institution into celebrating Pride Nights, Days, Weeks and Months. The reason is the totalitarian nature of all left-wing movements. Unlike liberal and conservative movements, every leftwing movement is totalitarian. Therefore, it is not enough for people to tolerate or even show respect to LGBTQ individuals. We must all celebrate lesbianism, male homosexuality, the transgendered and queers. No left-wing movement is a movement for tolerance. They are movements that demand celebration.

For the first time in any of our lifetimes, the Left may have met an immovable obstacle. Americans are prepared to tolerate just about everything and everyone. But at least half of us will not celebrate girls who have their breasts removed — or the therapists and physicians who facilitate it. At least half of us will not celebrate men dressed as women, especially those who dance in front of 6-year-olds. And while some medical schools have been cowed into saying “birthing person” rather than “pregnant woman,” at least half of us will hold the cowards who run these medical schools in contempt.

I return to my opening point. I have devoted much of my life to helping my fellow Jews. It started when I was 21 years old, and the Israeli foreign office sent me into the Soviet Union to smuggle in Jewish items and smuggle out names of Jews wanting to leave the Soviet Union. I have brought many disaffected Jews back to Judaism. And I have constantly fought for Israel’s security. I am very happy to be a Jew. But I don’t quite relate to being proud of it — it was not my achievement; it was an accident of birth. That is equally true of your race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity and orientation. You don’t get credit for, shouldn’t be proud of and have no right to demand others celebrate something you had nothing to do with.

Finally, if you’re honest, group pride must be accompanied by group shame. Yes, a disproportionate number of Nobel Prize winners were Jews. But a disproportionate number of Western spies for Stalin were also Jews. If you’re not prepared to be ashamed of your group, don’t take pride in it. That rule applies to blacks, gays, women, Christians and every other group in the world.

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

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

COLUMN | DENNIS PRAGER

Group pride is a characteristic of all left-wing thought and activism.

SIDELINE REPORT

GOLF

Stricker wins 2nd straight senior major

Frisco, Texas

Steve Stricker beat Padraig Harrington on the first hole of a playoff in the Senior PGA Championship on Sunday for his second senior major in as many played this year. Stricker closed with a 3-under 69. Harrington shot 70, with a birdie on the par5 18th that forced a playoff between the last two Ryder Cup captains. Stricker’s victory, which comes after a win at the Regions Tradition, gets him into the PGA Championship next year at Valhalla. He now has six majors among his 14 wins on the PGA Tour Champions.

NBA Report: 76ers hire former Raptors coach Nurse

Philadelphia

The Philadelphia 76ers have hired coach Nick Nurse weeks after he was fired by the Toronto Raptors, according to reports. Nurse led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship after they beat the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The 55-yearold Nurse will replace Doc Rivers, who was fired after he led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference finals. Nurse went 227-163 in his five seasons as coach in Toronto, where his .582 winning percentage ranks as the best of any coach in Raptors history.

AUTO RACING Le Mans allowing hydrogen-powered vehicles

Oyama, Japan

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most famous endurance race, will be open to hydrogen-powered vehicles starting in 2026. Automobile Club de l’Ouest president Pierre Fillon made the announcement on Saturday. Fillon spoke at Japan’s Fuji Speedway, which is holding a 24hour race that will include hydrogen power. The Automobile Club de l’Ouest organizes the race in Le Mans. The vehicles for Le Mans will include both fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines.

WNBA

Fever end record 20game losing streak

Atlanta NaLyssa Smith scored

23 points and grabbed

13 rebounds to help the Indiana Fever end a WNBA record-tying 20-game losing streak with a 9087 win over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday. The Fever had lost 20 in a row dating back to last season to tie the Tulsa Shock for the most consecutive losses alltime. Indiana lost its final 18 games last season before dropping its first two this year. After an Indiana miss, Alyssa Gray took the long rebound quickly downcourt and drove on Kelsey Mitchell. A foul was called but Fever coach Christie Sides challenged it. After a review, officials determined there wasn’t enough contact to warrant a foul.

Newgarden wins his first Indy 500

The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis 500 is the one race Josef Newgarden desperately wanted to win.

It’s basically the only race that matters to his boss.

Coming up empty for 11 consecutive years had become personal for the two-time IndyCar champion.

Newgarden finally broke through Sunday, though, winning the Indy 500 to extend team owner Roger Penske’s record to 19 victories — and the first since he bought Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Newgarden did it with an audacious pass of defending race winner Marcus Ericsson during a frantic, controversial 2.5-mile sprint to the finish.

“We’ve had a tough go here the last three, four years, and we’ve had a lot of questions to answer

every day, after every qualifying weekend. We’ve had to come out and put on a brave face,” Newgarden said. “It’s just not an easy place to succeed at. I don’t necessarily subscribe to the fact that if you don’t win the 500, your career is a failure.

“But I think a lot of people view this race and this championship with that lens,” Newgarden continued. “The 500 stands alone and if you are not able to capture one, the career really is a failure.”

After the race was red-flagged for the third time in the final 16 laps, Newgarden was moved from fourth to second by race control following a review of the running order at the time the yellow flag waved.

He took advantage of his improved position to slingshot around Ericsson on the restart and hold him off from there.

Newgarden brought his Chevrolet-powered car to a stop on the front stretch, jumped out and found a hole in the fence, diving into part of a crowd estimated at more than 300,000 to cele -

“The 500 stands alone and if you are not able to capture one, the career really is a failure.”

brate. Then, Newgarden climbed the fence to mimic longtime Team Penske driver and four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

The 32-year-old from Nashville is the first American to win the Indy 500 since Alexander Rossi in 2016. He led five of the 200 laps and beat Ericsson in the fourth-closest finish in 107 years with a margin of victory of .0974 seconds.

“I’m just so thankful to be here. I started out as a fan in the crowd, and this place is amazing, regardless of where you’re sitting,” Newgarden said after pouring a bottle of whole milk over his head. “Everyone kept asking why I hadn’t

Cardinals release star receiver Hopkins

The Associated Press TEMPE, Ariz. — The DeAndre Hopkins era is over for the Arizona Cardinals, who are on the hook for quite an expensive breakup.

The Cardinals released the three-time All-Pro wide receiver in a salary cap move Friday after they failed to find a trading partner in the offseason.

Arizona made the move three seasons after acquiring Hopkins in a blockbuster trade with Houston and eventually signing him to a $54.5 million contract extension through 2024. The soonto-be 31-year-old Hopkins would have counted close to $31 million against the cap this season. His cap hit in dead money is $22.6 million. The good news for the Cardinals is he’ll be off the books for 2024, when the team figures to be more competitive. Hopkins — still one of the NFL’s elite receivers when healthy — is free to sign with any team. His 11,298 career yards receiving already rank 36th in league his-

tory. Arizona is rebuilding under new head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort and keeping Hopkins’ expensive contract didn’t make much sense, particularly because franchise quarterback Kyler Murray is likely to miss part of the upcoming season while recovering from a knee injury. The Cardinals tried for months

to trade Hopkins, but his expensive contract made that difficult.

Hopkins had 221 catches for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns in 35 games with Arizona. His most famous catch was a last-second heave from Murray in the end zone against the Buffalo Bills in 2020 that became known as “Hail Murray.”

His 2020 season was his best in the desert. He caught a fran-

won this race, and they look at you like you’re a failure if you haven’t won it. I knew I was capable. I knew I could.”

Ericsson finished second in a Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing, and he immediately criticized IndyCar’s decision to hold a one-lap shootout to the checkered flag. The Swede believed the race should have ended under caution, with him the winner, rather than having the green flag fly on the first lap out of the pits.

“I think it wasn’t enough laps to go to do what we did. I don’t think it’s safe to go out of the pits on cold tires for a restart when half the field is sort of still trying to get out on track when we go green,” Ericsson said. “I can’t agree with that.”

Newgarden and Ericsson were followed by Santino Ferrucci, who gave 88-year-old A.J. Foyt his team’s best finish in the iconic race that Super Tex won four times since Kenny Bräck reached victory lane in 1999.

Alex Palou, the pole sitter and race favorite for Chip Ganassi Racing, finished fourth after recovering from a crash on pit road, and Rossi was fifth on what was an otherwise disappointing day for Arrow McLaren.

11,298

Career receiving yards for DeAndre Hopkins, ranking 36th in NFL history

chise-record 115 passes for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns.

For a few months, the Murray-Hopkins combo looked like it would grow into one of the most prolific in the NFL. The Cardinals started the 2021 season with a 10-2 record thanks to their high-powered offense, but Hopkins and Murray both battled injuries in the latter half of the year and the team faded, barely making the playoffs before getting blown out by the Rams in the wild-card round.

Hopkins never got on track in 2022, starting the year with a six-game suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The Cardinals finished with a 4-13 record, leading to the firing of coach Kliff Kingsbury. The team also parted ways with GM Steve Keim.

The Panthers are among the teams considered to be a contender to land Hopkins. Carolina has more than $27 million cap space, and adding Hopkins would give first overall pick Bryce Young a reliable target.

Car owner Roger Penske picked up his 19th victory in the iconic race

The three-time All-Pro would have cost nearly $31 million against the cap this season

Josef Newgarden

AP PHOTO

Josef Newgarden celebrates on the finish line after winning Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

AP PHOTO

The Cardinals released wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and the Panthers are considered to be one of the team interested in signing the three-time All-Pro.

West Stanly softball enters state championship series for 4th straight season

The Colts have been victorious in their past three finals appearances

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

RED CROSS — With a spot locked up in a three-game championship series next week, the West Stanly softball team has a chance to take home the 2A state title for the fourth consecutive season.

A championship next week would be West’s sixth in school history, having previously won in 1997, 2013, 2019, 2021 and 2022.

The fourth-seeded Colts (29-1) will either face the fourth-seeded Midway Raiders (21-5) or sixth-seeded North Johnston Panthers (175), with the first game of the series on June 2. The Raiders and Panthers were set to face off for a Game 3 tiebreaker on Tuesday night after multiple postponements due to weather.

LSU Tigers women celebrate basketball title at White House

President Joe Biden welcomed the Tigers

last Friday

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — All of the past drama and sore feelings associated with Louisiana State’s invitation to the White House were seemingly forgotten or set aside Friday as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed the championship women’s basketball team to the mansion with smiles, hugs and lavish praise all around.

The visit had once appeared in jeopardy after Jill Biden suggested that the losing Iowa team be invited, too. But none of that was mentioned as both Bidens heralded the players for their performance and the way they have helped advance women’s sports.

“Folks, we witnessed history,” the president said. “In this team, we saw hope, we saw pride and we saw purpose. It matters.”

Since the passage of Title IX in 1972, Biden said, more than half of all college students are women,

and there are now 10 times more female athletes in college and high school. He said most sports stories are still about men, and that that needs to change.

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in federally funded education programs and activities.

“Folks, we need to support women sports, not just during the championship run but during the entire year,” President Biden said.

After the Tigers beat Iowa for the NCAA title in April in a game the first lady attended, she caused an uproar by suggesting that the Hawkeyes also come to the White House.

LSU star Angel Reese called the idea “A JOKE” and said she would prefer to visit with former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, instead. The LSU team largely is black, while Iowa’s top player, Caitlin Clark, is white, as are most of her teammates.

Nothing came of Jill Biden’s idea and the White House only invited the Tigers. Reese ultimately said she would not skip the White House visit. She and co-captain Emily Ward present-

ed team jerseys bearing the number “46” to Biden and the first lady. Hugs were exchanged. Jill Biden also lavished praise on the team, saying the players showed “what it means to be a champion.”

“In this room, I see the absolute best of the best,” she said, adding that watching them play was “pure magic.”

“Every basket was pure joy and I kept thinking about how far women’s sports have come,” the first lady added, noting that she grew up before Title IX was passed. “We’ve made so much progress and we still have so much more work to do.”

The president added that “the way in which women’s sports has come along is just incredible. It’s really neat to see, since I’ve got four granddaughters.”

Biden closed sports Friday by changing to a blue tie and welcoming the UConn’s men’s championship team for its own celebration. The Huskies won their fifth national title by defeating San Diego State, 76-59, in April.

“Congratulations to the whole UConn nation,” he said.

ACC backs plan to offer increased payouts to schools for postseason success

The league has fallen behind the SEC and Big Ten in revenue

The Associated Press THE ATLANTIC COAST Conference is moving forward allowing schools to earn more money generated from their own postseason performances, a move coming as the league tries to find ways to close a growing financial gap with two power conference peers.

The ACC announced Wednesday that its board of directors have

244

Strikeouts this season for West Stanly pitcher Lily Huneycutt

Heading into the finals, West’s hot streak throughout the season has shown no signs of slowing down — the Colts have won 29 games in a row and have outscored their six playoff opponents by a margin of 34-7.

Fresh off the Rocky River Conference regular season and tournament championships, West shut out No. 29 Randleman and No. 13 Bandys in the first two rounds of the NCHSAA 2A playoffs before taking down No. 5 Maiden and No. 1 McMichael in the third and fourth rounds.

R ight after handing McMichael its only loss of the year, the Colts faced No. 3 West Wilkes (22-2), which also entered the best-of-three Western Region Series undefeated.

In the first matchup of the series, the Colts used a game-winning triple from center fielder Aliyah Rush to pull off a 2-1 road win in extra innings.

Playing at home in Game 2 of the series, West Stanly trailed 2-1 before dual-threat Lily Huneycutt put the Colts ahead with her bat and kept her team ahead with her pitching, leading the Colts to a 6-2 win.

Huneycutt has compiled a 25-1 record this year in 27 appearances with a 0.69 ERA and a 244-16 strikeout-walk ratio. The senior’s 25 wins land her at the top in the state for overall pitching wins, and she ranks eighth and 12th in strikeouts and ERA, respectively.

Senior shortstop Teagan Ritchie continues to be the Colts’ game-changer at the plate, ranking 12th in the state in home runs (12) and 16th in runs (47) while also batting a team-best .507.

A s the championship series begins next week, second-year coach Emily Smith and her Colts will look to keep their string of magic postseasons — and their current winning streak — intact as they prepare for their seventh, eighth and ninth (if needed) playoff games of the year.

The Atlantic Coast Conference spring meetings included talks over how the league can close the financial gap with the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference.

endorsed a “success incentive initiative,” with details being worked out in the coming months for implementation for the 2024-25 season. The league has long distributed revenue evenly among its membership, including money coming from revenue-generating postseason events like the College Football Playoff and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The timing of the change would coincide with CFP expansion to 12 teams. The rest of the equal revenue-distribution structure — which would cover money tied to an ESPN TV contract running

through 2036 — would remain unchanged.

In a statement, Duke president Vincent E. Price said league leadership is still “committed to exploring all potential opportunities that will result in additional revenues and resources for the conference.

“Today’s decision provides a path to reward athletic success while also distributing additional revenue to the full membership,” said Price, the board’s chairman.

The move comes after a long-running series of discussions by the ACC, from commission-

er Jim Phillips talking openly numerous times about evaluating ways to generate more revenue to recent spring meetings in Florida where the topic was a clear priority among administrators.

That’s because the ACC is falling farther behind the Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences even as the ACC continues to generate its own record revenue hauls.

For example, the league reported a record $578.3 million in total revenue for the 2020-21 season while distributing an average of $36.1 million per school. Yet the SEC reported nearly $833.4 million in revenue and an average distribution of $54.6 million for that same season, while the Big Ten checked in at $679.8 million and an average $47.9 million payout.

The ACC’s revenue increased to nearly $617 million by the 202122 season with an average distri-

bution of nearly $39.5 million per school for full members — Notre Dame receives a partial share as a football independent — in another year of gains. Still, that left ACC schools receiving about $10 million less per year than SEC schools ($49.9 million), according to tax documents. Both leagues are partnered with ESPN in TV deals that include their own channels.

That has fueled speculation about the long-term health of the ACC in a time of realignment, though the grant-of-rights provision in the ESPN deal — signed in 2016 to ultimately launch the ACC Network — offers a significant obstacle to movement. It means the league controls media rights for any school that attempts to leave for the duration of the contract, which would deter defections since a school would not be able to bring TV value to a new league.

AP PHOTO

AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are presented with jerseys by LSU women’s basketball captains Angel Reese, right, and Emily Ward, left, during an event to honor the 2023 NCAA national championship team last Friday at the White House.

A measure of inflation that is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve increased in April

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A key index of U.S. prices ticked higher in April, and consumer spending rebounded, a sign that inflationary pressures in the economy remain high.

The index, which the Federal Reserve closely monitors, showed that prices rose 0.4% from March to April. That was much higher than the 0.1% rise the previous month. Measured year over year, prices increased 4.4% in April, up from 4.2% in March. The yearover-year figure is down sharply from a 7% peak last June but remains far above the Fed’s 2% target.

Friday’s report from the government also showed that despite rising prices, consumers remain buoyant. Their spending jumped 0.8% from March to April, the biggest increase since January. Much of the increase was driven by spending on new cars, which soared 6.2%. Among other items, Americans also bought more computers, gasoline and clothing.

Despite longstanding predictions of a forthcoming recession, Friday’s data underscored the U.S. economy’s surprising resilience. Consumer spending, which drives most of the U.S. economy, has been bolstered by solid job gains and pay increases. The economy, which grew at a sluggish 1.3% annual rate from January through March, is projected to accelerate to a 2% pace in the current AprilJune quarter.

At the same time, the persistence of high inflation is complicating the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions. Chair Jerome Powell has signaled that the Fed will likely forgo a rate hike when it meets in midJune, after 10 straight increases in the past 14 months. But a vocal group among the Fed’s 18-member interest-rate setting committee has pushed for more rate hikes later this year on the grounds that inflation isn’t slowing quickly enough.

“Inflation is too sticky for the Fed to commit to an extended pause,”

said Michael Gapen, U.S. economist at Bank of America Securities.

“Even if the Fed skips June, it will keep July in play” for a rate hike.

Among individual items, grocery prices slipped 0.1% in April, a second straight decline. By contrast, gas and other energy costs jumped 2.4%. Fed officials particularly watch a category of prices called core inflation, which excludes volatile energy and food costs and is considered a better gauge of underlying inflation. Core prices rose 0.4% from March to April, the same as in the previous month, and 4.7% from 12 months earlier. The year-over-year core inflation figure has changed little since it first touched 4.6% in

December.

Some economists foresee inflation easing in the coming months. Omair Sharif, founder of Inflation Insights, noted that a few pricing quirks fueled April’s bigger-than-expected rise in core prices and said he believed they won’t likely persist. Legal services, for example, skyrocketed 3.8% from March to April. That was the sharpest such monthly jump on records dating to 1959.

Though used car prices jumped 4.7% last month, Sharif noted that measures of wholesale used car costs are declining and suggested that they will help slow overall inflation by June.

“This is kind of the storm before

the calm,” he said.

Another sign that the economy remains solid came in a separate report Friday. It showed that a measure of businesses’ investment in durable factory goods jumped 1.4% in April — evidence that companies have continued to spend despite higher inflation and borrowing costs given still-steady consumer demand.

The inflation gauge that was issued Friday, called the personal consumption expenditures price index, is separate from the government’s better-known consumer price index. The government reported earlier this month that the CPI rose 4.9% in April from 12 months earlier.

Texas sues Biden administration over asylum rule, saying phone app encourages illegal immigration

The Associated Press AUSTIN — The state of Texas is suing the Biden administration in an attempt to have a newly-introduced asylum rule thrown out, saying a phone app used by migrants to set up appointments at the border to seek entry into the United States is encouraging illegal immigration.

The lawsuit is the latest legal salvo attacking various aspects of the administration’s plan to manage migration in the aftermath of the end of a key pandemic-era immigration regulation called Title 42. In the lawsuit, Texas argues that the asylum rule encourages the use of a cellphone app — called CBP One — for migrants who don’t have proper documentation to make an appointment to come to a port of entry and seek entry into the United States.

Texas argues the Biden administration is essentially encouraging people to come to the U.S. even though they don’t have legal basis to stay.

“The Biden Administration deliberately conceived of this phone app with the goal of illegally pre-approving more foreign aliens to enter the country and go where they please once they arrive,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Pax-

ton in a news release.

The complaint was filed in the Western District of Texas.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said Texas’ lawsuit would actually create disorder, not alleviate it and that

the app was part of measures that have helped reduce unlawful immigration by more than 70% since Title 42 ended.

“Lawful pathways like making an appointment to appear at a port of entry using the CBP One app allow us to process migrants in a safe, orderly, and humane way and reduce unlawful immigration. This is particularly critical at a time when Congress has failed to reform our broken immigration system,” the department said.

While the lawsuit focuses on the phone app, it seeks to throw out the entire asylum rule, called the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways. The rule went into effect when Title 42 expired May 11. The rule makes it extremely difficult for migrants who travel to the southern border to get asylum if they don’t first seek protection in a country they passed through before reaching the U.S. or if they don’t apply online through the app.

Use of the app is a core part of the administration’s plans to create a more orderly system at the

The two indexes differ in several ways. Rents carry twice the weight in the CPI that they do in the PCE. And the PCE index seeks to account for changes in how people shop when inflation jumps, such as when they shift from pricey national brands in favor of cheaper store brands.

The latest inflation figures arrive as Fed officials are noisily debating their next steps. Several policymakers have said they favor raising rates even higher in the coming months. But most Fed watchers expect the central bank to forgo another hike at its next meeting in mid-June.

Powell said last week that after raising its benchmark rate to a 16-year high of about 5.1%, Fed officials can afford to wait and see how those increases have affected the economy. It can take a year or more for rate hikes to significantly slow the job market and the overall economy.

The Fed’s ultimate goal is to make borrowing costlier for consumers and businesses and thereby reduce spending, growth and inflation. Its rate increases have led to a more than doubling of mortgage rates and elevated the costs of auto loans, credit card borrowing and business loans. They have also heightened the risk of a recession, which most economists predict will begin sometime this year.

Inflation is a big reason why millions of Americans have expressed a gloomy outlook about the economy, even though the unemployment rate is at a half-century low of 3.4% and many workers have received solid pay gains.

Yet a Federal Reserve report this week found that, on average, inflation has outstripped those wage increases and left many people worse off. At the end of last year, just below three-quarters of Americans said they were “doing OK” financially or living comfortably. That marked a drop of 5 percentage points from the previous year and was among the lowest such levels measured since the survey began in 2016.

border where migrants set up appointments ahead of time, but when the app was rolled out in January it was criticized for technological problems and because demand has far outstripped available spaces. Migrants can make appointments for specific ports of entry — five of which are in Texas.

Texas argues that according to federal law, people entering the country illegally — with rare exceptions — should be expelled but that the app doesn’t verify whether the migrants seeking appointments would qualify for exceptions. Therefore, the state argues, the Biden administration’s use of the app essentially encourages people to come to the U.S. even if they don’t qualify. Texas also argues that it has to pay the financial burden of migrants coming to the U.S. through things like health care or education.

The new asylum rule has also been attacked by rights groups who argue the U.S. has an obligation to offer asylum to those in desperate need. They’re suing to have the rule thrown out as well. Texas is also part of another lawsuit accusing the administration of overstepping its authority by allowing as many as 360,000 people a year from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the U.S. under its humanitarian parole authority.

AP PHOTO

Haitian migrants camp out at the Giordano Bruno plaza in Mexico City, May 18, 2023.

AP PHOTO

Francisco Santana buys groceries at the Walmart Supercenter in North Bergen, N.J. on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023.

STATE & NATION

Half of US public approves of Washington’s arms deliveries to Ukraine in 2nd year of Russia’s war

The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — Like the blue and yellow flags that popped up around the U.S. when Russia invaded Ukraine 15 months ago, U.S. popular support for Washington’s backing of Ukraine has faded a little but remains widespread, a survey by the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and NORC shows.

It found that half of the people in the U.S. support the Pentagon’s ongoing supply of weapons to Ukraine for its defense against Russian forces. That level is nearly unchanged in the past year, while about a quarter are opposed to sustaining the military lifeline that has now topped $37 billion.

Big majorities among both Democrats and Republicans believe Russia’s attack on Ukraine was unjustified, according to the poll, taken last month.

And about three out of four people in the U.S. support the United States playing at least some role in the conflict, the survey found.

The findings are in line with what Ukraine’s ambassador says she sees when she makes appearances at think tanks, fancy dinners, embassy parties and other events to rally vital U.S. backing for her country.

“I feel the support is still strong,”

Ambassador Oksana Markarova said, even as tensions with China, domestic politics, mass shootings and other news often top Ukraine’s war in U.S. news coverage these days.

“There are other things happening at the same time,” she said. “But I feel the very strong bipartisan support.”

When it comes to specific kinds of U.S. backing for Ukraine, popular support for U.S. sanctions against Russia has experienced the most significant drop, falling from 71% a year ago to 58% this spring, although that’s still a majority.

The decline in support for the sanctions may reflect people’s concern that the efforts to isolate Russia economically have contributed to inflation, analysts said.

Overall, however, the findings

DeSantis raises $8.2M ahead of early state blitz

The Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sought to push past an embarrassing beginning to his presidential campaign, outlining an aggressive travel schedule as his allies insisted they remain well funded and well positioned for a long Republican primary fight ahead.

While DeSantis supporters privately acknowledged the bungled announcement was an unwelcome distraction, there was a broad sense — even among some Republican critics — that it would likely have limited long-term political consequences, if any at all. For the doubters, the campaign confirmed that it had raised $8.2 million in the 24 hours since entering the race, a massive sum that far exceeded the amount raised by President Joe Biden over the same period.

“Do they wish they could do it over again? Probably,” David Oman, a veteran Republican Iowa operative, said of DeSantis’ glitch-ridden opening. “Will we be talking about it in 10 days?

Probably not.”

DeSantis formally launched his campaign one week ago during an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk. But the audio stream crashed repeatedly, making it difficult for most users

to hear the announcement in real time.

The Republican governor announced plans for a three-state blitz this week featuring at least a dozen stops. He’s scheduled to campaign for two days in Iowa before trips to New Hampshire and South Carolina.

“We are laser-focused on taking Gov. DeSantis’ forward-thinking message for restoring America to every potential voter in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” campaign manager Generra Peck said. “Our campaign is committed to putting in the time to win these early nominating states. No one will work harder than Gov. DeSantis to share his vision with the country — he has only begun to fight.”

DeSantis is casting himself as the only legitimate Republican rival in the GOP’s crowded primary to former President Donald Trump, who holds a big lead in early polls along with a firm grip on a significant portion of the GOP’s passionate base.

Yet Trump is plagued by his own baggage, which includes multiple legal threats and a fixation on his 2020 election loss.

Meanwhile, DeSantis’ team opens the campaign with tens of millions of dollars in the bank, including the $8.2 million raised since his announcement, part of

show that a couple of early concerns U.S. policymakers had about the strong material assistance for Ukraine have yet to be realized: that public support would crater if the war dragged on, and that the heavy assistance to Ukraine would become a partisan wedge issue, splitting Democrats and Republicans.

“There’s no ground-swelling of American Ukraine fatigue here, and that has always been the fear,” said Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corp. research center.

For Cameron Hill, a 27-year-old

Airmen with the 436th Aerial Port Squadron place 155 mm shells on aircraft pallets ultimately bound for Ukraine, April 29, 2022, at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

fighters stood out to Hill. “His last words were something along the lines of ‘Slava Ukraini,’” or Glory to Ukraine, Hill said.

The vast majority of U.S. adults believe that Russia has committed war crimes during the conflict, including 54% who say Russia is the only side that has done so. The International Criminal Court at the Hague in the Netherlands in March issued arrest warrants for Putin over Russia’s mass deportation of Ukrainian children.

Older adults are more likely to view Russia’s invasion as an unjustified attempt to overthrow Ukraine’s government — 79% among people 45 and older, compared with 59% for those 44 and under.

state employee and Republican in Anadarko, Oklahoma, there was much to dislike about Russia’s war and its leader, Vladimir Putin: the statements from Putin that Hill took as misleading propaganda, his heavy-handed rule, and Russian fighters’ attacks on civilians and other abuses.

From the start of the Ukraine war, “there was killing of civilians, raping,” Hill said. “It didn’t seem like a moral-run military in the first place.”

By contrast, video showing the courage of a Ukrainian fighter as he appeared to be executed by Russian

In all, 62% regard Russia as an enemy — or top enemy — of the United States. And 48% are very worried about Russia’s influence around the world. At the same time, 50% say they have a favorable opinion of the Russian people, compared with 17% who have an unfavorable view.

Only 8% of people in the U.S. say they have a favorable view of Putin.

When it comes to the war itself, “it’s unfortunate that it’s going on as long as it is. And I can’t imagine, you know, living there, and that would be my life everyday, with bombs going off,” said Laura Salley, 60, a college mental-health counselor in Easton, Pennsylvania, and a Democrat.

“But if we pull back, I’m pretty sure that Russia would find that as an opportunity to encroach again,” Salley said.

ald Trump Jr. wrote on Truth Social — many Republican officials, donors and early state activists suggested there would be few long-term consequences.

“Look, I like Elon Musk, but apparently he fired one too many IT guys,” New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a 2024 Republican presidential prospect himself and a periodic DeSantis critic, said on ABC’s “The View.” “You can’t blame Ron DeSantis for that.”

Republican strategist Terry Sullivan, who managed Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, suggested that DeSantis is well positioned to overcome an early stumble.

which came from donations secured by bundlers gathered in Miami. In the 24 hours after he launched his campaign, Biden said he raised $6.3 million. An adviser to DeSantis’ allied super PAC said the group began with $33 million in the bank and 30 full-time paid staff already in place across the first four states on the presidential primary calendar, with many more hires already planned for the subsequent 14 states to hold primary contests. No other Republican presidential candidate has such an infrastructure in place, including Trump. His aides declined to say how many staff he has in early states. “The only numbers we’ll talk about are the huge leads President Trump is racking up in the early states,” said spokesman

Steven Cheung. DeSantis faced nagging questions about his rocky rollout during a conservative media tour. But he also projected confidence in a matchup against Trump, claiming in a Newsmax interview, “There’s a limit to the number of voters that would consider the former president at this point.”

“Now we’re going to be launching a blitz. We’re going to be in these early states. We’re really going to be all over the country bringing this message to our voters,” DeSantis said. “They also understand that you need someone (to) serve two terms. You need somebody that’s going to be able to win and win big.”

While Trump’s team piled on with gleeful mocking — “a #DeSaster of epic proportions,” Don-

“Big presidential campaign announcements are only about getting a short-term bounce (in the polls) and raising money online,” Sullivan said. “DeSantis doesn’t need either of those. He just needed to get in the race and start campaigning. Mission accomplished.”

There remained “a high level of interest” in DeSantis, according to New Hampshire Republican Party Chair Chris Ager. He said multiple Republican Party groups are requesting DeSantis to speak at their events.

“I think it was a pretty bold move to try something totally new in an announcement,” Ager said.

And while early polls show Trump with a wide lead over DeSantis among New Hampshire primary voters, Ager said a lot can change over time.

“I fully expect the race will tighten up,” he said. “Gov. DeSantis is definitely a serious and legitimate contender for the top spot.”

AP PHOTO

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a political roundtable, Friday, May 19, 2023, in Bedford, N.H.

AP PHOTO

Randolph record

Remembering

Smoke flies into the the sky remembering the Veterans we lost in the last year as their names burn out in the helmet during the Randolph County Memorial Day remembrance at the Historic Randolph County Courthouse on Worth Street in Asheboro, on May 29, 2023.

Strong opinions expressed over proposed Randolph County ‘harm reduction’ plan

Randolph Community Navigator Program wins National Association of Counties Achievement Award

The Randolph County Public Libraries Community Navigator program received a 2023 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACO) this past week. The award recognizes innovative county government programs and services around the country. The Community Navigator program makes two fulltime social workers available through library branches countywide to address residents’ human services needs that can be resolved by referral to sources of support in the community. The goal is to prevent individuals and families from sliding into deeper levels of dependency or intervention, such as by Social Services or law enforcement. The navigators – social workers Angi Polito and Dana Nance – receive clients who walk into libraries or are referred by library staff or other agencies and organizations and then assess their needs, match them with resources in the community, and provide direct assistance when appropriate. They receive an average of two new clients each working day and collaborate with roughly 120 community agencies, organizations, professionals, and individuals. The program is a partnership among the library, the Randolph Partnership for Children, the Randolph County Department of Social Services, and Randolph County Public Health. It was funded by the Randolph County Board of Commissioners through the county’s Strategic Planning Reserve, a fund set aside to support projects that address goals set out in the county’s 2016 20-year strategic plan.

8 5 2017752016

$1.00

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

ASHEBORO — Strong opinions were expressed during a faithheavy discussion about a proposed “harm reduction” plan during a May 22 meeting of the Randolph County Opioid-Drug Community Collaborative.

The Collaborative was established through funding by the county board of commissioners in 2016. Per Jennifer Layton, assistant health director for Randolph County’s public health department, the Collaborative convened in 2017 with community partners to launch its coalition, and in the timespan between 2017 and 2019, the Collaborative began implementing its initial action plan.

The afternoon meeting was held at the AVS Catering and Banquet Center in Asheboro. The public information officer for Randolph County said the meeting had been posted on county social media platforms on May 18, and Layton said there was no public notice posted because it was a “coalition meeting.” Despite the short timeframe, an estimated crowd of nearly 150 showed up.

The main presentation on harm reduction was given by Jennifer

“I don’t think the needle distribution program is a good idea, and I agree that if there’s a 150 people here, 100 of them came to say this needle thing is a crazy idea.”

Commissioner Kenny Kidd

Layton.

Remarks were also given by a panel consisting of Elizabeth Brewington, Manager of Health Programs for the N.C. Association of County Commissioners; Pastor Allen Murray of the Asheboro-area “Faith in Motion Ministries;” and Robi Cagle, the program coordinator for the Uwharrie Harm Reduction Initiative.

A tense and, at times, emotional question and answer session followed the presentations and remarks by the panel.

Several faith leaders from Randolph County and the Asheboro area expressed strong opposition to part of the harm reduction plan that involved a program that would

supply clean needles to addicts, referred to as a syringe services program or SSP.

The General Assembly authorized SSP’s in 2016 to create needle and hypodermic syringe exchange programs. The intent of the law was an effort to promote “scientifically proven ways of mitigating health risks associated with drug use and other high-risk behaviors.”

Dr. Jonathan Burris, a pastor for the New Center Christian Church, located in Seagrove, cited the low rates of needles returned or collected associated with SSP’s. Burris said he was also a data scientist with his own consulting firm that works in the area of statistics, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and heuristics.

“I like numbers. Numbers do not lie,” said Burris. He went on to cite the North Carolina Safer Syringe annual report from 2021 and 2022, which he said shows that “there are more needles and more naloxone being served to the same people year over year.”

Naloxone is a medication similar to Narcan, which rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.

“How is this not facilitating more drug addiction when only 5% are actually referred to treatment?” Burris asked. “In addition to that,

Principals to shift to new schools

By Bob Sutton Randolph

school year.

Dennis Hamilton is going from his role as principal at Randleman to becoming principal at neighboring Providence Grove. No replacement for the Randleman position has been named.

Corey Culp, an assistant principal at Liberty Elementary and Grays Chapel Elementary School, will be the principal at Liberty Elementary School.

Katie Henderson moves from principal at Coleridge Elementary School to become the principal at Franklinville Elementary School.

All the appointments are effec -

It’s commencement time around Randolph County, with most high schools holding ceremonies next week.

tive July 1. For schools in the Randolph County School System, the last day of classes is June 9, with a two-hour early release.

Gainey honored

RCSS announced that Superintendent Stephen Gainey has been named the Superintendent of the Year for the Piedmont Triad Education Consortium.

Gainey has been superintendent for RCSS since the summer of 2013.

Commencement times

Here’s a list of times for high school graduations in Randolph County. All of the remaining ceremonies are scheduled for June 9.

6 p.m.: Eastern Randolph, Trinity.

7 p.m.: Asheboro, Randleman, Southwestern Randolph, Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve (at Journey Church in Asheboro).

8 p.m.: Providence Grove, Wheatmore.

Note: Randolph Early College graduate was held May 19 at Journey Church in Asheboro. Uwharrie Charter Academy’s commencement was held May 26.

we see that 19.4 million needles have been distributed. Only 6.9 million have been recovered. That means that 65% of that 19.4 million - over 12 million needles – are unaccounted for.”

Burris pressed the point, saying that he had heard Harm Reduction was collecting the needles, but wondered who had collected the needles from a “bucket” in front of a “local Asheboro business down the street” in the last year.

“It was not the folks doing the Harm Reduction,” said Burris. “It was the business owner.”

“I appreciate the sentiments here, but this is not the solution,” said Todd Nance, a pastor from Ramseur. “These people need help, but I don’t think clean needles is the solution.”

Other attendees, including the pastors present, spoke of finding used needles on the playground areas of their churches as well as drug deals going down at night in their church parking lots.

Layton referred to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ “Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan” as a basis for the work of the Collaborative. The state’s plan includes three com-

Record

ASHEBORO – The Randolph County School System made a few principal appointments for the next

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Company departs for Greensboro site

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO – Phase Change Solutions, which bills itself as a global leader in temperature control and energy-efficient solutions and has been based in Asheboro, is establishing a U.S. headquarters in Greensboro, the company announced last week.

Incentives played a role in luring the company to Greensboro for its expansion, according to several reports.

Phase Change Solutions has been listed as an Asheboro company with a Pritchard Street address. Company officials didn’t return messages to provide clarity on any future role in Asheboro.

Triad Business Journal reported that the company will relocate from Asheboro.

Phase Change Solutions hasn’t been a member of the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber

CRIME LOG

♦ Benson, Georgia Rayne (F, 18), Arrested on charge of Misdemeanor Poss Schedule VI CS, Possess Marijuana Paraphernalia, on 5/22, at US-331 & Beckerdite Rd.

♦ Cagle, Wade Franklin (M, 35), Arrested on charge of Possess Drug Paraphernalia, Possess Meth, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, on 5/23, at 625 W Dixie Dr.

♦ Graham, Odell III (M, 63), Arrested on charge of Operate 5 or more Video Game Machine, Gambling, Operate/Possess Slot Machine, Manufacture/Sell Slot Machine, Operate Video Gaming Machine, Slot Machine Agreement, Electronic Sweepstakes, on 5/22, at Randolph Co. Jail.

♦ Jernigan, Clarence Ray Bucky (M, 72), Arrested on charge of Operate

5 or more Video Game Machine, Gambling, Operate/Possess Slot Machine, Manufacture/Sell Slot

HARM REDUCTION from page 1

ponents: prevention, reducing harm, and connecting with care.

One slide described the “core values” of Harm Reduction as overlapping the concepts of “love, compassion, and kindness,” while another billed Harm Reduction as “a social justice movement” to “respect the rights of people who use drugs,” and a “practical set of strategies” to reduce negative impacts of drug abuse.

Another slide cited 2021 statistics that 11 North Carolinians die each day of a drug overdose, and eight of those deaths were opioid-related. An additional statistic on the same slide cited 32,000 North Carolinians had died of a drug overdose between 2000 and 2021.

According to the Randolph County Opioid Resources data dashboard, there have been 257 drug overdoses resulting in 28 fatalities so far in 2023. The heat map associated with the 2023 data shows a concentration in Asheboro and in the High Point/ Archdale area.

The data for past years show a steady increase in both overdoses in the county, with 786 overdoses and 84 fatalities in 2022, 610 overdoses and 82 fatalities in 2021, 576 overdoses and 53 fatalities in 2020, and 664 overdoses resulting in 36 deaths in 2019.

The data dashboard does not indicate if the data is all opioid-related overdoses or if it includes other drugs.

Layton warned about making “dangerous assumptions” about the plan and directed those in attendance to “come ask questions from those doing the work.”

Part of Layton’s presentation included a short video of Reverend Michelle Mathis, the executive director of “Olive Branch Ministries,” a “faithbased harm reduction” organization that serves Allegheny, Ashe, Burke, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, McDowell, and Watauga Counties. In the video, Mathis compares the story of Lazarus in the Bible to that of helping addicts recover, stating near the closing that “this work is messy but also miraculous.”

Rep. Neal Jackson (R-Randolph) was on hand to give an invocation at the start of the meeting, as were several of the county’s commissioners, including Chairman Darrell Frye and Kenny Kidd.

Frye opened the meeting with some brief comments which ref-

The move into Greensboro comes with incentives provided by Guilford County. A public hearing on this topic was held earlier this month.

of Commerce. The announcement from Phase Change Solutions said that a $4 million investment is being made for the new facility at 813 Winston St. in Greensboro. The company says that 51 new jobs will be created. The move into Greensboro comes with incentives provided by Guilford County. A public hearing on this topic was held earlier this month.

The company also requested state and local incentives, and several Greensboro enti-

Machine, Operate Video Gaming Machine, Slot Machine Agreement, Electronic Sweepstakes, on 5/22, at Randolph Co. Jail.

♦ Young, Robert Dale II (M, 62), Arrested on charge of Operate

5 or more Video Game Machine, Gambling, Operate/Possess Slot Machine, Manufacture/Sell Slot Machine, Operate Video Gaming Machine, Slot Machine Agreement, Electronic Sweepstakes, on 5/22, at Randolph Co. Jail.

♦ Miles, Jahod Yasin (M, 37), Arrested on charge of Misdemeanor Larceny, Possession of Stolen Goods, on 5/22, at 5746 Trinity High School Dr.

♦ Pierce, Melody Dawn (F, 21), Arrested on charge of Simple Assault, on 5/22, at 4483 Rockie River St.

♦ Seagraves, Evonna Lucas (F, 63), Arrested on charge of Obtain

erenced the county commissioner’s intent to deal with the opioid crisis per its 2016 Strategic Plan and the $9,825,790 million in settlement money apportioned to Randolph County for funding the county’s opioid response.

In June 2022, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein announced local governments would begin receiving the first payments from a $26 billion national opioid agreement with the nation’s three major drug distributors (Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen) and Johnson & Johnson. The release stated that the fund distribution could be accessed through the Community Opioid Resources Engine for North Carolina (CORE-NC).

Per the NC-CORE dashboard, so far, Randolph County has received $1,209,154 in two payments during 2022; $377,436 in the spring and $831,718 in the summer.

According to Frye, the over $9.8 million breaks down to $1 million in funding a year that will stretch for the next 18 years as a result of two settlements, one with Purdue Pharma and another dealing settlement money obtained from a lawsuit against distributors of opioids like CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

Frye mentioned the settlement funds the county has received come with “directed issues and procedures to be followed.”

According to the opioid settlement website, a Memorandum of Agreement offers local governments two options for spending the money. Option A is a list of 12 approved strategies to choose from. Option B is a “collaborative strategic planning process” that includes an expanded approved list of strategies. “We can’t save a soul or rehabilitate a person who is dead,” Frye told the audience. He went on to say that “County Commissioners have not [yet] made decisions or directed any money. This is part of the conversation today.”

In an interview with North State Journal, Kidd said that while the Collaborative was convened to offer solutions, the commissioners would be the deciding factor in what strategies would ultimately be employed.

“The commissioners will decide what to do and what not to do,” said Kidd. “Ultimately, we will make the decision – the five of us.” He indicated the topic might be brought up at the next meeting of the board of commissioners in June.

ties were on board.

“This expansion into Greensboro marks a significant milestone in our journey towards sustainable innovation,” Phase Change Solutions CEO Govi Rao said in a statement when the announcement was made.

“The vibrant community and thriving business ecosystem in Greensboro provide the perfect foundation for us to further revolutionize energy efficiency and shape the future of advanced materials for thermal management solutions. Together, we will empower industries, homes, and the planet with our cutting-edge BioPCM technology that will make a lasting impact on both our local community and the worldmoving us towards a circular economy.”

The company’s website says it uses “phase change materials that stabilize temperatures across a wide range of applications.”

Property False Pretense, Identity Theft, on 5/22, at 1709 A East Dixie

Dr.

♦ Collins, Theresa Marie Nilsen (F, 33), Arrested on charge of Breaking or Entering, Fail to Return Rental Property, on 5/18, at Randolph Co Courthouse.

♦ Henderson, Kelly Denise (F, 31), Arrested on charge of Resisting Public Officer, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, on 5/18, at 6875 Flint Hill Rd.

♦ Tanzola, Kristian Nicole (F, 34), Arrested on charge of Possess Schedule II CS, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, on 5/18, at Randolph Co Courthouse.

♦ Tate, Ronnie Dale Jr., (M, 34), Arrested on charge of PWISD Cocaine, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, on 5/18, at Hammond Rd & Flint Hill Rd.

“A month ago, they [the Collaborative] came to us with proposals for the $1.2 million dollars, and there are about eight different strategies they are going to address with the rollout of those $1.2 million dollars,” said Kidd. “The commissioners tabled it because we knew this meeting was coming up, and it would be a good time for public discussion.”

When asked about the majority of the meeting’s attendees opposing a needle program, Kidd said he “agreed with that assessment.”

Kidd also provided North State Journal with images of syringes found around the Asheboro area.

“It’s Randolph County… it’s a pretty conservative community,” said Kidd, noting the area is a strong, faith-based community.

“I don’t think the needle distribution program is a good idea, and I agree that if there’s a 150 people here, 100 of them came to say this needle thing is a crazy idea.”

“It is not condoning. It is not enabling,” Murray said during his panel remarks about providing support services, such as clean needles to addicts. “It’s giving them one more chance.” He later added, “They’re [addicts] going to use anyway.”

Murray’s Faith In Motion Ministries is relatively new and was formed as a non-profit in August 2021. Murray told North State Journal his organization is non-denominational.

During his comments, Murray also alluded to the fact he is a recovering addict and told the audience not to let politics become more important than people.

The panel did not include a representative of the “Community Hope Alliance,” which handouts for the meeting indicate is leading the harm reduction workgroup. The contact for Community Hope Alliance is Kelly Link, who may have been in attendance but was not on the panel.

Among the other materials given out was a “Stop the Stigma” flier offering alternative language to terms such as drug abuse, addicts, and junkies, as well as terms like clean and dirty needles. Instead, the flier suggested terms like “substance abuse disorder,” “person with substance abuse disorder,” and “sterile/used syringes.”

The next meeting of the Randolph County Opioid-Drug Community Collaborative is sched-

Randolph

The Randolph Guide is a quick look at what’s going on in Randolph County.

June 2

Music & Market – Ryan Perry Band 5pm – 10pm

Come out to Commerce Square Park in Randleman for live music by the Ryan Perry Band!

ZooKeepers vs. Flamingos

7pm

Come out to McCrary Park for a game between the ZooKeepers and the Florence Flamingos! It’s Youth Impact Night at the park!

June 3

Asheboro Farmers Market

7am – 1pm

Come out to the Asheboro Downtown Farmers Market, located at 134 S. Church Street. This event is free and open to the public!

Adopt and Play

Saturdays

10am – 2pm

Randolph County Animals Services hosts a monthly Adopt & Play Event on the first Saturday of the month! There will be fun activities and plenty of furry friends looking their forever homes. Adoption fees on specific animals have been reduced for this event.

June 4

Sunday Concert –The Sand Band

7pm – 8:30pm

Come out to Bicentennial Park for live music by The Sand Band! This event is free to attend and will have food trucks on site! Bring a lawn chair!

June 5

Randolph Board of Commissioners Meeting 6pm

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will hold their next meeting at the Randolph County Historic Courthouse, located at 145-C Worth Street in Asheboro.

Asheboro Planning Board Meeting 7pm

The Asheboro Planning Board with hold their next meeting at the Asheboro City Hall Council Chamber, located at 146 N. Church Street.

“Join the conversation”

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Where are Woodward and Bernstein when we need them

THE CONSPIRACY BETWEEN a corrupt set of bureaucracies (including the Justice Department, the IRS, and the intelligence community) and an equally corrupt and enabling elite media is astonishing. The Durham Report is just one more confirmation of the devastating level of dishonesty and manipulation which have characterized the last few years.

The signal had been sent that protecting the left would itself be protected.

Some analysts believe the open corruption can be traced back to Lois Lerner and the IRS scandal, in which she clearly stonewalled conservative organizations from getting tax status. When she was found to be in contempt of Congress, the Obama Justice Department spent two years ignoring the congressional contempt charge and then decided not to prosecute her.

As Congressman Jim Jordan said at the time, US Attorney Ronald Machen was “us[ing] his power as a political weapon to undermine the rule of law.” Jordan went on “Mr. Machen … unilaterally decided to ignore the will of the House of Representatives. He and the Justice Department have given Lois Lerner cover for her failure to account for her actions at the IRS.”

The signal had been sent that protecting the left would itself be protected.

This lesson was reinforced in the cover up about the terrorist attack at Benghazi. The Obama administration was worried that the killing of an American ambassador — despite his consistent appeals to the State Department for more security — would hurt the president’s reelection campaign. So, the administration adopted a strategy of simply lying to the American people.

This began the week of the attack when the administration did everything it could to avoid responsibility for a terrorist killing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. In fact, the Obama White House immediately sent former United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice on five network shows to blame an Americanmade anti-Muslim video for causing the supposed unrest. It was exactly what

Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick had warned against in her famous “Blame America First” description of liberals. We now know that the entire story was a falsehood, and no one in Benghazi was motivated by a film they had never seen.

When then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before Congress, she dismissed the whole question of responsibility for the failure to protect Stevens. She even failed to be honest about his murder famously saying: “With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they’d they go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?”

The leftists in the national bureaucracies learned a big lesson from Lerner and Clinton. Whatever you need to do to defeat the right or protect the left is OK. You can get away with it. There is no responsibility for your actions if you are protecting the corrupt system.

This Pride stuff isn’t healthy

I’VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD ethnic, race, gender or sex pride. Even as a kid. For my bar mitzvah, someone gave me a book titled “Great Jews in Sports” or something like it.

Aside from the usual jokes — it was not a long book; the print and the photos were very large — what I remember best was that I had little interest in the book. I loved sports. And I strongly identified as a Jew — I was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home and attended yeshivas until the age of 19. So, my disinterest in the book didn’t emanate from either disinterest in sports or disinterest in Jews. I was keenly interested in both.

But even at the age of 13, the idea of ethnic pride meant little to me.

As far as I could tell, my friends — and, of course, the relative who gave me the book — considered the book quite meaningful. They were proud of Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg, of the great Cleveland Indians third baseman Al Rosen, of the lightweight boxing champ Benny Leonard, and the other Jews who were featured.

I apparently marched to the beat of a quirky drummer. It turned out, however, that my attitude at 13 wasn’t a quirk. Though I didn’t realize it then, it was actually the dawning of a conviction — that maybe group pride wasn’t a great idea.

The next time that view hit me was when I was in college and the slogan “black is beautiful” was becoming popular. This time I did more than not relate to group pride; I objected to it. How could a race be beautiful? Isn’t the idea of a beautiful race itself racist? When I raised these questions in my college and graduate school years, I was given one of two answers: After being put down for so many years, blacks needed to bolster their self-image. And since blacks — especially black women — had suffered greatly because white beauty was the normative standard of physical beauty, “black is beautiful” was a much-needed corrective.

These were entirely understandable explanations. But I still recoiled. Perhaps being a Jew born only a few years after the Holocaust rendered race-based pride scary.

It turned out my instinct was right: It is scary. “Black is beautiful” soon morphed into “black power,” a phrase that, often accompanied with a raised clenched fist, was meant to be scary. And then, in an echo of Aryan racism, terms like “race traitor” were thrown around to describe any black who wasn’t into “black power” or “black solidarity.”

Soon, feminist women joined the group solidarity bandwagon with “girl power”; “I am woman, hear me roar”; “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle”; “Any job a man can do, a woman can do better” and other puerile celebrations of “sisterhood,” a term which applied only to women who shared feminist views. Women who didn’t share those views were not just gender-traitors; they weren’t even women. Ms. magazine founder Gloria Steinem famously called conservative Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison a “female impersonator.”

Group pride is a characteristic of all left-wing thought and activism.

That lesson was publicly driven home in late June 2016, when former President Bill Clinton walked uninvited onto the airplane of Attorney General Loretta Lynch at the Phoenix airport. The FBI was investigating the former president’s wife (and Democratic presidential candidate) for a variety of charges including deleting more than 33,000 government emails and having staff destroy computer hard drives with a hammer.

It is hard to imagine anything more inappropriate than a former president visiting an attorney general while his wife (and presidential candidate) was being actively investigated by the FBI.

As then-candidate Donald Trump described in a tweet “Take a look at what happened w/ Bill Clinton. The system is totally rigged. Does anybody really believe that meeting was just a coincidence?”

We now know from the Durham Report — and the reports from Chairman James Comer and the House Oversight Committee — that candidate and then-President Trump has been consistently smeared and defamed by corrupt elements of the Washington bureaucracy on a scale which makes Watergate look trivial.

At the same time, the corrupt system was working overtime to protect Joe Biden and his family. The stunning dual nature of the corruption makes the present moment so dangerous for the future of the rule of law — and the entire constitutional process which has protected American freedom for more than 200 years.

As deeply and persuasively corrupt as the bureaucracy has become, the other great decay since Watergate has been the corruption of the elite media. The New York Post, Fox News, and a few others have attempted some sense of honest coverage. Smaller conservative publications, podcasts, and social media have called out the big media systems for being active allies of the corrupt bureaucracy. Still, when needed, the elite corporate media have eagerly smeared President Trump and enthusiastically lied to protect the Bidens.

There are no Bob Woodwards or Carl Bernsteins courageously working to uncover the truth and get it published. (Indeed, Woodward has reinvented himself into a chief Trump smear-monger.)

There are no courageous editors like Ben Bradley backing up the reporters. There are no fearless publishers like Katharine Graham willing to risk lawsuits and withstand the anger of the government.

Today, there is only a corrupt media protecting a corrupt establishment. The challenge to the American people to get at the truth is far more difficult than it was when Richard Nixon was under attack.

The establishment rot threatens our survival as a free people, and it is increasingly difficult to uproot. Where are the Woodwards and Bernsteins when we need them most?

The most recent incarnation of group pride is LGBTQ pride. Every company, every professional sports team, every Democratic politician, even the armed forces and American embassies around the world are expected to celebrate Pride Month, Pride Night and year-round LGBTQ Pride.

This is problematic for at least two reasons.

First, what exactly is one proud of? What accomplishment is involved in being gay, lesbian or bisexual? Even trans is allegedly built into one’s nature. Isn’t the entire premise of the LGBTQ movement that one does not choose one’s sexual orientation or sexual identity? Wasn’t anyone who argued that homosexuality is a choice declared a hater and a science denier? So, then, if no choice is involved, no effort on the part of the individual — let alone no moral accomplishment — what is there to be proud of? Maybe I couldn’t identify with Jewish pride over great Jewish athletes, but at least they all actually accomplished something.

The other problematic element has to do with why the LGBTQ movement does everything possible to bludgeon every institution into celebrating Pride Nights, Days, Weeks and Months. The reason is the totalitarian nature of all left-wing movements. Unlike liberal and conservative movements, every leftwing movement is totalitarian. Therefore, it is not enough for people to tolerate or even show respect to LGBTQ individuals. We must all celebrate lesbianism, male homosexuality, the transgendered and queers. No left-wing movement is a movement for tolerance. They are movements that demand celebration.

For the first time in any of our lifetimes, the Left may have met an immovable obstacle. Americans are prepared to tolerate just about everything and everyone. But at least half of us will not celebrate girls who have their breasts removed — or the therapists and physicians who facilitate it. At least half of us will not celebrate men dressed as women, especially those who dance in front of 6-year-olds. And while some medical schools have been cowed into saying “birthing person” rather than “pregnant woman,” at least half of us will hold the cowards who run these medical schools in contempt.

I return to my opening point. I have devoted much of my life to helping my fellow Jews. It started when I was 21 years old, and the Israeli foreign office sent me into the Soviet Union to smuggle in Jewish items and smuggle out names of Jews wanting to leave the Soviet Union. I have brought many disaffected Jews back to Judaism. And I have constantly fought for Israel’s security. I am very happy to be a Jew. But I don’t quite relate to being proud of it — it was not my achievement; it was an accident of birth. That is equally true of your race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity and orientation. You don’t get credit for, shouldn’t be proud of and have no right to demand others celebrate something you had nothing to do with.

Finally, if you’re honest, group pride must be accompanied by group shame. Yes, a disproportionate number of Nobel Prize winners were Jews. But a disproportionate number of Western spies for Stalin were also Jews. If you’re not prepared to be ashamed of your group, don’t take pride in it. That rule applies to blacks, gays, women, Christians and every other group in the world.

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

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

COLUMN | DENNIS PRAGER

Group pride is a characteristic of all left-wing thought and activism.

SIDELINE REPORT

GOLF Stricker wins 2nd straight senior major

Frisco, Texas

Steve Stricker beat Padraig Harrington on the first hole of a playoff in the Senior PGA Championship on Sunday for his second senior major in as many played this year. Stricker closed with a 3-under 69. Harrington shot 70, with a birdie on the par5 18th that forced a playoff between the last two Ryder Cup captains. Stricker’s victory, which comes after a win at the Regions Tradition, gets him into the PGA Championship next year at Valhalla. He now has six majors among his 14 wins on the PGA Tour Champions.

NBA Report: 76ers hire former Raptors coach

Nurse

Philadelphia

The Philadelphia 76ers have hired coach Nick Nurse weeks after he was fired by the Toronto Raptors, according to reports. Nurse led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship after they beat the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The 55-yearold Nurse will replace Doc Rivers, who was fired after he led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference finals. Nurse went 227-163 in his five seasons as coach in Toronto, where his .582 winning percentage ranks as the best of any coach in Raptors history.

AUTO RACING

Le Mans allowing hydrogen-powered vehicles

Oyama, Japan

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most famous endurance race, will be open to hydrogen-powered vehicles starting in 2026. Automobile Club de l’Ouest president Pierre Fillon made the announcement on Saturday. Fillon spoke at Japan’s Fuji Speedway, which is holding a 24hour race that will include hydrogen power. The Automobile Club de l’Ouest organizes the race in Le Mans. The vehicles for Le Mans will include both fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines.

WNBA

Fever end record 20game losing streak

Atlanta NaLyssa Smith scored

23 points and grabbed

13 rebounds to help the Indiana Fever end a WNBA record-tying 20-game losing streak with a 9087 win over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday. The Fever had lost 20 in a row dating back to last season to tie the Tulsa Shock for the most consecutive losses alltime. Indiana lost its final 18 games last season before dropping its first two this year. After an Indiana miss, Alyssa Gray took the long rebound quickly downcourt and drove on Kelsey Mitchell. A foul was called but Fever coach Christie Sides challenged it. After a review, officials determined there wasn’t enough contact to warrant a foul.

Newgarden wins his first Indy 500

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis 500 is the one race Josef Newgarden desperately wanted to win.

It’s basically the only race that matters to his boss.

Coming up empty for 11 consecutive years had become personal for the two-time IndyCar champion.

Newgarden finally broke through Sunday, though, winning the Indy 500 to extend team owner Roger Penske’s record to 19 victories — and the first since he bought Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Newgarden did it with an audacious pass of defending race winner Marcus Ericsson during a frantic, controversial 2.5-mile sprint to the finish.

“We’ve had a tough go here the last three, four years, and we’ve had a lot of questions to answer

every day, after every qualifying weekend. We’ve had to come out and put on a brave face,” Newgarden said. “It’s just not an easy place to succeed at. I don’t necessarily subscribe to the fact that if you don’t win the 500, your career is a failure.

“But I think a lot of people view this race and this championship with that lens,” Newgarden continued. “The 500 stands alone and if you are not able to capture one, the career really is a failure.”

After the race was red-flagged for the third time in the final 16 laps, Newgarden was moved from fourth to second by race control following a review of the running order at the time the yellow flag waved.

He took advantage of his improved position to slingshot around Ericsson on the restart and hold him off from there.

Newgarden brought his Chevrolet-powered car to a stop on the front stretch, jumped out and found a hole in the fence, diving into part of a crowd estimated at more than 300,000 to cele -

“The 500 stands alone and if you are not able to capture one, the career really is a failure.”

Josef Newgarden

brate. Then, Newgarden climbed the fence to mimic longtime Team Penske driver and four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

The 32-year-old from Nashville is the first American to win the Indy 500 since Alexander Rossi in 2016. He led five of the 200 laps and beat Ericsson in the fourth-closest finish in 107 years with a margin of victory of .0974 seconds.

“I’m just so thankful to be here. I started out as a fan in the crowd, and this place is amazing, regardless of where you’re sitting,” Newgarden said after pouring a bottle of whole milk over his head. “Everyone kept asking why I hadn’t

Cardinals release star receiver Hopkins

The three-time All-Pro would have cost nearly $31 million against the cap this season

The Associated Press TEMPE, Ariz. — The DeAndre Hopkins era is over for the Arizona Cardinals, who are on the hook for quite an expensive breakup.

The Cardinals released the three-time All-Pro wide receiver in a salary cap move Friday after they failed to find a trading partner in the offseason.

Arizona made the move three seasons after acquiring Hopkins in a blockbuster trade with Houston and eventually signing him to a $54.5 million contract extension through 2024. The soonto-be 31-year-old Hopkins would have counted close to $31 million against the cap this season. His cap hit in dead money is $22.6 million. The good news for the Cardinals is he’ll be off the books for 2024, when the team figures to be more competitive.

Hopkins — still one of the NFL’s elite receivers when healthy — is free to sign with any team.

His 11,298 career yards receiving already rank 36th in league his-

tory. Arizona is rebuilding under new head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort and keeping Hopkins’ expensive contract didn’t make much sense, particularly because franchise quarterback Kyler Murray is likely to miss part of the upcoming season while recovering from a knee injury.

The Cardinals tried for months

to trade Hopkins, but his expensive contract made that difficult.

Hopkins had 221 catches for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns in 35 games with Arizona. His most famous catch was a last-second heave from Murray in the end zone against the Buffalo Bills in 2020 that became known as “Hail Murray.”

His 2020 season was his best in the desert. He caught a fran-

won this race, and they look at you like you’re a failure if you haven’t won it. I knew I was capable. I knew I could.”

Ericsson finished second in a Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing, and he immediately criticized IndyCar’s decision to hold a one-lap shootout to the checkered flag. The Swede believed the race should have ended under caution, with him the winner, rather than having the green flag fly on the first lap out of the pits.

“I think it wasn’t enough laps to go to do what we did. I don’t think it’s safe to go out of the pits on cold tires for a restart when half the field is sort of still trying to get out on track when we go green,” Ericsson said. “I can’t agree with that.”

Newgarden and Ericsson were followed by Santino Ferrucci, who gave 88-year-old A.J. Foyt his team’s best finish in the iconic race that Super Tex won four times since Kenny Bräck reached victory lane in 1999.

Alex Palou, the pole sitter and race favorite for Chip Ganassi Racing, finished fourth after recovering from a crash on pit road, and Rossi was fifth on what was an otherwise disappointing day for Arrow McLaren.

11,298

Career receiving yards for DeAndre Hopkins, ranking 36th in NFL history

chise-record 115 passes for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns.

For a few months, the Murray-Hopkins combo looked like it would grow into one of the most prolific in the NFL. The Cardinals started the 2021 season with a 10-2 record thanks to their high-powered offense, but Hopkins and Murray both battled injuries in the latter half of the year and the team faded, barely making the playoffs before getting blown out by the Rams in the wild-card round.

Hopkins never got on track in 2022, starting the year with a six-game suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The Cardinals finished with a 4-13 record, leading to the firing of coach Kliff Kingsbury. The team also parted ways with GM Steve Keim.

The Panthers are among the teams considered to be a contender to land Hopkins. Carolina has more than $27 million cap space, and adding Hopkins would give first overall pick Bryce Young a reliable target.

Car owner Roger Penske picked up his 19th victory in the iconic race

AP PHOTO

Josef Newgarden celebrates on the finish line after winning Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

AP PHOTO

The Cardinals released wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and the Panthers are considered to be one of the team interested in signing the three-time All-Pro.

Eagles sweep Eastern Randolph in regional finals

Clutch late-inning work boosts UCA’s baseball team

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

RAMSEUR – It was pretty much a matter of Uwharrie Charter Academy’s baseball team making the best of tough situations last Thursday night. By doing so, the Eagles are heading to where they want to go.

UCA completed a Class 1-A West Regional finals sweep of Eastern Randolph by winning 8-1 in Game 2, scoring all their runs in the last two innings.

“It still hasn’t sunk in,” UCA senior Ben Medinger said of the chance to play for a state title.

The Eagles (20-10) will play in the state championship series against North Moore on Friday and Saturday at Holly Springs.

After a tense series with Eastern Randolph, the Eagles had a few days to relax as the East Region finals didn’t conclude until Monday. UCA and Eastern Randolph are the Piedmont Athletic Conference’s only Class 1-A teams, and they made it through the bracket for this showdown.

“We just kind of ran out of steam,” Eastern Randolph coach Brent Haynes said.

UCA went 4-0 vs. the Wildcats (8-19) this season, but it was far from easy.

Eastern Randolph pitcher Stratton Barwick blanked the second-seeded Eagles across the first five innings. UCA coach Rob Shore said the Eagles had trouble solving Barwick, a left-hander, during a 4-3, 10-inning victory more than a month earlier during the regular season.

Meanwhile, UCA had freshman pitcher Jake Hunter up to the task on the mound, though it was taxing

for several reasons.

“I haven’t gone seven too often,” he said of the complete game.

There were concerns about him making it that far after he absorbed a line drive off Barwick’s bat for what became the last out of the fifth inning. The liner pelted Hunter in the stomach – and he had a sizable reminder imprinted on his midsection afterward.

Hunter keeled over, while second baseman Troy Carver retrieved the ball and recorded the out with a throw to first.

“It hurt in the beginning,” Hunter said.

“I think it scared him more than anything,” Shore said.

At the time, the Eagles trailed 1-0. They went ahead in the top of the sixth.

Grat Dalton’s one-out single brought in the tying run. Walker Wilkins’ sacrifice fly put UCA ahead.

In the bottom of the inning, No. 21 seed Eastern Randolph put a couple of runners on base without a hit with one out. Hunter responded with two strikeouts to thwart the threat.

In UCA’s six-run seventh, all the scoring came with two outs.

“We showed (relentlessness) with every one of those coming with two outs,” Carver said.

Carver’s two-out single began the scoring outburst. Medinger drove in the next two runs with his first triple of the season. The Eagles piled on more runs courtesy of some fielding blunders and Caleb Stickle’s two-run single.

“We put them up when we needed it,” UCA right fielder Carter Brown said of the runs.

That marked the end of Barwick’s pitching.

Hunter ended up with a three-hitter.

“Jake absolutely shoved,” Carver said.

Eagles soar at right time

UCA set for state finals vs. North Moore

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO

– It wasn’t all great for Uwharrie Charter Academy’s baseball team this season.

But the Eagles have good timing.

That’s why they still have games to play entering June.

UCA will compete for a state championship.

“We started out a little slow, and we found a rhythm,” senior left fielder Peyton McCollum said. “We felt like we had the potential.”

The Eagles (20-10) take on North Moore (22-8) in the best-of-3 Class 1-A state championship series beginning Friday at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs. Game 2 and, if necessary, Game 3 will be held Saturday.

“We knew we had it in us to get here,” UCA outfielder Carter Brown said. “It was a matter if we wanted it enough.”

For Rob Shore, who’s in his first season as the team’s head coach after one year as an assistant, he tried to plant the idea that the Eagles could play on the last weekend of the season months ago.

“I told our guys back in November that we could do something like this,” Shore said. “We were getting so much back (from the 2022 team), I knew we had a chance. If you can put that in their heads early, and we just kept preaching it.”

It didn’t look so bright across the first few weeks of the season. The

Throughout the game, the good thing for Hunter was that he had third baseman Landen Zephir making a variety of defensive plays on his behalf. Those were among the reasons that potential Eastern Randolph threats were doused.

“We just could not get that hit,” Haynes said.

The Eagles achieved what they sought in their first road game of the playoffs. It was capped by a typical on-field celebration.

For Brown, a junior, the setting had significance.

“It meant 10 times more to me because this is my home (district),” he said of playing on Eastern Randolph’s field.

Eastern Randolph senior Pierce Leonard was on the flip side. He’s a transfer from UCA. Leonard scored the Wildcats’ only run.

Eastern Randolph doubled its win total during the state playoffs in Haynes’ first season.

“Guys knew they were better than a 4-17 record,” he said. “We just started finishing games. That kind of came back and got us (in this series).”

The Eagles scored nine of their 12 runs in the series in the sixth or seventh innings.

“We were a couple of outs away from being in a state championship,” Haynes said.

UCA also eliminated the Wildcats last year, though that came in a third-round clash.

In Game 1 a week ago Tuesday at UCA, the Eagles broke a tie in the sixth inning for a 4-3 victory with Brett Smith and Logun Wilkins providing the pitching. Brown scored two runs, and Carver rapped a triple.

Eastern Randolph held a 3-1 lead after posting three runs in the second inning, with Alex Kivett’s run-producing double one of the big blows. Samuel Asbill pitched a complete game for the Wildcats.

Peyton McCollum

Eagles entered April with a 4-8 record.

A week later, they lost 15-0 to visiting Central Davidson.

“We were all crushed after that game because we knew we should have never lost that bad,” McCollum said.

It also marked a turning point.

UCA won its next nine games.

The Eagles insist they’re not surprised to be playing at this stage of the season.

“Absolutely not,” second baseman Troy Carver said. “We knew that once playoffs got here, we’d be better.”

Navigating the Piedmont Athletic Conference certainly helped. The Eagles tied for second place in the league, which is comprised mostly of Class 2-A teams.

“They are young, but I’ve told people all year that the conference we’re in has been preparing us to be on the stage that we’re on,” Shore said. “With some of the teams we played in non-conference and playing in those games a step above us, that has completely prepared our young guys.”

So at times, the Eagles were knocked around, but they weren’t knocked out.

“I think our biggest thing is we just don’t back down,” McCollum said.

UCA swept Eastern Randolph in the West Region finals, which ended Thursday night. The East Region finals was extended to Monday because Saturday’s scheduled Game 3 was rained out. North Moore edged host Voy-

ager Academy 5-4 in Durham in the decisive game, sending the Mustangs to their first state finals.

A compelling clash

The matchup with North Moore pits two schools about 25 miles apart. These players have crossed paths on the youth circuit, and both schools had entries in a fall league at Asheboro’s McCrary Park.

UCA won the 2019 state title.

That postseason march included a victory against North Moore in the first round when the teams were in the same conference and, thus, in the same region.

This year, Eastern Randolph defeated North Moore 13-5 in an early April meeting during spring break at Southwestern Randolph, so they have a common opponent.

North Moore is also part of a split conference.

Shore has experience in a championship series when he was on the 2018 coaching staff at Ledford, which reached the Class 2-A state finals.

“I kind of know what to expect,” Shore said.

Many of the underclassmen who UCA depends on might not have such a clear picture.

Sophomore Brett Smith and freshman Jake Hunter figure to be the starting pitchers for UCA, with sophomore Logun Wilkins available for that role as well.

“I feel confident in our pitching,” Shore said.

Along with the youth, there are four seniors, including leading hitter Ben Medinger, on the roster.

“We’re trying to give them one last chance,” said Carver, a junior.

Indeed, the Eagles are still playing.

UCA, baseball

McCollum is a senior outfielder for the Eagles, who’ll play this week in the Class 1-A state finals. He has been a key hitter during the state playoffs.

In Game 1 of the West Regional finals vs. Eastern Randolph, McCollum provided two hits, scored a run and drove in a run. He also had two hits in the thirdround game against North Stokes and the fourthround game against Draughn.

McCollum and first baseman Ben Medinger are the only seniors who’ve regularly been in the starting lineup this season for UCA.

Warriors on verge of soccer repeat

TRINITY — Wheatmore’s girls’ soccer team, which passed a rare test last week, hopes to be playing for another state championship by the end of this week.

The Warriors have produced a record-setting season, but even with that, the work wasn’t done.

Second-seeded Wheatmore (23-0) went into a Class 2-A West Region final on Tuesday night at top-seeded Pine Lake Prep (20-1-2). The winner of that game will advance to the state championship game either Friday or Saturday at UNCG Soccer Stadium in Greensboro.

By defeating No. 14 seed Community School of Davidson 2-1 last Thursday night in the regional semifinal, the Warriors racked up their state-record 48th consecutive victory.

With less than 29 minutes remaining in that game, Wheatmore trailed after Sophia Kritzer scored for the Spartans.

The Warriors tied the score about five minutes later on Ellie Garrison’s goal. Garrison scored the winning goal with less than four minutes remaining.

Community School of Davidson finished with a 13-9-2 record.

Wheatmore is bidding for its second consecutive undefeated season. The Warriors were 25-0 last year in winning the Class 2-A state championship.

Earlier last week, Wheatmore topped seventh-seeded Wilkes Central 6-1 in a third-round game. Garrison scored three goals, Summer Bowman scored two and Natalie Bowman had one goal. Wilkes Central fell to 15-6.

The Wheatmore soccer team hopes to be playing in the state final at the end of the week.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL Wheatmore’s Ellie Garrison controls the ball as Wilkes Central’s Lydia Mayes falls during last week’s girls’ soccer game in the state playoffs.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL Uwharrie Charter Academy outfielder Peyton McCollum makes a catch in the outfield during the Class 1-A regional finals last week against Eastern Randolph.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Randolph Record

Troy Carver of Uwharrie Charter Academy came through with production at the plate during the Class 1-A West Region finals.

Seniors honored by Randolph Sports Council

Senior athletes from area schools were honored by the Randolph Sports Council during banquets at Snyder Farms Restaurant during the school year.

Three times during the year, two seniors from seven schools were recipients of sportsmanship awards, which were accompanied by $500 scholarships. Recipients were selected by each school’s scholarship committee.

Guest speakers during this school year were Matt Ridge, Davidson-Davie Community College athletics director and men’s basketball coach, in the fall; Rusty LaRue, chief operations officer of Dairi-O Restaurants and former football and basketball standout at Wake Forest (before an NBA career), in the winter; and Heather Macy, assistant athletics director and women’s basketball coach at Greensboro College, in the spring.

Honored in the fall were, front row: Kaylen Nance (Asheboro), Allie Frazier (Providence Grove), Hallie Sawyer (Randleman), Madison Blankenship (Southwestern Randolph) and Torrie Davis (Trinity). Back row: D.J. Headen (Asheboro), Holley Lowe (Eastern Randolph), Joshua Ward (Providence Grove), Caleb Dunn (Randleman), Eli Gravely (Southwestern Randolph), Bo Gibson (Trinity) and Cooper Black (Wheatmore).

Not pictured: Angel Hernandez Herrera (Eastern Randolph), Allison Hill (Wheatmore).

Honored in the spring were, front row, left to right: Sarah

Hildreth (Asheboro), Mackenzie Gee (Eastern Randolph), Emma Mazzarone (Providence Grove), Madison Ray (Southwestern Randolph), Autumn Gentry (Trinity), Kennedy Strickland (Wheatmore). Back row: Hakemme Butler (Asheboro), Kahlin Graham (Eastern Randolph), Zander Cheek (Providence Grove), Landon McGee (Randleman), Caleb McNeill (Southwestern Randolph), Cooper Pollock (Trinity) and Randy Spencer (Wheatmore). Not pictured: Elizabeth York (Randleman).

Honored in the winter were, front row, left to right: Addison Trogdon (Asheboro), Brecken Snotherly (Eastern Randolph), Anna Money (Providence Grove), Chloe Dixon (Randleman), Carleigh Whitson (Southwestern Randolph), Madison Burgiss (Trinity), and Peyton Wilson (Wheatmore). Back row: Calvin Smith (Asheboro), Riley Edwards (Randleman), Kearns Trotter (Southwestern Randolph), Jacob Little (Trinity), Chase Whitaker (Providence Grove), and Jude Leonard (Wheatmore).

Not pictured: DJ Thomas (Eastern Randolph).

Jared Alexander Steed

January 25, 1987 — May 25, 2023

Jared Alexander Steed, age 36, of Asheboro went to his eternal home on Thursday, May 25, 2023.

Jared was born in Durham, NC on January 25, 1987. He loved his time serving his country in the U.S. Navy during the Iraq War.

Jared was employed with Pemco Manufacturing in Asheboro. Jared was a devoted father to his son Jace with whom he enjoyed building model cars. He enjoyed working on his car and playing golf and was an avid UNC fan. Jared was preceded in death by his grandparents, James and Rita Steed and Jack and Evelyn Brown.

He is survived by his son, Jace Anthony Steed; mother, Jackie Brown Steed of Asheboro; father, James "Jim" Steed (Pam) of Randleman; sister, Paige Steed Elliott (Brad) of Asheboro; 3 nieces; uncle, Randall Brown of Randleman; and aunt, Kathryn Simpson (Gene) of Randleman.

Jennie Lee Metzger Nolette

May 29, 1932 — May 24, 2023

Jennie Lee Metzger Nolette, age 90, of Asheboro passed away on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at Clapp's Convalescent Nursing Home.

Jennie Nolette was born in Mattoon, IL on May 29, 1932 to George and Rachel Woods Metzger. She was a loyal servant to God first and foremost, and she led Bible study groups, taught Sunday School, and sang in the choir. Jennie loved playing the piano and was very musically inclined. She loved to read, and she wrote children’s books and poetry. In addition to her parents, Jennie was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Roger Joseph Nolette, brothers, Kenneth, Clifford, Clarence, and James Metzger, and sisters, Hope and Delia Metzger. She is survived by her daughters, Becky Aksdal (Harald) and Sue Benware (Tim); sons, Joseph Nolette (Lisa) and Rob Nolette (Kay); grandchildren, Lauralee Best (Eric), Maggie Marriott (James), Brandon Benware (Alecia), Katrina Walls (Kris), Tim Benware (Jess), Matthew Benware, Alex Nolette (Shannon), Jon Nolette (Kimberly), and Andrew Nolette; great grandchildren, Grace Anne Best, Gavin Best, Amelia Marriott, Aksel Marriott, Asher Benware, Hazel Benware, Evelyn Walls, Kevin Benware, Shayne Benware, Calvin Benware, Apollos Nolette, and Eve Nolette.

Sara Bess Ward Willard

April 16, 1938 — May 23, 2023

Sara Bess Ward Willard, age 85, of Asheboro went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at Randolph Hospital.

Mrs. Willard was born on April 16, 1938 in Sylva, NC to James Milas and Elizabeth Bishop Ward. She loved the Lord and was a member of First Baptist Church in Asheboro. In addition to her parents, Sara Bess was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Billy H. Willard, brothers, Dan Ward and James Ward, and sisters, Hattie Jean Ashe and Edwina Willard. Sara Bess loved painting, shopping, going to the beach, and especially the mountains, with her family. She loved spending time with her church family and formerly taught preschoolers in Sunday school at both First Baptist Church of Asheboro and First Baptist Church of Randleman. Sara Bess loved her grandchildren. She was cherished and deeply loved by all her family. She is survived by children, Debbie Kennedy of Archdale, NC, Sandy Routh (Tim) of Villa Rica, GA, Brian Willard (Jennifer) of Julian, NC, Angie Hunter (Dave) of Denver, NC, and Ryan Willard of Charlotte, NC; grandchildren, Beau Routh, Nicole Routh, Taylor Kennedy, Christian Kennedy, Justin Willard, Kaleb Willard, Tommie Hunter, and Lissie Hunter; and many beloved nieces and nephews and not to forget her most adored granddog, Ginger Petunia Nene Willard.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the many health care professionals of the Progressive Care Unit and Dr. Kumar at Randolph Hospital. The level of care, compassion, and professionalism was excellent. The family would also like to express a special thanks to the staffs of Clapp's Convalescent Nursing Home, TerraBella, and Brookdale Senior Living for the care and compassion given to Sara Bess.

Michael Avery-Lee Cockerham

August 3, 1980 ~ May 16, 2023

Michael Avery-Lee Cockerham, age 42 of Asheboro, passed away Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at Randolph Hospital in Asheboro.

A native of Randolph County, Michael was born on August 3, 1980 to Nancy Cardwell Cockerham and the late William A. Cockerham, Jr. Michael was formerly employed as a park ranger with the NC Zoo, was a great cook and enjoyed listening to Elvis Presley. He loved his daughter, whom he affectionately referred to as “Bella Boo” and especially enjoyed spending time with her. Michael was a loving father, son, brother and uncle. He leaves behind to cherish his memory, his mother Nancy Cockerham; daughter Bella Gilmour; sister Diana Zuniga and her husband Luis; nieces and nephews, Anne Breland, Logan Breland, Dominic Zuniga, Leon Zuniga, Lugos Zuniga and Lucy Zuniga.

Teresa Dawn Flowers

July 22, 1961 - May 25, 2023

Teresa Dawn Flowers, 61, of Asheboro, died Thursday, May 25, 2023, at her home.

Born in Randolph County, NC on July 22, 1961, Teresa was the daughter of the late Vander James "Pete" Flowers, Sr. and Alma Agnes Miller Flowers. Surviving are her fiancé, Jimmy Wilkerson of the home; and brother, Vander Flowers, Jr. of Asheboro.

Doug Lee Greene

January 5, 1960 ~ May 24, 2023

Doug Lee Greene, age 63 of Asheboro, passed away Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at the Randolph Hospice House. A native of Randolph County, Doug was born January 5, 1960 to the late Mack and Carrie Chriscoe Greene. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Joan. He was a graduate of Southwest Randolph High School (class of 1978) and was employed as a CNC machinist for over 20 years.

In his spare time, Doug enjoyed riding Harleys, reading a good book and loved being in nature. He was a history buff, very patriotic and had a passion for music. He leaves behind to cherish his memory, twin daughters Hillary (Rob) and Erin (Dustin), son Ethan (Lindsay), grandchildren, Ethan Hill, Branson Culler, Adalynn Hill, Harper Hayes, Hadlee Hayes, and sisters Sharon Greene, Kathy Brown (Wayne) and Benita Macon (Mike).

Dennis Herbert Redding

July 31, 1928 — May 23, 2023

Dennis Herbert Redding, age 94, of Asheboro passed away on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at Randolph Hospital.

Mr. Redding was born in Randleman on July 31, 1928 to Dallas and Rachel Dennis Redding. Dennis served his country in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He was retired from Randolph County Child Protective Services as a Social Worker and was a member of Flag Springs United Methodist Church. In addition to his parents, Dennis was preceded in death by his wife of 36 years, Frances Luck Redding, sisters, Maxine R. Brookshire, Vera R. Cox, and Sandra R. Parris, and brothers, Eugene Redding, Keith Redding, Earl Redding, Dallas Redding, Jr. and Tommy Redding. He is survived by his daughter, Dianne Lucas Sturdivant (Ricky) of Siler City; son, Terry Lucas of Asheboro; grandchildren, Ryan Sturdivant (Allison) of Charlotte, Whitney Sturdivant of Asheboro, and Kendall Wade of Colorado Springs, CO; great-grandchildren, Ethan, Noah, Asher, Jackson, and Evelyn; sisters, Nella R. Lilly (Cletus) of Randleman and Rose R. Parsons of Kannapolis; brother, J.B. Redding (Sandra) of Greensboro; and many loving nieces and nephews.

Alfred E Goley Hussey

October 2, 1934 ~ May 19, 2023

On Friday, May 19th, 2023

Alfred E. Hussey, 88, peacefully entered his eternal home surrounded by his family. Alfred was born on October 2,1934 to Mary Colrena Sexton and Goley E. Hussey at Trochlers Hospital in Burlington, NC.

Alfred was raised in Jamestown, NC and graduated from Jamestown High School on May 29,1953. He served in the US Army as a part of the military police from December 1953 to November 1956. Alfred returned to Guilford County where he met the love of his, Nancy Marie Boggan. The two were married on November 18, 1960. They went on to have four children. Mr. Hussey had a successful career as a pipefitter and he finished his career with Starr Electric as head maintenance at the Goodyear plant in Asheboro. He enjoyed weekends by the lake, fishing, gardening, and he loved to spend his days watching Nascar and Westerns in his favorite recliner.

Mr. Hussey was preceded by death by his mother, Mary Colena Sexton, his father, Goley E. Hussey and his son, Jimmy Hussey. Mr. Hussey was a wonderful husband that leaves behind a loving wife of 62 years, Nancy Marie Bogan Hussey, his daughters, Janie (Philip) and Jackie Routh, his son, Jason Hussey; his grandchildren Mark Woodard, Tina Britt (Jason), Ashley Davis (Chad), Justin Woodard (Lindsey), and Davis Hussey. Alfred was fortunate to be blessed with ten great grandchildren and a large extended family that he loved very much.

Gina Rashelle Coble

August 12, 1960 ~ May 22, 2023

Gina Rashelle Coble, 62, passed away Saturday, May 20, 2023 at Woodland Hills. Born August 12, 1960 in Randolph County, she was the daughter of the late Phillip Coble and Gladys Vickory Coble.

Gina graduated from Randleman High School. She loved horses and even asked for her remains to be spread on a horse farm. She had a green thumb and could grow anything easily.

Gina is survived by her sister, Sherry Jobe and her husband Robin; brother, Victor Coble and his wife Sharon; niece and nephews, Justin, Jasmine, Joshua, Koren, Ashlen & Cameron; as well as special cousin, Terri Coleman. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Janay Bly.

Alfred was filled with a wealth of knowledge but some of his best advice to loved ones was “To all you young people, get all the education you can get and vote in every election because politics is going to affect everyone especially you as you get older.” He also often reminded loved ones to, “Get all the gusto you can!”.

The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — Like the blue and yellow flags that popped up around the U.S. when Russia invaded Ukraine 15 months ago, U.S. popular support for Washington’s backing of Ukraine has faded a little but remains widespread, a survey by the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and NORC shows.

It found that half of the people in the U.S. support the Pentagon’s ongoing supply of weapons to Ukraine for its defense against Russian forces. That level is nearly unchanged in the past year, while about a quarter are opposed to sustaining the military lifeline that has now topped $37 billion.

Big majorities among both Democrats and Republicans believe Russia’s attack on Ukraine was unjustified, according to the poll, taken last month.

And about three out of four people in the U.S. support the United States playing at least some role in the conflict, the survey found.

The findings are in line with what Ukraine’s ambassador says she sees when she makes appearances at think tanks, fancy dinners, embassy parties and other events to rally vital U.S. backing for her country.

“I feel the support is still strong,”

STATE & NATION

arms

of Russia’s war

Ukraine have yet to be realized: that public support would crater if the war dragged on, and that the heavy assistance to Ukraine would become a partisan wedge issue, splitting Democrats and Republicans.

“There’s no ground-swelling of American Ukraine fatigue here, and that has always been the fear,” said Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corp. research center. For Cameron Hill, a 27-year-old state employee and Republican in Anadarko, Oklahoma, there was much to dislike about Russia’s war and its leader, Vladimir Putin: the statements from Putin that Hill took as misleading propaganda, his heavy-handed rule, and Russian fighters’ attacks on civilians and other abuses.

flict, including 54% who say Russia is the only side that has done so. The International Criminal Court at the Hague in the Netherlands in March issued arrest warrants for Putin over Russia’s mass deportation of Ukrainian children.

Older adults are more likely to view Russia’s invasion as an unjustified attempt to overthrow Ukraine’s government — 79% among people 45 and older, compared with 59% for those 44 and under.

In all, 62% regard Russia as an enemy — or top enemy — of the United States. And 48% are very worried about Russia’s influence around the world. At the same time, 50% say they have a favorable opinion of the Russian people, compared with 17% who have an unfavorable view.

Ambassador Oksana Markarova said, even as tensions with China, domestic politics, mass shootings and other news often top Ukraine’s war in U.S. news coverage these days.

“There are other things happening at the same time,” she said. “But I feel the very strong bipartisan support.”

When it comes to specific kinds of U.S. backing for Ukraine, popular support for U.S. sanctions

DeSantis raises $8.2M ahead of early state blitz

The Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. — Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis sought to push past an embarrassing beginning to his presidential campaign, outlining an aggressive travel schedule as his allies insisted they remain well funded and well positioned for a long Republican primary fight ahead.

While DeSantis supporters privately acknowledged the bungled announcement was an unwelcome distraction, there was a broad sense — even among some Republican critics — that it would likely have limited long-term political consequences, if any at all. For the doubters, the campaign confirmed that it had raised $8.2 million in the 24 hours since entering the race, a massive sum that far exceeded the amount raised by President Joe Biden over the same period.

“Do they wish they could do it over again? Probably,” David Oman, a veteran Republican Iowa opera-

tive, said of DeSantis’ glitch-ridden opening. “Will we be talking about it in 10 days? Probably not.”

DeSantis formally launched his campaign one week ago during an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk. But the audio stream crashed repeatedly, making it difficult for most users to hear the announcement in real time.

The Republican governor announced plans for a three-state blitz this week featuring at least a dozen stops. He’s scheduled to campaign for two days in Iowa before trips to New Hampshire and South Carolina.

“We are laser-focused on taking Gov. DeSantis’ forward-thinking message for restoring America to every potential voter in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” campaign manager Generra Peck said. “Our campaign is committed to putting in the time to win these early nominating states. No one will work harder than Gov. DeSantis to share his vision with the coun-

against Russia has experienced the most significant drop, falling from 71% a year ago to 58% this spring, although that’s still a majority.

The decline in support for the sanctions may reflect people’s concern that the efforts to isolate Russia economically have contributed to inflation, analysts said.

Overall, however, the findings show that a couple of early concerns U.S. policymakers had about the strong material assistance for

try — he has only begun to fight.”

DeSantis is casting himself as the only legitimate Republican rival in the GOP’s crowded primary to former President Donald Trump, who holds a big lead in early polls along with a firm grip on a significant portion of the GOP’s passionate base.

Yet Trump is plagued by his own baggage, which includes multiple legal threats and a fixation on his 2020 election loss.

Meanwhile, DeSantis’ team opens the campaign with tens of millions of dollars in the bank, including the $8.2 million raised since his announcement, part of which came from donations secured by bundlers gathered in Miami. In the 24 hours after he launched his campaign, Biden said he raised $6.3 million.

An adviser to DeSantis’ allied super PAC said the group began with $33 million in the bank and 30 full-time paid staff already in place across the first four states on the presidential primary calendar, with many more hires already planned for the subsequent 14 states to hold primary contests.

No other Republican presidential candidate has such an infrastructure in place, including Trump. His aides declined to say how many

From the start of the Ukraine war, “there was killing of civilians, raping,” Hill said. “It didn’t seem like a moral-run military in the first place.”

By contrast, video showing the courage of a Ukrainian fighter as he appeared to be executed by Russian fighters stood out to Hill. “His last words were something along the lines of ‘Slava Ukraini,’” or Glory to Ukraine, Hill said.

The vast majority of U.S. adults believe that Russia has committed war crimes during the con-

staff he has in early states. “The only numbers we’ll talk about are the huge leads President Trump is racking up in the early states,” said spokesman Steven Cheung.

DeSantis faced nagging questions about his rocky rollout during a conservative media tour. But he also projected confidence in a matchup against Trump, claiming in a Newsmax interview, “There’s a limit to the number of voters that would consider the former president at this point.”

“Now we’re going to be launching a blitz. We’re going to be in these early states. We’re really going to be all over the country bringing this message to our voters,” DeSantis said. “They also understand that you need someone (to) serve two terms. You need somebody that’s going to be able to win and win big.”

While Trump’s team piled on with gleeful mocking — “a #DeSaster of epic proportions,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote on Truth Social — many Republican officials, donors and early state activists suggested there would be few long-term consequences.

“Look, I like Elon Musk, but apparently he fired one too many IT guys,” New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a 2024 Republican presidential prospect himself and a peri-

Only 8% of people in the U.S. say they have a favorable view of Putin.

When it comes to the war itself, “it’s unfortunate that it’s going on as long as it is. And I can’t imagine, you know, living there, and that would be my life everyday, with bombs going off,” said Laura Salley, 60, a college mental-health counselor in Easton, Pennsylvania, and a Democrat.

“But if we pull back, I’m pretty sure that Russia would find that as an opportunity to encroach again,” Salley said.

odic DeSantis critic, said on ABC’s “The View.” “You can’t blame Ron DeSantis for that.”

Republican strategist Terry Sullivan, who managed Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, suggested that DeSantis is well positioned to overcome an early stumble.

“Big presidential campaign announcements are only about getting a short-term bounce (in the polls) and raising money online,” Sullivan said. “DeSantis doesn’t need either of those. He just needed to get in the race and start campaigning. Mission accomplished.”

There remained “a high level of interest” in DeSantis, according to New Hampshire Republican Party Chair Chris Ager. He said multiple Republican Party groups are requesting DeSantis to speak at their events.

“I think it was a pretty bold move to try something totally new in an announcement,” Ager said.

And while early polls show Trump with a wide lead over DeSantis among New Hampshire primary voters, Ager said a lot can change over time.

“I fully expect the race will tighten up,” he said. “Gov. DeSantis is definitely a serious and legitimate contender for the top spot.”

HOKE COUNTY

Memorial Day with Hoke County veterans

The Hoke County Disabled American Veterans group organized this year’s Memorial Day Ceremony at the Hoke County Public Library. Approximately 80 people attended the event. The Honor Guard, which is made up of veterans from all organizations, performed a Three Volley Salute to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. (Left to right) Preston Thompson, John Harry, Rob Halterman, Terry Middleton, Dan Nocher and Mary Harris. The Honor Guard Commander was George Balch.

Federal prosecutors charge Raeford felon for illegally owning a gun

Last week, federal prosecutors announced that Aaron Deon Goode Jr., of Raeford, would receive two federal charges of possession of a firearm as a felon. According to U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston, Goode’s charges originate from two separate incidents in 2019 and 2021, both of which took place in Hoke County. If Goode is convicted, he will face up to 10 years in prison, three years of parole, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Suspect turns himself in for April hit-and-run

Jordan Gasper, a 22-year-old man from Spring Lake, turned himself into the authorities this past Tuesday after he hit a pedestrian with his vehicle last month. According to the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, Gasper has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury. The incident took place on April 21 in the 200 block of Audubon Drive. Gasper is also said to have been at the scene by the time deputies received word of the incident. The victim, who was not named in the police report, was immediately taken to the hospital. At this time, the investigation is still considered ongoing. If you have any information regarding this case, please contact Sgt. Detective Annette C. Gooselin at (910) 875-5111.

Beloved funeral home owner and community leader passes away at 88

North State Journal

FRANKLIN CRUMPLER, the owner and operator of Crumpler Funeral Home in Raeford, wellknown for his thoughtful care of thousands of Hoke families and his devotion to his community, passed away at the age of 88.

Crumpler was born in Sampson County, NC, on September 22, 1934, to the late Gordon Lee Crumpler and Margaret Bradshaw Crumpler. Along with his

parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Velma Crumpler Chumley, and brother Vernon Ray Crumpler.

A devoted follower of Christ, Crumpler was a member of two churches, First Baptist Church in Raeford, where he served as a lifetime deacon, and the Dundarrach Community Church of Shannon.

“I will always remember him as being an active participant in

See CRUMPLER, page 7

Hoke County Schools legal counsel to terminate contract

Community and staff feedback relating to superintendent search presented to board

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD – The Hoke County Schools Board of Education held a work session on Tuesday, May 23, with various updates regarding vacant positions.

The first update the board received was the survey results from the North Carolina School Boards Association Superintendent Search that had been sent out to the staff

and the community.

The previous superintendent, Dr. Debra Dowless, had suddenly resigned at the request of the school board in February, leaving the district with a vacancy.

“You had very, very strong participation in the survey by both your staff and your community,” said Assistant Legal Counsel for Superintendent Searches at NCSBA Sam Thorp. “Specifically, in total, you received 232 responses to the community surveys and 516 responses to the staff surveys. Of those that responded, 95 community members and 171 staff members also submitted with comments.”

According to the results, the community demographics were primarily from those that were parents of Hoke students who lived in Hoke attendance areas, but there were also responses from Hoke alumni, students, retired community members and businesses.

“What the survey did was it asked respondents to rate numerically the characteristics that are most important to them in a new superintendent,” Thorp said.

“Within the top five characteristics, there was actually a pretty high level of agreement between the staff and community.”

The four top priorities in both the staff and community surveys included: ‘Models high standards of integrity,’ ‘Understands how to provide safe environments for students and staff,’ ‘Communicates with people of all races and socio-

See BOE, page 2

PHOTO BY CHRIS HOLLAND

FILE PHOTO

Frank Crumpler speaks at Dundarrach Community Church in this

photo from 2021.

336 K-12 schools receive Purple Star recognition

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Public Instruction announced 336 K-12 schools had received a Purple Star Award earlier this month.

The Purple Star Award was established in 2019 and goes to schools recognized for demonstrating military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families.

This year, 336 K-12 public schools in 17 districts across the state were recognized for the award. Included in the list were nine public charter schools.

“These Purple Star Awardees have gone beyond the standard call of duty to ensure their school and classroom environments accommodate military-connected students,” State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in a statement. “Their dedication to these students allows them to be seen, heard, and valued in their new school and feel supported as they adjust to their new surroundings. The growth this program has seen in its few short years of existence is incredibly promising and something I am especially grateful for.”

The State Superintendent’s Purple Star District Award was given to 11 districts, including Carteret County Schools, Craven County Schools, Cumberland County Schools, Harnett County Schools, Hoke County Schools, Moore County Schools, Onslow County Schools, Pender County Schools, Scotland County Schools, Wayne County Public Schools and Whiteville City Schools.

Last year, close to 300 K-12 schools spanning 15 districts earned the Purple Star recognition.

During the 2020-2021 school year 288 K-12 schools, including five charter schools and seven Department of Defense Education Agency schools, received the award. Four charter schools and 126 traditional schools in 10 North Carolina districts were recognized as Purple Star schools for the 2019-2020 school year.

The winners in Hoke County were J.W. McLauchlin Elementary, Scurlock Elementary, Sandy Grove Middle, J.W. Turlington Alternative, Don D. Steed Elementary, Rockfish Hoke Elementary, Upchurch Elementary, Sandy Grove Elementary, Hawk Eye Elementary, Hoke County High, West Hoke Middle, West Hoke Elementary SandHoke Early College High School and East Hoke Middle.

“These Purple Star Awardees have gone beyond the standard call of duty to ensure their school and classroom environments accommodate militaryconnected students.”

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt

economic status,’ and ‘Is willing to listen to input.’

The community had a priority of ‘Knows how to encourage staff, students, parents, and community members to work together’ in its top five responses, while staff had ‘Understands how to effectively advocate for needed resources’ as a top-five priority.

The community and staff also had the exact same top-five priorities in terms of rating what experience was important for a new superintendent to have had. Those include ‘Is accessible and responsive to parents’/guardians’ concerns in a timely fashion,’ ‘Has experience with building, maintaining, and managing schools,’ ‘Has experience in curriculum development and instruction,’ ‘Has been a successful principal’ and ‘Has been an effective classroom teacher.’

The board of education stated they would gather the information and relay their desires for the superintendent profile back to the NCSBA at a later date which will then be shared with the public.

The board was also given an update on a potential auditing firm partner for the district for the upcoming financial year.

“We put an RFP to find a public school auditing firm,” said Assistant Finance Officer Willena Richardson. We had one firm reply, and that agency was Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams & Co. They are offering to perform our annual audit services for a term of three years. Normally, when we get an audit firm, they do it for three years. The fees are $31,500 per year beginning June 30, 2023. Other services that are not included – such as the

annual Comprehensive Financial Report – will be $135 per hour with prior approval from the board. We reserve the right to renew for two years after they do the audit for the first time, or we can do it year by year, but three years is going to cost us that set price. The price includes personnel costs, travel, and on-site work.”

The firm has also conducted audits with eight other school districts within the last year.

The board was also updated on the search for a new Finance Office, which the opening has been posted for since March 24.

“At this point in time, we’ve only had three applications for a Finance Officer,” said Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Shawn O’Connor. “The criteria is a little more strict than it has been in the past, so these individuals have to have five years of professional experience in finance along with a bachelor’s degree with 15 semester hours in accounting or a CPA. The other part of this is that if they were certified with the State Board of Education as a school finance officer prior to this July 1, they also can be eligible.”

According to O’Connor, even if Hoke County Schools chooses an applicant, they still will have to be submitted to the State Board of Education and DPI’s Finance Department to be approved prior to being offered employment.

Finally, the board of education is also now apparently having to deal with finding new legal counsel after their priorly contracted firm, Tharrington Smith, announced at the end of the meeting that they would be terminating their contract in a decision more than likely linked to some apparent issues that had aris-

en between the board and attorney Carolyn Murchison, who had been serving as the attorney to the board up to a few weeks prior before she was ultimately dismissed.

The official letter that had been sent to the board has been acquired by the North State Journal with the FOIA, and it states the following, “After careful consideration, the partners in our firms’ Education Section have determined that we will no longer be able to serve as general counsel for Hoke County Schools after the ninety (90) day notice required by our Contract for the Provision of Legal Services that the contract will terminate effective August 12, 2023.

“Many of us here at Tharrington Smith have been directly involved in the delivery of services to the Hoke County Schools these past several years. We say without hesitation that we feel both honored and privileged to have represented, advised and advocated for the Hoke County Schools, and in doing so, have formed many wonderful relationships both with the board members and staff that we cherish. We are proud of the legal guidance and advocacy we provide to the district. Once new counsel is selected, we will work diligently to transition any active matters to them. In addition, unless your liability coverage providers decide otherwise, we will continue to defend Hoke County Schools in any pending litigation should such case continue beyond August 12.

“Thank you again for the opportunity to serve Hoke County Schools. We look forward to working with you through the transition period.”

The Hoke County Board of Education will next meet June 13.

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Where are Woodward and Bernstein when we need them

THE CONSPIRACY BETWEEN a corrupt set of bureaucracies (including the Justice Department, the IRS, and the intelligence community) and an equally corrupt and enabling elite media is astonishing. The Durham Report is just one more confirmation of the devastating level of dishonesty and manipulation which have characterized the last few years.

The signal had been sent that protecting the left would itself be protected.

Some analysts believe the open corruption can be traced back to Lois Lerner and the IRS scandal, in which she clearly stonewalled conservative organizations from getting tax status. When she was found to be in contempt of Congress, the Obama Justice Department spent two years ignoring the congressional contempt charge and then decided not to prosecute her.

As Congressman Jim Jordan said at the time, US Attorney Ronald Machen was “us[ing] his power as a political weapon to undermine the rule of law.” Jordan went on “Mr. Machen … unilaterally decided to ignore the will of the House of Representatives. He and the Justice Department have given Lois Lerner cover for her failure to account for her actions at the IRS.”

The signal had been sent that protecting the left would itself be protected.

This lesson was reinforced in the cover up about the terrorist attack at Benghazi. The Obama administration was worried that the killing of an American ambassador — despite his consistent appeals to the State Department for more security — would hurt the president’s reelection campaign. So, the administration adopted a strategy of simply lying to the American people.

This began the week of the attack when the administration did everything it could to avoid responsibility for a terrorist killing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. In fact, the Obama White House immediately sent former United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice on five network shows to blame an Americanmade anti-Muslim video for causing the supposed unrest. It was exactly what Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick had warned against in her famous “Blame America First” description of liberals. We now know that the entire story was a falsehood, and no one in Benghazi was motivated by a film they had never seen.

When then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before Congress, she dismissed the whole question of responsibility for the failure to protect Stevens. She even failed to be honest about his murder famously saying: “With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they’d they go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?”

The leftists in the national bureaucracies learned a big lesson from Lerner and Clinton. Whatever you need to do to defeat the right or protect the left is OK. You can get away with it. There is no responsibility for your actions if you are protecting the corrupt system.

This Pride stuff isn’t healthy

I’VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD ethnic, race, gender or sex pride. Even as a kid. For my bar mitzvah, someone gave me a book titled “Great Jews in Sports” or something like it.

Aside from the usual jokes — it was not a long book; the print and the photos were very large — what I remember best was that I had little interest in the book. I loved sports. And I strongly identified as a Jew — I was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home and attended yeshivas until the age of 19. So, my disinterest in the book didn’t emanate from either disinterest in sports or disinterest in Jews. I was keenly interested in both.

But even at the age of 13, the idea of ethnic pride meant little to me.

As far as I could tell, my friends — and, of course, the relative who gave me the book — considered the book quite meaningful. They were proud of Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg, of the great Cleveland Indians third baseman Al Rosen, of the lightweight boxing champ Benny Leonard, and the other Jews who were featured.

I apparently marched to the beat of a quirky drummer. It turned out, however, that my attitude at 13 wasn’t a quirk. Though I didn’t realize it then, it was actually the dawning of a conviction — that maybe group pride wasn’t a great idea.

The next time that view hit me was when I was in college and the slogan “black is beautiful” was becoming popular. This time I did more than not relate to group pride; I objected to it. How could a race be beautiful? Isn’t the idea of a beautiful race itself racist? When I raised these questions in my college and graduate school years, I was given one of two answers: After being put down for so many years, blacks needed to bolster their self-image. And since blacks — especially black women — had suffered greatly because white beauty was the normative standard of physical beauty, “black is beautiful” was a much-needed corrective.

These were entirely understandable explanations. But I still recoiled. Perhaps being a Jew born only a few years after the Holocaust rendered race-based pride scary.

It turned out my instinct was right: It is scary. “Black is beautiful” soon morphed into “black power,” a phrase that, often accompanied with a raised clenched fist, was meant to be scary. And then, in an echo of Aryan racism, terms like “race traitor” were thrown around to describe any black who wasn’t into “black power” or “black solidarity.”

Soon, feminist women joined the group solidarity bandwagon with “girl power”; “I am woman, hear me roar”; “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle”; “Any job a man can do, a woman can do better” and other puerile celebrations of “sisterhood,” a term which applied only to women who shared feminist views. Women who didn’t share those views were not just gender-traitors; they weren’t even women. Ms. magazine founder Gloria Steinem famously called conservative Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison a “female impersonator.”

Group pride is a characteristic of all left-wing thought and activism.

That lesson was publicly driven home in late June 2016, when former President Bill Clinton walked uninvited onto the airplane of Attorney General Loretta Lynch at the Phoenix airport. The FBI was investigating the former president’s wife (and Democratic presidential candidate) for a variety of charges including deleting more than 33,000 government emails and having staff destroy computer hard drives with a hammer.

It is hard to imagine anything more inappropriate than a former president visiting an attorney general while his wife (and presidential candidate) was being actively investigated by the FBI.

As then-candidate Donald Trump described in a tweet “Take a look at what happened w/ Bill Clinton. The system is totally rigged. Does anybody really believe that meeting was just a coincidence?”

We now know from the Durham Report — and the reports from Chairman James Comer and the House Oversight Committee — that candidate and then-President Trump has been consistently smeared and defamed by corrupt elements of the Washington bureaucracy on a scale which makes Watergate look trivial.

At the same time, the corrupt system was working overtime to protect Joe Biden and his family. The stunning dual nature of the corruption makes the present moment so dangerous for the future of the rule of law — and the entire constitutional process which has protected American freedom for more than 200 years.

As deeply and persuasively corrupt as the bureaucracy has become, the other great decay since Watergate has been the corruption of the elite media. The New York Post, Fox News, and a few others have attempted some sense of honest coverage. Smaller conservative publications, podcasts, and social media have called out the big media systems for being active allies of the corrupt bureaucracy. Still, when needed, the elite corporate media have eagerly smeared President Trump and enthusiastically lied to protect the Bidens.

There are no Bob Woodwards or Carl Bernsteins courageously working to uncover the truth and get it published. (Indeed, Woodward has reinvented himself into a chief Trump smear-monger.)

There are no courageous editors like Ben Bradley backing up the reporters. There are no fearless publishers like Katharine Graham willing to risk lawsuits and withstand the anger of the government.

Today, there is only a corrupt media protecting a corrupt establishment. The challenge to the American people to get at the truth is far more difficult than it was when Richard Nixon was under attack.

The establishment rot threatens our survival as a free people, and it is increasingly difficult to uproot. Where are the Woodwards and Bernsteins when we need them most?

The most recent incarnation of group pride is LGBTQ pride. Every company, every professional sports team, every Democratic politician, even the armed forces and American embassies around the world are expected to celebrate Pride Month, Pride Night and year-round LGBTQ Pride.

This is problematic for at least two reasons.

First, what exactly is one proud of? What accomplishment is involved in being gay, lesbian or bisexual? Even trans is allegedly built into one’s nature. Isn’t the entire premise of the LGBTQ movement that one does not choose one’s sexual orientation or sexual identity? Wasn’t anyone who argued that homosexuality is a choice declared a hater and a science denier? So, then, if no choice is involved, no effort on the part of the individual — let alone no moral accomplishment — what is there to be proud of? Maybe I couldn’t identify with Jewish pride over great Jewish athletes, but at least they all actually accomplished something.

The other problematic element has to do with why the LGBTQ movement does everything possible to bludgeon every institution into celebrating Pride Nights, Days, Weeks and Months. The reason is the totalitarian nature of all left-wing movements. Unlike liberal and conservative movements, every leftwing movement is totalitarian. Therefore, it is not enough for people to tolerate or even show respect to LGBTQ individuals. We must all celebrate lesbianism, male homosexuality, the transgendered and queers. No left-wing movement is a movement for tolerance. They are movements that demand celebration.

For the first time in any of our lifetimes, the Left may have met an immovable obstacle. Americans are prepared to tolerate just about everything and everyone. But at least half of us will not celebrate girls who have their breasts removed — or the therapists and physicians who facilitate it. At least half of us will not celebrate men dressed as women, especially those who dance in front of 6-year-olds. And while some medical schools have been cowed into saying “birthing person” rather than “pregnant woman,” at least half of us will hold the cowards who run these medical schools in contempt.

I return to my opening point. I have devoted much of my life to helping my fellow Jews. It started when I was 21 years old, and the Israeli foreign office sent me into the Soviet Union to smuggle in Jewish items and smuggle out names of Jews wanting to leave the Soviet Union. I have brought many disaffected Jews back to Judaism. And I have constantly fought for Israel’s security. I am very happy to be a Jew. But I don’t quite relate to being proud of it — it was not my achievement; it was an accident of birth. That is equally true of your race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity and orientation. You don’t get credit for, shouldn’t be proud of and have no right to demand others celebrate something you had nothing to do with.

Finally, if you’re honest, group pride must be accompanied by group shame. Yes, a disproportionate number of Nobel Prize winners were Jews. But a disproportionate number of Western spies for Stalin were also Jews. If you’re not prepared to be ashamed of your group, don’t take pride in it. That rule applies to blacks, gays, women, Christians and every other group in the world.

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

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

COLUMN | DENNIS PRAGER

Group pride is a characteristic of all left-wing thought and activism.

SIDELINE REPORT

GOLF

Stricker wins 2nd straight senior major

Frisco, Texas

Steve Stricker beat Padraig Harrington on the first hole of a playoff in the Senior PGA Championship on Sunday for his second senior major in as many played this year. Stricker closed with a 3-under 69. Harrington shot 70, with a birdie on the par-5 18th that forced a playoff between the last two Ryder Cup captains. Stricker’s victory, which comes after a win at the Regions Tradition, gets him into the PGA Championship next year at Valhalla. He now has six majors among his 14 wins on the PGA Tour Champions.

NBA Report: 76ers hire former Raptors coach Nurse

Philadelphia

The Philadelphia 76ers have hired coach Nick Nurse weeks after he was fired by the Toronto Raptors, according to reports. Nurse led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship after they beat the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The 55-year-old Nurse will replace Doc Rivers, who was fired after he led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference finals. Nurse went 227-163 in his five seasons as coach in Toronto, where his .582 winning percentage ranks as the best of any coach in Raptors history.

AUTO RACING

Le Mans allowing hydrogen-powered vehicles

Oyama, Japan

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most famous endurance race, will be open to hydrogenpowered vehicles starting in 2026. Automobile Club de l’Ouest president Pierre Fillon made the announcement on Saturday. Fillon spoke at Japan’s Fuji Speedway, which is holding a 24-hour race that will include hydrogen power. The Automobile Club de l’Ouest organizes the race in Le Mans. The vehicles for Le Mans will include both fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines.

Newgarden wins his first Indy 500

The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis 500 is the one race Josef Newgarden desperately wanted to win.

It’s basically the only race that matters to his boss.

Coming up empty for 11 consecutive years had become personal for the two-time IndyCar champion.

Newgarden finally broke through Sunday, though, winning the Indy 500 to extend team owner Roger Penske’s record to 19 victories — and the first since he bought Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Newgarden did it with an audacious pass of defending race winner Marcus Ericsson during a frantic, controversial 2.5-mile sprint to the finish.

“We’ve had a tough go here the last three, four years, and we’ve had a lot of questions to answer

every day, after every qualifying weekend. We’ve had to come out and put on a brave face,” Newgarden said. “It’s just not an easy place to succeed at. I don’t necessarily subscribe to the fact that if you don’t win the 500, your career is a failure.

“But I think a lot of people view this race and this championship with that lens,” Newgarden continued. “The 500 stands alone and if you are not able to capture one, the career really is a failure.”

After the race was red-flagged for the third time in the final 16 laps, Newgarden was moved from fourth to second by race control following a review of the running order at the time the yellow flag waved.

He took advantage of his improved position to slingshot around Ericsson on the restart and hold him off from there.

Newgarden brought his Chevrolet-powered car to a stop on the front stretch, jumped out and found a hole in the fence, diving into part of a crowd estimated at more than 300,000 to cele -

Josef Newgarden

brate. Then, Newgarden climbed the fence to mimic longtime Team Penske driver and four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

The 32-year-old from Nashville is the first American to win the Indy 500 since Alexander Rossi in 2016. He led five of the 200 laps and beat Ericsson in the fourth-closest finish in 107 years with a margin of victory of .0974 seconds.

“I’m just so thankful to be here. I started out as a fan in the crowd, and this place is amazing, regardless of where you’re sitting,” Newgarden said after pouring a bottle of whole milk over his head. “Everyone kept asking why I hadn’t

won this race, and they look at you like you’re a failure if you haven’t won it. I knew I was capable. I knew I could.”

Ericsson finished second in a Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing, and he immediately criticized IndyCar’s decision to hold a one-lap shootout to the checkered flag. The Swede believed the race should have ended under caution, with him the winner, rather than having the green flag fly on the first lap out of the pits.

“I think it wasn’t enough laps to go to do what we did. I don’t think it’s safe to go out of the pits on cold tires for a restart when half the field is sort of still trying to get out on track when we go green,” Ericsson said. “I can’t agree with that.”

Newgarden and Ericsson were followed by Santino Ferrucci, who gave 88-year-old A.J. Foyt his team’s best finish in the iconic race that Super Tex won four times since Kenny Bräck reached victory lane in 1999.

Alex Palou, the pole sitter and race favorite for Chip Ganassi Racing, finished fourth after recovering from a crash on pit road, and Rossi was fifth on what was an otherwise disappointing day for Arrow McLaren.

Car owner Roger Penske picked up his 19th victory in the iconic race

“The 500 stands alone and if you are not able to capture one, the career really is a failure.”

AP PHOTO

Josef Newgarden celebrates on the finish line after winning Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

LSU Tigers women celebrate basketball title at White House

President Joe Biden welcomed the Tigers last Friday

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — All of the past drama and sore feelings associated with Louisiana State’s invitation to the White House were seemingly forgotten or set aside Friday as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed the championship women’s basketball team to the mansion with smiles, hugs and lavish praise all around.

The visit had once appeared in jeopardy after Jill Biden suggested that the losing Iowa team be invited, too. But none of that was mentioned as both Bidens heralded the players for their performance and the way they have helped advance women’s sports.

“Folks, we witnessed history,”

the president said. “In this team, we saw hope, we saw pride and we saw purpose. It matters.”

Since the passage of Title IX in 1972, Biden said, more than half of all college students are women, and there are now 10 times more female athletes in college and high school. He said most sports stories are still about men, and that that needs to change.

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in federally funded education programs and activities.

“Folks, we need to support women sports, not just during the championship run but during the entire year,” President Biden said.

After the Tigers beat Iowa for the NCAA title in April in a game the first lady attended, she caused an uproar by suggesting that the Hawkeyes also come to the White House.

LSU star Angel Reese called the

idea “A JOKE” and said she would prefer to visit with former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, instead. The LSU team largely is black, while Iowa’s top player, Caitlin Clark, is white, as are most of her teammates.

Nothing came of Jill Biden’s idea and the White House only invited the Tigers. Reese ultimately said she would not skip the White House visit. She and co-captain Emily Ward presented team jerseys bearing the number “46” to Biden and the first lady. Hugs were exchanged.

Jill Biden also lavished praise on the team, saying the players showed “what it means to be a champion.”

“In this room, I see the absolute best of the best,” she said, adding that watching them play was “pure magic.”

“Every basket was pure joy and I kept thinking about how far wom-

ACC backs plan to offer increased payouts to schools for postseason success

The league has fallen behind the SEC and Big Ten in revenue

The Associated Press

THE ATLANTIC COAST Conference is moving forward allowing schools to earn more money generated from their own postseason performances, a move coming as the league tries to find ways to close a growing financial gap with two power conference peers.

The ACC announced Wednesday that its board of directors have

endorsed a “success incentive initiative,” with details being worked out in the coming months for implementation for the 2024-25 season. The league has long distributed revenue evenly among its membership, including money coming from revenue-generating postseason events like the College Football Playoff and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

The timing of the change would coincide with CFP expansion to 12 teams. The rest of the equal revenue-distribution structure — which would cover money tied to an ESPN TV contract running

through 2036 — would remain unchanged.

In a statement, Duke president Vincent E. Price said league leadership is still “committed to exploring all potential opportunities that will result in additional revenues and resources for the conference.

“Today’s decision provides a path to reward athletic success while also distributing additional revenue to the full membership,” said Price, the board’s chairman.

The move comes after a long-running series of discussions by the ACC, from commission-

en’s sports have come,” the first lady added, noting that she grew up before Title IX was passed. “We’ve made so much progress and we still have so much more work to do.”

The president added that “the way in which women’s sports has come along is just incredible. It’s really neat to see, since I’ve got four

granddaughters.”

Biden closed sports Friday by changing to a blue tie and welcoming the UConn’s men’s championship team for its own celebration.

The Huskies won their fifth national title by defeating San Diego State, 76-59, in April.

“Congratulations to the whole UConn nation,” he said.

er Jim Phillips talking openly numerous times about evaluating ways to generate more revenue to recent spring meetings in Florida where the topic was a clear priority among administrators.

That’s because the ACC is falling farther behind the Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences even as the ACC continues to generate its own record revenue hauls.

For example, the league reported a record $578.3 million in total revenue for the 2020-21 season while distributing an average of $36.1 million per school. Yet the SEC reported nearly $833.4 million in revenue and an average distribution of $54.6 million for that same season, while the Big Ten checked in at $679.8 million and an average $47.9 million payout.

The ACC’s revenue increased to nearly $617 million by the 202122 season with an average distri-

bution of nearly $39.5 million per school for full members — Notre Dame receives a partial share as a football independent — in another year of gains. Still, that left ACC schools receiving about $10 million less per year than SEC schools ($49.9 million), according to tax documents. Both leagues are partnered with ESPN in TV deals that include their own channels.

That has fueled speculation about the long-term health of the ACC in a time of realignment, though the grant-of-rights provision in the ESPN deal — signed in 2016 to ultimately launch the ACC Network — offers a significant obstacle to movement. It means the league controls media rights for any school that attempts to leave for the duration of the contract, which would deter defections since a school would not be able to bring TV value to a new league.

AP PHOTO

The Atlantic Coast Conference spring meetings included talks over how the league can close the financial gap with the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference.

AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are presented with jerseys by LSU women’s basketball captains Angel Reese, right, and Emily Ward, left, during an event to honor the 2023 NCAA national championship team last Friday at the White House.

A measure of inflation that is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve increased in April

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A key index of U.S. prices ticked higher in April, and consumer spending rebounded, a sign that inflationary pressures in the economy remain high.

The index, which the Federal Reserve closely monitors, showed that prices rose 0.4% from March to April. That was much higher than the 0.1% rise the previous month.

Measured year over year, prices increased 4.4% in April, up from 4.2% in March. The year-over-year figure is down sharply from a 7% peak last June but remains far above the Fed’s 2% target.

Friday’s report from the government also showed that despite rising prices, consumers remain buoyant. Their spending jumped 0.8% from March to April, the biggest increase since January. Much of the increase was driven by spending on new cars, which soared 6.2%. Among other items, Americans also bought more computers, gasoline and clothing.

Despite longstanding predictions of a forthcoming recession, Friday’s data underscored the U.S. economy’s surprising resilience. Consumer spending, which drives most of the U.S. economy, has been bolstered by solid job gains and pay increases. The economy, which grew at a sluggish 1.3% annual rate from January through March, is projected to accelerate to a 2% pace in the current April-June quarter.

At the same time, the persistence of high inflation is complicating the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions. Chair Jerome Powell has signaled that the Fed will likely forgo a rate hike when it meets in midJune, after 10 straight increases in the past 14 months. But a vocal group among the Fed’s 18-member interest-rate setting committee has

pushed for more rate hikes later this year on the grounds that inflation isn’t slowing quickly enough.

“Inflation is too sticky for the Fed to commit to an extended pause,” said Michael Gapen, U.S. economist at Bank of America Securities.

“Even if the Fed skips June, it will keep July in play” for a rate hike. Among individual items, grocery prices slipped 0.1% in April, a second straight decline. By contrast, gas and other energy costs jumped 2.4%.

Fed officials particularly watch a category of prices called core inflation, which excludes volatile energy and food costs and is considered a better gauge of underlying inflation. Core prices rose 0.4% from March to April, the same as in the previous month, and 4.7% from 12 months earlier. The year-over-year

core inflation figure has changed little since it first touched 4.6% in December.

Some economists foresee inflation easing in the coming months. Omair Sharif, founder of Inflation Insights, noted that a few pricing quirks fueled April’s bigger-than-expected rise in core prices and said he believed they won’t likely persist. Legal services, for example, skyrocketed 3.8% from March to April. That was the sharpest such monthly jump on records dating to 1959.

Though used car prices jumped 4.7% last month, Sharif noted that measures of wholesale used car costs are declining and suggested that they will help slow overall inflation by June.

“This is kind of the storm before the calm,” he said.

Another sign that the economy remains solid came in a separate report Friday. It showed that a measure of businesses’ investment in durable factory goods jumped 1.4% in April — evidence that companies have continued to spend despite higher inflation and borrowing costs given still-steady consumer demand.

The inflation gauge that was issued Friday, called the personal consumption expenditures price index, is separate from the government’s better-known consumer price index. The government reported earlier this month that the CPI rose 4.9% in April from 12 months earlier. The two indexes differ in several ways. Rents carry twice the weight in the CPI that they do in the PCE. And the PCE index seeks to ac-

Texas sues Biden administration over asylum rule, saying phone app encourages illegal immigration

The Associated Press

AUSTIN — The state of Texas is suing the Biden administration in an attempt to have a newly-introduced asylum rule thrown out, saying a phone app used by migrants to set up appointments at the border to seek entry into the United States is encouraging illegal immigration.

The lawsuit is the latest legal salvo attacking various aspects of the administration’s plan to manage migration in the aftermath of the end of a key pandemic-era immigration regulation called Title 42.

In the lawsuit, Texas argues that the asylum rule encourages the use of a cellphone app — called CBP One — for migrants who don’t have proper documentation to make an appointment to come to a port of entry and seek entry into the United States.

Texas argues the Biden administration is essentially encouraging people to come to the U.S. even though they don’t have legal basis to

stay. “The Biden Administration deliberately conceived of this phone app with the goal of illegally pre-approving more foreign aliens to enter the country and go where they please once they arrive,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a

news release.

The complaint was filed in the Western District of Texas.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said Texas’ lawsuit would actually create disorder, not alleviate it and that the app was part of measures that have

helped reduce unlawful immigration by more than 70% since Title 42 ended.

“Lawful pathways like making an appointment to appear at a port of entry using the CBP One app allow us to process migrants in a safe, orderly, and humane way and reduce unlawful immigration. This is particularly critical at a time when Congress has failed to reform our broken immigration system,” the department said.

While the lawsuit focuses on the phone app, it seeks to throw out the entire asylum rule, called the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways. The rule went into effect when Title 42 expired May 11. The rule makes it extremely difficult for migrants who travel to the southern border to get asylum if they don’t first seek protection in a country they passed through before reaching the U.S. or if they don’t apply online through the app.

Use of the app is a core part of the administration’s plans to create a more orderly system at the bor-

count for changes in how people shop when inflation jumps, such as when they shift from pricey national brands in favor of cheaper store brands.

The latest inflation figures arrive as Fed officials are noisily debating their next steps. Several policymakers have said they favor raising rates even higher in the coming months. But most Fed watchers expect the central bank to forgo another hike at its next meeting in mid-June.

Powell said last week that after raising its benchmark rate to a 16year high of about 5.1%, Fed officials can afford to wait and see how those increases have affected the economy. It can take a year or more for rate hikes to significantly slow the job market and the overall economy.

The Fed’s ultimate goal is to make borrowing costlier for consumers and businesses and thereby reduce spending, growth and inflation. Its rate increases have led to a more than doubling of mortgage rates and elevated the costs of auto loans, credit card borrowing and business loans. They have also heightened the risk of a recession, which most economists predict will begin sometime this year.

Inflation is a big reason why millions of Americans have expressed a gloomy outlook about the economy, even though the unemployment rate is at a half-century low of 3.4% and many workers have received solid pay gains.

Yet a Federal Reserve report this week found that, on average, inflation has outstripped those wage increases and left many people worse off. At the end of last year, just below three-quarters of Americans said they were “doing OK” financially or living comfortably. That marked a drop of 5 percentage points from the previous year and was among the lowest such levels measured since the survey began in 2016.

der where migrants set up appointments ahead of time, but when the app was rolled out in January it was criticized for technological problems and because demand has far outstripped available spaces. Migrants can make appointments for specific ports of entry — five of which are in Texas.

Texas argues that according to federal law, people entering the country illegally — with rare exceptions — should be expelled but that the app doesn’t verify whether the migrants seeking appointments would qualify for exceptions. Therefore, the state argues, the Biden administration’s use of the app essentially encourages people to come to the U.S. even if they don’t qualify. Texas also argues that it has to pay the financial burden of migrants coming to the U.S. through things like health care or education.

The new asylum rule has also been attacked by rights groups who argue the U.S. has an obligation to offer asylum to those in desperate need. They’re suing to have the rule thrown out as well. Texas is also part of another lawsuit accusing the administration of overstepping its authority by allowing as many as 360,000 people a year from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the U.S. under its humanitarian parole authority.

AP PHOTO

Haitian migrants camp out at the Giordano Bruno plaza in Mexico City, May 18, 2023.

AP PHOTO

Francisco Santana buys groceries at the Walmart Supercenter in North Bergen, N.J. on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023.

Frank Crumpler

September 22, 1934 ~ May 26, 2023

Mr. G. Franklin Crumpler, of Raeford, died on May 26, 2023, at the age of 88. Frank was born in Sampson County, NC on September 22, 1934, to the late Gordon Lee Crumpler and Margaret Bradshaw Crumpler.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Velma Crumpler Chumley, and brother Vernon Ray Crumpler. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Raeford where

CRUMPLER from page 1

so many of the churches in Hoke County,” reminisced Terry Dooley, pastor of Dundarrach Community Church. “His love for the First Baptist Church and for Dundarrach Community Church was evident in his attendance and the positive way he spoke of the churches, the pastors, and the invitations he was known to give.”

“While he is now with his heavenly Father enjoying the fruits of his labor, Hoke County has lost a one-of-a-kind guy. His legacy, however, will ensure. His positivity, which so greatly enriched our lives, will carry on with us.”

Before becoming a beloved community leader, Crumpler attended Clinton High School and later went on to become a member of the North Carolina National Guard. He graduated from Cincinnati College of Embalming in

We Are Here For You

he served as lifetime deacon. Frank graduated from Clinton High School, and then went on to become a member of the North Carolina National Guard.

After graduating from Cincinnati College of Embalming in 1956, Frank moved his family to Raeford in 1960 where he was the owner and operator of Crumpler Funeral Home.

Throughout Frank’s life, he had many accomplishments and accolades; among those included the longest-serving elected official in the United States as Hoke County Coroner, and he was also awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Dayne Capps Crumpler, of Raeford; three children, Kemp Crumpler (Margaret), Kel Crumpler (Kim), and Kalen Crumpler Wilhide (Rick), all of Raeford; eleven grandchildren, and nineteen great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Raeford. 333 N Main St, Raeford, NC 28376, and Dundarrach Community Church 5497 St. Paul's Road, Shannon, NC 28386.

1956, today known as Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, before working with Jernigan & Warren Funeral Home in Fayetteville.

In 1960, Crumpler moved his family to Raeford, where he purchased and opened the Crumpler Funeral Home. It was here that he raised his family, teaching them the family business and guiding them on to also become licensed funeral service professionals.

Throughout Crumpler’s life, he had many accomplishments and accolades, among which included: working as the longest-serving elected official in the United States as the Hoke County Coroner, as well as being awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest honor.

“Anyone who crossed paths with Frank was struck by his humor and his warmth,” said Rep. Richard Hudson. “Frank’s ded-

Asher Fritz Price

May 22, 2023 ~ May 22, 2023

Asher Fritz Price of Raeford died on May 22, 2023. He was pre-born and lived a strong 10 weeks.

He is survived by his parents Wesley Price and Tachi Hogans Price; one sister, Rowan Price, and one brother, Alexander Price.

ication to the residents of Hoke County and his passion for serving his community and nation will never be forgotten.”

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Dayne Capps Crumpler, and their three children, Kemp Crumpler (Margaret), Kel Crumpler (Kim), and Kalen Crumpler Wilhide (Rick), all of whom live in Raeford. Crumpler is also survived by his eleven grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren.

The visitation and funeral service for Crumpler was held on Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Raeford.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorials be made to the First Baptist Church of Raeford, located at 333 N. Main St. in Raeford, and the Dundarrach Community Church, located at 5498 St. Paul’s Rd. in Shannon.

STATE & NATION

Half of US public approves of Washington’s arms deliveries to Ukraine in 2nd year of Russia’s war

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Like the blue and yellow flags that popped up around the U.S. when Russia invaded Ukraine 15 months ago, U.S. popular support for Washington’s backing of Ukraine has faded a little but remains widespread, a survey by the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and NORC shows.

It found that half of the people in the U.S. support the Pentagon’s ongoing supply of weapons to Ukraine for its defense against Russian forces. That level is nearly unchanged in the past year, while about a quarter are opposed to sustaining the military lifeline that has now topped $37 billion.

Big majorities among both Democrats and Republicans believe Russia’s attack on Ukraine was unjustified, according to the poll, taken last month.

And about three out of four people in the U.S. support the United States playing at least some role in the conflict, the survey found.

The findings are in line with what Ukraine’s ambassador says she sees when she makes appearances at think tanks, fancy dinners, embassy parties and other events to rally vital U.S. backing for her country.

“I feel the support is still strong,” Ambassador Oksana Markarova said, even as tensions with China, domestic politics, mass shootings and other news often top Ukraine’s war in U.S. news coverage these days.

“There are other things happening at the same time,” she said. “But I feel the very strong bipartisan support.”

When it comes to specific kinds of U.S. backing for Ukraine, popular support for U.S. sanctions against Russia has experienced the most significant drop, falling from 71% a year ago to 58% this spring, although that’s still a majority.

The decline in support for the sanctions may reflect people’s concern that the efforts to isolate Russia economically have contributed to inflation, analysts said.

Overall, however, the findings

DeSantis raises $8.2M ahead of early state blitz

The Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sought to push past an embarrassing beginning to his presidential campaign, outlining an aggressive travel schedule as his allies insisted they remain well funded and well positioned for a long Republican primary fight ahead.

While DeSantis supporters privately acknowledged the bungled announcement was an unwelcome distraction, there was a broad sense — even among some Republican critics — that it would likely have limited long-term political consequences, if any at all. For the doubters, the campaign confirmed that it had raised $8.2 million in the 24 hours since entering the race, a massive sum that far exceeded the amount raised by President Joe Biden over the same period.

“Do they wish they could do it over again? Probably,” David Oman, a veteran Republican Iowa operative, said of DeSantis’ glitch-ridden opening. “Will we be talking about it in 10 days? Probably not.”

DeSantis formally launched his campaign one week ago during an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk. But the audio stream crashed repeatedly, making it difficult for most users

to hear the announcement in real time.

The Republican governor announced plans for a three-state blitz this week featuring at least a dozen stops. He’s scheduled to campaign for two days in Iowa before trips to New Hampshire and South Carolina.

“We are laser-focused on taking Gov. DeSantis’ forward-thinking message for restoring America to every potential voter in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” campaign manager Generra Peck said. “Our campaign is committed to putting in the time to win these early nominating states. No one will work harder than Gov. DeSantis to share his vision with the country — he has only begun to fight.”

DeSantis is casting himself as the only legitimate Republican rival in the GOP’s crowded primary to former President Donald Trump, who holds a big lead in early polls along with a firm grip on a significant portion of the GOP’s passionate base.

Yet Trump is plagued by his own baggage, which includes multiple legal threats and a fixation on his 2020 election loss.

Meanwhile, DeSantis’ team opens the campaign with tens of millions of dollars in the bank, including the $8.2 million raised since his announcement, part of

show that a couple of early concerns U.S. policymakers had about the strong material assistance for Ukraine have yet to be realized: that public support would crater if the war dragged on, and that the heavy assistance to Ukraine would become a partisan wedge issue, splitting Democrats and Republicans.

“There’s no ground-swelling of American Ukraine fatigue here, and that has always been the fear,” said Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corp. research center.

For Cameron Hill, a 27-year-old

state employee and Republican in Anadarko, Oklahoma, there was much to dislike about Russia’s war and its leader, Vladimir Putin: the statements from Putin that Hill took as misleading propaganda, his heavy-handed rule, and Russian fighters’ attacks on civilians and other abuses.

From the start of the Ukraine war, “there was killing of civilians, raping,” Hill said. “It didn’t seem like a moral-run military in the first place.”

By contrast, video showing the courage of a Ukrainian fighter as he appeared to be executed by Russian

fighters stood out to Hill. “His last words were something along the lines of ‘Slava Ukraini,’” or Glory to Ukraine, Hill said.

The vast majority of U.S. adults believe that Russia has committed war crimes during the conflict, including 54% who say Russia is the only side that has done so. The International Criminal Court at the Hague in the Netherlands in March issued arrest warrants for Putin over Russia’s mass deportation of Ukrainian children.

Older adults are more likely to view Russia’s invasion as an unjustified attempt to overthrow Ukraine’s government — 79% among people 45 and older, compared with 59% for those 44 and under.

In all, 62% regard Russia as an enemy — or top enemy — of the United States. And 48% are very worried about Russia’s influence around the world. At the same time, 50% say they have a favorable opinion of the Russian people, compared with 17% who have an unfavorable view.

Only 8% of people in the U.S. say they have a favorable view of Putin.

When it comes to the war itself, “it’s unfortunate that it’s going on as long as it is. And I can’t imagine, you know, living there, and that would be my life everyday, with bombs going off,” said Laura Salley, 60, a college mental-health counselor in Easton, Pennsylvania, and a Democrat.

“But if we pull back, I’m pretty sure that Russia would find that as an opportunity to encroach again,” Salley said.

ald Trump Jr. wrote on Truth Social — many Republican officials, donors and early state activists suggested there would be few long-term consequences.

“Look, I like Elon Musk, but apparently he fired one too many IT guys,” New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a 2024 Republican presidential prospect himself and a periodic DeSantis critic, said on ABC’s “The View.” “You can’t blame Ron DeSantis for that.”

Republican strategist Terry Sullivan, who managed Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, suggested that DeSantis is well positioned to overcome an early stumble.

which came from donations secured by bundlers gathered in Miami. In the 24 hours after he launched his campaign, Biden said he raised $6.3 million.

An adviser to DeSantis’ allied super PAC said the group began with $33 million in the bank and 30 full-time paid staff already in place across the first four states on the presidential primary calendar, with many more hires already planned for the subsequent 14 states to hold primary contests.

No other Republican presidential candidate has such an infrastructure in place, including Trump. His aides declined to say how many staff he has in early states. “The only numbers we’ll talk about are the huge leads President Trump is racking up in the early states,” said spokesman

Steven Cheung. DeSantis faced nagging questions about his rocky rollout during a conservative media tour. But he also projected confidence in a matchup against Trump, claiming in a Newsmax interview, “There’s a limit to the number of voters that would consider the former president at this point.”

“Now we’re going to be launching a blitz. We’re going to be in these early states. We’re really going to be all over the country bringing this message to our voters,” DeSantis said. “They also understand that you need someone (to) serve two terms. You need somebody that’s going to be able to win and win big.”

While Trump’s team piled on with gleeful mocking — “a #DeSaster of epic proportions,” Don-

“Big presidential campaign announcements are only about getting a short-term bounce (in the polls) and raising money online,” Sullivan said. “DeSantis doesn’t need either of those. He just needed to get in the race and start campaigning. Mission accomplished.”

There remained “a high level of interest” in DeSantis, according to New Hampshire Republican Party Chair Chris Ager. He said multiple Republican Party groups are requesting DeSantis to speak at their events.

“I think it was a pretty bold move to try something totally new in an announcement,” Ager said.

And while early polls show Trump with a wide lead over DeSantis among New Hampshire primary voters, Ager said a lot can change over time.

“I fully expect the race will tighten up,” he said. “Gov. DeSantis is definitely a serious and legitimate contender for the top spot.”

AP PHOTO

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a political roundtable, Friday, May 19, 2023, in Bedford, N.H.

AP

Public health nurse recognized

NCDHHS’ Kristin Briggs and Dr. Susan Little recognized Forsyth County Public Health Nurse Celisha Daniels for becoming the first North Carolina Credentialed Public Health Nurse at the Forsyth County Department of Public Health on May 18. Daniels holds an Associate Degree in Nursing, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology as well as a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. Daniels is currently a school nurse for the Forsyth County Department of Public Health.

COUNTY NEWS

Forsyth school nurse

becomes first NC

Credentialed Public Health Nurse

Forsyth County

Forsyth County Public

Health Nurse Celisha Daniels became the first North Carolina Credentialed Public Health Nurse.

Daniels was recognized for completing the pilot program for the new course by NC DHHS Chief Public Health Nurse Dr. Susan Little and Public Health Nursing Institute for Continuing Excellence Director Kristin Briggs on May 18, during a public health nurse appreciation event held at Forsyth County Public Health.

During the event, Little talked about how North Carolina was the first state to allow nurses to become licensed and, with this program, is making history again by allowing public health nurses to earn credentials.

Daniels works as a school nurse. She has an Associate Degree in Nursing from Forsyth Technical Community College. She also has a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling.

The NCCPHN course, which will launch this fall, lets participants demonstrate the foundational knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgements associated with being a public health nurse. It gives participants access to current, evidence-based fundamental information about their profession.

The self-paced online course provides an overview of how the NC Public Health system operates with reallife examples built into the curriculum. After that, there are annual webinars so the nurses can continually improve their competency and maintain their professional credential.

“It is an exclusive invitation to be a leader and set the gold standard for public health nursing credentialing and professional practice nationwide,” said Little.

Commissioners approve rezoning requests for potential residential developments

Board approves multiple contracts and funding matters

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

WINSTON-SALEM — The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners met Thursday, May 18 with property and budgetary matters taking up the majority of the agenda.

The meeting kicked off with a presentation by Forsyth Technical Community College for their 2023-24 budget.

The budgetary ask from FTCC is an increase of $551,131 or 5% for a total request of $11,589,719.

The increase accounts for rising costs of personal services, FTCC is planning a 4% employee salary increase, and supplies and materials.

“We are not asking for a lot of additional money this year,” said FTCC President Dr. Janet Spriggs.

“We have been very blessed and

grateful to have a lot of federal stimulus dollars in the past couple of years that we have maximized and used for many of the expenses that were typically county-funded expenses.” The board then held two public hearings each related to zoning petitions.

The first hearing was for a request to rezone 3.89 acres of property located on the northwest and southeast side of Hammock Farm Road and south of Old Walkertown Road from GI to RS-40.

“The proposed RS-40 district would replace the industrial zoning that is out of character with the surrounding area,” said City/County Planning Director Chris Murphy. “The Walkertown Area Plan Update does also recommend single-family residential land use at this location and the proposed request is generally consistent with the Legacy 2030.”

The second hearing was for a request to rezone 24.24 acres of property located on the west side of Fol-

“The proposed RS-40 district would replace the industrial zoning that is out of character with the surrounding area.”

City/County Planning Director

Chris Murphy

lansbee Bee and north of Hopewell Church Road from RS-9 to RS-20.

“The subject property is located within the South Suburban Area Plan Update which was adopted by the city and the county back in 2018 and it does recommend low-density single family residential uses in the area, so the request is consistent with that,” Murphy said.

Following each public hearing, the board approved the rezoning requests.

Carolina Handling supports Ronald McDonald House of Durham & Wake, and throughout the southeast

North State Journal

Carolina Handling is supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities in six Southeastern cities with a donation of more than $25,000 to the Adopt-A-Room programs in Durham, NC, Atlanta, GA, Birmingham, AL, Greenville, SC, Charlotte, NC and Winston-Salem, NC.

This year, Carolina Handling has designated children with critical illness as the primary focus of the company’s philanthropic efforts. This new initiative was launched during a companywide fiscal year kickoff event in April where associates purchased 2,552 pies at $5 each to toss at their managers and other company leaders. A dollar-for-dollar match by the company brought the Pies for a Purpose fundraising total to $25,520.

“Service has been a core value at Carolina Handling since the com-

pany’s founding in 1966, with caring for each other, our customers and our community a n integral part of our culture,” said President & CEO Brent Hillabrand.

“Our associates believe in being active participants when it’s time to help those in need in the communities where we live and work.

The Pies for a Purpose Fundraiser is a meaningful example of that culture of caring.”

Ronald McDonald Charities was selected to receive the donation from the April fundraiser as an organization that provides overnight accommodations and meals for families with children in nearby hospitals to ensure they can remain actively involved in their child’s care. The AdoptA-Room program helps maintain the houses’ guest rooms with all the comforts of home, from painting and fixtures to bedding and televisions.

“We’re so grateful to Caroli-

“This donation will help relieve burdens so parents can focus on the most important thing – the wellbeing of a sick child.”

Oie Osterkamp, CEO of Ronald McDonald House of Durham & Wake

na Handling for supporting the families of seriously ill children by helping them stay close to their kids being treated at Duke and WakeMed Children’s Hospitals,” said Oie Osterkamp, CEO of Ronald McDonald House of Durham & Wake. “This donation will help relieve burdens so parents can focus on the most important thing –the well-being of a sick child.”

The board then approved two budgetary resolutions, the first a revision to the FY 22-23 Juvenile Crime Prevention Council Funding Plan to appropriate an additional $4,802 to Family Services for a trauma assistance and counseling program and the second an amendment to the 2020 Pay-Go Capital Projects Ordinance in order to transfer funds from Economic Development Reserves to S.G. Atkins Community Development Corporation for the shared-kitchen project and improvements to Smith Reynolds Airport.

The board also approved a resolution authorizing the execution of a $10,181 grant agreement between Forsyth County and the NCDOT to fund the airfield lighting rehabilitation at Smith Reynolds Airport

Two ARPA funding items were also approved, an $85,000 agreement with Young Women’s Christian Association of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, Inc., to purchase a minivan and replace

See COMMISSIONERS, page 2

♦ Brian Gray Bodenheimer, 49, of Winston-Salem, died May 26, 2023.

♦ Barbara Coffey Falls, 87, died May 25, 2023.

♦ Evelyn “Ann” Anderson Folds, 84, of Mocksville, died May 28, 2023.

♦ Jeanette Ersa Lyons Jessee, 79, of Watauga County, died May 27, 2023.

♦ Thomas Jefferson King, Jr., 91, of Bermuda Run, died May 25, 2023.

♦ William Preston Lawson, 70, of Forsyth County, died May 28, 2023.

♦ Margaret Mary (Margie) Weatherwax Leonard, 71, of Lexington, died May 27, 2023.

♦ JoAnn Liddick, 87, died May 24, 2023.

♦ Sun Cha Park McCoy, 72, of King, died May 29, 2023.

♦ Linda Beason Norman, 79, of Kernersville, died May 26, 2023.

♦ Donald Eugene Rutledge, 80, of Stokes County, died May 26, 2023.

♦ Tommy Davis Sellars, 72, of Lee County, died May 24, 2023.

♦ Freda Agnes Whitson, 90, died May 25, 2023.

| NEWT GINGRICH

Where

THE CONSPIRACY BETWEEN a corrupt set of bureaucracies (including the Justice Department, the IRS, and the intelligence community) and an equally corrupt and enabling elite media is astonishing. The Durham Report is just one more confirmation of the devastating level of dishonesty and manipulation which have characterized the last few years.

Some analysts believe the open corruption can be traced back to Lois Lerner and the IRS scandal, in which she clearly stonewalled conservative organizations from getting tax status. When she was found to be in contempt of Congress, the Obama Justice Department spent two years ignoring the congressional contempt charge and then decided not to prosecute her.

As Congressman Jim Jordan said at the time, US Attorney Ronald Machen was “us[ing] his power as a political weapon to undermine the rule of law.” Jordan went on “Mr. Machen … unilaterally decided to ignore the will of the House of Representatives. He and the Justice Department have given Lois Lerner cover for her failure to account for her actions at the IRS.”

The signal had been sent that protecting the left would itself be protected.

This lesson was reinforced in the cover up about the terrorist attack at Benghazi. The Obama administration was worried that the killing of an American ambassador — despite his consistent appeals to the State Department for more security — would hurt the president’s reelection campaign. So, the administration adopted a strategy of simply lying to the American people.

This began the week of the attack when the administration did everything it could to avoid responsibility for a terrorist killing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. In fact, the Obama White House immediately sent former United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice on five network shows to blame an Americanmade anti-Muslim video for causing the supposed unrest. It was exactly what Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick had warned against in her famous “Blame America First” description of liberals. We now know that the entire story was a falsehood, and no one in Benghazi was motivated by a film they had never seen.

When then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before Congress, she dismissed the whole question of responsibility for the failure to protect Stevens. She even failed to be honest about his murder famously saying: “With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they’d they go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?”

The leftists in the national bureaucracies learned a big

♦ Cook, Devin Howard (M/36) Arrest on chrg of 1) Probation Violation (M) and 2) Probation Violation (M), at 5279 Main St/leake St, Walkertown, NC, on 5/29/2023 09:46.

♦ EDMONDS, JOSHUA LEBRON was arrested on a charge of ROBBERY at 2532 GREENWICH RD on 5/25/2023

♦ Fink, Brianna Lee (F/28) Arrest on chrg of Probation Violation (M), at 200 N Main, Winston-salem, NC, on 5/24/2023 13:18

♦ GAITHER, MONICA CHARBLEE was arrested on a charge of ASSAULTSIMPLE at 3840 YARBROUGH AV on 5/26/2023

♦ GONZALEZ, MICHAEL ANGELO was arrested on a charge of LARC-SWITCH PRICETAG at 5420 UNIVERSITY PW on 5/27/2023

♦ HALL, DORITHA KAY was arrested on a charge of CCW - FIREARM at 4599 WHITTIER RD/GERMANTON RD on 5/26/2023

♦ Hernandez, Hugo Cesar (M/34) Arrest on chrg of 1) Assault-point Gun (M), 2) Adw - Inflict Injury (M), 3) Assault On Female (M), 4) Assault On Female (M), 5) Communicate Threats (M), and 6) Vio. Protective Order By Courts Another State/ Indian Tribe (M), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 5/29/2023 14:14.

♦ HOOSIER, SHULER KHALI was arrested on a charge of P/W/I/S/D COCAINE at 1 N FRONTAGE RD/WB 40_ THOMASVILLE RD RA on 5/25/2023

♦ HUGHES, LATASHA NAJI was arrested on a charge of CHILD ABUSE (FELONY) at 301 MEDICAL CENTER BV on 5/25/2023

COMMISSIONERS from page 1

or repair buses for the Best Choice Center and a $152,250 agreement with Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, Inc., to provide workforce development training financial assistance for unemployed and underemployed.

Finally, the board approved six contracts. A $52,875 contract with LS3P Associates LTD. to provide professional design services for the 3820 N Liberty Street Hangar Door Project, an $84,000 contract with W.C. Construction Company, LLC, to provide design and preconstruction services for

lesson from Lerner and Clinton. Whatever you need to do to defeat the right or protect the left is OK. You can get away with it. There is no responsibility for your actions if you are protecting the corrupt system.

That lesson was publicly driven home in late June 2016, when former President Bill Clinton walked uninvited onto the airplane of Attorney General Loretta Lynch at the Phoenix airport. The FBI was investigating the former president’s wife (and Democratic presidential candidate) for a variety of charges including deleting more than 33,000 government emails and having staff destroy computer hard drives with a hammer.

It is hard to imagine anything more inappropriate than a former president visiting an attorney general while his wife (and presidential candidate) was being actively investigated by the FBI.

As then-candidate Donald Trump described in a tweet “Take a look at what happened w/ Bill Clinton. The system is totally rigged. Does anybody really believe that meeting was just a coincidence?”

We now know from the Durham Report — and the reports from Chairman James Comer and the House Oversight Committee — that candidate and then-President Trump has been consistently smeared and defamed by corrupt elements of the Washington bureaucracy on a scale which makes Watergate look trivial.

At the same time, the corrupt system was working overtime to protect Joe Biden and his family. The stunning dual nature of the corruption makes the present moment so dangerous for the future of the rule of law — and the entire constitutional process which has protected American freedom for more than 200 years.

As deeply and persuasively corrupt as the bureaucracy has become, the other great decay since Watergate has been the corruption of the elite media.

The New York Post, Fox News, and a few others have attempted some sense of honest coverage. Smaller conservative publications, podcasts, and social media have called out the big media systems for being active allies of the corrupt bureaucracy. Still, when needed, the elite corporate media have eagerly smeared President Trump and enthusiastically lied to protect the Bidens.

There are no Bob Woodwards or Carl Bernsteins courageously working to uncover the truth and get it published. (Indeed, Woodward has reinvented himself into a chief Trump smear-monger.)

There are no courageous editors like Ben Bradley backing up the reporters.

There are no fearless publishers like Katharine Graham willing to risk lawsuits and withstand the anger of the government.

Today, there is only a corrupt media protecting a corrupt establishment. The challenge to the American people to get at the truth is far more difficult than it was when Richard Nixon was under attack.

The establishment rot threatens our survival as a free people, and it is increasingly difficult to uproot. Where are the Woodwards and Bernsteins when we need them most?

♦ JACKSON, CHRISTOPHER JERMAIN was arrested on a charge of RAPE-1ST DEGREE at 273 SEDGE MEADOW DR on 5/25/2023

♦ Jafar, Shanla Iesha (F/23) Arrest on chrg of Assault-simple (M), at 4710 Topsail Ln, Winston-salem, NC, on 5/28/2023 04:32.

♦ JOHNSON, SHAWN DERRELL was arrested on a charge of ASSLT ON OFF/ ST EMP at 4260 BROWNSBORO RD on 5/26/2023

♦ Johnsonyoung, Joshua Lemarr (M/29) Arrest on chrg of 1) Order For Arrest (M) and 2) Ofa-fta-misdemeanor Probation Viol (M), at 200 N Main St, Winstonsalem, NC, on 5/24/2023 10:00.

♦ LAROQUE, MICHAEL PETER was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 101 N GORDON DR/ COUNTRY CLUB RD on 5/28/2023

♦ Lopez-carrera, Henry Alex (M/23) Arrest on chrg of Fugitive (F), at 5198 Reidsville Rd, Walkertown, NC, on 5/29/2023 08:53.

♦ MALONE, TREQUAN OMAR was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 100 STAGECOACH RD on 5/26/2023

♦ MARTINEZ, DANIEL CORTEZ was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 3899 HIGH POINT RD on 5/27/2023

♦ MOORE, PIERRE LAFONTE was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON A FEMALE at 201 N CHURCH ST on 5/25/2023

♦

the Smith Reynolds Airport Car Wash Project, a $250,000 contract with East Coast Oxygen & Hydro Testing, Inc., to provide medical oxygen cylinder exchange and rental, a $115,000 contract with Miller Tree Services, Inc., for at-risk tree removal services at Forsyth County Parks, a $537,214

contract with NWEV, LLC, for the purchase of two class II type ambulances, and a $10,000 contract with Ricoh USA, Inc., for insite managed print and mail services.

Forsyth County Board of

will next

SIDELINE REPORT

GOLF

Stricker wins 2nd straight senior major Frisco, Texas

Steve Stricker beat Padraig Harrington on the first hole of a playoff in the Senior PGA Championship on Sunday for his second senior major in as many played this year. Stricker closed with a 3-under 69. Harrington shot 70, with a birdie on the par5 18th that forced a playoff between the last two Ryder Cup captains. Stricker’s victory, which comes after a win at the Regions Tradition, gets him into the PGA Championship next year at Valhalla. He now has six majors among his 14 wins on the PGA Tour Champions.

NBA Report: 76ers hire former Raptors coach

Nurse Philadelphia

The Philadelphia 76ers have hired coach Nick Nurse weeks after he was fired by the Toronto Raptors, according to reports. Nurse led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship after they beat the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The 55-yearold Nurse will replace Doc Rivers, who was fired after he led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference finals. Nurse went 227-163 in his five seasons as coach in Toronto, where his .582 winning percentage ranks as the best of any coach in Raptors history.

AUTO RACING

Le Mans allowing hydrogen-powered vehicles

Oyama, Japan

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most famous endurance race, will be open to hydrogen-powered vehicles starting in 2026. Automobile Club de l’Ouest president Pierre Fillon made the announcement on Saturday. Fillon spoke at Japan’s Fuji Speedway, which is holding a 24hour race that will include hydrogen power. The Automobile Club de l’Ouest organizes the race in Le Mans. The vehicles for Le Mans will include both fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines.

WNBA

Fever end record 20game losing streak

Atlanta

NaLyssa Smith scored

23 points and grabbed

13 rebounds to help the Indiana Fever end a WNBA record-tying 20-game losing streak with a 9087 win over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday. The Fever had lost 20 in a row dating back to last season to tie the Tulsa Shock for the most consecutive losses alltime. Indiana lost its final 18 games last season before dropping its first two this year. After an Indiana miss, Alyssa Gray took the long rebound quickly downcourt and drove on Kelsey Mitchell. A foul was called but Fever coach Christie Sides challenged it. After a review, officials determined there wasn’t enough contact to warrant a foul.

Newgarden wins his first Indy 500

The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis 500 is the one race Josef Newgarden desperately wanted to win.

It’s basically the only race that matters to his boss.

Coming up empty for 11 consecutive years had become personal for the two-time IndyCar champion.

Newgarden finally broke through Sunday, though, winning the Indy 500 to extend team owner Roger Penske’s record to 19 victories — and the first since he bought Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Newgarden did it with an audacious pass of defending race winner Marcus Ericsson during a frantic, controversial 2.5-mile sprint to the finish.

“We’ve had a tough go here the last three, four years, and we’ve had a lot of questions to answer

every day, after every qualifying weekend. We’ve had to come out and put on a brave face,” Newgarden said. “It’s just not an easy place to succeed at. I don’t necessarily subscribe to the fact that if you don’t win the 500, your career is a failure.

“But I think a lot of people view this race and this championship with that lens,” Newgarden continued. “The 500 stands alone and if you are not able to capture one, the career really is a failure.”

After the race was red-flagged for the third time in the final 16 laps, Newgarden was moved from fourth to second by race control following a review of the running order at the time the yellow flag waved.

He took advantage of his improved position to slingshot around Ericsson on the restart and hold him off from there.

Newgarden brought his Chevrolet-powered car to a stop on the front stretch, jumped out and found a hole in the fence, diving into part of a crowd estimated at more than 300,000 to cele -

500 stands alone and if you are not able to capture one, the career really is a failure.”

Josef Newgarden

brate. Then, Newgarden climbed the fence to mimic longtime Team Penske driver and four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

The 32-year-old from Nashville is the first American to win the Indy 500 since Alexander Rossi in 2016. He led five of the 200 laps and beat Ericsson in the fourth-closest finish in 107 years with a margin of victory of .0974 seconds.

“I’m just so thankful to be here. I started out as a fan in the crowd, and this place is amazing, regardless of where you’re sitting,” Newgarden said after pouring a bottle of whole milk over his head. “Everyone kept asking why I hadn’t

Cardinals release star receiver Hopkins

The three-time All-Pro would have cost nearly $31 million against the cap this season

The Associated Press

TEMPE, Ariz. — The DeAndre Hopkins era is over for the Arizona Cardinals, who are on the hook for quite an expensive breakup.

The Cardinals released the three-time All-Pro wide receiver in a salary cap move Friday after they failed to find a trading partner in the offseason.

Arizona made the move three seasons after acquiring Hopkins in a blockbuster trade with Houston and eventually signing him to a $54.5 million contract extension through 2024. The soonto-be 31-year-old Hopkins would have counted close to $31 million against the cap this season. His cap hit in dead money is $22.6 million. The good news for the Cardinals is he’ll be off the books for 2024, when the team figures to be more competitive.

Hopkins — still one of the NFL’s elite receivers when healthy — is free to sign with any team.

His 11,298 career yards receiving already rank 36th in league his-

tory. Arizona is rebuilding under new head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort and keeping Hopkins’ expensive contract didn’t make much sense, particularly because franchise quarterback Kyler Murray is likely to miss part of the upcoming season while recovering from a knee injury. The Cardinals tried for months

to trade Hopkins, but his expensive contract made that difficult.

Hopkins had 221 catches for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns in 35 games with Arizona. His most famous catch was a last-second heave from Murray in the end zone against the Buffalo Bills in 2020 that became known as “Hail Murray.”

His 2020 season was his best in the desert. He caught a fran-

won this race, and they look at you like you’re a failure if you haven’t won it. I knew I was capable. I knew I could.”

Ericsson finished second in a Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing, and he immediately criticized IndyCar’s decision to hold a one-lap shootout to the checkered flag. The Swede believed the race should have ended under caution, with him the winner, rather than having the green flag fly on the first lap out of the pits.

“I think it wasn’t enough laps to go to do what we did. I don’t think it’s safe to go out of the pits on cold tires for a restart when half the field is sort of still trying to get out on track when we go green,” Ericsson said. “I can’t agree with that.”

Newgarden and Ericsson were followed by Santino Ferrucci, who gave 88-year-old A.J. Foyt his team’s best finish in the iconic race that Super Tex won four times since Kenny Bräck reached victory lane in 1999.

Alex Palou, the pole sitter and race favorite for Chip Ganassi Racing, finished fourth after recovering from a crash on pit road, and Rossi was fifth on what was an otherwise disappointing day for Arrow McLaren.

11,298

Career receiving yards for DeAndre Hopkins, ranking 36th in NFL history

chise-record 115 passes for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns. For a few months, the Murray-Hopkins combo looked like it would grow into one of the most prolific in the NFL. The Cardinals started the 2021 season with a 10-2 record thanks to their high-powered offense, but Hopkins and Murray both battled injuries in the latter half of the year and the team faded, barely making the playoffs before getting blown out by the Rams in the wild-card round.

Hopkins never got on track in 2022, starting the year with a six-game suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The Cardinals finished with a 4-13 record, leading to the firing of coach Kliff Kingsbury. The team also parted ways with GM Steve Keim.

The Panthers are among the teams considered to be a contender to land Hopkins. Carolina has more than $27 million cap space, and adding Hopkins would give first overall pick Bryce Young a reliable target.

Car owner Roger Penske picked up his 19th victory in the iconic race

“The

AP PHOTO

Josef Newgarden celebrates on the finish line after winning Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

SPONSORED

AP PHOTO

The Cardinals released wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and the Panthers are considered to be one of the team interested in signing the three-time All-Pro.

STATE & NATION

Half of US public approves of Washington’s arms deliveries to Ukraine in 2nd year of Russia’s war

The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — Like the blue and yellow flags that popped up around the U.S. when Russia invaded Ukraine 15 months ago, U.S. popular support for Washington’s backing of Ukraine has faded a little but remains widespread, a survey by the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and NORC shows.

It found that half of the people in the U.S. support the Pentagon’s ongoing supply of weapons to Ukraine for its defense against Russian forces. That level is nearly unchanged in the past year, while about a quarter are opposed to sustaining the military lifeline that has now topped $37 billion.

Big majorities among both Democrats and Republicans believe Russia’s attack on Ukraine was unjustified, according to the poll, taken last month.

And about three out of four people in the U.S. support the United States playing at least some role in the conflict, the survey found.

The findings are in line with what Ukraine’s ambassador says she sees when she makes appearances at think tanks, fancy dinners, embassy parties and other events to rally vital U.S. backing for her country.

“I feel the support is still strong,”

Ambassador Oksana Markarova said, even as tensions with China, domestic politics, mass shootings and other news often top Ukraine’s war in U.S. news coverage these days.

“There are other things happening at the same time,” she said. “But I feel the very strong bipartisan support.”

When it comes to specific kinds of U.S. backing for Ukraine, popular support for U.S. sanctions against Russia has experienced the most significant drop, falling from 71% a year ago to 58% this spring, although that’s still a majority.

The decline in support for the sanctions may reflect people’s concern that the efforts to isolate Russia economically have contributed to inflation, analysts said.

Overall, however, the findings

DeSantis raises $8.2M ahead of early state blitz

The Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sought to push past an embarrassing beginning to his presidential campaign, outlining an aggressive travel schedule as his allies insisted they remain well funded and well positioned for a long Republican primary fight ahead.

While DeSantis supporters privately acknowledged the bungled announcement was an unwelcome distraction, there was a broad sense — even among some Republican critics — that it would likely have limited long-term political consequences, if any at all. For the doubters, the campaign confirmed that it had raised $8.2 million in the 24 hours since entering the race, a massive sum that far exceeded the amount raised by President Joe Biden over the same period.

“Do they wish they could do it over again? Probably,” David Oman, a veteran Republican Iowa operative, said of DeSantis’ glitch-ridden opening. “Will we be talking about it in 10 days?

Probably not.”

DeSantis formally launched his campaign one week ago during an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk. But the audio stream crashed repeatedly, making it difficult for most users

to hear the announcement in real time.

The Republican governor announced plans for a three-state blitz this week featuring at least a dozen stops. He’s scheduled to campaign for two days in Iowa before trips to New Hampshire and South Carolina.

“We are laser-focused on taking Gov. DeSantis’ forward-thinking message for restoring America to every potential voter in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” campaign manager Generra Peck said. “Our campaign is committed to putting in the time to win these early nominating states. No one will work harder than Gov. DeSantis to share his vision with the country — he has only begun to fight.”

DeSantis is casting himself as the only legitimate Republican rival in the GOP’s crowded primary to former President Donald Trump, who holds a big lead in early polls along with a firm grip on a significant portion of the GOP’s passionate base.

Yet Trump is plagued by his own baggage, which includes multiple legal threats and a fixation on his 2020 election loss.

Meanwhile, DeSantis’ team opens the campaign with tens of millions of dollars in the bank, including the $8.2 million raised since his announcement, part of

show that a couple of early concerns U.S. policymakers had about the strong material assistance for Ukraine have yet to be realized: that public support would crater if the war dragged on, and that the heavy assistance to Ukraine would become a partisan wedge issue, splitting Democrats and Republicans.

“There’s no ground-swelling of American Ukraine fatigue here, and that has always been the fear,” said Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corp. research center.

For Cameron Hill, a 27-year-old

Airmen with the 436th Aerial Port Squadron place 155 mm shells on aircraft pallets ultimately bound for Ukraine, April 29, 2022, at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

fighters stood out to Hill. “His last words were something along the lines of ‘Slava Ukraini,’” or Glory to Ukraine, Hill said.

The vast majority of U.S. adults believe that Russia has committed war crimes during the conflict, including 54% who say Russia is the only side that has done so. The International Criminal Court at the Hague in the Netherlands in March issued arrest warrants for Putin over Russia’s mass deportation of Ukrainian children.

Older adults are more likely to view Russia’s invasion as an unjustified attempt to overthrow Ukraine’s government — 79% among people 45 and older, compared with 59% for those 44 and under.

state employee and Republican in Anadarko, Oklahoma, there was much to dislike about Russia’s war and its leader, Vladimir Putin: the statements from Putin that Hill took as misleading propaganda, his heavy-handed rule, and Russian fighters’ attacks on civilians and other abuses.

From the start of the Ukraine war, “there was killing of civilians, raping,” Hill said. “It didn’t seem like a moral-run military in the first place.”

By contrast, video showing the courage of a Ukrainian fighter as he appeared to be executed by Russian

In all, 62% regard Russia as an enemy — or top enemy — of the United States. And 48% are very worried about Russia’s influence around the world. At the same time, 50% say they have a favorable opinion of the Russian people, compared with 17% who have an unfavorable view.

Only 8% of people in the U.S. say they have a favorable view of Putin.

When it comes to the war itself, “it’s unfortunate that it’s going on as long as it is. And I can’t imagine, you know, living there, and that would be my life everyday, with bombs going off,” said Laura Salley, 60, a college mental-health counselor in Easton, Pennsylvania, and a Democrat.

“But if we pull back, I’m pretty sure that Russia would find that as an opportunity to encroach again,” Salley said.

ald Trump Jr. wrote on Truth Social — many Republican officials, donors and early state activists suggested there would be few long-term consequences.

“Look, I like Elon Musk, but apparently he fired one too many IT guys,” New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a 2024 Republican presidential prospect himself and a periodic DeSantis critic, said on ABC’s “The View.” “You can’t blame Ron DeSantis for that.”

Republican strategist Terry Sullivan, who managed Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, suggested that DeSantis is well positioned to overcome an early stumble.

which came from donations secured by bundlers gathered in Miami. In the 24 hours after he launched his campaign, Biden said he raised $6.3 million. An adviser to DeSantis’ allied super PAC said the group began with $33 million in the bank and 30 full-time paid staff already in place across the first four states on the presidential primary calendar, with many more hires already planned for the subsequent 14 states to hold primary contests. No other Republican presidential candidate has such an infrastructure in place, including Trump. His aides declined to say how many staff he has in early states. “The only numbers we’ll talk about are the huge leads President Trump is racking up in the early states,” said spokesman

Steven Cheung. DeSantis faced nagging questions about his rocky rollout during a conservative media tour. But he also projected confidence in a matchup against Trump, claiming in a Newsmax interview, “There’s a limit to the number of voters that would consider the former president at this point.”

“Now we’re going to be launching a blitz. We’re going to be in these early states. We’re really going to be all over the country bringing this message to our voters,” DeSantis said. “They also understand that you need someone (to) serve two terms. You need somebody that’s going to be able to win and win big.”

While Trump’s team piled on with gleeful mocking — “a #DeSaster of epic proportions,” Don-

“Big presidential campaign announcements are only about getting a short-term bounce (in the polls) and raising money online,” Sullivan said. “DeSantis doesn’t need either of those. He just needed to get in the race and start campaigning. Mission accomplished.”

There remained “a high level of interest” in DeSantis, according to New Hampshire Republican Party Chair Chris Ager. He said multiple Republican Party groups are requesting DeSantis to speak at their events.

“I think it was a pretty bold move to try something totally new in an announcement,” Ager said.

And while early polls show Trump with a wide lead over DeSantis among New Hampshire primary voters, Ager said a lot can change over time.

“I fully expect the race will tighten up,” he said. “Gov. DeSantis is definitely a serious and legitimate contender for the top spot.”

AP PHOTO

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a political roundtable, Friday, May 19, 2023, in Bedford, N.H.

AP PHOTO

COUNTY NEWS

Pinebluff man facing 7 drug charges

Last Friday, deputies from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant for the home of John Lee Ray. Ray, the 52-year-old man from Pinebluff, was found in possession of crack cocaine, marijuana, and various drug paraphernalia items. He has been charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, felony possession of cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance, possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana paraphernalia. He was taken to the Moore County Detention Center, where he was issued a $35,000 secured bond. His first court appearance was set for May 31.

Carthage man arrested for child sex crimes

Detectives from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest of 33-year-old Santana Cruz Lara last week and charged him with nine counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor and nine counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to Sheriff Ronnie Fields, an investigation was conducted by the office after deputies received information about someone possessing child sexual assault material. The investigation eventually led detectives to Lara, who lives in the Heron Road area of Carthage. He was immediately taken to the Moore County Detention Center and issued a $500,000 bond. The sheriff’s office is an active member of the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce.

MOORE COUNTY

North Moore seeing success

Top, North Moore’s Dawson Futrell hits an RBI single before moving to second base due to a throwing error that allowed a run against Voyager during the 1A East Regional Finals of the NCHSAA playoffs at Durham Athletic Park in Durham, NC, on May 24, 2023.

Bottom left, North Moore’s head coach Billy Kennedy watches from the dugout along with his team. Bottom right, North Moore’s Gabe Purvis makes the throw to first base for the out.

Aberdeen to partially close Elm Street for DOT project

New kiosk to be

installed downtown

By Ryan Henkel

North State Journal

ABERDEEN — The Aberdeen Town Board met Monday, May 22, with a handful of property and public works items on the agenda.

The board held a public hearing for an annexation request for 1.4 acres of property located north of Roseland Road and west of Carolina Street.

“This resident is basically experiencing septic failure, they have a current septic tank, and they are within 500 feet of our town utilities which would require annexation,” said Planner Danielle Orloff.

“This will remain the same zoning and is just for utilities for the homeowner.”

The resident will also pay for the connection fee from the property to the town’s sewer system, according to Orloff.

Following the hearing, the board approved the request.

The board then approved a resolution to accept a financial guarantee for infrastructure improve-

ments for Sandy Springs Phase 3A in the amount of $183,882.53.

“The developer has been working with the town and their final plat. They’re at the stage now where they would like to apply to have the financial guarantee accepted for just sidewalks,” Orloff said. “The other infrastructure has been discussed with public works and will absolutely be completed and accepted by public works before the final plat is issued. So, this would be the last step if this is approved so that the developer can start to go ahead in the Sandy Springs Development Phase 3A.”

The board also approved a conceptual design for a kiosk to be installed in downtown Aberdeen.

“The kiosk design is called The Pulse and is one of their kiosks that they mass develop that have been all around the world,” said Planning Director John Terziu. “The positive on this one is that this one is going to be more durable and last longer because it comes in an aluminum shell. But the negative side of that is that it’s a little bit bigger. It’s about 90 inches in height and 32 inches wide, and the depth is 14 inches.”

“The DOT is moving Southern Pines’ main water line on an alternate alignment and relocating some of our utilities along Elm Street and Poplar Street.”

Harold Watts, Director of Public Works

The kiosk will have a sleek and modern look with an aluminum shell, tempered anti-reflective glass, an industrial grade PC, modular sides, UPS Battery backup, internal power with surge protection, and will feature a digital touch screen with a map of the downtown area. The final cost for the kiosk and its installation is $16,736.28.

The board then approved a resolution ratifying, accepting and approving the amended charter resolution of the Central Pines Regional Council, formerly the Trian-

336 K-12 schools receive Purple Star recognition

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Public Instruction announced 336 K-12 schools had received a Purple Star Award earlier this month.

The Purple Star Award was established in 2019 and goes to schools recognized for demonstrating military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families.

This year, 336 K-12 public schools in 17 districts across the state were recognized for the award. Included in the list were nine public charter schools.

“These Purple Star Awardees have gone beyond the standard call of duty to ensure their school and classroom environments accommodate military-connected students,” State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in a statement. “Their dedication to these students allows them to be seen, heard, and valued in their new school and feel supported as they

adjust to their new surroundings. The growth this program has seen in its few short years of existence is incredibly promising and something I am especially grateful for.”

The State Superintendent’s Purple Star District Award was given to 11 districts, including Carteret County Schools, Craven County Schools, Cumberland County Schools, Harnett County Schools, Hoke County Schools, Moore County Schools, Onslow County Schools, Pender County Schools, Scotland County Schools, Wayne County Public Schools and Whiteville City Schools.

Last year, close to 300 K-12 schools spanning 15 districts earned the Purple Star recognition.

During the 2020-2021 school year 288 K-12 schools, including five charter schools and seven Department of Defense Education Agency schools, received the award. Four charter schools and 126 traditional schools in 10 North Carolina districts were recognized as Purple Star schools for

“These Purple Star Awardees have gone beyond the standard call of duty to ensure their school and classroom environments accommodate militaryconnected students.”

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt

the 2019-2020 school year. The winners in Hoke County were J.W. McLauchlin Elementary, Scurlock Elementary, Sandy Grove Middle, J.W. Turlington Alternative, Don D. Steed Elementary, Rockfish Hoke Elementary, Upchurch Elementary, Sandy Grove Elementary, Hawk Eye Elementary, Hoke County High, West Hoke Middle, West Hoke Elementary SandHoke Early College High School and East Hoke Middle.

gle J Council of Governments.

“Triangle J has been working on rebranding its charter since May of 2022,” said Commissioner Wilma Laney. “The new name for Triangle J COG will become Central Pines Regional Council. This has been known as the Triangle J Council of Governments for years, and the rebranding will make it seem more inclusive because we all know what we think about when we say the Triangle. We’re going to rebrand it, and it will be more inclusive.”

“There’s a number of these across the state (17), and it’s kind of a collection of towns that have sort of similar interests. And that’s why they have these designations in different regions,” said Mayor Robert Farrell. “I know this town has used the services in the past, but they’re always ready to answer questions or send someone down to speak with us.”

Finally, the board approved a partial road closure on Elm Street for through traffic in conjunction with NCDOT’s realignment program of underground utilities on US-1.

“The DOT is moving Southern Pines’ main water line on an alternate alignment and relocating some of our utilities along Elm Street and Poplar Street because of that movement and in anticipation for after the US Open and starting the Super Street project,” said Director of Public Works Harold Watts.

The Aberdeen Town Board will next meet June 26.

PJ WARD-BROWN | THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Moore County:

June 1

Trivia Thursday at the Brewery

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.

June 2

Carthage Farmers Market 2pm – 6pm

Come out and support your local farmers at the brand-new farmers market in Carthage! The market features fresh produce, meats, eggs, and handmade goods! The market will be set up on S. Ray Street in the parking lot across from the post office.

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Where are Woodward and Bernstein when we need them

THE CONSPIRACY BETWEEN a corrupt set of bureaucracies (including the Justice Department, the IRS, and the intelligence community) and an equally corrupt and enabling elite media is astonishing. The Durham Report is just one more confirmation of the devastating level of dishonesty and manipulation which have characterized the last few years.

The signal had been sent that protecting the left would itself be protected.

Some analysts believe the open corruption can be traced back to Lois Lerner and the IRS scandal, in which she clearly stonewalled conservative organizations from getting tax status. When she was found to be in contempt of Congress, the Obama Justice Department spent two years ignoring the congressional contempt charge and then decided not to prosecute her.

As Congressman Jim Jordan said at the time, US Attorney Ronald Machen was “us[ing] his power as a political weapon to undermine the rule of law.” Jordan went on “Mr. Machen … unilaterally decided to ignore the will of the House of Representatives. He and the Justice Department have given Lois Lerner cover for her failure to account for her actions at the IRS.”

The signal had been sent that protecting the left would itself be protected.

This lesson was reinforced in the cover up about the terrorist attack at Benghazi. The Obama administration was worried that the killing of an American ambassador — despite his consistent appeals to the State Department for more security — would hurt the president’s reelection campaign. So, the administration adopted a strategy of simply lying to the American people.

This began the week of the attack when the administration did everything it could to avoid responsibility for a terrorist killing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. In fact, the Obama White House immediately sent former United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice on five network shows to blame an Americanmade anti-Muslim video for causing the supposed unrest. It was exactly what Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick had warned against in her famous “Blame America First” description of liberals. We now know that the entire story was a falsehood, and no one in Benghazi was motivated by a film they had never seen.

When then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before Congress, she dismissed the whole question of responsibility for the failure to protect Stevens. She even failed to be honest about his murder famously saying: “With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they’d they go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?”

The leftists in the national bureaucracies learned a big lesson from Lerner and Clinton. Whatever you need to do to defeat the right or protect the left is OK. You can get away with it. There is no responsibility for your actions if you are protecting the corrupt system.

This Pride stuff isn’t healthy

I’VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD ethnic, race, gender or sex pride. Even as a kid. For my bar mitzvah, someone gave me a book titled “Great Jews in Sports” or something like it.

Aside from the usual jokes — it was not a long book; the print and the photos were very large — what I remember best was that I had little interest in the book. I loved sports. And I strongly identified as a Jew — I was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home and attended yeshivas until the age of 19. So, my disinterest in the book didn’t emanate from either disinterest in sports or disinterest in Jews. I was keenly interested in both.

But even at the age of 13, the idea of ethnic pride meant little to me.

As far as I could tell, my friends — and, of course, the relative who gave me the book — considered the book quite meaningful. They were proud of Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg, of the great Cleveland Indians third baseman Al Rosen, of the lightweight boxing champ Benny Leonard, and the other Jews who were featured.

I apparently marched to the beat of a quirky drummer. It turned out, however, that my attitude at 13 wasn’t a quirk. Though I didn’t realize it then, it was actually the dawning of a conviction — that maybe group pride wasn’t a great idea.

The next time that view hit me was when I was in college and the slogan “black is beautiful” was becoming popular. This time I did more than not relate to group pride; I objected to it. How could a race be beautiful? Isn’t the idea of a beautiful race itself racist? When I raised these questions in my college and graduate school years, I was given one of two answers: After being put down for so many years, blacks needed to bolster their self-image. And since blacks — especially black women — had suffered greatly because white beauty was the normative standard of physical beauty, “black is beautiful” was a much-needed corrective.

These were entirely understandable explanations. But I still recoiled. Perhaps being a Jew born only a few years after the Holocaust rendered race-based pride scary.

It turned out my instinct was right: It is scary. “Black is beautiful” soon morphed into “black power,” a phrase that, often accompanied with a raised clenched fist, was meant to be scary. And then, in an echo of Aryan racism, terms like “race traitor” were thrown around to describe any black who wasn’t into “black power” or “black solidarity.”

Soon, feminist women joined the group solidarity bandwagon with “girl power”; “I am woman, hear me roar”; “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle”; “Any job a man can do, a woman can do better” and other puerile celebrations of “sisterhood,” a term which applied only to women who shared feminist views. Women who didn’t share those views were not just gender-traitors; they weren’t even women. Ms. magazine founder Gloria Steinem famously called conservative Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison a “female impersonator.”

Group pride is a characteristic of all left-wing thought and activism.

That lesson was publicly driven home in late June 2016, when former President Bill Clinton walked uninvited onto the airplane of Attorney General Loretta Lynch at the Phoenix airport. The FBI was investigating the former president’s wife (and Democratic presidential candidate) for a variety of charges including deleting more than 33,000 government emails and having staff destroy computer hard drives with a hammer.

It is hard to imagine anything more inappropriate than a former president visiting an attorney general while his wife (and presidential candidate) was being actively investigated by the FBI.

As then-candidate Donald Trump described in a tweet “Take a look at what happened w/ Bill Clinton. The system is totally rigged. Does anybody really believe that meeting was just a coincidence?”

We now know from the Durham Report — and the reports from Chairman James Comer and the House Oversight Committee — that candidate and then-President Trump has been consistently smeared and defamed by corrupt elements of the Washington bureaucracy on a scale which makes Watergate look trivial.

At the same time, the corrupt system was working overtime to protect Joe Biden and his family. The stunning dual nature of the corruption makes the present moment so dangerous for the future of the rule of law — and the entire constitutional process which has protected American freedom for more than 200 years.

As deeply and persuasively corrupt as the bureaucracy has become, the other great decay since Watergate has been the corruption of the elite media. The New York Post, Fox News, and a few others have attempted some sense of honest coverage. Smaller conservative publications, podcasts, and social media have called out the big media systems for being active allies of the corrupt bureaucracy. Still, when needed, the elite corporate media have eagerly smeared President Trump and enthusiastically lied to protect the Bidens.

There are no Bob Woodwards or Carl Bernsteins courageously working to uncover the truth and get it published. (Indeed, Woodward has reinvented himself into a chief Trump smear-monger.)

There are no courageous editors like Ben Bradley backing up the reporters. There are no fearless publishers like Katharine Graham willing to risk lawsuits and withstand the anger of the government.

Today, there is only a corrupt media protecting a corrupt establishment. The challenge to the American people to get at the truth is far more difficult than it was when Richard Nixon was under attack.

The establishment rot threatens our survival as a free people, and it is increasingly difficult to uproot. Where are the Woodwards and Bernsteins when we need them most?

The most recent incarnation of group pride is LGBTQ pride. Every company, every professional sports team, every Democratic politician, even the armed forces and American embassies around the world are expected to celebrate Pride Month, Pride Night and year-round LGBTQ Pride.

This is problematic for at least two reasons.

First, what exactly is one proud of? What accomplishment is involved in being gay, lesbian or bisexual? Even trans is allegedly built into one’s nature. Isn’t the entire premise of the LGBTQ movement that one does not choose one’s sexual orientation or sexual identity? Wasn’t anyone who argued that homosexuality is a choice declared a hater and a science denier? So, then, if no choice is involved, no effort on the part of the individual — let alone no moral accomplishment — what is there to be proud of? Maybe I couldn’t identify with Jewish pride over great Jewish athletes, but at least they all actually accomplished something.

The other problematic element has to do with why the LGBTQ movement does everything possible to bludgeon every institution into celebrating Pride Nights, Days, Weeks and Months. The reason is the totalitarian nature of all left-wing movements. Unlike liberal and conservative movements, every leftwing movement is totalitarian. Therefore, it is not enough for people to tolerate or even show respect to LGBTQ individuals. We must all celebrate lesbianism, male homosexuality, the transgendered and queers. No left-wing movement is a movement for tolerance. They are movements that demand celebration.

For the first time in any of our lifetimes, the Left may have met an immovable obstacle. Americans are prepared to tolerate just about everything and everyone. But at least half of us will not celebrate girls who have their breasts removed — or the therapists and physicians who facilitate it. At least half of us will not celebrate men dressed as women, especially those who dance in front of 6-year-olds. And while some medical schools have been cowed into saying “birthing person” rather than “pregnant woman,” at least half of us will hold the cowards who run these medical schools in contempt.

I return to my opening point. I have devoted much of my life to helping my fellow Jews. It started when I was 21 years old, and the Israeli foreign office sent me into the Soviet Union to smuggle in Jewish items and smuggle out names of Jews wanting to leave the Soviet Union. I have brought many disaffected Jews back to Judaism. And I have constantly fought for Israel’s security. I am very happy to be a Jew. But I don’t quite relate to being proud of it — it was not my achievement; it was an accident of birth. That is equally true of your race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity and orientation. You don’t get credit for, shouldn’t be proud of and have no right to demand others celebrate something you had nothing to do with.

Finally, if you’re honest, group pride must be accompanied by group shame. Yes, a disproportionate number of Nobel Prize winners were Jews. But a disproportionate number of Western spies for Stalin were also Jews. If you’re not prepared to be ashamed of your group, don’t take pride in it. That rule applies to blacks, gays, women, Christians and every other group in the world.

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

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

COLUMN | DENNIS PRAGER

Group pride is a characteristic of all left-wing thought and activism.

Gary Clyde Dull, Jr.

November 28, 1971 - May 27, 2023

With deepest sorrow, we announce that Gary Clyde Dull, Jr., age 51, has passed away on Saturday, May 27, 2023.

Gary will be missed by his parents, Gary & Carla Dull, Bryan Dull (brother), Heather & Scott Clawson (sister & brother-in-law), Amzie, Preston and James Clawson (nephews), Yvonne Wood (aunt), James and Rose Peele (uncle and aunt) Erlene Brown and Connie Ellis (great-aunts), and many cousins.

We know that Gary is now with his grandparents: Clyde and Vivian Dull, JC and Earlene Peele, and his great aunts and great uncles.

Gary Clyde Dull, Jr., was born on November 28, 1971. We did not know at the time, that God had sent us a special needs child with multiple health issues.

Gary always loved the simple pleasures of life such as: having breakfast with granddaddy at Ms. Wenger’s, riding the dump truck with Uncle Paul, planting flowers with his mother, having fun with his sister, brother-in-law, and his nephews (he would call them his three boys) when they came home from New Jersey. On beautiful, sunny days, you would find Gary and his daddy, hitting golf balls at the local driving range. He always participated in the Special Olympics, and he had great pride in his many metals.

Louise Ann Hoover

August 13, 1931 - May 26, 2023

Louise Ann Hoover, 91, of Southern Pines, passed away peacefully on May 26, 2023 surrounded by her adoring family.

Born and raised in Lehighton, PA, she was the daughter of Charles and Verna Heffner and sister to Marian. A blind date on New Year’s Eve in 1946 led to forty-seven years of marriage and five children with Richard C. “Dick” Hoover, also of Lehighton.

Upon graduating from Kutztown State Teachers College, Lou Ann started her first job as a librarian at George School in Newtown, PA. In 1957, Lou Ann and Dick established Hoover’s Pharmacy, a mainstay of State Street in Newtown. After raising their children and working at the store, Lou Ann returned to the George School Library and the community she cherished.

Lou Ann's love, compassion, and sense of humor brought joy to everyone who was fortunate enough to know her. She is survived by her children: Scott Hoover of Sarasota,FL; Doug (Kathy) Hoover of Cameron, NC; Jeff Hoover (Iris Nelson) of Gypsum, CO; Allyson (Chris) Stone of Cambridge, UK; and Amy (Jim) D’Antonio of Sewickley, PA, and nephews Bill (Diana) and David (Anne) Heymann. She will be forever missed by her twelve grandchildren and a growing number of great grandchildren.

Dorothy Savin Sykes

June 9, 1961 - May 22, 2023

Dorothy Savin Sykes, age 61, died Monday, May 22, 2023 at her home in Pinehurst. Dorothy was a native of Elizabeth City, NC, the daughter of Roy and Janet Savin. She graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in computer science and also received a master’s degree in business administration from Pfeiffer University. She was retired from Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst. Dorothy was a life-long member of the Evangelical Methodist Church in Elizabeth City. She enjoyed hiking, mountain waterfalls, spending time on the beach, and playing the piano.

She is survived by her husband, David V. Sykes, her parents, Roy and Janet Savin of Elizabeth City, NC, a brother, Don Savin and wife Debbie of Raleigh, NC, 1 niece and several nephews.

Gregory John Downer

April 13, 1956 - May 22, 2023

Gregory John Downer, 67, of Seven Lakes, NC formerly Acton, MA, died May 22nd in a tragic car accident. He was a proud graduate of Clarkson College of Technology, where he also received a Masters in Electrical Engineering and met the love of his life, Jean, while ice skating. Formerly employed by Raytheon in Sudbury, MA, he was currently employed as a manager at Jackson Hewitt in Aberdeen, NC. He and Jean also have special memories of travel to Yellowstone, Catalina Island, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, Lake Bonaparte, and Helsinki.

Greg, predeceased by his father, Vincent, is survived by his wife of 39 years, Jean McCuen Downer; his mother Paula of Greensboro; daughters Katelin of Burlington, MA, and Kendall of Pittsburgh, PA; brothers Glenn (Pattie), Doug (Shelly), Carl (Vickie Nylander); and several nieces and nephews.

James "Jim" Heustess

May 23, 1948 - May 20, 2023

James “Jim” Heustess, an influential and respected figure in the waste management industry, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 74 on May 20, 2023. A man known for his unwavering dedication to his family, business ventures and health, leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire all.

Jim was born on May 23, 1948 in Columbus County, North Carolina to the late James and Doris Heustess. He had a generous heart and always put others before himself. He was a man of robust health and was deeply committed to maintaining a heart-conscious lifestyle. He was a beloved family man, survived by his son, Meares Heustess a sweet grandson, James Kegan Heustess, a sister, Doris Anna Tolan and the love of his life, Rose Marie Heustess.

Barabara Jean Leake

October 6, 1930 - May 23, 2023

Barbara Jean Leake, 92 of Whispering Pines, passed away on May 23, 2023.

Born on October 6, 1930 in Omaha, Nebraska to the late Troy and Dorothy Fryer.

In addition to her parents, Barbara was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence Francis Leake and son, Paul Anthony Leake. She is survived by three children, Cristie L. Ward, Marc L. Leake and Larry L. Leake.

Mary Lee Carroll McGovern

October 20, 1936 - May 21, 2023

Mary Lee Carroll McGovern, affectionately known to many as Aunt Toodie, 86, of Southern Pines, NC, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2023 at the Hospice House in Pinehurst with loving family by her side.

Phyllis A. Marion

February 3, 1948 - May 21, 2023

Phyllis A. Marion, 75 of Aberdeen, passed away on Sunday, May 21, 2023 at FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst. Born 1948 in Chicago. She was a fifty-year healthcare provider as a RN, PNP and a Doctor of Nursing Science from Columbia University. She is survived by her husband of fiftyone years, Jean Charles; son, Johnathan of New York. Phyllis is preceded in death by her daughter, Marielle.

Carlo Lawrence Giambelluca

September 28, 1939 - May 19, 2023

Arthur M. Blue

March 12, 1965 - May 20, 2023

Arthur M. Blue, age 58 of Pinehurst, NC, went peacefully to the Lord on Saturday, May 20, 2023 surrounded by his loving family.

Mary was born on October 20, 1936 to Mary Lou and Haywood Carroll in Richmond County, NC.

In the late 70’s, Mary earned a degree in accounting and worked in that field for many years. After which, she owned and operated a day care in Chapel Hill, NC up until her retirement in 2001.

Mary is survived by her son, Donald Brace of Apex, NC; granddaughters Ashlee Morris, Taylor Brace and Tanner Brace. She is also survived by her brother, Robert Carroll (Betty); and her companion of 13 years, Norman “Nemo” Oliveau. She was predeceased by her son, Mark Brace; her sisters, Ruby Jenkins and Evelyn Morgan; her brothers, James Carroll and Hassell Carroll; and both her parents.

Carlo Lawrence Giambelluca, age 83 of Vass, NC passed away on May 19, 2023 surrounded by his loving family. Carlo was born in Buffalo NY to Lawrence and Constance Augello Giambelluca. Carlo taught High School Math and coached Women’s Basketball and Track and Field for 36 years at Maryvale High School in Cheektowaga, NY.

Carlo is survived by his wife, Patricia (“Pam”) Giambelluca; his children Christopher (Catherine) Giambelluca, Gabrielle (Richard) Kyser, Lawrence (Anne) Giambelluca, Michael (Carolyn) Giambelluca, and Maureen (Richard) Leatherbarrow. He is also survived by his sister JoAnn (Nicholas) Skaros, 16 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and his beloved dog Cody. Carlo was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Tom Giambelluca and his sister Mary Jo Giambelluca.

Art was born and raised in Moore County, NC. He received his Juris Doctorate at Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, and practiced as an attorney in Carthage, NC for 33 years. Art loved practicing law and was extraordinarily committed to his clients’ cause.

Art’s greatest pride and joy was his family. He and Michelle traveled together and provided a loving home for their family.

Art is survived by his loving wife of 28 years, Michelle; his children Cameron Hall (Sam), Ian Blue, and Adrian Garner. He is also survived by his parents Mack “Skipper” and Brenda Blue, sister Beth Morgan (Steve), grandchildren Ryan, Aven, Gracelyn and Kru, and countless extended family and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandparents George and Delia Blue, and Burton and Elizabeth Danley.

Chatham News & Record

Splashing into summer

Pools across Chatham County opened on Memorial Day weekend. Residents from across Siler City gathered at Bray Park in Siler City to go for a dip. Earlier this month, Siler City reported a local lifeguard shortage which could have impacted Bray Park operations. Since the News + Record reported that story, however, Siler City Town Manager Hank Raper said the town has hired more than a dozen lifeguards to support local operations. More pictures of Memorial Day splashes on PAGEB6.

Balancing act: community plan looks to weigh future needs with current concerns

By Ben Rappaport Chatham News + Record

MONCURE — Don Brown,

Painting ceramic trees is one of the activities offered through Candice Beal’s Heart Studio summer craft courses for kids in Chatham.

Crafter’s HeART Studio hosts summer craft time sessions

By Taylor Heeden Chatham News + Record

BONLEE — Candace Beal shared a love for arts and crafts with her daughter, Caroline. Now, Beal wants to share that passion with Bonlee’s children through week-long crafting sessions this summer, which will take place at Crafter’s HeART Studio.

“This is the first time I’ve done art classes for children … I will do a different thing every day with them,” Beal told the News + Record.

Beal opened the studio a couple of years ago in honor of her deceased daughter, who died in Jackson, Mississippi, under mysterious circumstances in 2017 when she was 24 years old.

“She was the sweetest girl,” Beal said. “She just was so energetic and loving. She just loved people.”

Beal decided turn her grief into action when she bought the properties at 14 and 16 Bonlee Bennett Road and created the craft studio and the Bonlee Trading Post. Both establishments are Beal’s way to leave her mark on the community and honor her daughter.

“I always say that she [Caroline] is the heart in Crafter’s HeART,” Beal said. “This is all done in her memory.”

Various crafting classes have been held at the Crafter’s HeART Studio since its opening in 2021. With summer approaching and the school year

coming to a close, Beal wanted to provide an opportunity for Chatham County’s children to express themselves.

Thus, Summer Craft Time was born — four, week-long crafting classes will be held for Chatham County youth. Parents can sign their young ones up for a week of arts and crafts fun for $100, or if there’s only one craft a child is interested in, they can do the single class day for $25.

Beal said teaching people how to craft has become a passion of hers, and it’s something she never realized could have such a large impact.

“These are more heirloom kind of projects … to pass from generation to generation,” Beal said.

“It’s not just the canvas that they worked on that one night … but it’s something they can really keep. It’s really personal.”

Some of the crafts that will be offered over the summer include:

• Barn quilts

• Ceramic trees, pumpkins, and a wide variety of lighted items

• Wreaths

• Bows

• Door hangers

Summer Craft Time

like many in Moncure, can trace his lineage to the community back several generations. Nowadays, he’s in sound financial standing and says he could move elsewhere if he wanted. But he doesn’t. Moncure is the community that raised him and showed him what mattered in life, which is why he’s still around. Likewise, he doesn’t want to see his closeknit rural town lose its unique qualities.

“Areas like this (Moncure)

are fast becoming extinct,” Brown said. “I used to see dirt roads everywhere and say ‘dang I hope this gets paved.’ Now, I look at those dirt roads and say ‘gosh I hope that dirt road stays.’” Brown also acknowledges, however, that change is on the horizon for Moncure. With VinFast, FedEx and other industrial development opportunities on the way, there’s a need to balance the opportunities of the future with the desires of existing residents. The industrial growth could

Schools

locations

The longtime neighbors in downtown Siler City will have new offices opening soon

By Ben Rappaport Chatham News + Record

SILER CITY — A stroll around downtown Siler City may look a bit different today than it did several years ago. New businesses are taking over or changing hands seemingly every month and development in the area has become the talk of the town.

That change is also afoot for two organizations that became staples of downtown Siler City by providing valuable services to families in need across the county. Both Hispanic Liaison and Communities In Schools of Chatham County are moving from their respective offices downtown to new locations.

The lease on the building the two shared on North Chatham Avenue, across from The Chatham Rabbit, was expiring and they jointly decided it was time to make a change.

For the Hispanic Liaison — which aims to foster intercul-

tural understanding and empower Latinxs to overcome the challenges they face and make their voices heard in the community — the new office will be a permanent home. The organization bought its new building on 404 N. Holly Ave., the former office of Ward and Foust.

After a brief closure from June 2 to 18 to move in, Hispanic Liaison will officially open its new office on Tuesday, June 20.

“This is a huge step to ensure our sustainability,” said Ilana Dubester, Hispanic Liaison executive director, in an email message to members. “We can now comfortably accommodate our community and team members.”

Communities In Schools, which works to surround students with a network of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life, has moved to Siler City Business Park at 108 Village Lake Road. The new office, next to the Western Chatham Senior Center, is already officially open.

Hispanic Liaison

Dubester said negotiations and preparing for the move took up the bulk of her winter

also lead to a new grocery store or community center nearby. Currently, Moncure residents have to travel nearly 30 minutes to the closest grocery store in Pittsboro. Perhaps the growth is a way to get some of those things closer to home. But some residents don’t want change. As Brown said, “It’s hard to have your cake and eat it too.”

“I could’ve lived in many places, but I decided many years ago that I’m just fine here,” Brown said. “Wherever

See MONCURE, page A7

months this year. Since the decision to move was made in January, the organization did not have time to facilitate a capital campaign for the new building. “It’s a lot more space than we have now,” Dubester said of the new office. “Our office has been too small for a long time.” Hispanic Liaison was housed on North Chatham Avenue for 26 years, so the change feels monumental. But Dubester said it was a necessary time for a switch because the cramped office space was preventing the organization from expand-

See LIAISON, page A12

On the move: Hispanic Liaison and Communities In

both moving to new

“People come in and say, ‘I have no crafting ability whatsoever,’ and they leave with the most beautiful projects.”

CREDIT: COURTESY OF CANDICE BEAL

MATT RAMEY | CHATHAM NEWS + RECORD

Chatham News & Record www.chathamnewsrecord.com

North State Media LLC 303 West Raleigh Street, Siler City, North Carolina 27344

Copyright 2023 North State Media LLC

Neal Robbins, Publisher publisher@northstatejournal.com 336-552-6800

NEWSROOM

Matt Mercer, Editor in Chief matt@northstatejournal.com

Griffin Daughtry, Local News Editor griffin@northstatejournal.com

Lauren Rose, Design Editor lauren@northstatejournal.com

Taylor Heeden, Reporter/Web Editor theeden@chathamnr.com

Cory Lavalette, Statewide Sports Editor cory@northstatejournal.com

Jeremy Vernon, Chatham Sports Editor jeremy@chathamnr.com

Valeria Cloës, news intern valeriacloes@chathamnr.com

ADVERTISING

Jason Justice jjustice@chathamnr.com Advertising Inquiries advertising@chathamnr.com

OFFICE

Karen Pyrtle karen@chathamnr.com

Doris Beck doris@chathamnr.com

Florence Turner billing@chathamnr.com

The Chatham News + Record (USPS #101-160) is published weekly, 52 weeks a year, by North State Media LLC, 303 West Raleigh Street, Siler City, N.C. 27344.

N.C. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Chatham News + Record, PO Box 290, Siler City, N.C. 27344

CONTACT US

For a vacation hold or to report a delivery problem: 919-663-3232

To place a classified or display ad: 919-663-3232; Fax: 919-6634042

To submit a news tip or correction: 919-663-3232; email: news@ chathamnr.com

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Subscription rates begin at $6.58/month (1 year print + digital, paid annually) or $4.92/month (digital only, paid annually). Pick your plan at www. chathamnewsrecord.com/ subscribe.

Auto-renew; cancel anytime Get in touch!

www chathamnewsrecord.com

CHURCH NEWS

Mt. Vernon Springs Presbyterian Church

The annual Homecoming service and luncheon will be held Sunday, June 4 at 11

a.m. at Mt. Vernon Springs Presbyterian Church, located at 1225 Mt. Vernon Springs Road, Siler City. You are invited.

Cameron Grove Ame Zion Church

@ChathamNR

Hickory Mt. Chapel

Join us June 4, 2023 for our annual homecoming services. Worship begins at 11 a.m. with a covered dish lunch following. Come enjoy worshiping our Lord and the friendly fellowship with everyone here at 201 Hadley Mill Road, Pittsboro.

The Women’s Conference will be held Friday, June 2, at 7: p.m. and Saturday, June 3, at 6: p.m. The Friday speaker will be Reverend Stacy Bell McAllister of Chestnut AME Zion Church, and Saturday’s speaker will be Pastor Pansy Green of Try Jesus Ministries, Sanford. Cameron Grove Church is located at 309 Vernon St, Broadway. Vendors will be on site.

Wolfspeed: New Siler City factory may not qualify for federal incentives

By Ben Rappaport Chatham News + Record

SILER CITY — Call it semantics, or call it nuance. Either way, it may be costing Wolfspeed billions in federal incentive funding.

The current wording of the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act may mean Wolfspeed’s proposed Siler City factory, with an estimated $5 billion in economic investment and 1,800 new jobs, would lose out on the major incentive package.

The CHIPS Act was signed into law by the President Joe Biden Administration last August, and it aims to provide funding to boost American-made silicon carbide chips. Specifically, the funding is directed to advanced manufacturing facilities centered on semiconductor production.

Executives at top chip manufacturers and other industry experts have long predicted

the demand for silicon carbide chips would exceed the current supply. According to The Wall Street Journal, China accounts for a third of global chip sales. This act was meant to remedy the supply issue and incentivize chip production in the U.S.

A lawyer from Wolfspeed, Bradley Kohn, told the IRS in a letter this month that under the definition of advanced manufacturing provided by the CHIPS Act, Wolfspeed’s new factory would not qualify.

The definition “excludes essential semiconductor-grade material production facilities,” Kohn’s letter said. The Chatham County facility is slated to be a material production facility for the company’s silicon carbide chips.

The exclusion of the Siler City plant under the current language of the act is especially surprising given the recent visit to the area by President Biden in March. During his stop in

Guide COMMUNITY

Notice Of Hearings, Town Of Siler City

The following item will be considered by the Siler City Town Council as a public hearing. The hearing will be conducted during the Town Council’s regular meeting on June 5, 2023 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Siler City Court Room of the Siler City Town Hall at 311 N. 2nd Ave.

Durham, he specifically touted Wolfspeed as a key benefactor of the CHIPS Act and praised its $5 billion economic investment, the largest in North Carolina history.

The company isn’t alone in criticizing how CHIPS Act funding distribution. Chipmakers, including Wolfspeed, say putting limits on the grant program could make it more difficult for U.S. companies to compete and access funds, according to Triangle Business Journal.

Wolfspeed says its incoming facility, located at the Chatham Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) site, would be a 10-fold increase in the company’s output. The facility received more $160 million in statewide incentives and an additional $615 million in local incentives from Chatham County and Siler City to seal the deal on its new N.C. facility, which was announced last September.

The Chatham County Historical Association Museum will be open from noon to 4 p.m. for Pittsboro’s First Sunday on June 4. Visit the Chatham Geology Exhibit to learn about the bedrock, landscape, soils, groundwater, mining and energy resources of Chatham County. The museum is located in the Historical Courthouse, 9 Hillsboro St., Pittsboro, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Admission is free. We follow state and local directives regarding masks and distancing. 919-5426222.

Chatham Community Library to Host, “Sounds of Freedom, From Slavery to Civil Rights”

In recognition of Juneteenth, the Library will host, “The Sounds of Freedom, From Slavery to Civil Rights” with gospel singer and historian Mary D. Williams on Saturday, June 10, from 2 to 3 p.m. This program is free and open to the public, at Holmes Family Meeting Room, Chatham Community Library, 197 NC-87, Pittsboro.

The Siler City Lion’s Club meetings for June at Dry Dock Seafood Restaurant, will be June 13 and 27 at 6 p.m. Join the Club, and see that you can make a difference in the world and your local community. We meet the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Together we serve!

The Goldston Public Library announces the Goldston Book Club, every 2nd Monday of each month, from 2 to 3 p.m. Individuals who are interested in joining a book club can stop by the Goldston Public Library. The Chatham County Council on Aging will host a “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” support group the first Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. at the Western Chatham Senior Center, Siler City. This group is geared toward older adults who are primary caregivers and providers for their grandchildren. For more information, contact William Riggsbee at 919-742-3975 ext. 223 or email william.riggsbee@ chathamcountync.gov.

The Chatham County Council on Aging hosts a Caregiver Support Group each Monday. The group meets the first and third Mondays of the month at 3 p.m. at the Eastern Chatham Senior Center, in Pittsboro, and the second Monday at 3 p.m. at the Western Chatham Senior Center, in Siler City. The fourth Monday of each month is a virtual meeting via the Zoom platform starting at 6 p.m. This group is geared toward family members who are currently providing short - or long-term care to loved ones. For more information or to obtain virtual meeting login information, contact William Riggsbee, family caregiver specialist, at 919-742-3975 ext. 223 or email william.riggsbee@ chathamcountync.gov.

COMMUNITY MEALS:

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Pittsboro distributes two meals each week for the benefit of the community. From noon to 1 p.m. each Thursday, the Pittsboro Community Lunch (in its 15th year!) provides healthy, ready-toeat meals to all who come. Just arrive hungry! Then from 4:30 to 6 p.m. each Tuesday, the Chatham Chuckwagon provides cooked/ frozen entrees that are ideal for quick dinners. These meals are provided at no cost (although donations are welcomed!). Our volunteers invite you to join our efforts to preserve a caring and sharing community spirit. The church is located at 204 W. Salisbury St., Pittsboro. For more information, call 919-542-5679.

Second Bloom’s hours are from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesday until Saturday. Credit cards are accepted. We are located in the Food Lion shopping center, Pittsboro. All proceeds provide support for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and promote community education in collaboration with Chatham County.

@ChathamNR

“Join the conversation”

Thales Academy Holly Springs Campus expanding with new junior/high school building as it prepares for full K-12 campus

Thales Academy

HOLLY SPRINGS — Thales Academy, a college preparatory network of K-12 independent schools based in North Carolina, is expanding its campus in Holly Springs to build a new junior high/high school building and a standalone gymnatorium building as it prepares to become a full K-12 campus.

The new buildings are slated to open for the 2024-2025 school year. Serving grades Pre-K through 7th grade this school year, the campus is adding 8th grade for the 2023-2024 school year.

It will continue to add grades through 12 grade in the future, contingent on adequate interest and enrollment for staffing.

“Holly Springs and Southern Wake County at large are experiencing tremendous growth, and we have had strong demand for our Thales Academy Holly Springs campus,” said Bob Luddy, founder and chairman of Thales Academy. “I am so happy to announce the expansion of this campus to allow for us to accommodate more students and more grades and offer additional buildings and amenities to

enhance their learning environment.”

Mirroring the new construction taking place at the recently announced Thales Academy at Flowers Plantation campus expansion in Clayton, North Carolina, Thales Academy Holly Springs will add two new buildings to its campus: A second two-story school academic building similar in style to the existing building but with enhanced columns and features, as well as a standalone gymnatorium.

Both buildings will reflect a modern, yet classical, aesthetic modeled after beauty and order, and will offer large floor-to-ceiling glass windows that provide an abundance of natural light.

The expansion will add new campus facilities and amenities as well: a chemistry lab, a STEM/robotics/vocational arts lab, a weight room, and indoor volleyball and basketball courts. All facilities will boast a beautiful, secure design outfitted with the latest safety and security features, including controlled-access doors, security cameras, and background check systems for all visitors, as well as advanced HVAC units that provide

Thales Academy, a college preparatory network of K-12 independent schools based in North Carolina, is expanding its campus in Holly Springs to build a new junior high/high school building and a standalone gymnatorium building as it prepares to become a full K-12 campus.

up to 100% outdoor air for superior indoor air quality.

“I have worked at Thales Academy Holly Springs since its founding when much of our inaugural year of classes was held at another campus while we waited for our own campus building to be completed,” remarks Molly Thomas, Administrator, Thales Academy Holly Springs. “So to see our Thales Academy Holly Springs campus experiencing such wonderful growth and ex-

Congratulations, Catherine!

Rotary Club of Pittsboro recently honored Northwood Senior, Catherine Hall, with a Service Above Self Award & Scholarship. During the pandemic, she organized the largest student supported position to take lunch outdoors at Northwood. Catherine will be attending UNC this fall with the intent to double major & pursue her goal of becoming an entertainment lawyer. She is a talented instrumentalist, singer, and actress.

We wish you all the best, Catherine!

pansion just a handful of years later is so exciting.”

The Junior High and High School programs at Thales Academy follow a classical curriculum — A systematic, rigorous program that develops a student’s ability to think critically and deeply. Students in grades 6 through 12 benefit from the regular incorporation of the Socratic method of dialogue and discussion in the classroom, which encourages engagement beyond

a traditional teacher-delivered lecture.

The classical curriculum includes an emphasis on humanities, science and math, foreign language (including Latin), grammar/logic/rhetoric, and a strong focus on character and virtue along with a personalized, high-caliber college advising program.

This curriculum creates a firm foundation for Thales Academy graduates who move on to attend top colleges and universities, often receiving generous scholarships, and serve in various professions.

This year, Thales Academy is particularly proud to celebrate a 2023 Truman Scholar honor amongst its recent graduates.

Tuition at Thales Academy Holly Springs for 2023-2024 is currently $5,300-$6,300 per year (varying by grade level). Scholarships, a Full Pay Discount, and payment plans are available. Limited spaces are still open in 4th, 5th, and 7th grades for the coming school year, and applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested families can learn more and apply online at: www. ThalesAcademy.org.

COURTESY OF THALES ACADEMY

OPINION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

A donut Eucharist

THE FIRST FRIDAY in June is Nation Donut Day — let us celebrate! The day is holier than you might suspect.

I know there are plenty of jokes about donuts and overweight cops. Homer Simpson has contributed to the stereotype of a donuteating slob.

My earliest memories of donuts are connected to religious traditions, specifically Easter.

But donuts were distributed by volunteers of the Salvation Army to soldiers on the frontlines of World War I. These “donut lassies” would fry the dough in a soldier’s upside-down helmet! National Donut Day was established in 1938 to remember these volunteers as well as the troops. Donuts were about boosting morale, sharing food in difficult, even life-threatening situations.

The earliest Christian traditions claim that Jesus had broken bread with his disciples on the night he was betrayed and handed over to be crucified. To be sure, he didn’t pass out donuts. The bread was unleavened, that is, without yeast, for Jesus was celebrating the Jewish Passover — a ritual meal in remembrance of the Israelites exodus from slavery in Egypt. The slaves had to flee so quickly that they didn’t even have time for the bread to rise.

Donuts are designed for ease of eating. You can grab one on the go, whether rushing out the door to work or back to your desk from the office break room. You can eat them with one hand, conversing for a minute or two with a colleague or with a member of your faith community.

My earliest memories of donuts are connected to religious traditions, specifically Easter. My family would rise before dawn for worship at the Easter sunrise service. We gathered in a cemetery to mark Jesus’s resurrection from the dead. On the way home, we would stop for a treat at the local Krispy Kreme. On other Sundays,

there was a box of powered-sugar donut holes in the fellowship hall after service. But that Easter morning, melt-in-your-mouth glazed donut was extra special.

Now, I’m a pastor and I make my own kids go to church. Being confined to a sanctuary for an hour once a week is not exactly the same as slavery in Egypt, but when liberated from church, my kids race from the fellowship hall with donuts in their hands, free to play on the playground with their friends, sugar coursing through their veins. I watch and smile.

There was a time in college when I had lost my way. I began drinking too much, then taking drugs to stay up later and drink even more. It was a vicious cycle. I sought help at a dirty brick building behind a church on Tuesday evenings. A half-dozen, grislyfaced older men with bags under their eyes would smoke cigarettes outside the door. A Black man with a wide smile ushered me inside that first visit. In the corner of the small room, a card table had been hastily setup with a coffee pot and a box of donuts. Apologizing for not having any sugar or cream, Kevin said that I could sweeten my coffee this way — he broke a donut in half and swirled it around his Styrofoam cup. He handed me the other half and, as I took the donut and dipped it into my cup, it became holy communion.

Not all resurrections are sudden and glorious. Sometimes, all you need is a donut.

Andrew Taylor-Troutman is the pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church. His newly-published book is a collection of his columns for the Chatham News + Record titled “Hope Matters: Churchless Sermons.”

Where are Woodward and Bernstein when we need them

THE CONSPIRACY BETWEEN a corrupt set of bureaucracies (including the Justice Department, the IRS, and the intelligence community) and an equally corrupt and enabling elite media is astonishing. The Durham Report is just one more confirmation of the devastating level of dishonesty and manipulation which have characterized the last few years.

The signal had been sent that protecting the left would itself be protected.

Some analysts believe the open corruption can be traced back to Lois Lerner and the IRS scandal, in which she clearly stonewalled conservative organizations from getting tax status. When she was found to be in contempt of Congress, the Obama Justice Department spent two years ignoring the congressional contempt charge and then decided not to prosecute her.

As Congressman Jim Jordan said at the time, US Attorney Ronald Machen was “us[ing] his power as a political weapon to undermine the rule of law.” Jordan went on “Mr. Machen … unilaterally decided to ignore the will of the House of Representatives. He and the Justice Department have given Lois Lerner cover for her failure to account for her actions at the IRS.”

The signal had been sent that protecting the left would itself be protected.

This lesson was reinforced in the cover up about the terrorist attack at Benghazi. The Obama administration was worried that the killing of an American ambassador — despite his consistent appeals to the State Department for more security — would hurt the president’s reelection campaign. So, the administration adopted a strategy of simply lying to the American people.

This began the week of the attack when the administration did everything it could to avoid responsibility for a terrorist killing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. In fact, the Obama White House immediately sent former United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice on five network shows to blame an American-made anti-Muslim video for causing the supposed unrest. It was exactly what Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick had warned against in her famous “Blame America First” description of liberals. We now know that the entire story was a falsehood, and no one in Benghazi was motivated by a film they had never seen.

When then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before Congress, she dismissed the whole question of responsibility for the failure to protect Stevens. She even failed to be honest about his murder famously saying: “With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they’d they go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?”

The leftists in the national bureaucracies learned a big lesson from Lerner and Clinton. Whatever you need to do to defeat the right or protect the left is OK. You can get away with it. There is no responsibility for your actions if you are protecting the corrupt

system.

That lesson was publicly driven home in late June 2016, when former President Bill Clinton walked uninvited onto the airplane of Attorney General Loretta Lynch at the Phoenix airport. The FBI was investigating the former president’s wife (and Democratic presidential candidate) for a variety of charges including deleting more than 33,000 government emails and having staff destroy computer hard drives with a hammer.

It is hard to imagine anything more inappropriate than a former president visiting an attorney general while his wife (and presidential candidate) was being actively investigated by the FBI.

As then-candidate Donald Trump described in a tweet “Take a look at what happened w/ Bill Clinton. The system is totally rigged. Does anybody really believe that meeting was just a coincidence?”

We now know from the Durham Report — and the reports from Chairman James Comer and the House Oversight Committee — that candidate and then-President Trump has been consistently smeared and defamed by corrupt elements of the Washington bureaucracy on a scale which makes Watergate look trivial.

At the same time, the corrupt system was working overtime to protect Joe Biden and his family. The stunning dual nature of the corruption makes the present moment so dangerous for the future of the rule of law — and the entire constitutional process which has protected American freedom for more than 200 years.

As deeply and persuasively corrupt as the bureaucracy has become, the other great decay since Watergate has been the corruption of the elite media.

The New York Post, Fox News, and a few others have attempted some sense of honest coverage. Smaller conservative publications, podcasts, and social media have called out the big media systems for being active allies of the corrupt bureaucracy. Still, when needed, the elite corporate media have eagerly smeared President Trump and enthusiastically lied to protect the Bidens.

There are no Bob Woodwards or Carl Bernsteins courageously working to uncover the truth and get it published. (Indeed, Woodward has reinvented himself into a chief Trump smearmonger.)

There are no courageous editors like Ben Bradley backing up the reporters. There are no fearless publishers like Katharine Graham willing to risk lawsuits and withstand the anger of the government.

Today, there is only a corrupt media protecting a corrupt establishment. The challenge to the American people to get at the truth is far more difficult than it was when Richard Nixon was under attack.

The establishment rot threatens our survival as a free people, and it is increasingly difficult to uproot. Where are the Woodwards and Bernsteins when we need them most?

COLUMN | REV. ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

That country twang…

“HEY, TED!”

Walked back into my house from an errand and greeted a neighbor who was kindly being a handyman. Ted was on the deck and only vaguely heard me. Stepping back inside, he asked that I repeat myself. “Hey.” Easy-peasy. Done.

Almost imperceptibly, like water dripping on a rock, my drawl and colloquialism judgments just seemed to wear away.

Not. Not done at all. I stopped in my tracks, asking myself if I’d really just said “Hey!” (It’s not as if I haven’t said it 10,000 times before.) You ever have those mini-secs when a door opens from your past and a hazy memory mists its way into your consciousness? “Hey,” such an ordinary word a minute ago was now in freeze frame, my past and present realities in such contrast. I felt a bit time-drunk since my past aversive feelings regarding “Hey” pulled me in a very different direction than my current feelings.

That’s the rabbit hole I went down. And all because I said “Hey.”

I’ve lived in North Carolina for 28 years, a “say hey” Southern state, with many other renowned colloquialisms as well. However, I wasn’t raised to use “Hey” as a greeting. Not at all. It was proper to say “Hello” or “Hi,” but “Hey” — nope. Somehow, my early exposure to “Hey” left me believing it was a country rube term. Using “Hey” was country and ignorant. I wince while writing this… I’m glad my memory is still functional at this age but am sometimes aghast at the things I do recall.

So let’s just clean out that closet of my “country rube” judgments. I was a big-cityraised Houston girl. Southern, but kind of not. Somewhere along the cultural path of my growing-up years, I became a bit of a despotic grammarian — correcting people’s language in my head as they talked. Can’t really pin

down the source of my country rube-itis, but it matters not at this late date. What matters were my ongoing stringent judgments regarding the intelligence of folks whose deep Southern drawls and colloquialisms I had difficulty understanding. Wincing again. (The trials of being human, replete with my own sometimeschallenged views of humanity.)

In my early North Carolina years, colloquialism-wise, my judgments included:

Might could;

Mash that button;

Hey, honey (Jeez, I was a feminist!);

Pop top (No, no, it’s a can of soda!)

However, living with and experiencing real people in my adoptive state took over. Almost imperceptibly, like water dripping on a rock, my drawl and colloquialism judgments just seemed to wear away. And, my despotic grammarian took early retirement! (Bless her heart ��) Granted, she does pay a visit every now and then, but the visits seem to get shorter and shorter. Whew!

Am I still afflicted with an attitude of country rube-itis? Probably a tiny bit. Not an excuse, but a reality I want to strategically manage, just as I try to be mindful of other prejudiced thoughts that still, unexpectedly, pop up in my head. However, the gift of sharing this conundrum with you has allowed me to reclaim my comfort and wholeness with “Hey,” an informal word that better suits who I am now than “Hi” or “Hello.” So, wholeheartedly, I can say “Hey, y’all.” Jan Hutton is a retired hospice/hospital social worker who believes in living life with heart and humor. She has happily lived in Chatham for 20 years.

TO OUR NC LEGISLATORS:

Please improve our public schools instead of giving away our taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars for private school vouchers. We need a wellfunded public school system where every child in North Carolina is given the opportunity to learn with well-paid teachers. Founding Father Thomas Jefferson believed a welleducated public was needed to sustain democracy. Only a well-educated citizenry could make self-government succeed. He proposed a system of broad, free, public education for men and women alike. Don’t you think our democracy is important enough to provide that right by protecting our public school system? Weakening our public schools and promoting unaccountable private schools is a dangerous idea.

I received a wonderful public school education and taught 34 years in community colleges. So I want future generations to get a great public school education like I did. I am truly disturbed by the attempt to destroy public education that is in the new budget — Each child who goes to private school is money lost to our public school system. Plus, the millions of dollars to private schools could be used for improving the grammar schools across the state so every child leaving 3rd grade is successful at reading at 3rd-grade level and will have a more positive experience with school to become a productive and well-adjusted adult.

I received a wonderful public school education and taught 34 years in community colleges. So I want future generations to get a great public school education like I did.

Every child in North Carolina deserves to learn to read, and have a good vocabulary to think and articulate ideas. Our society needs well-adjusted, educated young people who can live up to their potential through the system Thomas Jefferson proposed for America. Please don’t waste our tax dollars on vouchers for people with money to pay for private schools. Now this awful bill is part of the proposed budget. When the governor vetoes it, please don’t override his veto.

Joy Hewett Pittsboro

Lessons in, of life take years to learn

At one time, I thought I’d retire. Now I know there’s not enough time to do that.

A SIGNIFICANT EVENT came my way this week.

No, it wasn’t the lottery or last house payment or even a note from old girlfriend Katherine (Kitty) Litter saying she finally realized she missed the boat all those years ago.

Instead, it was the annual celebration of some of my mama’s finest work, notably the day she brought me into the world.

I won’t mention the year this event came about or how many years it’s been but simply say it was before Ike came into the White House. But I’ll go on record, however, as saying I can’t believe how quickly it got here.

It’s been a while coming and there has been a fair amount of water over the dam and under the bridge. But I’m also glad the water continues flowing and I hope it will for some time. Looking back over those years, it doesn’t seem so long ago. People, places and events come to mind, and I wonder where they all are now.

Our little family came to Pittsboro when I was a wee, handsome — well, at least wee — little lad of five. My dad had changed careers and Chatham County was home to him and Mama anyway. Had that not happened, I would have grown up in Apex and never gotten acquainted with Bonlee or Harpers Crossroads or Rufus’ Restaurant and hundreds of wonderful folks.

My school days would have been spent in Wake County instead of the halls of Pittsboro High School, where I managed to get thrown out of school assembly my senior year when I was student body president and fouled out of a junior varsity basketball game during the warmups when I was in the 9th grade.

I think back on those growing-up days, remembering who dated who, who had what car, the words to every rock and roll song WKIX played, and many other important pieces of information. However, I could not then — and still cannot now — tell you the words to the French national anthem, how many bones a frog has in its body or how to find the square root of 147, all of which various teachers deemed essential at the time.

Instead, I think of the 20 or so classmates who are now precious memories. Ditto for the class ahead of and behind me.

The same thing happened with my college career, the one where I managed to cram a four-year course of study into seven years. I knew I was going to Chapel Hill to get an education; I just didn’t think it would all be on campus. And it wasn’t.

These days I remember the guys in my dorm — Chester “Chuck” Conner, who combined brains, books and looks into one great all-

around guy; Sam “Froggy” Greathouse, who got us into trouble with the dean because we hung out the second-story windows making pig-grunt noises at the female students as they walked by and is now one of those aforementioned memories; Ronald and Donald Green, the twins from Carthage who I never could tell apart and still couldn’t a few years ago when I bumped into them at a funeral service I conducted for a family member of a mutual friend, and numerous others whose faces come to mind but don’t bring names with them.

There are other highlights, many, in fact: A career in community journalism which led me to meet my better — much better — half when we worked beside each other in adjoining buildings in Pittsboro one summer; the wonderful days of courtship when I stopped running so she could catch me; the years since then with our two 40-somethings who at one time were teenagers who lived at my house and who now have produced their own set of humans, some of whom are teenagers and others who will soon be and who live at their houses, but for right now are without doubt the most wonderful grandchildren the world has ever seen.

And there are others — a job once that let me work with farmers and rural folks all over the two Carolinas, a seminary course of study that produced a change in careers and the subsequent places of service, and even an opportunity to combine journalism and ministry as a life’s work for several years.

At one time, I thought I’d retire. Now I know there’s not enough time to do that.

And maybe that’s the best lesson that has come from these yearly celebrations. I know I’m not the only person who has such momentous occasions.

My hope through the years of turning out these columns is that maybe once in a while (if you’re brave enough to read them) we all share the human condition known as life and that birthdays are another opportunity to get on with living it.

Hope yours is happy and prosperous … whenever it is and however many there are.

Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and retired long-time managing editor of the Chatham News/Chatham Record, having written a weekly column for more than 30 years. During most of his time with the newspapers, he was also a bi-vocational pastor and today serves Bear Creek Baptist Church for the second time as pastor.

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

Please don’t override his veto

FILE PHOTO

From Chatham County Sheriff’s Office

PITTSBORO — Chatham

County Sheriff’s Office members laced up their running shoes and hit the streets last Thursday and Friday mornings. They joined fellow law enforcement officers from across North Carolina to participate in the Special Olympics Torch Run. This event is part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), which is the largest year-round campaign for Special Olympics, aiming to raise public awareness and funds.

On Thursday morning, May 25, Sheriff’s Office personnel and other supporters ran alongside students from Jordan-Matthews and Chatham Central high schools, carrying the torch approximately one mile from the N.C. Highway Patrol Station in Siler City to the Siler City Police Dept. Along their N. Second Ave. route, runners were motivated by the music of Bon Jovi and Survivor pulsating from speakers in the lead Sheriff’s Office vehicle. Runners waved at appreciative bystanders who cheered them on from the sidelines.

The torch’s journey continued Friday morning, May 26, with Sheriff’s Office personnel, accompanied by students from Northwood and Seaforth high schools, carrying the flame about a mile from North Chatham Fire Department’s Station 19 to the Seaforth Recreation Boat Ramp at Jordan Lake. During the spirited event, all runners took turns carrying the ceremonial torch and leading the pack of run-

CRAFT from page A1 two in July. Children ages six to 17 can participate, with six to 10-year-olds working from 10 a.m. to noon and ages 11 to 17 working from 1 to 4 p.m.

Beal said she’s developed a following in Bonlee, but wants to extend an invitation to the rest of the county to come to her crafting studio. Art is often an escape for people, including Beal. In fact, Beal is working to become a certified art therapist, and she hopes to be able to use her passion for arts and crafts to bring positivity into the lives of her

ners. Prior to each relay, Sheriff Mike Roberson offered his encouragement and appreciation to everyone helping bolster the important work of Special Olympics.

“I’m excited that you’re here,” Sheriff Roberson said, addressing the runners. “Thank you for running with us. We’ve got the fire department here, the Highway Patrol, and our deputies. This is a group effort and I

neighbors.

“Their mind is just focused on the colors and the project and not so much the outside world,” Beal said. “It’s remarkable to watch them pick the colors, pick their brushes, sit down, prepare and then just go off into this world of creativity.”

The studio and the trading post also play a crucial role in Beal’s dreams and aspirations — she wants to rebuild Bonlee to be a place the old and young can be proud of. In a previous interview with the News + Record, Beal explained how downtown Bonlee became unrecognizable to her.

want to thank all of you for being part of this.”

Roberson offered a special thanks to the students from each of the high schools who joined the effort. “I’m so proud of the students who are here, the leaders in our schools who are involved in this inclusion,” the Sheriff said. “What you are doing is magical stuff for your community and you’re making a big difference in other people’s lives.”

Overgrown grass overtook yards and perimeters of sidewalks. Buildings were vandalized and abandoned.

When Beal first bought the block the buildings were on, the windows were shattered and the storefront was painted a blue-green color she felt did not suit her ideas for her businesses. Since then, Beal had the windows and doors replaced, as well as completely repainted and renovated the inside and outside of the buildings.

“I was digging through my pictures, and I can’t believe all of this used to look like that,” she said. “We can now go back

VinFast cars recalled after software issue

All of its U.S. vehicles had a glitch that caused crash concerns

By Ben Rappaport Chatham News + Record

WHEN IT RAINS, it pours.

And for VinFast’s launch on North American shores, it’s been a hurricane.

The Vietnamese electric car manufacturer was forced to

recall all 999 of its cars delivered to the U.S. after software concerns were raised by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

According to an NHTSA recall report filed May 18, software issues on the display screen of the VF8, referred to as the multifunction head unit, cause communication errors in the car and the screen goes blank.

This is especially concerning because the VF8 has only one

Teachers, get your applications in for a Bright Ideas education grant!

Teachers, are you looking for new opportunities to fund projects for your classroom? Central Electric is awarding up to $15,000 in Bright Ideas education grants to local educators in K-12 classrooms for the 2023-2024 school year.

The final deadline for all grant applications is Sept. 15, but don’t wait to apply. Applications submitted prior to the early-bird deadline on Aug. 15 will be entered to win one of five $100 Visa® gift cards. Scan the QR code or visit NCBrightIdeas.com for more informaiton or to apply!

display screen in the vehicle, which controls several different functions in the car.

Of VinFast’s 264 U.S. vehicles in customers’ hands or in fleet service, the company is aware of 18 reported occurrences on 14 separate vehicles. Eight of these occurrences were while the vehicle was in park, five occurred while the vehicle was not in park, the other five are unknown, according to the report. NHTSA said the remaining 735

The Chatham County torch relays were part of a broader statewide endeavor involving more than 2,000 law enforcement officers covering more than 2,000 miles, culminating on June 2 with the Circle of Honor and lighting of the cauldron at the 2023 Special Olympics N.C. Summer Games Opening Ceremony in Raleigh. The united effort champions the cause and raises awareness of the important work done by

to the buildings, and now, our children can have memories in those buildings.”

Every craft or art piece is done in honor of Beal’s daughter, Caroline. Caroline’s presence can be felt around the studio, with her pictures spread throughout the space and the logo includes a paintbrush drawn by Caroline.

“I think she would just be right in there with me … just because that’s something that she loves so much,” Beal said.

“She would just be so thrilled to be here every morning. I wish she was here with me doing it in person, but I feel like her spirit is there.”

vehicles are still in VinFast’s custody.

“VinFast is not aware of any field reports of incidents. The company is issuing this recall out of an abundance of caution,” a VinFast spokesperson said.

This is the second recall involving the VF8 after the automaker recalled more than 2,700 vehicles in Vietnam with a front brake issue, according to Inside EVs.

Prior to the recall, VinFast received a string of poor reviews on the VF8 from auto critics.

They said the car was not up to par with other electric vehicles

Special Olympics for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

In North Carolina alone, nearly 2,000 law enforcement personnel annually contribute their support to the LETR for Special Olympics. Since its inception in 1981, the LETR has raised approximately $900 million globally, with more than $30 million benefiting Special Olympics North Carolina.

For Beal, she wants to share her daughter’s memory and help others share their passion for arts and crafts through the Summer Craft Time sessions. She said she hopes people in the community not only leave with Caroline’s memories, but also leave knowing they are capable of completing projects from their wildest imaginations.

“People come in and say, ‘I have no crafting ability whatsoever,’ and they leave with the most beautiful projects,” Beal said. “It lifts them up and they have this beautiful thing to take home with them. I love to see the happy when they go home.”

on the market, with some calling it “unbearable.” Top sales executives also left the company and its stock prices were falling in recent months.

The company still intends to open its more than 1,700-acre facility in Moncure by 2025. The facility is part of the second-largest economic development project in state history with an estimated $4 billion in investment and 7,500 new jobs over the next two decades.

Officials have allotted more than $1.25 billion in state and local financial incentives for the project.

PHOTO BY ANNETTE ROBERSON

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office participated in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of Special Olympics of North Carolina. The Torch started in Wilmington and will end in Raleigh on June 2nd with the lighting of the cauldron at the start of the Summer Games. ‘The excitement was palpable,’ said Sheriff Mike Roberson in a Facebook post. ‘Thank you to all the staff that planned, setup, and organized the event.’

Juvenile petitions sought on five for making threat of violence at Chatham Middle School

From Chatham County Sheriff’s Office

SILER CITY — On May 14, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to a threatening message circulating on social media, targeting Chatham Middle School in Siler City with a potential act of violence.

An immediate investigation was launched by author-

MONCURE from page A1

that happy medium is, that’s to be determined.”

‘Elephant with butterfly ears’

In an attempt to find that midpoint, Moncure residents, including Brown, gathered at Moncure School last Wednesday for the third community meeting around the small area plan, Plan Moncure.

The purpose of last week’s meeting was for consultants on the project to present plans for future development and conservation in Moncure. The presented scenarios were based on public input received through community stakeholder sessions in community meetings and survey responses collected between January and April.

Matt Noonkester, one of the lead consultants for Plan Moncure, explained four scenarios to the crowd of about 50 residents. None of the four scenarios were absolute options, rather they were meant to determine what sorts of things residents wanted to see in the future.

“Our end result is probably going to be something like an elephant with butterfly ears,”

ities to address the potential threat, which the social media post said would be carried out against students and teachers on May 15. With the assistance of Student Resource Officers, school administration, teachers and federal agencies, investigators successfully traced the origin of the threat. Investigators believe after interviewing the juveniles charged that the threat was a

Noonkester told the crowd.

“These four options each represent extremes in some respect, so the final product will likely be some mix of each.”

Scenario A was designed with current zoning regulations, and no changes to existing regulations. In previous meetings, Moncure residents expressed a desire to keep things the same and with minimal changes. Current codes, however, show the area is not building as densely as the zoning allows. This scenario shows how dense things in Moncure could become if the rules go unchanged.

“A lot of folks have told us they want to keep Moncure rural,” Tyson Smith, a lead consultant on the project, told residents. “But what could build out under current zoning plans is much more dense and intense than people realize.”

Scenario B showed what would happen if Moncure adhered strictly to the 2017 Unified Development Ordinance, Plan Chatham. The county is currently in the process of updating its UDO, which is expected to be completed later this year. Notably, the same con-

prank the juveniles never actually intended to carry out.

One juvenile was charged with threat of mass violence on educational property, while four other underage individuals were charged with conspiring to carry out an act of mass violence on educational property.

Three of the juveniles charged are students at Chatham Middle School.

“I cannot stress enough the

sultant group — White & Smith LLC — is assisting the county on Plan Moncure and the UDO update. This scenario, however, adheres to the old document. B results in limited growth for Moncure, but does include the development of several “village centers,” or areas with grocery stores, shopping, local businesses, etc. In this plan, much of the development is industrial rather than residential because the 2017 UDO was designed with the mega sites of Chatham County in mind.

“What you’ll see in this plan is things that want to be around a VinFast or other major business sites,” Noonkester said. “There’s also a lot more green on this map because the areas between concentrated development would be agricultural or rural.”

Under B, development would be concentrated in smaller areas than in other scenarios.

Scenario C aims to slow down growth as much as possible. In A and B, the plans work under the assumption of one-acre plots of land for housing units. Scenario C increases that to five-acre plots per unit. This means that

seriousness of making threats of a school shooting,” Sheriff Mike Roberson said. “Public safety is our utmost priority, and any act — even if it’s a prank — that undermines that security is a serious matter.

Not only does it create fear and panic among students, parents and teachers, but it is a criminal offense that carries severe consequences. Maintaining a secure learning environment is a collective effort that requires collaboration with everyone involved. By working hand in hand with educators, parents and students, we can foster a safe environment where our children can thrive and grow.

while there is heavy growth expected for Moncure, most of those people would commute inward from neighboring counties — like Durham, Harnett, Lee, Orange, Randolph or Wake — to work in Moncure. This means less property tax revenue for the county, and that housing is much less dense than in other scenarios. This plan would also lead to the lowest infrastructure needs because there is minimal growth.

Scenario D aims to accommodate all expected growth in the area. This plan aims to meet the demand by increasing the supply of housing. This would lead to more multi family homes, denser development and increased population. While D has the largest footprint and highest impact of any of the plans, it represents a more urbanized and connected vision for Moncure with enough housing and nearby amenities for people to live, shop and work in the area.

“We understand there are aspects about each of these plans that may make people uncomfortable,” Noonkester said. “But that’s why we’re here tonight —

Our partnership is built on trust, communication, and a shared dedication to the welfare of our students.”

“Chatham County Schools continues to work with the Sheriff’s Office and other agencies to support them throughout this process,” the school system said in a statement. “The district and school administration agree school safety is one of our main concerns, and we promote any and all efforts to help keep our students and staff safe while on campus. It is also critically important that all CCS stakeholders continue to exercise good judgment regarding the use of social media.”

to test ideas and push boundaries.”

Next steps

After each plan was presented, residents talked with consultants and county staff about their likes and dislikes for each plan. These responses were documented on paper at the meeting, and collected via survey. The consultants will aggregate these responses and make a preliminary presentation of a “preferred hybrid scenario” for Plan Moncure to the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Monday, June 5, at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center in Pittsboro.

The recommendations by consultants, if approved by commissioners, will then be adopted into the UDO. The UDO document shapes land use policy throughout the county as developments occur.

“We just want to honestly tell the story in both directions,” Noonkester told the News + Record. “In some ways, we want to look out the windshield for what to do, in other ways we have to look out the rearview mirror and ask what did we previously decide.”

Julia Johnson Baker

June 9, 1986 ~ May 26, 2023

Julia Lutrell Johnson Baker ascended from Earth Friday, May 26, 2023. She was born June 9, 1986, at Rex Hospital in Raleigh to Pam and Steve Johnson, Julia lived life always seeing the glass half full. As a cradle member of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Pittsboro, Julia was involved in a variety of local, state, and national church activities. She was a nursery attendee and helper, a volunteer, acolyte, Lay Eucharist Minister (LEM), vestry member, vacation Bible school leader, member of the Diocesan Youth Committee, and attended national youth events to represent the Episcopal Diocese of NC.

Julia attended Pittsboro Elementary School, Chatham Charter School, Chatham Central High School and received her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification from Central Carolina Community College. Julia took her love for those among us with mental and/or physical differences and crafted a profession as an aide with Triangle Disability and Autism Services (formerly Arc of the Triangle). Julia respected the dignity of every human being.

Julia is preceded in ascension by her maternal grandparents, Julia Brooks Hinson Smith of Rocky Mount and Dr. John LeRoy Parker, Jr. of Mechanicsville, Va.; paternal grandfather, Ira Johnson of Wilson and paternal stepgrandfather, Irvine Hayes of Nashville, N.C.

Julia is survived by her parents, Steve and Pam Johnson; son, Stephen Lee Baker and aunt, Julia Lee Parker, all of the home; grandmother, Weedie Lutrell Hyde Hayes of Nashville, N.C.; uncle, Jeff Parker (Missy) of Mt. Pleasant S.C., and cousins Barton and Laura Parker; aunt, Kathy Shepard (Wayne) of Justin, Tx., and cousins Teresa Shepard, Sarah Eubanks, and Chris Shepard; great aunt and great uncle Henry and Lucy Hinson of Rocky Mount, N.C.; great aunt Faye Farmer (Pete) of Rocky Mount N.C.; great aunt Helen Davis of Spring Hope, N.C.; step-grandmother, Betty Parker and many other aunts, uncles, and cousins, fairy godmothers and godfathers; and special friends, Scott Mayfield and Matthew Howard.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to your favorite charity. Suggested family charities are: Hill Learning Center/3200 Pickett Road/ Durham, N.C. 27705 (https:// www.hillcenter.org); Appendix Cancer Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Research Foundation, 491 Baltimore Pike #177, Springfield, Pa. 19064-3810 (https://acpmp. org); Triangle Disability & Autism Services, An affiliated chapter of The Arc, 5003 Southpark Drive, Suite 140, Durham, N.C. 27713 (https:// www.arctriangle.org); and Communities In Schools (CIS) of Chatham County, PO Box 903, Siler City, N.C. 27344 (https:// www.cischatham.org).

A celebratory memorial service will be held at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Pittsboro, on Friday, June 9 at one o’clock in the afternoon. Casual attire is requested.

Shower the people you love with love.

Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory are honored to serve the Baker / Johnson family. Please visit www. Donaldsonfunerals.com to leave memorial tributes and messages.1

Kenneth Franklin Jeffries

June 6,1936 ~ May 21, 2023

Kenneth Franklin Jeffries, 86, of Moncure, passed peacefully, surrounded by his family on Sunday, May 21, 2023.

Born in Holly Springs on June 6, 1936, he was the son of the late William Oliver and Ruth Elizabeth Williams Jeffries. In addition to his parents, Kenneth was predeceased by his sisters Lois Womble, Peggy Carter, and brother Charles Jeffries.

Kenneth was the loving husband of Charlene Swindell Jeffries. He was the father of Cheryl Littleton (Bryan), Kenny Jeffries, Jr., Jimmy Jeffries (Dana), and Kevin Jeffries (Kelli); step–father of Kevin Burrus (Cathy), Sabrina Parker, Charles Burrus (Karen) and John Burrus (Lisa). He is survived by his 21 grandchildren: Heather, Nick, Steven, Amanda, Brianna, Jessica, Jason, Jannah, Jeremiah, Jordyn, Joshua, Jon, Kenneth “Cole”, Abigail, Addison, Brandon, Tyler, Jack, Allison, Brooke, and Korbin. He is also survived by 20 great-grandchildren and many loving nieces and nephews.

Ken exuded Jesus in every aspect of his life. Every day was a testimony and Christian example. His devotion and love to his wife, children (in-laws and step) grandkids, friends and community was beyond measure. Slow to anger, first to forgive, always showing grace, deserved or not. His heart’s desire was to make others laugh and smile. He was a proud Korean war Army veteran, Alumni of N.C. State University, and retired Region

2 Forester for the state of N.C. Ken was also a long-time board member of the Moncure Fire Department. He quickly made friends with strangers, no matter where he traveled.

The life of the party, author of the corniest jokes, but also a lighthouse, steady, firm and calm in the storm. When you were in his presence, you were at peace. Because of his life, we have an amazing example, we have hope.

Visitation was held

Thursday, May 25th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Miller –Boles Funeral Home, 1150 Fire Tower Road. Sanford. A memorial service was held Friday, May 26, at 11:00 a.m. at the Moncure United Methodist Church, 16 Post Office Road, Moncure. Burial took place at Buckhorn Methodist Church, 2438 NC42, Moncure.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Online condolences may be made at www. BolesFuneralHome.com.

Services are entrusted to Miller – Boles Funeral Home of Sanford.

Mary Kate Brooks Gunter

July 16, 1923 ~ May 24, 2023

Mary Kate Brooks Gunter, of Siler City, entered into the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on May 24, 2023, at the age of 99. She was born in Chatham County, on July 16, 1923. Born the fourth of eight children to her parents Herbert and Laudis Brooks. Mary graduated from Bonlee High School in 1941. In 1943, Mary wed Edmond “Buck” Gunter and became a housewife. The couple was blessed with their daughter, Brenda a few years later. Chicken farming paid their bills for several decades and Mary provided for her family and neighbors with her gardening and subsequent canning, freezing, cooking and baking. She enjoyed reading and visiting friends, family and neighbors. Her sense of humor was a delight.

Mary Kate was preceded in death by her parents, seven siblings and their spouses, as well as her husband of 67 years. She is survived by her daughter, Brenda Gunter Gay; son-in-law, Simeon Gay; two granddaughters, Sherry and Julie Gay; sister-in-law, Frances Gaines and several nephews and nieces.

Mary Kate was a born-again Christian who believed in Jesus Christ for salvation from sin and her only way to heaven. She was a member of Fellowship Baptist Church and often attended services at Pittsboro Bible Assembly with her family. Her testimony of steadfast faith in the Lord was a blessing to many and will live on in the memories of those who love her.

A visitation was held on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at Fellowship Baptist Church, from 10 to 11 a.m. The funeral service followed at 11 a.m. with Rev. Jason Golden officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery.

Smith & Buckner Funeral Home is serving the Gunter family.

Online condolences may be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com.

Friends and Family of Alicia Stout

Her Celebration of Life will be June 3rd at 4pm at the Chatham County Wildlife Club located at 379 Wildlife Road, Bear Creek, NC 27027.

Immediately following the service, a BBQ dinner will be served along with Live Music. Please, if you can…

1. Wear Carolina Blue

2.Bring a Lawn Chair

3.Bring a Picture or Pictures of your favorite memory with Alicia & write that memory on the back of the picture as a keepsake for family.

4. Tea & Water will be served with Dinner but you’re welcome to BYOB.

Chatham Community Library to host, “Sounds of Freedom, From Slavery to Civil Rights”

Chatham County Government

PITTSBORO — In recognition of Juneteenth, Chatham Community Library will host, “The Sounds of Freedom, From Slavery to Civil Rights” with gospel singer and historian Mary D. Williams from 2 to 3 p.m on Saturday, June 10, in the Holmes Family Meeting Room at the Chatham Community Library. This program is free and open to the public.

WHAT: “The Sounds of Freedom, From Slavery to Civil Rights”

WHEN: Saturday, June 10, 2023, 2 to 3 p.m

WHERE: Holmes Family Meeting Room at the Chatham Community Library 197 NC-87 Pittsboro, N.C. 27312

WHO: There is something about music that seems to bring people closer to each other, often connecting them as a com-

munity. This is true today, and it is true historically, even throughout some of the most difficult periods of the past. With a look (and listen!) to a combination of spiritual and protest songs, vocalist Williams will help people understand the role music played from enslavement through the Civil Rights Movement, illustrating how music provides an effective entry point for uniting people as history is examined.

Funding for this program is made possible with the generous support of the Friends of the Chatham Community Library.

Residents may visit the libraries’ website www.chathamlibraries.org, or contact the Library at 919-545-8084 for more information on this and other events and programs.

Chatham Community Library will host, “The Sounds of Freedom, From Slavery to Civil Rights” with gospel singer and historian Mary D. Williams on Saturday, June 10 at 2pm.

CLASS REUNION | CHATHAM CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

CLASS OF 1973 — 50 Years

The class of 1973 from Chatham Central High School held its 50th year reunion Saturday, May 20, 2023 at The Family Life Center at Tyson’s Creek Baptist Church.Those attending were: Kenneth Beal, Cathy Phillips Brewer, Farrell Brown, Jenny Jones Burns, Sarah Caviness, Michael Cotton, Keith Dixon, Rita Sharpe Ellis, Regina Jenkins Emerson, Charles Fields, Bryan Goldston, Cherry Bright Jordan, Patricia Burns Lowman, John Marsh, Lynn Dowdy Meyers, Sandy Fesmire Oldham, Gary Phillips, Audrey Poe, James Poe, Deborah Oldham Seawell, Rex Scott, Samuel Testerman, Deborah K. Tyson, Phil Wilson, Randy Baldwin, Debbie Jones Beavers, Cheryl Brewer, Sandy Scott Brown, Jane Brady Caviness, Sheryl Lambert Davis, Verna Ellis, Buddy Fields, Bobby Garner, Dianne Pilkington Hicks, Gerald Hussey, Johnnie Jones, Jr, Shelia Bynum Lewis, Marjorie Jones Maness, Sherree Baxter Menius, Marty Oldham, Ruth Ann Taylor Peterson, Gordon Phillips, Carolyn Beal Seawell, Janette Wright Scott, Dawn Stumpf, Sharon Phillips Trotter, and Gaylene Harper Wilson. Also attending were teachers, Mrs. Betty Caviness and Jerry Pike.

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY OF CHATHAM COUNTY COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Mountaire Cares joins forces with Chatham Habitat for Humanity

Volunteers from the Siler City Chicken Plant sponsored Chatham Habitat’s Women Build Event

Chatham News + Record

SILER CITY — On Thursday of last week, eleven Mountaire Farms employees put on their work boots and participated in Chatham Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Day in Siler City. The group spent the day working on Chatham Habitat’s 152nd house, which will be sold this month. The volunteers did landscaping, painting and a final clean-up of the home. They were joined by the future owner of the home, Dora Zabala.

In addition to providing volunteer support, Moun-

taire Cares was one of Women Build’s title financial sponsors. Women Build is a nationwide Habitat for Humanity event

that brings women of all walks of life together to build stronger, safer communities.

“We are thrilled to have

Mountaire Farms join us for Women Build this year,” said Anna Tuell, Chatham Habitat’s development and finance director. “I love bringing people together to invest in their community, and these women should be proud of their contribution to Chatham Habitat’s mission.”

Mountaire, the fourth largest chicken processing company in the country, has operations in Siler City. Through their Mountaire Cares program, the company is dedicated to giving back to the community, including their annual Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter for Thousands program, which provides meal boxes to families during the holidays.

They also support numerous non-profit and charitable organizations with financial gifts and/or volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

“We were so lucky to have been included in the Women’s Build this year and our team really enjoyed giving back,” said Elizabeth Mauney, community relations manager for

George Moses Horton Middle School ranks first nationwide in the 20th Annual Capitol Hill Challenge

Chatham News + Record

PITTSBORO — The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) and the SIFMA Foundation today announced the winning teams and congratulated the 6,500 students competing in the 2023 Capitol Hill Challenge (CHC), a national financial education program underwritten by the Charles Schwab Foundation.

SIFMA and the SIFMA Foundation will host the 10 top-performing CHC teams at a reception in the U.S. Capitol on June 14. The students will also have the opportunity to meet with their members of Congress.

These five students from George Moses Horton Middle School in Pittsboro (Asher Savage, Colton Adams, Hayden Ellis, Nicholas Armstrong and Rowan Fisher), along with advisors Mrs. Ellen Crayton and Mrs. Tracy Miller, finished as the highest middle school nationwide, and ranked fourth overall in this year’s Challenge. They were the only North Carolina school in the Top 10 (see the full Top 10 below). They made over $9,800 in 14 weeks of trading.

Middle and high school students representing public schools in every U.S. congressional district were matched with their Member of Congress.

Teams learned the fundamentals of capital markets and investing, then put theory into practice by managing diversified portfolios of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and cash. They improved their knowledge of

math, economics and personal finance.

Dynamic market conditions made for an exciting competition as teams vied to produce the top-performing investment portfolio among participating schools nationwide.

2023 Capitol Hill Challenge — Top 10 Schools:

1. North Little Rock High School, AR-2, Rep. French Hill

2. Cleveland Hill High School, NY-26, Rep. Brian Higgins

3. Carlynton Junior Senior High School, PA-17, Rep. Chris Deluzio

4. George Moses Horton Middle School, NC-9, Rep. Richard Hudson

5.

Community Forum

School, VA-1, Rep. Robert Wittman

7. Porum High School, OK, Senator Markwayne Mullin

8. Collins-Maxwell Elementary/Middle School, IA, Senator Joni Ernst

9. Rainbow Lake Middle School, SC-5, Rep. Ralph Norman

10. Oakcrest High School, NJ-2, Rep. Jefferson Van Drew

“I want to congratulate all the students and schools that participated in this year’s Capitol Hill Challenge,” said Kenneth E. Bentsen Jr., SIFMA president and CEO. “Our industry is committed to helping young people learn the importance of saving and investing, while also providing them a solid foundation to achieve their future financial goals. Along with the

Town of Siler City Commissioner District 3

The Town of Siler City Board of Commissioners recently adopted a Strategic Plan.

One of the strategic priorities is to enhance community engagement.

The Town of Siler City is inviting the public to attend an informal community forum to share community projects, questions, comments, and concerns.

Forum Date: Thursday, June 1, 2023

Forum Time: 6:00pm

Forum Location: Siler City Presbyterian Church (Fellowship Hall) 720 West Third Street

Since this is a public meeting, a quorum of the Board of Commissioners may be present, but no town business will be conducted.

If you have any questions, please contact Jack Meadows Community Development Director @ 919-726-8627 or jmeadows@silercity.org

SIFMA Foundation, SIFMA is proud to partner with the Charles Schwab Foundation, and we commend all Members of Congress who visited their local schools virtually and in-person to engage with students on financial education.”

The 14-week competition reaches public middle and high school students in every congressional district and teaches them the importance of saving and investing, while promoting a better understanding of civics and fiscal policy.

Teams manage a hypothetical $100,000 online portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ESG investments, and cash, gaining a deeper understanding of personal finance and economics through a standards-based curriculum that teaches them the value of the capital markets.

Since its inception in 2004, CHC has made over 7,500 matches of U.S. Senators and Members of Congress with schools, reaching more than 170,000 youth. Public middle and high school students from all 50 states and Guam participated in this year’s challenge.

“Too many teens and young adults start out life on their own without knowing how to manage their money, and that can have lifelong implications,” Kristine Dixon, managing director at Charles Schwab, said. “Programs like Capitol Hill Challenge teach middle and high school students how investing can help them build wealth over time. Our commitment to this

From Chatham County Sheriff’s Office

ON MAY 24, Lamont Hakeem

Dark, 33, of 31 Hot Shotes Drive, Siler City, was arrested by Deputy Chris Scales for failure to appear/child support. He was issued a $10,000 secured bond/$500 cash purge payment and was scheduled to appear in Chatham County District Court in Pittsboro on May 26.

On May 24, Kaylee Lynn Haithcox, 22, of 31 Hot Shotes Drive, Siler City, was arrested by SSgt. Ashley Ellington for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was issued a $1,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Chatham County District Court in Pittsboro on June 12.

On May 25, Kendall Weston, 50, of 1201 E. Main St., Durham, was arrested by Deputy Conner Lee for failure to appear — driving while impaired. He was issued a $200 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Chatham County District

Mountaire in Chatham County.

Chatham Habitat for Humanity is a 501(c)3 not-forprofit organization that works to build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter.

Since 1989, Chatham Habitat has worked to build safe, healthy, affordable homes, which are then sold at zero percent interest to Chatham County families.

Chatham Habitat for Humanity believes that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

Mountaire® is a registered trademark of Mountaire Corporation. Mountaire Corporation and its affiliates, Mountaire Farms Inc. and Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. (collectively, “Mountaire”), are agricultural food production and processing companies providing work for almost 10,000 people at facilities in Arkansas, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

For more information about Chatham Habitat for Humanity’s work, visit www.chathamhabitat.org.

program stems from Schwab’s inherent belief in the power of financial education to help people achieve their goals in life.”

Melanie Mortimer, president of the SIFMA Foundation, said, “I congratulate all of the participants of the Capitol Hill Challenge and thank the Charles Schwab Foundation and every Member of Congress who worked on this initiative. Through public-private collaborations like the Capitol Hill Challenge, we can bring financial capability to public schools nationwide. Together we are ensuring young people across America experience the capital markets, gain insights that lead to long-term success, open the door for asset-building and improve their financial life outcomes.”

The SIFMA Foundation offers the nation’s most powerful, widely used and validated inschool investor education programs, educating individuals about the global economy and the role of the financial markets in increasing prosperity and opportunity. Programming enables teachers to simulate the real world of investing, incorporate hands-on learning, and facilitate the application and practice of newly acquired knowledge.

As a result, teachers extend the benefits of financial capability and an understanding of capital markets to millions of students they collectively reach. They also take a more active role in their own personal financial lives.

The Capitol Hill Challenge is just one component of the SIFMA Foundation’s Stock Market Game, which operates in all 50 U.S. states and has reached more than 22 million students since 1977. To learn more about the program, visit https://www. stockmarketgame.org/capitol-hill-challenge.html.

Court in Siler City on July 11.

On May 25, Clifton James Farrell, 32, of 4191 Chatham Church Road, Sanford, was arrested by Deputy Reid Kirkman, for pre-trial release violations. He was issued a secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Chatham County District Court in Pittsboro on June 29.

On May 27, Victor Rafael Henriquez, 26, of 25 Lystra Hills Lane, #A, Chapel Hill, was arrested by Deputy John Lacy for breaking and/ or entering, larceny after breaking and/or entering, and possession of stolen goods/property. He was issued a written promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in Chatham County District Court on June 12.

On May 28, Juan Carlos Ponce Zagada, 34, of 203 S. Evergreen Ave., Siler City, was arrested by Deputy Jonathan Frazier for criminal contempt for failure to pay child support. He was issued a $10,000 secured bond or $309.83 purge payment. He is scheduled to appear in Chatham County District Court in Pittsboro on June 8.

Orville H. Platt High School, CT-5, Rep. Jahana Hayes

6. Rappahannock High

COURTESY OF MOUNTAIRE FARMS

Volunteers from Mountaire Farms aided Chatham County Habitat for Humanity in a recent women build event.

COURTESY OF CHATHAM COUNTY SCHOOLS

These five students from George Moses Horton Middle School in Pittsboro (Asher Savage, Colton Adams, Hayden Ellis, Nicholas Armstrong, Rowan Fisher), along with advisors Mrs.Ellen Crayton and Mrs. Tracy Miller, finished as the highest middle school nationwide, and ranked fourth overall in this year’s Capitol Hill Challenge.

ARREST BLOTTER

Owusu, EMBRACe receive honors from Chatham County Board of Health for Outstanding Public Health Work in FY23

Chatham County Public Health Department

PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Board of Health announced its annual award winners on Monday, May 22, 2023, honoring both an employee and community partner who excelled in improving and contributing to the county’s public health in the past fiscal year.

Samantha Owusu, MSW, LCSW, was chosen as the Chatham County Public Health Department (CCPHD) Employee of the Year. Owusu has worked with the department since July 2020, first as a care manager with the Care Management for At-Risk Children (CMARC) program and then as a public health social worker.

She was recently promoted to the position of community health and social work services supervisor.

Along with her work focused on substance use prevention and harm reduction, injury and violence prevention, mental health systems of care, and centering equity, Owusu has led and been involved with many projects and helped advance the agency’s community-based services, such as the Child Passenger Safety Program.

The letter nominating Owusu for this award stated that she is a “proven leader” who “is the embodiment of public health, public service, and selflessness.”

Equity for Moms and Babies Realized Across Chatham (EMBRACe) received the Board of Health’s Community Partner of the Year Award.

EMBRACe is a collaborative grant-funded project dedicated to achieving equitable birth outcomes in Chatham County through community-led systems change. It is a partnership of several community organizations, including the Chatham County Public Health Department, Piedmont Health Services, Chatham Hospital, Chatham Organizing for Racial Equity (CORE), Chatham County Department of Social Services, UNC Health and Family Medicine, and the Chatham Health Alliance.

The nomination letter for EMBRACe referenced the group’s efforts to rally community support for the Chatham Hospital Maternity Care Center and its recent community retreat focused on equity in birthing in Chatham County. The award was received at the meeting by EMBRACe Coordinating Committee members Casey Hil-

10th annual Hispanic Heritage Fiesta returns to downtown Siler City

By Ben Rappaport Chatham News + Record

SILER CITY — Folklorico

dresses of red, yellow and blue wave in the streets, the smell of pupusas wafts across downtown and smiles spread across the faces of hundreds of residents.

The unique combination of joy and culture is part of what makes the Hispanic Heritage Fiesta so special. The cultural festival returns to downtown Siler City for its 10th edition from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16. The Fiesta will cover four street blocks in downtown beginning at 200 N. Chatham Ave., across from The Chatham Rabbit.

Fiesta is hosted by the Hispanic Liaison. Last week, the organization announced it was moving its office from downtown to 404 N. Holly Ave, which will officially open Tuesday, June 20. Despite the move, Executive Director Ilana Dubester said it was important to host Fiesta in a central loca-

tion that was visible and accessible to residents.

Activities at this year’s Fiesta include:

Live Latin music

Taco trucks and other Latin and Hispanic Food

Folkloric dance groups

Booths from businesses, agencies and arts and craft vendors

Games for all ages

Parade of quinceañeras & traditional Latin-American outfits

Art exhibits

Raffle and more

The event is expected to draw more than 5,000 people to Siler City. Sponsorship opportunities are still available and registration for the event is open until July 21

liard, Jen Medearis Costello, Alisha Bailey, Karinda Roebuck, LeAnn McKoy, Alicia Doran, Samantha Owusu and Theresa Buchanan.

“I am so proud of this year’s Chatham County Board of Health award recipients,” said Dr. Karen Barbee, chair of the Chatham County Board of Health. “They exemplify the important work that impacts the health of all Chatham County citizens. Congratulations again

LIAISON from page A1

ing. She says in the downtown office she was unable to hire people because of the cramped space.

Originally, Hispanic Liaison was searching for a place to rent, but struggled to find a proper fit. When they saw the old Ward and Foust building was for sale, however, Dubester said it felt like the right space. She soon got to work to convince her board, banks and other donors that the move was justified.

The new office has roughly 1,000 square feet more space than the downtown office, including a full lobby. It’s also on a half-acre lot instead of on a downtown block so there’s room for a backyard and more parking. The building was also recently renovated, meaning it was move-in ready.

“It seemed like the right time,” Dubester said. “Knowing the kind of growth that’s coming to Siler City, and that in a few years from now, we probably couldn’t even fathom being able to buy a building.”

The growth coming to the town was also part of Dubester’s pitch. The work they’re doing is invaluable, she says, which is why they need a permanent space with security for the future and unaffected by rent hikes.

While Dubester said there

to Samantha Owusu and EMBRACe.”

“We are so proud of these deserving recipients,” said Mike Zelek, Chatham County public health director. “Sam is an incredibly well-respected public health professional, social worker, and community leader who embodies public service. EMBRACe highlights the importance of partnership, coordination, community, and equity to address our greatest public

will not be any immediate operational changes to the work of the Hispanic Liaison, she hopes they will soon be able to hire additional staff and host larger community events in the new building.

“It’s going to be sweet to be able to take care of our own place in the way we want it,” Dubester said. “We’re investing in the organization and its future, not in somebody else’s building.”

Communities In Schools of Chatham County

While the Hispanic Liaison still needs to pack and unpack in its new space, CISCC has already endured the arduous task. Tych Cowdin, executive director of CISCC, said the move from the downtown home of 13 years was “an all hands on deck effort” from the staff.

The organization’s new space officially opened May 24, and Cowdin said the increased space is a good fit for the needs of employees and clients. The decision to move for CISCC came in consultation with Hispanic Liaison because the two were next-door neighbors in the downtown office. He said both organizations ultimately decided growing needs were not going to be met in the current space.

“Both our organizations have

health challenges.”

For previous Board of Health award winners, visit https:// www.chathamcountync.gov/ government/departments-programs-i-z/public-health/boardof-health/board-of-healthawards.

To learn more about the Chatham County Public Health Department, visit www.chathamcountync.gov/publichealth or www.facebook.com/chathamhealth.

grown in the past two to three years,” Cowdin said. “There’s been an increased need for the social services both our agencies provide in the wake of the pandemic.”

To accommodate those needs, CISCC signed a five-year lease at the Siler City Business Park. Cowdin says long-term the organization would also like to own its own space, but it wasn’t feasible at this time.

“We’re really looking to the future and hoping to build on some of this momentum,” Cowdin said. “We want a reliable space to continue to grow our capacity to serve more and more students.”

The methods and operations of CISCC will stay the same in the new building, with the added bonus of more square footage. Cowdin said the organization is viewing the change as a fresh start and a chance to reinvigorate its efforts in schools across the county.

“We want to foster that same feeling when you come into the new space,” he said. “Where our staff feels valued, and the families that we serve feel seen, safe and supported.”

As for the friendship between the two organizations now that they’re no longer wall buddies? They both say they’ll continue to partner and collaborate on important projects to meet the needs of families across Chatham County.

Advocacy is focal point for local Meals on Wheels volunteer

By Jimmy Lewis Chatham County Council on Aging

WHEN CLAYTON RODGERS knocks on a door in the Bennett community of Chatham County, he brings more than the daily sustenance and encouraging word associated with the Meals on Wheels program. To be under the watchful eye of Rodgers, in this small, unincorporated area of 386, is to have access to a friendly face and unceasing advocacy.

“With all of them, one of the common threads has been contact with the outside world,” Rodgers said. “They enjoy the contact time, I know that.”

Each Monday morning, Rodgers leaves his home in Pittsboro and makes the roughly halfhour trek to Routh’s Grocery in Bennett. Once there, he awaits the arrival of a Golden Corral van, which delivers the meals for the day. On this route, a total of six meals are delivered to four households containing two cou-

ples and a pair of individuals.

While these meals are the cornerstone of every interaction, Rodgers constantly takes mental stock of the needs of his clients. Are they safe? Are there any new health concerns that require the attention of Chatham County Council on Aging staff?

Council staff has come to expect weekly emailed reports from Rodgers aptly titled “Report from Bennett.” Any needs, such as incontinence supplies, are noted in these comments as well as general observations about the well-being of clients.

For Rodgers, the impetus for becoming a Meals on Wheels volunteer was the concept of paying it forward. In time, Rodgers anticipates he will have his own need for Meals on Wheels services. Certainly, Rodgers has fielded queries from clients as to why he takes four hours out of each Monday to ensure Bennett seniors in need have access to a meal and hearty conversation.

“I’m doing this to earn credits, so that somebody will watch over me in 10 years or whenev-

er!” he said. “And we all laugh and they say, ‘Well, we understand that.’”

The four hours of time Rodgers banks each week to carry out his volunteer tasks are intentional. At most of his stops, the client will invite Rodgers inside for an extended period of chatting. He’s happy to oblige, sitting on the porch of James and Rebecca Jones while music serenades a peaceful scene in the backyard. James and Re-

becca sit on their porch swing, reminiscing about days gone by and what brought them to this area of Chatham County. Their 9-year-old chihuahua, Dingo, inspects all visitors before finding the best place to absorb the sun’s rays on the porch deck.

At the home of Lucy Wallace, a remodeling project is underway in her kitchen. As Rodgers brings the day’s meal, he passes a mailbox on the porch that has been specifically set up for Wal-

lace to receive her mail instead of having to venture all the way to the road. Like the Jones’, the presence of Rodgers provides an opportunity for Wallace to catch up on current events and receive assurance that a smiling volunteer stands at the ready to advocate for her needs. It is impossible to leave the Wallace household without being offered a piece of chocolate.

Once the route is completed, Rodgers makes trek back to Routh’s, returns the meal bags to a corner of the store for safekeeping and promises to return the following Monday — but not before purchasing a bag of chips and Coca-Cola for the drive home. Other faithful drivers will ensure that Bennett residents are served for the remainder of the week.

As for Rodgers, he’ll be back in this sleepy area of Chatham County in seven days’ time, ready to invest in the needs of today’s Meals on Wheels recipients in the hopes that one day, a knock will ring out at his own home.

COURTESY OF CHATHAM COUNTY COUNCIL ON AGING

Clayton Rodgers, a Meals on Wheels volunteer with the Chatham County Council on Aging, loads the meals for his Bennett route in the parking lot of Routh’s Grocery last week.

Samantha Owusu, right, receives the 2022-23 Chatham County Board of Health Employee of the Year Award from Dr. Karen Barbee, Chair of the Chatham County Board of Health, on May 22, 2023, in Pittsboro.

Seaforth boys golf coach talks state runner-up finish, B5

Woods Charter played in 1A state semifinals Tuesday

By Jeremy Vernon Chatham News + Record

was still a possibility entering the week.

Woods Charter head coach Graeme Stewart said he thought about the opportunity to play the Crusaders again, but mostly as a reminder to his players: They need to stay hungry.

CHAPEL HILL

— Coming into the week, there was only one high school team still playing in Chatham County. And that would be the Woods Charter girls soccer team, which

faced off against Hobbton in the 1A state semifinals at home Tuesday night (game occurred after press time).

This was the second straight year the Wolves competed as one of the final four teams remaining in the 1A bracket. Last spring, they also played

Seaforth’s White competes at USA U16 national team trials

By Jeremy Vernon Chatham News + Record

THE 2022-23 girls basketball season in Chatham County featured a breakout campaign by Seaforth sophomore Gabby White, who helped lead her team all the way to the 2A state championship game. And in the months since the season ended, the 5-foot-10 guard has stayed busy in her pursuit of personal improvement.

Beginning last Thursday, White participated in the 2023 USA women’s U16 national Team Trials in Colorado Springs along with 51 other athletes from around the country. On Tuesday (after press time), coaches selected their final 12 players to roster their team at the FIBA U16 Women’s Americas Championship from June 13-19 in Mérida, Mexico.

This was White’s first event with USA Basketball.

823 number of points Gabby White has scored for Seaforth in 52 career games

After returning from Colorado on Monday, White told the News + Record that the experience was unique, and one she was grateful to have a chance to compete in.

“I definitely learned a lot about myself, but I also learned about the environment and about different players and how different players react and the things that they do,” White said. “I think it was a very cool experience. It’s an honor to get to play at that level with some of the highest-ranked girls and best coaches there to help me out along the way.”

The window for college coaches to start contacting White begins this summer, and there should be plenty of activity when it comes to

See WHITE, page B3

Hobbton in the state semis and came out on top by a 5-0 margin before losing to Christ the King, 3-0, in the tournament finals. Christ the King was part of the other 1A semifinal Tuesday and played Union Academy at home, meaning a rematch of last year’s championship game

“The word redemption has been used a lot, and that’s something I don’t use, because that suggests we have some sort of right to something, which we do not,” Stewart said. “I do think about (Christ the King), but the

“The word redemption has been used a lot, and that’s something I don’t use, because that suggests we have some sort of right to something, which we do not.”

Woods Charter head coach Graeme Stewart

Seaforth multi-sport athlete O’Neill wraps up busy freshman season

O’Neill runs track for the Hawks and plays soccer for the NC Courage Academy

By Jeremy Vernon Chatham News + Record

CALI O’NEILL always keeps a busy schedule.

This week , the Seaforth freshman was in Somerset, N.J., competing at an Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) event with her club team alongside some of the best youth soccer players in the country. While she spent most of her time playing with the Courage GU15 team, she played up an age group with the GU16 team on the last day of the competition.

All this comes less than a month after O’Neill wrapped up the spring track season with a third-place finish for Seaforth in the girls 800-meter race at the 2A state championships in Greensboro. She also competed in track and field during the winter, on top of all of her responsibilities to her club soccer team.

It can seem overwhelming at times, but O’Neill has developed strategies to make sure she stays on top of all her athletic duties, as well as her school work.

“Some days are more challenging than others, but I feel that I have become used to balancing school work and sports the best I can,” she said.

“Sometimes it means I bring my laptop in the car on the way to training and sometimes it means I start my school work at 10 at night. That’s not ideal, but sometimes that’s how I have to get it all done.”

In her first year of athletic competition at the high school level, O’Neill has already had a tremendous amount of success. After com-

peting in track for the first time this winter, she finished sixth in the 1,000-meter race at the 1A/2A indoor championships with a time of 3:22.02.

In the spring season, O’Neill hit her stride in the middle-distance events. At the 2A mideast regionals in Franklinton on May 12, the freshman won the 800-meter race in 2:26.19. And one week later in the same event at the state championships, she came within a half-second of first with a new personal-best time of 2:23.61, which was good for third.

“I was feeling really good, but nervous knowing that I had to run about four seconds faster than my personal best to have a shot at winning,” O’Neill said. “I had run the 4x800 relay earlier and knew the 800 individual was going to be a

tough race both mentally and physically.”

As for her goals for next track season, O’Neill made it clear that her goal is to win a state championship.

But while O’Neill has made a name for herself on the track circuit this school year, her future will undoubtedly be in soccer. The freshman’s club team, the N.C. Courage Academy, is one of the top youth programs in the southeast. She also has experience competing at the national team level.

Back in October, O’Neill was one of 24 players selected to attend the U-15 U.S. Women’s National Team’s training camp at the Nike headquarters in Portland, O.R. Since then, she was invited back to the national team’s regional training camp

See GIRLS SOCCER, page B2

JAMES KIEFER | CHATHAM NEWS + RECORD

Woods Charter freshman Amelia Cherry (left) leads the Wolves in goals this season with 41. The Wolves played Hobbton at home Tuesday in the

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN LOUGHLIN/MILESPLIT

Seaforth freshman Cali O’Neill (left) finished third in the 800-meter race at the 2A track and field championships, less than half a second behind the first-place finisher.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Chatham County sports

It’s Time To Stock Your Pond! DELIVERY WILL BE:

way I think about them is as the level we need to get to. When I said after the game last year, ‘Next year starts now,’ that’s what I meant. We knew what they were going to look like this year. They aren’t going to come to us. We have to go find them. If we get to play them, we know exactly what they’re going to be like.”

Woods Charter entered Tuesday’s semifinal game with an overall record of 19-13. Over the course of the regular season, the Wolves drew three times against Northwood, Carrboro and Cornerstone Charter. Their 1-0 defeat on the road at Franklin Academy on April 11 was their only loss of the season.

Stewart’s team entered the state playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the 1A east and won their first three playoff games heading into Tuesday night’s semi by a combined score of 24-1. He said he feels better about this year’s team than he did about last year’s at this same point.

“LIKE” us

To Place an Order Call Toll Free 1-800-643-8439 www.fishwagon.com

“We’ve used last year as a sort of trigger point to come into this year, and we knew the things that we needed to work on,” Stewart said. “We’ve really challenged ourselves. As a team, I think we’re better than we were last year. We have great balance. We have good scoring across the team. We just found a good path of play. There’s nothing about this game that should be new to them. They know how to play in those games. That’s the other part of learning last year. Sometimes you have to be there to see it and feel it.”

Entering Tuesday’s game, Woods Charter’s leading scorers this season were freshman Amelia Cherry (41 goals, five assists) and junior Sienna Gray (37 goals, 23 assists). The team’s leading scorer in 2022 — Leyla Noronha (50 goals last season) — has contributed 27 goals and a teamhigh 24 assists.

Acting as a facilitator in the midfield, Noronha has been crucial in finding her teammates on attacking runs and laying off passes in the box while also showing off her scoring boots once in a while.

“What Amelia and Sienna have done is change the way we played from last year,” Stewart said. “That’s one of the reasons why I think we’ve improved. Sienna is insatiable up top and Amelia is a brush of quality on the outside. We have good balance. It has taken some of the pressure for goal-scoring off Leyla. She still wants to score, there are runs that she can find, and invariably she finds them.”

While Woods Charter’s ultimate goal this season is to win a state championship, this likely won’t be the last season the Wolves are among the top teams in the 1A classification. This year’s team features five seniors, but six of the Wolves’ top eight goal-scorers will be back for the team again in 2024.

Since starting at Woods Charter in 2014, Stewart has led the Wolves to an overall record of 134-49-8. The 19 wins this season coming into Tuesday night matched the most for the Wolves in a single season in program history, which they set last year.

GIRLS SOCCER from page 1

JAMES KIEFER | CHATHAM NEWS + RECORD Woods Charter players, from left to right: junior Leyla Noronha, freshman Amelia Cherry, senior Megan Nowack and junior Sienna Gray.

TANNER BUBECK | CHATHAM NEWS + RECORD SIMON BARBRE | CHATHAM NEWS + RECORD

JAMES KIEFER | CHATHAM NEWS + RECORD

Here are some of our best photographs showcasing Chatham County sports during the 2022-23 school year. Over the next several weeks, we’ll share more photos out photographers captured from three seasons full of high-level compeition.

O’NEILL from page 1

in Richmond this spring. She has also competed in showcases across several states with her club team, and her squad won the Jefferson Cup — one of the top youth soccer tournaments in the country — in her age group back in April.

“I’m always working to improve my game, but two main opportunities have given me the ability to improve this season,” O’Neill said. “One being the daily training after school, before soccer training, with my high school track tram, which has helped with my endurance, fitness and speed. And the second is being invited to play up in elite soccer games, SuperCups and tournaments with an elite, older group of players that challenge and push me.”

This type of environment leaves little room for many other extra-curriculars, and O’Neill didn’t compete for

WHITE from page 1 scholarship offers. As a fit at either guard spot, White’s biggest strength is her playmaking on offense. She’s just as likely to make a tough shot as she is to throw a pinpoint skip pass to a teammate for an open look.

This past winter, White averaged 15.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.2 steals per game for Seaforth and scored at least 10 points in all 25 games she played in. She said she looks forward to speaking with coaches and the rest of the process once her recruiting window officially opens.

“I’m really excited and honored for the chance to make new relationships,” White said. “Regardless of what happens, I’m just going to come into it with a positive mindset.”

While she hasn’t had any contact with college coaches yet, White does have a pretty good feeling for what’s expected at the next level and how it differs from high school. Her mom, Joanne Aluka-White, has been an assistant coach for the UNC women’s basketball team since 2019, and before that she spent seven years at Charlotte.

White has tagged along to several practices over the

the Seaforth girls soccer team this spring because her schedule was already too demanding.

O’Neill is admittedly a little frustrated that she can’t play for the Hawks. She watched intently this spring as Seaforth made its run in the state playoffs and rooted for them the entire way. She knows that while it would be nice to compete with her peers at the high school level, she has bigger things in her future, and her current schedule is allowing her to build toward those goals.

“I have to remind myself that I am on a team that is helping me get one step closer to my goals of playing D-1 college soccer continuing to do U.S. Soccer training,” O’Neill said. “I have been grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to me with my current team but, that doesn’t mean I don’t wish I could also play for my high school team too.”

years, and she said the USA trials offered a similar type of environment to what she’ll encounter at the next level.

“There were a lot of similarities,” White said. “Like having your own responsibilities, whether it was getting your laundry in on time or going to bed on time. You had to depend a lot on yourself and your teammates. I think it was a step toward the look of what I think college will be like. The places we stayed were also dorms, so that was similar. There were a lot of similarities.”

When she returns to the court next year for Seaforth, White will be a junior and arguably the top returning player in all of Chatham County. In her first two seasons with the Hawks, she has totaled 823 points, 528 rebounds, 197 assists and 184 steals.

White told the News + Record that she still has plenty of room to improve.

“I’m really aggressive (on offense), so I really want to stick to that,” she said. “I also want to expand my range when it comes to shooting. And my leadership role, I really want to work on that so we can have freshmen coming in or players coming back that can really depend on me to help them with whatever they need.”

NBA Finals preview: The best team vs. the best coach

passive on offense in the series win over the Celtics. Stepping up in a big way for the Heat in the playoffs this spring have been their role players — namely Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent — who are averaging 14.1 and 13.1 points per game, respectively, this postseason.

Where the Heat do have an advantage over the Nuggets is in coaching. Michael Malone is a fine leader, but he doesn’t hold a candle to Miami’s Erik Spoelstra.

Starting as a video assistant for the team back in 1997, Spoelstra has been the Heat’s coach since 2008 and has won two NBA championships back in 2012 and 2013. This is his sixth Finals appearance as a head coach, his most recent coming during the NBA Bubble back in 2020.

During the Eastern Conference Finals, Spoelstra put on a coaching clinic against Boston’s Joe Mazzula. In the final two games of the series, the Heat coach employed a zone that confused the Celtics and caused them to make just 16-of-77 (20.8%) of their 3-pointers.

rebounds and 6.1 assists per game in the postseason while shooting 39.8% from 3-point range, and he’s scored at least 35 points in a game on four separate occasions.

On top of Jokic and Murray, Denver has other offensive options like Michael Porter Jr. (14.6 ppg), Aaron Gordon (13.0), Bruce Brown (12.2) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (11.7) than can carry the burden for a few minutes while one of the top two is on the bench.

Miami, on the other hand, is by no means a flame-throwing offense. The Heat have one and a half stars in small forward Jimmy Butler and center Bam Adebayo, and the latter was frustratingly

Spoelstra will have his hands full with trying to slow down Jokic and the rest of Denver’s high-powered offense in this series, but if there’s anyone I trust to figure out a viable strategy, it’s him.

Still, it’s going to take more than preparation to beat the Nuggets. Executing under the bright lights is a whole other story. Personally, I think it will be tough for Miami to keep pace with Denver.

Jokic is the best player in the NBA right now and is rising up the list of best alltime big men by the day. Beating the Heat and winning his first NBA championship this season would go a long way toward bolstering his legacy, one which is still growing at just 28 years old.

Should You Consider 401(K) Loans

Hawks plan to use state runner-up finish as fuel for the future

By Jeremy Vernon Chatham News + Record

COMPETING at the 2A boys golf state championships at Longleaf Golf Club in Southern Pines last Monday and Tuesday, Seaforth finished second in the team competition with a total score of +56, 44 strokes behind first-place finisher East Surry and three strokes ahead of third-place Bandys.

Leading the way for the Hawks over the two-day tournament was junior Griffin Ching, who shot +7 overall, including a +1 in Round 2. Freshman Ty Willoughby shot +11, while sophomore Gray Stewart and freshman Campbell Meador shot +15 and +23, respectively. Seaforth’s runner-up finish came one week after the Hawks won the 2A mideast regional tournament.

Earlier this week, Seaforth head coach Bobby Stewart spoke with the News + Record about his team’s success at the state championships, his players’ progress across the season and his expectations for the future.

CN+R: You finished second at the state championships behind a really good East Surry team. Walk me through the two days of competition and what it felt like to see your team put together such a good finish.

Bobby Stewart: First of all, East Surry was incredible. We came out on Day 1 and we were a bit nervous. We teed off on the front nine both days. The front day was the harder of the two nines, considerably. The first hole, we got off to a slow start. I think we had two of four hit the ball out of bounds on the first tee the first day. But we fought back. Everyone kind of steadied

and we had one of our players, Gray Stewart, shot under par on the back nine. At the end of the first day, we thought we had played pretty well and were in decent shape, except East Surry was lightyears ahead of everyone else.

The night between the two rounds, I talked to the team at length about going out there and really competing to finish as runner-up. The kids did the same thing on Day 2. They got off to a rough start on hole No. 1, all four of them, and so they had to steady themselves again. When we made the turn on Day 2, we felt like we needed to put together a solid back nine across the board, and that’s what they did. Griffin Ching went under par. Ty Willoughby shot even par on the back. Gray Stewart and Campbell Meador shot a 41 and a 40. There were still three teams to come in, two of which were in that same grouping competing for runner-up, so we watched those guys finish up. As we were sitting there and scores began to get posted, the realization set in and the guys realized they were more than likely going to finish

runner-up. They just got super excited. They were so tired and so excited after the round. It was a tremendous feeling.

Three of your four golfers who competed at the state championships, aside from Griffin, did so for the first time. What has it been like to see the growth of the whole team and seeing them tie a bow on a nice season the way they did?

Early on in the year, I think they started to realize they could probably do something special. But actually going out there and doing something special is a bit different. As the year went on, they became a stronger team. They were very connected to one another and focused on each other’s success. Individually, they were able to steady themselves, even in the most nerve-wracking scenarios. When all of them played a poor nine at the state championships at some point, they were able to let that nine go and steady themselves and perform at a higher level. It was just exciting to watch the

maturation, not only the team, but each individual player. To be able for them to recognize that, “Hey, I might have played a bad couple of holes, but I have the ability to be better than this, and that’s what I’m going to work towards.” To be able to watch them do that on Day 2 of the state championships was incredible. That’s what it took on that back nine. They all had to perform better to have a chance, and they put themselves in position.

You have made a ton of progress in just two years. What next steps do you want to see your team make over the offseason to make sure they continue to compete at a high level?

We talked immediately after the championships and after the excitement had worn down a little bit. We talked about three things. One, the kids as a team — and this is one through nine, not one through four — all staying together and playing together as much as they can in the offseason. They’ve already started to do that. Two, the top four need to keep working individually on strengthening their games. What we saw with East Surry was that it really helps to have a couple of players who can shoot really low scores. I know all of our top four have that ability, but to be able to do that consistently and in a pressure situation, that’s their ultimate goal. And beyond that, our four through nine guys need to keep working on their game. The key to our success this year, honestly, is that we were really deep. Any of our top four, or top six, on any given day could play really well. We’d like to build on that, so that our number five, six, seven players and beyond maintain that depth and that commitment so that if one of

our top four struggles on a given day, someone can step in and produce a score and keep us well-positioned as a team.

And they need to continue to commit to the team environment. They just had so much fun playing with each other. It’s interesting, someone at the state championships asked me what the most interesting part of the season was, and what I said was practice, at the end of the day. At practice, we were very competitive amongst ourselves, but it was always light-hearted. It was encouraging. The kids were trying to help each other get better. Sometimes I just found myself enjoying the banter amongst the teammates about golf and what’s going on in practice that day. As long as we’re able to maintain that culture and build off that culture, I think we’ll continue to make pretty significant strides year after year.

Looking ahead, do you know of any incoming freshmen who you expect to contribute next spring?

I’ve heard that there are a couple who are slated to end up at Seaforth. I haven’t talked to any of them and I don’t know who they are, but I’ve heard about them through the grapevine. At this time last year, after the season wrapped up, there was already some chatter about a couple of kids coming in, and that ended up to be Ty Willoughby and Campbell Meador, and they were instrumental. I’m hopeful there are one or two out there who can come in, compete and push us forward.

And I’m excited about another thing too. After this year’s regional, which was just outside Raleigh, they put next year’s regional location up for bid. We worked immediately with The Preserve at Jordan Lake to be able to do that. So we’re going to be hosting the regional championships in Chatham County this upcoming year. I think that puts us in a great position. To be able to play on our home course will be quite an advantage, I think.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Staff photo by P.J. Ward Brown — Seaforth junior Griffin Ching shot +7 over two rounds, good for 12th place at the 2A boys golf championships. The Hawks finished second overall as a team.

Summer days, drifting away features & entertainment

CN+R Staff shares their anthems for the summer

BRIGHT, SUNNY DAYS are on the horizon as summer approaches. While the season of summer won’t officially start until June 21, the warm weather and good vibes start at the end of May, often accompanied by the end of the school year and Memorial Day weekend.

The News + Record staff have created a collection of our favorite songs to bring in the long, warm and sunny days of summer. Join us in channeling the salty sea air and the calm of those summer nights.

‘Cruel Summer’ by Taylor Swift

Picked by Taylor Heeden, reporter and web editor

“Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift has been a staple in every summer or roadtrip playlist I have created since its release in 2019. The song takes us through a one-sided summer romance, one where Taylor pours her heart and soul to her partner, while he wants to keep their relationship from surfacing.

“I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you/ And I snuck in through the garden gate/ Every night that summer just to seal my fate,” she pleads to her love. “And I scream ‘For whatever it’s worth/ I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?’”

“Cruel Summer” has the ability to not only reach into the hearts of all of us who’ve experienced those summer flings and heartbreak, but it also manages to entice audiences with its lively melody and catchy chorus and bridge.

So when you’re in the mood to scream a song on the way to the beach with your gals because you’re heartbroken over someone who screwed you over, “Cruel Summer” is the song for you!

‘Stole from Heaven’

by Ally London

Picked by Taylor Heeden, reporter and web editor

Ally London is a young, upand-coming artist from Nashville, T.N., and is about to graduate from the Royal Academy of Music in London with her master’s degree in vocal performance. Her debut album, Kaleidoscopes, came out last year, and she’s bringing all of that energy into her new single, “Stole from Heaven.”

“Stole from Heaven” is a catchy summer ballad, filled with images of blue skies and love from the heavens. The guitar riffs will transport you to those summer roadtrips with friends and will have you humming the tune all day long.

I met Ally during my time at UNC-Chapel Hill as she was one of the people on my fiance’s study abroad group. She’s a very talented and kind-hearted person who puts all of her passion into her work. If you’re looking for a new face to add to your music rotation, look no further!

‘Snapback’ by Old Dominion

Picked by Matt Mercer, editorin-chief

A summer song is about the vibes. That’s my take and the way “Snapback” eases into a classic three minute, thirty-second classic country music window gets you through the first verse before you barely know it.

This song, like most everyone’s, takes on a personal meaning. For me, this song was always on it seemed like when my now-wife and I started dating. It was on rotation for our Saturday night dance parties (ah, young love).

I saw them perform it when they filled a 3,000 seat amphitheater in 2017 and then two years later when they sold out the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. When those initial chords and “woah oh oh oh” start I get that same tingling feeling I did

over seven years ago.

‘Your Love’ by The Outfield

Picked by Matt Mercer, editorin-chief

Far from easing in, I dare you not to sing along when you hear: “Josie’s on a vacation far away/ Come around talk it over/ So many things that I wanna say/ You know I like my girls a little bit older.”

“Your Love” is an earworm whether you’re listening to the song, a cover band, or someone with enough liquid courage to sing it at a karaoke night.

‘Yo No Sé Mañana’ by Luis Enrique

Picked by Valeria Cloës, intern

Starting with soft vocalizations by Nicaraguan singer Luis Enrique, the song builds momentum to the chorus, the singer bursting with energy as he sings “Yo no sé mañana, yo no sé mañana (I don’t know tomorrow, I don’t know tomorrow)/ Si estaremos juntos, si se acaba el mundo (If we’ll be together, if the world will end).”

This love song transports the listener into the unknown, emphasizing that since nothing is promised and don’t know what tomorrow brings, we must enjoy the present to the fullest.

This particular sentiment — one of staying present — is one of my personal life mottos that has helped me overcome my anxiety.

And that mixed with other hopelessly romantic song lyrics, resonates with my lover-girl personality. The lyrics and salsa beat will surely make for a dance-filled summer.

‘Vivir Mi Vida’ by Marc Anthony

Picked by Valeria Cloës, intern

This song needs little to no introduction. Known around the world by Spanish-speakers and non-spanish speakers alike, “Vivir Mi Vida” will – hopefully – resonate with everyone, and get everyone up and out of their chairs.

Personally, Marc Anthony’s iconic song brings me back to summer 2022, when I was on a two-week trip around Italy, which I can proudly say I worked for over three years to pay for.

I was having dinner in a family-owned restaurant in Monterosso al Mare, having a delicious traditional dessert of the region, when my best friend Camila and I suddenly started hearing the tune through the speaker.

Without any hesitation, she and I started dancing and singing in the middle of the restaurant. The owner sees us, turns the music louder, shouts “I love Marc Anthony” and starts singing with us as he cleans the restaurant. I hope you can have a similar moment listening to this song this summer: living your life to the fullest and soaking in every second of it, with no worries of what others will think.

‘Cast Iron Kettle’ by Joseph Terrell

Picked by Ben Rappaport, reporter Joseph Terrell, of the Chapel Hill-based band Mipso, released his first solo project earlier this month. The album, “Good For Nothing Howl,” is an ode to his roots in North Carolina and exploring creative expression beyond the everyday.

One way Terell is also exploring that creativity is by moving to Chatham County. Our new neighbor says he was inspired by the trees and nature in his creation of the album.

“I started writing songs about trees, but I think it ended up being more about that feeling of paying attention,” Terrell told Axios Raleigh in an interview about the new album. “There are these things that are always all around and they really make up the fabric of the world that we live in. It’s amazing how much we don’t pay attention.”

“Cast Iron Kettle,” the single off the new album, speaks of paying attention more to the places we call home, and appreciating its intricacies. And the ways feeling home can reinvigorate our souls with a sense of place and renewed energy.

Summer can often be a time of vacation, or feeling jealous of the places other people visit while you’re stuck at home. Terrell reminds us, with this song and his album at large, that there is beauty to appreciate in our own backyard if we stop and listen to the sycamores,

you’ve got a clear hit — and perhaps a potential emotional roller coaster (but no judgement there).

Though known for her sultry, “sad girl” aesthetic, Lana del Rey’s single “National Anthem” takes a split from that persona to indulge the listener in instrumentals and lyricism that can’t help but radiate “summer vibes,” and the chorus speaks for itself: “Red, white, blue is in the sky/ Summer’s in the air and baby, heaven’s in your eyes/ I’m your national anthem.”

Life, love and luxury are prominent themes in this single, and paired with a distinct Los Angeles summer-energy, this single makes for an essential song to add to the summer playlist this season. I promise this one will be your “Summer Anthem” by the end of the season.

‘Island in the Sun’ by Weezer

persimmons and all the howls

Chatham County has to offer.

‘Oxen’ by Chatham Rabbits

Picked by Ben Rappaport, reporter Bynum natives Austin and Sarah McCombie found success in the folk and Americana music scene as Chatham Rabbits. The duo, which got their start playing shows on Bynum Front Porch, leans on stories of Chatham and its roots as a mill community as fodder for their tunes.

In “Oxen,” a single containing the titular lyrics off their sophomore album “The Yoke is Easy, the Burden Is Full,” they speak of the power of community to uplift and carry people into the future.

“There’s strength in numbers/ And we can share the load,” Sarah sings. “Look over your shoulder/ And there you’ll find your hope.”

I’ve always found summer to be a period of transition — from one school year to another, a break from the hustle and bustle. In those transitions, the McCombies remind us the importance of leaning on friends and loved ones.

“When we decided to take the plunge I just remember the Chatham community being so incredibly encouraging,” Sarah told the News + Record earlier this year. “No one thought we were crazy because it’s such a strong arts community.”

While Chatham County is growing by the day, its roots as a close-knit rural community remain. This summer, let’s remember the words of “Oxen” and be there for one another through this transition into the unknown future.

‘Strange Fascination’ by Chatham County Line

Picked by Ben Rappaport, reporter

The bluegrass melodies of Chatham County Line offer a sense of return-to-nature that remind me of the desired bliss of summer.

“Strange Fascination” is the local band’s most popular song and title track off their 2020 album of the same name. Like other songs from local artists, It shares themes of being entranced by nature and the power the rural landscapes of Chatham County have in centering us amid a chaotic world.

“Strange fascination/ Reach for a shooting star,” lead singer Dave Wilson sings in the chorus. “Don’t know how lucky/ Don’t know how lucky you are.” The song’s peaceful tones are a reminder of the serenity summer can bring, and the ways being surrounded by loved ones in this sunny season can enhance those feelings.

‘National Anthem’ by Lana del Rey

Picked by Lauren Rose, design editor Combine “hot girl summer” with “sad girl summer” and

Picked by Lauren Rose, design editor

Well, it seems the title speaks for itself for this choice.

If Lana’s “National Anthem” brought on the feels, then Weezer’s “Island in the Sun” will definitely mellow them out.

Opening with laid-back guitar strumming, you can already tell this single is going to have a chill energy to relax with by the pool. Soft vocalizations carry the listener into lyrics describing the peak summer experiences for the chorus: “On an island in the sun/ We’ll be playin’ and havin’ fun/ And it makes me feel so fine/ I can’t control my brain.”

I literally can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing on summer break than playin’ and havin’ fun. Can you?

‘Long Beach’ by Kota the Friend, Hello O’shay and Alex Banin

Picked by Jeremy Vernon, sports editor

It wouldn’t be summer without summer love, and Brooklyn-based rapper Kota the Friend rhymes to that effect in this single from the album EVERYTHING, which came out back in 2020.

As the title suggests, Long Beach is peak summer vibes. The song opens with waves of electronic sounds, rather than ocean waves, but they carry the tune through its upbeat chorus and two light-hearted verses.

“I can change the story if you let me/ Promise in the mornin’ won’t forget me/ Lately, I been missin’ California, I am far from perfect/ But you get me.” Relatable and versatile, Long Beach is a song for any situation, whether it be a day on the beach, a night on the town or a low-key night in with your summer love.

‘Slide’ by Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean and Migos

Picked by Jeremy Vernon, sports editor

This single from pop artist and producer Calvin Harris came out in February of 2017, but it always reminds me of the summer season.

From the first few notes, which are played on my favorite instrument — the piano — Slide takes hold of you and transports you to a place where all the worries of your normal life melt away. This song came out during my senior year of college, and it always reminds me of my last semester at UNC and my first summer out on my own after graduating.

While Frank Ocean, Quavo and Offset provide the vocals for Slide, Harris played a new version of the song at Coachella this year that included a verse from the third member of Migos, Takeoff, who was killed in a shooting in Houston back in November. It was a nice tribute to who I personally thought was the best rapper of the Atlanta-based trio.

Slide is all good vibes.

MATT RAMEY | CHATHAM NEWS + RECORD

A lifeguard at Bray Park’s Aquatic Facility oversees swimmers having a fun time on Memorial Day.

MATT RAMEY | CHATHAM NEWS + RECORD

A boy snorkels in the Bray Park pool on Memorial Day. The pool opened its gates over the weekend for the first time this summer season.

AUCTION, JUNE 3, 9 A.M. at 442 N. Greensboro Street, Liberty:

Antiques, woodworking equipment; guns, hand tools, welder, wood lathe, drill press, lawn mowers, furniture, etc.

Pre-view June 2, Ricky Ellington, NCAL7706, 919-548-3684. My18,25,2tcdsc

Storms? Accidents? Fire!

Two prime cuts of New York strip steaks from the N.C. Agricultural Festival. When cooked, they pair perfectly with a side of potatoes and leeks.

An Ag Fest-inspired meal, featuring New York strips

By Debbie Matthews Curious Cook

I FORGET, and I’ll bet, Gentle Reader, that you do too.

Some of the traditions that we barely think about, or make fun of, or are so deeply ingrained within us that we don’t think of it as a tradition any more than the oxygen we breathe is an endearing tradition that humans share.

So it’s a good thing, when someone comes along who is not native to this beloved state of ours, and reminds us that not everybody knows what a Nab is, or that the car racing we’re so proud of came from the chases between bootleggers and revenuers along the dark country roads of this state.

The Kid, who just turned the advanced age of 31 a few weeks ago, and I have been attending the Got To Be N.C. Festival since said child was in the 3rd or 4th grade.

In addition to everything else, if the N.C. State Fair is too chock-a-block other humans for you, the Ag Fest is a way to go out to the fairgrounds, see scary fashion, eat scary food, ride some rides, play some games, all without being shoulder to shoulder with 63% of the population

‘Wilders, a cattle and pork farm based in Sampson County, attended and brought samples of their Wagyu beef. It was delicious.’

of the state.

And besides that, the flea market still takes place, so you get the best of both worlds.

But the big draw of the festival is inside the Exposition Center.

Gathered (and this year was the most organized and easiest to navigate we’ve ever encountered) are state food producers. Everything from peanuts to bourbon.

Each year, we put on our eatin’ drawers (you may laugh, but I’m not kidding), and eat our way through the entire building. Then we go outside and have fair food for lunch.

This year, we took a newcomer, my friend Darby.

Here are her impressions, in her own words:

“Never seen a tractor parade before. And all the crazy food. We don’t have that crazy of food in California. It was just really

interesting as an observer from a different state to see everything that was similar but quite different from any fair that we have in California.”

The festival had a surprise this year.

Wilders, a cattle and pork farm based in Sampson County, attended and brought samples of their Wagyu beef. It was delicious.

The Kid and I are both dedicated carnivores and very fond of the minute amounts of Wagyu beef we’ve had in the past.

I purchased two New York strips. Let’s just say they were expensive. But probably less expensive than a meal at an oldschool steak house.

The Kid cooked them and when they were about halfway through, I realized the pressure that was on my child’s shoulders. Cooking this steak that cost what a few years ago was our weekly food budget. I am grateful that my situation has changed, but I still feel a measure of Catholic guilt.

Fortunately, The Kid did an amazing job with the cooking. And I learned that even guilt can be tasty when it comes on top of a piece of Wagyu beef.

Contact me at dm@bullcity. mom.

Chrissy’s Potato Leek Stuff

1 baking potato for each diner, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch chunks

2 leeks for each diner, cleaned with white part only sliced ¼ inch thick

3-4 garlic cloves for each diner, minced

Butter

Cream

Salt and pepper

Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in a large, heavybottomed pot. Add sliced leeks and season. Cook until the leaks have melted down and are translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add potatoes and stir together until mixed.

Pour in enough heavy cream to cover.

Stir together and turn down to very low, 2 1/2-ish. Cook, stirring every 10 minutes or so until everything cooks down together, the potatoes are completely cooked and the whole thing looks like extremely chunky mashed potatoes. Check for seasoning. Re-season if necessary.

Serve.

Cast Iron New York Strip

2 New York strip steaks 1 ½ to 2 inches thick at room temperature

1 tablespoon peanut or grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons European

butter (there are less solids in European butter so it won’t burn as quickly)

Salt and Pepper

Turn largest burner to medium-high and get your cast iron skillet hot, but not quite smoking. Add oil and butter.

Very, very liberally season steaks, stick a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the largest steak set to 127 degrees. Place meat in skillet.

As the steaks cook, baste the side that’s face up with the fats in the pan.

When there is a nice brown crust, place the steak, fat edge down, onto the skillet’s surface. You’ll have to hold the steaks upright with some tongs. Cook until the fat is brown and crispy looking.

Then flip and cook the other side, continuing basting as before. When the temperature is reached, remove the steaks from the pan, and set them on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. Loosely place a piece of foil on top to keep the steaks warm. Let sit, undisturbed for seven or eight minutes, then slice, lightly sprinkle with a finishing salt, like Malden salt, and serve. The resting will bring the steak up to 130 degrees, perfectly medium rare, and it will relax the fibers in the meat so that when you cut it, you don’t get all the juice running out and leaving you with a dry and not juicy steak.

Hudson announces 2023 Congressional Art Competition winners

Chatham News + Record

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC) announced the winners of the 2023 Congressional Art Competition from North Carolina’s 9th District last Friday.

“The Congressional Art Competition is an incredible opportunity to highlight the artistic talents of our District’s high school students, and I was very impressed by

all of the submissions we received this year,” said Rep. Hudson. “I congratulate this year›s winners and thank everyone who participated in the competition. I look forward to showcasing their artwork in the Capitol and my office.”

Below are the winning selections for North Carolina’s 9th District:

First Place: Mya Hausauer of Pinehurst, Pinecrest High School, The Baptism

Second Place: Jae Hee Shin of Cary, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Distorted Reflection

Third Place: Emma Johnson of Sanford, Southern Lee High School, Self Portrait

The first-place winner’s artwork will hang in the U.S. Capitol, second place will hang in Rep. Hudson’s Washington, D.C. office, and third place will hang in his Southern Pines office.

Ea ch spring, the Congres -

sional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. North Carolina’s 9th District Congressional Art Competition is judged by a committee of local artists who reviewed submissions earlier this year.

First Place: Mya Hausauer of Pinehurst, Pinecrest High School, The Baptism

Second Place: Jae Hee Shin of Cary, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Distorted Reflection

Third Place: Emma Johnson of Sanford, Southern Lee High School, Self Portrait

Adam Phillips, Miranda Parker, Mary Maloney, Gary Phillips, Jay Parker, Don Basnight, Ken Tunnell, Terri Turner, Crystal Fisher

COURTESY OF DEBBIE MATTHEWS

Strong opinions expressed over proposed Randolph County ‘Harm Reduction’ plan

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

ASHEBORO — Strong opinions were expressed during a faith-heavy discussion about a proposed “Harm Reduction” plan during a May 22 meeting of the Randolph County Opioid-Drug Community Collaborative.

The Collaborative was first initiated through funding by the county board of commissioners in 2016. Per Layton, the Collaborative convened in 2017 with community partners to launch its coalition, and in the timespan between 2017 and 2019, the Collaborative began implementing its initial action plan.

The 2 p.m. meeting was held at the AVS Catering and Banquet Center in Asheboro.

The public information officer for Randolph County said the meeting had been posted on county social media platforms on May 18 and Layton said there was no public notice posted because it was a “coalition meeting.” Despite the short timeframe leading up to the meeting, it was well attended with an estimated crowd of around 100-150.

The main presentation on “Harm Reduction” was given by Jennifer Layton, the assistant health director for Randolph County’s public health department.

In addition to Layton’s presentation, remarks were also given by a panel consisting of Elizabeth Brewington, Manager of Health Programs for the NC Association of County Commissioners; Pastor Allen Murray of the Asheboro-area “Faith in Motion Ministries;” and Robi Cagle, the program coordinator for the Uwharrie Harm Reduction Initiative.

A tense and at times emotional question and answer session followed the presentations and remarks by the panel.

Several faith leaders from Randolph County and the Asheboro area expressed strong opposition to part of the Harm Reduction Plan that involved a program that would supply clean needles to addicts, referred to as a syringe services program or SSP.

SSP’s began to show up in various counties after the General Assembly passed a law in 2016 authorizing needle and hypodermic syringe exchange programs. The intent of the law was an effort to promote “scientifically proven ways of mitigating health risks associated with drug use and other highrisk behaviors.”

Dr. Jonathan Burris, a pastor for the New Center Christian Church, located in Seagrove, North Carolina, cited the low rates of needles returned or collected associated with SSP’s. Burris said he was also a data scientist with his own consulting firm that works in the area of statistics, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and heuristics.

“I like numbers. Numbers do

not lie,” said Burris. He went on to site the North Carolina Safer Syringe annual report from 2021 and 2022 he said shows that “there are more needles and more naloxone being served to the same people year over year.”

Naloxone is a medication similar to Narcan which rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. “How is this not facilitating more drug addiction when only 5% are actually referred to treatment?” Burris asked.

“In addition to that, we see that 19.4 million needles have been distributed. Only 6.9 million have been recovered. That means that 65% of that 19.4 million - over 12 million needles – are unaccounted for.”

Burris pressed the point, saying that he had heard Harm Reduction was collecting the needles and asked who had collected the needles from in a “bucket” in front of a “local Asheboro business down the street” in the last year.

“It was not the folks doing the Harm Reduction,” said Burris. “It was the business owner.”

Burris also asked the panel if they agreed with a message on numerous pamphlets for organizations and programs that promote SSP’s.

“Do you agree with the message “Enjoy Your High,” asked Burris, holding up an example of a pamphlet with that message on it.

“I appreciate the sentiments here, but this is not the solution,” said Todd Nance, a pastor from Ramseur. “These people need help, but I don’t think clean needles is the solution.”

Other attendees, including the pastors present spoke of finding used needles on the playground areas of their churches as well as drug deals going down at night in their church parking lots.

At one point, two women got into a heated shouting match over the topic of supplying needles to substance abusers. One woman, who had lost a son to an overdose, seemed to support an SSP plan while the other woman said giving needles out wasn’t the answer to the problem, but instead perpetuates it.

In her comments, Layton referred to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ “Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan” as a basis for the work of the Collaborative. The state’s plan includes three components; prevention, reducing harm, and connecting with care.

One slide described the “core values” of Harm Reduction as overlapping the concepts of “Love, Compassion, and Kindness,” while another billed Harm Reduction as “a social justice movement” to “respect the rights of people who use drugs,” and a “practical set of strategies” to reduce negative impacts of drug abuse.

Another slide cited 2021 statistics that each day 11 North Carolinians die of a drug overdose and eight of those deaths

were opioid-related. An additional statistic on the same slide cited 32,000 North Carolinians had died of a drug overdose between 2000 and 2021.

No specific statistics were supplied for Randolph County in the slides nor when an audience member asked Layton for those numbers later in the discussion.

According to the Randolph County Opioid Resources data dashboard, there have been 257 drug overdoses resulting in 28 fatalities so far in 2023. The heat map associated with the 2023 data shows a concentration in Asheboro and in the High Point/Archdale area.

The data for past years show a steady increase in both overdoses in the county with 786 overdoses and 84 fatalities in 2022, 610 overdoses and 82 fatalities in 2021, 576 overdoses and 53 fatalities in 2020, and 664 overdoses resulting in 36 deaths in 2019.

The data dashboard does not indicate if the data is all opioid-related overdoses or if it includes other drugs. Layton warned about making “dangerous assumptions” about the plan and directed those in attendance to “come ask questions from those doing the work.”

Part of Layton’s presentation included a short video of Reverend Michelle Mathis, the executive director of “Olive Branch Ministries,” a “faith-based Harm Reduction” organization that serves Allegheny, Ashe, Burke, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, McDowell, and Watauga Counties. In the video, Mathis compares the story of Lazarus in the Bible to that of helping addicts recover, stating near the closing that “this work is messy but also miraculous.”

Rep. Neal Jackson (R-Randolph) was on hand to give an invocation at the start of the meeting, as were several of the county’s commissioners, including Chairman Darrell Frye and Kenny Kidd.

Frye opened the meeting with some brief comments which referenced the county commissioner’s intent to deal with the opioid crisis per its 2016 Strategic Plan and the $9,825,790 million in settlement money apportioned to Randolph County for funding the county’s opioid response.

In June 2022, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein announced local governments would begin receiving the first payments from a $26 billion national opioid agreement with the nation’s three major drug distributors (Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen) and Johnson & Johnson. The release stated that the fund distribution could be accessed through the Community Opioid Resources Engine for North Carolina (CORE-NC).

Per the NC-CORE dashboard, so far Randolph County has received $1,209,154 in two payments during 2022; $377,436 in the spring and

$831,718 in the summer.

According to Frye, the over $9.8 million breaks down to $1 million in funding a year that will stretch for the next 18 years as a result of two settlements; one with Purdue Pharma and another dealing settlement money obtained from a lawsuit against distributors of opioids like CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

Frye mentioned the settlement funds the county has received come with “directed issues and procedures to be followed.” According to the website for the NC opioid settlement, a Memorandum of Agreement offers local governments two options for spending the money. Option A is a list of 12 approved strategies to choose from. Option B is a “collaborative strategic planning process” that includes an expanded approved list of strategies.

“We can’t save a soul or rehabilitate a person who is dead,” Frye told the audience. He went on to say that, “County Commissioners have not [yet] made decisions or directed any money. This is part of the conversation today.”

In an interview with North State Journal, Kidd said that while the Collaborative was convened to offer solutions, the commissioners would be the deciding factor in what strategies would ultimately be employed.

“The commissioners will decide what to do and what not to do,” said Kidd. “Ultimately, we will make the decision – the five of us.” He indicated the topic may be brought up at the next meeting of the board of commissioners in June.

“A month ago, they [the Collaborative] came to us with proposals for the $1.2 million dollars and there are about eight different strategies they are going to address with the rollout of those $1.2 million dollars,” said Kidd. “The commissioners tabled it because we knew this meeting was coming up and it would be a good time for public discussion.”

When asked about the majority of the meeting’s at-

tendees opposing a needle program, Kidd said he “agreed with that assessment.”

Kidd also provided North State Journal with images of syringes found around the Asheboro area.

“It’s Randolph County… it’s a pretty conservative community,” said Kidd, noting the area is a strong, faith-based community. “I don’t think the needle distribution program is a good idea and I agree that if there’s a 150 people here, 100 of them came to say this needle thing is a crazy idea.”

“It is not condoning. It is not enabling,” Murray said during his panel remarks about providing support services, such as clean needles to addicts. “It’s giving them one more chance.” He later added, “They’re [addicts] going to use anyway.”

Murray’s Faith In Motion Ministries is relatively new and was formed as a non-profit in August 2021. Murray told North State Journal his organization is non-denominational.

During his comments, Murray also alluded to the fact he is a recovering addict and told the audience not to let politics become more important than people.

The panel did not include a representative of the “Community Hope Alliance” which handouts for the meeting indicate is leading the Harm Reduction workgroup. The contact for Community Hope Alliance is Kelly Link, who may have been in attendance but was not on the panel.

Among the other materials given out was a “Stop the Stigma” flier offering alternative language to terms such as drug abuse, addicts, and junkies as well as terms like clean and dirty needles. Instead, the flier suggested terms like “substance abuse disorder,” “person with substance abuse disorder,” and “sterile/used syringes.”

The next meeting of the Randolph County Opioid-Drug Community Collaborative is scheduled for July 24 at 2 p.m. and will take place at the Randolph County Administrative Building.

Community Forum

Town of Siler City Commissioner District 3

The Town of Siler City Board of Commissioners recently adopted a Strategic Plan.

One of the strategic priorities is to enhance community engagement.

The Town of Siler City is inviting the public to attend an informal community forum to share community projects, questions, comments, and concerns.

Forum Date:

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Forum Time: 6:00pm

Forum Location: Siler City Presbyterian Church (Fellowship Hall) 720 West Third Street

Since this is a public meeting, a quorum of the Board of Commissioners may be present, but no town business will be conducted.

If you have any questions, please contact Jack Meadows Community Development Director @ 919-726-8627 or jmeadows@silercity.org

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

About 70 people listen to Assistant Health director Jennifer Layton talk during the H.A.R.M reduction meeting at AVS Banquet center in Asheboro, NC on May 22, 2023.