North State Journal Vol. 8, Issue 3

Treasury Dept to hand over Hunter Biden bank records

Washington, D.C.

The Treasury Department will allow members of the House Oversight and Government Accountability Committee to review Suspicious Activities Reports (SARs) detailing Hunter Biden’s bank records, committee chairman James Comer of Kentucky said Tuesday in a report from the Daily Caller.

The Oversight Committee

initially requested in January that Treasury officials provide Biden’s SARs, which are taken by banks in accordance with federal law when deposits or withdrawals exceed $10,000 or may indicate criminal activity. Comer believes that Treasury holds more than 150 reports on Biden.

“After two months of dragging their feet, the Treasury Department is finally providing us with access to the suspicious activity reports for the Biden family and their associates’ business transactions. It should never have taken us threatening to hold a hearing and conduct a transcribed interview with an official under the penalty of perjury for Treasury to finally accommodate part of our request,” Comer said in a statement.

NSJ STAFF

$109M in drinking water, wastewater grants approved by LGC

Raleigh

The Local Government Commission (LGC) approved $109 million in grants for drinking water and wastewater projects this meeting last week.

“A dependable source of clean drinking water and reliable wastewater systems are of the utmost importance for public health, environmental stewardship, quality of life and economic development,” said State Treasurer Dale Folwell said in a statement. “Many small towns and rural communities, in particular, as well as some urban centers face massive challenges providing those essential services due to shrinking tax bases and depopulation.”

The money for the work falls under the Viable Utility Reserve (VUR) Act. That act was passed by the General Assembly to help distressed local government units maintain, improve and replace public water and wastewater infrastructure with a goal of working with other distressed local governments.

NSJ STAFF

Sports betting bill back in NC House

Raleigh

A bill to legalize and bring sports betting to North Carolina was introduced by state Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln) on Monday.

After narrowly failing in the North Carolina House of Representatives last year, the bill would authorize betting on college and professional sports in up to 12 sports books that will pay to set up the infrastructure in the state.

NSJ STAFF

US: Russian fighter jet hits American drone over Black Sea

Kyiv, Ukraine

A Russian fighter jet on Tuesday struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea, causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle in international waters, the U.S. military said, an incident that highlighted soaring U.S.-Russian tensions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident by national security adviser Jake Sullivan. THE

Court is in session

Medicaid expansion opposition focused on lack of CON reforms, spending concerns

By Matt Mercer North State Journal

RALEIGH — As the Republican-led Medicaid expansion bill speeds toward passage, many in the GOP remain skeptical of the deal struck by legislative leaders.

the leaders goes, will allow for potential tax cuts and other policy measures to gain approval in exchange for the deal long sought by Gov. Roy Cooper and state Democrats.

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The

annual report documenting crime, discipline and dropout rates for North Carolina K-12 schools shows 11,170 crimes or acts of violence in the total number of crimes during the 2021-22 school year over the previous — a 16.9% increase over the previous year.

Similarly, the rate of crime per 1,000 students (7.51 crimes per 1,000 students) increased by 16.3%.

A summary accompanying the report says the data reflects national trends in school discipline and crime statistics linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The release cites a student behavior survey by the U.S. Department of Education showing 84% either agreed or strongly agreed that the pandemic negatively impacted the behavioral development of students.

The report cautions comparison of past years should consider that crimes decreased during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic school closures.

“We know that the pandem-

ic and its aftermath have created significant challenges for students, educators and their schools,” State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in the press release. “We’re taking aggressive steps to respond this year, and we’re seeking more resources for next year to provide students with the help that they need.”

The release notes $74 million in School Safety Grants were awarded to the Center for Safer Schools this past fall. The grants went to 200 school districts and charter schools for purchasing safety equipment as well as funding school resource officers and providing training and services for students across the state.

Truitt also cited an additional $17 million in federal grant funding to help 15 school districts increase the number and diversity of mental health service providers in high-needs schools.

There are 16 reportable student crimes contained in the report, nine of which are considered violent acts: assault, as -

See CRIME , page A2

Around 22 House Republicans voted against the bill on its third reading in February before the measure was sent to the Senate — and before the surprise announcement at a March 2 press conference that Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) had struck a deal. According to some sources, there was no warning that the deal would be announced.

“Adopting Democrat talking points to deliver a victory for Democrats will do more to destroy the base’s trust in Republican leaders than it will ever improve health care access in North Carolina,” one Republican operative told North State Journal. “To completely reverse course (on expansion) isn’t just an embarrassing flip-flop with no explanation, it’s completely antithetical to Republicans’ limited-government mission.”

The bill, H.B. 76, passed through Senate committees on Wednesday and Thursday last week and is expected to land on the floor of the chamber within the next week.

According to Berger and Moore, one of the conditions of the Medicaid expansion passage is the approval of the 2023-24 state budget. That, the theory of

State Treasurer warns Novant hospital purchases will erode health care quality

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — In his monthly call with reporters, State Treasurer Dale Folwell warned that Novant Health’s recent bids to acquire two medical centers may erode health care quality in the state. On Feb. 28, Novant Health announced it had signed a “definitive agreement” to buy Lake Norman Regional Medical Center and Davis Regional Medical Center. The acquisition includes the related businesses for those entities, including physician clinic operations and outpatient services from subsidiaries of Community Health Systems, Inc., which is based in

Franklin, Tennessee.

The Lake Norman Regional Medical Center is a 124-bed hospital serving acute care patients in the Iredell region. Davis Regional, serving Statesville, is a general acute care hospital with 144 beds. Davis Regional’s website says the hospital is moving toward becoming an inpatient behavioral health center.

The transaction, worth $320 million, still must obtain regulatory approvals, and Novant says the deal is expected to close later this year. In the early 2000s, Novant spent an 18-month stretch co-owning the entities it now seeks to acquire. North State Journal asked the

treasurer if he expected Attorney General Josh Stein to enter into the equation on the impending Novant purchases.

“Well, I would expect as what we’ve seen in the past that the attorney general would put his fingerprint and seal of approval on this transaction as he has done in every other transaction,” replied Folwell.

Folwell went on to say that five years ago he had discussed what was happening with health care in the state with Stein and that “at every turn, we’ve seen consolidation of health care” has had negative results.

Part of the measure also makes a small number of changes to the state’s Certificate of Need (CON) laws. Those laws, instituted in 1978, require state regulatory approval for health care and hospital providers to build new facilities, enter new markets and a host of other actions that are limited in state law.

The CON changes would remove psychiatric beds and facilities, chemical dependency treatment beds and facilities, replacement equipment up to $3 million, and various paediatric treatment services from review under the law.

In addition, the bill would exempt ambulatory surgical centers from CON review if those centers are licensed by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), are located in a county with a population greater than 125,000 and commit 4% of their total earned revenue to charity care. The measure also removes MRI machines in counties with a population over 125,000 from CON review. According to population estimates, 23 of North Carolina’s 100 counties would meet that threshold.

One of Berger’s and the Senate’s top staffers, Brent Woodcox, spent much of the past week bashing the John Locke Founda-

“The federal government is out of control with their spending, and someone has to stand up and say enough is enough.”

State Rep. Neal Jackson (R)

Crime in K-12 schools rose almost 17% during the 2021-22 school year

Chief Justice Paul Newby listens during oral arguments at the North Carolina Supreme Court in Raleigh on March 14, 2023. The seven justices are hearing cases related to partisan redistricting and voter ID this week.

“One of One”

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Colossians

Our days come to us filled with opportunities for gathering knowledge, growing wise, growing in character, becoming stronger, truer, purer, nobler, more Christ-like, doing heroic things for Christ, performing caring ministries, and rendering sweet services in Christ’s name, to those who need loving sympathy and deeds of kindness.

Opportunities come to every Christian. They continually come

on all the ordinary days — and oftentimes in the simplest common things. Yet the trouble with too many of us, is that we do not improve upon them, and do not seize them as they arrive.

“Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise — making the most of the time” Ephesians 5:1516 Our days, as God gives them to us — are like beautiful summer fields. The hours are like trees with their rich fruit, or vines with their blossoms of purple clusters.

The minutes are blooming flowers, and silvery blades of grass, and stalks of wheat with their golden grains.

Oh the endless, blessed possibilities of the days and hours and minutes — as they come to us from God’s hands.

But what did you do with yesterday? How does the little acre of that one day look to you now?

What are you doing with your time? Every moment God gives us, has in it a possibility of beauty or usefulness — as well as something to be accounted for. Are we using our time for God?

“Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life” Psalm 39:4

“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” John 9:4

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

CRIME from page A1

sault with a weapon, kidnapping, homicide, rape, sexual assault, sexual offense, and taking indecent liberties with a minor.

The other seven are assault on school personnel, bomb threat, burning a school building, possession of a firearm/explosive, possession of a weapon, possession of a controlled substance, and having alcohol on campus.

The top crime reported in 2021-22 was possession of controlled substances (5,250), followed by possession of a weapon (3,292) and assault on school personnel (1,374). Of the three, possession of a weapon rose 60.4% compared to the 2,053 reported during the 2018-19 pre-pandemic school year.

Notably, rape and indecent liberties with a minor were not reported in 2021-22.

Districts with the highest number of reported crimes include Charlotte-Mecklenburg (1,532), Wake (1,367), Winston-Salem/Forsyth (587) and Guilford (473). Wake County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg are the state’s two largest districts with 2021-22 student populations of 157,849 and 139,492, respectively.

Elementary schools saw possession of a weapon reported more frequently in 2021-22, followed by assault on school personnel, possession of a controlled substance and then possession of alcohol, according to the report. There were 1,427 crimes in 202122 with a rate of 2.12 crimes per 1,000 elementary students.

In middle schools, possession of a controlled substance, followed by possession of a weapon, assault on school personnel and possession of alcohol were the most reported crimes. There were 3,747 crimes committed by student offenders resulting in a rate of 10.44 crimes per 1,000 middle school students.

For high schools, the crime reported more frequently was possession of a controlled substance, followed by possession of a weapon, possession of an alcoholic beverage and assault on school personnel.

In the past, reportable crimes are typically committed more frequently by students at the high school level. The high school crime rate for 2021-22 was 13.16 acts of crime and violence per

1,000 high school students in the state. That’s a 23.5% increase from 10.73 in 2018-19.

The five-year difference in the number and rate of high school crimes from the 2017-18 academic year to 2021-22 increased by 9.6% and 10.7% respectively. There were 217,928 short-term suspensions reported statewide for 2021-22; an increase of 7.2% compared to the 203,298 reported in 2018-19. Historically, males have been suspended more than females, and that trend continued.

Black students had the highest

rate of short-term suspensions at 303.78 per 1,000 black students enrolled followed by American Indian students with 242.84 per 1,000 students enrolled, and two or more races students with 178.96 per 1,000 students enrolled.

High schools reported 76,065 short-term suspensions, elementary grades reported 45,291 and middle schools had the highest number with 96,572.

Long-term suspensions also increased, going from 597 in 2018-19 to 693 in 2021-22. The rate of long-term suspensions

also increased by 23.3% compared to 2018-19.

The report says there were 48 expulsions across all North Carolina schools during the 2021-22 year. Just over 81% of those expulsions were males. High school students made up 87.5% of those expulsions.

Of the 48 students expelled during 2021-22, 64.6% were black, 18.8% were white, 14.6% were Hispanic, and 2.1% were students of two or more races. Around 12.5% of the 48 were students with disabilities.

The report says 2021-22 was

the fourth consecutive academic year where districts reported zero use of corporal punishment.

In terms of dropout rates, there were 11,711 dropouts in Grades 1 through 13, a 17.2% increase from the 9,991 reported in 2018-19. The 2021-22 dropout rate increased just over 12% compared to 2018-19. High school students were the most frequent to drop out with 10,841 recorded for 2021-22. That is an increase of 14% over the 9,512 reported in 2018-19. Male students made up more than 60% of all high school-level dropouts.

“Make the most of every opportunity.”

4:5

NCGOP vice chair candidate says past criminal record is ‘old news’

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A candidate running for vice chair of the North Carolina Republican Party had addressed his past criminal history amid a recent resurgence of the topic.

Addul Ali, who is the current chair for the Cabarrus County GOP, is running to become the statewide vice chair for the NCGOP. He is also the political director at the Frederick Douglass Foundation of North Carolina and co-host and co-founder, alongside his twin brother, of the Urban Conservative Podcast.

In the past, Ali had faced charges of driving with a revoked license and a misdemeanor charge of resisting a public officer tied to the license issue. Criminal records and background checks on Ali have been circulating among GOP insiders this week, which he addressed in an exclusive interview with North State Journal. Ali said the charges have been cleared and were brought up in the past when he ran for various positions.

“First and foremost, if anybody knows me, they’ve known since I’ve been involved with the GOP, I’ve been upfront about my record,” Ali said. “I ran successfully in 2021 to become the chairman of the Cabarrus GOP, with many of the people — if not all of the people — on that executive committee and the delegates to that convention aware of my old charges.”

He added that his past is “100% of what made me who I am today, and I don’t shirk away from it.”

Ali also ran two campaigns for Kannapolis City Council in the last 10 years and said the same thing happened then.

“This is old, honestly, it’s old news,” Ali said. “They tried this back

NOVANT from page A1

“We all know what’s happening west of Hickory, with ACH’s takeover of Mission Health,” said Folwell. “We’re seeing story after story about sellers’ remorse in Wilmington and Brunswick … Pender and surrounding counties with Novant taking over New Hanover Regional. The evidence is right in front of us of what we should expect — lower quality, lower access, higher cost.

“I don’t see any evidence of where we are actually going back and looking at previous transactions that were approved,” Folwell said concerning action on consolidation of health care systems. “I have filed an amicus brief on the HCA Mission Health transaction, and I had to file that as an individual citizen, so that should tell you something about the attorney general’s office’s willingness to advocate.”

Folwell added that Stein’s office “would not represent me as the state treasurer of North Carolina, they would not represent me as the chair of the state health plan, which is the largest purchaser of health care in North Carolina, and they refuse to give us permission to get outside counsel for me to be a co-filer with the mayor of Brevard, which happens to be a Democrat, on that transaction.”

Novant is a nonprofit system that already has 15 hospitals and 800 provider locations. Novant purchased New Hanover Regional in 2021 for $1.5 billion. The treasurer’s office said Novant was hit with a federal report in 2022 that cited problems found at its New Hanover Regional Medical Center that nearly resulted in Novant los-

MEDICAID from page A1

tion and WBT host Pete Kaliner over their concerns.

In a series of back-and-forth exchanges on Twitter, Woodcox said JLF CEO Amy O’Cooke’s positions “obviously don’t matter to the outcome here.”

In another, he criticized their professions, saying of the limited CON reforms in the bill, “Turns out radio rantings and white papers couldn’t get the job done.”

Beyond CON reform concerns, the issue of spending remains front and center.

One bill opponent, Rep. Neal Jackson (R-Moore), told North State Journal his opposition came from a desire to see spending cuts across government at every level.

“The reason I voted against Medicaid expansion is the same

in 2016-17 when I ran for Kannapolis City Council. It came up when I ran for Cabarrus County chairman, and I’m uniquely aware that it’s going to come up in my run for state party vice chair.”

A second question regarding Ali’s background that has emerged is an apparent warrant for child support filed out of New York. Ali said that wasn’t about him or his children and involved identity theft.

“I think that everybody knows what it’s like to … have somebody that’s been affected by identity theft,” said Ali. “And that’s what the situation that I was dealing with that child support situation. … [It] was a matter of identity theft, which caused me to not be able to get a driver’s license, but I was able to get that cleared up and I was actually a driver for AAA for several years — which you cannot do with a warrant.”

When asked for more details on the child support issue, Ali said years ago when he traveled to New York, his wallet and ID had been stolen and that someone had used his Social Security number “to set this thing up apparently.”

“And they had put a block on my license, so I had to go to New York and get that clarified … get that released,” Ali said of the child support warrant issue. He added that while that was going on, he was still driving.

“I was a 21-, 22-year-old parent trying to drive back and forth,” said Ali, who is now in his early 40s. “So, I’ve got all that rectified, and I’ve had my driver’s license for years and years and I’ve not had a problem.

“It’s not something that’s an issue now, and for somebody to say that I have a warrant for — I think it’s just ridiculous,” Ali said.

A li said his children are with his wife and reiterated that “this child

“It came up when I ran for Cabarrus County chairman, and I’m uniquely aware that it’s going to come up in my run for state party vice chair.”

Addul Ali

support warrant thing” was “a matter of identity theft.”

“I’m not shirking away from it. I’ve never shirked away from it and, quite frankly, to have the support of people like our state Sen. Paul Newton, who’s endorsed my campaign for vice chair,” Ali said. “I just got an endorsement from state Sen. Ted Alexander, Wayne Sasser and others have stepped up to endorse me knowing what the decisions were that I made in the past and how I corrected those decisions, and my leadership record in the GOP speaks volumes to that.”

Ali also added that with all the support he has received, he believes he is an example of “you can come from absolutely nothing and make something of yourself.”

And if people want to use that to attack me, I’m fine with that. I’m OK with that,” Ali said.

On March 10, Ali posted a video on Facebook on his Addul Ali for NCGOP Vice Chair account. The video is apparently the first in a series discussing his background.

After initial reporting on the controversy over Ali’s past, North State Journal received a legal complaint filed against Ali as an individual and in his role as Cabarrus County GOP chairman. Also named in the complaint executive board members of the Cabarrus GOP.

Attorney Tyler Brooks filed the complaint on behalf of Cabarrus County Republican Women’s President Jennifer Dunbar, who alleges “pervasive sex discrimination against women by the Cabarrus County Republican Party.”

“[Ali] seems to have a problem with women — or at least, with women who wish to be treated as equals, and specifically with Plaintiff Jennifer Dunbar, President of the Cabarrus Republican Women (‘CRW’),” according to the complaint.

Dunbar’s complaint says discrimination is tied to her being wrongfully removed as a member of the Cabarrus GOP executive committee in August 2022.

Ali said he sees Dunbar’s complaint as nothing more than personal issues that “lack any real substance or any real evidence.”

“But I still submit that if you’re suing the Republican Party of Cabarrus County, you are also suing every Republican woman in Cabarrus County,” Ali said. “That is a Republican thing. You’re suggesting that they are a party to gender discrimination. That is the essence of this. And I think it just goes to show you how preposterous the idea of this whole thing is.”

Ali later added he has worked with and is a member of numerous women’s clubs and said, “We have a letter and a statement from 70 Republican women in the county — leading women in the county — that will tell you no such things happened.” He also provided a statement from the Cabarrus GOP on the complaint filed last year noting two women filled vacant roles in the party.

The case is still pending in federal court and has had motions filed by both sides concerning the defendants’ request to dismiss the case and the plaintiff’s denied petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO).

The TRO included sworn testimony under penalty of perjury from Elizabeth “Lisa” Matthews outlining an incident in which Ali allegedly threatened her over her work with

an area charter school. According to Matthews, the county was interested in a building that the charter school wanted to buy and Cabarrus GOP board members got involved.

“Mr. Ali contacted me directly and threatened me over the charter school dispute. He said I would ‘regret’ going against the ‘Republican Party leadership in the county’ and that I had ‘no idea what could be done’ to me and my family,” Matthews’ testimony reads. “He further said he would personally make it difficult for me to continue to live in the county.”

Matthews alleges Ali went to various parties that could help the school and told them not to help and stated that Ali would tell people that ‘Lisa don’t know how to do what she’s told.’ She also stated she believed Ali’s ‘animus toward me was rooted in the fact that I was a woman in a strong leadership position and that he expected women to submit to whatever he told them to do.’”

When asked about Matthews’ testimony, Ali responded: “What you have is Jennifer Dunbar saying that Lisa Matthews did that. Lisa Matthews isn’t a party to any lawsuit or anything like that.”

Ali said anyone that knows him “will laugh at the idea of me calling and threatening anybody over a charter school.” He also said Matthews had since left the state but during the charter school situation she had gone “on the record to attack Christianity and accuse people of being racist and not wanting to support a black woman.”

The most recently amended version of the complaint has dropped some of the Cabarrus executive committee members as defendants but kept Vice Chair Jack Lambert and Secretary Clay McQuire listed alongside Ali.

“The public circular firing squad has to stop,” Ali said while going on to note the amended complaint includes a charge that he engages in gender discrimination because he is running for vice chair, a position Dunbar’s amended complaint says is typically held by a woman.

markets that were deemed high or very highly concentrated based on their HHI score.

In a co-published white paper that was revised in January of this year, Cooper and his colleagues found that “receiving care from expensive hospitals in concentrated markets increases spending but has no detectable effect on mortality.”

The Novant acquisition is the latest consolidation move seen in the health care field across North Carolina and other regions of the country.

Atrium Health is the largest health care system in the Charlotte area, and Novant is the second largest. Both companies have been buying up health care entities and hospitals across North Carolina over the last three to four years.

Late last year, Atrium finalized a deal to merge with Advocate Aurora Health. The combining of the two entities included 67 hospitals spanning six states and is now the fifth largest nonprofit health care system in the U.S.

Stein signed off on the Atrium-Advocate deal, stating that “my office has conducted a thorough review into this transaction and concluded that there is no legal basis to prevent it. Therefore, the state will take no further action.”

ing its Medicare contract. According to 2018 data analyzed by Yale professor Zack Cooper, one of the leading researchers in the country on hospital consolidation, Novant’s Brunswick Medical Center had a perfect monopoly score of 10,000 on the Herfindahl–Hirschman index (HHI), which measures hospital concentration.

The HMI range is zero to 10,000. Zero represents perfect

reason I voted for the Convention of States legislation. The federal government is out of control with their spending, and someone has to stand up and say enough is enough,” said Jackson.

Another legislator, Rep. Ben Moss of Richmond County, announced he would oppose the final deal. Moss voted for the bill in February.

“I had originally voted for Medicaid expansion because I care about health care access in rural and underserved communities across the state,” said Moss, “Now having had more time to review the proposal and solicit feedback from my constituents, I’ve found that this proposal will have the opposite effect in the long run, and it is bad news for my district, our state and our nation. The heavy hand of government is not

competition and 10,000 represents a monopoly. The HHI score is calculated using bed counts for hospitals in a given market. The market area is defined as all hospitals located within a 30-minute drive.

The hospitals Novant is trying to buy, Davis Regional and Lake Norman Regional, already had elevated scores of 4,581 and 5,071 respectively, according to Cooper’s data.

“While expansion propoents are fixated on one side of the leger — uncompensated care costs — they often ignore the effect of shifting untold numbers of ablebodied adults from private insurance onto Medicaid.”

Foundation for Government Accountability report

able to supplant the free market approach to keeping health care affordable for all.” Moss also called the expansion

Cooper’s data also shows 59 out of the 99 hospitals and systems in North Carolina have a score of 10,000, including large systems like Vidant and Atrium. The majority of the scores were over 5,000, with Iredell Health Systems earning the most competitive (lowest score) with 3,155.

According to the Health Cost Institute, 125 metros of the 186 studied (67%) in 2020 had hospital

a “shortsighted approach” that would leave the state high and dry without addressing the roots of the problem. “When the federal government gets hit with higher-than-expected Medicaid costs, they have the ability to print more money and add to the growing national debt. North Carolina is required to have a balanced budget, so any higher costs means either higher taxes or spending cuts elsewhere,” Moss added.

Despite assurances that hospitals, particularly in rural areas, will benefit from Medicaid expansion, the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) says the expansion has actually contributed to the closing of more hospitals.

“While expansion proponents are fixated on one side of the ledger — uncompensated care

Another major merger between HCA Healthcare and Mission Health was finalized in 2019. The $1.5 billion purchase expanded the giant HCA organization that already had a portfolio of 185 hospitals and some 1,800 care operations in 21 states as well as some in the United Kingdom. HCA picked up six hospitals in western North Carolina by buying Mission Health.

costs — they often ignore the effect of shifting untold numbers of able-bodied adults from private insurance (whether through their employer or the individual market) onto Medicaid, which has lower provider reimbursement rates,” an FGA study found.

The flip by Republican leaders has left many of the General Assembly’s longtime allies frustrated.

“Expanding Medicaid is a slap in the face to every Republican voter that took Republican legislative leadership at their word over the last decade. The dynamics of principled and practical opposition to expanding a costly government entitlement program have not changed ’— only leadership’s willingness to resist special interest groups,” the GOP operative added.

FILE PHOTO

Novant Presbyterian Hospital is shown in this file photo.

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

The ‘Great 58’ Community College system

North Carolina’s Community College system is still without a permanent president since the resignation of Thomas Stith last July. Interim president William Carver has led the system for the past eight months and a search committee has met periodically – but little is still known about the progress towards hiring a replacement. The state community college board is meeting on March 16 and 17 at their office in Raleigh where an update is expected to come from a committee overseeing the search.

Former professor reflects on surviving Holocaust

Madison County

There are not many Holocaust survivors left, but there’s at least one with ties to Buncombe and Madison counties. Walter Ziffer, 95, of Weaverville, was an adjunct professor at Mars Hill University from 2001-15. Ziffer and his wife, Gail, moved to Weaverville in 1993.

Ziffer also wrote a memoir on his experience, “Confronting the Silence: A Holocaust Survivor’s Search for God.” Ziffer’s 14 years at Mars Hill came in his “retirement years.”

While at Mars Hill, he taught Biblical studies — including Hebrew language studies — as well as theology.

Medical helicopter service suspended after crash

Macon County

An emergency helicopter transport service is suspending operations after one of its helicopters crashed, leaving three of the four people aboard hospitalized. LIFE FORCE

Air Medical said operations are suspended until crews “feel ready to return to service.”

The Federal Aviation Administration says the Eurocopter EC135 medical helicopter landed hard on Thursday. LIFE FORCE

Air Medica is operated by Erlanger Health System. One crew member was released from a hospital and the other three people are in stable condition. It’s the first crash in the program’s 34-year history. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. AP

US Rep Bishop reintroduces bills to stop Critical Race Theory

By A.P. Dillon North State

academies,” according to Bishop’s press release.

Journal

RALEIGH — Republican Rep. Dan Bishop (NC-08) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) have reintroduced measures to stop funding of Critical Race Theory in government agencies and military training.

The legislation being reintroduced are the Stop CRT Act and Combatting Racist Training in the Military Act.

EASTERN

Ex-congressional candidate enters guilty plea

Haywood County

A former congressional candidate has pleaded guilty to a federal campaign finance violation. Court documents and the U.S. Justice Department say Lynda Bennett entered the plea to one count of accepting contributions in the name of another. Her sentencing is set for June. Attorneys have recommended probation. Bennett ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 Republican nomination for the 11th Congressional District seat. She lost in a primary runoff to Madison Cawthorn. The government says the charge stemmed from a loan that Bennett received from a family member that she portrayed falsely as originating from her personal funds.

AP City of Lenoir hires

Parks & Rec director

Caldwell County

The City of Lenoir has hired Phil Harper to serve as the next director for the city’s Parks & Recreation Department. Harper was born and raised in Lenoir. Harper worked as a recreation supervisor for the City of Lenoir Parks & Recreation Department from 1985 to 1991 and as center director from 1999 to 2002. Since then, he has worked in parks and recreation departments across the state, including Burke County, Fayetteville/ Cumberland County and the Village of Pinehurst. Most recently, Harper served as the Parks & Recreation director for the Town of Pembroke.

CITY OF LENOIR

Wife sues over meteorologist’s death in helicopter crash Mecklenburg County

The family of a meteorologist killed in a helicopter crash is suing a maintenance facility and the company that owned and operated the aircraft. The complaint filed in Mecklenburg County Court claims the helicopter was running on contaminated fuel, which can lead to engine failure, and that the pilot bungled safety procedures. The lawsuit argues the company that owned and operated the helicopter is liable for negligence. Meteorologist Jason Myers and pilot Chip Tayag died in November after the helicopter crashed. Myers worked for WBTV. Police officials praised Tayag for steering the crash landing away from a highway, saving lives.

EAST

“Critical Race Theory is a poison to the psyche of our nation. This destructive ideology has no place in America’s institutions, and the bills I’m introducing will help ensure that our government isn’t spending resources on promoting it,” said Bishop in a statement. “But President Biden and the radical Left are committed to pushing this neo-Marxist propaganda into our classrooms, places of work, and even the military. Legislators on every level must fight back against this insidious effort to undermine the truths about our nation’s founding with everything we’ve got.”

“Radical activism should have no place in our military’s training,” Cotton said in a statement. “American soldiers should learn how to kill our enemies, not anti-American ideology. This legislation will prevent Department of Defense bureaucrats from teaching woke ideology.”

The Combatting Racist Training in the Military Act seeks to “eradicate CRT concepts from the Armed Forces, including all military

Man falls through floor while robbing business

Yadkin County

Jessie Lee Poindexter, 39, was charged with felony breaking and/or entering, felony larceny of a motor vehicle, felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle, felony possession of stolen goods and misdemeanor injury to real property after robbing a pair of businesses last month. Poindexter drove a stolen vehicle through the front of a local business and stole merchandise, at one point falling through an opening in the floor. He later stole a second vehicle and tried to drive through the front of another business.

AP

Man charged with setting brushfires in area Rockingham County Patrick Allen Harris, 51, of Eden, was arrested and charged with seven counts of felony malicious use of an explosive or incendiary device. Police believe he is responsible for setting several brushfires around the county. The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina Forestry Service and Rockingham County Fire Marshal’s Office conducted an investigation after determining that the fires were intentionally set. No buildings were damaged in any of the blazes.

WFMY

Elkin’s Crater Park gets $500K grant from state Surry County The town of Elkin received a $500,000 grant from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. A total of 12 towns and counties around the state received half-million dollar grants as part of $9.6 million in grant funding announced last week. The Town of Elkin’s proposed Crater Park just south of downtown on the Yadkin River will up-fit baseball fields, pickleball courts and a boat launch to make them accessible to those with limited mobility. The project includes new recreational amenities that will also be accessible.

NC.GOV

Sheriff: Vehicle crashes in airport terminal, driver charged

New Hanover County Officials say a vehicle crashed inside a terminal at the Wilmington International Airport, but no one was injured. The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded to a report that a car had breached the airport’s fence and driven onto the tarmac. The vehicle crashed through the doors and windows of a terminal and ended up inside of it. The sheriff’s office identified the driver as 37-year-old Tray Anthony Dvorak and said he was charged with assault, trespassing, speeding, disorderly conduct and resisting a government official.

School district votes to remove superintendent

Scotland County

Scotland County Schools will be searching for a new superintendent after the board of education voted unanimously to terminate the contract of the current superintendent. Dr. Takeda LeGrand was terminated at the end of February after the board said “it was in the best interest of the students and staff” to bring in a new leader. LeGrand will get $165,466.79 to buy out her contract.

Barbara Adams, the district director of federal programs, will serve as interim superintendent.

County gets grant to build outdoor event space

Bertie County

The Parks and Recreation Authority awarded a $500,000 grant to build outdoor education and event space in Bertie County. Bertie County’s outdoor education and event space project will offer open access to the water, hiking and camping. Accessible components include an ADA-accessible ramp, beach mats for improved navigation onto the beach and an accessible walkway from the parking area to the beach.

NC.GOV

The Stop CRT Act would ban the use of federal funds from being used to promote, train or teach Critical Race Theory (CRT) in government agencies. The act would codify a 2020 executive order signed by former President Trump banning CRT training in federal agencies.

The Stop CRT Act bars the promotion of six CRT core beliefs: Any race is inherently superior or inferior to any other race. The United States is a fundamentally racist country.

The Declaration of Independence or the United States Constitution are fundamentally racist documents. An individual’s moral worth is determined by his or her race.

An individual, by virtue of his or her race, is inherently racist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.

An individual, because of his or her race, bears responsibility for the actions committed by members of his or her race.

According to Bishop’s press release, the bills have dozens of Republican co-sponsors in the House.

The bills were previously introduced in May 2021, however, they did not advance under the thenDemocratically controlled Congress. In response to a question from North State Journal on whether the legislation might advance under a Republican-majority House, Bishop said the “path bills [is] not yet clear, but possible.”

N. Carolina violence prevention office announced by governor

children nationwide.

AP

DOT changes two intersections on N.C. 403

Duplin County

The N.C. Department of Transportation is converting two intersections in Duplin County to accommodate a new traffic pattern. Both intersections were on N.C. 403, one at Rones Chapel Road and one at Graham Road. Both intersections currently have stop signs only for the roads crossing 403, but starting this week, they will be changed to all-way stops. The DOT is adding pavement markings and stop signs to force traffic on 403 to stop at both intersections.

FOX 8

The Associated Press RALEIGH — Gov. Roy Cooper announced on Tuesday his administration would create an office aimed at helping local law enforcement and public health officials reduce violence in their communities through trainings, model programs and assistance to access funding from the federal government and elsewhere.

During the Executive Mansion event, which was attended by gunviolence prevention advocates, lawmakers and others, Cooper signed an executive order creating the Office of Violence Prevention within the Department of Public Safety.

WNCT

“Too many families and communities are enduring the tragic injuries and deaths from homicide, from carelessness, from suicide,” Cooper said at the event.

WBTW

The new office will coordinate efforts across state and local departments to reverse trends of violence. Cooper said gunfire has surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of injury deaths among children, while in 2021 children in North Carolina were 51% more likely to die from gun violence than

“And whether a gun is used or not, violence is a tragedy that has to be stopped. It requires an all-hands-ondeck approach.” An executive director will be hired for the office in the coming months, Cooper said. The Department of Public Safety is already making plans for a statewide public awareness campaign launching in June about the safe storage of firearms. Cooper, a Democrat, supports additional gun restrictions in state law, but the Republican-controlled legislature has largely ignored such proposals from him and his allies. The new office doesn’t need legislation to be created.

“Unfortunately, the General Assembly has not yet wanted to take these steps, the governor said. “So we must tackle these challenges with the tools that we have.”

north STATEment

VISUAL VOICES

The crappy government program of the month

I WAS CONDUCTING a class recently for some bright undergrads about running for public elective office and we used the state government budget to learn about what gets funded, how it gets funded, why it gets funded and what doesn’t get funded.

After the class, a student came up to me and said: “You know, I have always thought of myself as a solid liberal ― but not every government program is absolutely essential, is it?” Good for him. He will go far.

War ended in 1918 and improved aviation technology swiftly rendered the era of dirigibles for military purposes moot after a mere few years.

In the infinite wisdom of Congress, someone, probably the chair of the defense appropriations committee ― who was most likely from Amarillo, Texas ― decided America should store helium “just in case” we needed a lot of it in the future for some reason.

It is the Michael Myers of the federal budget. It keeps coming back to life and will not go away.

I have long believed I could help every liberal become a solid fiscal conservative ― if they would only walk with me line-by-line through the untold thousands of programs in the 2,200-page federal budget appendix which is published every year.

I once asked the Congressional Budget Office for a list of all federal programs and a second list of all federal programs which have been eliminated over time. “We don’t know how many federal programs there are in the budget,” the CBO budget expert told me on the phone, “and we don’t think any federal program has ever been fully deleted from existence outside of a relatively short-lived emergency, mostly wartime programs.”

“No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth,” Ronald Reagan said in his must-read classic speech, “A Time For Choosing” at the 1964 GOP Convention in the Cow Palace south of San Francisco.

The saga of the Federal Helium Reserve program proves Reagan’s wisdom. It is truly a “crappy” federal program and waste of money that should not receive any taxpayer support. Helium production should be completely done in the private sector by enterprising entrepreneurs.

Launched in 1925, the reserve was set up to store helium derived from drilling for natural gas near Amarillo, Texas. The reserve now has roughly 1 billion cubic meters, or about 170,000,000 kilograms, of helium gas.

Why was helium considered so important that Congress felt it was in the national best interest to establish a federal helium reserve in the first place?

Blimps, otherwise known as dirigibles, are lighter than air when filled with helium. During World War I in Europe, dirigibles were found to be invaluable for military reconnaissance purposes over enemy lines, operating just beyond artillery fire from the ground. However, the Great

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

Hello, spring

WHY, HELLO THERE, springtime, you gorgeous thing, you.

“It’s spring fever. When you’ve got it, you want — oh, you don’t quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”

Though most of the groundhogs here in North Carolina and Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, predicted six more weeks of winter, you arrived ahead of schedule this year. It was “too early,” of course, for those who enjoy the winter months, but just in time for those of us who crave the warm weather, soft breezes and the lovely sights and sounds the beginning of spring typically brings.

Temperatures have been as high here as the low 80s in recent weeks, and though we’re expecting cooler weather to make a return this week, we know those days won’t last for long.

And we’re glad.

With the early appearance of spring has come a flurry of activity at the bird feeder, with traffic jams galore and birds of all varieties including cardinals and bluebirds impatiently waiting on nearby tree branches for their turn at the trough. We get entertained by the songs they “sing” while they’re biding their time.

The squirrels, meanwhile, have been stymied by the squirrel baffle on the shepherd’s hook, but nevertheless have been on standby to munch on what’s fallen to the ground. After that, they spend a lot of time chasing each other and jumping from tree to tree.

Mom’s dogwoods, redbuds and white cherry trees are blooming beautifully, and the pink and white azaleas that dad planted all those

For 70 years, from 1925 to 1995, congressional members allocated millions of taxpayer dollars to the federal helium reserve. Perhaps the party balloon lobby had something to do with it ― federally-subsidized helium made all those balloons cheaper to buy for birthday parties and celebrations for decades.

Under the leadership of then-Republican Leader Dick Armey of Texas, Congress finally passed the Helium Privatization Act of 1996 which directed the Department of Interior to sell off helium reserves and then leave it to the private sector to produce and store helium, not the federal government. Guess what? The Federal Helium Reserve is still operational today in 2023. It is the Michael Myers of the federal budget. It keeps coming back to life and will not go away.

One way to determine if any federal program is “worth keeping” or not is to ask this question: “Would I want my money going to support such a program?” If the answer is no, then it probably should not be funded by the federal government. It should be funded by the private sector or any number of charitable organizations.

Each federal domestic discretionary, defense and entitlement program is in desperate need of massive reform and restructuring; reduction or outright elimination. With perpetual $1 trillion-plus annual deficits staring us in the face adding to the existing $31 trillion of accumulated debt already, eliminating every “crappy” federal program is a must-do by every congressional representative and U.S. senator.

Start with the Federal Helium Reserve.

years ago are threatening to blossom as well.

Accordingly, the bumblebees are already revving their little engines.

With so much sunshine and rain, we had to have our grass cut early this year, at the beginning of March. Needless to say, the dandelions were not amused.

With so many birds all around, some of the neighborhood cats have been meandering around just to “check on” things. Mom and I joke that they were sent there by our beloved Muffie cat, who is no longer with us, to check on us and to protect the house.

We haven’t seen any bunnies just yet but I figure it’s only a matter of time, seeing as though the Easter bunny is already making preparations for all he has to do on Easter Sunday next month.

Mom’s last chemo treatment is scheduled for the same week that spring officially starts,

and one thing she says she wants to do after her treatments are over is for us to spruce up the porch with some new patio furniture, decor and plants, as colorful and lively as we can get everything.

We’re even contemplating the possibility of putting in a flower bed.

She’s eager to get strong enough to enjoy the outdoors again and has been inspired to do so in part by the frenzied chorus of activity in the backyard that she sees through the French doors each morning.

That’s one of the many good things about spring. It gives people a renewed sense of purpose and gets them motivated to reconnect with family, neighbors, their community and nature.

Most commonly, it gives people strong cases of “spring fever,” as explained in Mark Twain’s “Tom Sawyer, Detective”:

“Don’t you know what that is? It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want — oh, you don’t quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”

I’d say that sums things up perfectly.

Thanks for the early start this year, spring. Now stick around for a while, won’t you?

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.

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

FILE PHOTO

Blossoms of a cherry tree in March 2023.

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

An innovation playbook for higher ed

WHEN THE NORTH CAROLINA General Assembly established the nation’s first public university, legislators created an innovation playbook: prepare a “rising generation” for life “by paying the strictest attention to their education.”

Innovation remains both a founding principle and pathway to a prosperous future, and UNC is poised again to change the game in higher education with a new innovation playbook.

We shouldn’t let factions divide and distract us from the fundamentals of our playbook: nurturing citizen scholars, enabling career development and driving innovation.

The play is simple: harness the power of our curriculum, practice, people and partnerships to improve an already outstanding taxpayer return on investment. Our state needs a workforce primed for innovation: our students want to be a part of it; and everyone benefits from the play.

Executing will require discipline and focus in the face of division and distraction, as it always has. From the beginning, universities have been ideologically and politically contested turf — back in 1793, founders William Davie and Samuel McCorkle had stark disagreements about the curriculum at UNC.

Now as then, we should not let factions within the university and tensions between the university and its stakeholders divide and distract us from the fundamentals of our playbook: nurturing citizen scholars, enabling career development and driving innovation. Those are goals we can achieve if we keep the needs of our students and our state at the center of the conversation.

Despite a global pandemic, our faculty have made incredible progress on our IDEAs-in-action curriculum as a cornerstone of our playbook.

It is organized around building capacities for analysis, creative expression, communication, ethics, quantitative reasoning, natural scientific investigation; but with the overarching goal of reaping the private and public benefits of public education. Its goal is to create “citizen scholars” who have not only encountered the life-changing ideas in a liberal arts and humanities curriculum, but who have developed capacities to put ideas into action, both in the workforce and in civic life.

Experiential learning — the practices that bridge the classroom and the world beyond ― is a second crucial element of the playbook. Our students increasingly choose to prepare for careers in the sciences, especially applied sciences and engineering. They want practical research experience to complement classroom learning: They understand that undergraduate research is a chance to gain skills needed in the workplace, strengthen critical thinking, practice innovative problem solving and form career-advancing relationships. Through the UNC Office of Undergraduate Research students connect with faculty to find and fund research opportunities both at home and abroad, and they are participating in record numbers.

COLUMN | MARION SMITH

UNC is a top-ten federally funded research university, but we cannot rest on those laurels: We will need new thinking and new talent to advance our position as tectonic shifts occur in the federal research landscape. The National Science Foundation has formed an entirely new directorate called TIP: Technology, Innovation and Partnerships that will expand focus on innovation and the societal and economic benefits of applied research. We will need the right people to run new plays.

As UNC Chapel Hill seeks to hire a new vice chancellor for research and a new chief innovation officer, we can position the university to connect with applied research opportunities that will enhance North Carolina’s ability to attract new industries. With the right people, we can also lead in founding and nourishing successful homegrown companies based on technology developed by our faculty and students. But we will not do this alone. Innovation at scale will require new partnerships. In North Carolina, a new public-private partnership called NC Innovation (or NCI) offers an unprecedented opportunity. NCI points out that while North Carolina is second among states at attracting academic and industry R&D funding, we rank 20th in innovation. NCI offers a roadmap for how to do better. Their plan to build a collaborative public-private innovation ecosystem dovetails nicely with the research appetite of UNC students and the objectives in our own strategic plan.

All of our playbook — curriculum, practices, people and partnerships — requires that we extend our collective focus beyond the campus borders in service of the greater good. Innovation grows out of networks that cross boundaries between universities, between regions, between academia and capital, between industry and academia, and between government and industry. It is a complex landscape that traditional academics do not fully understand, but one in which our students are eager to participate and one I know we can master.

Change is hard, and innovation demands change.

I have found the best tool for managing change is to listen not to the loudest or most agitated voices or those with a political agenda, but to those who place the interests of our faculty, students and state at the center of our work. All these interests align perfectly in the new frameworks for innovation that North Carolina is developing. We are listening.

Dr. Chris Clemens is provost of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Jaraslov Folda distinguished professor of physics and astronomy. Any opinions expressed in this article are not to be taken as an official position of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

UNC Chapel Hill is emerging as a national free speech leader

Having traveled to dozens of college campuses in recent years, I found it refreshing to have two university leaders defend the very essence of higher education.

THREE CHEERS for UNC Chapel Hill. The public institution — paid for in large part by taxpayer dollars — has become a national leader of the anti-woke backlash in higher education. This development is as surprising as it is welcome, since many public colleges and universities are doubling down on political indoctrination and ideological discrimination. UNC Chapel Hill provides a roadmap — and better yet, some cover — for any institution that wants to restore true education and intellectual inquiry to their rightful place on campus.

I say this having just visited UNC Chapel Hill. I traveled there with Douglas Murray, the British author and journalist, to help launch an alumni group focused on defending free speech and defeating woke “cancel culture.” Our organization, Common Sense Society, was originally founded in Central Europe when I was there leading student debates. It was very easy for former communists to advocate “cancel culture” due to their familiarity with conformity of thought and action.

It is very troubling to see the same fear of debate rear its ugly head here on college campuses in America.

The Common Sense Society now seeks to ensure that American and European students and young professionals have forums to debate ideas and pursue truth, free from the fear of cancellation or censorship.

To my surprise, shortly after Mr. Murray and I arrived in Chapel Hill, the chancellor and provost asked to meet with us. We and leading alumnus Doug Monroe had a frank discussion with them about the danger posed by woke ideology, which blatantly seeks to stifle any voice or view that doesn’t accord with a modern Marxist party line. We agreed that diversity of thought is essential to the success of higher education. So is the ability of students to assess arguments on their merits and not by pure emotion.

I found it refreshing to have two university leaders defend the very essence of higher education.

Last month, the UNC Board of Governors voted to stop requiring so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” statements from applicants and hires, including in the student body and the faculty. Contrary to the name, these DEI statements eviscerate diversity by essentially requiring uniformity of thought. Wherever DEI statements exist, you can all but guarantee that intellectual freedom is in danger, since the only students admitted and professors hired are those that espouse or cower to woke doctrines.

That is not higher education; it is the definition of lowering the bar.

UNC has gone even further by making plans to create an entirely new “School of Civic Life and

Leadership.” The school is expressly designed to ensure a more intellectually diverse atmosphere, pushing back against the leftward decline that defines virtually every college campus nowadays. The resulting blowback, mainly from the most woke ― and least intellectually tolerant ― faculty, only proves the wisdom of this move.

UNC Chapel Hill is committed to cultivating an environment in which students and faculty alike can tackle tough questions and challenge the status quo. Last I checked, that’s the essential mission of a university.

My sense, based on our conversation with the chancellor and provost, is that even more reforms are on the way. That’s good news for UNC Chapel Hill — and America as a whole. Our country needs more public colleges and universities to renew their commitment to giving students access to the best educational experience possible, for which freedom of thought and expression is a necessary condition. UNC Chapel Hill’s leadership will hopefully inspire more university leaders to, well, lead their universities, instead of letting the woke mob shout down speakers and shut up students and faculty.

Prior to visiting UNC Chapel Hill, Mr. Murray and I traveled to the University of Virginia, where the educational climate is still trending in the wrong direction. There is little-to-no institutional willingness to defend free speech or create an environment in which different views are tolerated, much less openly debated. UVA’s leaders have turned the campus of Thomas Jefferson — one of the most forwardthinking, curious, and enlightened leaders of his day — into a fortress of intellectual groupthink stagnation.

Graduates, both young and old, have a unique ability to affect change at their alma maters — both by raising their voices and withholding donations. As they see their beloved campuses undermine education and embrace woke ideology, alumni should band together and demand better.

When alumni speak, university leaders listen.

At UNC Chapel Hill, alumni are already acting. Sitting in the room as more than 100 UNC alumni announced the formation of the UNC Alumni for Free Speech Alliance, I saw the courageous leadership of UNC alums and the administration which will lead the way in reforming their institution and defending the highest ideals of their university.

Here’s hoping what starts there doesn’t stop there. Woke conformity needs to be driven from every public campus, so that students can engage in freedom of academic inquiry and be unafraid to speak freely.

Marion Smith is president and CEO of the Common Sense Society.

“I HAVE NO RESPECT for the passion of equality,” Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., one of America’s great jurists, once declared, “which seems to me merely idealizing envy.”

But envy, and its sister vice, greed, are very much back in fashion today when it comes to the progressive Left. Just listen to President Joe Biden, who wants $2 trillion of new taxes, mostly paid by millionaires, so that the rich will “pay their fair share.” In seven blue states, including California, Illinois and New York, new wealth taxes and higher income tax rates on people such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Taylor Swift have been proposed by liberal lawmakers.

Biden said billionaires aren’t “paying their fair share” and shouldn’t be paying a lower tax rate than a firefighter. That’s a ridiculous claim. The richest 1% of Americans pay 42% of the income taxes in America. That’s near a record high.

The Tax Foundation reports that if all the new wealth, capital gains and income tax surcharges under consideration were to be enacted, the government could snatch up to as much as 70% of a millionaire’s savings or assets. Does taking two-thirds of someone’s lifetime savings sound “fair” to you?

Liberals seem to forget that we already have had a grand experiment with a wealth tax in America: It’s known as the “death tax.” This tax on gifts and estates has been around for a century. And it has caused far more migraine headaches and problems than it has solved.

The current tax rate is 45% on estates above $12 million. When including state levies, this means the government can help itself to nearly half the assets of a family-owned business at the time of the owner’s death.

The estate tax was originally proposed by Karl Marx. It was and still is touted as a Robin Hood plan to redistribute the “great hoards of wealth” amassed by the Rockefellers, the Fords and the Carnegies to the lower-income Americans.

But guess what? It has never come close to working. Over the past 50 years, it has never accounted for more than 3% of total federal revenues. Amazingly, in 2020, the latest year for which we have complete and accurate IRS data, the estate tax raised $17.6 billion out of the $3.5 trillion in federal revenue. This is roughly enough revenue to pay one day’s worth of federal spending.

Another way to appreciate how fiscally inconsequential this wealth tax is, it represents a microscopic one-half of 1% of all federal revenue collections. The preliminary numbers for 2021 show the same pattern. Roughly $20 billion was raised out of a $4 trillion budget, or again close to 0.5% of tax collections.

Yet America’s tax on estates and gifts is nearly three times higher than the charge in most other industrial nations. Sweden, even with its large welfare state, abandoned its estate tax many years ago as counterproductive.

Why don’t wealth taxes work? Because the rich don’t generally get rich by being stupid. They have found myriad ways around paying it. They hire the planet’s best estate tax planners, lawyers and lobbyists to keep their fortunes two arms’ length away from the tax collector. The most obvious example is that multibillionaires Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Buffett and Gates have stashed almost their entire fortunes in perpetual foundations from which the government will never collect a penny.

More to the point: There is a moral and ethical reason to hate greed and envy taxes such as this. What is wrong with achieving the American dream and getting rich? Accumulating wealth by building a world-class business and, on the way, employing thousands of your fellow citizens or achieving new heights of greatness in arts, entertainment, sports or medicine is not a vice to be punished but a virtue to be celebrated. Taxing the rewards of that pursuit of excellence is a fool’s errand.

The real-world harm of this “wealth tax” is immense. Family businesses get clobbered by this tax because oftentimes, the founder of the enterprise, who spent his waking hours building up the business, typically never gave a second thought to “wealth tax planning.”

Remember: Every successful big business started as a small business. As a consequence, many heirs have to sell the family business, farm or ranch just to pay the taxes. That’s un-American.

Let’s get rid of envy taxes that punish those who chase their dreams and catch them. Biden wants a $7 trillion government and wants the rich to pay for it all. That doesn’t seem very fair, and it doesn’t seem very democratic. And history proves it never works.

Stephen Moore is a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a co-founder of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity. His latest book is “Govzilla: How the Relentless Growth of Government Is Devouring Our Economy.”

Death taxes are immoral; Even worse, they don’t work

NATION & WORLD

Pence says Trump ‘endangered my family’ on Jan. 6

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday harshly criticized former President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, widening the rift between the two men as they prepare to battle over the Republican nomination in next year’s election.

“President Trump was wrong,” Pence said during remarks at the annual white-tie Gridiron Dinner attended by politicians and journalists. “I had no right to overturn the election. And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”

Pence’s remarks were the sharpest condemnation yet from the once-loyal lieutenant who has often shied away from confronting his former boss. Trump has already declared his candidacy. Pence has not, but he’s been laying the groundwork to run.

In the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, Trump pressured Pence to overturn President Joe Biden’s election victory as he presided over the ceremonial certification of the results. Pence refused, and when rioters stormed the Capitol, some chanted that they wanted to “hang Mike Pence.”

The House committee that investigated the attack said in its final report that “the President of the United States had riled up a mob that hunted his own Vice President.”

With his remarks, Pence solidified his place in a broader debate within the Republican Party over how to view the attack. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, for example, recently provided Tucker Carlson with an archive of security camera footage from Jan. 6, which the Fox News host has used to downplay the day’s events and promote

conspiracy theories.

“Make no mistake about it, what happened that day was a disgrace,” Pence said in his Gridiron Dinner remarks. “And it mocks decency to portray it any other way.”

Trump, meanwhile, has continued to spread lies about his election loss. He’s even spoken in support of the rioters and said he would consider pardoning them if he was reelected.

Speeches at the Gridiron Dinner are usually humorous affairs, where politicians poke fun at each other, and Pence did plenty of that as well.

He joked that Trump’s ego was so fragile, he wanted his vice president to sing “Wind Beneath My Wings” — one of the lines is “did you ever know that you’re my hero?” — during their weekly lunches.

Judge lets state lawmakers defend abortion pill laws

The Associated Press

DURHAM — North Carolina Republican legislative leaders can defend in federal court the state restrictions on dispensing abortion pills that are being challenged by a physician, a judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge William Osteen granted the request by House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger to formally intervene in the lawsuit filed in January.

Berger and Moore specifically sought involvement after the office of Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein told the legislators that it believed the arguments by the lawsuit plaintiff about the drug mifepristone were “legally correct.” State attorneys representing Stein, a case defendant but an abortion rights supporter, said the same in a written response to the lawsuit.

He took another shot at Trump over classified documents.

“I read that some of those classified documents they found at Mar-a-Lago were actually stuck in the president’s Bible,” Pence said. “Which proves he had absolutely no idea they were there.”

Even before the dinner was over, Pence was facing criticism for his jokes about Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay Cabinet member in U.S. history.

Pence mentioned that, despite travel problems that were plaguing Americans, Buttigieg took “maternity leave” after he and his husband adopted newborn twins.

“Pete is the only person in human history to have a child and everyone else gets postpartum depression,” Pence said.

Osteen’s ruling on Friday wasn’t surprising. State law already gives the House speaker and Senate leader the ability to intervene in litigation to defend North Carolina’s statutes. A U.S. Supreme Court decision last summer involving North Carolina’s voter ID law also affirmed their ability to enter cases.

Dr. Amy Bryant — the physician who sued — as well as Stein and other defendants didn’t oppose the legislators’ intervention request.

Bryant’s lawsuit alleges state laws and rules conflict with her ability to provide mifepristone to patients. She said those restrictions should be preempted by powers the U.S. Food and Drug Administration hold to regulate the drug.

Osteen told Berger and Moore to file a written response to the lawsuit by March 24. In a previous document, the legislative leaders wrote that North Carolina abortion regulations apply “with equal force to both surgical and chemical abortion procedures” and that Bryant’s arguments would mean the state couldn’t regulate the safety of chemical abortions.

US defense chief’s visit to Israel reveals divisions on Iran

The Associated Press JERUSALEM — Long-running differences between the Biden administration and Israel over how to stop Iran’s rapidly accelerating nuclear program spilled into public view, as the U.S. defense secretary discussed Tehran’s nuclear ambitions with his Israeli counterpart during a visit to the country.

Even with efforts to revive the landmark 2015 nuclear deal stalled for months, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin insisted in comments in Tel Aviv that “diplomacy is the best way to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made no mention of the moribund nuclear talks, instead telling Austin: “We must take all measures necessary to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon.” He appeared to suggest that Israel could resort to military action to take out Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“The Iranian nuclear threat requires us to be prepared for every course of action,” Gallant said and repeated twice for emphasis.

The distinction between their statements revealed the countries’ different approaches to Iran.

With Biden as his vice president, then-President Barack Obama spearheaded the 2015 nuclear accord, which gave Iran relief from economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bitterly opposed

New Air Force One will stay blue and white Washington, D.C.

President Joe Biden is sticking with a blue-and-white color scheme for the exterior of the replacement Air Force One aircraft.

Boeing is modifying two of its 747-800 aircraft that will use the Air Force One call sign when the president is aboard. They will replace the existing fleet of two aging Boeing aircraft.

Delivery of the first of the new airplanes is projected for 2027.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

the deal, saying it did not contain sufficient safeguards and did not address non-nuclear Iranian aggression in the region.

After former President Donald Trump abandoned the atomic accord and imposed crippling sanctions on Iran, Tehran gradually increased its uranium enrichment, expanded its stockpiles of enriched uranium and developed advanced centrifuges. U.N. experts say Iran has enriched uranium to 84% purity, just short of weapons grade, though they say

Chinese minister warns of conflict unless U.S. changes course

Beijing

China’s foreign minister has warned Washington of “conflict and confrontation” if it fails to change course in relations with Beijing, striking a combative tone amid conflicts over Taiwan, COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

China’s relations with Washington, Japan, India and other Asian neighbors have soured as President Xi Jinping’s government has pursued assertive policies abroad.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Iran is still months away from the ability to build a weapon.

Biden took office pledging that the United States would rejoin the 2015 nuclear accord and lift sanctions on Iran if Tehran complied with the deal’s strict limits on its nuclear program. But attempts to revive the accord have failed.

Israel, meanwhile, has engaged in a yearslong shadow war with its archenemy Iran that has spilled out across the wider Middle East. Since returning to office late last year, Netanyahu has openly ad-

Japan preparing to release treated radioactive wastewater

Okuma, Japan

Twelve years after the triple reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan is preparing to release a massive amount of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea.

The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, says the radioactivity can be reduced to safe levels and it will ensure that insufficiently filtered water is treated until it meets the legal limit.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

vocated military action against Iran. Seeking to roll back Iran’s regional entrenchment and slow its ability to enrich nuclear fuel, Israel is believed to have conducted a series of covert sabotage and targeted killing operations.

“We must do everything in our power to ensure that the dreams of the ayatollahs are never fulfilled at any cost,” Gallant said.

American and European officials have indicated that attempts to revive the nuclear deal have been effectively suspended in the

Mexican president says his country safer than United States

Mexico City

Mexico’s president claimed Monday that his country is safer than the United States, a week after two U.S. citizens were killed and two kidnapped and later rescued in the border city of Matamoros.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said U.S. travel warnings and reports of violence in Mexico were the result of a conspiracy by conservative politicians and U.S. media outlets.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

wake of Tehran’s violent crackdown on nationwide protests and its selling of armed drones to Russia that have been used in Moscow’s war against Ukraine — a decision that has allowed Iran to access “unprecedented defense cooperation, including on missiles and air defense” from Russia, Austin alleged.

Russia’s war on Ukraine also exposed stubborn differences between the two close allies. Although Israel has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine, it has refused Kyiv’s frequent requests to send air defense systems and other weapons. It also has refrained from enforcing strict economic sanctions for fear of damaging its vital relations with Moscow.

For years, Russia and Israel have enjoyed good working relations and closely coordinated to avoid run-ins in the skies over Syria, Israel’s northeastern neighbor, where Russian air power has propped up embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Austin last week appeared to urge Israel to do more to back Ukraine in the grinding war, noting the increasingly close military ties between Iran and Russia.

“We’re calling on all of our allies and partners to step up now, at this hinge moment in history,” he said. “Nations of good will, and especially our fellow democracies, must all urgently do their part to help Ukraine fight for its freedom.”

When asked by a reporter what it would take for Israel to give Ukraine military aid, Gallant was vague.

“We are doing our best,” he said. “We are doing it with the understanding of Israeli interests in the region.”

Federal officials pause plan to rename Georgia’s Lake Lanier Gainesville, Ga.

Federal officials are pausing a plan that could lead to new names for Georgia’s Lake Lanier and Buford Dam after locals objected to changing the monikers of landmarks now named for Confederate soldiers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a statement announcing the pause pending further guidance from the Department of the Army.

THE ASSOCIATED

PHOTO VIA AP

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear delivers his State of the Commonwealth speech from the floor of the Kentucky House of Representatives, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Frankfort, Ky.

AP PHOTO

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a Coolidge and the American Project luncheon in the Madison Building of the Library of Congress, Feb. 16, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

NHL Hurricanes’ Svechnikov out for season with knee injury

Raleigh The Hurricanes announced Tuesday that star forward Andrei Svechnikov is out for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs and will undergo surgery on Thursday to repair a torn ACL in his right knee.

Svechnikov suffered the injury in Saturday’s game against the visiting Golden Knights, appearing to hurt his knee after hitting a rut in the PNC Arena ice. He was later favoring his right leg following a check on Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez. Svechnikov twice went to the locker room but returned and played the third period. He then missed Sunday’s game in New Jersey. The 22 -year- old Russian forward is among Carolina’s top point producers, ranking tied for second on the team in points (55) and third in goals (23) this season.

NFL Panthers add Bell, Tuttle to defense

Charlotte

The Panthers agreed to terms with safety Vonn Bell and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, according to several reports on Monday. ESPN reported that Tuttle’s deal was worth $19.5 million over three years and includes $13 million in guaranteed money. No details have been released on Bell’s contract. Both Bell and Tuttle are expected to be starters for the Panthers, who are switching to a 3 - 4 defensive scheme. The 28 -year- old Bell has 636 career tackles,15 forced fumbles and six interceptions in seven NFL seasons, the last three with Cincinnati. The 6 -foot-3, 300 -pound Tuttle is expected to play nose tackle in the team’s defensive scheme. The 27-year- old Midway, North Carolina, native had 143 career tackles with one interception and one fumble recovery over four seasons with the Saints.

5 women’s teams reach NCAA Tournament, B4

BIG DANCE 2023

Duke opens NCAAs vs. similar opponent

Oral Roberts does many of the same things as the Blue Devils

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

FOR THE FIRST time since March 1980, Duke heads to the NCAA Tournament with someone other than Mike Krzyzewski coaching the team.

Coach K’s legendary career ended in last year’s Final Four, and now Jon Scheyer has coached the Blue Devils to an ACC Tournament

title and the fifth seed in the East region. Duke will open play Thursday in Orlando against 12th-seeded Oral Roberts. The Blue Devils will be looking to avoid the upset that so many 5-12 matchups have produced in recent years.

Previewing the game, it can be tough to tell which team you’re looking at, let alone which team will emerge with the win.

Pick the team that’s among the hottest in the nation:

That could be Duke, who has won nine straight games and appears to be a different team now that it is over a rash of injuries that

sidelined Jeremy Roach, Dereck Lively and Dariq Whitehead at times during the season.

“There hasn’t been a season that I’ve been a part of, whether it’s as a player or as a coach, that hasn’t had those ups and downs,” said Scheyer. “It’s a matter of the timing of them and the circumstances. I think for us, it was hard just to get the continuity. And so not only are each of these guys growing every single day, every single week as players, but then when you don’t have — when you have certain guys out, it’s hard to build as a team. So these guys just stuck with it.”

Of course, Oral Roberts enters the game on a 17-game winning streak, dating back to the second week in January.

Take the team with the veteran guard who’s a March Madness hero:

That certainly sounds like

Top pick gives Panthers plenty of options

A look at how Carolina may use their spot atop the draft

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

THE CAROLINA PANTHERS

are on the clock.

For the first time since the team drafted Cam Newton in 2011, the Panthers have the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Back when they drafted Newton, the Panthers earned the top pick the hard way, going 1-15 and finishing with the worst record in the NFL. This time around, Carolina sprung a blockbuster deal to land the first pick.

The Panthers gave up star wide receiver DJ Moore in a trade with Chicago along with their first- and second-round picks in this year’s draft, which were No. 9 overall and No. 61 overall, a first-round selection in 2024 and a second-rounder in 2025. It was a high price to pay, but it gives the Panthers a chance to make a selection that could change the direction of a franchise that has drifted since Newton suffered an injury a few years ago.

It seems almost guaranteed that the Panthers made this drastic move in order to shore up their quarterback position. Newton set franchise records in most passing categories during his decade at the helm, also winning an NFL MVP and leading Carolina to a Super Bowl. He suffered an injury early in the 2019 season, and the team moved on from him but didn’t seem to have a direction in mind.

The Panthers brought in veteran Teddy Bridgewater for a season

but felt that his ceiling wasn’t high enough and let him depart, swinging a blockbuster trade for former Jets prospect Sam Darnold, who was the third overall pick in the 2018 draft. He struggled with injury and ineffectiveness, forcing the team to bring Newton back briefly.

The Panthers then swung another big deal before last season for Baker Mayfield, chosen first overall, two spots ahead of Darnold, in 2018. He didn’t last the season, getting released and signing with the Rams. Darnold is now also gone, having signed with the 49ers this offseason. That leaves the Panthers in control of the NFL Draft for the next month and a half. Here are some of the top options for the team.

Trade

the pick

Within hours of acquiring the top pick from the Bears, the Pan-

Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud, left, talks to Alabama quarterback Bryce Young — two of the Panthers’ possible targets with the first overall pick — at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis earlier this month

thers let it be known that they were willing to make a deal to move back down and recoup some of the draft capital they gave up in the deal.

If the Panthers follow this plan, it means the team has identified the quarterback they think is the best fit for the offense new coach Frank Reich has in mind for the team. It also means that their choice is not the draft’s likely first pick and will still be available later. Or the Panthers may have identified two quarterbacks who would be equally good and don’t care which one they end up with. So, they could trade away the top pick, which could go up in value significantly as the draft approaches and other quarterback-hungry teams get desperate, get back some of what they lost in draft capital and still end up with their man. Obviously, this strategy would have some risk — another team could step in and select the Panthers’ de -

“We got to experience what it was like to play at the highest level and to win games in the tournament.”

Max Abmas, Oral Roberts guard

Roach, the Blue Devils junior who had several second-half outbursts during Duke’s run to the Final Four last season. He hit key shots against Texas Tech and Michigan State to help lift the Blue Devils to wins. He appears to be ready to do it again, based on his scoring outburst at the end of the ACC

See DUKE, page B3

sired quarterback ahead of them. But, at the moment, the Panthers are just open to listening to offers, and there’s no harm in that.

Bryce Young

For the last year or more, the Alabama quarterback has been the consensus best quarterback in this year’s draft and the likely No. 1 pick. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2021 and returned to school last season. While he wasn’t able to repeat as the Heisman winner or lead Alabama to a title, he is still a strong candidate to go off the board first. He has shown the ability to pass, run and lead a team at the highest level.

One factor that may indicate Young isn’t the quarterback the Panthers have in mind is the timing of their trade. They swung the deal immediately after the NFL Combine, leading most observers to believe someone caught the team’s eye there, and Young didn’t participate in Combine drills.

Stroud

CJ

The Ohio State quarterback, on the other hand, did participate in drills and, by all accounts, improved his stock, which was already high. He is bigger than Young and impressed many at the Combine with his arm strength and accuracy. Many observers around the league believe this is the quarterback the Panthers had in mind when they made the deal.

The field

The next quarterback on most boards is Kentucky’s Will Levis. He has a powerful arm but struggled with accuracy and intercep -

JACOB KUPFERMAN | AP PHOTO

Freshman Kyle Filipowski and Duke are playing their best basketball of the season at the right time as the Blue Devils prepare for their first-round game Thursday against Oral Roberts in Orlando.

DARRON CUMMINGS | AP PHOTO

NC State is a No. 11 seed in the South region

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

FOR THE FIRST TIME since 2018 and just the second time in the Kevin Keatts era, NC State is going dancing, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Wolfpack earned a No. 11 seed in the South region after a bounce-back season, going from dead last in the ACC last year to a sixth-place conference finish and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.

“It’s always an exciting time when you get to Selection Sunday,” said Keatts. “Even the coaches that know that they’re in the tournament, but at-large, there’s still some anxiety to the whole deal. The only time that I’ve ever really slept well was when I was at Wilmington and we won the tournament and you knew that you were in anyway, you just didn’t know what seed you were going to be.”

While the berth means a lot to the program, it’s even more special for the players on the Wolfpack’s roster. Only two, DJ Burns and Casey Morsell, have previously made an NCAA Tournament.

“It was amazing for my guys,” said Burns, a graduate transfer. “I think me and Casey are the only players that have been in the tournament before, so it meant everything to help those guys get there.”

It’s a culmination of the hard work the program has put in and the commitment that players like Jarkel Joiner and Terquavion Smith, who both committed to this season at NC State for that chance at an NCAA Tournament appearance.

NC State will face sixth-seeded Creighton on Friday in Denver in the first round of the tournament.

Creighton has made the NCAA Tournament three years straight and finished third in the Big East this season, reaching the Big East Tournament semifinals before losing to No. 15 Xavier.

The Bluejays currently have a Kenpom ranking of 13 and NET ranking of 17 — NC State is ranked 55 in Kenpom and 45 in NET — and have the 57th-best scoring offense in Division I, averaging 76.8 points per game. Creighton, however, ranks 114th in scoring defense, allowing 67.9 points per game.

Comparatively, the Wolfpack have the 30th-ranked scoring offense, averaging 78.9 points per game, but is 188th in scoring de-

fense, allowing 70.5 points per game.

“They’re really good offensively,” Keatts said of the Bluejays. “They get out in transition, they’re special. They can shoot the basketball. Going into the game, you’d say these are two teams that really like to play fast. So it could be a high-scoring game.”

Creighton relies heavily on its starters, with four of its starting five averaging more than 30 minutes per game and its other more than 29. All five are averaging more than 10 points per game, led by 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner.

“He’s unique,” Keatts said of Creighton’s big man, who is averaging 15.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. “I think you have to be prepared for all different ways because of his ability.

He does a great job of posting up deep in the paint, he’s really talented around the rim.

“If you want to talk about defensively, they do a good job on drop coverage with him and they make you take pull-up jump shots, and he’s really elite at blocking shots at the rim. So he’s a tough matchup. We have to do a great job of being prepared to guard him in different ways and figure out how we can score against him.”

Now that the anxiety-filled Selection Sunday passed, NC State has ramped up its practices for the challenge ahead, starting with Friday afternoon’s game.

After 4-year hiatus, Wolfpack face Creighton in return to NCAAs UNCA’s duo of Pember, Jones looks to upset UCLA

The Bulldogs will play the Bruins in Sacramento on Thursday night

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

IF YOU’RE GOING to go to the NCAA Tournament, you might as well play the most storied program in college basketball history.

That’s exactly what’s in front of the UNC Asheville men’s basketball team after they received a No. 15 seed in the West Regional and will face second-seeded UCLA in Sacramento, California, at 10:55 p.m. on Thursday.

The matchup pits two of the hottest teams in college basketball.

“I know they’ve won 18 out of 19, I just saw,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin, whose team went 29-5 and has won 12 of 13, said of the Bulldogs on Sunday. “I try to watch all those championship games, but I didn’t get to see there’s.”

UNCA’s last win, a 77-73 comeback victory over Campbell on March 5, gave the Bulldogs the Big South Conference Tournament title and an NCAA berth, the school’s first since 2016 and fifth overall.

Four years after going 4-27 in coach Mike Morrell’s first year with the team, the Bulldogs set a school record for wins, going 27-7 overall and 16-2 in the Big South.

UNCA did it with a veteran team led by sixth-year guard Tajion Jones and Drew Pember, who was named the Big South’s top player and defensive player of the year this season.

“No one’s more deserving of that moment than (Tajion),” Pember said after the team won the Big South Tournament. “He was here when they won four games. He helped me come here. He’s been clutch all year. And a lot of the times people think I’m going to get the ball; I want (him) to get the ball. He’s been phenomenal, and (it’s) just a testament to his

DUKE from page B1

Championship Game to help keep Virginia at bay.

“Jeremy has pulled through for us so many times throughout the season late in the game,” said freshman Kyle Filipowski. “Just seeing how well it’s worked, all of us have our full confidence in Jeremy and whatever Coach Scheyer calls, too, for him.”

Or is it Oral Roberts senior Max Abmas, who scored 29 points against second-seeded Ohio State in 2021 to lead 15th-seeded Oral Roberts to a huge upset win, then sent his team to the Sweet 16 with 26 points against Florida?

“We got to experience what it

hard work and what he’s been doing all year for us.”

The teams play at a similar pace — UNC Asheville ranks 102nd in Division I at 75.0 points per game, while UCLA is 119th at 74.2 — but the Bruins are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, allowing just 60.1 points per game to rank tied for fifth in the country. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, allow 68.6 (132nd).

UCLA, however, will be without the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Jaylen Clark.

The junior guard — who was tied for fifth in steals per game (2.6) in the nation, third on the Bruins in scoring (13.0) and sec -

was like to play at the highest level and to win games in the tournament,” Abmas told the media. “We understand what it takes.”

This year, he leads Oral Roberts in scoring at 22.2 points per game, assists at 4.0 per night and has hit 55 more 3-pointers than anyone else on the team. Pick the team with the dominant big man: Duke has a couple of choices here. Lively finished second in the ACC in blocked shots as a freshman and has been a presence at the rim on defense all season. He’s also developed offensively as the year went on.

Then there’s Filipowski, who led the team in scoring and rebounds

“You want them to take it all in. You want them to enjoy it.”

Mike Morrell, UNC Asheville men’s basketball coach

ond in rebounding (6.0) — suffered a torn Achilles tendon in UCLA’s regular season finale and is out.

Cronin could also be without Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Adem Bona, the 6-foot-10 for-

and was the ACC Rookie of the Year as well as MVP of the ACC Tournament. Graduate transfer Ryan Young also comes off the bench to provide physical minutes in the post.

Then again, the biggest player on the floor will be wearing an Oral Roberts jersey. Arkansas transfer Connor Vanover won the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year Award as well as the Newcomer of the Year Award after leading the league in blocks, leading the team in rebounding at 7.1 and scoring 12.2 points per game. Take the team dominant on one side of the floor:

Scheyer has pointed out that Duke has been one of the top

ward who hurt his shoulder injury in the Bruins’ conference tournament semifinal loss on Saturday. While his status is uncertain, he’s the only UCLA player measuring taller than 6-foot-7 who logs 20plus minutes per game.

That could present a problem in guarding Pember, the 6-foot10 forward whose 720 points (21.2 per game) were sixth in Division I this season. The senior, who transferred from Tennessee two years ago, led the nation in free throws attempted (314) and made (262) — an 83.4% success rate that gives the Knoxville, Tennessee, native a way to score even when his shot isn’t dropping.

teams in the country on defense since February, when everyone got healthy. The Blue Devils are No. 22 in defensive efficiency, No. 21 in effective shooting defense and No. 20 in 3-point defense. They defend without fouling and are dominant on the boards.

All of which makes the Blue Devils a tough matchup for Oral Roberts, which is the seventh-best shooting team in the nation. They are No. 35 in offensive efficiency, No. 34 in 3-point shooting and No. 10 in free throws and interior scoring. They also don’t turn the ball over.

So it all comes down to:

The difference might be made on the other end of the floor. Can

“When you’re playing for a national championship, I think preparation should change,” said Smith. “I think the intensity should go up, the focus should go up and everybody should be locked in, and the competition in practice should be good and at a high level so you can be prepared for the high-level team that you’re going against.”

Burns said the team just needs to leave it all on the floor. And what is Morsell, the only other player with NCAA experience, most looking forward to? “Winning,” he said. “That’s it.”

Pember is also a threat from 3-point range, making 37.3% of his shots from beyond the arc this season. But it’s Jones who has the ability to cause fits for opponents with his outside shooting.

The 6-foot-5 guard is the top 3-point shooter in the tournament, making 45.6% of his longrange shots, and his 15 points per game average is deceptive — he’s scored 30 three times this season, making eight 3-pointers in two of those games.

UNCA will need both Jones and Pember — who has two 40-point games this season, including a school-record 48 on Jan. 25 against Presbyterian — to be on their games to pull off an upset against the Bruins. That’s because only three other Bulldogs — Fletcher Abee (8.1 points per game), Nick McMullen (8.0) and Jamon Battle (6.6) — have scored 20 points in a game this year, and each did it just once.

UCLA, meanwhile, has a wealth of experience to lean on. The senior trio of Jaime Jaquez Jr., David Singleton and Tyger Campbell were all part of the Bruins’ surprise run to the Final Four two seasons ago as an 11th seed, and they see this year as their own “Last Dance.”

“This is one final chance to make something happen,” said 6-foot-6 guard Jaquez, the Pac12 Player of the Year who leads UCLA in scoring (17.3) and rebounding (8.1). “Our backs are against the wall, we feel like, and we’re embracing it. We take everything that comes with it.” Morrell has experience himself, going to the tournament nine times as an assistant, but this will be his first as a head coach and something new for his team.

“You want them to take it all in. You want them to enjoy it,” he told WLOS on Sunday of waiting to find out their destination and opponent. “That’s a feeling they’ll never forget. … We’ll start our prep tomorrow.”

If the Bulldogs were to pull off an upset of the Bruins, they would face the winner of No. 7 Northwestern and No. 10 Boise State on Sunday. The West Regional Sweet 16 games will be held in Las Vegas on March 23.

Oral Roberts defend Duke? They are one of the best shot-blocking and interior defending teams in the country, but do they have enough to answer for all of Duke’s weapons?

“For us, I think it starts with our defensive intensity,” said Scheyer. “We’ve hung our hat on playing defense all year round. Same thing controlling the boards and rebounding. And then what we’ve had, especially as of late, is just understanding our roles, playing really together on offense, the connectivity that we have. And I love the confidence that we have on that end of the floor.

“And we need to do both in order to win in the tournament.”

“When you’re playing for a national championship, I think preparation should change.”

Terquavion Smith, NC State guard

JACOB KUPFERMAN | AP PHOTO

UNC Asheville forward Drew Pember, the Big South Player of the Year, could present a matchup problem for second-seeded UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Sacramento.

CHRIS SEWARD | AP PHOTO Jarkel Joiner, left, and Terquavion Smith, right, give NC State one of the most dangerous backcourts in the NCAA Tournament.

BIG

season when

Texas

5 NC teams to compete in women’s NCAA Tournament

The Triangle’s three schools, along with East Carolina and Gardner-Webb, earned bids

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

North Carolina will be well-represented in the NCAA women’s tournament field of 64 with five schools — Duke, UNC, NC State, ECU and Gardner-Webb — all having a shot to continue their postseasons in the Big Dance starting this weekend.

The Blue Devils, Tar Heels and Wolfpack are three of a nation-leading eight ACC teams selected, while the Pirates and Runnin’ Bulldogs each received automatic berths from recent championship wins in the AAC and Big South tournaments, respectively.

NC State and Gardner-Webb play their first games Friday, while Duke, UNC and ECU will play on Saturday.

A Devilish host

In the Seattle Region 4, the No. 3 Blue Devils (25-6) will host No. 14 Iona (26-6) at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday at 9:30 p.m.

A Duke victory would set up a second-round matchup in Durham against either No. 6 Colorado (23-8) or No. 11 Middle Tennessee (28-4). It’s the Blue Devils’ 25th appearance all-time in the women’s NCAA Tournament but coach Kara Lawson’s first. Duke last reached the tournament in 2018.

Finishing second in the ACC at the end of the regular season, the Blue Devils lost to Virginia Tech (27-4) in the semifinal round of the conference tournament in Greensboro. They excelled on the defensive side of the ball this season, ranking second nationally in scoring defense as they limited their opponents to just 50.8 points per game.

Entering March Madness on a hot streak, Iona recently claimed its first MAAC tournament championship since 2016.

Prognosis: Duke could very well go further than any other N.C. team in the tournament.

Heels hope for magic

In their 30th appearance in the tournament, the Tar Heels (21-10) received the sixth seed in Seattle Region 3 and will face the play-in winner of No. 11 seeds Purdue (19-10) and St. John’s (22-8) in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday at 4 p.m.

A look back at the greatest game ever

Six starters from the 1974 ACC Tournament final returned to Greensboro 49 years later

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

GREENSBORO — Each time the ACC Tournament returns to the Greensboro Coliseum, it brings back memories of the epic contests that have been held there over the years. One game, however, stands alone above the rest, and hours before the 2023 ACC Tournament semifinals tipped off, six men who were on the floor for that game — which many consider the greatest in the history of the sport — returned to the building nearly a half-century later.

The year was 1974, and NC State entered the ACC Championship Game as the No. 1 team in the nation, led by high-flying future NBA star David Thompson, 7-foot-4 center Tom Burleson and fiery point guard Monte Towe. Facing them was the No. 3 team in the nation, Maryland, led by future NBA rebounder Len Elmore, 6-foot-11 center Tom McMillan and shooting guard Mo Howard.

The Terrapins, who had lost five straight to the Wolfpack over the last two seasons, jumped out to a 12-0 lead, only to have NC State storm back. The game was tied at 97 after regulation, and NC State went on to win 103-100 in overtime, moving on to the NCAA Tournament where the Pack would cut down the championship nets on the same floor a few weeks later.

UNC was projected by some pundits to receive a higher seed — and possibly host the opening rounds — but the Tar Heels still earned their third straight trip under coach Courtney Banghart, and will look to bounce back from a loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament.

Junior guard Deja Kelly leads the Heels with 16.2 points per game and was a key component in her team notching six wins against teams ranked within the NCAA NET’s Top 20: Notre Dame (8), Duke (10) twice, Iowa State (13), NC State (17) and Oregon (19).

If the Tar Heels advance, they face a difficult road to the Final Four in a region that includes Virginia Tech (27-4) and UConn (29-5) squads.

Prognosis: A Sweet 16 appearance seems likely for UNC, but it could get murky beyond that.

Wolfpack uncertainty

Sent to Greenville Region 2, No. 7 NC State (20-11) has a first-round matchup against 10th-seeded Princeton (23-5) in Salt Lake City on Friday at 10 p.m. Historically, 7-10 matchups are notoriously hard to predict, and the Wolfpack’s upcoming game against the Tigers is no different.

Although State’s leading scorer Diamond Johnson has been sidelined since Feb. 16 with an ankle injury, coach Wes Moore had indicated that she could be back for the NCAA Tournament.

The Wolfpack’s sixth straight trip to the tournament (and 28th in program history) comes at the end of an up-and-down 202223 campaign in which the team was ranked as high as No. 6 in The Associated Press poll but dropped out after losing three of four games.

Led by Ivy League Player of the Year and junior guard Kaitlyn Chen, the Tigers are riding the momentum of an Ivy League Tournament championship, while NC State is hoping not to lose its fourth out of six games.

Prognosis: NC State will do an admirable job to make it to the second round of play.

Walking the plank

It’s been quite a journey for East Carolina, which was picked to finish last by the AAC coaches in their preseason poll. But conference Coach of the Year Kim McNeill and her Pirates went out and won their first conference championship since 2007 while recording the most wins they’ve

Consecutive wins for Gardner-Webb entering its NCAA Tournament first-round game against Utah on Friday

had in a season since 2009-10. Now in the NCAA Tournament for just the third time ever, No. 13 ECU (23-9) will have its hands full in a matchup versus No. 4 Texas (25-9) in Austin, Texas, on Saturday at 10 p.m. in Seattle Region 4.

The Longhorns lost the Big 12 Conference tournament championship but host the first and second rounds in the Moody Center, where they went 14-2 this season. While a Pirates victory would be an upset from every metric, ECU’s roster has blossomed into a balanced unit featuring Danae McNeal — the AAC’s Most Improved Player and the Defensive Player of the Year — and Rookie of the Year Amiya Joyner. Prognosis: ECU will need to carry every ounce of its conference tournament momentum to advance past Texas.

Runnin’ towards a miracle

Gardner-Webb has put together a heralded season that culminated in an undefeated run through the Big South Conference as well as the team’s first NCAA berth since 2011. Hoping to pull off an upset for its first-ever NCAA tournament win, No. 15 Gardner-Webb (294) will be hosted by No. 2 Utah (25-4) in Salt Lake City on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Greenville Region 2.

Coach Alex Simmons and her Bulldogs are riding a 21-game winning streak thanks to a dominant starting lineup. Four of the team’s starters earned All-Big South honors in 2023, including Big South Player of the Year and Tournament MVP Jhessyka Williams, who is only three points away from becoming the second-leading scorer in team history. Meanwhile, the Utes are emerging from their season with a share of the Pac-12 regular season title and a thirst for retribution after falling short to Washington State (21-10) in their conference tournament.

Those six players — three from each team — met on the 49th anniversary of the 1974 final and reminisced on the game to end all games.

Different time

To a man, the players reminisced about how strange the 1974 contest must look to modern audiences.

“It was a different game,” said McMillan. “Today’s teams grew up shooting 3-point shots. We never did because there were no 3-point shots. You have the shot clock today. We never had the shot clock. They can dunk. We weren’t allowed to. Kids start lifting weights when they’re 7 years old. We never lifted much. The game is so different today. Plus, all six players here went through college all four years. You don’t see that. I was much better at 22 than I was at 19.”

The biggest difference, however, might have been the stakes of the game.

“The rules were different,” McMillan said. “If you didn’t win that tournament, you didn’t go on (to the NCAA Tournament). They ended up changing that rule because of this game, for the better, I think.”

“You had No. 1 playing No. 3 and one of us wasn’t going to the NCAA Tournament,” said Elmore. “That didn’t make any sense.”

The history

State was looking for its second straight ACC Tournament title after running through league play unbeaten both years. The Wolfpack weren’t eligible to go to the tournament the year before, however, due to NCAA penalties, ramping the urgency in the 1974 game even higher.

“We knew before the season (they were ineligible in 1973),” said Thompson of the season before.

“Our key goal was we wanted to go undefeated. That was the goal Coach put out for us before the season. The key game was up at Maryland. We went there and they were ranked above us and we squeaked out the game at the buzzer to win.”

State beat the Terrapins to win the ACC Tournament as well but watched as the Terrapins represented the league in the NCAA Tournament, losing to Providence in the Elite Eight.

“We watched Maryland and Providence play,” recalled Burleson. “We were sitting there watching on the black and white, and when it ended, we were just looking at each other wondering what to do. It was 3 in the afternoon.”

It was time for their point guard to lead them.

“Monte gets up, grabs a basketball and slams it on the floor,” Burleson said. “He said, ‘I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to the gym and play ball.’ And he walked out. Like little ducklings, we followed him.”

In 1974, the two teams clashed twice in the regular season, with State winning both.

“Our first game against them was one of the first nationally televised games,” said Burleson. “We played Super Bowl Sunday. We’re fighting for an ACC title and they’re going to put us on before the Super Bowl. It was more than a dogfight. We went out against each other, knowing it was on national TV. You think we might have egos? You think we may be alpha males? We’re out here playing with full hearts and passion in front of a national TV audience.”

The showdown

In the title game, Maryland jumped out to an early 12-point lead.

“They usually started fast,” Howard said of State. “That was the one game where we did.”

State battled back, however, led by one of the all-time greats.

“Every game was intense,” Burleson said, “but the one thing that always stood out was we had David Thompson.”

“Putting big guys on him didn’t work,” said Elmore. “He was too quick. Smaller guys? He jumped too high. Finally, in the ACC Tournament, I was going to halfway play him. Wherever he was, I’d go to him, and that allowed Tom (Burleson) to get where he needed to go, and he didn’t miss.”

Howard bragged that Maryland “held Thompson to 29 points” in the game, but Burleson poured in 38.

“Everything we tried didn’t seem to work,” Elmore said. “They had too many options. We couldn’t contain them.”

So NC State moved on to the tournament, while Maryland turned down an NIT bid.

“We’d won the NIT in 1972,” Elmore said. “We didn’t want to go back.”

Despite the disappointment, Maryland coach Lefty Driesell paid a visit to the victorious Wolfpack.

“He came onto our team bus,” said Towe, “and said, ‘Go get those guys in the Eastern regional.’”

The Pack went on to make history, but both teams still live on in ACC and Greensboro history for that one night in 1974.

“The amount of talent we had,” said Thompson. “Six All-Americans, three from Maryland, three from NC State. That’s never going to happen again. And you had the two best teams in the country going head-to-head down to the wire.”

AP PHOTO

PANTHERS from page B1

Prognosis: Gardner-Webb is likely to have a tough time against the talented Utes.

clear why they’d have traded to No. 1 if he was the choice. A smaller jump closer to the draft, when they have a better sense of other teams’ plans, may have been a better option in that case.

Florida’s Anthony Richardson dazzled at the Combine and has a tempting combination of passing and running ability. He has the highest upside in the draft but is also the biggest risk out of all the

top pick candidates. He is raw but fast and athletic. The question is whether the team would take the big gamble of trading up to take another gamble on the quarterback they pick.

The one thing the Panthers acquired in their trade last week was options. They can move or stay put, and they have their choice of quarterbacks. Now they just need to choose the best option.

NC State coach Norm Sloan takes the net from the rim after his team defeated Marquette for the NCAA Championship in Greensboro on March 25, 1974. Sixteen days earlier, the Wolfpack beat rival Maryland in the ACC Tournament title game on the same court in what is considered one of the best games ever played. tions at Kentucky. There was a good chance he would have been available at No. 9 where the Panthers originally picked, so it’s not

TONY GUTIERREZ | AP PHOTO

East Carolina coach Kim McNeill, center, and the Pirates will look to extend their storybook

they face fourth-seeded

in Austin on Saturday.

Total Cash & Bond Proceeds

$2,732,587,912

Add Receipts $100,123,189

Less Disbursements $109,785,018

Reserved Cash $125,000,000

Unreserved Cash Balance Total $6,757,480,899

Disaster reimbursements: $0

BANKS from page B5

ture debt” because it was woven into the funding provided by its venture capitalist customers.

“There’s going to be a lot of great ideas, a lot of great teams that don’t get funding because the barriers to entry are too high or because there are not enough people who are willing to invest,” said William Lin, co-founder of cybersecurity startup Symmetry Systems and a partner at the venture capital firm ForgePoint.

With Silicon Valley Bank gone and venture capitalists pulling in their reins, Lin expects there will be fewer startups getting money to pursue ideas in the same fields of technology. If that happens, he foresees a winnowing of competition that will eventually make the biggest tech companies even stronger than they already are.

“There’s a real day of reckoning coming in the startup world,” predicted Amit Yoran, CEO of the cybersecurity firm Tenable.

As businesses and investors were reeling from the shock of the SVB failure over the weekend, government regulators took control Monday of Signature Bank, another small start-up-friendly bank in New York, marking the second- and third-largest bank failures in the nation’s history happened in the span of 48 hours. In response to the crisis, regulators guaranteed all deposits at the two banks and created a program that effectively threw a lifeline to other banks to shield them from a run on deposits.

The White House, banking leaders and state treasury officials across the country have sought to promote calm across the system by reassuring investors and customers. On Monday, North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell issued the following statement:

“Over the last few days, North Carolina State Banking Commissioner Bosken and I as Chair of the State Banking Commission, have been closely monitoring the situation with Silicon Valley and Signature Banks as well as the 36 banks we regulate at the State Banking Commission. The banks we regulate in North Carolina do not have the same number of unsecured deposits and are more diversified than those troubled banks. At this time, the abbreviation “NC” stands for “no crisis.”

Haley wants entitlement program changes for younger people

The Associated Press MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Republican presidential candidate

Nikki Haley is proposing changes to entitlement programs for younger generations, opening the door to potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare if elected. At a campaign rally Monday night in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Haley promised not to touch the benefits of older people who retired with certain guarantees of a financial future.

“We’re not taking it from seniors,” Haley said. “We’re not taking it to anyone who’s been promised anything. My parents are in their 80s. I don’t want anybody touching theirs.”

But Haley, making her first campaign stop in South Carolina since launching her campaign last month, said her children, both of whom are in their 20s, are part of the generation for whom the benefits should be altered.

“Those are the ones we tell the rules have changed — anyone new coming in this system,” said Haley, a former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “That’s how you do entitlement reform. You let them know, it’s not going to be there for you anyway, because Social Security goes bankrupt in 10 years, Medicare goes bankrupt in five. We

have to do something.”

Most leading Republicans have recently sought to signal their unwillingness to touch entitlement programs, though the GOP has a long history of threatening to slash the benefits. President Joe Biden, who has promised to “defend and strengthen” the programs, was met with boos from congressional Republicans when he said during his State of the Union address that “some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset.” Democrats have pointed to a plan by Republican Sen. Rick Scott

of Florida, introduced last year, that called for all federal spending legislation to sunset in five years, subject to votes in Congress that could preserve programs. After Biden’s speech, Scott amended the plan to exempt Social Security, Medicare, national security, veterans benefits, and other essential services. The programs are coming up against insolvency deadlines. Forecasters say Social Security won’t be able to pay out its promised benefits in about a dozen years, and Medicare won’t be able to do so

in just five years. Economists say both programs will drive the national debt higher in the decades to come, forcing teeth-gritting choices for the next generation of lawmakers.

Others in the presidential field have taken the issue head on. On Monday in Davenport, Iowa, former President Donald Trump pledged to keep the programs as they are. “I will not be cutting Medicare, and I will not be cutting Social Security,” he declared.

Speaking Sunday on Fox News, Haley proposed elevating the retirement age “so that it matches life expectancy,” an idea she has mentioned during other campaign stops without delineating a specific age.

To Haley, entitlement reform should also include a move “to limit the benefits for the wealthy,” as well as an expansion of Medicare Advantage, in which private companies offer plans that are reimbursed by the government for care.

“Let’s create the competition,” Haley said. “There are great programs — it will cause health care costs to go down. That’s how you deal with the budget. That’s what we’ll do.”

For the age limits, as well as the proposals for wealthier Americans, Haley has not specified details on what she has in mind.

Since opening her campaign Feb. 15, Haley has made stops in Iowa and New Hampshire, given speeches at the Conservative Political Action Conference and Americans for Prosperity gatherings and raised money in New York — although the campaign has said it won’t release fundraising figures until the end of the first quarter.

Signature Bank seized to send banks a message, director says

A REGULATORY takeover of a New York-based bank was intended to send a message to U.S. banks to stay away from the cryptocurrency business, a former member of Congress who was on the bank’s board says.

Former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said Monday that he believes the state officials behind the action were trying to make an example of Signature Bank in takeover that he said was the wrong move. Despite a wave of withdrawals, the bank’s situation was under control before regulators swooped in, he said.

“This was just a way to tell people, ‘We don’t want you dealing with crypto,’” Frank said in an interview.

Frank, a Democrat who served in Congress from 1981 until 2013, coauthored the Dodd-Frank act that boosted government oversight of banks following the 2008 financial crisis.

He was a director at Signature Bank until the New York Division of Financial Services took it over Sunday and gave control of it to the FDIC, the federal agency that insures bank deposits, until the bank can be sold.

Frank said the bank’s former operators have no recourse. But he said he expects some vindication when Signature is sold eventually.

“I believe they’re going to get a very good price,” Frank said, “proof that it was not a bank problem.”

Signature’s takeover came two days after regulators seized California-based Silicon Valley Bank. Both followed a rush of withdrawals from the banks, which catered to technology businesses.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul described the takeover as a way to avert a bigger crisis that could have affected more banks.

“Our view was to make sure that the entire banking community here

in New York was stable, that we can project calm,” Hochul said in a news conference Monday.

Signature, which was founded more than two decades ago, has about 40 offices across the U.S. and says it focuses on banking for privately owned businesses, their owners and senior managers.

The bank said it was the first FDIC-insured bank to launch a blockchain-based digital payments platform.

As worries mounted about Silicon Valley Bank last week, Signature put out a statement seeking to reassure clients and investors that it was stable. The statement included a reminder that despite its efforts to cater to cryptocurrency holders, it “does not invest in, does not trade, does not hold, does not custody and does not lend against or make loans collateralized by

digital assets.”

But by Friday, there were more withdrawals, which Frank said were “based solely on the contagion from SVB.”

He said the situation had stabilized by the time Sunday that New York regulators took it over.

The bank had more than $110 billion in assets, making it the third-largest banking failure in U.S. history.

Unlike Frank, Hochul did not point to cryptocurrency as a factor in the bank’s shuttering over the weekend. She said withdrawals were continuing, making the action necessary.

And the state regulator went even further, saying Signature wasn’t a crypto bank.

“This is not about a particular sector in the case of Signature Bank, but we moved quickly

to make sure depositors were protected,” said New York Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne Harris.

The bank’s top executives were ousted and it reopened Monday under operational control of the FDIC as Signature Bridge Bank.

Also Monday, the FDIC announced that those with deposits in both banks would have full access to them — even the amounts that exceed the regular $250,000 insurance limit.

Frank said that if the FDIC had agreed to insure the entire deposits on Friday rather than waiting until Monday, Signature would not have been taken over. He said the insurance limit for businesses should also be raised permanently by Congress to an amount high enough to cover a few months’ worth of payroll for most firms.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, speaks during a campaign rally on Monday, March 13, 2023, in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

2023 Lexus RZ

This new EV is no yoke

By Jordan Golson North State Journal

SAN DIEGO — The control scheme of the automobile has remained relatively consistent for decades. Sure, we’ve transitioned from manual to automatic transmissions, and countless features like high beams and windshield wipers are becoming more automated, but the steering wheel and pedal setup remain.

Lexus has other ideas, bringing in some aerospace-grade tech to let us drive cars in a completely new way. The result is the Lexus RZ, the first all-electric vehicle from the luxury arm of Toyota, and it has an (optional!) yoke-ish steering mechanism. I don’t even know what to call it, and Lexus doesn’t have a good name, either. Called a “racing-inspired steering control” in the press release, the yoke connects to a steer-by-wire system with no physical or mechanical connection to the wheels. In other words, turning the yoke tells the computer how much you want to turn the wheels, and the computer executes it for you.

This might seem wild and crazy, but the technology is decades old. If you’ve flown on an Airbus aircraft in the past 30 years, you’ve experienced fly-by-wire, and the Boeing 777 and 787 use the tech

too. Like in an airplane, there are several benefits to installing the technology in an automobile.

For one, it makes a proper racing-style steering control possible. Tesla offers a yoke in its Model S Plaid, but that mechanism uses a standard control scheme and turns several times lock-to-lock, which isn’t ideal for a yoke.

Conversely, the Lexus works like a Formula One race car, with just more than 360 degrees of total turning ability. In other words, with your hands at 9 and 3 on the yoke, you can turn half a revolution left or right. The car then interprets your steering input and

turns the front wheels appropriately depending on the vehicle’s current speed. You can make small movements with the steering wheel in a tight parking lot or narrow city street, resulting in significant steering angle changes. Once the driver is used to the yoke control scheme, getting in and out of parking spaces becomes vastly easier, greatly benefiting those with mobility issues and simplifying life for everyone else. At higher speeds, the steering ratio reverses and steering inputs become smaller. It takes a bit of getting used to, and Lexus asked us to ride along

with a trainer before letting us loose on the road alone after an unnamed journalist took a turn more aggressively than intended when just setting off. But the benefits are clear. By shrinking the physical size of the steering apparatus, the dash cluster can sit higher and farther away from the driver, maximizing visibility of the road (especially for shorter drivers), and the rectangular shape of the yoke helps with ingress and egress.

Lexus has also considered the implications of not having a physical backup to the steering input, and there are a dedicated backup battery and additional control computers in the steering column in the event of catastrophic power failure in all other vehicle systems that will allow for safe and continued control of the RZ in an emergency.

It’s worth noting that the yoke will have late availability, and I highly suggest trying it before you buy. It’s cool, but I don’t think it’s for everyone.

And then we have the rest of the RZ. Built on the same platform as the Toyota bZ4X, the RZ has a new suspension, body, interior, and more. The 71.4 kWh battery offers up to 220 miles of range on 18-inch wheels and 196 miles on 20-inch wheels. That’s not the best around, but considering the target market of this vehicle (existing Lexus owners who love the brand and have been waiting for Lexus to make an EV before buying one, I imagine) and its purpose as a second or third commuter car, I suspect it will be fine.

The dual-engine all-wheel-drive setup offers 308 horsepower and a Lexus-estimated 0-60 of 5 seconds. The car is zippy, as expected, and the ride and handling are pure Lexus. If you like the Lexus drive and feel, you’ll enjoy the RZ.

The exterior design doesn’t push boundaries, but it is sleek and sophisticated, with a toned-down Lexus hourglass front grille. It reminds me of the Volvo C40 Recharge, a huge compliment.

One of my favorite features is a new radiant heat function. A pair of heating elements have been placed on the underside of the steering column and beneath where the glovebox would be (it’s been removed to make this feature possible), just above the driver and passenger’s legs. When the seat heaters are activated, these radiant heat elements quickly warm your legs.

It’s a surprise and delight feature that saves battery because it’s much more energy efficient to heat you in this manner versus warming air and blowing it upon you.

It also makes the heat much more immediate, which is excellent news for those who live in colder climes.

The Lexus RZ starts around $60,000 and rises to under $70,000 as you load it with options. However, it is built in Japan, which means it isn’t eligible for any federal tax credit in the US. Lexus promises to bring 4,900 units to the US, and they’ll be allocated across dealerships with no organized online reservation system. So, if you want one, call your local Lexus dealer ASAP.

PHOTOS COURTESY LEXUS

North Stanly celebrates

North Stanly’s Conner Lupine jumps in the air as Colsen Palmer runs to the plate. Junior Hill runs to score on a two-run home run by Charlie Shaver to give them a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 6th inning against Carson at Joe D. Kelly Stadium in New London, NC, on March 8, 2023.

COUNTY NEWS

Stanly Sports Hall of Fame announces 2023 inductees

The Stanly Sports Hall of Fame has officially announced this year’s inductees, who will be honored at the hall’s induction ceremony on July 17 at Pfeiffer University. This year’s inductees includes: Al Andrew, who coached basketball, baseball, and golf teams at Albemarle High School; T.A. McLendon, the national record-setting running back of Albemarle High School and allperformer at NC State; Shanna Smith, a star softball player at Albemarle High, all-ACC infielder at NC State, and current assistant coach at Eastern New Mexico State University; Greg Speight, a basketball and softball coach from North Stanly and South Stanly High Schools, who took both softball programs to state championship appearances; and Quan Sturdivant, the all-state football player at West Stanly, all-ACC linebacker, a four-year starter at UNC-Chapel Hill, and 2011 draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals. Wes Durham, the former co-host of the “Packer and Durham” sports talk show and current play-by-play announcer for Fox Sports and ACC Network, will be the keynote speaker at the induction ceremony.

NCDOT urges safety and precaution near railroad tracks

State transportation officials are reminding people to stay off railroad property because it is illegal and dangerous.

“Railroad property and tracks are for trains and are not for walking, jogging, or any form of trespassing,” said Jason Orthner, director of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division. “This time of the year, students are also taking senior and program pictures. We strongly urge photographers not to trespass on railroad property.” The NCDOT’s Rail Division also urges people to follow these tips: pedestrians should only cross the railroad at safe and legal crossings, never walk or jog on or along railroad tracks, never stop your vehicle on railroad tracks at a crossing, and in the case of an emergency at a railroad crossing, please call the number on the blue sign at the crossing to ensure the fastest response from railroad officials. For additional information about railroad safety and the division’s BeRailSafe program, please visit www.berailsafe.org.

Stanly Arts Council to host ‘Celebration of the Arts’ event

North State Journal

ALBEMARLE — Later this month, the Stanly County Arts Council is set to host a free event at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center where the general public can learn more about the local arts community.

Scheduled for March 25 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m, the Celebration of the Arts is slated to feature various performances, information tables, art displays, food trucks, raffles, and a creation station.

Additionally, the Stanly County Arts Council will announce the 2023 Arts Person and Fine Arts Teacher of the Year at the afternoon’s conclusion.

“Come celebrate all the wonderful things going on with the arts in Stanly County by attending the Celebration of the Arts,” the council said in an online announcement. “Come view

the county-wide student art show, showcasing the best from each elementary, middle, and high school in Stanly County, plus work from the advertising, graphic design, and simulation and game animation students from Stanly Community College.”

As well as the art show, the upcoming event will feature live performances from choirs, bands, dance, and theater troupes in the Agri-Civic Center’s auditorium and lobby. Attendees can also interact with a creation station where they have the opportunity to create their own art to take home — options include marbelized paper, watercolor techniques, and rain stick creation.

Each arts organization will have information booths available to recruit new members and promote upcoming events; multiple arts-based businesses and artisans will also be selling their

“Come celebrate all the wonderful things going on with the arts in Stanly County by attending the Celebration of the Arts.”

Stanly Arts Guild

products from their booths.

The Celebration of the Arts isn’t the only upcoming event this month that the Stanly County Arts Council is promoting.

On March 22, the Stanly Arts Guild will officially begin the 2023 Youth Art Exhibition & Competition show that runs until April 1. The show is for artists in the 9-to-17-years old age range. “Know a young artist? Be sure

they know about this opportunity to show their work,” the council advertised. “The Stanly Arts Guild is sponsoring a Youth Art Exhibition and Competition this March. Take-in is scheduled for March 18th at the Gallery on North Second Street in downtown Albemarle.”

Per the competition rules, both 2-D art (including photography) and 3-D art will be accepted and judged in this show. First-place, second-place and third-place awards will be given in 2 categories, ages 9-12 & ages 13-17.

The Stanly Arts Guild is currently hosting the 2023 Dwight J. Dennis Memorial Photography Exhibition & Competition that began on Feb. 22 and finishes on March 18. The firstplace winner will take home a $300 prize, while the second and third-place winners claim $200 and $100 prizes, respectfully.

The annual photo contest is named in honor of Dennis, a guild member who passed away in 2021.

More information on any of these art events or a potential membership application can be found at stanlycountyartscouncil.org and stanlyartsguild.com.

Stanly County Schools to use off-duty police officers, sheriff’s deputies while search for full-time SROs continues

Board recognizes Endy Elementary 4th graders for reading achievement

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Schools Board of Education met Tuesday, March 7, with a few recognitions and committee updates on the agenda.

The board recognized Endy Elementary at their meeting for being the READBowl Elementary Conference state champions.

The READBowl is a program that former NFL player Malcolm Mitchell puts on, and its purpose is to get students to be passionate about reading. The competition offers quarterly contests in multiple different categories, and students tally up how many minutes they read over the quarter. Endy Elementary’s 4th graders ended up winning by reading for a total of 362,588 minutes, according to the school’s Facebook.

The board then approved

Pinnacle Architecture to design a plan for the Classroom Expansion Project at Endy Elementary.

“We met with two architects and discussed plans for the expansion of the program there, and the committee felt that Pinnacle was the best of the two that were presented,” said Vice Chair Carla Poplin.

The board was then presented with an update from the Safety and Security Committee on the status of full-time SROs.

“We’re still searching for some funding and some SROs,” said board member Dr. Rufus Lefler. “We have about six schools that don’t have fulltime SROs, and we had a long discussion about it. What we’re going to do until we can get our funding straightened out is that

we’re going to use off-duty policemen and sheriff’s deputies to cover our schools just when they have the time to do it. We hope to get full-time SROs as soon as we can.”

Director of School Safety and Security, Jennifer Flowe, went into further details on the plan.

“For the five schools that don’t have SROs and Central Elementary as well, what we have done is we are working with the Sheriff’s Department and Albemarle Police Department to use off-duty officers to fill those slots,” Flowe said. “We hope to have officers in the school every day. They may be split to where they rotate through, but just to have the presence of those officers on the campuses as much as possible. That is our plan for the remainder of the school year. Our SRO funding did roll over for next year, so we will have that funding; we just have to find the additional part of that in order to fund the fulltime SROs.”

The Stanly County Schools Board of Education will next meet April 4.

“We hope to have officers in the school every day.”

Jennifer Flowe

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

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

By Andy Rosen NerdWallet

A TAX CREDIT is among the most satisfying benefits you can turn up when preparing your return.

Unlike a deduction, which decreases the income on which you’ll be taxed, a tax credit reduces your overall tax due. The result can mean hundreds of dollars knocked off your bill — or added to your refund.

“With a credit, you get a 100% benefit,” says Andrew King, vice president of tax policy and research at Goldman Sachs Ayco Personal Financial Management in Cohoes, New York. “It’s a full recoupment of taxes you’d otherwise have to pay.”

Some tax credits apply to a huge swath of the population, while others are specialized to incentivize specific economic activity. Before you file your return, here are some tax credits you may want to review.

1. Earned income tax credit

The earned income tax credit, or EITC, is one of the most common income tax breaks, designed to help lighten the burden for middle- and lower-income families.

For the 2021 tax year, 4 out of 5 filers claimed this tax credit, with an average benefit upward of $2,000. The total value those credits was approximately $64 billion, the IRS said.

Even better, the EITC is what is known as a “refundable” tax credit. That means if the credit amount is higher than your tax owed, the government will pay you the difference.

Do you qualify? As its name suggests, eligibility for the EITC mostly depends on your income, and you have to have worked to receive the credit. For the 2022 tax year, the income limits range from $16,480 to $59,187, depending on your filing status.

There are a few other requirements, including: — You can’t have more than $10,300 in investment income. — Everyone on your tax return has to have a valid Social Security number.

2. Child tax credit

If you’ve used the child tax

credit, or CTC, in the past, it’s important to remember that this benefit for families with children has undergone some significant changes.

During the pandemic, the government temporarily increased the credit amount, providing thousands of dollars worth of additional relief to some families.

But in 2022, the credit reverted to its previous levels. Taxpayers who saw a big refund last year thanks to the credit may be disappointed when they file this time around.

Still, the CTC can wipe out a considerable chunk of your tax bill. The benefit can reach $2,000 per qualifying child, and up to $1,500 of that is refundable. People with dependents who don’t qualify for the full credit can be eligible for a credit up to $500. Do you qualify? Families with children under 17 are generally eligible for the child tax credit as long as their kids have valid Social Security numbers. However, the amount you can claim de -

pends on your income.

The credit begins to phase out once your adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000, or $400,000 for those married filing jointly. At a certain income level, the benefit lapses entirely.

3. American opportunity credit and lifetime learning credit

The American opportunity credit and lifetime learning credit are two education-focused tax breaks that help people with expenses such as tuition. Both credits have a similar setup, but they are tailored toward different types of costs.

The American opportunity credit is targeted toward students pursuing formal degree programs. The lifetime learning credit, on the other hand, can be used for other types of training and education.

The partially refundable American opportunity credit is

also more generous: Taxpayers can claim up to $2,500 per eligible student, including for expenses beyond tuition, such as course materials. With the nonrefundable lifetime learning credit, you can claim a total of $2,000 per tax return for tuition only, regardless of how many students would be eligible. You can’t claim both credits for one student.

Do you qualify? The eligibility criteria for these two education credits vary. For instance, the American opportunity credit can only be used for four years of post-secondary education, and eligible students have to be enrolled at least half time. The lifetime learning credit is broader, and can apply to graduate courses or vocational classes. The credits do have basic eligibility requirements in common. Both share an income limit of $90,000 for single filers and $180,000 for married people filing jointly.

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Anatomy of the Chicago Mayor’s election

BIG CITY ELECTIONS provide clues about trends in national politics, the composition and attitudes of Democratic constituency groups, and voters’ responses to emerging matters. Recent examples include the March 2019 primary for mayor of Chicago and the June 2021 Democratic contest in New York City.

The latest example is the nonpartisan mayoral primary in Chicago, in which the 2019 winner, Lori Lightfoot, finished third among five serious candidates, with only 17% of the vote. That’s a pathetic showing for an incumbent mayor, and a measure of the impact of a vast increase in murders and violent crimes, such as carjacking, since the “mostly peaceful” Black Lives Matter riots and demands for defunding the police started in late May 2020.

The crime problem played a similar role in the victory of New York Mayor Eric Adams, an NYPD veteran, two years ago. The key constituency in Adams’ victory were middle-class black voters — people with jobs and families in large parts of Brooklyn, southeastern Queens and the north Bronx. They spurned the candidacy of Maya Wiley, a left-wing ally of incumbent Bill de Blasio, and gave next to no support to Kathryn Garcia, the New York Times endorsee who carried affluent white people in Manhattan and fashionable areas of Brooklyn.

Lightfoot, who is black, did carry Chicago’s heavily black South and West Sides. But she topped 50% in only three or four precincts — most black people voted for someone else. And she was almost entirely abandoned by the Lakefront liberals who, four years ago, had formed her primary base of support.

Even though Chicago’s population is now approximately one-third white, one-third black and one-third Latino, the candidate who led in early public polls, Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL), ran a poor fourth, with just 14% of the vote, after being pummeled with attacks by Lightfoot. He carried but seldom exceeded 50% in majority Latino neighborhoods, where turnout was light.

The big winners were Paul Vallas, one-time (1995-2001) head of the Chicago school system and a strong backer of proactive policing, who led with 33%, and Brandon Johnson, Cook County commissioner and former Chicago Teachers Union organizer, who won 22%.

Vallas, of Greek descent, won enormous majorities in the mostly white bungalow wards in northwest Chicago (you pass through them on the way to O’Hare) and in the city’s southwest fringes. They’re the ancestral home of white ethnics who supported Mayor Richard Daley in various elections. They are a waning percentage of Chicago voters — a

counterpart of white ethnics from Staten Island and various enclaves in the Bronx and Queens that voted for Adams in New York’s mayoral race. Vallas also carried the Lakefront wards from the South Loop north to Irving Park Road. These are full of Chicago’s most successful white college graduates, professionals in soaring apartments, and beautifully restored and renovated townhouses. Once Republican-leaning, the area is as heavily Democratic as New York’s Upper East Side, but residents appear unnerved to see North Michigan Avenue attacked by shoplifting gangs and carjackers.

Yet college graduate white people are not a united constituency. Precincts north of Irving Park and a mile or two inland from the Lakefront were carried by Johnson. White voters there are less affluent, younger, interlaced with significant percentages of Latinos and black people and a few small pockets of Asians.

These areas resemble the Manhattan-adjacent areas of Brooklyn and Queens (Williamsburg, Bushwick, Long Island City, Astoria) that voted for Wiley in 2021 and elected Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) over House Democratic leadership favorite Joe Crowley in 2018. These are the young professionals coping with the overproduction of elites, the graduate student proletariat, and the woke junior employees to whose demands liberal executives and editors seem to capitulate. These are the backers of “Occupy Wall Street” and “Defund the Police.”

Who’s going to win? The first public poll shows Vallas leading Johnson, 44% to 32%. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Lightfoot’s runoff opponent in 2019, is backing Johnson. Businessman Willie Wilson, who won about 20% of black people’s votes last week, is expected to endorse Vallas.

A couple of interesting quirks: Vallas seems to have finished second among Hispanics, and Johnson appears to have won larger percentages from white people and Latinos than from black people. Middle-class black people may decide the result in Chicago just as they did in New York.

Whoever wins, the results show the increasing importance of white college graduates in the Democratic Party. And although it’s been less widely appreciated (but apparent also in 2021 in New York), it reveals the existence of an economic class division within that constituency.

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

What we weren’t shown about Jan. 6

JAN. 6 WAS, ACCORDING TO WHITE HOUSE Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, “the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer explained that the riot of Jan. 6 was a “violent insurrection.” And in order to preserve democracy, Schumer stated, Fox News should take Tucker Carlson off the air.

It is clear that Jan. 6 was a riot and not a “danger to our democracy.”

What, pray tell, did Carlson do that merited the Senate Majority Leader calling for his silencing? After House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., granted him access to some 41,000 hours of as-yet-unreleased footage from Jan. 6, he aired a special in which he disclosed two particularly pertinent pieces of tape: first, tape showing Capitol Police apparently walking alongside the QAnon Shaman, Jacob Chansley, through the hallways; second, tape showing Officer Brian Sicknick gesturing animatedly to fellow officers after he had already been attacked by the crowd outside.

Carlson seemed to downplay the violence of the day based on the tape. He said, “A small percentage of them were hooligans. But the overwhelming majority weren’t. They were peaceful. They were orderly and meek. These were not insurrectionists — they were sightseers.”

Now, to be certain, a riot took place on Jan. 6. In that riot, dozens of officers were injured; some 1,000 people were arrested. But Carlson isn’t wrong that tape appears to show some of the people in the Capitol wandering around aimlessly, not violently, or that the media’s original portrayal of Sicknick’s death — it was widely reported that he had been directly murdered by the crowd — was incorrect.

Argue with Carlson’s framing all you want; I have significant disagreements with it. But it is clear that Jan. 6, as ugly as it was, was a riot and not a “danger to our democracy”; that many of those in the Capitol were in fact gawking rather than rioting; and that the Jan.

6 committee went out of its way to present certain footage but avoid other footage. A decision was made by the Jan. 6 committee and the media to avoid the possibility of any nuance whatsoever regarding the riots. Instead, the only acceptable narrative determined that a riot was an insurrection, that insurrection threatened the overthrow of the United States, and that the insurrection continues to percolate throughout conservative circles. Any mitigating evidence to that overblown narrative was discarded.

Supposedly, the best way to ensure that narrative was to ensure silence. But Schumer’s call to silence Carlson is precisely the reason Carlson’s report went viral in the first place. The media-Democratic complex keeps exaggerating narratives, eliding any countervailing information, and then seeking to censor those who present such information; they keep burying evidentiary landmines hoping they won’t be triggered. Then the landmines bow up, and they’re shocked at the explosion. We couldn’t be given the footage, according to our media and political elites, lest we draw the wrong conclusions. Herein lies the problem: the best way to avoid the American people drawing the wrong conclusions is to present them with the full evidence, and then let them draw their own conclusions. And that’s precisely what the elites in our media and the Democratic Party won’t allow.

Ben Shapiro, 38, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent.

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

The first public poll shows Vallas leading Johnson, 44% to 32%.

SIDELINE REPORT

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Temple ousts McKie

after 4 seasons

Philadelphia

Temple coach Aaron McKie is out after four years and no NCAA Tournament appearances and will become a special adviser to the athletic department, the school announced Monday.

McKie, who starred at Temple under Hall of Fame coach John Chaney and played for the Philadelphia 76ers in a long NBA career, went 5256 in four seasons, including 16-16 in 2022-23. The Owls finished fifth in the American Athletic Conference this season with a 10-8 record and were the only AAC team to defeat No. 1 Houston in the regular season, a 56-55 road win on Jan. 22.

BASEBALL

Trevor Bauer signs in Japan

Tokyo Trevor Bauer has agreed to a contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan’s Central League.

The 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Jan. 12, three weeks after an arbitrator reduced his suspension imposed by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred from 324 to 194 games. The penalty followed an investigation into domestic violence, which the pitcher has denied. Bauer is owed about $22.5 million from the remainder of his $102 million, three-year contract with the Dodgers. The suspension has cost him roughly $37.6 million in salary.

NFL NFL eyes roughing-thepasser penalties New

York

The NFL’s competition committee will consider making roughing-the-passer penalties and personal-foul penalties subject to video review. The two potential rule changes were among nine the league announced Monday in its 2023 playing rules, bylaw and resolution proposals submitted by clubs. The Los Angeles Rams proposed the change that would allow teams to challenge roughingthe-passer calls. The Detroit Lions proposed the giving teams an opportunity to challenge personal foul calls. The competition committee will consider the rule changes later this month when NFL owners gather in Arizona for their annual meeting.

SOCCER Berhalter eligible to coach USMNT after investigation

New York

The U.S. Soccer Federation says Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate to stay on as men’s national team coach after a report by a law firm concluded he did not improperly withhold information about a 1992 domestic violence allegation involving the woman who later became his wife. The report also concluded that Berhalter’s conduct “likely constituted the misdemeanor crime of assault on a female” but that it was an isolated event. He can’t be prosecuted because of the two-year statute of limitations for misdemeanors. The law firm Alston and Bird was retained after the Reyna family reported the 30-yearold incident to the USSF.

Byron wins 2nd straight Cup race, beats Larson at Phoenix

All four Hendrick Motorsports cars finished in the top 10

The Associated Press AVONDALE, Ariz. — William Byron took advantage of a late restart to earn a Cup Series victory, just like last weekend.

Kyle Larson was the victim of Byron’s late restart prowess, just like last weekend.

It was a strange bit of déjà vu at Phoenix Raceway, as Byron won his second straight Cup race by beating out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate in overtime on Sunday.

“I don’t love winning races that way, it’s very stressful,” Byron said, grinning. “A lot of tactics going on with the restarts.”

Late restarts may add to By-

ron’s stress, but they’re also adding to his win total. His No. 24 Chevrolet got a great start in overtime with two laps left, and just like he did a week earlier at Las Vegas, he overtook Larson for the win. He also had to hold off Ryan Blaney, who finished second in his Penske Ford, while Tyler Reddick was third in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing.

Byron’s victory also denied Kevin Harvick his 10th win at Phoenix. Harvick’s Stewart-Haas No. 4 Ford passed Larson for the lead with 44 laps remaining, taking advantage of the long run under green-flag conditions that favored his car all afternoon.

But a yellow flag with 10 laps remaining dashed Harvick’s hopes. Several drivers changed just two tires on the ensuing pit stop, but Harvick took four, falling back to seventh place for the re -

6

start with three laps left. He finished fifth.

Another caution immediately after the restart sent the race to overtime.

Larson — whose No. 5 Chevrolet was the fastest during Friday’s practice and also during Saturday’s qualifying — was fading after Harvick’s pass, but the late yellow flags gave him a chance until Byron snatched away the victory.

Larson finished fourth, capping

Ole Miss hires former Texas coach Beard

The coach was fired by the Longhorns following a domestic violence arrest in December

The Associated Press OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi has hired Chris Beard as its basketball coach just over two months after his firing from Texas following a domestic violence arrest.

The Rebels announced Beard’s hiring on Monday and introduced him Tuesday in a public event at the SBJ Pavilion. Beard is a fourtime conference coach of the year and was AP’s national coach of the year in 2019.

But his two-year tenure at alma mater Texas ended abruptly in January, though felony domestic charges were ultimately dismissed on Feb. 15. A prosecutor said his office determined that the charge of assault by strangulation/suffocation-family violence could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Texas suspended Beard after his Dec. 12 arrest and fired him three weeks later when Texas officials told Beard’s attorney he was “unfit” to lead the program. Beard was arrested when his fiancée, Randi Trew, called 911 and told of-

ficers that Beard strangled, bit and hit her during a confrontation in his home. She later said that Beard didn’t choke her and was defending himself, and that she never intended for Beard to be arrested and prosecuted.

Beard replaces Kermit Davis, who was ousted on Feb. 24 after going 74-79 in nearly five full seasons. “We thoroughly evaluated a

number of outstanding candidates, and there is no doubt Coach Beard is one of the top coaches in the nation,” said Keith Carter, the school’s vice chancellor for athletics. “After conducting due diligence and speaking to a number of individuals on and off the court, it was evident he is the right person to guide our team to greatness.”

Beard has led three different programs to the NCAA Tournament since 2016, including an ap -

a frustrating finish. “Restarts are just tough,” Larson said. “I felt like I ran William up pretty high and was expecting him to lose some grip. But he did a really good job of holding and cleared me down the backstretch.”

All four Hendrick cars were inside the top 10. Alex Bowman was ninth while Josh Berry — filling in for the injured Chase Elliott — was 10th.

Harvick was attempting to become the sixth driver in Cup history to win 10 times at one track, an exclusive club that includes Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and David Pearson. The 47-yearold has said this will be his final season.

Byron and Larson had the fastest cars for most of the race. It continued a dominant stretch by the two Hendrick drivers, who were 1-2 for much of the Las Vegas race.

Byron won the first stage, leading 59 of the first 60 laps. Larson won the second stage. With its three-race West Coast swing over, the Cup Series moves to Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend.

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university.”

pearance in the 2019 championship game and an Elite Eight run the year before at Texas Tech. He is 237-98 as a head coach and 11-5 in the NCAA Tournament.

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university,” said Beard, who was 29-13 at Texas. “I can’t express how grateful I am to Chancellor (Glenn) Boyce, Keith Carter and the rest of the search committee for their belief in me to lead this program. I am really looking forward to being an active part of the Oxford community.”

Beard spent five seasons at Texas Tech, going 112-55 at a program that had endured five losing seasons in the previous six years. The Red Raiders went to their first Elite Eight in his second season and made it to the national championship game in 2019. Beard led Little Rock to a 30-5 record and a Sun Belt Conference title in his lone season, making the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

AP PHOTO

William Byron, left, leads Kyle Larson during his win during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

AP PHOTO

Mississippi has hired Chris Beard as basketball coach five weeks after his firing from Texas following a domestic violence arrest.

Chris Beard

Career victories for William Byron after picking up his second straight win Sunday at Phoenix.

Joe Pepitone, flamboyant Yankees All-Star, dead at 82

The first baseman won two championships in New York

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Joe Pepitone, an All-Star and Gold Glove first baseman on the 1960s New York Yankees who gained renown for his flamboyant personality, hairpieces and penchant for nightlife, has died at age 82.

Pepitone was living with his daughter Cara Pepitone at her house in Kansas City, Missouri, and was found dead Monday morning, according to BJ Pepitone, a son of the former player. The cause of death was not immediately clear, but BJ Pepitone said a heart attack was suspected.

The Yankees said in a statement Pepitone’s “playful and charismatic personality and onfield contributions made him a favorite of generations of Yankees fans even beyond his years with the team in the 1960s.”

Born in Brooklyn, Pepitone went to Manual Training High School, signed with the Yankees in 1958 and made his big league debut in 1962. He helped the Yankees to their second straight World Series title, a team led by Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Elston Howard. Pepitone drew attention for his off-the-field conduct. In a time when most players were staid and conformist, Pepitone was thought to be the first to bring a hair dryer into the clubhouse, an artifact later given to the Baseball Reliquary and displayed at the Burbank Central Library in California during a 2004 exhibition: “The Times They Were A-Changin’: Baseball in the Age of Aquarius.”

He posed nude for a January 1975 edition of Foxylady magazine.

“Things were a little different back then, sure,” Pepitone told Rolling Stone in 2015. “When I brought the hair dryer into the clubhouse, they thought I was a hairdresser or something; they didn’t know what the hell was go

ing on, you know? I’d walk in with a black Nehru jacket on, beads, my hair slicked back; it was ridiculous. I think about it now, and I laugh.”

Jim Bouton, in his groundbreaking 1970 book “Ball Four” that revealed the inner working of baseball teams, recounted how “Pepitone took to wearing the hairpieces when his hair started to get thin on top. ... He carries around all kinds of equipment in a little Blue Pan Am bag.”

Pepitone’s 1975 autobiography, “Joe, You Coulda Made Us Proud,” detailed nightlife with Frank Sinatra, smoking marijuana with Mantle and Whitey Ford, and Pepitone’s jailing at Rikers Island.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner brought Pepitone back as a minor league hitting instructor in 1980 and promoted him to the big league team two years later.

Pepitone was jailed at Rikers Island for about four months in 1988 following two misdemean-

Pfeiffer softball looks for consistency as conference schedule approaches

The Falcons have lost four of their past five games

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

MISENHEIMER — Following last year’s 35-10 campaign in which the Pfeiffer softball team took home the USA South East Division regular season title, the Falcons have had their share of ups and downs this season.

USA South Athletic Conference play begins later this month for eighth-year coach Monte Sherrill and the Falcons (10-8), who are aiming to establish a consistent rhythm with the heart of their schedule approaching. A ninth straight winning season hangs in the balance.

Behind the efforts of sophomore pitcher Kenzi Lyall, Pfeiffer recently recorded a complete game shutout in a 1-0 win over No. 1 ranked Christopher Newport — the defending NCAA Division III champion — but the Falcons have since dropped four of their past five game contests.

53 Strikeouts in 58-plus innings for Pfeiffer pitcher Kenzi Lyall this season

or drug convictions, then was rehired by the Yankees to work with minor leaguers. He was arrested in 1992 at a Catskills resort for a brawl that started when a man called him a “washed-up nobody” and pleaded guilty in 1995 to driving while intoxicated. He joined the Yankees at a high point in the team’s history. After winning the 1962 title, New York went on to take American League pennants the following two years only to lose in the Series, and Pepitone became an All-Star in three consecutive years starting in 1963. He stayed with the Yankees through their decline and was traded to Houston after the 1969 season for Curt Blefary.

Pepitone went on the play for the Chicago Cubs from 1970-73 and finished his career with Atlanta and the Yakult Atoms of Japan’s Central League in 1973. He hit .258 with 219 homers and 721 RBIs.

Garoppolo, Raiders agree to 3-year deal

The former 49ers quarterback replaces Derek Carr in Las Vegas

The Associated Press

HENDERSON, Nev. — Jimmy Garoppolo has agreed to a threeyear, $67.5 million contract with the Raiders, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Monday, likely answering the question of who will be Las Vegas’ starting quarterback next season. Garoppolo’s contract includes $34 million in guaranteed money, the person said.

The Raiders have been linked to Garoppolo almost from the moment coach Josh McDaniels benched nine-year starter Derek Carr with two weeks left in the season. Carr, the Raiders’ all-time leader with 35,222 passing yards and 217 touchdown passes, has since signed with the New Orleans Saints.

McDaniels was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator when Garoppolo backed up Tom Brady in New England beginning in 2014. With Brady locked in as the starter, Garoppolo was traded to San Francisco during the 2017 season and immediately became the 49ers’ starter. He was effective when healthy,

going 38-17 and taking the Niners to the 2019 and 2021 NFC championship games. San Francisco made the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.

But the 31-year-old Garoppolo has had several significant injuries. In 2018, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in San Francisco’s third game, and in 2020 he missed eight games with ankle injuries.

The 49ers had planned to trade Garoppolo before last season and start Trey Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 draft whom San Francisco gave up three first-round picks to acquire. Garoppolo underwent offseason shoulder surgery, killing trade interest in him from other clubs, so the 49ers re-signed

Third-ranked Salisbury defeated Pfeiffer twice in a March 10 double-header, while second-ranked Trine logged a 9-1 home win over the Falcons the following day. Pfeiffer then went on to claim a 6-5 road win over seventh-ranked Virginia Wesleyan before falling to Transylvania in a 2-1 finish.

While the Falcons haven’t played a matchup in Misenheimer since March 1, they are returning next week with a four-game homestand split between No. 21 Lenoir-Rhyne on March 21 and N.C. Wesleyan on March 25.

The latter date will serve as Pfeiffer’s conference opener as the team attempts to recapture the magic that led to a 16-2 conference record in 2022.

So far this season, outfielder Caiti Mickles has been the Falcons’ anchor on offense. Leading the roster in home runs (4) and RBIs (10), Mickles also has a teamhigh .359 batting average. Lyall leads the Falcons with 19 hits, while sophomore pitcher and infielder Emma Bullin has notched a .327 batting average.

Through a team-high 58.2 innings pitched, Lyall (5-6) has been the Falcons’ primary pitcher and recorded a 2.51 ERA with a 53-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Junior Kali Morton (4-2) has a similar 2.60 ERA through 35 innings and has held batters to a .267 average at the plate.

Pfeiffer’s regular season ends April 29 and the first round of the USA South Tournament will begin on May 4.

him at a reduced deal.

When Lance was injured two games into the season, Garoppolo again took over as the starter. He was having his best year, throwing 16 touchdown passes and four interceptions in 10 games, before going down with a season-ending foot injury.

Rookie Brock Purdy, the last player selected in last year’s draft, took over and led the Niners to the NFC championship game, where they lost to Philadelphia. Purdy suffered an elbow injury early in that game and had surgery last week, but after he concludes his rehab, the Niners will have two potential starters on the roster in Purdy and Lance.

Garoppolo joins a Raiders team coming off a 6-11 season but with an offense that includes wide receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Ren-

frow and tight end Darren Waller. Las Vegas also has placed the franchise tag on running back Josh Jacobs, who led the NFL in rushing last season.

The Raiders own the seventh pick in the draft and could draft a quarterback with that selection or one in the later rounds. Expected backup Jarrett Stidham agreed to sign with the AFC West rival Denver Broncos.

They have plenty of salary cap space, especially after restructuring defensive end Maxx Crosby’s contract to free up $7.5 million, according to ESPN. Including Garoppolo’s deal, Las Vegas has $27.4 million in cap space, according to overthecap. com.

The Raiders have plenty of needs to address, particularly on the offensive line and throughout the defense.

AP PHOTO

Jimmy Garoppolo has agreed to a three-year, $67.5 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.

AP PHOTO

Joe Pepitone, a key figure on the 1960s Yankees who gained reknown for his flamboyant personality, has died at age 82.

Biden OKs major Willow oil drilling in Alaska

The Associated Press

WILMINGTON, Del. — The Biden administration said Monday it is approving the huge Willow oil-drilling project on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope, a major climate move by President Joe Biden that drew quick condemnation from environmentalists who said it flies in the face of the Democratic president’s pledges.

The announcement came a day after the administration, in a move in the other direction, said it would bar or limit drilling in some other areas of Alaska and the Arctic Ocean.

The Willow approval by the Bureau of Land Management would allow three drill sites, which would include up to 199 total wells. Two other drill sites proposed for the project would be denied. Project developer ConocoPhillips has said it considers the three-site option workable, “the right decision for Alaska and our nation” in the words of company chairman and CEO Ryan Lance.

Houston-based ConocoPhillips will relinquish rights to about 68,000 acres of existing leases in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

The order, one of the most significant of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s tenure, was not signed by her but rather by her deputy, Tommy Beaudreau, who grew up in Alaska and has a close relationship with state lawmakers. She was notably silent on the project, which she had opposed as a New Mexico congresswoman before becoming Interior secretary two years ago.

Administration officials were concerned that ConocoPhillips’ de-

cades-old leases limited the government’s legal ability to block the project and that courts might have ruled in the company’s favor.

Monday’s announcement is not likely to be the last word, with litigation expected from environmental groups.

The Willow project could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day, create up to 2,500 jobs during construction and 300 long-term jobs, and generate billions of dollars in royalties and tax revenues for the federal, state and local governments, the company said.

The project, located in the federally designated National Petro-

leum Reserve-Alaska, enjoys widespread political support in the state. Alaska Native state lawmakers recently met with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to urge support for Willow.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Monday the decision was “very good news for the country.”

“Not only will this mean jobs and revenue for Alaska, it will be resources that are needed for the country and for our friends and allies,” Murkowski said. “The administration listened to Alaska voices. They listed to the delegation as we pressed the case for energy security and national security.”

Fellow Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan said conditions attached to the project should not reduce Willow’s ability to produce up to 180,000 barrels of crude a day. But he said it was “infuriating” that Biden also moved to prevent or limit oil drilling elsewhere in Alaska.

Christy Goldfuss, a former Obama White House official who now is a policy chief at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said she was “deeply disappointed’’ at Biden’s decision to approve Willow, which NRDC estimates would generate planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to

more than 1 million homes.

“This decision is bad for the climate, bad for the environment and bad for the Native Alaska communities who oppose this and feel their voices were not heard,’’ Goldfuss said.

Anticipating that reaction among environmental groups, the White House announced on Sunday that Biden will prevent or limit oil drilling in 16 million acres in Alaska and the Arctic Ocean. The plan would bar drilling in nearly 3 million acres of the Beaufort Sea — closing it off from oil exploration — and limit drilling in more than 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve.

The withdrawal of the offshore area ensures that important habitat for whales, seals, polar bears and other wildlife “will be protected in perpetuity from extractive development,” the White House said in a statement.

The conservation actions announced Sunday complete protections for the entire Beaufort Sea Planning Area, building upon President Barack Obama’s 2016 action on the Chukchi Sea Planning Area and the majority of the Beaufort Sea, the White House said.

Separately, the administration moved to protect more than 13 million acres within the petroleum reserve, a 23-million acre chunk of land on Alaska’s North Slope set aside a century ago for future oil production.

The Willow project is within the reserve, and ConocoPhillips has long held leases for the site. About half the reserve is off limits to oil and gas leasing under an Obamaera rule reinstated by the Biden administration last year.

Youngkin scores some legislative wins as he eyes White House

The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who quickly shot from political newcomer to potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, kicked off his state’s legislative session in January by telling lawmakers that he wanted “to get more done and to get it done faster.”

As the dust settles on his second session working with Virginia’s politically divided General Assembly, the former private equity executive has earned a series of wins, including measures taking a tougher stance against China, that his allies say could help him in a possible White House race.

But many of his legislative priorities, such as a push for more tax cuts, are tied up in budget negotiations. Others, including proposals to restrict abortion access or tighten penalties for criminals, were stymied by Democrats controlling the state Senate.

Youngkin is among the Republican governors eyeing the White House who have hoped to gain political momentum after presiding over productive legislative sessions this year. In Florida, for example, Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to use a session that began last week to advance conservative priorities. But the task has been harder for Youngkin because of Virginia’s divided legislature.

“He got a lot of solid singles up the middle, a couple doubles off the wall. Big home runs? Not yet,” said Chris Saxman, a former Republican member of the House of Delegates who runs a nonpartisan organization focused on the intersection of Virginia business and politics.

Youngkin is still working to advance his priorities at home over the coming weeks — he can propose amendments to bills that will be taken up in April. But he also has made a point to keep a national profile, as seen in his appearance in a prime-time town hall Thursday night on CNN. He has returned to traveling outside the state and has done nothing to shut down chatter about a possible 2024 run, giving indirect answers about his plans while saying his top priority is his current job.

Virginia law prevents him from seeking a second consecutive term as governor. His four-year term began in January 2022.

“That’s where my focus is right now. And I believe there was an enormous amount of work yet to do in Virginia,” Youngkin said at the end of the education-focused town hall.

The Democrats who control the state Senate spent the session priding themselves for being a “brick wall” able to thwart many of the priorities of Youngkin and

House Republicans, including efforts to enact a 15-week abortion ban.

On some issues, however, they found common ground.

The first piece of legislation the governor has promoted with a formal bill-signing is one that aims to make it easier for licensed or experienced workers such as barbers and cosmetologists to move to Virginia and get straight to work.

Youngkin told reporters that the bill, along with a union and business-backed measure stream-

lining now-scattered workforce development programs under one agency, were among the measures he most pleased to see pass.

His administration has won praise from consumer advocates for the role it played in a compromise measure that would restore some oversight to regulators who set the rates and profitability of Dominion Energy, the politically powerful company that runs the state’s biggest monopoly electric utility.

The governor is expected to sign a bill that would adopt a new definition of antisemitism in state code that supporters say will help the Virginia track and combat hate toward the Jewish community. He also celebrated the passage of several bills that aim to address the threat from China, including a measure that would prohibit foreign adversaries from purchasing or otherwise acquiring agricultural land.

Early in the session, Youngkin disclosed that he scuttled an effort by the state to land a large electric vehicle battery plant, an initiative between Ford Motor Co. and a Chinese company that is setting up in Michigan instead. The governor’s administration labeled the project a “front” for the Chinese Communist Party that would raise national security concerns.

Recent polling has shown Youngkin, the first Republican to lead Virginia in over a decade, with relatively strong approval ratings in a state Biden won by 10 percentage points. But Democrats say Youngkin’s policy priorities are out of line with voters and will help them flip the state House and keep the Senate in November, when all 140 legislative seats are on the ballot.

AP PHOTO

This 2019 aerial photo provided by ConocoPhillips shows an exploratory drilling camp at the proposed site of the Willow oil project on Alaska’s North Slope.

AP PHOTO

Virginia Gov Youngkin addresses a joint session of the Virginia legislature in the House chamber in Richmond, Va., Wednesday Jan. 11, 2023.

(Taylor) Drye

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

Patricia Ann Kennedy

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

January 5, 1945 - March 7, 2023

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

Patricia Ann Kennedy, 78, of Locust, passed away Tuesday, March 7, 2023 in Atrium Health Main, Charlotte, NC.

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

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

Ms. Kennedy was born January 5, 1945 in Stanly County, NC to the late Thomas Kennedy and Ora Melinda Barbee Kennedy. She was a member of Mineral Springs Baptist Church. Patricia loved watching TV and she was a animal lover.

Patricia is survived by two sisters, Elizabeth K. Frey (Lyn) of Monroe, NC and Brenda Hinson (Glenn) of Locust, NC and by a host of nieces and nephews, whom she loved dearly.

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

Grant Douglas Lowder

December 10, 1943 ~ March 8, 2023

Grant Douglas Lowder, 79, of Albemarle, passed away on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

Mr. Lowder was born on December 10, 1943, to the late Norman Roscoe and Faye Kathryn Fink Lowder. In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by sister, Annette Fesperman.

Grant attended Millingport School and graduated in 1962. He was part owner and operator of Dogwood Farms and was a member of Friendship United Methodist Church.

Grant is survived by his wife of 58 years, Loraine Harkey Lowder; son, Christopher Douglas Lowder; daughter, Bonnie Denise Lowder; son, Eric Grant Lowder; grandchildren, Will Darrenkamp, Ashley Darrenkamp, Taylor Lowder, Kathryn Lowder, Eric Grant Lowder, Jr.; brothers, Tony (Martha) Lowder, Dwight (Teresa) Lowder, Don (Judy) Lowder.

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

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

Ruth Underwood McMahon

August 5, 1941 ~ March 11, 2023

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

March 23, 1935 - January

9, 2023

Coleman

Ruth Underwood McMahon, 81, of Norwood, passed away, surrounded by her loving family, on Saturday, March 11, 2023 at her home.

Mrs. McMahon was born on August 5, 1941 to the late Robert Lee and Myrtle Brock Tucker. She worked at Norwood Elementary School for 43 years as the secretary and touched the lives of many children and teachers.

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

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

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her first husband, Tommy Underwood; son, Joe Underwood; granddaughter, Hailey Underwood; and brother, Otis Tucker.

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

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

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

She is survived by her loving husband, Larry McMahon of the home; son: Jimmy Underwood (Kim); step-daughters: Kim Thompson (John) and Tonya Swaringen (Mark); ten grandchildren: Olivia Earnhardt, Paige Underwood, Justin Underwood, Abigail Underwood, Noah Underwood, Sarah Morton, Mary Grace Thompson, Christian Thompson, Luke Swaringen, and Carrie Swaringen; seven greatgrandchildren: Sky, Faith, Riley, Cooper, JT, Laura, and Clay.

Clara Mae (Lorch)

Allen

October 21, 1921 ~ March 7, 2023

Clara Lorch Allen, 101, of Albemarle, passed away on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at Bethany Woods Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Albemarle.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in SCJ at obits@stanlyjournal.com

Mrs. Allen was born on October 21, 1921, to the late Henry and Victoria Furr Lorch. In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Willie Joe Allen; son, Willie Joe Allen, Jr.; brothers, Hubert Lorch, Harold Lorch; sister, Louise Lorch.

Clara supported her husband, Willie as he served and retired from the United States Navy.

Survivors include son, Thomas Allen; five grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

Juanita Dunning Conner

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

Dianne Coble

February 17, 1944 ~ March 8, 2023

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

September 27, 1932 ~ March 10, 2023

Juanita Dunning Conner, 90, of Cheraw, passed away Friday, March 10, 2023.

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

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

Mrs. Conner was born on September 27, 1932 in Guilford County, NC to the late James Wiley Sr. and Fleta Sue May Dunning. She was a dry goods and clothing store owner and operator for many years and a member at Albemarle Seventh-day Adventist Church.

To be such a small lady, she had a strong constitution. If she really wanted something done, she would find a way to make it happen. Her passion was to help spread the word of the Gospel to all the world and she religiously made generous donations to the church and charitable organizations. She was very giving, and wanted little for herself. She lived simply. She loved getting to see and spend time with her children and grandchildren. She also had a special companion in her toy poodle, Annie.

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

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Robert Lloyd Conner; siblings: J.W., Robert, Roy, and Martha Lou Dunning, Becky Burke, Mary Minor, Caroline Ratliff, and Harold Dunning.

Darrick Baldwin

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

She is survived by her children: Nancy Suhy (Robert) of Jonesborough, TN, Donna Holland (Glenn) of Falmoth, Maine, and Karen Causey (Bud) of McFarlan, NC; stepdaughter: Lynn Chewning (Ben); six grandchildren: Jason Suhy (Amanda), Keith Holland, Trina Schleif (Greg), Ivy Gardner (Josh), Iris Causey (William Perdue), and Keely Williams (TJ); stepgrandchildren: Brandon Chewning (Brandy), Brooklin and Brisol Chewning; and four greatgrandchildren: Scarlett and Finn Gardner, and Jensen and Anderson Suhy, as well as several special nieces and nephews.

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

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

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

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

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

Jewell Anne (Whitley) Honeycutt

Dianne Hatley Coble, 79, of Oakboro, passed away Wednesday evening, March 8, 2023, surrounded by her loving family, at Atrium Cabarrus in Concord.

Dianne was born February 17, 1944 in Stanly County to the late Crayon Hardin Hatley and Margie Little Hatley. She was a 1962 graduate of Oakboro High School. She worked for many years with First Union Bank, and the past 30 years she was bookkeeper for her family business, Ted A. Coble and Sons Grading, Inc.

She was an active member of Red Cross Baptist Church, where she was a Sunday school teacher, G. A. leader, Bible School teacher and served on the visitation and nominating committees. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and enjoyed spending time with them.

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

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by sisters, Janice Hinson and Joyce Murray and brother, Wayne Hatley.

She is survived by her husband, Ted Alan Coble of the home; sons, Wesley Coble(Terri) of Albemarle and Tim Coble(Trish) of Oakboro; grandchildren, Meagan Griffin(Matt) of Albemarle and Lindsey Barnhardt(Chance) of Concord; Jacob Coble and Sarah Coble of Oakboro; one great-grandson, Bennett Griffin of Albemarle; brother, Roger Hatley(Ellen); numerous and nieces and nephews.

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

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

This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death:

He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men.

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

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

August 8, 1946 ~ March 11, 2023

Jewell Anne Honeycutt, 76, of Albemarle, passed away Saturday, March 11, 2023, at Atrium Health Stanly Hospital in Albemarle.

Jewell was born August 8, 1946, in Virginia to the late Colon Whitley and the late Florence Myers Whitley.

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

She was also preceded in death by brothers, Carroll Whitley, Kenneth "Pete" Whitley, and Charles "Pinky" Whitley; and brother-in-law, Scott Honeycutt and sister-in-law, Jettie Seahorn.

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

Jewell was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother. She loved her family and her church family dearly. Jewell enjoyed cooking, canning, fishing, and traveling. Jewell's dog Ellie was her faithful companion. Jewell was a woman who loved the Lord dearly and was faithful to her church. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

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

Survivors include husband, Darrell Honeycutt of Albemarle, NC; daughters , Erika (Phillip) Howard and Tomeka (Jimmy) Steen; grandchildren, Lisa, PJ, Keltsi and Karli; greatgrandchildren, Hunter, Hannah, Judson, Seth, Amelia and Daphne; sister, Cathy Smith; brothers, Wayne, Gary, and Larry Whitley; sister-in-law, Colette (Dorland) Abernathy; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

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

Belinda Roseman

November 5, 1963 ~ March 6, 2023

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

Belinda Kay Roseman, 58, of Albemarle, passed away on Monday, March 6, 2023 at her home.

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

Ms. Roseman was born on November 5, 1963 in Aberdeen, OH to David Roseman and the late Gloria Jean Roseman. Belinda loved children. Her greatest joy was fostering and taking care of kids throughout her life.

In addition to her mother, she is preceded in death by her sister, Kimberly Roseman.

In addition to her father, she is survived by her son, Austin Roseman of Ohio;brother Darryle Roseman of Ohio; niece Kristen Ashley; nephew, Josh Wilhelm; and three great-nieces.

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

STATE & NATION

Defense budget speeds toward $1 trillion, with China in mind

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pentagon intends to load up on advanced missiles, space defense and modern jets in its largest defense request in decades in order to meet the threat it perceives from China. The spending path would put military’s annual budget over the $1 trillion threshold in just a matter of years, its chief financial officer said Monday.

The administration is asking Congress for $842 billion for the Pentagon in the 2024 budget year. It’s the largest request since the peak of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the mid-2000s, when the weight of hundreds of thousands of troops deployed in those overseas conflicts ballooned overseas war spending.

Now, the budget could surge again. That’s in part to meet the higher cost of weapons and parts, but also to answer the vulnerabilities that the Ukraine war has exposed in the U.S. defense industrial base, and the strategic threat the U.S. sees from China’s rapidly growing nuclear arsenal, its hypersonic capabilities and its gains in space.

Even if it only grows to account for inflation, “the budget will hit a trillion dollars,” probably before the next five years, Pentagon comptroller Michael McCord told a press briefing. “Maybe that’s going to be a psychological, big watershed moment for many of us, or some of us, but it is inevitable.”

While the number seems astronomically high, it is only about 3% of the country’s gross domestic product. For comparison, during World War II the country was spending about one-third of its

GDP on defense, McCord said. The budget request is part of an overall $6.8 trillion spending proposal rolled out by Biden last week, which Republicans say they’ll reject. But it’s not clear how they’ll act on the Pentagon proposal.

Some Republicans want to go beyond the military spending request. But some have also demanded sharp reductions in federal spending — something that would be difficult to accomplish without touching the defense budget.

While personnel and operations costs remain the largest por-

tions of the annual defense budget, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks called this years’ request “a procurement budget” with the Pentagon increasing buys across the board of modern weapon systems. One of the largest new priorities is getting the U.S. defense industrial base to speed production of munitions. Ukraine’s rate of use of 155 Howitzer rounds and other precision munitions has shown the U.S. defense industrial base “is not where it needs to be,” McCord said.

It’s been a lesson learned over

the last year, particularly as the U.S. assesses how best it can prevent a similar fight over Taiwan, which could pit it against China.

The goal of the budget is to ensure China “wakes up every day, considers the risks of aggression, and concludes, ‘today is not the day,’” Hicks said.

The administration, for example, is asking Congress for $30 billion to produce more missiles. But they are “not the kind of missiles that are key to the Ukraine fight,” McCord said. “These are key to Indo-Pacific deterrence,” a goal also involving advanced air-to-air mis-

Tougher riot punishments approved by legislature a 2nd time

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — The North Carolina legislature gave final approval last week to more severe punishments for rioters for the second time in three years — a response to 2020 demonstrations about racial injustice that while largely peaceful at times turned violent.

The measure now moves to the desk of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who in 2021 successfully blocked a similar bill approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly by using his veto stamp.

But Republicans made enough seat gains in November so they now potentially only need one House Democrat to join them to override a Cooper veto if the GOP majorities remain united. The measure received voting support in the House last month from six Democrats, including a chief sponsor of the bill.

Legislative action was completed Thursday in the Senate, where Republicans already hold a veto-proof majority, on a vote of 2716.

House Speaker Tim Moore has championed the measure this year and in 2021, saying current laws didn’t deter rioting and looting in downtown Raleigh in June 2020, amid otherwise peaceful protests following the murder of North Carolina native George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

The bill “protects First Amend-

ment rights of those who want to protest safely — who want to be able to express their opinions — while keeping them safe and while also keeping law enforcement safe, property owners safe and others safe,” Sen. Danny Britt, a Robeson County Republican, said on the Senate floor Thursday. He said the bill targets “violent actors” who are separate from demonstrators and causing mayhem.

Social justice and civil rights advocates have pushed back on

the measures at every turn, saying they target Black Lives Matter demonstrators and marginalized groups by trying to frighten them from taking to the streets peacefully with the threat of imprisonment. Others say the incitement language is too broad and that laws already are on the books to address rioting. The bill “doubles down on the punitive system that created the scars of mass incarceration that we’re still dealing with today,” said

Sen. Natalie Murdock, a Durham County Democrat, adding that it will “only serve to stifle free speech, criminalize protest and erode our First Amendment freedoms.”

Cooper spokesperson Jordan Monaghan said late Thursday that the governor “has worked to increase public safety and protect constitutional rights and he will review this legislation.”

In his message vetoing the 2021 bill, Cooper said legislation was “unnecessary and is intended to intimidate and deter people from exercising their constitutional rights to peacefully protest.”

In a written statement, Moore urged Cooper to “sign this commonsense bill into law without delay.”

The new bill would increase punishments already in place for crimes of willfully participating in a riot or inciting one to cover more severe circumstances — possibly resulting in sentences that last a couple more years or longer. They would include if a rioter brandishes a weapon or causes serious bodily injury.

New crimes would be created for a rioter who causes a death or someone who incites rioting that contributes to a death. And assaults on emergency personnel also would result in higher felony penalties.

The bill would let property owners whose businesses are damaged during protests seek compensation against a perpetrator equal to

siles, anti-ship missiles and longrange standoff missiles.

The Pentagon is also seeking rapid modernization of its air, space and nuclear weapons. The request includes almost $38 billion to buy new nuclear submarines, field the new B-21 stealth bomber and manufacture new ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The request would also fund research and testing for a new type of warplane, called Next Generation Air Dominance, which will have a piloted modern fighter jet, such as the F-35, commanding unmanned drones that accompany it on missions. The Air Force won’t say much about the drones, which they are calling “collaborative combat aircraft” – except that they are planning to field 1,000 of them.

The request includes the “largest space budget ever,” McCord said, as space has proven to be vital in the war in Ukraine and a critical front in any future confrontation. The Pentagon is seeking $33 billion to make its satellite communications more resilient to jamming or attack and rapidly field a new constellation of missile warning systems to assist in the detection, tracking and defense against a new generation of Chinese and Russian hypersonic missiles.

Even the Chinese spy balloon episode had an impact, even though the budget request was largely completed before the balloon was detected, drifted across the country and was shot down. The Pentagon is seeking about $90 million to add capabilities to better detect similar objects in the atmosphere in the future.

three times the monetary damage. Bill supporters say this helps small businesses whose property insurance doesn’t always cover public disturbances.

And defendants accused of rioting or looting could have to wait for 24 hours before their bond and pretrial release rules are set, which bill supporters say can lead to a cooling-off period for the accused.

Moore has said the laws would apply to any protesters who are violent, mentioning those like the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

Among the Democratic amendments blocked from Senate debate Thursday through GOP parliamentary maneuvering was one that in part would have raised criminal penalties for rebellion and insurrection and removed public officials permanently from their position if convicted.

Nine states have passed similar protest laws since June 2020, according to the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law. North Carolina is among several states currently considering new penalties. Separately, the General Assembly passed a bipartisan police reform law in 2021 that addressed law enforcement shortcomings highlighted after Floyd’s death.

One bill opponent, Kerwin Pittman with Emancipate NC, told a Senate committee that Senate Democrats who backed the measure would be made politically accountable for doing so. First-term Sen. Mary Wills Bode, a Wake County Democrat, joined all Republicans present in voting for the bill.

AP PHOTO

China’s national flag is displayed next to the Pentagon logo at the Pentagon in this file photo.

AP PHOTO, FILE

Republican North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore presents his bill increasing punishments for violent protests before the House Judiciary committee at the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh, on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Randolph record

Best in the state

Commissioner of Insurance and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey stopped by the Asheboro Fire Department’s Station 1 on March 9, 2023, to announce the department’s new Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating. ISO ratings are set by the NC Department of Insurance every five years following a thorough inspection of a fire department’s staffing, training, equipment, maintenance, water supply, and emergency communications. After years of hard work to purchase new equipment, take specialized training, and become rescue certified, the Asheboro Fire Department was officially presented with its new rating of ISO 1, placing it in the top fire departments in North Carolina. “I’d like to congratulate Chief Summers for the department’s performance and for the hard work of all the department’s members,” said Causey. “The citizens in the town of these districts should rest easy knowing they have a fine group of firefighters protecting them and their property in the case of an emergency.”

Asheboro clears way for new affordable housing development

City of Asheboro expands its Zoo City Social District

Last month, the City of Asheboro made changes to the Zoo City Social District, which is a special area in historic downtown Asheboro where visitors are allowed to carry and consume alcoholic beverages during specified times. As long as the beverages are in designated containers and were purchased from one of the participating businesses, visitors can consume alcohol within the district boundaries Thursday through Friday between 11 am and 11 pm. As of February, the Zoo City Social District was expanded to allow more businesses to participate.

Current participating businesses include AmVets

905, Cantina Taco Loco, Carolina Tap House, Four Saints Brewing Company, The Flying Pig Food and Spirits, Leo’s Whiskey Bar, Lumina Wine & Beer, and Positano.

NCDOT urges safety and precaution near railroad tracks

State transportation officials are reminding people to stay off railroad property because it is illegal and dangerous.

“Railroad property and tracks are for trains and are not for walking, jogging, or any form of trespassing,” said Jason Orthner, director of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division.

“This time of the year, students are also taking senior and program pictures. We strongly urge photographers not to trespass on railroad property.” The NCDOT’s Rail Division also urges people to follow these tips: pedestrians should only cross the railroad at safe and legal crossings, never walk or jog on or along railroad tracks, never stop your vehicle on railroad tracks at a crossing, and in the case of an emergency at a railroad crossing, please call the number on the blue sign at the crossing to ensure the fastest response from railroad officials. For additional information about railroad safety and the division’s BeRailSafe program, please visit www.berailsafe.org.

Local spots designated as historic landmarks

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Council met Thursday, March 9, with multiple property and funding matters on the agenda.

The council held legislative hearings for two rezoning applications for property located at 853 East Salisbury Street and 133 Southway Road.

The first application was for a rezoning from OA6 to OA6 (CZ)

“This is an application filed by Community Housing Partners for property identified as 853 East Salisbury Street,” said Community Development Director Trevor Nuttall. “It includes four separate county parcels, approximately five and a half acres. This application is to take the property from an existing high-density office and apartment zoning district to a conditional office and apartment zoning district. Formerly, there had been a single-family dwell-

ing on this property, but the site is now undeveloped.

“The application includes a request for 47 apartment units contained within two separate, three-story buildings. The necessary parking associated with that development is between one of the buildings and East Salisbury Street.”

The apartments are proposed to be affordable housing, with each unit either one or two bedrooms.

“The affordable housing that we’re talking about is really probably better referred to as workforce housing,” said Tom Wright, a representative for the applicant. “You can qualify for this particular type of project, which is funded, and what makes this go is the tax credits, but anybody that is up to 60% of the median income of the area will be eligible to rent in these particular buildings. The target tenants for these kinds of areas are people like beginning teachers, law enforcement, firefighters, anybody who can meet the requirement of income being at or below 60% of the median income for the area.”

Upon the conclusion of the hearing, the council approved the request.

“The latter part of 2022, there was a labor shortage in Wilmington, and they said that was the greatest impediment to economic development,” said Mayor Pro Tem Walker Moffitt. “The number one impediment to their labor shortage was a lack of housing within an hour’s drive to get the necessary labor pool. We’re going to run into the same thing if we don’t plan ahead.”

The second application was for a rezoning from R7,5 (CZ) and R15 to O&I (CZ).

“This is a request by FBP Investments in care of Ronnie Pugh for property located at 133 Southway Road,” Nuttall said. “This is a request to move the property, which is currently in a conditional zoning R-7.5 and R-15 district, exclusively to a conditional zoning office and institutional zoning district that would permit business services from the property as well as related and accessory enclosed storage.”

According to Nuttall, the prop -

erty is a single parcel, under 0.3 acres in size, and currently has a single-family dwelling on the property. What’s proposed in its place is a 3,400-squarefoot building with approximately 1,000 square feet of office space contained within the front portion of the building and 2,400 square feet of garage or storage area to the rear of the structure.

“It’s really going to be a natural transition facility between residential and the ongoing improvements of McCreery Park, and we intend to be there in the next couple of years,” said Ronnie Pugh, an owner of the Asheboro Zookeepers, who bought the property after some issues with the prior resident arose.

Also, according to Pugh, the plan is for the office to match the same materials used in McCreery Ballpark in order to better help the transition between the park and the residential areas on the other side.

Following the hearing, the council approved the request.

The council also approved the designation of the Parks Hosiery Mill/McCrary Hosiery Mill and former Acme-McCrary & Sapona Recreation Center as local historic landmarks in Asheboro.

The council then approved multiple amendments to the general

See

page 2

Asheboro pizza restaurant could open in spring

Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The Pizza Inn project in Asheboro seems back on track.

The opening of the restaurant at 1216 East Dixie Dr. could be coming soon.

Progress has been made at the site of the former home to Uptown Charlie.

The Texas-based pizza chain had dubbed the Asheboro location for the first reveal of its new design. While that was intended to happen by late 2022, the marketing drum for the restaurant has begun to beat again.

Asheboro’s Pizza Inn appears at least about a month away from opening.

It’s an overhaul for the chain, which is redesigning its stores and even turning to a new mascot.

“Pizza is fun, and it’s an American staple that provides a sense of comfort and nostalgia unlike any other kind of experience,” Claire Oakley, director of client services for BooneOakley, said in a statement. Advertising company BooneO -

akley and retail design firm Chute Gerdeman have been gearing up for an opening. The exterior of the building appears ready.

The interior is expected to include a party room with an accent wall and a game room. There will be an outdoor patio at most locations. The pizza chain has about 135 lo-

cations. Those include restaurants in High Point and Durham.

The chain reported a decrease in sales in 2021 during the pandemic, but that generally was expected to turn around.

When open, the restaurant will have several options for patrons, including a buffet along with typical in-restaurant dining and carry-out.

SCOTT PELKEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Working for you

“How does this impact you?”

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

House Republicans have delivered results for you and families across the country.

That’s the question I ask myself before considering every bill I introduce, cosponsor, or vote on as your Congressman.

With our new Republican majority in place, we have hit the ground running this year—and we will not slow down. From stopping soft-on-crime policies, defending the Second Amendment with my Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, protecting our strategic oil reserves, standing up to socialism and the Chinese Communist Party’s use of a spy balloon over U.S. territory, and voting to end COVID-19 vaccine mandates—House Republicans have delivered results for you and families across the country.

Following a productive work week, I returned to Washington last week, where we built on this work with more than a dozen hearings to hold the Biden administration accountable on issues including the origins of COVID-19 and the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Last week we also advanced my HALT Fentanyl Act, one important stop to keep fentanyl out of our communities and away from our children. The fentanyl crisis has only gotten worse due to the open border policies of the Biden administration, as thousands of pounds of fentanyl continue to pour into our country every month. No parent should have to endure the loss of their child to fentanyl poisoning or overdose, and I’m proud to support North Carolinians who turn loss into advocacy, such as Matthew’s Choice out of Sanford.

My bill now advances to the full Energy and Commerce committee before heading to the House floor. With a record amount of drug overdose deaths and fentanyl poisonings occurring right here in North Carolina, putting an end to the lethal amounts of drugs and fentanyl present in our

communities is a priority.

I was also honored to introduce bipartisan legislation to secure a statue of the late Reverend Billy Graham to represent our state. I will continue to work with my colleagues to place this once-in-a-generation faith leader in the U.S. Capitol.

Last week, I also continued my work to improve our nation’s pandemic preparedness and response. During the last pandemic, our nation learned there are many things we can improve in our preparedness for Public Health Emergencies. Congress has to reauthorize the law that governs our response this fall. As the lead Republican on this effort, I released a Request for Information from stakeholders and citizens across the country on how the U.S. can be better prepared when taking on future emergencies. I look forward to reviewing the information submitted and leading bipartisan discussions of how we can improve our nation’s response efforts.

To close out the month of February, I introduced a resolution supporting the designation of February 28 as “Rare Disease Day.” I have long worked to improve access to treatments and therapies for Americans who are affected by rare diseases.

Working with my colleagues to advance common sense solutions is part of my commitment to you as your Congressman. I will never stop fighting for you, our community, and our nation.

Richard Hudson is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House and represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. He currently serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

What we weren’t shown about Jan. 6

JAN. 6 WAS, ACCORDING TO WHITE HOUSE Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, “the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer explained that the riot of Jan. 6 was a “violent insurrection.” And in order to preserve democracy, Schumer stated, Fox News should take Tucker Carlson off the air.

It is clear that Jan. 6 was a riot and not a “danger to our democracy.”

What, pray tell, did Carlson do that merited the Senate Majority Leader calling for his silencing? After House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., granted him access to some 41,000 hours of as-yet-unreleased footage from Jan. 6, he aired a special in which he disclosed two particularly pertinent pieces of tape: first, tape showing Capitol Police apparently walking alongside the QAnon Shaman, Jacob Chansley, through the hallways; second, tape showing Officer Brian Sicknick gesturing animatedly to fellow officers after he had already been attacked by the crowd outside.

Carlson seemed to downplay the violence of the day based on the tape. He said, “A small percentage of them were hooligans. But the overwhelming majority weren’t. They were peaceful. They were orderly and meek. These were not insurrectionists — they were sightseers.”

Now, to be certain, a riot took place on Jan. 6. In that riot, dozens of officers were injured; some 1,000 people were arrested. But Carlson isn’t wrong that tape appears to show some of the people in the Capitol wandering around aimlessly, not violently, or that the media’s original portrayal of Sicknick’s death — it was widely reported that he had been directly murdered by the crowd — was incorrect.

Argue with Carlson’s framing all you want; I have significant disagreements with it. But it is clear that Jan. 6, as ugly as it was, was a riot and not a “danger to

our democracy”; that many of those in the Capitol were in fact gawking rather than rioting; and that the Jan. 6 committee went out of its way to present certain footage but avoid other footage. A decision was made by the Jan. 6 committee and the media to avoid the possibility of any nuance whatsoever regarding the riots. Instead, the only acceptable narrative determined that a riot was an insurrection, that insurrection threatened the overthrow of the United States, and that the insurrection continues to percolate throughout conservative circles. Any mitigating evidence to that overblown narrative was discarded.

Supposedly, the best way to ensure that narrative was to ensure silence. But Schumer’s call to silence Carlson is precisely the reason Carlson’s report went viral in the first place. The media-Democratic complex keeps exaggerating narratives, eliding any countervailing information, and then seeking to censor those who present such information; they keep burying evidentiary landmines hoping they won’t be triggered. Then the landmines bow up, and they’re shocked at the explosion.

We couldn’t be given the footage, according to our media and political elites, lest we draw the wrong conclusions. Herein lies the problem: the best way to avoid the American people drawing the wrong conclusions is to present them with the full evidence, and then let them draw their own conclusions. And that’s precisely what the elites in our media and the Democratic Party won’t allow.

Ben Shapiro, 38, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent.

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

SIDELINE REPORT

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Temple ousts McKie

after 4 seasons

Philadelphia Temple coach Aaron McKie is out after four years and no NCAA Tournament appearances and will become a special adviser to the athletic department, the school announced Monday. McKie, who starred at Temple under Hall of Fame coach John Chaney and played for the Philadelphia 76ers in a long NBA career, went 52-56 in four seasons, including 16-16 in 2022-23. The Owls finished fifth in the American Athletic Conference this season with a 10-8 record and were the only AAC team to defeat No. 1 Houston in the regular season, a 56-55 road win on Jan. 22.

NFL NFL eyes roughing-thepasser penalties

New York

The NFL’s competition committee will consider making roughing-thepasser penalties and personal-foul penalties subject to video review. The two potential rule changes were among nine the league announced Monday in its 2023 playing rules, bylaw and resolution proposals submitted by clubs. The Los Angeles Rams proposed the change that would allow teams to challenge roughing-the-passer calls. The Detroit Lions proposed the giving teams an opportunity to challenge personal foul calls. The competition committee will consider the rule changes later this month when NFL owners gather in Arizona for their annual meeting.

BASEBALL

Trevor Bauer signs in Japan

Tokyo

Trevor Bauer has agreed to a contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan’s Central League.

The 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Jan. 12, three weeks after an arbitrator reduced his suspension imposed by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred from 324 to 194 games. The penalty followed an investigation into domestic violence, which the pitcher has denied. Bauer is owed about $22.5 million from the remainder of his $102 million, three-year contract with the Dodgers. The suspension has cost him roughly $37.6 million in salary.

Byron wins 2nd straight Cup race, beats Larson at Phoenix

All four Hendrick Motorsports cars finished in the top 10

The Associated Press

AVONDALE, Ariz. — William Byron took advantage of a late restart to earn a Cup Series victory, just like last weekend.

Kyle Larson was the victim of Byron’s late restart prowess, just like last weekend.

It was a strange bit of déjà vu at Phoenix Raceway, as Byron won his second straight Cup race by beating out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate in overtime on Sunday.

“I don’t love winning races that way, it’s very stressful,” Byron said, grinning. “A lot of tactics going on with the restarts.”

Late restarts may add to Byron’s stress, but they’re also adding to his win total.

His No. 24 Chevrolet got a great start in overtime with two laps left, and just like he did a week earlier at Las Vegas, he overtook Larson for the win. He also had to hold off Ryan Blaney, who finished second in his Penske Ford, while Tyler Reddick was third in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing.

Byron’s victory also denied Kevin Harvick his 10th win at

Phoenix. Harvick’s Stewart-Haas No. 4 Ford passed Larson for the lead with 44 laps remaining, taking advantage of the long run under green-flag conditions that favored his car all afternoon.

But a yellow flag with 10 laps remaining dashed Harvick’s hopes.

Several drivers changed just two tires on the ensuing pit stop, but Harvick took four, falling back to seventh place for the restart with three laps left. He fin-

ished fifth.

Another caution immediately after the restart sent the race to overtime. Larson — whose No. 5 Chevrolet was the fastest during Friday’s practice and also during Saturday’s qualifying — was fading after Harvick’s pass, but the late yellow flags gave him a chance until Byron snatched away the victory.

Larson finished fourth, capping a frustrating finish.

Ole Miss hires former Texas coach Beard

The coach was fired by the Longhorns following a domestic violence arrest in December

The Associated Press OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi has hired Chris Beard as its basketball coach just over two months after his firing from Texas following a domestic violence arrest.

The Rebels announced Beard’s hiring on Monday and introduced him Tuesday in a public event at the SBJ Pavilion. Beard is a four-time conference coach of the year and was AP’s national coach of the year in 2019.

But his two-year tenure at alma mater Texas ended abruptly in January, though felony domestic charges were ultimately dis-

missed on Feb. 15. A prosecutor said his office determined that the charge of assault by strangulation/suffocation-family violence could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Texas suspended Beard after his Dec. 12 arrest and fired him three weeks later when Texas officials told Beard’s attorney he was “unfit” to lead the program. Beard was arrested when his fiancée, Randi Trew, called 911 and told officers that Beard strangled, bit and hit her during a confrontation in his home. She later said that Beard didn’t choke her and was defending himself, and that she never intended for Beard to be arrested and prosecuted. Beard replaces Kermit Davis, who was ousted on Feb. 24 after going 74-79 in nearly five full seasons. “We thoroughly evaluated

a number of outstanding candidates, and there is no doubt Coach Beard is one of the top coaches in the nation,” said Keith Carter, the school’s vice chancellor for athletics. “After conducting due diligence and speaking to a number of individuals on and off the court, it was evident he is the right person to guide our team to greatness.”

Beard has led three different programs to the NCAA Tournament since 2016, including an

“Restarts are just tough,” Larson said. “I felt like I ran William up pretty high and was expecting him to lose some grip. But he did a really good job of holding and cleared me down the backstretch.”

All four Hendrick cars were inside the top 10. Alex Bowman was ninth while Josh Berry — filling in for the injured Chase Elliott — was 10th.

Harvick was attempting to become the sixth driver in Cup history to win 10 times at one track, an exclusive club that includes Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and David Pearson. The 47-year-old has said this will be his final season.

Byron and Larson had the fastest cars for most of the race. It continued a dominant stretch by the two Hendrick drivers, who were 1-2 for much of the Las Vegas race.

Byron won the first stage, leading 59 of the first 60 laps. Larson won the second stage. With its three-race West Coast swing over, the Cup Series moves to Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend.

appearance in the 2019 championship game and an Elite Eight run the year before at Texas Tech. He is 237-98 as a head coach and 11-5 in the NCAA Tournament.

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university,” said Beard, who was 29-13 at Texas. “I can’t express how grateful I am to Chancellor (Glenn) Boyce, Keith Carter and the rest of the search committee for their belief in me to lead this program. I am really looking forward to being an active part of the Oxford community.”

Beard spent five seasons at Texas Tech, going 112-55 at a program that had endured five losing seasons in the previous six years. The Red Raiders went to their first Elite Eight in his second season and made it to the national championship game in 2019.

Beard led Little Rock to a 30-5 record and a Sun Belt Conference title in his lone season, making the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

AP PHOTO

William Byron, left, leads Kyle Larson during his win during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university.”

Chris Beard

Career victories for William Byron after picking up his second straight win Sunday at Phoenix.

Kynley Brewer

Randolph Record

RALEIGH — The greatest basketball season in the history of Eastern Randolph had a sour ending. The Wildcats needed one more comeback and couldn’t quite generate it, falling 84-73 to Wilson Prep in the Class 1-A state championship game for boys’ basketball Saturday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum.

“These boys have dedicated everything they possibly could to the sport of basketball the last four months,” Eastern Randolph coach Johnny Thomas said. “We have nothing to be sad over.”

But that was the mode for the Wildcats (29-3), whose knack for generating excitement the past few months lasted all the way until the final minute.

Eastern Randolph just didn’t quite have enough. Wilson Prep (27-7) won the Class 1-A title for the

second time in three years.

Thomas offered perspective as his first season concluded.

“One year ago, they come out and go 8-15 for the season,” he said.

“We turned it into a 29-3 season.

I’m proud of them. … This moment is sad right now, but when we look back on it, it’s going to be one of the most highlighted moments of these guys’ careers.”

Devonte Brooks churned out 34 points – 17 in each half – and 18 rebounds in his last game for Eastern Randolph. Teammate Timothy Brower posted 20 points and eight rebounds.

Eastern Randolph rallied from an 11-point first-half deficit to surge into the lead. Wilson Prep led 37-36 at halftime.

The Tigers built a 14-point lead in the third quarter, but the Wildcats were unfazed. They had overcome a 21-point second-half hole a week earlier in the West Region fi-

Not quite enough: Eastern Randolph boys fall in 1-A state final Patriots go through process in new softball season

nal against Bishop McGuinness and nearly pulled off another improbable comeback.

Eastern Randolph was within 73-70 and later pulled within 7673. Wilson Prep scored the game’s last eight points.

The Tigers had to dig deep to withstand the Wildcats’ late push amid a wild environment.

“It shows you how tough mentally they are,” Wilson Prep coach Anthony Atkinson Jr. said. “The arena was crazy. To play in an environment like that.”

Jahmar Jones scored 20 points for Wilson Prep. Teammate Davis Ellis had 14 points and 19 rebounds and was named the Most Valuable Player from Wilson Prep.

Early on, Eastern Randolph struggled. Wilson Prep went up 13-2 as the Wildcats committed six turnovers. “I understand the nerves,” Thomas said.

Uwharrie Charter Academy, softball

Brewer drove in runs last week in a pair of victories for the Eagles.

Brewer, a senior, scored two runs and knocked in a row against Trinity. She had two hits, two runs batted in, and scored in a run in a game at Asheboro. She was credited with two stolen bases in each game.

UCA won 17-0 at Trinity in its Piedmont Athletic Conference opener in a game that lasted three innings as the Eagles posted an eight-run second inning and nine-run third inning. Then there was a 10-0 result in a nonconference game at Asheboro, with that game ending by the mercy rule after UCA put together a six-run sixth inning.

Those outcomes gave the Eagles a 3-1 record through two weeks of the season.

Tigers begin PAC baseball slate with shutouts

Randolph Record

RANDLEMAN’S baseball team was in good form on the mound when Piedmont Athletic Conference play began.

The Tigers posted two shutouts against Eastern Randolph, winning 9-0 at home in the first matchup and then two nights later prevailing 5-0 in Ramseur.

Austin Lemons was the winner in the second meeting.

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

CLIMAX — Some growing pains are going to be part of the process for Providence Grove’s softball team this season.

That’s fine with coach Tim Brown as long as the Patriots show progress. Providence Grove was undefeated in the regular season last year, but five starters are gone from that team.

“Comparing everything to last year would be difficult for everybody,” senior pitcher Emma Mazzarone said. “It was a special team. This year could be special, too. You can’t compare to last year because it won’t happen again.”

Brown said the Patriots will be tested regularly in the Piedmont Athletic Conference.

“In Randolph County, you have to bring it every night,” he said. “We’re going to keep (winning) as long as we can.”

Mazzarone and catcher Gracie Smith provide a nice foundation.

Mazzarone led the state in strikeouts with 364 in 2022.

The Patriots are learning as they go.

“I think the girls are definitely feeling a little more pressure considering they have to step into last year’s girls’ shoes,” Mazzarone said.

“They all know the fundamentals of softball, and they’ll be just fine.”

First baseman Callie Lambert said maintaining the standard is important but not an overwhelming issue.

“There is pressure, but the goal is to always play hard,” Lambert said.

The Patriots dropped a non-conference decision to Oak Grove, a matchup that Brown knew would be a challenge.

“We wanted to see good pitching,” he said.

In the Piedmont Athletic Conference, Providence Grove began with Mazzarone striking out 13 Wheatmore batters in a 10-0, five-inning home victory. Callie Lambert had a home run and a double.

The grip might have been loosened on the PAC by contender Southwestern Randolph, which topped the host Patriots 5-0 in Friday’s meeting.

Providence Grove’s only hit off

Southwestern Randolph ace Macie Crutchfield was Devon Kelly’s seventh-inning single. Crutchfield struck out 14 with three walks. Caressa King and Alley Lowe had two hits, including a double apiece, and knocked in runs for the Cougars. Mazzarone struck out 11 batters and walked two. Other softball …

Earlier in the week, Crutchfield struck out 18 in an 8-0 romp past North Davidson. Randleman’s Sarah Norton threw two shutouts during the week. She handled Northern Guilford in a 3-0 non-conference game and then blanked Wheatmore 9-0.

Eastern Randolph topped host Southern Alamance 13-10 in nine innings. The Wildcats built a 10-3 lead before Southern Alamance rallied in the sixth and seventh innings to extend the game. Lanie McDaniel had four hits and three RBI for Eastern Randolph, and teammate Addie Flinchum, who strikeout 16 from the circle, also drove in four runs.

The Tigers haven’t lost a conference game since 2019. Providence Grove and Southwestern Randolph split a pair of games to open their PAC schedules.

Providence Grove won 95 at home before the Cougars claimed the rematch by 6-0.

Andrew Canter drove in three runs in Providence Grove’s victory, which was aided by Southwestern Randolph’s fielding snafus.

In the second meeting of the week, Southwestern Randolph’s Jonah Campbell threw six shutout innings. Eli Gravely drove in two runs and scored two runs.

Trinity blew out Wheatmore twice in a matchup of PAC neighbors, winning 18-2 at home and 12-5 on the road.

Asheboro belted Uwharrie Charter Academy 9-0 in a non-conference game, with Tanner Marsh homering and doubling. Connor Adams, Chandler Macon, and Amare Godwin combined for the shutout.

Girls’ soccer

Jaira Arellano’s three goals boosted Asheboro in a 4-2 victory against Southwestern Randolph.

Providence Grove’s 2-1 home victory against Southeast Guilford came with goals from Taryn Waugh and Sarah Majors.

A day filled with memories

Saturday was a special day for Eastern Randolph as the Wildcats played in a state championship in basketball for the first time. The result was a loss to Wilson Prep in the Class 1-A boys’ final at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. Still, there were memorable moments as the team’s historic season came to a close. The season concluded with a 29-3 record and plenty of positive memories for the Piedmont Athletic Conference and Class 1-A West Region champions.

Left, Eastern Randolph fan Davis Inman shows his support for the Wildcats during the championship game. Right, Eastern Randolph coach Johnny Thomas consoles Devonte Brooks, left, as Will Stalker looks on after the Class 1-A state final.

ALL PHOTOS BY PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Left, Members of the Eastern Randolph team pose for a team photo after the championship game.

Right, Eastern Randolph’s Nicah Taylor reaches for the ball in front of Wilson Prep’s Josh Hicks during Saturday’s Class 1-A state final.

Mary Faye Maness Leonard

December 11, 1936 — March 11, 2023

Mary Faye Maness Leonard, age 86 of Asheboro, passed away on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at her daughter's home.

Mary Faye was born in Randolph County on December 11, 1936 to Herbert and Ruby Kearns Maness. She was a hardworking, honest person, that had a very giving heart and would always put others first. Mary Faye worked for 51 years with Kaiser-Roth and then also worked at the Bryan Center for 16 years. She loved to garden, go fishing, and take care of her cats. Mary Faye loved her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She also enjoyed watching golf and listening to opera. One of the things she loved most of all was sending birthday cards and calling people to play happy birthday on her harmonica on their special day. In addition to her parents, Mary Faye was preceded in death by her son, Alan Leonard; her twin brother, Ernest Ray Maness; and sisters, Ellen Chriscoe, and Gladys Maness.

Mary Faye is survived by her three daughters, Robin (Garry) Ward of Asheboro, Cathy (Michael) Parrish of Lexington, and Vickie (Gale) Thomas of Asheboro; 6 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren; 4 great great grandchildren; brother, Donnie Maness of Seagrove; sister, Laura (Rick) Asbill of Asheboro; and several nieces and nephews.

Mary Elizabeth Byrd

June 3, 1932 — March 10, 2023

Mary Elizabeth “Beth” Byrd, 90, passed away on Friday, March 10, 2023, at her home.

Beth was born on June 3, 1932 to Colon O. and Mabel Morgan Byrd. She earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Food and Nutrition from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and taught young Egyptian women food and nutrition for 2 years in Cairo, Egypt. Upon her return home, Beth earned a master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Tennessee. She worked as a librarian at High Point Central High School until her retirement.

Beth had a passion for lifelong learning, and was known as a sweet, humble lady who always wore a smile. She enjoyed working in her garden, canning vegetables, watching PBS culinary programs, and reading her Bible.

Beth was a third Mother to her two nieces, who played with her and grew up next door. As the next generation of children was born to the nieces, they too became playmates and friends of Beth. She was a valuable resource in areas of cooking, genealogy, and family history to many of her extended family Beth had a big heart and love for the earth and its care, and preserving its resources. There is now great comfort knowing she is with her Heavenly Father who provides life after death.

Beth is survived by her sister, Brent B. Hanner (James) of Randleman, sister Miriam B. Campbell of Greensboro, and sister-in-law Joan H. Byrd of Savannah, GA. In addition, she is survived by her two loving nieces: Ellen H. Robbins (Steve) of Sophia, and Nancy “Nan” H. Medlin (John) of Raleigh. She is also survived by several greatnieces, a great-nephew, and cousins and friends.

Ms. Byrd was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Jack M. Byrd, and her brother-inlaw, B. Jerry Campbell.

Vickie Lynn Pizzola

Sullivan

June 23, 1955 — March 7, 2023

Vickie Lynn Sullivan, age 67 of Rupert, West Virginia, passed away on March 7, 2023 at 9:36

AM in Asheboro, NC.

Vickie was born to Audrey Carr Zapp and Fred Pizzola. She went to Greenbrier East High School and graduated with the Class of 1973. She worked as a nurse on the surgical floor at Greenbrier Valley Hospital for 27 years. Vickie is preceded in death by her husband, Peter Kevin Sullivan; brother’s, Danny Pizzola, Brian Pizzola; and her sister, Mary Pizzola.

Vickie is survived by her sons, Rickie Griffin Morgan, Eric Howard Morgan; six grandchildren; and her brother’s, Anthony Pizzola, Doug Pizzola, Robert Pizzola, and Mike Pizzola.

Carolyn Sue Jarrett

March 4, 1947 — March 10, 2023

Carolyn Sue Jarrett, 76, transitioned from this life on March 10, 2023 at Morning View at Irving Park in Greensboro, NC.

Sue was born on March 4, 1947, to Colon and Mamie Brown Presnell. She lived in Randolph County, where she was a member of The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. Sue was a great cook and she enjoyed gardening. She is survived by her loving brother, Charles McDonald “Don” Presnell (Glenn Lowry) of Asheboro, and her beloved nephew, Sochi. Sue is preceded in death by her parents.

Lora Starr Hill

May 21, 1967 — March 9, 2023

Lora Denise Starr Hill, age 55, of Asheboro passed away on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at Randolph Health.

Mrs. Hill was born in Matewan, WV on May 21, 1967 to Carl Lee Starr, Sr. and Ida Sue Starr. She was a 1985 graduate of Matewan High School in Matewan, WV and received her Master's in Education Degree from Marshall University. Lora was employed with Randolph County Schools for 21 years and most recently was employed at Uwharrie Ridge 6-12 School. Lora loved her church, West Bend United Methodist Church and was a past Worthy Matron with the Order of the Eastern Star, Randolph Chapter 210. Lora was a loving, caring lady who was passionate about her children and loved her husband. She was a dance mom, never met a stranger, and was a friend to everyone. She enjoyed reading, loved her time at home with her family, and loved all of her students.

The family would like to express a special thank you to the staff of Randolph Health, including the Emergency and Surgical departments and the ICU staff. We would also like to thank Dr. Lewis and the staff of the Randolph Cancer Center for their caring and compassionate care during Lora's cancer battle over the past 5 years.

She is survived by her husband, Derrick Hill; children, Clay Hill and Reagan Hill both of Asheboro; parents, Carl Lee Starr, Sr. and Ida Starr of Matewan, WV; brothers, Carl Lee Starr, Jr. (Sally) of Matewan, WV and David Starr (Abby) of Jackson Center, OH; father-inlaw and mother-in-law, Harold and Debra Hill of Asheboro; sister-in-law, Amanda Jones (Rodney) of Asheboro; and 5 nieces and 11 nephews, whom she loved very much.

Philip Milton Henley

November 26, 1941 — March 7, 2023

Philip Milton Henley, age 81, of Asheboro passed away on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at Randolph Hospice House.

Mr. Henley was born in Randolph County on November 26, 1941 to Milton and Frances Ledwell Henley. Philip was formerly employed as a surveyor and retired from the City of Asheboro as a construction coordinator. In addition to his parents, Philip was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Henley, grandson, Justin Hodgin, brother, Stephen Henley, sisters, Judy Surratt and Brenda Davidson, and aunt, Ruth Ferree. Philip enjoyed wood carving and traveling to the mountains.

He is survived by his son, Philip Erik Henley (Karen) of Asheboro; daughters, Holly Elizabeth Preslar (Chris) of Seagrove and Dawn Renee Hodgin (Ray) of Franklinville; grandchildren, Josh Hodgin (Beth), Christian Preslar, Megan Hodgin, Jordan Preslar (Kendra), Arden Preslar, Lucas Henley, and Jonah Henley; great grandchildren, Zack, E.J., Connor, Alice, and Zoey; and sister, Martha Conley of Chicago, IL.

Charles Manning Johnson Jr.

January 11, 1961 — March 7, 2023

Charles Manning Johnson Jr., age 62, of Biscoe, passed away on March 7, 2023 at his home. Charles was born on January 11, 1961 in Montgomery County to Charles and Louise Davis Johnson Sr. Charles was a 1979 graduate of East Montgomery High School and a graduate of Sandhills Community College. He was the owner of Star Mart, Uwharrie Fuels, and Deft Amusements. He was the former president of the NC Coin Operators Association, and the former Precinct and County chairman of the Democratic Party. Charles was a member and former elder of Troy Presbyterian Church and he was a former member of the Biscoe Fire Department.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Johnson Sr. and Louise Davis Johnson. He is survived by his wife, Kellee Johnson of the home; daughter, Meagan Johnson (Davis Morton) of Raleigh; son, Charles Johnson III (Natalie) of Raleigh; sister, Ellen Crisco (Mike) of Biscoe; brother, James Johnson (Waynette) of Asheboro; niece, Katie, nephews, Nathan and Wyatt; niece, Micah Crisco Jaimes and her husband Ranferi and Lincoln and Maverick Jaimes; niece, Madison Crisco; Cameron Crisco and Crew.

Mildred Louise Gaines Hart

September 25, 1933 — March 9, 2023

Mildred Hart, 89, of Siler City, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

Mildred was born September 25, 1933, to parents Charlie and Thelma Gaines.

She married her sweetheart, Clyde “Buck” Hart on November 1, 1952. They went on to have two children; Cindy and Neal.

Randall Paul Brower

October 19, 1931 — March 11, 2023

Randall Paul Brower, 91, of Siler City, died Saturday, March 11, 2023.

Randall was born in Randolph County on October 19, 1931, the son of Roscoe and Maude Burgess Brower. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers, Archie, Edward, Woosley, Lynwood, Clyde and George; sister Edith Gallamore; and infant son.

Mr. Brower was an Army veteran of the Korean conflict. He loved spending time with his family. Randall is survived by his wife of 67 years, Eva Hicks Brower; his daughter, Karen Cockman and husband Carlos; grandchildren, Christian Causey and husband Josh and Jessica Cockman and Cade McIntyre; and nephews, Thomas Brower and wife Diane, Banks Brower and wife, Brenda, Joel Brower and wife Susan.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Parks Crossroads Christian Church Cemetery fund.

Brian Keith Barnett, Sr.

October 3, 1965 — March 8, 2023

Brian Keith Barnett, Sr., 57, of Snow Camp, passed away on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at his home.

Mildred was a member of Gaines Grove Primitive Baptist Church, loved attending local church services with her sisters.

Her grandchildren and great grandchildren were the light of her life. She always took care of them, had a freezer full of Schwan’s ice cream for weekend sleepovers, and loved cheering on the sidelines of their soccer games and dance recitals. She loved them all dearly, but everyone knew that Christy was her baby.

She is survived by her daughter, Cindy Dixon (Danny); son, Neal Hart (Shelia Joyner); grandchildren, Christy Sloan (Bobby), Stephanie Tilton (Jared), Jasmine Lauer (Terry) and Sammy Hart; greatgrandchildren, Ambur Phillips, AJ Phillips, Brayden Tilton, Cora Tilton, and Hartlee Lauer; greatgreat grandson, Tanner Phillips; sisters, Blanche Birchett and Virginia Birchett; sister-in-law Carolyn Gaines.

Mildred is preceded in death by her husband, Clyde “Buck” Hart; father, Charlie Gaines; mother, Thelma Gaines; stepfather, Addison Stutts; sisters, Mary Stutts, Erma Truelove, and Alice Frazier; and brothers, Ralph Gaines and Cullum Stutts.

Mr. Barnett was born in Beckley, West Virginia on October 3, 1965, the son of Adron Keith Barnett, Sr. and Norma Simms Barnett.

Brian was employed as an Auto Mechanic for Silk Hope Transmission. He enjoyed riding Harley Davidson motorcycles, and working on cars. He was very proud of his wife, children and grandchildren. He was always somewhere fishing, he caught the biggest fish. He is preceded in death by his mother, Norma Simms Barnett, and maternal and paternal grandparents.

He is survived by his wife, Rita Vandall Barnett of Snow Camp; son, Brian Keith Barnett, II of Siler City; daughter, Monique Barnett Green and husband Bryant of Siler City; father, Adron Keith Barnett, Sr. and wife Tamara of Danese, WV; sisters, Cheryl Barnett and Leanna Hamrick and husband Scott all of Danese, WV; brother, Adron Keith Barnett, Jr and wife Jasmine of Danese WV; 7 grandchildren, Kenzie, Kyndall, Huxley, and Briana Barnett, Cassidy, Carter, and Colton Green; special friend, Richard Pickett, and his dog, Bentley.

Friends are welcome to visit at the home. In lieu of flowers donations to his wife are welcomed.

STATE & NATION

Defense budget speeds toward $1 trillion, with China in mind

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pentagon intends to load up on advanced missiles, space defense and modern jets in its largest defense request in decades in order to meet the threat it perceives from China. The spending path would put military’s annual budget over the $1 trillion threshold in just a matter of years, its chief financial officer said Monday.

The administration is asking Congress for $842 billion for the Pentagon in the 2024 budget year. It’s the largest request since the peak of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the mid-2000s, when the weight of hundreds of thousands of troops deployed in those overseas conflicts ballooned overseas war spending.

Now, the budget could surge again. That’s in part to meet the higher cost of weapons and parts, but also to answer the vulnerabilities that the Ukraine war has exposed in the U.S. defense industrial base, and the strategic threat the U.S. sees from China’s rapidly growing nuclear arsenal, its hypersonic capabilities and its gains in space. Even if it only grows to account for inflation, “the budget will hit a trillion dollars,” probably before the next five years, Pentagon comptroller Michael McCord told a press briefing. “Maybe that’s going to be a psychological, big watershed moment for many of us, or some of us, but it is inevitable.”

While the number seems astronomically high, it is only about 3% of the country’s gross domestic product. For comparison, during World War II the country was spending about one-third of its

GDP on defense, McCord said. The budget request is part of an overall $6.8 trillion spending proposal rolled out by Biden last week, which Republicans say they’ll reject. But it’s not clear how they’ll act on the Pentagon proposal.

Some Republicans want to go beyond the military spending request. But some have also demanded sharp reductions in federal spending — something that would be difficult to accomplish without touching the defense budget.

While personnel and operations costs remain the largest por-

tions of the annual defense budget, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks called this years’ request “a procurement budget” with the Pentagon increasing buys across the board of modern weapon systems.

One of the largest new priorities is getting the U.S. defense industrial base to speed production of munitions. Ukraine’s rate of use of 155 Howitzer rounds and other precision munitions has shown the U.S. defense industrial base “is not where it needs to be,” McCord said.

It’s been a lesson learned over

the last year, particularly as the U.S. assesses how best it can prevent a similar fight over Taiwan, which could pit it against China.

The goal of the budget is to ensure China “wakes up every day, considers the risks of aggression, and concludes, ‘today is not the day,’” Hicks said.

The administration, for example, is asking Congress for $30 billion to produce more missiles. But they are “not the kind of missiles that are key to the Ukraine fight,” McCord said. “These are key to Indo-Pacific deterrence,” a goal also involving advanced air-to-air mis-

Tougher riot punishments approved by legislature a 2nd time

The Associated Press RALEIGH — The North Carolina legislature gave final approval last week to more severe punishments for rioters for the second time in three years — a response to 2020 demonstrations about racial injustice that while largely peaceful at times turned violent.

The measure now moves to the desk of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who in 2021 successfully blocked a similar bill approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly by using his veto stamp.

But Republicans made enough seat gains in November so they now potentially only need one House Democrat to join them to override a Cooper veto if the GOP majorities remain united. The measure received voting support in the House last month from six Democrats, including a chief sponsor of the bill.

Legislative action was completed Thursday in the Senate, where Republicans already hold a veto-proof majority, on a vote of 2716.

House Speaker Tim Moore has championed the measure this year and in 2021, saying current laws didn’t deter rioting and looting in downtown Raleigh in June 2020, amid otherwise peaceful protests following the murder of North Carolina native George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

The bill “protects First Amend-

ment rights of those who want to protest safely — who want to be able to express their opinions — while keeping them safe and while also keeping law enforcement safe, property owners safe and others safe,” Sen. Danny Britt, a Robeson County Republican, said on the Senate floor Thursday. He said the bill targets “violent actors” who are separate from demonstrators and causing mayhem.

Social justice and civil rights advocates have pushed back on

the measures at every turn, saying they target Black Lives Matter demonstrators and marginalized groups by trying to frighten them from taking to the streets peacefully with the threat of imprisonment. Others say the incitement language is too broad and that laws already are on the books to address rioting. The bill “doubles down on the punitive system that created the scars of mass incarceration that we’re still dealing with today,” said

Sen. Natalie Murdock, a Durham County Democrat, adding that it will “only serve to stifle free speech, criminalize protest and erode our First Amendment freedoms.”

Cooper spokesperson Jordan Monaghan said late Thursday that the governor “has worked to increase public safety and protect constitutional rights and he will review this legislation.”

In his message vetoing the 2021 bill, Cooper said legislation was “unnecessary and is intended to intimidate and deter people from exercising their constitutional rights to peacefully protest.”

In a written statement, Moore urged Cooper to “sign this commonsense bill into law without delay.”

The new bill would increase punishments already in place for crimes of willfully participating in a riot or inciting one to cover more severe circumstances — possibly resulting in sentences that last a couple more years or longer. They would include if a rioter brandishes a weapon or causes serious bodily injury.

New crimes would be created for a rioter who causes a death or someone who incites rioting that contributes to a death. And assaults on emergency personnel also would result in higher felony penalties.

The bill would let property owners whose businesses are damaged during protests seek compensation against a perpetrator equal to

siles, anti-ship missiles and longrange standoff missiles.

The Pentagon is also seeking rapid modernization of its air, space and nuclear weapons. The request includes almost $38 billion to buy new nuclear submarines, field the new B-21 stealth bomber and manufacture new ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The request would also fund research and testing for a new type of warplane, called Next Generation Air Dominance, which will have a piloted modern fighter jet, such as the F-35, commanding unmanned drones that accompany it on missions. The Air Force won’t say much about the drones, which they are calling “collaborative combat aircraft” – except that they are planning to field 1,000 of them.

The request includes the “largest space budget ever,” McCord said, as space has proven to be vital in the war in Ukraine and a critical front in any future confrontation. The Pentagon is seeking $33 billion to make its satellite communications more resilient to jamming or attack and rapidly field a new constellation of missile warning systems to assist in the detection, tracking and defense against a new generation of Chinese and Russian hypersonic missiles.

Even the Chinese spy balloon episode had an impact, even though the budget request was largely completed before the balloon was detected, drifted across the country and was shot down. The Pentagon is seeking about $90 million to add capabilities to better detect similar objects in the atmosphere in the future.

three times the monetary damage. Bill supporters say this helps small businesses whose property insurance doesn’t always cover public disturbances.

And defendants accused of rioting or looting could have to wait for 24 hours before their bond and pretrial release rules are set, which bill supporters say can lead to a cooling-off period for the accused.

Moore has said the laws would apply to any protesters who are violent, mentioning those like the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

Among the Democratic amendments blocked from Senate debate Thursday through GOP parliamentary maneuvering was one that in part would have raised criminal penalties for rebellion and insurrection and removed public officials permanently from their position if convicted.

Nine states have passed similar protest laws since June 2020, according to the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law. North Carolina is among several states currently considering new penalties. Separately, the General Assembly passed a bipartisan police reform law in 2021 that addressed law enforcement shortcomings highlighted after Floyd’s death.

One bill opponent, Kerwin Pittman with Emancipate NC, told a Senate committee that Senate Democrats who backed the measure would be made politically accountable for doing so. First-term Sen. Mary Wills Bode, a Wake County Democrat, joined all Republicans present in voting for the bill.

AP PHOTO

China’s national flag is displayed next to the Pentagon logo at the Pentagon in this file photo.

AP PHOTO, FILE

Republican North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore presents his bill increasing punishments for violent protests before the House Judiciary committee at the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh, on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

COUNTY NEWS

Bobby Wright to finish

late Commissioner Baldwin’s term in office

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners met this past Wednesday, March 9, where they unanimously voted to appoint Robert (Bobby) A. Wright to finish out the remainder of the late Commissioner Lonnie Baldwin’s term in office. Wright, who previously served as a commissioner for 20 years before his defeat in the Democratic primary in 2020, will hold this position until 2024. In addition to his prior service on the Board of Commissioners, Wright also served for 10 years on the school board. He is set to be sworn into office at the commission’s next meeting on Monday, March 20, which will be held at the Pratt Building on Main Street in Raeford.

Hoke Sheriff seeking help identifying suspect in Family Dollar robbery

The Hoke County Sheriff’s Office is currently seeking help from the public with identifying a suspected connected to a break-in at the Family Dollar in Raeford.

According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, the suspect broke into the store located at 4522 Fayetteville Road at roughly 2 am on Sunday morning. Based on security footage, it appears that the suspect primarily stole tobacco products. If anyone has any additional information regarding this incident, please contact Detective Spence at (910) 479-3835 or leave an anonymous tip at (910) 878-1100.

HOKE COUNTY

COURTESY PHOTO

Hoke County GOP hosts annual convention

North State Journal

THE HOKE COUNTY Republican Party held its Annual Convention this past Saturday at the John C. Ropp Hall at Raeford Presbyterian Church in downtown Raeford. The keynote speaker for the convention was Addul Ali, the Chairman of the Cabarrus County Republican Party, Political Director for the Frederick Douglass Foundation of N.C., and Chairman of N.C. Black Conservative Voices.

Approximately 50 people attended the event. Local Republicans adopted a County Plan of Organization and a new Executive Board to include Chairman Chris Holland, Vice Chairwoman Solymar Castellon, Secretary Yohan Namkung, and Treasurer Chad McMillen. The party elected five new at-large members to serve on

the executive board: Ruben Castellon, Stephanie Carter, Tony Santangelo, Johnny Boyles, and David Frump.

Other guest speakers were North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley, candidate for N.C. Lt. Governor Hal Weatherman, candidates for N.C. Auditor Anthony Street and Charles Dingee, Hoke and Moore County District Attorney Mike Hardin, Chief District Court Judge 19D Hoke and Moore counties Skipper Creed, District Court Judge Steve Bibey, and Hoke County School Board member Ruben Castellon. Attendees enjoyed chopped pork bar-b-que and BBQ chicken provided by The Flaming Pig, Vick Wilkins, out of Red Springs. His BBQ has won many awards across North and South Carolina,

On April 8, the party sponsors a Bulk Chicken Sale through the House of Raeford to support the Backpack Buddies program from Rockfish Chamber of Commerce.

and his Flaming Pig sauce puts a whole new spin on pork and chicken BBQ sauce. Photos and videos from the event can be found on the Hoke County GOP Facebook page, website at www.hokegop.com, and our blog at www.savehoke.net

The Hoke County Republican Party holds monthly meetings at PK’s Grill Raeford Airport on the

third Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm. Each quarter the party cleans up their adopted stretch of highway 401 by N. Parker Church Rd and Joyce Lane.

On April 8, the party sponsors a Bulk Chicken Sale through the House of Raeford to support the Backpack Buddies program from Rockfish Chamber of Commerce at 4:00 pm. The Backpack Buddies program helps feed Hoke County school-age children on the weekends when they are out of school. The pickup location for the chicken sale will be at the Rockfish U-Haul, 2950 Lindsay Rd in Hoke County. Orders must be made online by April 5, and Trail Life Troop Rockfish Church will assist in the sale. To become more involved in making Hoke County a better place to live, you can email the party at hokegop@gmail.com.

Hoke restaurants score high in restaurant ratings

North State Journal

RAEFORD — All nine of the restaurants inspected by the Hoke County Health Department in the past 30 days scored above 90% in sanitation grades.

In ratings from mid-February through March 14, the restaurants received mostly minor infractions.

China Wok, located at 4526 Fayetteville Road Hoke Shopping Center in Raeford, scored a 92, the lowest of the nine restaurants. Among their infractions was an employee observed rinsing hands in dishwater after handling raw chicken and refrigerated foods stored above 41 degrees.

The restaurant, in previous inspections, scored at 95 and 96.

Edinborough Restaurant at 224 S. Main Street in Raeford received a 93, with infractions for storing chemicals and foods together and

exceeding dates marked for food. Another violation included potato salad and pasta salad cooling in large, thick portions in prep unit. State regulations require food to be cooled in steps in smaller, thinner portions.

Pizza Joy at 2950 Lindsay Rd. in Raeford scored a 95.5 rating with infractions for a refrigerator unit not holding at 41 degrees prompting the restaurant’s person in charge to move ingredients to a freezer.

Pupuseria Y Taqueria La Libertad at 5609 Fayetteville Rd. in Raeford received a 96 with an infraction for several items either not marked with a date or exceeding the 7-day maximum.

Virgil’s Drive-In at 2402 Fayetteville Rd. in Raeford scored a 98 rating with a minor utensil storage infraction. In comments, the health department inspector

All nine of the restaurants inspected by the Hoke County Health Department in the past 30 days scored above 90% in sanitation grades.

complimented the establishment’s cooling in drop wells on former salad bars, calling it “great vision and work.”

Finally, S & A Subway at 4528 Fayetteville Rd. in Raeford and Taco Bell at 220 Laurinburg Rd. in Raeford scored ratings of 99.5 and 100. Hospital cafeterias at Cape Fear Valley and First Health Regional scored 97.5 and 10, respectively.

$1.00

Members of the new Hoke County GOP Executive Board stand with convention keynote speaker Addul Ali last Saturday night at Raeford Presbyterian Church, John C. Ropp Hall. Front Row (left to right): Solymar Castellon, Addul Ali, and Erica Goodpaster. Back Row: Jeremiah Goodpaster, Johnny Boyles, Ruben Castellon, David Frump, Stephanie Carter, Yohan Namkung, and Chris Holland.

less than what was projected in our initial budget allotment.”

The difference accounts for about $804,520.52 in funding that will return to the state’s budget. Ac cording to Chavis, some of the dif ferences in actual enrollment num bers can be attributed to an uptick

in enrollment in charter schools.

Finally, the board approved a new partnership and contract with Global Teaching Partners for the acquisition of international teachers.

“This is a new organization that will be an international partnership that will sponsor our J-1 Visa teachers and international faculty, which was previously referred to as our visiting international faculty or VIF,” said Assistant Superintendent

According to O’Connor, Hoke County Schools currently has established partnerships with Participate (8 teachers in the district) and Education Partners Internationals (22 teachers), which are officially recognized cultural exchange programs by the US Department of

State and provide J-1 Visas, meaning these teachers go through federal screening. These visas cover three years and can be extended for an additional two.

North Carolina and South Carolina.

NCDOT urges safety and precaution near railroad tracks

Some of the other services these partners cover are teaching experience reviews, educational program audits, instructional and behavioral interviews and observations, english language proficiency assessments, cultural adaptiveness assessments, state licensure reviews, international background checks, and specifically Global Teaching Partners helps provide specific NC teacher training.

Global Teaching Partners, however, is located in the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, and they do all of their business only in

are reminding people to stay off railroad property because it is illegal and dangerous. “Railroad property and tracks are for trains and are not for walking, jogging, or any form of trespassing,” said Jason Orthner, director of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division. “This time of the year, students are also taking senior and program pictures. We strongly urge photographers not to trespass on railroad property.” The NCDOT’s Rail Division also urges people to follow these tips: pedestrians should only cross the railroad at safe and legal crossings, never walk or jog on or along railroad tracks, never stop your vehicle on railroad tracks at

“We’re not just filling vacancies with these individuals,” O’Connor said. “The people that we have gotten, their attrition rate, which means they come back every year and don’t quit their job, is so much lower than all of our other teachers. They typically stay their five years, and a lot of them are very effective teachers. These are quality individuals who want to be here to teach our kids, and with the J-1 Visa, Hoke County Schools currently has 30 international employees from eight different countries

The Hoke County Board of Edu-

a crossing, and in the case of an emergency at a railroad crossing, please call the number on the blue sign at the crossing to ensure the fastest response from railroad officials. For additional information about railroad safety and the division’s BeRailSafe program, please visit www.berailsafe.org.

Working for you

House Republicans have delivered results for you and families across the country.

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

“HOW DOES THIS IMPACT YOU?”

That’s the question I ask myself before considering every bill I introduce, cosponsor, or vote on as your Congressman. With our new Republican majority in place, we have hit the ground running this year—and we will not slow down. From stopping soft-on-crime policies, defending the Second Amendment with my Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, protecting our strategic oil reserves, standing up to socialism and the Chinese Communist Party’s use of a spy balloon over U.S. territory, and voting to end COVID-19 vaccine mandates—House Republicans have delivered results for you and families across the country.

Following a productive work week, I returned to Washington last week, where we built on this work with more than a dozen hearings to hold the Biden administration accountable on issues including the origins of COVID-19 and the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Last week we also advanced my HALT Fentanyl Act, one important stop to keep fentanyl out of our communities and away from our children. The fentanyl crisis has only gotten worse due to the open border policies of the Biden administration, as thousands of pounds of fentanyl continue to pour into our country every month. No parent should have to endure the loss of their child to fentanyl poisoning or overdose, and I’m proud to support North Carolinians who turn loss into advocacy, such as Matthew’s Choice out of Sanford.

My bill now advances to the full Energy and Commerce committee before heading to the House floor. With a record amount of drug overdose deaths and fentanyl poisonings occurring right here in North Carolina, putting an end to the lethal amounts of drugs and fentanyl present in our

communities is a priority.

I was also honored to introduce bipartisan legislation to secure a statue of the late Reverend Billy Graham to represent our state. I will continue to work with my colleagues to place this once-in-a-generation faith leader in the U.S. Capitol.

Last week, I also continued my work to improve our nation’s pandemic preparedness and response. During the last pandemic, our nation learned there are many things we can improve in our preparedness for Public Health Emergencies. Congress has to reauthorize the law that governs our response this fall. As the lead Republican on this effort, I released a Request for Information from stakeholders and citizens across the country on how the U.S. can be better prepared when taking on future emergencies. I look forward to reviewing the information submitted and leading bipartisan discussions of how we can improve our nation’s response efforts.

To close out the month of February, I introduced a resolution supporting the designation of February 28 as “Rare Disease Day.” I have long worked to improve access to treatments and therapies for Americans who are affected by rare diseases.

Working with my colleagues to advance common sense solutions is part of my commitment to you as your Congressman. I will never stop fighting for you, our community, and our nation.

Richard Hudson is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House and represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. He currently serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

What we weren’t shown about Jan. 6

JAN. 6 WAS, ACCORDING TO WHITE HOUSE Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, “the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer explained that the riot of Jan. 6 was a “violent insurrection.” And in order to preserve democracy, Schumer stated, Fox News should take Tucker Carlson off the air.

It is clear that Jan. 6 was a riot and not a “danger to our democracy.”

What, pray tell, did Carlson do that merited the Senate Majority Leader calling for his silencing? After House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., granted him access to some 41,000 hours of as-yet-unreleased footage from Jan. 6, he aired a special in which he disclosed two particularly pertinent pieces of tape: first, tape showing Capitol Police apparently walking alongside the QAnon Shaman, Jacob Chansley, through the hallways; second, tape showing Officer Brian Sicknick gesturing animatedly to fellow officers after he had already been attacked by the crowd outside.

Carlson seemed to downplay the violence of the day based on the tape. He said, “A small percentage of them were hooligans. But the overwhelming majority weren’t. They were peaceful. They were orderly and meek. These were not insurrectionists — they were sightseers.”

Now, to be certain, a riot took place on Jan. 6. In that riot, dozens of officers were injured; some 1,000 people were arrested. But Carlson isn’t wrong that tape appears to show some of the people in the Capitol wandering around aimlessly, not violently, or that the media’s original portrayal of Sicknick’s death — it was widely reported that he had been directly murdered by the crowd — was incorrect.

Argue with Carlson’s framing all you want; I have significant disagreements with it. But it is clear that Jan. 6, as ugly as it was, was a riot and not a “danger to

our democracy”; that many of those in the Capitol were in fact gawking rather than rioting; and that the Jan. 6 committee went out of its way to present certain footage but avoid other footage. A decision was made by the Jan. 6 committee and the media to avoid the possibility of any nuance whatsoever regarding the riots. Instead, the only acceptable narrative determined that a riot was an insurrection, that insurrection threatened the overthrow of the United States, and that the insurrection continues to percolate throughout conservative circles. Any mitigating evidence to that overblown narrative was discarded.

Supposedly, the best way to ensure that narrative was to ensure silence. But Schumer’s call to silence Carlson is precisely the reason Carlson’s report went viral in the first place. The media-Democratic complex keeps exaggerating narratives, eliding any countervailing information, and then seeking to censor those who present such information; they keep burying evidentiary landmines hoping they won’t be triggered. Then the landmines bow up, and they’re shocked at the explosion.

We couldn’t be given the footage, according to our media and political elites, lest we draw the wrong conclusions. Herein lies the problem: the best way to avoid the American people drawing the wrong conclusions is to present them with the full evidence, and then let them draw their own conclusions. And that’s precisely what the elites in our media and the Democratic Party won’t allow.

Ben Shapiro, 38, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent.

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

SIDELINE REPORT

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Temple ousts McKie

after 4 seasons

Philadelphia Temple coach Aaron McKie is out after four years and no NCAA Tournament appearances and will become a special adviser to the athletic department, the school announced Monday. McKie, who starred at Temple under Hall of Fame coach

John Chaney and played for the Philadelphia 76ers in a long NBA career, went 5256 in four seasons, including 16-16 in 2022-23. The Owls finished fifth in the American Athletic Conference this season with a 10-8 record and were the only AAC team to defeat No. 1 Houston in the regular season, a 56-55 road win on Jan. 22.

BASEBALL

Trevor Bauer signs in Japan

Tokyo Trevor Bauer has agreed to a contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan’s Central League. The 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Jan. 12, three weeks after an arbitrator reduced his suspension imposed by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred from 324 to 194 games. The penalty followed an investigation into domestic violence, which the pitcher has denied. Bauer is owed about $22.5 million from the remainder of his $102 million, three-year contract with the Dodgers. The suspension has cost him roughly $37.6 million in salary.

NFL NFL eyes roughing-thepasser penalties New

York

The NFL’s competition committee will consider making roughing-the-passer penalties and personal-foul penalties subject to video review. The two potential rule changes were among nine the league announced Monday in its 2023 playing rules, bylaw and resolution proposals submitted by clubs. The Los Angeles Rams proposed the change that would allow teams to challenge roughingthe-passer calls. The Detroit Lions proposed the giving teams an opportunity to challenge personal foul calls. The competition committee will consider the rule changes later this month when NFL owners gather in Arizona for their annual meeting.

Byron wins 2nd straight Cup race, beats Larson at Phoenix

All four Hendrick Motorsports cars finished in the top 10

The Associated Press AVONDALE, Ariz. — William Byron took advantage of a late restart to earn a Cup Series victory, just like last weekend.

Kyle Larson was the victim of Byron’s late restart prowess, just like last weekend.

It was a strange bit of déjà vu at Phoenix Raceway, as Byron won his second straight Cup race by beating out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate in overtime on Sunday.

“I don’t love winning races that way, it’s very stressful,” Byron said, grinning. “A lot of tactics going on with the restarts.”

Late restarts may add to Byron’s stress, but they’re also adding to his win total.

His No. 24 Chevrolet got a great start in overtime with two laps left, and just like he did a week earlier at Las Vegas, he overtook Larson for the win. He also had to hold off Ryan Blaney, who finished second in his Penske Ford, while

Tyler Reddick was third in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing.

Byron’s victory also denied Kevin Harvick his 10th win at Phoenix. Harvick’s Stewart-Haas No. 4 Ford passed Larson for the lead with 44 laps remaining, taking advantage of the long run under green-flag conditions that favored his car all afternoon.

AP PHOTO

But a yellow flag with 10 laps remaining dashed Harvick’s hopes.

Several drivers changed just two tires on the ensuing pit stop, but Harvick took four, falling back to seventh place for the restart with three laps left. He finished fifth.

Another caution immediately after the restart sent the race to

overtime.

Larson — whose No. 5 Chevrolet was the fastest during Friday’s practice and also during Saturday’s qualifying — was fading after Harvick’s pass, but the late yellow flags gave him a chance until Byron snatched away the victory.

Larson finished fourth, capping a frustrating finish.

“Restarts are just tough,” Larson said. “I felt like I ran William up pretty high and was expecting him to lose some grip. But he did a really good job of holding and cleared me down the backstretch.”

All four Hendrick cars were inside the top 10. Alex Bowman was ninth while Josh Berry — filling in for the injured Chase Elliott — was 10th.

Harvick was attempting to become the sixth driver in Cup history to win 10 times at one track, an exclusive club that includes Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and David Pearson. The 47-yearold has said this will be his final season.

Byron and Larson had the fastest cars for most of the race. It continued a dominant stretch by the two Hendrick drivers, who were 1-2 for much of the Las Vegas race.

Byron won the first stage, leading 59 of the first 60 laps. Larson won the second stage. With its three-race West Coast swing over, the Cup Series moves to Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend.

Ole Miss hires former Texas coach Chris Beard

The coach was fired by the Longhorns following a domestic violence arrest in December

The Associated Press OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi has hired Chris Beard as its basketball coach just over two months after his firing from Texas following a domestic violence arrest.

The Rebels announced Beard’s hiring on Monday and introduced him Tuesday in a public event at the SBJ Pavilion. Beard is a fourtime conference coach of the year and was AP’s national coach of the year in 2019.

But his two-year tenure at alma mater Texas ended abruptly in January, though felony domestic charges were ultimately dismissed on Feb. 15. A prosecutor said his office determined that the charge of assault by strangulation/suffocation-family violence could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Texas suspended Beard after his Dec. 12 arrest and fired him three weeks later when Texas officials told Beard’s attorney he was “unfit” to lead the program. Beard was arrested when his fiancée, Randi Trew, called 911 and told officers that Beard strangled, bit and hit her during a confrontation in his home.

She later said that Beard didn’t choke her and was defending himself, and that she never intended for Beard to be arrested and prosecuted.

Beard replaces Kermit Davis, who was ousted on Feb. 24 after going 74-79 in nearly five full sea-

sons. “We thoroughly evaluated a number of outstanding candidates, and there is no doubt Coach Beard is one of the top coaches in the nation,” said Keith Carter, the school’s vice chancellor for athletics. “After conducting due diligence and speaking to a number of individuals on and off the court, it was evident he is the right person to guide our team to greatness.” Beard has led three different programs to the NCAA Tournament since 2016, including an ap -

pearance in the 2019 championship game and an Elite Eight run the year before at Texas Tech. He is 237-98 as a head coach and 11-5 in the NCAA Tournament.

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university,” said Beard, who was 29-13 at Texas. “I can’t express how grateful I am to Chancellor (Glenn) Boyce, Keith Carter and the rest of the search committee for their belief in me to lead this program. I am really looking forward to being an

active part of the Oxford community.”

Beard spent five seasons at Texas Tech, going 112-55 at a program that had endured five losing seasons in the previous six years. The Red Raiders went to their first Elite Eight in his second season and made it to the national championship game in 2019.

Beard led Little Rock to a 30-5 record and a Sun Belt Conference title in his lone season, making the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

William Byron, left, leads Kyle Larson during his win during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

Mississippi has hired Chris Beard as basketball coach five weeks after his firing from Texas following a domestic violence arrest.

Joe Pepitone, flamboyant Yankees All-Star, dead at 82

The first baseman won two championships in New York

The Associated Press NEW YORK — Joe Pepitone, an All-Star and Gold Glove first baseman on the 1960s New York Yankees who gained renown for his flamboyant personality, hairpieces and penchant for nightlife, has died at age 82.

Pepitone was living with his daughter Cara Pepitone at her house in Kansas City, Missouri, and was found dead Monday morning, according to BJ Pepitone, a son of the former player. The cause of death was not immediately clear, but BJ Pepitone said a heart attack was suspected.

The Yankees said in a statement Pepitone’s “playful and charismatic personality and on-field contributions made him a favorite of generations of Yankees fans even beyond his years with the team in the 1960s.”

Born in Brooklyn, Pepitone went to Manual Training High School, signed with the Yankees in 1958 and made his big league debut in 1962. He helped the Yankees to their second straight World Series title, a team led by Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Elston Howard.

Pepitone drew attention for his off-the-field conduct. In a time when most players were staid and conformist, Pepitone was thought to be the first to bring a hair dryer into the clubhouse, an artifact later given to the Baseball Reliquary and displayed at the Burbank Central Library in California during a 2004 exhibition: “The Times They Were A-Changin’: Baseball in the Age of Aquarius.”

He posed nude for a January 1975 edition of Foxylady magazine.

“Things were a little different back then, sure,” Pepitone told Rolling Stone in 2015. “When I brought the hair dryer into the clubhouse, they thought I was a

hairdresser or something; they didn’t know what the hell was going on, you know? I’d walk in with a black Nehru jacket on, beads, my hair slicked back; it was ridiculous. I think about it now, and I laugh.”

Jim Bouton, in his groundbreaking 1970 book “Ball Four” that revealed the inner working of baseball teams, recounted how “Pepitone took to wearing the hairpieces when his hair started to get thin on top. ... He carries around all kinds of equipment in a little Blue Pan Am bag.”

Pepitone’s 1975 autobiography, “Joe, You Coulda Made Us Proud,” detailed nightlife with Frank Sinatra, smoking marijuana with Mantle and Whitey Ford, and Pepitone’s jailing at Rikers Island.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner brought Pepitone back as a minor league hitting instructor in 1980 and promoted him to the big league team two years later.

Pepitone was jailed at Rikers Island for about four months in

1988 following two misdemeanor drug convictions, then was rehired by the Yankees to work with minor leaguers. He was arrested in 1992 at a Catskills resort for a brawl that started when a man called him a “washed-up nobody” and pleaded guilty in 1995 to driving while intoxicated.

He joined the Yankees at a high point in the team’s history. After winning the 1962 title, New York went on to take American League pennants the following two years

Garoppolo, Raiders agree to 3-year deal

The former 49ers quarterback replaces Derek Carr in Las Vegas

The Associated Press

HENDERSON, Nev. — Jimmy Garoppolo has agreed to a threeyear, $67.5 million contract with the Raiders, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Monday, likely answering the question of who will be Las Vegas’ starting quarterback next season. Garoppolo’s contract includes $34 million in guaranteed money, the person said.

The Raiders have been linked to Garoppolo almost from the moment coach Josh McDaniels benched nine-year starter Derek Carr with two weeks left in the season. Carr, the Raiders’ all-time leader with 35,222 passing yards and 217 touchdown passes, has since signed with the New Orleans Saints.

McDaniels was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator when Garoppolo backed up Tom Brady in New England beginning in 2014. With Brady locked in as the starter, Garoppolo was traded to San Francisco during the 2017 season and immediately became the 49ers’ starter.

He was effective when healthy,

going 38-17 and taking the Niners to the 2019 and 2021 NFC championship games. San Francisco made the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.

But the 31-year-old Garoppolo has had several significant injuries. In 2018, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in San Francisco’s third game, and in 2020 he missed eight games with ankle injuries.

The 49ers had planned to trade Garoppolo before last season and start Trey Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 draft whom San Francisco gave up three first-round picks to acquire. Garoppolo underwent offseason shoulder surgery, killing trade interest in him from other clubs, so the 49ers re-signed

him at a reduced deal.

When Lance was injured two games into the season, Garoppolo again took over as the starter. He was having his best year, throwing 16 touchdown passes and four interceptions in 10 games, before going down with a season-ending foot injury.

Rookie Brock Purdy, the last player selected in last year’s draft, took over and led the Niners to the NFC championship game, where they lost to Philadelphia. Purdy suffered an elbow injury early in that game and had surgery last week, but after he concludes his rehab, the Niners will have two potential starters on the roster in Purdy and Lance.

Garoppolo joins a Raiders team coming off a 6-11 season but with an offense that includes wide receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Ren-

Joe Pepitone, a key figure on the 1960s Yankees who gained reknown for his flamboyant personality, has died at age 82.

only to lose in the Series, and Pepitone became an All-Star in three consecutive years starting in 1963.

He stayed with the Yankees through their decline and was traded to Houston after the 1969 season for Curt Blefary.

Pepitone went on the play for the Chicago Cubs from 1970-73 and finished his career with Atlanta and the Yakult Atoms of Japan’s Central League in 1973. He hit .258 with 219 homers and 721 RBIs.

frow and tight end Darren Waller. Las Vegas also has placed the franchise tag on running back Josh Jacobs, who led the NFL in rushing last season.

The Raiders own the seventh pick in the draft and could draft a quarterback with that selection or one in the later rounds. Expected backup Jarrett Stidham agreed to sign with the AFC West rival Denver Broncos.

They have plenty of salary cap space, especially after restructuring defensive end Maxx Crosby’s contract to free up $7.5 million, according to ESPN. Including Garoppolo’s deal, Las Vegas has $27.4 million in cap space, according to overthecap. com.

The Raiders have plenty of needs to address, particularly on the offensive line and throughout the defense.

Jimmy Garoppolo has agreed to a three-year, $67.5 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Biden OKs major Willow oil drilling in Alaska

The Associated Press WILMINGTON, Del. — The Biden administration said Monday it is approving the huge Willow oil-drilling project on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope, a major climate move by President Joe Biden that drew quick condemnation from environmentalists who said it flies in the face of the Democratic president’s pledges. The announcement came a day after the administration, in a move in the other direction, said it would bar or limit drilling in some other areas of Alaska and the Arctic Ocean.

The Willow approval by the Bureau of Land Management would allow three drill sites, which would include up to 199 total wells. Two other drill sites proposed for the project would be denied. Project developer ConocoPhillips has said it considers the three-site option workable, “the right decision for Alaska and our nation” in the words of company chairman and CEO Ryan Lance.

Houston-based ConocoPhillips will relinquish rights to about 68,000 acres of existing leases in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

The order, one of the most significant of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s tenure, was not signed by her but rather by her deputy,

Tommy Beaudreau, who grew up in Alaska and has a close relationship with state lawmakers. She was notably silent on the project, which she had opposed as a New Mexico congresswoman before becoming Interior secretary two years ago.

Administration officials were concerned that ConocoPhillips’ decades-old leases limited the government’s legal ability to block the project and that courts might have ruled in the company’s favor.

Monday’s announcement is not likely to be the last word, with litigation expected from environ-

mental groups.

The Willow project could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day, create up to 2,500 jobs during construction and 300 long-term jobs, and generate billions of dollars in royalties and tax revenues for the federal, state and local governments, the company said.

The project, located in the federally designated National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, enjoys widespread political support in the state. Alaska Native state lawmakers recently met with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to urge support for Willow.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Monday the decision was “very good news for the country.”

“Not only will this mean jobs and revenue for Alaska, it will be resources that are needed for the country and for our friends and allies,” Murkowski said. “The administration listened to Alaska voices. They listed to the delegation as we pressed the case for energy security and national security.”

Fellow Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan said conditions attached to the project should not reduce Willow’s ability to produce up to 180,000 barrels of crude a day. But he said it was “infuriating” that Biden also moved to prevent or limit oil drilling elsewhere in Alaska.

Christy Goldfuss, a former Obama White House official who now is a policy chief at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said she was “deeply disappointed’’ at Biden’s decision to approve Willow, which NRDC estimates would generate planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 1 million homes.

“This decision is bad for the climate, bad for the environment and bad for the Native Alaska communities who oppose this and feel their voices were not heard,’’ Goldfuss said.

Anticipating that reaction among environmental groups, the

White House announced on Sunday that Biden will prevent or limit oil drilling in 16 million acres in Alaska and the Arctic Ocean. The plan would bar drilling in nearly 3 million acres of the Beaufort Sea — closing it off from oil exploration — and limit drilling in more than 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve. The withdrawal of the offshore area ensures that important habitat for whales, seals, polar bears and other wildlife “will be protected in perpetuity from extractive development,” the White House said in a statement.

The conservation actions announced Sunday complete protections for the entire Beaufort Sea Planning Area, building upon President Barack Obama’s 2016 action on the Chukchi Sea Planning Area and the majority of the Beaufort Sea, the White House said.

Separately, the administration moved to protect more than 13 million acres within the petroleum reserve, a 23-million acre chunk of land on Alaska’s North Slope set aside a century ago for future oil production.

The Willow project is within the reserve, and ConocoPhillips has long held leases for the site. About half the reserve is off limits to oil and gas leasing under an Obama-era rule reinstated by the Biden administration last year.

Youngkin scores some legislative wins as he eyes White House

The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who quickly shot from political newcomer to potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, kicked off his state’s legislative session in January by telling lawmakers that he wanted “to get more done and to get it done faster.”

As the dust settles on his second session working with Virginia’s politically divided General Assembly, the former private equity executive has earned a series of wins, including measures taking a tougher stance against China, that his allies say could help him in a possible White House race.

But many of his legislative priorities, such as a push for more tax cuts, are tied up in budget negotiations. Others, including proposals to restrict abortion access or tighten penalties for criminals, were stymied by Democrats controlling the state Senate.

Youngkin is among the Republican governors eyeing the White House who have hoped to gain political momentum after presiding over productive legislative sessions this year. In Florida, for example, Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to use a session that began last week to advance conservative priorities. But the task has been harder for Youngkin because of Virginia’s divided legislature.

“He got a lot of solid singles up the middle, a couple doubles off the wall. Big home runs? Not yet,” said Chris Saxman, a former Republican member of the House of Delegates who runs a nonpartisan organization focused on the intersection of Virginia business and politics.

Youngkin is still working to advance his priorities at home over the coming weeks — he can propose amendments to bills that will be taken up in April. But he also has made a point to keep a national profile, as seen in his appearance in a prime-time town hall Thursday night on CNN. He has returned to traveling outside the state and has done nothing to shut down chatter about a possible 2024 run, giving indirect answers about his plans while saying his top priority is his current job.

Virginia law prevents him from seeking a second consecutive term as governor. His four-year term began in January 2022.

“That’s where my focus is right now. And I believe there was an enormous amount of work yet to do in Virginia,” Youngkin said at the end of the education-focused town hall.

The Democrats who control the state Senate spent the session priding themselves for being a “brick wall” able to thwart many of the priorities of Youngkin and

House Republicans, including ef-

forts to enact a 15-week abortion ban.

On some issues, however, they found common ground.

The first piece of legislation the governor has promoted with a formal bill-signing is one that aims to make it easier for licensed or experienced workers such as barbers and cosmetologists to move to Virginia and get straight to work.

Youngkin told reporters that the bill, along with a union and business-backed measure stream-

lining now-scattered workforce development programs under one agency, were among the measures he most pleased to see pass.

His administration has won praise from consumer advocates for the role it played in a compromise measure that would restore some oversight to regulators who set the rates and profitability of Dominion Energy, the politically powerful company that runs the state’s biggest monopoly electric utility.

The governor is expected to sign a bill that would adopt a new definition of antisemitism in state code that supporters say will help the Virginia track and combat hate toward the Jewish community. He also celebrated the passage of several bills that aim to address the threat from China, including a measure that would prohibit foreign adversaries from purchasing or otherwise acquiring agricultural land.

Early in the session, Youngkin disclosed that he scuttled an effort by the state to land a large electric vehicle battery plant, an initiative between Ford Motor Co. and a Chinese company that is setting up in Michigan instead. The governor’s administration labeled the project a “front” for the Chinese Communist Party that would raise national security concerns.

Recent polling has shown Youngkin, the first Republican to lead Virginia in over a decade, with relatively strong approval ratings in a state Biden won by 10 percentage points. But Democrats say Youngkin’s policy priorities are out of line with voters and will help them flip the state House and keep the Senate in November, when all 140 legislative seats are on the ballot.

AP PHOTO

This 2019 aerial photo provided by ConocoPhillips shows an exploratory drilling camp at the proposed site of the Willow oil project on Alaska’s North Slope.

AP PHOTO

Virginia Gov Youngkin addresses a joint session of the Virginia legislature in the House chamber in Richmond, Va., Wednesday Jan. 11, 2023.

Francis William Elmore

June 25, 1970 ~ March 11, 2023

Mr. Francis (Frankie) Elmore of Fayetteville, NC went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at his home, surrounded by his family.

Frankie was born in Baltimore Maryland on June 25, 1970, to the late William and Nancy Elmore.

He was preceded in death by his sisters, Kathy and Nancy; and one niece Pacia.

Frankie was a dedicated father, and coach to his two son’s sports teams when they were younger. He loved fishing, playing pool, and spending time with his friends and family. He was an avid coin collector.

He is survived by his two sons, Caleb and his wife Sabrina, and Noah and his wife, Isabella; his lifelong partner, Wanda; two brothers, Bill, and Thomas; and one sister, Elizabeth “Beth”; and a host of nieces, nephews, family, and friends.

Helen Josephine (Goyette) Opdenhoff

April 13, 1931 ~ March 10, 2023

Helen Josephine Goyette Opdenhoff of Raeford, NC went home to be with her Lord and Savior on March 10, 2023, in her home, surrounded by love and her treasured pets. Helen was born in Pontiac, Michigan on April 13, 1931, to the late Dale and Leona Goyette. She is preceded in death by her husband, Gus Edward Opdenhoff, and her daughter, Joey Balmer. She was a member of the Community Methodist Church of Raeford. Helen loved her animals and crocheting. She is survived by her children, David Opdenhoff, Richard Opdenhoff, Roberta Diaz, Kris Hamilton; and many grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren whom she loved with all her heart.

Marion (Joe) Patterson

September 13, 1981 ~ March 8, 2023

Mr. Marion Joe Patterson, of Raeford, passed away on March 08, 2023, in his home, at the age of 41, after a three year battle with cancer. Joe was born in Moore County, NC on September 13, 1981, to the late Marion Weaver Patterson and Francis Parker Patterson.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Joe Parker (Siddie), Chester Wade (Lillian), and Leon Patterson.

He is survived by his sister, Kim Patterson; a very special niece, Kayleigh; grandmother, Lavinia Patterson; uncle, William Patterson (Rachel); Jim Wade, Julie, and Rob Crawford; special aunt, Donna Ritz (Paul); Dinky Wade (Jeff); aunt Carla Joe (Mike); faithful friends, Elizabeth (Greg), Pete and Joe, Dwayne, and Aaron (He took Joe to the coast for an overnight camping trip and spent two weekends with Joe at home with his guitar).

The family would like to give a special thanks to the hospice team, Ben, Karin, Danielle, Donna, and Dr. Garnett Lowry. In lieu of flowers, the family would like all donations to go to the Hospice Foundation of Hoke County Inc. (P.O Box 1584, Raeford, NC 28376)

Gilbert Tillman

April 20, 1951 ~ March 10, 2023

Mr. Gilbert Tillman age, 71 went home to rest with his heavenly father on March 10, 2023.

He leaves to cherish his loving memories his children: Niokie Cunningham, Gilbert Tillman Jr., Gena Steven Oxendine, Terri Tillman Beck, Nicholas Tillman, April Ellis, Michael McNeill; sister, Marlyn McAllister; brothers: Haywood Monroe, Emmanuel McAllister, seventeen grandchildren, three great grandchildren along with a host of other family and friends. Gilbert will be greatly missed.

STATE & NATION

Defense budget speeds toward $1 trillion, with China in mind

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pentagon intends to load up on advanced missiles, space defense and modern jets in its largest defense request in decades in order to meet the threat it perceives from China. The spending path would put military’s annual budget over the $1 trillion threshold in just a matter of years, its chief financial officer said Monday.

The administration is asking Congress for $842 billion for the Pentagon in the 2024 budget year. It’s the largest request since the peak of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the mid-2000s, when the weight of hundreds of thousands of troops deployed in those overseas conflicts ballooned overseas war spending.

Now, the budget could surge again. That’s in part to meet the higher cost of weapons and parts, but also to answer the vulnerabilities that the Ukraine war has exposed in the U.S. defense industrial base, and the strategic threat the U.S. sees from China’s rapidly growing nuclear arsenal, its hypersonic capabilities and its gains in space.

Even if it only grows to account for inflation, “the budget will hit a trillion dollars,” probably before the next five years, Pentagon comptroller Michael McCord told a press briefing. “Maybe that’s going to be a psychological, big watershed moment for many of us, or some of us, but it is inevitable.”

While the number seems astronomically high, it is only about 3% of the country’s gross domestic product. For comparison, during World War II the country was spending about one-third of its

GDP on defense, McCord said.

The budget request is part of an overall $6.8 trillion spending proposal rolled out by Biden last week, which Republicans say they’ll reject. But it’s not clear how they’ll act on the Pentagon proposal.

Some Republicans want to go beyond the military spending request. But some have also demanded sharp reductions in federal spending — something that would be difficult to accomplish without touching the defense budget.

While personnel and operations costs remain the largest por-

tions of the annual defense budget, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks called this years’ request “a procurement budget” with the Pentagon increasing buys across the board of modern weapon systems.

One of the largest new priorities is getting the U.S. defense industrial base to speed production of munitions. Ukraine’s rate of use of 155 Howitzer rounds and other precision munitions has shown the U.S. defense industrial base “is not where it needs to be,” McCord said. It’s been a lesson learned over

the last year, particularly as the U.S. assesses how best it can prevent a similar fight over Taiwan, which could pit it against China.

The goal of the budget is to ensure China “wakes up every day, considers the risks of aggression, and concludes, ‘today is not the day,’” Hicks said.

The administration, for example, is asking Congress for $30 billion to produce more missiles. But they are “not the kind of missiles that are key to the Ukraine fight,” McCord said. “These are key to Indo-Pacific deterrence,” a goal also involving advanced air-to-air mis-

Tougher riot punishments approved by legislature a 2nd time

The Associated Press RALEIGH — The North Carolina legislature gave final approval last week to more severe punishments for rioters for the second time in three years — a response to 2020 demonstrations about racial injustice that while largely peaceful at times turned violent.

The measure now moves to the desk of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who in 2021 successfully blocked a similar bill approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly by using his veto stamp.

But Republicans made enough seat gains in November so they now potentially only need one House Democrat to join them to override a Cooper veto if the GOP majorities remain united. The measure received voting support in the House last month from six Democrats, including a chief sponsor of the bill.

Legislative action was completed Thursday in the Senate, where Republicans already hold a veto-proof majority, on a vote of 2716.

House Speaker Tim Moore has championed the measure this year and in 2021, saying current laws didn’t deter rioting and looting in downtown Raleigh in June 2020, amid otherwise peaceful protests following the murder of North Carolina native George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

The bill “protects First Amend-

ment rights of those who want to protest safely — who want to be able to express their opinions — while keeping them safe and while also keeping law enforcement safe, property owners safe and others safe,” Sen. Danny Britt, a Robeson County Republican, said on the Senate floor Thursday. He said the bill targets “violent actors” who are separate from demonstrators and causing mayhem. Social justice and civil rights advocates have pushed back on

the measures at every turn, saying they target Black Lives Matter demonstrators and marginalized groups by trying to frighten them from taking to the streets peacefully with the threat of imprisonment. Others say the incitement language is too broad and that laws already are on the books to address rioting.

The bill “doubles down on the punitive system that created the scars of mass incarceration that we’re still dealing with today,” said

Sen. Natalie Murdock, a Durham County Democrat, adding that it will “only serve to stifle free speech, criminalize protest and erode our First Amendment freedoms.”

Cooper spokesperson Jordan Monaghan said late Thursday that the governor “has worked to increase public safety and protect constitutional rights and he will review this legislation.”

In his message vetoing the 2021 bill, Cooper said legislation was “unnecessary and is intended to intimidate and deter people from exercising their constitutional rights to peacefully protest.”

In a written statement, Moore urged Cooper to “sign this commonsense bill into law without delay.”

The new bill would increase punishments already in place for crimes of willfully participating in a riot or inciting one to cover more severe circumstances — possibly resulting in sentences that last a couple more years or longer. They would include if a rioter brandishes a weapon or causes serious bodily injury.

New crimes would be created for a rioter who causes a death or someone who incites rioting that contributes to a death. And assaults on emergency personnel also would result in higher felony penalties.

The bill would let property owners whose businesses are damaged during protests seek compensation against a perpetrator equal to

siles, anti-ship missiles and longrange standoff missiles.

The Pentagon is also seeking rapid modernization of its air, space and nuclear weapons. The request includes almost $38 billion to buy new nuclear submarines, field the new B-21 stealth bomber and manufacture new ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The request would also fund research and testing for a new type of warplane, called Next Generation Air Dominance, which will have a piloted modern fighter jet, such as the F-35, commanding unmanned drones that accompany it on missions. The Air Force won’t say much about the drones, which they are calling “collaborative combat aircraft” – except that they are planning to field 1,000 of them.

The request includes the “largest space budget ever,” McCord said, as space has proven to be vital in the war in Ukraine and a critical front in any future confrontation. The Pentagon is seeking $33 billion to make its satellite communications more resilient to jamming or attack and rapidly field a new constellation of missile warning systems to assist in the detection, tracking and defense against a new generation of Chinese and Russian hypersonic missiles.

Even the Chinese spy balloon episode had an impact, even though the budget request was largely completed before the balloon was detected, drifted across the country and was shot down. The Pentagon is seeking about $90 million to add capabilities to better detect similar objects in the atmosphere in the future.

three times the monetary damage. Bill supporters say this helps small businesses whose property insurance doesn’t always cover public disturbances.

And defendants accused of rioting or looting could have to wait for 24 hours before their bond and pretrial release rules are set, which bill supporters say can lead to a cooling-off period for the accused. Moore has said the laws would apply to any protesters who are violent, mentioning those like the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

Among the Democratic amendments blocked from Senate debate Thursday through GOP parliamentary maneuvering was one that in part would have raised criminal penalties for rebellion and insurrection and removed public officials permanently from their position if convicted.

Nine states have passed similar protest laws since June 2020, according to the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law. North Carolina is among several states currently considering new penalties. Separately, the General Assembly passed a bipartisan police reform law in 2021 that addressed law enforcement shortcomings highlighted after Floyd’s death.

One bill opponent, Kerwin Pittman with Emancipate NC, told a Senate committee that Senate Democrats who backed the measure would be made politically accountable for doing so. First-term Sen. Mary Wills Bode, a Wake County Democrat, joined all Republicans present in voting for the bill.

AP PHOTO

China’s national flag is displayed next to the Pentagon logo at the Pentagon in this file photo.

AP PHOTO, FILE

Republican North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore presents his bill increasing punishments for violent protests before the House Judiciary committee at the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh, on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Buzzer Beater

Wake Forest’s Daivien Williamson celebrates his game-winning shot at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro last Wednesday. Wake was eliminated in Thursday’s quarterfinals

COUNTY NEWS

CanoPLAY treescape gets $500K

grant

Arts Council names Garet Beane as Chief Development Officer

Davie County

The Parks and Recreation Authority awarded $9.6 million in park accessibility grants for 21 projects across the state. Grants of $500,000 were awarded to 12 towns and counties for projects including CanoPLAY Treescape in Davie County. Grants ranging from $171,313 to $470,000 were awarded to support 11 other local government projects.

“These projects touch communities from Watauga to Wake to Pamlico with lasting, accessible infrastructure for recreation that will bring improved health and quality of life for North Carolina families,” Gov. Roy Cooper said. “The focus of accessibility reflects our need for — and commitment to — investing in projects that reflect the needs and abilities of all of our residents and visitors.”

“Because the Governor and General Assembly included historic funding levels in the budget for the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, we are able to provide these grants to every corner of our state to improve accessibility in community recreation,” Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson said. “These grants will produce significant progress toward providing recreation that meets each North Carolinian where they are.”

The Parks and Recreation Trust Fund is administered through the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, which is part of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The program schedule was announced in March 2022, and completed applications were due to the division by Nov. 1. Local governments, including some public authorities, were eligible to apply for the matching grants.

NC.GOV

Organization increases fundraising goal to $2.5 million for FY23

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

WINSTON-SALEM — Arts

Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County named Garet Beane as its new Chief Development Officer. Beane comes to Arts Council after serving as the Chief Strategy Officer of Smart Start of Forsyth County where he was on the executive leadership team and a part of a team that grew the annual budget from $10M to $12M. In his role as Chief Development Officer of Arts Council, Beane will be an active member of the leadership team and be responsible for overseeing a $2.5 million fundraising goal. With

Garet joining our team as the Chief Development Officer, Katie Hall who previously managed fundraising for Arts Council as the Chief Advancement Officer will now serve as the Chief Marketing Officer. Together, they will continue to make a great impact across the arts and cultural sector. “We welcome Garet Beane to our team,” said Chase Law, President and CEO of Arts Council. “Garet has joined us at a great time in our organization’s history as we are evolving and paving the way for the future of this organization and the continued impact on our community. His extensive experience in fundraising and background in community organizations supports our mission, vision, and goals for Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. We are intentionally working to grow our

“Walking the streets of downtown, I can feel the artistic energy pouring out of the walls.”

Garet Beane

fundraising efforts to allow us to invest even more in the sector and support our strategic vision of using arts, culture, and creativity to respond to needs and break down barriers across our community.”

Beane grew up outside of Washington, DC and is one of five children. His passion for the arts started as a young child admiring and photographing street art found across the nation’s capital.

Some of his early photography

Board of Education approves plan to reoccupy Indiana Avenue property

Board adopts retesting program for 2022-23 school year

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

WINSTON-SALEM — The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education met February 28 with a handful of presentations on the agenda.

The board was briefed on an upcoming extension of agreements with Appalachian State University for Lab School.

“In 2016, the NC General Assembly passed Lab School Legislation for the purpose of improving student performance in local school administrative units with low performing schools by providing enhanced educational opportunities and trainings for teachers and principals in those units,” said Chief Legal Counsel Dionne Jenkins. “Attendance to the Lab School is open to any student who lives in the county that meets certain qualifying criteria.

They were originally assigned to a low-performing school, they did not meet expected growth in the prior school year, or they are a sibling of an eligible student or child of a Lab School employee.”

In WSFCS, the Academy at Middle Fork serves as the district’s Lab School, one of nine in the state.

“In our district, we have a current Memorandum of Agreement and lease agreement with Appalachian State University for the use of our buildings,” Jenkins said. “The initial term was for five years and so was actually set to renew in June of 2023 and according to the statute, we don’t have a whole lot of choice in that matter.”

“The legislation does provide for state funding for lab schools but because they are designated as a charter school and have charter-like flexibility, we’re required to transfer the per-pupil share of our local expense fund to the academy at middle fork for each child that attends. We’re also required to provide usage of our

buildings upon request of the lab school and that includes access to all school facilities as well as playgrounds or any other parts of the building that are requested for access. However, we can enter into a lease agreement or MOA for fees in exchange for that usage which we have done in our district.”

The five-year MOA and lease would be for the use of all of the Middle Fork building, except the pre-K wing, instructional materials, furniture and telecommunications infrastructure and ASU would agree to reimburse the district for their share of the costs for routine maintenance in excess of $30,000 annually and rent cost of $426,840.

The board then approved the district to advertise for bids for the former school building on Indiana Avenue in order to reoccupy it.

“The county property that we had our bus lot as well as maintenance facility on was sold by Forsyth County,” said Chief Planning & Construction Officer Darrell

was recently published in “AeroSoul: Murals for our Time,” a collection documenting the history of public art in DC at the MLK Library in DC. Garet is a graduate of UNC-Charlotte and has more than 20 years of experience working within nonprofits with 12 of those years serving the Triad. He is a proud member of the Rotary Club of Winston-Salem where he is a member of the Paul Harris Society. Garet is married to Kelly Beane, and they have two children who attend school in Kernersville.

The City of Arts and Innovation already feels like home to me. Walking the streets of downtown, I can feel the artistic energy pouring out of the walls. Arts Council is on a powerful upwards trajectory, and I am thrilled to be a part of its vibrant future within our community. As the top business advocacy group in Winston-Salem, Arts Council plays a crucial role in boosting the economic growth and sustainability of hundreds of small businesses and artists in our community. I am looking forward to fully dedicating my time to serving the arts in Winston-Salem,” said Beane.

Walker. “The county purchased a building called 3810 North Liberty Street that our maintenance offices will go into and for the maintenance team and trade people,

See BOE, page 2

#238

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

What we weren’t shown about Jan. 6

JAN. 6 WAS, ACCORDING TO WHITE HOUSE

It is clear that Jan. 6 was a riot and not a “danger to our democracy.”

PRESS Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, “the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer explained that the riot of Jan. 6 was a “violent insurrection.” And in order to preserve democracy, Schumer stated, Fox News should take Tucker Carlson off the air. What, pray tell, did Carlson do that merited the Senate Majority Leader calling for his silencing? After House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., granted him access to some 41,000 hours of as-yet-unreleased footage from Jan. 6, he aired a special in which he disclosed two particularly pertinent pieces of tape: first, tape showing Capitol Police apparently walking alongside the QAnon Shaman, Jacob Chansley, through the hallways; second, tape showing Officer Brian Sicknick gesturing animatedly to fellow officers after he had already been attacked by the crowd outside.

Carlson seemed to downplay the violence of the day based on the tape. He said, “A small percentage of them were hooligans. But the overwhelming majority weren’t. They were peaceful. They were orderly and meek. These were not insurrectionists — they were sightseers.”

DEATH NOTICES

♦ Keith Alan Banner, 71, of Forsyth County, died March 9, 2023.

♦ Vicky Hill Beaver, 67, of Forsyth County, died March 9, 2023.

♦ Dr. Stephen C. Beuttel, 77, of Winston-Salem, died March 10, 2023.

♦ Bobby Jarrell Boggess, Jr., 56, died March 8, 2023.

♦ Reverend Paul Allen Byerly, 69, of Wallburg, died March 9, 2023.

♦ Ruth Sims Carter, 96, of Winston-Salem, died March 11, 2023.

♦ Betty Roberts Coe, 86, died March 12, 2023.

♦ Gid George Cornatzer, 80, of Forsyth County, died March 8, 2023.

♦ George Onslow Johnston, Jr., 91, of Kernersville, died March 8, 2023.

♦ Roger Ray Lineberry, 84, of Forsyth County, died March 11, 2023.

♦ Betty Lawson Lynch, 96, of Winston-Salem, died March 8, 2023.

♦ Peggy Hatley Mourino, 89, died March 8, 2023.

♦ Van “Gus” Ray Poindexter, Jr., 86, of Forsyth County, died March 9, 2023.

♦ Sarah “Ann” Crews Shelton, 81, of WinstonSalem, died March 10, 2023.

♦ Linda Kay Barringer Southern, 83, died March 12,

♦ Annette Ward Presswood Stilley, 68, of Winston-Salem, died March 10, 2023.

♦ Pauline Elizabeth Cody Thompson, 95, of Davidson County, died March 11, 2023.

♦ Janet Ann Spampinato Wild, 76, of Stokes County, died March 8, 2023.

CRIME LOG

Now, to be certain, a riot took place on Jan. 6. In that riot, dozens of officers were injured; some 1,000 people were arrested. But Carlson isn’t wrong that tape appears to show some of the people in the Capitol wandering around aimlessly, not violently, or that the media’s original portrayal of Sicknick’s death — it was widely reported that he had been directly murdered by the crowd — was incorrect.

Argue with Carlson’s framing all you want; I have significant disagreements with it. But it is clear that Jan. 6, as ugly as it was, was a riot and not a “danger to our democracy”; that many of those in the Capitol

♦ Akers, Timothy Dale (M/52) Arrest on chrg of 1) Burglary-1st Degree (F) and 2) Larceny After B&e (F), at 6399 Idols Rd/hampton Rd, Clemmons, NC, on 3/8/2023 12:35.

♦ AMMONS, ERIKA RENEE was arrested on a charge of REC/POSS STOLE MV at 517 W DEVONSHIRE ST on 3/13/2023

♦ Atkinson, Jeremiah Andrew (M/35) Arrest on chrg of 1) Larceny/ misdemeanor (M), 2) Larceny-felony (F), 3) Larceny/misdemeanor (M), 4) Larceny-remove Inventory Control Device (F), and 5) Larceny-remove Inventory Control Device (F), at 200 N Main St, Winston-salem, NC, on 3/9/2023 09:50.

♦ Baldwin, Bobby A R (M/32) Arrest on chrg of 1) Impaired Driving Dwi (M), 2) Ndl - Fict/rev/alter (M), and 3) Imp Regis - Unauthorized Giving, Lending Use Other Vehicle (M), at 6276 Shallowford Rd, Lewisville, NC, on 3/11/2023 01:37.

♦ BLACKMON, DEBORAH DIANE was arrested on a charge of MISUSE OF 911 SYSTEM at 3411 OLD VINEYARD RD/HEALY DR on 3/10/2023

♦ Childress, Jeffrey Conrad (M/30) Arrest on chrg of 1) Adw - Inflict Injury (M), 2) Resisting Arrest (M), 2) Order For Arrest (M), 3) Fail To Appear/compl (M), 3) Order For Arrest (M), 4) Fail To Appear/compl (M), 4) Order For Arrest (M), 5) Fail To Appear/compl (M), 5) Order For Arrest (M), 6) Fail To Appear/

BOE from page 1

we are looking at the Indiana Avenue Property.”

In order to occupy the building, repairs and upgrades are needed, namely a new roof, boiler/chiller replacement, ERV system and an underground intrusion monitoring system, which comes out to an estimated cost of $2,346,302. According to Walker, other departments would move into the repaired building over a five plus year timespan and the full project cost is an estimated total of $7,674,289.

Arrest (M), 12) Resisting Arrest (M), and 13) Speeding To Elude Arrest (F), at 3620 Yale Av, Winston-salem, NC, on 3/9/2023 08:35.

♦ CLARKE, PHILIP was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT-SIMPLE at 1 MEDICAL CENTER BV on 3/12/2023

♦ CLARKE, PHILIP was arrested on a charge of ASLT EMERGENCY PERSONNEL at 1 MEDICAL CENTER BLVD on 3/12/2023

♦ DE LA CRUZ DIAZ, ELIAS was arrested on a charge of MISUSE OF 911 SYSTEM at 3081 WAUGHTOWN ST on 3/11/2023

♦ DIAZ, RAINA MICHELLE was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT-SIMPLE at 4557 HEATHERLY RD on 3/10/2023

♦ DURRELL, CHRISTOPHER XAVIER was arrested on a charge of BREAKING/LARC-FELONY at 499 W FOURTH ST/N SPRUCE ST on 3/10/2023

♦ Fogle, Jonyvi Nyjae (M/23) Arrest on chrg of 1) Drug Trafficking (F), 2) Drug Trafficking (F), 3) P/w/i/s/d Sched Ii (F), 4) P/w/i/s/d Marijuana (F), 5) Poss Marijuana Fel (F), 6) Drug Paraphernalia (M), and 7) Drug Paraphernalia (M), at 699 N Cameron Av/new Walkertown Rd, Winston-salem, NC, on 3/8/2023 18:00.

♦ GREEN, PATRICK LEE was arrested on a charge of ASSLT ON OFF/ST EMP at 112 WEATHERWOOD CT on 3/10/2023

♦ JOHNSON, RONALD LAMAR was arrested on a charge of BREAKING/LARC-FELONY at 538 W

The board of education also adopted a revised 2022-23 Retesting Summer Program. Originally, the board was presented with a plan that had one day of remediation followed by two days of testing the first week after school ends, but board members weren’t satisfied with that length of time for remediation.

“I still think that’s too short of a time for remediation,” said board member Trevonia Brown-Gaither. “I really do. As a teacher, I don’t think that’s enough time. If we couldn’t do it in a semester, I think one or two days is just not suffi-

were in fact gawking rather than rioting; and that the Jan. 6 committee went out of its way to present certain footage but avoid other footage. A decision was made by the Jan. 6 committee and the media to avoid the possibility of any nuance whatsoever regarding the riots. Instead, the only acceptable narrative determined that a riot was an insurrection, that insurrection threatened the overthrow of the United States, and that the insurrection continues to percolate throughout conservative circles. Any mitigating evidence to that overblown narrative was discarded.

Supposedly, the best way to ensure that narrative was to ensure silence. But Schumer’s call to silence Carlson is precisely the reason Carlson’s report went viral in the first place. The media-Democratic complex keeps exaggerating narratives, eliding any countervailing information, and then seeking to censor those who present such information; they keep burying evidentiary landmines hoping they won’t be triggered. Then the landmines bow up, and they’re shocked at the explosion.

We couldn’t be given the footage, according to our media and political elites, lest we draw the wrong conclusions. Herein lies the problem: the best way to avoid the American people drawing the wrong conclusions is to present them with the full evidence, and then let them draw their own conclusions. And that’s precisely what the elites in our media and the Democratic Party won’t allow.

Ben Shapiro, 38, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent

NORTHWEST BV on 3/10/2023

♦ Joyce, Dylan James (M/28) Arrest on chrg of 1) Rec/poss Stole Mv (F) and 2) Conspiracy To Commit A Felony (F), at 4642 White Rock Rd, Winstonsalem, NC, on 3/12/2023 11:22.

♦ LINEBERGER, DEVONE LAMONT was arrested on a charge of VAND-REAL PROPERTY at 610 N LIBERTY ST on 3/11/2023

♦ Lloyd, Courtney Michelle (F/33) Arrest on chrg of 1) Concealing Mdse (M), 2) Larceny/misdemeanor (M), 3) Larceny-felony (F), 4) Larceny/ misdemeanor (M), 5) Larceny/ misdemeanor (M), 6) Larceny-felony (F), 7) Larceny/misdemeanor (M), and 8) Larceny-remove Inventory Control Device (F), at 200 N Main St, Winston-salem, NC, on 3/9/2023 09:50.

♦ Lowery, Johnathan Caleb (M/42) Arrest on chrg of 1) Resisting Arrest (M), 2) Fail To Appear/compl (M), 3) Probation Violation (F), 4) Speeding To Elude Arrest (F), 5) Unlawful To Dwlr, After Notification, Or While Disquailified (M), 6) Interstate Highway Law (M), 7) Equip - Defective Rear Lamps (M), and 8) Vehicle Inspection Violationelectronic Or Sticker (M), at Peters Creek Pw/silas Creek Pw, Winstonsalem, NC, on 3/10/2023 00:59.

♦ MARTIN, NATHANIEL LEE was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 201 N CHURCH ST on 3/13/2023

♦ MORRISON, ISIAH LARON was arrested on a charge of FELONY HABITUAL LARCENY at SB 52/WB 40_SB 52 RA on 3/13/2023

cient.”

While multiple board members weren’t satisfied with the limitedness of the retesting period, they still recognized the need for it.

“It’s important to keep in mind that some students don’t test well, not because they don’t know the information, but having a bad night’s sleep, or being rushed in the morning because they had to help four siblings get dressed and get out the door,” said board member Leah Crowley. “You could go on and on about the reasons why a kid had a bad testing day. Having another opportunity might help that hand-

♦ NANCE, RUBY MARIE was arrested on a charge of FUGITIVE ARREST (MAGISTRATE`S ORDER) at 3810 N PATTERSON AV on 3/11/2023

♦ Owens, Marco Tremayne (M/40) Arrest on chrg of P/w/i/s/d Sched I, F (F), at Old Hollow Rd/reidsville Rd, Walkertown, NC, on 3/12/2023 04:38.

♦ Rhodes, Marcus Jerod (M/38) Arrest on chrg of Vio. Protective Order By Courts Another State/ Indian Tribe (M), at 200 N Main St, Winstonsalem, NC, on 3/13/2023 11:45.

♦ Salvador, Renteria Vargas (M/47) Arrest on chrg of 1) Rec/poss Stole Mv (F) and 2) Imp Regis - Expired, Suspended, Revoked, Altered Plate (M), at 4700 High Point Rd, Kernersville, NC, on 3/12/2023 15:44.

♦ Samuel, David Christopher (M/48) Arrest on chrg of 1) Assault-point Gun (M), 2) Assault On Female (M), and 3) Communicate Threats (M), at 5295 Salem Rd, Walkertown, NC, on 3/9/2023 11:19.

♦ SEFEROVIC, ENA was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 301 MEDICAL CENTER BV on 3/10/2023

Silva-bernal, Emily (F/20) Arrest on chrg of Poss Cocaine Fel, F (F), at 900 Crowder St, Winston-salem, NC, on 3/9/2023 20:33.

Smith, Archer Cyress (M/21) Arrest on chrg of 1) 2nd Degree Trespass (M) and 2) Harassing Phone Calls (M), at 205 Rainwood Ct, Winston-salem, NC, on 3/9/2023 12:20.

ful of students.”

Since the deadline for submitting the proposal to the state was impending, the board voted to approve the summer retesting program, but left the timeline of it up to the individual schools.

The board also approved the schematic design for the Brunson Elementary School Replacement, a grant of easement for Sprague Neighborhood Sewer Rehabilitation Phase II, and bids for the Griffith Elementary School roof replacement.

The WSFCS Board of Education will next meet March 14.

“Join the conversation”

SIDELINE REPORT

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Temple ousts McKie

after 4 seasons

Philadelphia

Temple coach Aaron McKie is out after four years and no NCAA Tournament appearances and will become a special adviser to the athletic department, the school announced Monday.

McKie, who starred at Temple under Hall of Fame coach

John Chaney and played for the Philadelphia 76ers in a long NBA career, went 5256 in four seasons, including 16-16 in 2022-23. The Owls finished fifth in the American Athletic Conference this season with a 10-8 record and were the only AAC team to defeat No. 1 Houston in the regular season, a 56-55 road win on Jan. 22.

BASEBALL

Trevor Bauer signs in Japan

Tokyo

Trevor Bauer has agreed to a contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan’s Central League.

The 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Jan. 12, three weeks after an arbitrator reduced his suspension imposed by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred from 324 to 194 games. The penalty followed an investigation into domestic violence, which the pitcher has denied. Bauer is owed about $22.5 million from the remainder of his $102 million, three-year contract with the Dodgers. The suspension has cost him roughly $37.6 million in salary.

NFL NFL eyes roughing-thepasser penalties

New York

The NFL’s competition committee will consider making roughing-the-passer penalties and personal-foul penalties subject to video review. The two potential rule changes were among nine the league announced Monday in its 2023 playing rules, bylaw and resolution proposals submitted by clubs. The Los Angeles Rams proposed the change that would allow teams to challenge roughingthe-passer calls. The Detroit Lions proposed the giving teams an opportunity to challenge personal foul calls. The competition committee will consider the rule changes later this month when NFL owners gather in Arizona for their annual meeting.

SOCCER Berhalter eligible to coach USMNT after investigation

New York

The U.S. Soccer Federation says Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate to stay on as men’s national team coach after a report by a law firm concluded he did not improperly withhold information about a 1992 domestic violence allegation involving the woman who later became his wife. The report also concluded that Berhalter’s conduct “likely constituted the misdemeanor crime of assault on a female” but that it was an isolated event. He can’t be prosecuted because of the two-year statute of limitations for misdemeanors. The law firm Alston and Bird was retained after the Reyna family reported the 30-yearold incident to the USSF.

Byron wins 2nd straight Cup race, beats Larson at Phoenix

All four Hendrick Motorsports cars finished in the top 10

The Associated Press AVONDALE, Ariz. — William Byron took advantage of a late restart to earn a Cup Series victory, just like last weekend.

Kyle Larson was the victim of Byron’s late restart prowess, just like last weekend.

It was a strange bit of déjà vu at Phoenix Raceway, as Byron won his second straight Cup race by beating out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate in overtime on Sunday.

“I don’t love winning races that way, it’s very stressful,” Byron said, grinning. “A lot of tactics going on with the restarts.”

Late restarts may add to By-

ron’s stress, but they’re also adding to his win total. His No. 24 Chevrolet got a great start in overtime with two laps left, and just like he did a week earlier at Las Vegas, he overtook Larson for the win. He also had to hold off Ryan Blaney, who finished second in his Penske Ford, while Tyler Reddick was third in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing.

Byron’s victory also denied Kevin Harvick his 10th win at Phoenix. Harvick’s Stewart-Haas No. 4 Ford passed Larson for the lead with 44 laps remaining, taking advantage of the long run under green-flag conditions that favored his car all afternoon.

But a yellow flag with 10 laps remaining dashed Harvick’s hopes. Several drivers changed just two tires on the ensuing pit stop, but Harvick took four, falling back to seventh place for the re -

6

start with three laps left. He finished fifth.

Another caution immediately after the restart sent the race to overtime.

Larson — whose No. 5 Chevrolet was the fastest during Friday’s practice and also during Saturday’s qualifying — was fading after Harvick’s pass, but the late yellow flags gave him a chance until Byron snatched away the victory.

Larson finished fourth, capping

Ole Miss hires former Texas coach Beard

The coach was fired by the Longhorns following a domestic violence arrest in December

The Associated Press OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi has hired Chris Beard as its basketball coach just over two months after his firing from Texas following a domestic violence arrest.

The Rebels announced Beard’s hiring on Monday and introduced him Tuesday in a public event at the SBJ Pavilion. Beard is a fourtime conference coach of the year and was AP’s national coach of the year in 2019.

But his two-year tenure at alma mater Texas ended abruptly in January, though felony domestic charges were ultimately dismissed on Feb. 15. A prosecutor said his office determined that the charge of assault by strangulation/suffocation-family violence could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Texas suspended Beard after his Dec. 12 arrest and fired him three weeks later when Texas officials told Beard’s attorney he was “unfit” to lead the program. Beard was arrested when his fiancée, Randi Trew, called 911 and told of-

ficers that Beard strangled, bit and hit her during a confrontation in his home. She later said that Beard didn’t choke her and was defending himself, and that she never intended for Beard to be arrested and prosecuted.

Beard replaces Kermit Davis, who was ousted on Feb. 24 after going 74-79 in nearly five full seasons. “We thoroughly evaluated a

number of outstanding candidates, and there is no doubt Coach Beard is one of the top coaches in the nation,” said Keith Carter, the school’s vice chancellor for athletics. “After conducting due diligence and speaking to a number of individuals on and off the court, it was evident he is the right person to guide our team to greatness.”

Beard has led three different programs to the NCAA Tournament since 2016, including an ap -

a frustrating finish.

“Restarts are just tough,” Larson said. “I felt like I ran William up pretty high and was expecting him to lose some grip. But he did a really good job of holding and cleared me down the backstretch.”

All four Hendrick cars were inside the top 10. Alex Bowman was ninth while Josh Berry — filling in for the injured Chase Elliott — was 10th.

Harvick was attempting to become the sixth driver in Cup history to win 10 times at one track, an exclusive club that includes Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and David Pearson. The 47-yearold has said this will be his final season.

Byron and Larson had the fastest cars for most of the race. It continued a dominant stretch by the two Hendrick drivers, who were 1-2 for much of the Las Vegas race.

Byron won the first stage, leading 59 of the first 60 laps. Larson won the second stage. With its three-race West Coast swing over, the Cup Series moves to Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend.

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university.”

pearance in the 2019 championship game and an Elite Eight run the year before at Texas Tech. He is 237-98 as a head coach and 11-5 in the NCAA Tournament.

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university,” said Beard, who was 29-13 at Texas. “I can’t express how grateful I am to Chancellor (Glenn) Boyce, Keith Carter and the rest of the search committee for their belief in me to lead this program. I am really looking forward to being an active part of the Oxford community.”

Beard spent five seasons at Texas Tech, going 112-55 at a program that had endured five losing seasons in the previous six years. The Red Raiders went to their first Elite Eight in his second season and made it to the national championship game in 2019.

Beard led Little Rock to a 30-5 record and a Sun Belt Conference title in his lone season, making the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

AP PHOTO

William Byron, left, leads Kyle Larson during his win during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

AP PHOTO

Mississippi has hired Chris Beard as basketball coach five weeks after his firing from Texas following a domestic violence arrest.

Chris Beard

Career victories for William Byron after picking up his second straight win Sunday at Phoenix.

STATE & NATION

Defense budget speeds toward $1 trillion, with China in mind

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pentagon intends to load up on advanced missiles, space defense and modern jets in its largest defense request in decades in order to meet the threat it perceives from China. The spending path would put military’s annual budget over the $1 trillion threshold in just a matter of years, its chief financial officer said Monday.

The administration is asking Congress for $842 billion for the Pentagon in the 2024 budget year. It’s the largest request since the peak of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the mid-2000s, when the weight of hundreds of thousands of troops deployed in those overseas conflicts ballooned overseas war spending.

Now, the budget could surge again. That’s in part to meet the higher cost of weapons and parts, but also to answer the vulnerabilities that the Ukraine war has exposed in the U.S. defense industrial base, and the strategic threat the U.S. sees from China’s rapidly growing nuclear arsenal, its hypersonic capabilities and its gains in space. Even if it only grows to account for inflation, “the budget will hit a trillion dollars,” probably before the next five years, Pentagon comptroller Michael McCord told a press briefing. “Maybe that’s going to be a psychological, big watershed moment for many of us, or some of us, but it is inevitable.”

While the number seems astronomically high, it is only about 3% of the country’s gross domestic product. For comparison, during World War II the country was spending about one-third of its

GDP on defense, McCord said. The budget request is part of an overall $6.8 trillion spending proposal rolled out by Biden last week, which Republicans say they’ll reject. But it’s not clear how they’ll act on the Pentagon proposal.

Some Republicans want to go beyond the military spending request. But some have also demanded sharp reductions in federal spending — something that would be difficult to accomplish without touching the defense budget.

While personnel and operations costs remain the largest por-

tions of the annual defense budget, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks called this years’ request “a procurement budget” with the Pentagon increasing buys across the board of modern weapon systems.

One of the largest new priorities is getting the U.S. defense industrial base to speed production of munitions. Ukraine’s rate of use of 155 Howitzer rounds and other precision munitions has shown the U.S. defense industrial base “is not where it needs to be,” McCord said.

It’s been a lesson learned over

the last year, particularly as the U.S. assesses how best it can prevent a similar fight over Taiwan, which could pit it against China.

The goal of the budget is to ensure China “wakes up every day, considers the risks of aggression, and concludes, ‘today is not the day,’” Hicks said.

The administration, for example, is asking Congress for $30 billion to produce more missiles. But they are “not the kind of missiles that are key to the Ukraine fight,” McCord said. “These are key to Indo-Pacific deterrence,” a goal also involving advanced air-to-air mis-

Tougher riot punishments approved by legislature a 2nd time

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — The North Carolina legislature gave final approval last week to more severe punishments for rioters for the second time in three years — a response to 2020 demonstrations about racial injustice that while largely peaceful at times turned violent.

The measure now moves to the desk of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who in 2021 successfully blocked a similar bill approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly by using his veto stamp.

But Republicans made enough seat gains in November so they now potentially only need one House Democrat to join them to override a Cooper veto if the GOP majorities remain united. The measure received voting support in the House last month from six Democrats, including a chief sponsor of the bill.

Legislative action was completed Thursday in the Senate, where Republicans already hold a veto-proof majority, on a vote of 2716.

House Speaker Tim Moore has championed the measure this year and in 2021, saying current laws didn’t deter rioting and looting in downtown Raleigh in June 2020, amid otherwise peaceful protests following the murder of North Carolina native George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

The bill “protects First Amend-

ment rights of those who want to protest safely — who want to be able to express their opinions — while keeping them safe and while also keeping law enforcement safe, property owners safe and others safe,” Sen. Danny Britt, a Robeson County Republican, said on the Senate floor Thursday. He said the bill targets “violent actors” who are separate from demonstrators and causing mayhem. Social justice and civil rights advocates have pushed back on

the measures at every turn, saying they target Black Lives Matter demonstrators and marginalized groups by trying to frighten them from taking to the streets peacefully with the threat of imprisonment. Others say the incitement language is too broad and that laws already are on the books to address rioting. The bill “doubles down on the punitive system that created the scars of mass incarceration that we’re still dealing with today,” said

Sen. Natalie Murdock, a Durham County Democrat, adding that it will “only serve to stifle free speech, criminalize protest and erode our First Amendment freedoms.”

Cooper spokesperson Jordan Monaghan said late Thursday that the governor “has worked to increase public safety and protect constitutional rights and he will review this legislation.”

In his message vetoing the 2021 bill, Cooper said legislation was “unnecessary and is intended to intimidate and deter people from exercising their constitutional rights to peacefully protest.”

In a written statement, Moore urged Cooper to “sign this commonsense bill into law without delay.”

The new bill would increase punishments already in place for crimes of willfully participating in a riot or inciting one to cover more severe circumstances — possibly resulting in sentences that last a couple more years or longer. They would include if a rioter brandishes a weapon or causes serious bodily injury.

New crimes would be created for a rioter who causes a death or someone who incites rioting that contributes to a death. And assaults on emergency personnel also would result in higher felony penalties.

The bill would let property owners whose businesses are damaged during protests seek compensation against a perpetrator equal to

siles, anti-ship missiles and longrange standoff missiles.

The Pentagon is also seeking rapid modernization of its air, space and nuclear weapons. The request includes almost $38 billion to buy new nuclear submarines, field the new B-21 stealth bomber and manufacture new ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The request would also fund research and testing for a new type of warplane, called Next Generation Air Dominance, which will have a piloted modern fighter jet, such as the F-35, commanding unmanned drones that accompany it on missions. The Air Force won’t say much about the drones, which they are calling “collaborative combat aircraft” – except that they are planning to field 1,000 of them.

The request includes the “largest space budget ever,” McCord said, as space has proven to be vital in the war in Ukraine and a critical front in any future confrontation. The Pentagon is seeking $33 billion to make its satellite communications more resilient to jamming or attack and rapidly field a new constellation of missile warning systems to assist in the detection, tracking and defense against a new generation of Chinese and Russian hypersonic missiles.

Even the Chinese spy balloon episode had an impact, even though the budget request was largely completed before the balloon was detected, drifted across the country and was shot down. The Pentagon is seeking about $90 million to add capabilities to better detect similar objects in the atmosphere in the future.

three times the monetary damage. Bill supporters say this helps small businesses whose property insurance doesn’t always cover public disturbances.

And defendants accused of rioting or looting could have to wait for 24 hours before their bond and pretrial release rules are set, which bill supporters say can lead to a cooling-off period for the accused.

Moore has said the laws would apply to any protesters who are violent, mentioning those like the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

Among the Democratic amendments blocked from Senate debate Thursday through GOP parliamentary maneuvering was one that in part would have raised criminal penalties for rebellion and insurrection and removed public officials permanently from their position if convicted.

Nine states have passed similar protest laws since June 2020, according to the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law. North Carolina is among several states currently considering new penalties. Separately, the General Assembly passed a bipartisan police reform law in 2021 that addressed law enforcement shortcomings highlighted after Floyd’s death.

One bill opponent, Kerwin Pittman with Emancipate NC, told a Senate committee that Senate Democrats who backed the measure would be made politically accountable for doing so. First-term Sen. Mary Wills Bode, a Wake County Democrat, joined all Republicans present in voting for the bill.

AP PHOTO

China’s national flag is displayed next to the Pentagon logo at the Pentagon in this file photo.

AP PHOTO, FILE

Republican North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore presents his bill increasing punishments for violent protests before the House Judiciary committee at the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh, on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

COUNTY NEWS

MOORE COUNTY

St. Paddy’s celebrations

Folks with the Moore County Pet Responsibility Committee participate in the festivities during the 16th annual St Patrick’s Day Parade last Saturday, March 11, in James W. Tufts Memorial Park in Pinehurst.

Man

arrested following police chase, collision in Moore County

A man sent deputies from the Moore County Sheriff’s office on a car chase last week, during which one police vehicle was rammed, and another was involved in a collision. The chase began after deputies were sent to a home on Spring Lane in Carthage after receiving reports about a male subject behaving erratically. The distressed man fled the scene upon the arrival of the deputies, driving through the neighbor’s property to escape to the highway. Deputies said the man intentionally rammed a patrol vehicle with his car before heading towards Vass. Deputies finally brought the pursuit to an end at the intersection of NC 690 and White Rock Road when the suspects’ vehicle and a deputy’s vehicle collided, resulting in damage to both vehicles and a utility pole. Alan Dean Patrick II was arrested and charged with felony flee to elude arrest, assault on a government official, two counts of injury to personal property, speeding, driving with a revoked license, reckless driving, failure to stop at a stoplight, failure to stop at a stop sign, and passing in a no-passing zone. Patrick was taken to the Moore County Jail and given a $105,000 secured bond.

NCDOT urges safety and precaution near railroad tracks

State transportation officials are reminding people to stay off railroad property because it is illegal and dangerous.

“Railroad property and tracks are for trains and are not for walking, jogging, or any form of trespassing,” said Jason Orthner, director of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division. “This time of the year, students are also taking senior and program pictures. We strongly urge photographers not to trespass on railroad property.” The NCDOT’s Rail Division also urges people to follow these tips: pedestrians should only cross the railroad at safe and legal crossings, never walk or jog on or along railroad tracks, never stop your vehicle on railroad tracks at a crossing, and in the case of an emergency at a railroad crossing, please call the number on the blue sign at the crossing to ensure the fastest response from railroad officials.

Pinehurst approves development of ‘Golf Course View’ cottages

Walkway improvement choices for FY23 finalized

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday, February 28, with multiple property matters on the agenda.

The council held a public hearing for a rezoning request for the Pinehurst Resort Cottages at No. 8 to take approximately 14.65 acres of land from R-30 – medium-density residential district – to H-CD – hotel conditioning district.

“The current zoning and land use is R-30, which is a residential district,” said Planning Supervisor Alex Cameron. “It is currently vacant and part of the privately owned recreation facilities of Pinehurst No. 8 Golf Course. The proposed zoning is hotel conditional district, and this would allow for the development of nine lodging golf cottages with a total of 52

sleeping rooms.”

Five of the cottages will have four bedrooms, and four cottages will have eight bedrooms, and the height of the cottages will not exceed 35 feet. There will also be 52 parking spaces available.

“The resort has no accommodations with a golf course view,” said council member Lydia Boesch. “Which is surprising since we’re the home of American Golf, and there are no accommodations with a golf course view, so that’s a plus. In the golf industry, you’ve got to stay competitive. They’re not going to come just because we are Pinehurst. They’ve got to stay competitive, so I see this as another way for Pinehurst to stay competitive in golf.”

Following the hearing, the council approved the rezoning request.

The council was also presented with two special intensity allocation requests to utilize protected watershed property.

“The state has a watershed protection framework to protect wa-

ter quality, and it limits development in the key watersheds within the state,” said Village Manager Jeff Sanborn. “The way they manage that is that they set lower thresholds for impervious surfaces than would otherwise be allowed and then grant us back special intensity allocation acreage that we can manage as a local government.”

Pinehurst has two watershed protection overlay districts, 750 acres of WS-II which allows 12% of development or one dwelling per acre, and 290 acres of WS-III which allows 24% of development or two dwellings per acre.

The first request was for one acre of WS-II in the Trotter Hills Business Park for Dr. Ron Talis Medical Office. The development is approximately 5,000 square feet of a single-story office building with associated on-site surface parking.

“Dr. Talis is a very gifted podiatrist, and I want to mention the services that he’s bringing to our area,” said council member Jeff Morgan. “It’s specifically in dealing with di-

abetic feet, diabetic foot ulcers, and there are a lot of studies out there that demonstrate that podiatric intervention with diabetic foot ulcers decreases the number of infections significantly, decreases the amount of time you spend in the hospital, and they are also incredibly productive in lymph salvage. So to have this professional come into our area and provide these services to our folks, I feel, is a very good thing.”

The second request was for one acre of WS-II for a surface parking lot for the adjacent Veteran’s Guardian Association, resulting in a 55-space parking lot that would provide 88 net parking spaces for the Veteran’s Guardian Association.

Both special intensity allocation requests were approved by the council.

The council also approved a budget amendment to allocate $282,000 for stormwater drainage and intersection enhancements.

“Those funds are intended to be used for enhancements to downtown, not only to drainage but also there’s an intersection improvement project,” said Public Services and Engineering Director Mike Apke. “If you go up Magnolia Road into downtown, at Magnolia and

See COUNCIL, page 2

New quotes for gym repairs to save Moore County Schools over $6 million

Board of Education approves endorsement to add NC State Salute to curriculum

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

WEST END — The Moore County Schools Board of Education met Monday, March 13, with multiple endorsements and financial requests on the agenda.

The board recognized McDeeds Creek and Pinehurst Elementary Schools for their national recognition as model Professional Learning Communities.

“Professional learning communities recognize the key to improved learning for students is ongoing, job-embedded learning for the adults that serve those students,” said board member Ken Benway. “The three big ideas of a PLC call upon educators to focus on learning, build a collaborative culture, and create a results orientation. Schools are recognized based on strict criteria, including a demonstration of commitment to PLC concepts. Implementation of these concepts for at least three years and clear evidence of improved student learning over that period. McDeeds Creek Elementary and Pinehurst Elementary are two of only three schools in the state, and roughly 250 schools nationwide, to earn this recognition.”

Superintendent Dr. Tim Locklair also gave recognition to two new members of the administration, Dr. Quinetta Pratt, who is the new principal of Southern Pines Elementary, and Jamie Synan, the Executive Officer for Academics and Student Support Services.

“Dr. Pratt comes to us with extensive experience,” Locklair said. “She began her time as principal of Southern Pines Elementary School in February, and we’re so excited to have her leading Southern Pines Elementary. She comes to us after being a successful principal at two other schools as a district leader, and we’re already seeing her impact at Southern Pines Elementary School.

“Ms. Synan joins us as our new Executive Officer for Academics and Student Support Services in Moore County Schools. Ms. Synan was a successful principal in Scotland County and then served as their Executive Director of Student Support Services and most recently as their Chief Academic Officer.”

The board approved three gym renovation projects for Cameron, Highfalls, and West Moore with a revised scope of work for a total cost of $2,461,000.

“The original scope of work for these three gyms that the previous board had passed was for $8.1 million,” said Vice Chair David Hensley, who had openly denounced the previous renovation plan due to its

“We revised the scope of work, and what we voted on is a scope of work that is $2.4 million or a 70% savings.”

David Hensley

cost. “We revised the scope of work, and what we voted on is a scope of work that is $2.4 million or a 70% savings. We requoted another project, and we had similar savings, and that was numerous flat roofs throughout Moore County Schools. There were six or eight of them, and again, we saved about 70% off of what the previous scope of work and previous quote were.

“We are going through and having requoted all the projects that were approved by the previous school board that have not yet been started.”

The repairs include roofing, fascia, flashing, gutters, downspouts, electrical systems, air conditioning, toilets, windows, wood decking, and the tearing down of the old steam heating systems and replacing them with all-new HVAC in each gymnasium.

“It is my hope that with these savings, we are going to renovate two more gyms and get rid of trailers in

an entire school,” Hensley said. “So we’re going to get five gyms done, plus get an entire school built with brick and mortar seating capacity for 200 students for what the previous board was going to spend on three gyms. This is real savings brought to you by a central office and a school board that is focused on getting good value for the taxpayer’s money.”

The board then endorsed the Testing Re-administration Plan, which will allow students who failed an EOC or EOG but may have otherwise passed the course to take summer remediation and then be able to retest upon completion of the remediation and the purchase of Maintenance Vehicles – two trucks and two vans – for $246,162.

“Moore County Schools has not purchased any new vehicles outside of buses since 2017,” Hensley said. “Some of these vehicles have over 300,000 miles on them. 59% of the fleet has over 200,000 miles, and 71% of the fleet has over 150,000 miles.”

The board also endorsed bringing the Scripps Spelling Bee Competition back to Moore County Schools for the 2023-2024 school year and a plan to add learning of the State Salute to North Carolina’s flag to the school curriculum.

“North Carolina is one of 17 states that has a salute to the state flag, and our salute is 17 words long,” said board member Philip Holmes.

“I think there’s some value in having it incorporated somewhere in our education system. I’m not saying that every class has to have a flag and salute it and all that, but I think somewhere in our school system, we should have a flag. We’re supposed to have flags from our representative, but that hasn’t happened yet. But I think North Carolina is a great state, and I think we need to have pride in our state, and I think those 17 simple words have value.”

The Moore County Schools Board of Education will next meet April 17.

PHOTO BY DAVID SINCLAIR

Chinquapin Road, we do need to make some drainage improvements in that intersection. We have a constant drainage problem, when it rains really heavily, in front of the wine shop there. So we’d like to fix that as well. Potentially run a pipe through the intersection down to capture some more stormwater at Market Square and actually bring it down the hill and connect it to our existing system closer to the Pinecrest end.”

The final presentation the board was presented with was the final FY23 Walkway Construction Locations for the Village.

“We are trying to construct sidewalks that enhance the quality of life, that make interconnections with our trails and walkways, in neighborhoods where they’re desired and while being unobtrusive to the neighboring yards as much as possible, all while maintaining the charm of the neighborhood.” Assistant Village Manager Doug Willardson

The two areas where the Village is planning to construct walkways are along McKenzie Road West and Pinehurst No. 6.

According to Willardson, these improvements will not increase property taxes as $400,000 is budgeted annually for walkway improvements, and all construction will happen within the right-of-ways.

The Village of Pinehurst Council will next meet March 14.

JAN. 6 WAS, ACCORDING TO WHITE HOUSE

PRESS Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, “the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer explained that the riot of Jan. 6 was a “violent insurrection.” And in order to preserve democracy, Schumer stated, Fox News should take Tucker Carlson off the air.

What, pray tell, did Carlson do that merited the Senate Majority Leader calling for his silencing?

After House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., granted him access to some 41,000 hours of as-yetunreleased footage from Jan. 6, he aired a special in which he disclosed two particularly pertinent pieces of tape: first, tape showing Capitol Police apparently walking alongside the QAnon Shaman, Jacob Chansley, through the hallways; second, tape showing Officer Brian Sicknick gesturing animatedly to fellow officers after he had already been attacked by the crowd outside.

Carlson seemed to downplay the violence of the day based on the tape. He said, “A small percentage of them were hooligans. But the overwhelming majority weren’t. They were peaceful. They were orderly and meek. These were not insurrectionists — they were sightseers.”

Now, to be certain, a riot took place on Jan. 6. In that riot, dozens of officers were injured; some 1,000 people were arrested. But Carlson isn’t wrong that tape appears to show some of the people in the Capitol wandering around aimlessly, not violently, or that the media’s original portrayal of Sicknick’s death — it was widely reported that he had been directly murdered by the crowd — was incorrect.

Argue with Carlson’s framing all you want; I have significant disagreements with it. But it is clear that Jan. 6, as ugly as it was, was a riot and not a “danger to our democracy”; that many of those in the Capitol

were in fact gawking rather than rioting; and that the Jan. 6 committee went out of its way to present certain footage but avoid other footage. A decision was made by the Jan. 6 committee and the media to avoid the possibility of any nuance whatsoever regarding the riots. Instead, the only acceptable narrative determined that a riot was an insurrection, that insurrection threatened the overthrow of the United States, and that the insurrection continues to percolate throughout conservative circles. Any mitigating evidence to that overblown narrative was discarded.

Supposedly, the best way to ensure that narrative was to ensure silence. But Schumer’s call to silence Carlson is precisely the reason Carlson’s report went viral in the first place. The media-Democratic complex keeps exaggerating narratives, eliding any countervailing information, and then seeking to censor those who present such information; they keep burying evidentiary landmines hoping they won’t be triggered. Then the landmines bow up, and they’re shocked at the explosion. We couldn’t be given the footage, according to our media and political elites, lest we draw the wrong conclusions. Herein lies the problem: the best way to avoid the American people drawing the wrong conclusions is to present them with the full evidence, and then let them draw their own conclusions. And that’s precisely what the elites in our media and the Democratic Party won’t allow.

Ben Shapiro, 38, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a threetime New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Moore County:

March 16

Moore County Farmers Market

9am – 1pm

Enjoy the Moore County Farmers Market at the Armory Sports Complex, which is located at 604 W. Morganton Road in Southern Pines! Buy local and fresh seasonal produce and products every Thursday morning from 9 am until 1pm!

Trivia Thursday at the Brewery

6pm

Come out for Trivia at the Southern Pines Brewery! Enjoy fun and prizes each Thursday. Southern Pines Brewing Company is located at 565 Air Tool Dr., Southern Pines, NC.

March 17

Live Music - Matt Foley

6pm

Come out to O’Donnell’s Pub on St. Patrick’s Day for live music by Matt Foley! There will be a $5 cash cover at the door. O’Donnell’s is located at 133 E. New Hampshire Avenue in Southern Pines.

March 18

Vass Lions Club Pancake Breakfast

8am – 11am

Come out for the annual Vass Lions Club Pancake Breakfast! This is an all you can eat breakfast for just $8! There will also be a raffle, baked goods, and crafts for sale!

Blood Drive at the Brewery

12pm – 5pm

The Blood Connection will be holding a Blood Drive at Hatchet Brewing Company, which is located at 490 SW Broad Street in Southern Pines. Come out at donate!

COUNCIL,

What we weren’t shown about Jan. 6

SIDELINE REPORT

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Temple ousts McKie

after 4 seasons

Philadelphia Temple coach Aaron McKie is out after four years and no NCAA Tournament appearances and will become a special adviser to the athletic department, the school announced Monday. McKie, who starred at Temple under Hall of Fame coach John Chaney and played for the Philadelphia 76ers in a long NBA career, went 52-56 in four seasons, including 16-16 in 2022-23. The Owls finished fifth in the American Athletic Conference this season with a 10-8 record and were the only AAC team to defeat No. 1 Houston in the regular season, a 56-55 road win on Jan. 22.

NFL NFL eyes roughing-thepasser penalties

New York

The NFL’s competition committee will consider making roughing-thepasser penalties and personal-foul penalties subject to video review. The two potential rule changes were among nine the league announced Monday in its 2023 playing rules, bylaw and resolution proposals submitted by clubs. The Los Angeles Rams proposed the change that would allow teams to challenge roughing-the-passer calls. The Detroit Lions proposed the giving teams an opportunity to challenge personal foul calls. The competition committee will consider the rule changes later this month when NFL owners gather in Arizona for their annual meeting.

BASEBALL

Trevor Bauer signs in Japan

Tokyo

Trevor Bauer has agreed to a contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan’s Central League. The 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Jan. 12, three weeks after an arbitrator reduced his suspension imposed by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred from 324 to 194 games. The penalty followed an investigation into domestic violence, which the pitcher has denied. Bauer is owed about $22.5 million from the remainder of his $102 million, three-year contract with the Dodgers.

Byron wins 2nd straight Cup race, beats Larson at Phoenix

All four Hendrick Motorsports cars finished in the top 10

The Associated Press

AVONDALE, Ariz. — William Byron took advantage of a late restart to earn a Cup Series victory, just like last weekend.

Kyle Larson was the victim of Byron’s late restart prowess, just like last weekend.

It was a strange bit of déjà vu at Phoenix Raceway, as Byron won his second straight Cup race by beating out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate in overtime on Sunday.

“I don’t love winning races that way, it’s very stressful,” Byron said, grinning. “A lot of tactics going on with the restarts.”

Late restarts may add to Byron’s stress, but they’re also adding to his win total.

His No. 24 Chevrolet got a great start in overtime with two laps left, and just like he did a week earlier at Las Vegas, he overtook Larson for the win. He also had to hold off Ryan Blaney, who finished second in his Penske Ford, while Tyler Reddick was third in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing.

Byron’s victory also denied Kevin Harvick his 10th win at Phoenix. Harvick’s Stewart-Haas No. 4 Ford passed Larson for the lead with 44 laps remaining, taking advantage of the long run under green-flag conditions that favored his car all afternoon.

But a yellow flag with 10 laps remaining dashed Harvick’s hopes.

Several drivers changed just two tires on the ensuing pit stop, but Harvick took four, falling back to seventh place for the re-

start with three laps left. He finished fifth. Another caution immediately after the restart sent the race to overtime. Larson — whose No. 5 Chevrolet was the fastest during Friday’s practice and also during Saturday’s qualifying — was fading after Harvick’s pass, but the late yellow flags gave him a chance until Byron snatched away the victory.

Larson finished fourth, capping a frustrating finish.

Ole Miss hires former Texas coach Beard

The coach was fired by the Longhorns following a domestic violence arrest in December

The Associated Press OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi has hired Chris Beard as its basketball coach just over two months after his firing from Texas following a domestic violence arrest.

The Rebels announced Beard’s hiring on Monday and introduced him Tuesday in a public event at the SBJ Pavilion. Beard is a four-time conference coach of the year and was AP’s national coach of the year in 2019.

But his two-year tenure at alma mater Texas ended abruptly in January, though felony domestic charges were ultimately dis-

missed on Feb. 15. A prosecutor said his office determined that the charge of assault by strangulation/suffocation-family violence could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Texas suspended Beard after his Dec. 12 arrest and fired him three weeks later when Texas officials told Beard’s attorney he was “unfit” to lead the program. Beard was arrested when his fiancée, Randi Trew, called 911 and told officers that Beard strangled, bit and hit her during a confrontation in his home. She later said that Beard didn’t choke her and was defending himself, and that she never intended for Beard to be arrested and prosecuted.

Beard replaces Kermit Davis, who was ousted on Feb. 24 after going 74-79 in nearly five full seasons.

“We thoroughly evaluated

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university.”

a number of outstanding candidates, and there is no doubt Coach Beard is one of the top coaches in the nation,” said Keith Carter, the school’s vice chancellor for athletics. “After conducting due diligence and speaking to a number of individuals on and off the court, it was evident he is the right person to guide our team to greatness.”

Beard has led three different programs to the NCAA Tournament since 2016, including an

“Restarts are just tough,” Larson said. “I felt like I ran William up pretty high and was expecting him to lose some grip. But he did a really good job of holding and cleared me down the backstretch.”

All four Hendrick cars were inside the top 10. Alex Bowman was ninth while Josh Berry — filling in for the injured Chase Elliott — was 10th.

Harvick was attempting to become the sixth driver in Cup history to win 10 times at one track, an exclusive club that includes Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and David Pearson. The 47-yearold has said this will be his final season.

Byron and Larson had the fastest cars for most of the race. It continued a dominant stretch by the two Hendrick drivers, who were 1-2 for much of the Las Vegas race.

Byron won the first stage, leading 59 of the first 60 laps. Larson won the second stage.

With its three-race West Coast swing over, the Cup Series moves to Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend.

appearance in the 2019 championship game and an Elite Eight run the year before at Texas Tech. He is 237-98 as a head coach and 11-5 in the NCAA Tournament.

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university,” said Beard, who was 29-13 at Texas. “I can’t express how grateful I am to Chancellor (Glenn) Boyce, Keith Carter and the rest of the search committee for their belief in me to lead this program. I am really looking forward to being an active part of the Oxford community.”

Beard spent five seasons at Texas Tech, going 112-55 at a program that had endured five losing seasons in the previous six years. The Red Raiders went to their first Elite Eight in his second season and made it to the national championship game in 2019.

Beard led Little Rock to a 30-5 record and a Sun Belt Conference title in his lone season, making the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

AP PHOTO

William Byron, left, leads Kyle Larson during his win during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

Chris Beard

6

Career victories for William Byron after picking up his second straight win Sunday at Phoenix.

Elizabeth "Lisa" Marie Harrison

December 10, 1965 - March 11, 2023

Elizabeth “Lisa” Marie Harrison, 57, of Pinehurst, passed away on Saturday, March 11, 2023.

Lisa was born on December 10, 1965, in Jacksonville, Florida to Roy and Antonia Pegram. She attended high school in Gig Harbor, Washington.

Lisa is survived by her husband, Robert Harrison; children, Alexandria, and Natalie Harrison; siblings, Debbie, Rick, and Dennis Pegram and in-laws Todd, Dan and Ann Harrison.

Flowers can be sent to 425 W Pennsylvania Ave, Southern Pines, NC 28387.

Donations may be made in her memory to the new First Health Cancer Center.

Jerry Graham

July 22, 1937 - March 11, 2023

Jerry Lee Graham, age 85 of West End, NC passed away at his home on March 11, 2023. Jerry was born in Moore County, NC on July 22, 1937 to Mac Clyde Jr. and Pansy (Hoots) Graham.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Sarah Frances Graham; son, Jason (Kimberly) Graham; grandchildren, McKinley and Myles Graham; sister, Vivian Moore; brothers, Phillip, Larry and Harry Graham; numerous nieces and nephews. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Barbara Moore and brother, M.C. Graham.

Paula Ann Augliera Urbinati

February 17, 1930 - March 10, 2023

Paula Ann Augliera Urbinati passed peacefully on Friday, March 10, 2023 with her two loving daughters by her side.

Paula was born on February 17, 1930 in the Westville neighborhood of New Haven, CT, and attended St. Anthony’s Grammar School and Hillhouse High School. She worked as a laboratory technician and medical assistant for David H. Clement MD. While living in New Haven she attended a class reunion and reconnected with a classmate, John Urbinati. They married in 1959 and she spent the next 60 years with the love of her life. Together they traveled extensively, including ski trips to Switzerland, Italy and Austria. She then devoted her time as a stay at home mother to their two daughters Kristin and Elisa.

Paula was predeceased by her husband John and sister Joy Haggett. She is survived by daughters Elisa (Edwin “Juan”) of Pinehurst and Kristin (David) and only grandchild Alexander of Chapel Hill, NC, and sister-in-law Marie Acampora of Orange, CT.

Marilyn Joan Aydelette

January 5, 1929 - March 7, 2023

Robert Jeffrey Stevens

February 1, 1963 - March 5, 2023

Robert Jeffrey Stevens, 60 of Aberdeen, passed away on March 5, 2023 at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital.

Born on February 1, 1963 in Moore County to Robert Gerald and Janet Kay Stevens. He worked in sales and delivery alongside his father in the family business Aberdeen Small Engines from his teenage years till the passing of his father in 2017. He enjoyed the outdoors and working in his yard. He loved his horses, hunting, fishing and drag racing. He also enjoyed watching Nascar.

He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Gerald Stevens.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by three children, Robert Justin Stevens and his wife, Breanne Stevens, Kellie Ring, and Hannah Stevens; two grandchildren, Seth Bowers, and Dawson Stevens; one sister, Karen Stevens Rapatas and her husband, Chip Rapatas; two nephews, Peter Rapatas and Corey Allen Rapatas; also survived by fiancé Renee Johnson.

Marilyn J. Aydelette died March 7, 2023 at home in Southern Pines, NC.

She was born January 5, 1929 in Batavia, Iowa to Darsie Dean Hill and Ella Margaret Fisher Hill. She spent her early years and attended school in Batavia.

On March 13, 1948 Marilyn married Thomas Walter Aydelette. The couple had four daughters; Irene (Bill) Kline, Joan (Manu) Arasta, Sue (Tom) Isgar and Mary (Rick) Broadwell. She is survived by her four daughters; grandchildren Matthew Blake, Alex Blake and James McDaniel; and great grandchild Fiona Snart; sister Kay of Colorado and brother David of Iowa. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents; and two sisters Martha and Dorothy and a brother Carlos. Dorothy’s children visited and kept in touch during the last years of Marilyn’s life.

Marilyn’s interests and accomplishments were many, from ceramics and teaching underglaze painting to writing songs and poems, from traveling around the world to working in the Southern Pines library. Her daughters & sons-in-law will remember her as a spirited, funny, creative, and beautiful woman. Her stories of growing up in Iowa during the 1930s, and of life as an Airforce wife will be shared for years.

Nancy Brown Dare

April 17, 1929 - March 5, 2023

Nancy Brown Dare, 93, of Southern Pines, NC passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 5, 2023 at Fox Hollow Assisted Living in Pinehurst.

Nancy was born April 17, 1929 in Norfolk, VA to the late Hugh G. Brown, Sr., and Annie Potts Brown.

Nancy is survived by her husband of 70 years, LeRoy J. Dare; daughter Margaret Dare Troutman (Joel); son Michael L. Dare (Meg); six grandchildren Sara and Jacob Troutman, and Mitch, Montana, Jeremy and Claudia Dare.

Nancy graduated Maury High School in Norfolk, VA in 1947 and from Columbia Bible College (now Columbia International University) in 1951.

Juliette Boisvert

January 31, 1951 - March 8, 2023

Juliette Hardin Boisvert, 72, of Rougemont, NC, passed away on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at Hock Family Pavilion in Durham, NC.

She was born January 31, 1951, in Lumberton, NC, to the late Steamon and Berlie Mae Brewington Hardin.

She is survived by her loving husband of 36 years, Ronald “Ron” Boisvert; children, Danielle Boisvert (Matt Holdren), Byron Boisvert, Ron Boisvert, II, Deanne Boisvert, Lisa Boisvert, and Janine Wilson (Tommy); grandchildren, Trey Boisvert and Josh Boisvert. She is also survived by her siblings Barbara Smith (Harold), Barry Harding, and Billy Hardin; numerous nieces and nephews, including a special niece, Laura Harding-Jones (Nathan) and their children Cole Harding and Landon Jones, who were an integral part of Juliette’s care.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her siblings, Ronald Hardin, Alice “Faye” Mercer, Steamon “Jr” Hardin, II., and Demetrice Kellum.

Jessica Tedder Russell

January 20, 1974 - March 9, 2023

Jessica Tedder Russell, mother to Zachary Lachlan and Emmaleigh Afton Russell unexpectedly passed away at her home in Southern Pines on March 9, 2023.

A lifelong resident of North Carolina, Jessica grew up in Moore and Montgomery counties. She attended both Pinecrest High School and West Montgomery High School and continued her studies at Montgomery Community College and East Carolina University.

In addition to her children, Jessica is survived by her husband, Stephen Russell; mother Deborah Hinson Thomas (James) of West End; father Robbie Tedder and wife Nancy of Mount Gilead; sisters Bliss Jacobs (fiancé' Brandon) of Whispering Pines, Bethany Tedder of Mt. Gilead; brother Rick Jacobs (fiancé' Jacob Lee) of Jackson Springs; grandmother Lola Hinson of Candor; mother-in-law Mary Russell of Wadeville; nephews Grayson and Kieran of Whispering Pines; and several aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her grandfathers, James Hinson of Candor and TR Tedder of Biscoe; grandmother Leona Tedder of Biscoe; uncle Barry Hinson of Spies; and aunt Becky Wallace of Titusville, FL. She also leaves behind her close friends Suzann Beddingfield, Rebecca Boston Polley, and Erica Street.

Wallace "Ted"

Theodore Riley, Jr.

January 19, 1949 - March 8, 2023

Wallace “Ted” Theodore Riley, Jr., 74, of Carthage passed away at his home on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023.

Ted was born on January 19th, 1949, in Moore County to the late Wallace T. Riley, Sr. and Melba (Clayton) Riley. Ted was a native of Moore County and was a devoted husband, father, friend to many, and a deeply adored Poppy. Ted is survived by his wife of 12 years, Jenny Riley of Carthage; children: Holly Biggs-Webb of Whispering Pines; Kerry Black Hooper (Jeramy) of Pinehurst; Clay Riley (Maggie) of Spearfish, South Dakota; and Rebecca Berger-Archibald (Ian) of Wilmington; a sister: Elizabeth Moss (Darrell) of Aberdeen, eight grandchildren: Ethan Biggs, Evan Biggs, Collin Biggs, Isabelle Hooper, Liam Riley, Finn Riley, Addison Berger, Andy Berger; a nephew Austin Moss and niece Whitney Moss.