North State Journal Vol. 8, Issue 31

the BRIEF this week

National poll nds

Trump ahead of Biden by 10 points

Washington, D.C.

A recent national poll found former President Donald Trump with a 10-point lead over President Joe Biden in a head-to-head rematch of the 2020 election. According to a Washington Post-ABC poll taken Sept. 1520 from a random national sample of 1,006 adults, Trump led Biden 52% to 42% with a four-point margin of error.

The same poll found Trump leading 49% to 43% in May. The poll also asked whether people approved of Trump’s performance as president with 48% approving and 49% disapproving.

NSJ STAFF

DeSantis, Newsom to go head-to-head in November Fox News debate

New York

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will take time out from debating fellow Republicans in two months to take on a Democrat, California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Fox News said Monday that the two politicians will appear in a 90-minute debate on Nov. 30 in Georgia.

Sean Hannity will be the moderator, and it is airing on Fox News Channel in Hannity’s 9 p.m. Eastern time slot.

DeSantis is scheduled to appear in the second debate of Republican candidates for the 2024 presidential nomination this week at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Medicaid Expansion

will begin Dec. 1, Cooper announces Raleigh

Gov. Roy Cooper and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley announced Monday that Medicaid Expansion will launch on Dec. 1, 2023.

Medicaid Expansion increases the eligible population to adults aged 1964 who have incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level. Bene ciaries will get care the same way as existing Medicaid bene ciaries and be eligible for the same bene ts and copays as other nondisabled adults already in Medicaid.

“Finally expanding Medicaid in North Carolina is a monumental achievement that will extend health insurance to people who need it,” said Cooper. North Carolina is now the 41st state to expand Medicaid.

NSJ STAFF

Flying into fall

Left, a butter y statue sits in front of a view of the mountains Saturday during the second annual Mountain Monarch Festival at Gorges State Park in Transylvania County. Top right, Heyward Douglass of the Foothills Trail Conservancy gives a presentation about the migration patterns of monarch butter ies to Michoacan, Mexico, on Saturday during the second annual Mountain Monarch Festival at Gorges State Park in Transylvania County. Bottom right, Melinda Russek showcases the art of students from Summit Charter School on Saturday during the second annual Mountain Monarch Festival at Gorges State Park in Transylvania County.

What’s in the state budget for K-12 education? Quite a lot

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Late on Sept. 19, Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) held an impromptu press conference to announce a budget deal had been reached and three days later, the bill went to the governor. In a statement, Cooper said the budget would go into e ect without his signature, which will be on Oct. 2.

The total spending in House Bill 259, “The 2023 Appropriations Act,” comes in at $29.8 billion in FY 2023-24 and $30.9 billion in FY 2024-25.

Education spending in the budget includes $17.3 billion in FY 2023-24 and $17.9

billion in FY 2024-25. The spending amounts each year are a 6.1% and 9.5% increase, respectively, over the spending in corresponding years of the previous budget.

School choice

School choice, a centerpiece of the budget’s education funding, includes the expansion of the popular Opportunity Scholarship Program to all students in the state.

Funding is based on a sliding scale of household income level with funding priority for the lowest-income families. All eligible students will get at least an amount of up to 45% of the average state per-pu-

See EDUCATION, page A2

PHOTOS BY IZZY LAVALETTE | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

State budget boasts new tax relief

By Matt Mercer North State Journal RALEIGH —

Building on

a decade of reform, state Republicans once again are reducing taxes on North Carolinians with the 2023-25 spending plan.

“It’s been over a decade since voters entrusted Republicans to manage the state’snances, and our formula of low taxes, responsible spending, and reasonable regulations works,” said Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) last week in a statement. “This two-year budget carefully considers our state’s past successes, our current needs, and the nancial resources we have at our disposal,”

Rates for the state personal income tax, which make up the majority of revenue the state receives each year, will inch down again. E ective in 2024, the rate’s scheduled drop from 4.75% to 4.6% in 2024 will accelerate to 4.5% instead.

Rates for the following years will come down quicker, going from 4.5% in 2024 to 4.25% in 2025, and down to 3.99% after 2025. The new rates amount to a $1.2 billion tax cut for families and businesses over the next two years, according to the conference report fund projections.

That, though, is only part of the tax cut package.

Language in the budget

calls for the tax rates to automatically lower by one-half of a percentage point down to 2.49% if revenue targets are met. Those targets are due to be reported by the O ce of the State Controller in August for the succeeding year.

“We continue the conservative governance that has made North Carolina a state we can all be proud to live in,” Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Brent Jackson (R-Sampson) said of the budget. “The sensible spending and healthy tax returns make for a strong, lean budget that doesn’t break the bank. As the national economy remains fraught with uncertainty, we took a cautious approach to make sure that North Carolina is prepared for whatever may come.”

In addition, changes to the state franchise tax will cap the tax rate on the rst million of income of C corporation tax base at $500.

Sales tax exemptions will continue in several areas such as continuing care retirement communities and professional motorsports. Other items now exempt are breast pumps, breast pump collection, and storage supplies, repair and replacement parts.

“I can’t think of a state budget that does as much for infrastructure, education, and health care as this one — all

See BUDGET, page A8

State superintendent lays out student achievement concerns, discusses recent charter board policy

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH —North Car-

olina State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said she will continue to focus on helping students overcome pandemic learning loss and is concerned with the N.C. State Board of Education’s recent end-run around the new law shifting powers to the Charter School Review Board, she said in an interview with North State Journal.

Student testing and school accountability data for the previous school year were released at the September meeting of the state Board of Education, and the data showed students were still seeing achievement and grade-level pro ciency

gains but had not yet reached pre-pandemic levels.

“My biggest concerns are middle grades math and middle grades literacy,” Truitt said, noting there were gains in every subject in every subgroup of students except for English II. “We saw no backward movement, and we saw a 3.8% gain in fourth-grade literacy, which is — that’s an incredible gain.”

“But here’s what needs to happen — we’re talking about gains that are not even getting us back to pre-pandemic levels,” she added. “We’re almost there but not quite. And we’re talking about numbers that weren’t even great to begin with, right? We’re still talking about pro ciency rates less than 50%. Even so, gains are

good, and certainly we want to see forward progress and not moving backward.”

Before the pandemic, 67% of eighth graders in North Carolina prior to beginning ninth grade were not reading prociently. She also emphasized that just 14% of African American eighth graders were reading pro ciently when they started ninth grade, and that math scores looked similar.

“We have already gotten the state on the right trajectory with literacy, but we cannot ignore our middle grades teachers with [literacy] professional development,” said Truitt.

Truitt told North State Journal her agency will be augmenting literacy professional development for teachers by bringing “a statewide ini-

tiative to the legislature in the short session that will provide professional development for all middle grades content area teachers.”

When it comes to improving math achievement, Truitt said that, like reading, math issues predate the pandemic and there has to be a shift in thinking about math as a subject.

“In order to tackle math, we have to shed some lega-

See TRUITT, page A2

The door of the Word can only be opened with the key of diligence.

“Search the Scriptures!” John 5:39

The Greek word here rendered “search” signi es a strict, close, diligent, thorough search—such as men make when they are seeking gold. We must not rest content with having given a super cial reading to a chapter or two, but with the candle of the Spirit, we must deliberately seek out the spiritual essence of the Word. Holy Scripture requires searching—much of it can only be learned by careful study. There is milk for babes, but also meat for strong men. No man who merely skims the book of God, can pro t from it. We must dig and mine, until we obtain the hidden treasure. The door of the Word can only opened with the key of diligence. The Scriptures warrant searching. They are the writings of God—we dare to treat them with levity. He who despises them—despises the God who wrote them. God forbid that any of us should leave our Bibles to become swift witnesses against us in the great day of account. The Word of God will repay searching. Scripture grows upon the student. It is full of wonders.

The Scriptures reveal Jesus: “These very Scriptures speak about Me.” No more powerful motive can be urged upon Bible readers than this: He who nds Jesus nds life, Heaven, all things. Happy is he who, searching his Bible, discovers his Savior.

“My son, if you accept My words and store up My commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure—then you will

understand the fear of the Lord and nd the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1-5

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) is one of the most widely read preachers in

history and is known by many as the Prince of Preachers. Spurgeon was pastor of the New Park Street Chapel (later the Metropolitan Tabernacle) in London. His works are now in the public domain.

pil allocation for average daily membership in the prior scal year, which currently would be $3,458.

The Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve was increased to expand the program to all students. Starting in 202526 and running through 2032, the annual funding more than doubles, increasing each year by $209 million.

Charter schools also see activity in the appropriations bill by addressing the recent policy move by the state Board of Education that could withhold funds from charter schools despite the Charter School Review Board (CSRB) being the authority on school approvals.

Per the bill, the state board “shall not withhold or reduce distribution of funds to a charter school for any reason” other than when there is a funding shift due to enrollment or general adjustments, if the CSRB noti es the board a school has violated a term of its charter, state statute or federal law, or if a charter school is terminated or nonrenewed.

EDUCATION from page 1 thinking around the importance of math,” Truitt said. “I would never say to you as an adult, ‘I’m not a very good reader,’ but it’s perfectly acceptable for someone to say, ‘I’m not I’m not good at math.’ That has to change.

“We are living in a society where we have normalized decits in basic math skills. And we’re living in a society where jobs by 2030 are going to require a signi cant amount of computer science, A.I. — all kinds of skills that involve being pro cient in math.”

To solve the problem, Truitt proposes that there needs to be a comprehensive goal of algebra I readiness due to the course being a “gateway course” to higher math classes as well as being predictive of post-secondary success.

She also believes the state needs to mandate an early screener for elementary math similar to what already exists for reading. Providing teachers with professional development in how to teach math is another key element, along with moving to a competency-based approach.

“So, the cumulative nature of math and the idea that the time is xed and the learning is

Additionally, charter funding can be altered by the state board if the state superintendent nds the school has failed to meet scal management standards or has violated state or federal requirements for funding.

Parental rights

Under section 78.1(d), various parental rights as provided in Session Law 2023-106 (Senate Bill 49) are reiterated and codi ed, including the directive for school districts to comply with the law by Jan. 1, 2024, including giving parents a “parent guide to student achievement.”

In a statement on the social media platform X, State Superintendent Catherine Truitt thanked lawmakers for including the provisions.

“The Parents’ Bill of Rights is an essential piece of legislation that informs, empowers, and equips parents to advocate for their child’s academic, physical, emotional and overall well-being at school,” Truitt said. “From the beginning, I’ve supported the Parents’ Bill of Rights law, and I want it to be implemented successfully, and enacted fully.”

School safety

There is $35 million in spending for school safety grants in both years of the budget. The grants can be used for school safety training, safety equipment in schools and subsidizing the School Resource O cer Grants program.

Teachers

The budget proposal includes a 7% raise for state employees over the two-year plan; 4% and 3%, respectively. The raises will be retroactive to July, the beginning of the state scal year. For teachers and noncertied sta , the plan has an average raise of 7% for the two years. Starting teacher pay will rise to $41,000 in FY 2024-25,

an 11% increase. According to the Senate Republicans, the average teacher pay will increase to $60,671 by 2024-25, which “is on par with the state median household income.”

Under the Senate’s May budget proposal, raises for teachers came in at 4.5% over the two years, less than half of the House’s 7.5% two-year plan. Gov. Roy Cooper’s $67 billion budget plan had called for an 18% teacher raise. Top lawmakers called Cooper’s spending plan “reckless.”

An additional recurring appropriation of $30 million will be provided for the teacher supplement assistance program allotment. The total available for the state-funded allotment will now be $200 million annually.

The Advanced Teaching Roles program will be expanded and provided $10.9 million on a recurring basis for salary supplements for teachers serving in advanced roles. Salary supplements for advanced teaching roles include $10,000 for adult leadership teachers and $3,000 for classroom excellence teachers.

Pandemic recovery

Pandemic recovery needs continue in the current budget proposal, requiring the North Carolina Education Corps (NCEC) to report the results of the program to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by Feb. 15, 2024. NCEC was established during the 2021 legislative session to support students following the pandemic. The organization, which became a nonpro t in 2021, has received tens of millions in state and federal dollars.

A new Special Needs Pilot Program, including a contract with Amplio Learning Technologies for a special education digital intervention software platform, is included at $975,000. The pilot will be in schools in Alamance, Catawba and Nash counties for students with special needs. Various allotments totaling $5 million in the remaining Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) federal funds are also included.

Truitt said she only saw the policy a few days ahead of time and no one in her department had any input into crafting it.

The now-approved policy, CHTR-022, does an end-run around the new law establishing the Charter School Review Board (CSRB), which gives that board de nitive powers over the charter school process including approving or denying charter applications, granting renewals and issuing revocations.

The policy e ectively circumvents the law by giving the board the power to withhold or deny funding to a charter school regardless of the CSRB’s determinations.

Truitt said the policy didn’t need to be rushed through as Chairman Eric Davis had claimed, saying if the board had involved the person in her agency who handles funding topics it “would have learned that there was no rush to get this through because charter schools don’t get funding until they have a certi cate of occupancy.”

“Even if the charter review board were to approve a school yesterday, there’s no funding until July,” Truitt said. “And to suggest that the North Carolina Constitution gives the board power to withhold funding from public schools. That’s not correct.”

variable is very problematic in school in general, but especially in math,” she said. “The learning needs to be xed and the time needs to be variable. We need to move toward a competency-based approach to math instruction. Kids should not move

on in math until they are procient in skills.”

Turning to the recent charter school policy approved by the state Board of Education, Truitt said the board so far “has not shown a willingness to revise this policy.”

Prior to the new law being enacted, the state Board of Education could reject any application for a school regardless of the former Charter School Advisory Board’s (CSAB) recommendation. At least a half-dozen schools that received unanimous support from the CSAB were later rejected by the state board, many of which had vague or questionable justi cations.

She also said she thinks the legislature might clarify what triggers the funding, and legislators will likely lay out the criteria that would allow the State Board to appeal the charter review board’s decision.

In a Sept. 18 leaked edition of the state budget, lawmakers took aim at the board’s policy move by including a section to “limit discretion to withhold or reduce charter funding to the review board and superintendent of public instruction.”

“Grace” (circa 1920) is a photograph by Eric Enstrom. The photograph is a picture of a white-bearded man and was designated Minnesota’s o cial state photograph in 2002.

TRUITT from page 1

Education spending in the budget includes $17.3 billion in FY 2023-24 and $17.9 billion in FY 2024-25.

NSJ PHOTO

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt sits in a conference room during an interview with North State Journal.

“My biggest concerns are middle grades math and middle grades literacy.”

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Real life truth from Tom Brady and Jimmy John

SHEDEUR SANDERS is the star of the college football world today.

He is the talented quarterback of the Colorado Bu aloes and has led them to a surprising 3-1 start — even though they got blown out by Oregon last weekend — when many thought they might not win a game the whole season.

The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

He is also the son of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders. “Neon Deion,” aka “Primetime,” Sanders thrived at Florida State in the late 1980s before starring in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. He also played professional baseball for the Atlanta Braves at the same time he played for the Falcons and excelled in both sports.

Coach Sanders has brought tremendous excitement and attention to the previously moribund Colorado program. The ColoradoColorado State game attracted close to 10 million viewers and was the second-most watched college game this season.

Shedeur is the epitome of the modern athlete in the NIL era. He has a $5 million contract as a 21-year-old junior, which is not too bad considering most college students would be glad with a part-time job at somewhere like, say, a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop.

Both Sanderses were guests on former NFL star quarterback Tom Brady’s podcast last week. Brady is a mentor for the younger Sanders; again, not too bad since Brady won seven Super Bowls and is considered the greatest quarterback in NFL history.

Young Shedeur bought a Rolls Royce with his own NIL money to drive to class and around Boulder, Colorado. Which led to this

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

conversation:

Deion Sanders: “Tom, do you think a college kid needs a Phantom, like a Rolls-Royce?”

Shedeur Sanders: “No, it’s not a Phantom. It’s a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.”

Brady: “I think he needs to get his ass in the lm room and spend as much time in there as possible.”

Deion Sanders: “Thank you, Tom! Thank you!”

In recent times, some might consider Brady’s comments to have been racist in some fashion. Others may have labeled Brady’s comments as degrading and rude to the young prodigy which would hurt his feelings and damage his selfesteem somehow.

The only problem was that Shedeur’s father agreed profusely with Brady’s assessment. He could be heard cheering wildly as Brady lectured the young Sanders on what it takes to be great not only at football but at anything in life.

There was no hint of racism or condescension in Brady’s voice nor was any o ense taken by the young Sanders. Brady, the GOAT of NFL quarterbacks, was simply trying to convey to the young quarterback what it takes if he indeed wanted to become a truly great quarterback like he had been. Hard work, persistence and delayed grati cation of material wealth are all part and parcel of what it takes to be a success in America regardless of race, creed, genetics or socioeconomic background.

No one is going to hand it to anyone just because some political faction thinks it would be the fair, equitable or nice thing to do.

Later that same afternoon, I found myself standing in line at that repository of profound

philosophical musings, the aforementioned Jimmy John’s. I saw a list of Rules for Life the founder of Jimmy John’s posted for all the world to see, including every young person who came in to work or get a submarine sandwich:

• Life is not fair — get used to it!

• The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

• If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

• Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity.

• Your grandparents had a di erent word for burger ipping. They called it opportunity.

• If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

• Your school may have done away with winners and losers ― but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. • This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.

• Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers o and very few employers are interested in helping you nd yourself. Do that on your own time.

• We are not doing younger generations any favors by coddling them and protecting them from the realities of life like the enlightened uber-left wants us to do. Tom Brady and Jimmy John’s are doing them a valuable service by being honest with them and not lying to them.

We should all do the same thing.

How a columnist’s hamburger tweet united America

THOUGH THE POLITICAL DIVIDE in America seemingly grows wider every day, occasionally someone comes along who manages to unintentionally unite the country — even if for only a brief moment.

One such moment happened just last week when The New York Times columnist David Brooks took to the Twitter machine to share a photo of the meal he was having at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Looks like someone was knocking back some serious drinks.

Pictured was a small platter that contained a hamburger, crinkle fries, a tomato slice and greens, empty ketchup packets, and what undoubtedly was an alcoholic beverage on the rocks, though it wasn’t known at the time what kind.

Unlike most people who share photos of what they’re eating on social media, Brooks didn’t post the photo to brag. He was upset over the cost of the meal and wanted people to know about it.

“This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport,” Brooks tweeted. “This is why Americans think the economy is terrible.”

While most travelers who have own know that eating at the airport has never been cheap, even when the economy has been good, the tweet — which went viral for all the wrong reasons — rubbed many folks the wrong way. It also came across as tone-deaf considering how many average Americans are struggling when it comes to being able to pay for basic grocery items for their families.

Further, something was o to a lot of people who read what Brooks wrote.

Did that hamburger and fries really cost him $78? Or was that alcoholic beverage that drove up the tab?

Twitter sleuths gured out which restaurant Brooks ate at that day, 1911 Smoke House BBQ, and along with it the menu. A typical burger and fries meal there costs around $18.

In other words, it wasn’t Brooks’ food that was so expensive; it was likely the drink — or drinks — he had.

The restaurant con rmed as much in a New York Post interview, telling them Brooks probably had “two doubles,” which they said would cost around $28 each.

On Facebook, 1911 Smoke House BBQ had fun with it.

“Looks like someone was knocking back some serious drinks,” they noted. “Bar tab was almost 80% and he’s complaining about the cost of his meal — keep drinking buddy — we get paid o everything.”

They later hilariously added the “David Brooks Special” to their menu, which was a hamburger, fries and a double shot of whiskey for $18.

As of this writing, Brooks’ original tweet has more than 38 million views and counting. Nearly every comment you read in response to it has a similar message, which, to paraphrase, says something along the lines of “How out of touch can one person possibly get?”

For Brooks, the sky was the limit on that front.

But two days after he posted it, a suitably contrite Brooks appeared on “PBS NewsHour” where he was asked about the massive backlash to his remarks.

In response, he pointed out that he had originally intended for it to be a joke about how he was having a “bourbon and a very fattening hamburger and fries” and couldn’t “a ord to make bad lifestyle choices.”

Brooks went on to say, “The problem with the tweet, which I wrote so stupidly, was that it made it seem like I was oblivious (to the) sticker shock (that people) living paycheck to paycheck (often go through).”

“I was insensitive. I screwed up,” he later admitted. “I should not have written that tweet. I probably should not write any tweets.”

Truth be told, if people spent more time o Twitter than on it, the world would be a much better place. It’s just too bad that statements like that don’t unite people in agreement in the same way tweeters embarrassing themselves on the social media platform do.

The surge of populism — and nationalism

Europe is not about to be overrun by fascists, in a repeat of the 1930s.

“POPULIST POLITICIANS AND PARTIES,” writes the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Henry Olsen in The Spectator, are “rapidly gaining strength and power across the developed world.” They’re doing so despite the opposition and angry scorn of political and intellectual establishments of Left and Right, and with a resilience that they nd ba ing.

Nothing exempli es that resilience more than the current standing of Donald Trump’s third presidential campaign. Trump didn’t come close to a plurality, much less a majority, of the popular vote as the Republican nominee in 2016 and 2020; his conduct led to his party’s loss of its House majority in 2018 and his endorsements of weak nominees cost the GOP its Senate majority in 2022; and of course, despite his claims, he failed to win reelection in November 2020.

But there he sits, despite four indictments with 91 counts, polling 59% against multiple opponents in primary pairings and a 45%-45% tie against President Joe Biden, who led him 51%-47% in 2020.

As Olsen points out, Trump isn’t the only politician often labeled as a populist who is doing well despite elite scorn. Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, comes from a party with roots in the fascist movement of Benito Mussolini. Though Mussolini has been dead for 78 years, that aroused more unease than the election of a former communist to that post in 1998, just nine years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Other populists doing well lately include Germany’s Alternative fur Deutschland and Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre, longtime Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, back in 2019, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

In di erent ways and to di erent extents, these populists abjure the market economics and interventionist foreign policies of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and have been winning the votes without entirely endorsing the platforms of cultural conservatives.

The stock response of nancial and corporate establishments has been to use any means to exclude such politicians from positions of power. In this country, that has included concocting and promoting the Russia collusion hoax rather than accepting Trump’s election as legitimate, and using intelligence o cials to muscle social media to suppress news of the legitimate Hunter Biden scandal in 2020.

Now the establishment may be throwing in the towel. In its most recent edition, the London-based Economist left o worrying about populists’ supposed authoritarianism and conceded that “Europe is not about to be overrun by fascists, in a repeat of the 1930s.”

“Rather than trying to exclude hard-right parties entirely from government and public debate,” it went on, “the best response is for mainstream parties to engage with them, and on occasion to do deals with them. If they have to take some responsibility for actually governing, they may grow less radical.”

Quite possibly, and quite possibly some establishment folks may one day concede that some of their policies and presuppositions have not worked out well. Olsen cites “the blind faith elites had that the pursuit of wealth would

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

transform China’s Communist party,” the “elite economic mismanagement” that caused the 2008 nancial crash and today’s in ation, and “elite insistence that traditional mores be disregarded” which has led to “culture wars.” He might have added the overly stringent and scienti cally unjusti ed COVID-19 lockdowns in this and other countries.

Some 30 years ago, in the late Irving Kristol’s Public Interest quarterly, I wrote an article in which I argued that democracies have had “four major types of political parties: religious, liberal, socialist, and nationalist.” Some democracies over the preceding 160 and the intervening 30 years have fared better than others.

Religious parties in Europe have disappeared or changed character with the decline there of religious belief. The Republican Party for three decades since the 1980s has had some of the character of a religious party, which has faded in the Trump years, while today’s Democratic Party sometimes advocates with religious fervor the secular liberalism of an increasing number of its supporters. As I predicted in 1993, “parties will attack their opponents by calling them religious.”

Liberal parties dedicated to 19th-century liberalism, free trade, market economics, religious toleration and freedom succumbed in the 20th century to socialist parties, closely allied with labor unions. Grover Cleveland’s laissez-faire Democrats become Woodrow Wilson’s statist Democrats. Britain’s Liberal Party, with a 397-156 seat margin in 1906 and a front bench with two later wartime prime ministers, David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill, faded to third-party status as Labour

Evidence about Biden criminality and dishonesty keeps growing

Unlike Pop, I won’t make you give me half your salary.

WHEN SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY called for an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden’s various corrupt actions, several reporters called me.

Every one of them began their questions with the assumption that there was no evidence of Biden wrong-doing, and the inquiry was a purely partisan exercise.

None of them seemed to understand what an impeachment inquiry is. The point of any inquiry is to question if there might be evidence of crimes large enough to justify impeachment.

The inquiry is a prelude — not an act of impeachment. If su cient proof is found during the inquiry, the next stage is an impeachment. If a thorough review of the information does not indicate any serious wrongdoing, the matter is dropped.

The question at this stage is whether there are enough suspicious facts and knowledgeable witnesses to raise questions that need answering.

Here are some key parts of the committee’s report. If anyone asks you why there is an impeachment inquiry, this will equip you with an authoritative and factual answer.

The key questions are: First, whether Joe Biden was actively helping his son make money while in o ce; and second, did Joe Biden get signi cant money for his help?

The impeachment inquiry is going to produce a lot more material. These items below are only the beginning. Much of this came directly from the Committee on Oversight, with some of my commentary.

On July 20, 2023, Devon Archer, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, testi ed that “Joe Biden was “The Brand” and was used to send “signals” of power, access and in uence to enrich the Biden family from foreign sources.” Archer testi ed that then-Vice President

Biden was on a speakerphone more than 20 times to prove Hunter had access to power.

“In February 2014, then-Vice President Joe Biden dined with oligarchs from Russia and Kazakhstan who funneled millions of dollars to Hunter Biden and his business associates.” That dinner occurred at Café Milano and no one questions that it happened.

“In April 2015, then-Vice President Biden dined with Hunter Biden’s foreign business associates, including Ukrainian Burisma executive Vadym Pozharsky. Burisma was then being investigated by Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin for corruption.

“Using the pseudonym “Robert L. Peters,” Vice President Biden was informed by his sta of a call in 2016 with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. Copied on that o cial email? Hunter Biden, who was sitting on the board of the Ukrainian company Burisma.

“In May 2017, James Gilliar, a Biden family associate, emailed Hunter Biden and other associates to formalize how they would divide the pro t from their deal with CEFC, a Chinese Communist Party-linked energy company. Gilliar indicated Joe Biden would receive 10%, which has been con rmed by former Biden family associate, Tony Bobulinski.

“On May 20, 2017, James Gilliar told Tony Bobulinksi, another business associate, ‘Don’t mention Joe being involved, it’s only when u are face to face[.] I know u know that but they are paranoid.’

“In a Sept. 21, 2017, email, Hunter Biden wrote that Joe Biden is his business partner and provided Joe Biden’s personal cell phone if the recipient seeks con rmation. Emails also show that Hunter Biden, CEFC o cials and Joe Biden would share o ces under the Hudson West/CEFC/Biden Foundation name.

“On July 30, 2017, Hunter Biden demanded

elected a prime minister in 1924.

Anti-clerical liberal parties in Italy, Spain and France “died from failure of nerve,” as I wrote, failing to protect democracy against Mussolini, Franco and Vichy. Socialist policies didn’t work and were repudiated by Thatcher and Reagan — and Tony Blair and Bill Clinton.

The democratic parties with staying power have been nationalist parties — “not the nationalism of Hitler, of course,” as I wrote in 1993, but the “nationalism that is open to various economic programs and compatible with cultural toleration.” Olsen identi es “national solidarity” as the guiding principle of populist voters, who favor “the particular over the global, the communal over the individual, and the traditional over the novel.”

“The United States may be entering a happy period,” I wrote in 1993, “where it has two nationalist parties, with di ering positions on important cultural and economic issues, but a fundamentally favorable outlook toward American nationalism, a condition we have not enjoyed since the mid-1960s.”

Those hopes have been disappointed, most recently by the personal shortcomings of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, by the refusal of Trump’s opponents to accept the legitimacy of his victory in 2016 — and by his refusal to accept the legitimacy of theirs in 2020. It’s looking like they will be disappointed for some time to come.

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.”

money from Chinese business associates and threatened that Joe Biden was sitting next to him: “If I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you … I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.

“On Aug. 3, 2017, Hunter Biden claimed, ‘The Biden’s are the best I know at doing exactly what the Chairman wants from this partnership. Please let’s not quibble over peanuts.’ The Chairman is Ye Jianming, a Chinese billionaire tied to a CCP intelligence gathering agency. Ye stated that CEFC China’s vision “is to obtain overseas resources and serve the national strategy.

“As Vice President, Joe Biden allowed his son to travel on Air Force Two with him to court business around the world. Vice President Biden brought Hunter Biden along to at least 15 countries where he sold ‘The Brand’ to enrich the Biden family.

“Hunter Biden’s business associates reportedly visited the White House more than 80 times when Joe Biden was vice president.

“The FBI’s June 30, 2020, FD-1023 form contains allegations that then-Vice President Joe Biden allegedly engaged in an extortion scheme where he was paid $5 million in exchange for certain actions.

“Hunter’s pitch to Chinese investors was access to his father, Joe Biden. In September 2011, while his father was vice president, Hunter wrote in an email that his value to Chinese investors ‘has nothing to do with me and everything to do with my last name.’

“In 2019, Hunter Biden texted his daughter, claiming that, ‘unlike Pop I won’t make you give me half your salary.’

Clearly there must be an inquiry — and we must get the facts.

AP PHOTO

Former President Donald Trump ends his remarks and holds up his st at a rally in Summerville, S.C., Monday, Sept. 25, 2023.

Paying Iranian terrorists billions in ransom is nothing to brag about, Mr. President

The United States released a bunch of spies, most of them caught trying to send military and nuclear equipment back to Iran.

THE GOING RATE for an American hostage these days is around $1.3 billion. That’s what the Biden administration paid out for ve Americans in a prisoner swap with the Islamic Republic of Iran last week. And with little overhead, it’s mostly pro t for the mullahs.

But don’t let the term “prisoner swap” insinuate that there is any moral equivalence. These are not two normal countries trading spies or combatants. No, this is just oldfashioned extortion.

The Iranians released political hostages, snatched o the streets of Tehran after unwisely returning to visit family or attending funerals or protests. Many of them were reportedly thrown into the notorious Evin Prison for the crime of having dual citizenship. Some, like Siamak Namazi, were put in solitary con nement for more than two years.

Conversely, the United States released a bunch of spies, most of them caught trying to send military and nuclear equipment back to Iran — all of them given the bene t of due process.

Having a moral imperative to retrieve American citizens from these fascist regimes is admirable. Incentivizing more kidnappings is not. So, it’s one thing for the Biden administration to contend, “We did what he had to do” and quite another for them to celebrate as if they had just signed the Peace of Westphalia.

Last Tuesday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted out a triumphant picture of the Biden team and the released hostages, writing, “seven Americans on their way home from Iran alongside a world class group of American diplomats.”

The fact that Iran, a far weaker state with little leverage, walks away with its spies and $6 billion in sanctioned cash in exchange for ve innocent people does not strike me as a great diplomatic coup ... at least not for the United States.

Mullahs, and others, feel quite comfortable taking American hostages, which speaks poorly of our world standing, and confoundingly of the Democrats’ soft touch with Iran. “Hey, that’s a nice military base you have there, it would be a shame if it ended up like the shredded corpse of Qasem Soleimani,” is what the vile mullahs should be hearing. The same Democrats who are gung-ho to ght proxy wars against nuclear powers will seldom utter a word that might o end the supreme leader of Iran.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, trying to manage the political fallout, contends that the United States is “working every single day to take steps to make this practice (hostage taking)

more and more di cult and more and more of a burden on those countries that engage in it.”

They say the same thing every time. And it is never true.

For a long time, stated U.S. policy was to never pay ransom for hostages taken by terror groups. The Justice Department objected to former President Barack Obama’s midnight cash payments to Iran because it ignored those existing guidelines. This is why Washington now uses diplomatic euphemisms like “wrongfully detained” rather than “hostage.” And the U.S. not only still considers Iran a state sponsor of terrorism, but it has designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the group that reportedly seized these very people we just liberated, a terror organization.

This is also why the White House claims that “under terms that provide con dence, the funds will be spent only on a limited category of humanitarian trade: food, medicine and agricultural products. That’s it.”

Is it, though? There is absolutely no way to ensure that the Islamofascists in Qatar, the nation “brokering” the deal, will hold their friends in Iran accountable, or that it even matters. Before all the funds were even transferred to Iranian accounts, “President” Ebrahim Raisi had told NBC News that his country would spend $6 billion “wherever we need it.” Of course, even if the mullahs bought only “food, medicine and agricultural products” with it, that speci c money is, as everyone knows, fungible.

Iran boosters will tell you the ransom money is actually Iran’s to begin with — funds held by South Korea due to American sanctions. It shouldn’t be. The Iranian government, companies and o cials still owe American citizens at least $53 billion in outstanding judgments. Legislation passed in 2015 granted up to $4.44 million to every American held hostage by Iran in 1981 — $10,000 per day. Then there are the families and relatives of 9/11 victims, who also won tens of millions in judgments against Iran, which not only gave safe harbor to Sunni terror groups but also helped transit al-Qaeda members out of Afghanistan before 9/11, including some of the hijackers. Maybe we needed to make this deal, maybe not. But giving another $6 billion to a nation that attacks U.S. interests around the world, one that is responsible for the murders of hundreds of our soldiers, is nothing to brag about.

David Harsanyi is a senior editor at The Federalist.

Hey, Republicans: don’t forget growth and prosperity

HOUSE REPUBLICANS are in another titanic battle with President Joe Biden on how to balance the budget. Actually, it’s a lopsided debate because Democrats have no interest at all in reducing the de cit. They are operating under the delusional idea paradigm of “Modern Monetary Theory,” which posits that the U.S. government can borrow $2 trillion from now until the end of days and it won’t hurt the economy.

Were these presidential advisers the same Nobel-winning economic sages who swore in the pages of The New York Times that, don’t worry, Mr. Biden, your $6 trillion spending spree won’t cause in ation?

Those of us who live down here in the real world are horri ed by the scal future we’re facing. Any week now, our publicly traded debt will exceed 100% of our total annual national output, and that percentage gobbled up by government debt is expected to accelerate from 100% of gross domestic product today to nearly 200% over the next 30 years. That’s the path to Argentina, Bolivia and Zimbabwe.

There’s plenty to cut in the budget, and House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) has put forward a nancially t budget that would chop hundreds of billions of dollars a year of waste, fraud, redundancy and obsolescence.

Here’s another way to shave o $380 billion of spending right out of the gate: kill Biden’s green energy slush fund, which is being run by Democratic politico John Podesta. How about allowing the production of energy that pays taxes — the oil, natural gas and coal industry — instead of “renewable” energy that eats hundreds of billions of tax dollars?

But it doesn’t matter how much chain-sawing that Republicans could possibly do — even if they had the political will to do it — these reforms still won’t get us within a country mile of a balanced budget.

That’s because there isn’t enough economic growth to get the revenues to catch up with the spending. Under Biden, the U.S. economy has grown at roughly a 1.5% growth path — pretty pathetic given that coming out of COVID-19 we should have been booming.

Worse yet, the standard forecast from the Congressional Budget O ce is predicated on the assumption of 1.7% annual economic growth. But that’s way below the 3.2% average real growth rate of the U.S. economy from 1950-2005.

To borrow a phrase from John F. Kennedy when he was running for president in 1960: “We can do better.” Actually, a lot better.

Protecting

our children from online predators

Common Sense Media released a study nding that 15% of today’s teens rst saw porn online by age 10, and that the average child is only 12 years old when they rst see pornography online.

CHILDREN IN NORTH CAROLINA are being targeted by the porn industry daily. The N.C. General Assembly has passed several pieces of good legislation that address obscene materials children are allowed to access in schools and at public venues. One piece of legislation that passed recently is a bill addressing pornographic materials children are exposed to on their phones.

Every day, tens of thousands of children across North Carolina access internet pornography without restrictions. Today’s porn is vastly di erent from that of previous generations. The porn of today is not just topless models o a VHS from the video store. Today’s pornography is much more explicit, with simulated sex acts with children, often these portrayed images include brutality, violence and even gangbangs. All of this is at the ngertips of today’s 8-year-old with no safeguards for our youth.

Internet porn companies are exposing children to material that warps their understanding of sexuality and produces sexless adults who replace intimacy for virtual fairy tale experiences. Some tech-savvy parents install content blockers on their children’s devices and family networks, but most are unaware of the resources or ambivalent about their child’s porn exposure.

Parents may be unaware of the psychological e ect of constant scroll algorithms such as TikTok and other social media sites. The constant ow of information, and an algorithm tailored to the user, leads today’s youth to have their face down in a phone nonstop. Now apply those same algorithmic tricks to sexual content and you have a recipe for sexual dysfunction and addiction. Easy streaming access is causing an unhealthy relationship between today’s youth and pornography.

In January of this year, Common Sense Media released a study nding that 15% of today’s teens rst saw porn online by age 10, and that the average child is only 12 years old when they rst see pornography online. The majority of these were unintentional. Overall, 73% of today’s teens have been exposed to pornography either accidentally or intentionally.

And if the results for the consumer weren’t enough reason to regulate pornography distribution, the production is just as harmful.

End Slavery Now reports, “Porn directly fuels the demand for sexual exploitation and it can sometimes be recorded evidence of sex tra cking.”

As recently as 2020, Pornhub was verifying users who uploaded videos of tra cked minors and pro ting o the advertisements on those videos. Major credit card companies even stopped processing payments for the site’s parent company because they realized the seriousness of this issue. Tra cked minors make up to 20% of all pornographic material, and America produces over half of all child pornography.

The General Assembly has taken steps this session to address the human tra cking problem in this state and assist victims. But law enforcement can only do so much as long as the porn industry is allowed to continue producing, distributing and driving up demand for pornography with minimal regulation.

Age veri cation laws will greatly help diminish the demand for pornography as well as prevent some of the mental health issues that today’s youth face. In Louisiana, the rst state to implement an age veri cation law for pornography, Pornhub reported an 80% drop in tra c. Utah, Mississippi, Virginia, Texas, Arkansas and Montana have joined Louisiana in requiring age veri cation for those who view pornography online. We require ID for alcohol, tobacco and now online sports betting because of the associated danger for our children. Pornography is just as hazardous, and we must hold the distributors to task for the harm they are causing society.

The North Carolina bill Pornography Age Veri cation Enforcement Act (PAVE) would create a civil cause of action for parents to sue distributors who fail to implement age veri cation.

The PAVE language began this session in HB 534 which I introduced. Much of the language of that bill was added to HB 8 late in the session with the help of Sen. Amy Galey and Rep. Erin Pare where it was passed into law Sept. 21, 2023. This law will go into e ect Jan. 1, 2024, and will give North Carolina some of the needed guardrails for our children in this arena.

Rep. Neal Jackson represents the 78th District in the N.C. House of Representatives.

Former President Donald Trump gets this. So does Vivek Ramaswamy. When you get more growth, you get more revenues and less spending on social welfare programs. Ramaswamy says it well: “If we get back to 3%-plus economic growth, the scal problems start to go away.” Conservative and liberal economists alike have scolded the Trump-Ramaswamy strategy for concluding that “we can grow our way out of the de cit.”

Actually, with a modicum of spending restraint and a higher growth path, we can avoid the scal train wreck.

Committee to Unleash Prosperity economist Louis Woodhill nds that the debt as a share of GDP slopes steadily downward over the next 30 years with a 3% trajectory of growth. And if we achieve 3.5% growth, we can even reach a point where we start paying down the debt. This is called the power of compounding. What a change that would be from a trillion dollars a year in red ink added forever — which is the Biden baseline.

This also means that any policy that lowers growth — for example, not drilling for U.S. oil and gas — makes the de cit forecast worse.

This is why tax increases on investment and work are so counterproductive. Those taxes would reduce investment and growth and make a balanced budget even more unachievable.

Under President Bill Clinton, we had fast growth, spending restraint, and a booming stock market; three years later, we had a balanced budget.

What if our politicians set a national priority to do everything humanly possible to make the economy grow at between 3% and 3.5%, not the anemic growth rate of that pace as the CBO predicts? Many people think that’s impossible because of low birth rates and low labor force growth, but we can and should import the workers we need — especially the brainiacs — from the rest of the world to keep labor force growth from shrinking.

We can achieve bursts of growth from the next age of hyper-technological advances in areas like energy production, robotics, arti cial intelligence and gene therapy that could make the internet revolution look like a blip. New billion-dollar factories will be lled with very few workers and a lot of robots — which translates into gigantic leaps forward in productivity that could make 3% growth a layup.

There is one more virtue of a growth agenda: Americans want prosperity far more than they want a balanced budget. We all want a balanced federal budget in principle, but more important to voters is that their own family budget is growing.

Stephen Moore is a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a chief economist at Freedom Works.

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

COLUMN | NEAL JACKSON

Leandro appeal takes step closer to NC Supreme Court return

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A motion led by the attorney for state lawmakers in the long-running Leandro education funding case was granted by the N.C. Court of Appeals. The motion, led by Matthew Tilley on Sept. 18, asked for a 30day extension in ling “for the Intervenor Defendants-Appellants to le and serve their opening brief.” The court of appeals granted the motion the same day.

The Intervenor Defendant-Appellants, which include Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain), are appealing the $677.8 million funding order issued in April by Superior Court Judge James Floyd Ammons Jr. in the above-referenced matter.

The opening brief for the appeal was originally to be due Sept.

25. The extension granted by the court of appeals pushes that due date out to Oct. 25.

The Leandro case started in 1994 and has passed through various courtrooms and been overseen by four judges over the last two decades.

The case was rst assigned to Superior Court Judge Howard Manning in 1997. Manning was replaced by W. David Lee in Oct. 2016 by then-N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Martin.

In March 2022, N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby assigned the case to Superior Court Judge Mike Robinson to replace Lee, who passed away in October 2022 after a battle with cancer. Months later, on Dec. 29, Newby reassigned the case to the Ammons after Robinson requested the case be removed from his docket, citing workload issues.

The core of the case, led by parents and students in lowwealth counties, alleged the right

to a decent and proper education under the N.C. Constitution was being denied.

In 1997, the N.C. Supreme Court’s ruling in the case sent it back to the trial court level. Another ruling by the state’s high court in 2004 took a look specically at topics pertaining to Pre-K education and at-risk students, but no funding directive was issued at that time.

In more recent events in the Leandro timeline, the funding has gone from $1.7 billion to $785 million down to the current estimated total of $677.8 million.

Lawyers for Berger and Moore have indicated they want the state’s high court to review the case again. The upcoming October brief or a future motion could contain such a request. If the high court does take the case back up, the constitutional issue of the funds transfer created by the previous court’s ruling will likely resurface.

Bill raising penalties on teacher sexual assault of students goes to governor

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The N.C. House of Representatives voted 106-1 on Sept. 21 to approve a bill raising criminal penalties for teachers who sexually assault students.

The day prior, the Senate unanimously passed House Bill 142 by a vote of 470. The bill now heads to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk. The lone no vote in the House came from Rep. Allison Dahle (D-Wake).

An unrelated amendment was added prior to the Senate passing the bill requiring the Buncombe County Board of Education to designate its electoral districts as well as establish a study of the Buncombe district merging with Asheville City Schools.

o cials are also covered under the bill by making it a Class I felony if a school o cial fails to report a teacher engaged in misconduct to the state Board of Education.

Under state statute, teachers who are not recommended for dismissal are required to give a 30-day notice when resigning. If the notice is not given, the local board can request the SBE revoke the license for the remainder of that school year.

The lone no vote in the House came from Rep. Allison Dahle (D-Wake).

The same statute also says that if a teacher’s criminal history is relevant to the resignation, regardless of the 30day notice law, the local school board “shall report” the reason the teacher resigned to the SBE.

A Washington Post-ABC poll recently asked Americans about their approval of President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy and the U.S.-Mexico Border. Less than one-third of Americans approved of Biden’s handling of the two major issues. On the economy, 30% approved, 64% disapproved and 6% had no opinion. On the U.S.-Mexico border situation, 23% approved, 62% disapproved and 15% had no opinion. The poll shows declining approval for the president on both issues over the past two years. In April 2021, 52% of

Americans approved of Biden’s handling of the economy and 37% approved of his handling of the border. In February of this year, Biden’s approval on the economy had dipped to 37% and approval of his border policies stood at 28%.

The poll also delved into speci cs on the U.S. economy. On the overall state of the U.S. economy, 74% of poll respondents held a negative view of the economy with 42% calling the U.S. economy poor. With respect to food prices, 91% of respondents had a negative view with 55% calling food prices poor.

The poll coincides with a con-

tinued surge of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. In El Paso, Texas, more than 2,000 people have entered each day requesting asylum, leading Mayor Oscar Leeser to say his city was at “a breaking point.” At a brie ng on the situation Saturday, Leeser said, “We have a broken immigration system. It’s the same thing over and over again.”

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, August encounters with migrants at the southern border were nearing four-year highs at 232,972. Border encounters have exceeded 150,000 every month since March 2021.

Under the proposed bill, the crime of sexual activity with a student goes from a Class I to a Class G felony. A Class I felony has a sentence of three to 12 months whereas a Class G felony can be an eight to 31 months prison sentence. The crime of taking indecent liberties with a student has an identical increase.

Additionally, the bill prohibits the Retirement System’s Board of Trustees from paying retirement bene ts to any member convicted of a felony if the o ense is committed while the member is employed in a public school or if the o ense would require revocation of a certi cation or professional license.

Per the bill, N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s Center for Safer Schools is directed to create an age-appropriate informational video on child abuse, sex abuse and neglect for students in grades six through 12.

Reporting issues by district

BUDGET from page 1

while returning a signi cant sum of money to taxpayers to help ease in ationary pressure,” Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell), one of the other Senate Appropriations Chairs, said. “It’s easy to get carried away and spend more than you need, but we made sure that wasn’t the

In an interview earlier this year with North State Journal, State Superintendent Catherine Truitt indicated ongoing issues with resignation information coming to her o ce from the districts.

“I’ve had one in the last two years,” said Truitt. “I’ve only had one case of a superintendent letting me know of a 30-day — of someone who quit — and it was not sexually related. It was not about that. It was she quit for other reasons, but someone who quit without 30 days’ notice.”

In September 2022, Truitt asked Karen Fairley, the executive director of the N.C. Department of Instruction’s Center for Safer Schools, to add a tip function to report inappropriate behavior by education personnel to the “Say Something” anonymous reporting app used in districts across the state.

Fairley told North State Journal in a June 2023 interview that between September 2022 and June 2023, 75 tips under the new category had been submitted to the app.

case with this budget. The numbers are large but manageable and will keep North Carolina’s nances strong for another two years.”

Strong revenues to state coffers have helped grow the state’s rainy day fund balance, and this year has been no di erent. The budget will add $125 million to the fund, taking it to just under a total of $5 billion.

FILE PHOTO

President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval O ce of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

FILE PHOTO

Asylum-seekers wait in a makeshift camp after crossing the nearby border with Mexico, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023

NSJ PHOTO

The N.C. Supreme Court building is shown in this le photo.

North State Journal

Poll nds Americans disapprove of Biden’s border handling, economy

Governors, Biden administration push to quadruple e cient heating, AC units by 2030

The Associated Press

$107,187,103

$112,753,158

$125,000,000

cession, which would require multiple rate cuts to aid the economy, is less likely to occur.

“What we have right now is what’s still a very strong labor market that’s coming back into balance,” Powell said. “We’re making progress on in ation. Growth is strong.”

Though Fed o cials have projected one more rate hike this year, Powell appeared to hedge more than he typically does on whether that will prove necessary.

“At this stage, they don’t have as much certainty about that hike,” said Derek Tang, an economist at LHMeyer, a forecasting rm. “He did sound more equivocal.”

Treasury yields moved sharply higher Wednesday after the Fed issued a statement after its latest policy meeting and updated its economic projections.

In their new quarterly projections, the policymakers estimate that the economy will grow faster this year and next year than they had previously envisioned. They now foresee growth reaching 2.1% this year, up from a 1% forecast in June, and 1.5% next year, up from their previous 1.1% forecast.

Core in ation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices and is considered a good predictor of future trends, is now expected to fall to 3.7% by year’s end, better than the 3.9% forecast in June. Core in ation, under the Fed’s preferred measure, is now 4.2%. The policymakers expect it to drop to 2.6%, near their target, by the end of next year.

The approach to rate increases the Fed is now taking re ects an awareness that the risks to the economy of raising rates too high is growing. Previously, the ofcials had focused more on the risks of not doing enough to slow in ation.

In generating sharply higher interest rates throughout the economy, the Fed has sought to slow borrowing — for houses, cars, home renovations, business investment and the like — to help ease spending, moderate the pace of growth and curb in ation.

Though clear progress on in ation has been achieved, gas prices have lurched higher again, reaching a national average of $3.88 a gallon as of Tuesday. Oil prices have surged more than 12% in just the past month.

While overall in ation has declined, the costs of some services — from auto insurance and car repairs to veterinary services and hair salons — are still climbing faster than they were before the pandemic. Still, most recent data is pointing in the direction the Fed wants to see: In ation in June and July, excluding volatile food and energy prices, posted its two lowest monthly readings in nearly two years.

A GROUP OF 25 state governors that make up the U.S. Climate Alliance and the Biden administration announced a pledge Thursday to quadruple the number of heat pumps in U.S. homes by 2030, from 4.7 million to 20 million.

Heat pumps use little electricity, yet are able to heat and cool buildings. Since they often replace oil or gas furnaces that add greenhouse gases to the air, they can meaningfully address climate change. Buildings account for more than 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The pledge on heat pumps is a collection of state initiatives to work toward the goal of ramping down emissions to zero by 2050. Pennsylvania and seven other states, for example, will look into developing a “clean heat” standard, meaning one for how non-polluting a heater needs to be.

Some major manufacturers of heat pumps, including Johnson Controls, Siemens and Trane Technologies released a letter of support following the announcement.

The governors in the alliance represent approximately 60% of the U.S. economy and 55% of the country’s population.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee called heat pumps “almost a miraculous solution” to three problems Americans face, “heating in the winter, cooling in the summer, and a reduction of carbon pollution.”

The reason heat pumps run on less electricity than other forms of heating is that they merely extract heat from outdoor air or underground and transfer it inside, instead of heating up a coil, for instance. They are just as good at cooling, pulling heat from indoors and dumping it outside or un-

derground.

“Even on a winter’s day, heat pumps can take heat from outside, move it inside, and use less energy than if you were heating your house with a furnace,” said Stephen Porder, a professor of ecology and assistant provost for sustainability at Brown University. “A furnace makes heat by burning something, (but) moving heat is more ecient than making it.”

In Providence, Rhode Island where Porder lives, there is more call for heating than air conditioning. In 2014, he said, he ditched his oil furnace and installed heat pumps. “My house is more comfortable,

my energy bills are about half what they were before, and my house’s greenhouse gas emissions, even counting the electricity to run the heat pumps, have dropped by 75%. Plus, I now have AC, which I didn’t have before,” he said.

Because they are believed to address climate change, heat pumps are highly incentivized under the U.S. In ation Reduction Act, which provides a 30% tax credit. Other states and utilities o er additional tax credits on top of the IRA incentive.

“There is already a huge increase in heat pump installations in the U.S. Heat pump

units outsold gas furnace units, previously the most popular type of heating system, last year,” said Amanda Smith, a senior scientist at Project Drawdown, citing data from the International Energy Agency.

“People have been struggling with home heating costs and high energy costs in Maine, especially the last couple of years because we’ve been so over reliant on global fossil fuel energy markets,” said Maine Gov. Janet Mills. “I think people in Maine are interested in anything that will save them money, make their homes and businesses more e cient, and more comfortable nancially.”

The US is allowing hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in the country to work legally

U.S. to grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who have arrived in the country as of July 31, in addition to 242,700 already quali ed

The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. —

The Biden administration says it’s granting temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who are already in the country — quickly making them eligible to work — as it grapples with growing numbers of people eeing the South American country and elsewhere to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The move — along with promises to accelerate work permits for many migrants — may appease Democratic leaders who have pressured the White House to do more to aid asylum seekers, while also providing grist for Republicans who say the President Joe Biden has been too lax on immigration.

The Homeland Security Department plans to grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country as of July 31, making it easier for them to get authorization to work in the U.S. That’s been a key demand of Democratic mayors and governors who are struggling to care for an increased number of migrants in their care.

That’s in addition to about 242,700 Venezuelans who already quali ed for temporary status before Wednesday’s announcement.

The protections for Venezuelans are signi cant because they account for such a large number of the migrants who have been arriving in the country in recent years.

Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and hu-

manitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing at least 7.3 million people to migrate and making food and other necessities una ordable for those who remain. The vast majority who ed settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many began coming to the United States in the last three years through the notoriously dangerous Darien Gap, a stretch of jungle in Panama.

Venezuelans who arrive in the U.S. after July 31 of this year will not be eligible for the protection. Those who are now eligible have to apply to get it.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas granted the expansion and an 18-month extension for those who already have temporary status due to “Venezuela’s increased instability and lack of safety due to the enduring humanitarian, security, political, and environmental conditions,” the department said in a statement.

The administration said it would accelerate work authorizations for people who have arrived in the country since January through a mobile app for appointments at land crossings with Mexico, called CBP One, or through parole granted to Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans who have nancial sponsors and arrive at an airport. It will aim to give them work permits within 30 days, compared with about 90 days currently.

The promise of accelerated work permits does not apply to people who cross the border illegally and seek asylum, who, by law, must wait for six months to receive work permits.

Mayors and governors have been clamoring for Biden to gure out a way to get newly arrived migrants to be able to work legally, so they can support themselves. Democratic o cials in New York, Massachusetts, Chica-

go and elsewhere have complained about the strain that newly arrived migrants are putting on their resources, especially in New York, where the government is required to provide housing for anyone who needs it. The city is currently paying to house about 60,000 newly arrived migrants.

The number of migrants trying to cross the southern border is rising. That poses a severe challenge for the administration, which has struggled to show it is in control of the border in the face of Republican criticism. The city of Eagle Pass, which borders Mexico along the Rio Grande in southern Texas, announced a state of emergency Wednesday due to a “severe undocumented immigrant surge.”

According to Maverick County Sheri Tom Schmerber, about 2,700 migrants crossed into Eagle Pass on Tuesday and about 3,000 Wednesday.

AP PHOTO

President Joe Biden speaks as he meets with Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023.

AP PHOTO

A condenser sits on the roof during the installation of a heat pump on Jan. 20, 2023, in Denver.

Census shows 3.5 million Middle Eastern residents in US, Venezuelans fastest growing Hispanic group

The Associated Press

THE UNITED STATES had 3.5 million residents who identify as Middle Eastern or North African, Venezuelans were the fastest-growing Hispanic group last decade and Chinese and Asian Indians were the two largest Asian groups, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The most detailed race and ethnicity data to date from the 2020 census was released Thursday more than three years after the once-a-decade head count, which determines political power, the distribution of $2.8 trillion in annual federal funding and holds up a mirror to how the U.S. has changed in a decade. The delay was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of a new method to protect the con dentiality of participants.

The Census Bureau says the 2020 census provided more details on the nation’s racial and ethnic groups than ever before, o ering counts for about 1,550 racial, ethnic and tribal groups, although some tables aren’t available at smaller geographies for some groups because of the new con dentiality methods.

The 2020 census was the rst

to allow respondents to identify themselves as coming from a Middle Eastern or North African country, otherwise known as MENA. While there was no separate MENA category in the 2020 census, respondents were encouraged to write-in their backgrounds, and if they wrote Jordanian or Moroccan, for instance, they could be classi ed as MENA. The data showed that more than 3.5 million people did so or in combination with another group.

The results come as the Biden administration contemplates updating the nation’s racial and ethnic categories for the rst time since 1997. Right now, MENA residents are classi ed as white, but they would have their own category under the proposed changes. The process also would combine the race and ethnic origin questions into a single query, because some advocates say the current method of asking about race and separately about ethnic origin often confuses Hispanic respondents.

According to the 2020 census, the two largest groups of people who identi ed as MENA, either alone or in combination with another group, were Lebanese, with more than 685,000

people, and Iranian with more than 568,000 people. The states with the largest MENA populations were California, Michigan and New York.

Venezuelans were the fastest-growing Hispanic group. They nearly tripled their numbers, from more than 215,000 people to more than 605,000 people from 2010 to 2020, as they ed a political, economic and humanitarian crisis that has lasted the entirety of President Nicolás Maduro’s government.

Mexicans were, far and away, the largest Hispanic group in the U.S. with a population of 35.9 million people, followed by Puerto Ricans with 5.6 million people and Salvadorans at 2.3 million people.

Among the census respondents who identi ed as white, English was the most common detailed group written down on the form where people were asked to elaborate on their backgrounds, with 46.6 million people saying they were English alone or in any combination. They were followed by those identifying as German, with 45 million people, and Irish, with 38.6 million people.

Among the 46.9 million Black respondents, African American

was the most common answer, either alone or combined with another group, at 24.5 million people, when asked about their backgrounds. That answer was followed in more or less a tie between Jamaican and Haitian at more than 1 million people each. Nigerians had the next highest responses, with more than 604,000 people, followed by Ethiopians at more than 325,000 people.

More than 5.2 million people identi ed as Chinese, the largest group among respondents who were Asian alone or in combination with another group. They were followed by Asian Indians with 4.7 million people, Filipinos with 4.4 million people and the Vietnamese population at 2.2 million people. The Nepalese population was the fastest

growing Asian group, growing from almost 52,000 people in 2010 to almost 206,000 people in 2020. California was home to the largest share of the six most common Asian groups in the U.S. New York had the second-largest share of Chinese residents, while Texas had the second-largest share of Asian Indian residents. For the American Indian and Alaska Native population in the U.S., Cherokee was the largest group alone or in combination with another group, with 1.5 million people. The next highest was Aztec with almost 584,000 respondents and Navajo Nation with more than 423,000. Tlingit was the largest Alaska Native alone or in any combination group, with more than 22,600 people.

US ambassador to Japan calls Chinese ban on Japanese seafood ‘economic coercion’

The Associated Press

TOKYO — U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel accused China on Friday of using “economic coercion” against Japan by banning imports of Japanese seafood in response to the release of treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean, while Chinese boats continue to sh o Japan’s coasts.

“Economic coercion is the most persistent and pernicious tool in their economic toolbox,” Emanuel said in a speech Friday in Tokyo, calling China’s ban on Japanese seafood the latest example.

China is the biggest market for Japanese seafood, and the ban has badly hurt Japan’s shing industry.

“China is engaged right now in shing in Japan’s economic waters while they are simultaneously engaged in the unilateral embargo on Japan’s sh,” Emanuel said. He said China’s intention is to isolate Japan.

Japan began gradually releasing treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima plant into the sea on Aug. 24. The water has accumulated at the plant since it was crippled by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. China immediately banned imports of

Japanese seafood, accusing Tokyo of dumping “radiation contaminated water” into the ocean.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has said the release, if carried out as planned, will have a negligible impact on the environment, marine life and human health.

Emanuel posted four photos on X, formerly called Twitter, on Friday that he said showed “Chinese vessels shing o Japan’s coast on Sept. 15, post China’s seafood embargo from the same waters. #Fukushima.”

Emanuel has also posted other comments about China that have been interpreted as critical,

including one on Sept. 15 about Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has not appeared in public for weeks, speculating he might have been placed under house arrest.

On Aug. 8, Emanuel posted that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Cabinet lineup was “resembling Agatha Christies’s novel ‘And Then There Were None,’” noting the disappearances of Li, Foreign Minister Qin Gang, and commanders of China’s rocket force.

Four days later, he accused China of using AI to spread false claims that U.S. “weather weapons” had caused the wild res in

“China is engaged right now in shing in Japan’s economic waters while they are simultaneously engaged in the unilateral embargo on Japan’s sh.”

U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel

Maui and that the U.S. Army had introduced COVID-19 to China.

“I think you can have a mature relationship, have dialogue, conversation, but when somebody is o sides ... I think the most important thing you have to do is to be able to have veracity and call disinformation disinformation,” he said Friday.

AP PHOTO

The skyline is shown over properties in San Francisco, April 26, 2023.

AP PHOTO

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel speaks to the media in Tokyo Friday, Sept. 22, 2023.

2023 Kia EV6 GT

Electrifying Excess

By Jordan Golson North State Journal

BOSTON — You’re stopped at a red light in what, to the untrained eye, appears to be a boring, red Kia.

The light turns green, and after a subtle press of a neon green button and a stab at the throttle, you take o like one of Elon Musk’s rockets. But unlike the Falcon Heavy, there are no roars, no drama — just you grinning like a kid who’s discovered a secret cheat code in a video game. Welcome to the paradox that is the Kia EV6 GT: an electric vehicle that delivers “unnecessary, glorious fun” for the reasonable price of $63,000.

A year ago, I tested the Kia EV6, a car that o ered a practical mix of sensibility and excitement, with an 800-volt architecture that allowed for incredibly fast charging (should you nd the right charger). The EV6 GT is that, but turned up to 11. We’re talking a jump from 320 to a staggering 576 horsepower. The trade-o ? A little less range. But what you lose in distance, you gain in speed and thrills. According to Kia, this beast goes 0-60 in 3.4 seconds, leaving the regular EV6’s still-respectable 5.1 seconds in the dust.

Driving the EV6 GT feels like controlling a (very) heavy sports car with the soul of a go-kart. The weight is there, but so is the power, ready to be unleashed at any moment. A simple press of the “GT” button transforms this docile electric hatchback into an electrifying road rocket. It’s like zapping a sleeping bull with a cattle prod: suddenly, you’re OFF!

Let’s be clear: this car is overkill in the best way possible. It’s like having a ve-course meal when you’re only a bit peckish,

but every bite is so delicious you can’t stop. The EV6 GT offers the raw thrill of a Dodge Challenger Hellcat but without the clamor and attention. You can zoom away from a stoplight without feeling like you’re in a Fast & Furious movie.

The EV6 GT doesn’t just push the envelope; it sets a new standard for what EVs can be. It takes the practical aspects of electric vehicles — low operating costs, smooth and quiet ride — and adds a layer of exhilaration that’s usually reserved for dedicated sports cars.

For all this power and joy, you’d expect a hefty price tag. Yet, the GT doesn’t break the bank. A fully-loaded standard EV6 comes in around $53,000, while the GT version bumps that up to around $63,000. Considering what you’re getting, that’s not just a deal; it’s a steal.

Kia calls this a crossover but it’s really a family hatchback.

To get this much oomph from a gas-powered whip, you’d need to wander towards the Audi RS 6 Avant or the Mercedes-AMG E 63 wagon — both cars priced well into six gures.

While the GT has its caveats—lower range and a higher price tag—it o ers something unique: the thrill of the unexpected in everyday driving. It’s not just about getting from point A to point B; it’s about enjoying every second of the journey.

As I catapult away from yet another stoplight, giggling maniacally to myself, I realize that the Kia EV6 GT is more than just a car; it’s a statement. It tells the world that electric vehicles can be practical and pulse-quickening at the same time. In a market ooded with options that seem to prioritize either sensibility or adrenaline, the EV6 GT chooses both with pointless, joyful hilarity.

PHOTOS COURTESY KIA

Howell has ‘Welcome to NFL’ game, B4

Taking ight

Sandro Batista of the Carolina Cowboys is thrown o by Knucklehead on Friday during last weekend’s PBR Camping World Team Series Event at Greensboro Coliseum. The Cowboys nished sixth in the event, going 1-2 on the weekend.

Duke ghts distractions as ‘College GameDay’ comes to town

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

General Assembly takes more action against NCHSAA

Raleigh

The North Carolina General Assembly has passed a law that would lead to additional oversight of the NCHSAA. The House and Senate passed legislation Friday that seeks to leave more rule-making in the hands of state education leaders. A 2021 law that sought more rigorous government supervision of interscholastic sports led the State Board of Education to enter an agreement with the NCHSAA.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

WCU scores 11 TDs rout of Charleston Southern

Cullowhee

Cole Gonzales passed for ve of Western Carolina’s 11 touchdowns in a 77-21 rout of Charleston Southern on Saturday. Western Carolina (3-1) reached the end zone on eight straight drives before its only punt late in the third quarter. The Catamounts nished with 683 yards without a turnover. Gonzales threw for 299 yards for the Catamounts.

SOCCER

Cincinnati shuts out

Charlotte FC

Cincinnati

Luciano Acosta had a goal and an assist to propel FC Cincinnati to a 3- 0 victory Saturday over Charlotte FC. Neither team scored until Álvaro Barreal found the net in the rst minute of stoppage time to put Cincinnati up 1- 0 at halftime. Cincinnati (18- 4 -8) took a two-goa l lead when Aaron Boupendza used an assist from Acosta in the 50th minute to nd the net. Acosta scored his 15th goal when he took a pass from Obinna Nwobodo in the 78th minute for a 3- 0 lead. Kristijan Kahlina saved ve shots for Charlotte (7-10 -12).

The Blue Devils face Notre Dame in a huge game in Durham

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

DURHAM — “College GameDay” is coming to Duke.

If it were four months from now, that would be no surprise at all. The ESPN show has been a regular visitor to Durham during basketball season. The college hoops version of “GameDay” has been to Duke 12 times, most recently in February, and the Blue Devils have been one of the two teams playing in the featured game 28 times. Both are tied with rival UNC for the most ever.

Football season is a di erent thing altogether, however. The Blue Devils are not blue bloods in the fall, and ESPN’s attentions have always been directed elsewhere. While the James Madison Dukes have hosted football

“GameDay” twice and the show has visited the Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte twice, most

recently four weeks ago, Duke has never been a featured team, either as the host or the visiting opponent.

A 4-0 start to the season, including a win over longtime ACC power Clemson on Labor Day, helped thrust Duke into the limelight before the lights are even turned on over at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the upcoming basketball season. ESPN announced that its football “College GameDay” is making its maiden voyage to Wallace Wade Stadium for Saturday’s matchup with Notre Dame.

Of course, the Fighting Irish are no strangers to ESPN love. In basketball terms, Notre Dame is Duke. The rst two “GameDays” were located in South Bend, and Notre Dame has hosted a total of 11 times and made 36 ap-

See DUKE, page B3

Hornets prepare for start of training camp

Charlotte will unveil a 21-man roster on Oct. 3

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — With less than one month to go before their regular season opener against Atlanta on Oct. 25, the Charlotte Hornets will begin training camp next Tuesday and play their preseason opener a week later against Miami on Oct. 10.

The team is hoping to improve on a 2022-23 season during which it had the NBA’s fourth-worst record (27-55) and second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.

The Hornets recently added four more players thanks to a new collective bargaining agreement between the players association and the league that allows teams to carry 21 players into training camp.

Charlotte has 13 players on guaranteed standard contracts: LaMelo Ball, James Bouknight, Miles Bridges, Gordon Hayward, Kai Jones,

Cody Martin, Bryce McGowens, Brandon Miller, Nick Richards, Terry Rozier, Nick Smith Jr., P.J. Washington and Mark Williams. That list is missing one notable Hornets player.

On Sept. 18, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a one-year, $2 million minimum-salary contract with free agent Kelly Oubre Jr., who averaged a career-high 20.3 points per game last season with Charlotte.

While the Hornets were unable to retain Oubre, they were able to re-sign Washington to a three-year, $46.5 million contract Sept. 5.

“He wants to play, and he’ll t in wherever the coach puts him on the court,” Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said of Washington. “He’s not a player that says, ‘Well, I have to play this position and I have to play so many minutes.’ He’s versatile enough where you could put him at several positions. He just knows how to play. It’s a natural ability.”

Washington took a step forward last year as Charlotte’s top post player, producing career-highs with 15.7 points and two 3-pointers a game with 4.9 rebounds. The former Kentucky Wildcats star told the media he was “never worried” a deal with the Hornets wouldn’t get done.

“For me, I was just trying to control the things I could control, and that’s being in the gym, being a good person and being a good dad, and just fo -

See HORNETS, page B4

AP PHOTO

The Hornets re-signed forward P.J. Washington to a threeyear, $46.5 million contract in the o season.

AP PHOTO

Duke wide receiver Jalon Calhoun catches a touchdown pass over UConn defensive back Malik Dixon-Williams during the Blue Devils’ win Saturday in Hartford, Connecticut.

STAN GILLILAND | FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

9.27.23

TRENDING

Chris Getz: The former Wake Forest in elder and new White Sox general manager has started to ll out his sta . Chicago named former major league utility in elder Josh Bar eld assistant GM, former pitcher Brian Bannister as senior adviser to pitching, and longtime scout Gene Watson as director of player personnel. Getz was hired on Aug. 31 after longtime executive VP Kenny Williams and GM Rick Hahn were red.

Kyle Shanahan: The San Francisco 49ers coach was signed to a multi-year contract extension. Shanahan joined the 49ers in 2017 with GM John Lynch — who also received an extension — and led the team to the Super Bowl in 2019 before losing to Kansas City and back-to-back NFC title games in 2021 and 2022.

Sean Doolittle: The relief pitcher who helped the Nationals to the 2019 World Series title announced his retirement from baseball Friday after more than a decade in the majors. Doolittle spent the bulk of his career with Washington and the Oakland Athletics. The left-handed reliever appeared in 463 games since making his debut in 2012 but hasn’t pitched in the majors since six games last year due to injuries.

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

NASCAR

William Byron took the lead for the rst time after the nal restart with six laps left to win Sunday’s Cup Series playo race at Texas. Byron, who advanced to the postseason round of 8 with the victory, was able to get underneath Bubba Wallace and Chase Briscoe when they were battling for the lead ahead of him. Ross Chastain nished second followed by Wallace.

Panthers coach Frank Reich following Carolina’s 37-27 loss Sunday at Seattle.

Ethiopian distance runner Tigst Assefa broke the women’s world record by more than two minutes Sunday at the Berlin Marathon, running the race in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 53 seconds to break the previous women’s record of 2:14:04 set by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei at the Chicago Marathon in 2019.

Former NHL player Nicolas Kerdiles died after a motorcycle crash Saturday in Nashville. He was 29. Police say the one-time hockey player for the Anaheim Ducks drove his motorcycle through a stop sign early Saturday and hit the driver’s side of an SUV. Police saw no signs of impairment in either driver.

UNC quarterback Drake Maye describing his left-handed touchdown pass in the Tar Heels’ 41-24 win Saturday at Pitt.

300

Cup Series wins for Hendrick Motorsports after William Byron picked up his sixth victory of the season in Sunday’s playo race at Texas.

Bryson DeChambeau shot 6-under 28 on the back nine, closed with one last birdie on his penultimate hole and won LIV Golf-Chicago by one shot over Marc Leishman and Anirban Lahiri on Sunday. DeChambeau nished with an 8-under 63 at Rich Harvest Farms and a 54-hole total of 13-under 200. With his Crushers also winning the team competition, DeChambeau took home $5.25 million.

ANDREAS GORA | DPA VIA AP MARK J. TERRILL | AP PHOTO

“Kind of like a pancake.”

GENE J. PUSKAR | AP PHOTO

“The run game was nonexistent.”

LINDSEY WASSON | AP PHOTO

LM OTERO | AP PHOTO

PRIME NUMBER

CHARLES LABERGE | LIV GOLF

Wolfpack hoping to slow down Cardinals’ ACC-best o ense

NC State’s o ense will also need to nd a rhythm

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

NC State will look to slow down undefeated Louisville’s top-rated o ense when the Wolfpack host their rst ACC home game of the season on Friday.

It’s a unique challenge for NC State, which has struggled to contain big plays this season.

“They’re an explosive play offense, they have explosive players and they’ll take shots,” said NC State coach Dave Doeren. “So you’ve gotta do a good job of staying on top and defending deep balls and you have to pressure the quarterback. Not just with blitzes. You have to do di erent things to make it hard for him after the snap and not just let him pre-snap know everything that you’re in. It’s going to be that kind of game.”

Louisville is led by senior quarterback Jack Plummer, who transferred from Cal during the o season. He has thrown for 1,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions so far with his new team.

The Cardinals also have threats on the ground and in the passing game. Jawhar Jordan has rushed for 478 yards and six touchdowns on just 50 carries, while Jamari Thrash has totaled 400 yards and ve touchdowns on 19 receptions.

“We’re going up against a top o ense in the ACC,” Doeren said. “They lead the ACC in scoring o ense, rushing o ense, passing o ense. So (it’s) a great challenge. They’ve got a good

scheme and good players that play fast.”

NC State is going to need its defense to step up to contain Louisville.

“Coach (Tony) Gibson and that side of the ball has done a great job,” Doeren said. “The kids that we’ve recruited play really hard. They’re completely invested and have bought in. There’s an edge to them, an attitude. They like challenges too. I think they’re really excited to play this Louisville o ense because of what they’ve done.”

The challenge could be even more daunting if starting strong safety Devin Boykin is unable

“They lead the ACC in scoring o ense, rushing o ense, passing o ense. So (it’s) a great challenge.”

Dave Doeren, NC State coach

to play after leaving last week’s game with an injury.

“It’s day-to-day,” Doeren said. “Devin is actually doing a lot better than expected, so there’s a long shot, but there’s a chance he’ll play. I have to put those out

Americans look to snap Ryder Cup losing streak in Europe

The U.S. hasn’t won on European soil in 30 years

The Associated Press

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — What must have seemed like a long time to the Americans back then surely doesn’t now. They beat Europe on its home turf at The Belfry in 1993, winning the Ryder Cup back to back for the rst time in a whopping 10 years.

Turns out that wasn’t the end of Europe’s run. It was only the start.

The Americans now have gone 30 years without winning the Ryder Cup away from home, a losing streak the entire team knows all too well. Never mind that ve players on the U.S. team that arrived Monday in Italy were not even born when Team USA last won in Europe.

“It’s not really at the forefront of the messaging,” said U.S. captain Zach Johnson, who has played on three of those losing team in Ireland, Wales and Scotland. “The obvious bullet points don’t need to be mentioned, and that’s one of them.”

The context of this losing streak can be presented in so

many ways. Half of Europe’s 12man team wasn’t born when the American last celebrated away from home. Deane Beman was commissioner of the PGA Tour.

Tiger Woods was a senior in high school.

And then there was this from NBC lead announcer Dan Hicks, noting that Raymond Floyd was the oldest player on that 1993 team at The Belfry.

“He’s now 81, and he hasn’t

to be about us. We have to continue to remind ourselves that.”

seen a U.S. team win overseas since then,” Hicks said.

It hasn’t been from a lack of ability. Those six consecutive road losses featured 12-man combinations of 41 players, 26 of whom went on to combine for 57 major championships.

The losing streak began in Spain in 1997, the year Tiger Woods won the Masters by 12 shots and captivated the entire sports world. Justin Leonard won

when I get the information I get, so things do change. It’s not a long-term thing, it’s just how fast his body will allow him to get back.”

O ensively, last week was another tough outing for everyone not named Kevin Concepcion.

The true freshman wide receiver continues to be the Wolfpack’s biggest weapon after totaling 116 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions, including a 48-yard play, in last week’s win over Virginia.

Quarterback Brennan Armstrong, however, has still struggled with consistency and completed just 50% of his passes last

the British Open and Davis Love III won the PGA Championship that year. They combined to go 1-9-3 at Valderrama.

Woods played on ve losing road teams. Phil Mickelson was there for all six losses during the losing streak. He was beaten by Phillip Price, the No. 119 player in the world, in a one-point loss at The Belfry in 2002.

Why does it keep happening?

For starters, Europe is very good.

“You can’t dispute the clutch plays that they make at the right time,” said Paul Azinger, who played on that ’93 team and now is the lead analyst for NBC.

And there is no denying the value of volume from a home crowd, the serenade of “Ole, ole, ole, ole” that can be as inspiring as a scoreboard lled with European blue.

It’s what prompted Rory McIlroy to say, “I think one of the greatest accomplishments in our game now is to win an away Ryder Cup.”

McIlroy believes fans understand the value of a home crowd.

“I don’t know if they appreciate the value of a home golf course,” he said. “It’s like chalk and cheese the way a U.S. Ryder Cup golf course is set up compared with a European course. I contrast Hazeltine in 2016 to France in 2018. You could hit it anywhere at Hazeltine — Medinah (2012) was not much di erent.

“I feel like in Europe, it’s more a war of attrition in terms of who doesn’t make mistakes, whereas in America, it’s who can make the

week for 180 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

“We fell short of our scoring goals [against UVA],” Doeren said. “The one drive where we threw a pick (late in the rst half) was de nitely a drive we could have gotten points on, and that would have helped quite a bit in that game.”

The o ense’s struggles aren’t primarily on Armstrong — both the running back and tight ends need to produce more.

“It hasn’t been a very productive position yet in the pass game,” Doeren said of his tight ends. “Trent [Pennix] missed almost all of training camp and then Chris [Toudle] played two games and then was hurt. It’s kind of early to really give you a true assessment, but right now it’s just been inconsistent due to injury more than anything.”

And outside of Armstrong, the Wolfpack picked up just 75 yards on the ground against the Cavaliers. NC State also lost starting running back Jordan Houston last week when he decided to redshirt this season.

“This o ense is still growing and guys are learning more and more,” Doeren said. “It’s in progress. That’s the best way to say it. You’ve got some guys that are trying to get into di erent spots on the eld with Coach (Robert) Anae’s system, and I think there’s just a chemistry that’s growing and growing as this thing goes.”

According to Doeren, NC State doesn’t need to look too far to nd the improvements it needs to make to beat Louisville.

“It’s going back to your fundamentals,” Doeren said. “As an o ensive lineman, getting your rst step and second step in the ground, playing with independent feet. Your hand placement, your eyes, where we’re pointing in protections. Just little basic things. One play, a guy does it right. The next play, he doesn’t and he gets exposed. It’s fundamental focus, and that’s really where the emphasis is.”

most birdies.”

The 30-year drought seems worse because the Ryder Cup is every other year. Losing six in a row doesn’t sound as dire as going 30 years since the last win. Both are true. Jordan Spieth prefers to point out that Europe has won only once on American soil the last 15 years.

Still, it’s a streak that has become a focal point.

“Given the amount of great American players, individually, you’d think collectively they’d have gotten it done over there at some point in 30 years,” Spieth said. He has played on two losing road teams, in Scotland and France.

Tommy Fleetwood of England wonders if enough attention is paid to the quality of players on Team Europe, even after the era of the “Big Five” of Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam. Europe could claim only one major — Paul Lawrie at Carnoustie in 1999 — during a 10year stretch that added to the perception the Americans were favorite. But then, the Ryder Cup is not about winning majors.

“Europe obviously has an amazing identity with the Ryder Cup,” Fleetwood said. “I don’t know if anyone can put their nger on why it’s been such a long time. I always feel like they’re both strong teams. Home advantage does play a part.

“I don’t want to look too much into it,” he said. “I just want to win this one.”

pearances — the sixth and fth most, respectively, of any team. The show was in Notre Dame last week for the Irish’s big game against Ohio State.

It’s a marquee event, obviously, and Duke football is traveling on new ground for the program, as evidenced by Irish coach Marcus Freeman’s concern headed to Durham.

“I’ve never been there,” he said. “(Tight ends) Coach (Gerad)

Parker coached there (in 2017 and 2018). We’ve played in hostile environments, so we have to make sure we have a good plan for the crowd noise and what it will be about. This thing’s going

Records aren’t as o cial as the ones ESPN keeps about itself, but it’s believed that Notre Dame will be the rst team ever worried about crowd noise when they play football at Duke.

The Irish, who had a hardfought, emotional loss to Ohio State in what was then a top-10 showdown last week, will also need to avoid a big game hangover as they head for what could be the biggest game at Wallace Wade since the Rose Bowl was played there during World War II.

Of course, if any team is ready to play a string of big games, it’s the Irish, who have been doing it for generations in the sport’s

brightest spotlight. With his team a relative novice in that spotlight, Duke coach Mike Elko has concerns about how his Blue Devils handle the attention. The opening game against Clemson gave Duke a taste of what it will be like.

“Yeah, a little,” he said. “We still don’t have the volume of it that the teams that were playing on this stage do, and so that’s still probably an area that concerns us.”

As for the attention that a “GameDay” appearance brings a program, Elko sounded like he could do without it.

“It’s the rst time hosting ‘College GameDay,’ with all the noise and the buzz that’s around that,”

he said. “I told the guys this morning, we’re getting a lot of congratulations for ‘GameDay’ coming here. I’d rather wait and get some congratulations for how we play a football game Saturday night and just trying to stay focused on the task at hand.”

It will be the fourth time Elko has experienced the “GameDay” circus rsthand. When he was defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, the show was at the Irish’s game at Miami, and during his Texas A&M days, the Aggies hosted once and appeared as the visitor once.

“I’m obviously more comfortable because we’ve been through it before, but it’s still not something that happens around here

all the time,” he said. “It’s still a little bit of a concern. Do you try to isolate the guys from it, or do you try to get them to embrace this? In this day and age, you can’t isolate them, aside from locking them in a closet somewhere. So it’s not necessarily about isolating, it’s just more about educating, and we have smart kids, right? It’s not like we have an overcon dent group or a big-headed group. It’s just kind of educating them on how to get through the week.”

The visiting team is worried about handling the crowd noise at Duke. The Blue Devils are ghting over con dence. “GameDay” is in town.

It’s tough to remember what season it is.

AP PHOTO

NC State will need to slow quarterback Jack Plummer and Louisville’s high-powered o ense on Friday to improve to 2-0 in the ACC.

AP PHOTO

European team captain Ian Woosnam holds the Ryder Cup after his team beat the United States to win in Stra an, Ireland, in 2006.

Sam Howell’s painful lesson on life as an NFL starter

The former Tar Heels quarterback had a tough fourth start for Washington

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

NORTH ENGLEWOOD, Md.

— In baseball, the term for an outing like Sam Howell’s fourth NFL start is “wearing it”.

When a team builds a huge lead on the diamond, a manager will eventually, rather than run through all of their relief pitchers, decide to save wear and tear on the bullpen. He’ll usually go out to the mound and tell the current pitcher that he’s not getting replaced, no matter how many runs he gives up. He’s going to have to wear it.

Howell wore it against the Bu alo Bills in Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season. He’d had an impressive beginning to his career as a starting quarterback, winning one start against Dallas in the nal week of his rookie season and then going 2-0 this year, including authoring an impressive comeback against the Denver Broncos last week.

Howell, the leading quarterback in UNC history before getting drafted by Washington last year, had completed well over 60% of his passes for 501 yards in the two games, throwing three touchdowns and running for another while having just one interception.

He got batted around by the Bills’ defense however, getting sacked nine times and throwing four interceptions as Bu alo hammered the Commanders, 37-3.

With Howell getting hit so hard and so often, the temptation was there to sit him down and avoid any more damage, both physical and to his psyche.

“The thing you think about is, ‘Do we take him out and protect him or leave him in to continue to learn and grow?’” Washington coach Ron Rivera said. “We want to see him handle this. We want to see him do the things he’s capable of.”

Rivera, the former Carolina Panthers head man, made up his mind. He’d already been through the re — might as well get a few

more trials out of it. Howell was going to wear it.

“Part of it is these things happen,” Rivera said. “It’s going to happen in games. He’s got to learn. We’ve got to give him the opportunity to see if he can grow and develop.”

Rivera admitted that when he gave Howell the starting job, ahead of veteran and former NC State passer Jacoby Brissett, he knew a day like this was coming.

“It’s football,” he said. “It’s going to happen. There aren’t a lot of guys that go out there and always have success. You learn from losses as well as learning from wins. You’ve just got to stick to it.”

His o ensive coordinator, Eric Bienemy, seemed to have a premonition this week might be a problem as Howell was preparing for the Bills.

“You’ve got to understand …

“It’s football. It’s going to happen. There aren’t a lot of guys that go out there and always have success.”

Ron Rivera, Commanders coach

hell, we’re going on Week 3,” Bienemy said earlier in the week. “We’re just glad he can take the snap and repeat the plays we’re giving him. He’s way past that, but there are still some things he can continue to add to his toolbelt.”

He also complimented Howell on his running ability with a prophetic, “When things ain’t right, he has an opportunity to make things happen with his

feet. When things ain’t perfect, what are you going to do to make it right?”

Howell was very open about his performance on Sunday.

“We’ve got to be better at a lot of things,” he said. “That obviously starts with me. I’ve got to take better care of the football and do a better job leading my o ense. A lot of things didn’t go right today, and that starts with me.

“The good thing,” he added, “is that the sun will come out tomorrow. We’ve got a lot of stu to get better at, and I’m excited to go back and get better.”

Howell led the o ense to the Bu alo 25 before back-to-back sacks moved him back nine yards and set up the rst pick on a deep attempt. His third interception came at the Bu alo 1-yard line, and pick No. 4 was returned for a Bu alo touchdown.

“The turnovers were situations where I was trying to get the ball out of my hands and avoid a negative play, and I forced something,” he said. “They weren’t good decisions. All those bad plays, I’ll de nitely learn from it. I’ll be better for it.” Rivera pointed out that Howell had led the team deep into Bu alo territory before the early interceptions and also had the late-game drive that led to a eld goal — both successes that could be built upon.

“We started to move the ball on the last drive,” Rivera said. “You felt, ‘OK, he’s settling in.’ He’s still learning. He’s a young guy, and he’s got to play. Really what it comes down to is him learning, growing and getting better.”

And that means that, every once in a while, Sam Howell has to wear it.

Wake prospect Josh Hammond stars at All-American Game

Three prospects from N.C. were selected to play in the Milwaukee showcase game

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

THREE OF THE TOP high school juniors in the state took part in the inaugural Prep Baseball Report All-American Game last weekend. The 20 best players from the Class of 2025 took on the top 20 from the senior class in the game, which was won by the Class of ’25 at American Family Stadium, the home of MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers.

In elder Coy James of Davie High, an Ole Miss commit, led o the game and played second base. Josh Hammond of Wesleyan Chrisitan, a two-way player headed to Wake Forest, pitched the fth inning. Tyler Baird, an uncommitted righthander at William A. Hough, pitched the eighth. All three played for the Class of 2025 team, which won the game, 5-3.

The trio was joined by an outof-state player who will be headed to North Carolina soon. Ryan Sloan of York, Illinois, is a Wake Forest commit who pitched the third inning for the Class of

HORNETS from page B1

cusing on the things I could focus on,” Washington said.

“I knew it was going to take a little bit of time. I just stuck with it and stuck to being in the gym.”

Frank Ntilikina and JT Thor are currently the two Hornets with nonguaranteed deals in position to land the 15-man regular-season roster, while Amari Bailey and Leaky Black remain on two-way contracts.

R.J. Hunter and the team have

2024. Hammond won the game’s MVP award on the strength of his Ohtani-esque performance. He struck out the side in the top of the fth inning, then hit an RBI double in the bottom half of the frame.

Hammond threw 12 strikes in his 17-pitch performance, getting six swing-and-misses. His sinker hit a high of 95 mph, producing one of the strikeouts. His 84-mph slider got the other two. He also had a curve at 82 mph and a changeup at 86.

Prep Baseball Report’s VP of Scouting Shooter Hunt raved about Hammond’s mound performance, saying, “That slider is unfair,” and declaring that Wake’s pitching coach Corey Muscara “is going to have an absolute eld day with this guy if he makes it to campus,” implying that Hammond may end up getting drafted high enough to pass up college.

Hammond then hit a 304foot y ball double to left center to score a runner, just missing hitting the century mark on exit velocity, registering a 99.77-mph blast. He nished in the top 10 at the game’s workout day in both average and max exit velocity.

Hammond is rated the third-

reportedly reached a contract agreement for training camp.

James Nnaji — Charlotte’s No. 31 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft — appears to be staying with FC Barcelona for the 2023-24 season instead of joining the Hornets. The 6-foot-11 center has a contract with FC Barcelona until 2027 that would require Nnaji and Charlotte to pay his release clause for him to come to the NBA.

Earlier this month, Charlotte agreed to terms on Exhibit 10

“It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced.”

Josh Hammond

best 2025 prospect in the state by PBR and No. 16 nationally, including No.4 at his position.

“It means a lot,” Hammond said of earning the MVP trophy at the inaugural showcase game. “I just have fun playing this game, so whenever I perform and the results work out the way they should, I just feel really blessed.”

Hammond enjoyed playing with some of the top high schoolers in the state, as well as from around the country.

“These guys are really, really good,” he said. “I’m trying to learn new things from them. If I get a chance to play with or against any of them later, it would be a dream.”

Unless the draft intervenes, he’ll get the chance to play with Sloan, who is scheduled to be a Demon Deacon a year earlier than Hammond.

Sloan is PBR’s top-rated 2024 prospect in Illinois and No. 19

contracts with Tre Scott, Jaylen Sims, Nathan Mensah and Angelo Allegri. Kupchak told reporters just two days before the signings that multiple players would be added and evaluated in training camp for possible roles in Greensboro with the G League’s Swarm.

Me anwhile, Theo Maledon has a qualifying o er for a twoway contract but remains a potential trade candidate for the Hornets as one of the nal restricted free agents left on the market.

nationally, No. 3 at his position.

Sloan pitched a 1-2-3 second inning for the Class of 2024, getting Ethan Holliday (son of former MLB player Matt and brother of current Orioles rookie Jackson) to strike out swinging on a sinker, then induced a yout and in eld pop. Sloan had a 94mph fastball, a 94-mph sinker and an 87-mph changeup while mixing in sliders and curves as well.

James impressed scouts on workout day, ranking in the top 10 in the 60-yard dash, in elder throwing strength and average distance of batted balls. He struck out swinging to lead o the game, then grounded out and ew out.

Hunt said that James has “freaky athleticism” and that “the ball comes o the bat di erently with Coy.”

James is the top-rated player in North Carolina’s junior class and No. 4 nationally, No. 3 at his position.

“It’s been great touring the Brewers’ stadium and just being out here hitting and taking ground balls,” he said.

He also enjoyed being on the same team as his in-state rivals. “We’re always playing against each other,” he said. “Coming

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported earlier this week that the Hornets could be one of several teams interested in trading for Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro. The Jazz, Bulls and Nets are also reportedly interested.

Last season, Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 44% from the eld and 37.8% from 3-point range. The 23-year-old also averaged three makes per game from deep last season (11th in the NBA).

together on the same team is fun. … High school ball is really good in North Carolina. You see a good arm every game.”

The nal North Carolina product on Team 2025 was righthander Tyler Baird, who is No. 2 in the state’s junior class, No. 14 nationally and No. 3 at his position. The uncommitted hurler started the eighth inning and struggled with his control. He allowed two singles, two walks and hit a batter, giving up two runs.

Baird struck out one batter on his sinker but also walked in a run. His sinker maxed out at 92 mph, while his changeup was at 86 and his curve at 80.

While he wasn’t happy with his results on Saturday, his future is still promising.

“A lot of schools are in on him,” Hunt said. “They see him as a workhorse starter.”

The event gave the current juniors, and one incoming Wake Forest recruit, the chance to shine on a national stage and get a taste of a big-league park.

“It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced,” Hammond said. “The stadium, the equipment we got. The overall experience was awesome. I’m really glad I did this.”

With Charlotte being one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league during the 2022-23 campaign, the potential addition of Herro would lower the amount of pressure on Rozier to be a constant deep threat. Rozier, like Hayward, could also be moved given the addition of Miller, the second overall pick in this year’s draft.

The possibility of Herro coming to the Queen City is largely dependent on the Portland Trail Blazers dealing Damian Lillard to Miami.

Former UNC quarterback Sam Howell had his “Welcome to the NFL” game in the Commanders’ 37-3 blowout home loss to the Bills on Sunday.

Writers strike is not over yet with key votes remaining on deal, networks pivot for content

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The deal is made, the pickets have been suspended, and Hollywood’s writers are on the verge of getting back to work after months on strike. Actors, meanwhile, wait in the wings for their own resolution.

Crucial steps remain for the writers, who technically remain on strike, and for other workers awaiting a return to production of new shows. On Tuesday, the governing boards of the two branches of the Writers Guild of America faced a series of votes on the tentative agreement reached by union negotiators with Hollywood studios.

Following the approval from the boards — which is likely — comes a vote from the writers themselves, whose timing is uncertain. The guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios, streaming services and production companies in the negotiations, were still nalizing language Monday on their agreement.

That prompted a delay of Tuesday’s voting and has kept union leaders from sharing with writers the details of what nearly ve months of striking and hardship has earned them. The leaders have promised a series of meetings later this week where writers can learn about the terms of the deal regarding

pay, show sta ng, and control of arti cial intelligence in storytelling.

The guild’s leaders told them only that the agreement is “exceptional,” with gains for every member. A successful yes vote from the membership willnally, o cially, bring the strike to an end.

Meanwhile, though their own pickets have been suspended, writers were encouraged to join actors in solidarity on their lines starting Tuesday, just as

many actors did with writers in the two months before their own strike started in July.

The studio alliance has chosen to negotiate only with the writers so far, and has made no overtures yet toward restarting talks with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists. That will presumably change soon.

SAG-AFTRA leaders have said they will look closely at the agreement struck by the writ-

ers, who have many of the same issues they do, but it will not effect the demands they have.

The latest round of votes comes as networks face the difcult task of o ering fresh content to viewers weary of the discord coming from Hollywood. However, PBS has found a relatively free lane to o er fresh television to viewers downtrodden by the strikes this fall, but that advantage may only last a couple of months now.

With commercial networks largely bereft of fresh material beyond reality shows, sports and game shows, PBS has a fall schedule of new programming, including a heavy dose of nonction, led by Ken Burns’ look at “The American Bu alo.”

“I have to believe that people are looking for new stu ,” said Paula Kerger, CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service.

PBS’ plans were virtually una ected by the strike. One exception is a delay making “American Historia,” a three-part documentary series helmed by actor John Leguizamo about Latino gures in history, Kerger said. PBS acquired the docuseries “ Becoming Frida Kahlo,” about the artist, to replace it and it premiered last week.

PBS has also bought a few more scripted series that were made outside of the U.S., she said. Most of them are aimed at PBS’ streaming service, although the Danish series “Sea-

side Hotel” has aired on the television network.

For the most part, however, PBS has to plan well in advance and isn’t nimble enough to quickly switch things up to take advantage of how rivals were a ected by the strike, she said.

A British drama about the lives of people ghting World War II, “World on Fire,” is premiering its second season in October. Its rst season aired two years ago, but production has been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Burns’ series premieres on Oct. 15. Among the non ction projects on the docket this fall are “Evolution Earth,” about how animals are adapting to changes in their habitat caused by humans; “The Busing Battleground,” about the 1970s-era integration ght in Boston; along with “American Masters” programs on Jerry Brown, lawyer Floyd Abrams and drummer Max Roach.

“Frontline” will sink its teeth into Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on the Russian press and the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal. The “Frontline” documentary collaboration with The Associated Press, “20 Days in Mariupol,” premieres on the service on Nov. 21.

“Nova” will have a ve-part series on “Ancient Earth” in October and will also look at the ght against malaria.

quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Je ery aka Je rey W. Kemp, late of Wake County, North Carolina (23E004516-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 9th day of December, 2023 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

AP PHOTO

Striking writers take part in a rally in front of Paramount Pictures studio, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Los Angeles.

South Stanly soccer

South Stanly’s

September 20, 2023.

COUNTY NEWS

Dr. John Enamait

of SCC selected for Aspen Institute’s Presidents Fellowship program

Last Tuesday, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced that Dr. John Enamait at Stanly Community College (SCC) was selected for the inaugural class of the Aspen Presidents Fellowship. This program, which is made possible with support from JPMorgan Chase, focuses on developing a sustaining and comprehensive reform agenda that advances excellence and equity in student outcomes at scale. The selected fellows will work closely with a faculty of leading community college presidents and senior sta from the Aspen Institute to learn about and compare their practices to those of other eld-leading colleges. They will also analyze their students’ graduation and post-graduation outcomes and advance their priority reforms aimed at delivering excellent and equitable student outcomes.

Budd co-sponsors bill to strengthen oversight of U.S.China science and technology agreements

On Monday, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) cosponsored S. 2894, the Science and Technology Enhanced Congressional Noti cation Act. This bill, if passed, will strengthen the oversight of science and technology agreements (STAs) between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China by requiring the Secretary of State to provide comprehensive details to Congress about any new, renewed, or extended agreement and by establishing a minimum 30day Congressional review period. The bill was originally introduced by Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE).

Stanly County will see more than $118 million in state budget

North State Journal

RALEIGH — The state of North Carolina’s new budget has passed – and Stanly County is a winner.

The county’s delegation of Sen. Carl Ford and Rep. Wayne Sasser helped secure more than $118 million total for projects across the county.

In the rst year of the biennium, the budget appropriates a total of $29.8 billion, and $30.9 billion in the second year.

In a statement, Ford said of

the spending plan, “Over the past decade, North Carolina Republicans have enacted smart, restrained budgets. Because of that responsibility, we’ve seen multi-billion dollar surpluses. This year’s budget builds on that with sweeping tax cuts and major infrastructure improvements to address immediate needs and plan for the future.”

The city of Albemarle will receive $17.3 million for water and sewer system upgrades – the largest line item in the budget for Stanly County. The city of Locust

will receive $10 million for its own water and sewer upgrade.

Stanly Community College has two projects, with $8.2 million for a Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) building and road improvements around the facility. SCC will also receive $6.5 million for capital improvements.

The Stanly County Airport will see $6.6 million from the budget.

Stanly County Emergency Services will receive a grant of $1 million for capital improvements, including facilities for emergency services.

Albemarle City Council receives results from land use scal study

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

ALBEMARLE — At its regularly scheduled meeting on Sept. 18, the Albemarle City Council was presented with a Land Use Fiscal Analysis study from the urban planning and consulting rm Verdunity.

The study was requested by the council in order to examine the long-term scal health of the city, recommend potential longterm changes to Albemarle’s approach to land use and assist the city with its comprehensive plan and individual development decisions.

Using a video-conferencing virtual call and presentation, Verdunity founder and CEO Kevin Shepherd revealed an overview of the assessment’s ndings in Albemarle — many of which appeared to be positive in nature.

“When we do the land use analysis, where we like to start is looking at your budget,” Shepherd said. “In your general fund revenue, something that I was excited to see with yours compared to some of the others we’ve done is that you guys have almost 50% of your general fund revenue coming from property taxes when you factor in your PILOT (Payment

in Lieu of Taxes) revenue. That is a really, really strong position to be in.”

In a graph of the city’s general fund revenue budget of $19,584,410, property taxes make up 41% while sales taxes account for 28% and PILOT revenues come up to 7%. All sources were categorized in an “Other” group that made up 24% of the chart.

Shepherd noted that a few other cities that his company has recently modeled had property tax percentages in the 20-to-25% range, creating a situation that places a greater reliance on sales taxes, despite them being a more volatile revenue stream.

Verdunity recommends that cities should not rely on sales taxes to cover more than a third of basic services when aiming for a nancially-strong position.

“When you develop something and put it in the ground, you want it to be generating enough in property tax to cover those service costs so that your sales taxes can go to quality-of-life things like parks and economic development,” Shepherd said. “From a scal health perspective here, a target that we encourage a lot of cities to work for is 50% for property taxes and you guys are pretty much there.”

While evaluating Albemarle’s undeveloped property, Shepherd included a friendly warning for the city to continue to be mindful of its growth strategies going forward.

“We see in a lot of cities where they punch infrastructure out to the area anticipating growth, but that growth hasn’t happened yet, so they’re a little bit behind the eight-ball on paying for that street the longer you go without having development on the ground…Not all growth and development is a

Additionally, grants for the Agri-Civic Center, Sheri ’s Ofce and YMCA Foundation will receive grants for $300,000, $250,000 and $50,000, respectively.

Norwood Museum secured a grant of $100,000 to refurbish a classic retruck.

Additional funds will go to the town of Badin for startup costs for a new museum totaling $500,000, and the West Stanly Fire Department will get $150,000 for capital improvements.

good thing. Sometimes you might look at development coming in thinking it’s adding homes and a tax base, but it’s actually bringing on more liabilities that will make your long-term situation even harder.”

Noting that Albemarle has a mix of old growth to maintain and new growth coming in, Shepherd recommended that the city “scrutinize incoming development” to make sure that it will pay for itself as well as older developments.

Mayor Ronnie Michael thanked Verdunity and Shepherd for their work, adding that he was not expecting to hear density being encouraged as a developmental strategy.

“I was surprised to hear that you’re actually promoting density, even much more than we do,” Michael said. “We’ve had a lot of density here recently, but we continue to hear that we need a lot of open space. “Council, he (Shepherd) has given us something to study and discuss to prepare for the next budget year.”

The next city council meeting inside Albemarle City Hall Council Chambers is set for Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m.

$2.00

“When you develop something and put it in the ground, you want it to be generating enough in property tax to cover those service costs so that your sales taxes can go to quality-of-life things like parks and economic development.”

Kevin Shepherd, Verdunity Founder & CEO

Jose Garcia heads the ball over North Stanly’s Hayden Towne during a conference match at South Stanly in Norwood, on

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

9.27.23

WEDNESDAY SEPT 27 HI 69° LO 56° PRECIP 14% THURSDAY SEPT 28 HI 74° LO 58° PRECIP 15% FRIDAY SEPT 29 HI 77° LO 60° PRECIP 13% SATURDAY SEPT 30 HI 77° LO 59° PRECIP 9% SUNDAY OCT 1 HI 76° LO 57° PRECIP 8% MONDAY OCT 2 HI 78° LO 57° PRECIP 6% TUESDAY OCT 3 HI 81° LO 60° PRECIP 10%

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Taylor Swift’s trip to watch the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce play football on Sunday didn’t just have the internet talking nonstop. Following the 12-time Grammy Award winner’s appearance at Arrowhead Stadium, jersey sales for the All-Pro tight-end seemingly skyrocketed.

According to sportswear and fan merchandise company Fanatics, Kelce was one of the top 5 selling NFL players Sunday. He “saw a nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com,” a spokesperson told The Associated Press via email.

Sales spiked on the same day that Swift was spotted in Kansas City, watching the Chiefs play the Chicago Bears alongside Kelce’s mother, Donna, from one of the football stadi-

um’s glass-enclosed suites.

Kelce did not speak to reporters afterward, but he was spotted leaving Arrowhead with Swift by his side. Still, just about everyone in

AP PHOTO

the Kansas City locker room was buzzing about the news after Sunday’s game, including coach Andy Reid, who joked that “I set them up.” Swift has always been re-

luctant to discuss her personal life in public, but rumors have been ying about the popstar and the pro football player in recent months — notably after a July episode of Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, when he said he was disappointed that he didn’t get to meet Swift and gift her a friendship bracelet during Kansas City stop on her Eras Tour. In a later appearance on the “The Pat McAfee Show,” Kelce revealed that he invited Swift to watch him play.

Swift is currently on a break from her Eras Tour, which resumes Nov. 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Beyond jersey sales, the NFL has also met the internet hype of Swift’s trip to Arrowhead. As of Tuesday, the NFL’s bio on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, read “NFL (Taylor’s Version)” alongside a photo of Swift and Donna Kelce watching Sunday’s game.

CRIME LOG

BORDEAUX, XAVIER MONTREAL (B /M/28), MAL CONDUCT BY PRISONER/THROW, 09/24/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, THREATT, HOLLY CHRISTINE (W /F/38), POSSESS METHAMPHETAMINE, 09/24/2023, Stanly

County Sheriff’s Office, YARBROUGH, CAMRYN WALLACE (W /M/19), INJURY TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, 09/24/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, OWENS, JOHNNIE WILLIAM (B /M/24), MAL CONDUCT BY

PRISONER/THROW, 09/23/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, TROUTMAN, CODY GLENN (W /M/32), PWIMSD SCH VI CS, 09/22/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, BAZA, JOSE MARTINEZ (U /M/33), ASSAULT

SERIOUS BODILY INJURY, 09/21/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office,

WATTS, ALBERT RAY (W /M/71), BREAKING AND OR ENTERING (F), 09/21/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, WALL, XAVIER MARKIETH (B /M/23), RESISTING PUBLIC OFFICER, 09/20/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office,

Free prescription discount cards from GoodRx — What’s the catch?

AMERICANS SPEND more than $420 billion per year at pharmacies for prescription drugs, according to a 2022 report from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Prescription discount cards help people save money on prescription drugs by o ering savings at participating pharmacies. One popular company, GoodRx, o ers discounts of up to 80% on prescription drugs at over 70,000 U.S. pharmacies with its prescription savings program. And according to the company’s website, “there’s absolutely no cost and no catch.”

But earlier this year, GoodRx was penalized by the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, for disclosing patients’ personal health information without their consent. And using GoodRx’s discounts isn’t always easy or predictable.

Here are four potential catches the federal government, pharmacists, researchers and the company itself say you should know about before using GoodRx.

1. DEDUCTIBLES

“Keep in mind you cannot use GoodRx and insurance at the same time,” the company’s website says. It encourages users to pay for prescriptions as a “cash” payment with a GoodRx coupon. (In this context, paying “cash” means you’re paying out of pocket — without insurance.)

Using GoodRx rather than insurance means your insurance doesn’t have to reimburse you or count your spending toward your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.

Whether this matters to you depends on your coverage and what you expect to spend on prescription drugs each year.

“Who cares if it’s not going to count toward your deductible if you were never going to spend so much that you’re going to hit your deductible anyway,” says pharmacist Shannon Rotolo, who recently left the University of Chicago for a new position at the University of Rochester.

But if you know that you’ll spend enough to hit an outof-pocket maximum or Medicare Part D catastrophic coverage, Rotolo recommends having it count toward your deductible.

“Get the lower prices from your insurance plan sooner in the year,” she says.

2. PRIVACY VIOLATIONS

GoodRx’s “not-so-good privacy practices” made it the rst-ever company penalized for violating the FTC’s Health Breach Noti cation Rule, according to a post by senior attorney Lesley Fair on the agency’s business blog.

“In our complaint, we alleged that GoodRx violated the FTC Act (which prohibits unfair and deceptive practices in the marketplace) by sharing sensitive personal health information for years with advertising companies and platforms — contrary to its privacy promises that it would not do so,” FTC spokesperson Juliana Gruenwald Henderson wrote in an email. The FTC imposed a $1.5 million civil penalty on GoodRx. (For context, that’s about 0.2% of the company’s 2022 annual revenue of $766.6 million.)

The FTC also prohibited GoodRx from sharing any of its us-

“Who cares if it’s not going to count toward your deductible if you were never going to spend so much that you’re going to hit your deductible anyway.”

Pharmacist Shannon Rotolo

ers’ health data with third parties for advertising, and the company must obtain consent before sharing data for any non-advertising purpose.

When asked whether and to whom GoodRx sells or shares patient data today, a company representative referred in an email to a February 2023 “ GoodRx Response to FTC Settlement.”

“The settlement with the FTC focuses on an old issue that was proactively addressed almost three years ago, before the FTC inquiry began,” the GoodRx statement says. The company disagrees with the FTC’s allegations and does not admit wrongdoing.

GoodRx says in its statement that “privacy and security are paramount to us and an essential part of how we conduct our business,” and it encourages customers with questions to review the company’s privacy policies.

3. UNPREDICTABILITY

GoodRx’s prices “ uctuate frequently,” the company’s website says. So it might be hard to predict what you’ll pay and

where you’ll have to go for your medications.

“If you’re really trying to nd the lowest price with GoodRx, you can end up spending as much in gas money driving to a pharmacy across town one month, and then the next month, you’re driving to a pharmacy in the other direction or the adjacent town,” Rotolo says.

Prices for common generic medications on GoodRx can change by hundreds of dollars per ll over just six months, according to research published in 2022 by Rotolo and colleagues in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer.

“You may be better o just using your local pharmacy’s cash price, even if it’s a couple bucks more,” Rotolo says (although the price di erence will sometimes be much higher, she acknowledges). “It may be worth it,” she adds, “just to know that you’re going to continue to get that same price at that place, probably for a while.”

4. PHARMACY CHOICE

To get the lowest price with GoodRx, you may have to use a speci c pharmacy — probably a large chain.

“A lot of (independent) pharmacies won’t even accept the GoodRx card,” says pharmacist Jessica Robinson, assistant professor at East Tennessee State University’s Gatton College of Pharmacy.

Smaller pharmacies might not be able to a ord it.

“What happened was independent pharmacies were very excited to help patients any way they can, and then found out that a lot of the price negotiations are reimbursing below the cost of the drug,” Robinson says.

Pharmacies don’t get to negotiate with GoodRx, Robinson says, but “they are usually willing to sell a medication to a cash-paying patient at cost.” So while an independent pharmacy might not take GoodRx, they may have other options to help you a ord medications.

GOODRX ALTERNATIVES

There are several options for help a ording medications that you might want to consider along with GoodRx.

PHARMACIES

“I always recommend going to your traditional mom-andpop independent pharmacy and asking them if they can help you with a cash plan or cash price,” Robinson says.

MANUFACTURERS

“A lot of manufacturers will have really comprehensive patient assistance programs” that can help with the cost of their brand-name drugs, Robinson says.

COST PLUS DRUGS

Cost Plus Drugs is an online pharmacy o ering low-cost generic medications delivered by mail. But as with GoodRx, you generally can’t use insurance.

NONPROFITS

Grants to help patients a ord out-of-pocket costs for medications are available from nonpro ts such as the Patient Access Network Foundation, the HealthWell Foundation and the Patient Advocate Foundation.

“Join the conversation”

The Associated Press

Taylor Swift, right, watches from a suite alongside Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, inside Arrowhead Stadium during the rst half of an NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs Sunday

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

What does God most care about?

THIS COLUMN is being written during the 10-day period between Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) — two Jewish holidays known together as the “High Holy Days.” Just as many Christians who do not generally attend church do so on Easter and Christmas, many Jews who rarely attend synagogue do so on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

3,000 years ago the Torah prohibited returning a slave to his master and kidnapping people to sell them as slaves (that alone should have made Bible-believers abolitionists).

This year, for the 17th consecutive year (except for 2020, when I could nd no open venue due to government-induced lockdowns), I conducted Rosh Hashanah services and will conduct Yom Kippur services (pragerhighholidays.net). In Jewish life, the sermons on those two holidays are the most important of the year. The following is a summary of the talks I delivered on Rosh Hashanah.

What does God most care about?

The answer is: good and evil, i.e., how we human beings treat each other.

Here are some proofs from the Bible, the book that gave us God:

1. The reason the Bible gives for why God brought the ood that destroyed the world (saving only Noah and his family) is that humans were evil. Virtually every ancient society had a ood story but, as far as I could deduce, only in the Bible’s story did God destroy mankind because people were evil. For example, according to the contemporaneous ancient Near East Babylonian story, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods destroyed humanity (except for a man named Utnapishtim) because humans made so much noise they kept the gods awake.

2. In every ood story, the gods saved an individual and a mate (otherwise, the ood would have ended human life). The only reason God saved Noah was that he was “a righteous man in his generations.” Again, the sole concern in the Bible’s ood story is moral.

3. God is repeatedly described as a moral being. One example: “The Lord your God is... mighty and awesome, not partial and takes no bribe, executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and loves the stranger, providing them with food and clothing” (Deuteronomy).

4. The fundamental human division in the Hebrew Bible is not between Jew and non-Jew but between good and bad people. That is why the Hebrew Bible describes so many non-Jews as good — in addition to Noah, the daughter of Pharoah; Jethro, a Midianite priest; Caleb (whose ethnicity is not Hebrew but Kennizite); Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute who hid the Hebrew spies; and Ruth the Moabite (who becomes the ancestor of the Messiah) — and so often criticizes the Jews for their bad behavior. No holy work is so critical of the people of that holy work’s religion as the Hebrew Bible is of the Hebrews. Again, that is because God is preoccupied with moral di erences, not with di erences of ethnicity or even of religion. As Viktor Frankl wrote in his seminal book, “Man’s Search for

Meaning,” there are only two races: the decent and the indecent.

5. The Hebrew Bible — and therefore God — is also preoccupied with moral treatment of animals. Most people do not realize that treatment of animals is included in the Ten Commandments. Not only must one’s animals be allowed to rest every week on the Sabbath, but there are also laws in the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) that prohibit muzzling animals while they work in the elds, so that they are free to eat while they work; yoking animals of two di erent species (and therefore having di erent gaits and sizes) to the same plow; and eating the limb of a living animal.

6. While slavery was not outright banned, 3,000 years ago the Torah prohibited returning a slave to his master, kidnapping people to sell them as slaves (that alone should have made Bible-believers abolitionists) and sentenced a master who murdered his slave to death (that is what the punishment — “avenged” — most likely meant).

7. The Prophets (the Hebrew word means “spokesmen” — God’s spokesmen) were preoccupied with moral behavior.

8. God is repeatedly depicted as more concerned with moral behavior than with anything else: “God has told you, O humans, what is good and what the Lord demands of you: Only to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah). “Hate evil and love good, and establish justice” (Amos). “Those of you who love God must hate evil” (Psalms).

If Rabbis, priests and ministers are to be true to the Bible, they need to emphasize that what God demands most from their coreligionists is good behavior. That is not only obvious from the Hebrew Bible, but from the New Testament as well. Yes, the New Testament teaches that there is no salvation without right faith (i.e., faith in Christ). But there is no right faith without right behavior. As James put it, “Faith without works is dead.” And as Jesus, quoted in Matthew, put it, “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

The religious tragedy is that too often religious people have placed something above moral behavior — ritual practice among Jews and theology among Christians. Both are very important because goodness will not survive the death of Judeo-Christian values. Just look at the moral chaos in large parts of secular America today. The most secular institutions of our society — the universities — have become moral and intellectual wastelands. We need God and concern with goodness. God without concern with goodness leads to evil. And so does concern with goodness without God.

Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist.

The YouTube un-personing of Russell Brand

THIS WEEK, The Times of London and Channel 4 issued a scathing expose about actor and comedian-turned-podcaster Russell Brand. Brand began his career as a comedian and MTV host; in 2004, he joined “Big Brother’s Big Mouth” on Channel 4, and then transitioned into acting and voice-overs. In 2013, he went political; by 2020, he had launched a successful podcast, taking heterodox positions on matters ranging from COVID-19 to the Ukraine war.

So what changed? Brand did.

Over the course of this time, Brand also changed his personal behavior. He was a drug abuser in the early 2000s; by 2003, he was a self-declared sex addict; today, he is married with two young children.

The Times and Channel 4 report concerns behavior during the period 2006-2013. Those allegations come from ve women, four of them anonymous, who accuse Brand of behavior ranging from emotional abuse to sexual assault and rape. Metropolitan Police have urged any victims to come forward. Brand denies all of the allegations.

Full disclosure: I’ve interviewed Russell and been interviewed by him at length. I consider him a friend. You can never truly know another person well enough to rule out vile, despicable, criminal behavior in their past; I didn’t know Russell during his most debauched period, and I assume that if I had, we wouldn’t have gotten along. And the allegations, as Brand himself says, are incredibly serious. Presumably we will nd out all the facts as time goes on.

There is a question worth asking here, aside from the obvious question about Brand’s alleged crimes: What prompted the media to begin digging into Brand? It was an open secret in Hollywood that Brand was a sexual degenerate throughout the 2000s; the media were utterly unconcerned about such matters. In fact, the

same media outlets now investigating Brand were happy to make money o of him as he engaged in overtly vile behavior he himself would now be ashamed of.

So what changed? Brand did. He began taking political positions that contradicted many of the most cherished assumptions of the media class. He spoke out on a variety of issues that were considered taboo. He abandoned his past embrace of debauchery and began promoting more honorable personal behavior.

This prompted an investigation that, if the allegations are true, should have happened more than a decade ago. That investigation has now been utilized as a predicate to unperson Brand before he even responds to the allegations in full. He has not been arrested and charged, let alone convicted of a crime. Yet YouTube announced on Tuesday that it would cancel all monetization of Brand’s videos on the site, preventing Brand from earning an income from any content posted on YouTube. “This decision applies to all channels that may be owned or operated by Russell Brand,” the social media service explained.

Allegations can now be utilized to erase unpleasant people from social media — presumably because of what they have done in the past, but really, because of what they say now. There are reams of allegations about a bevy of YouTube creators. But those who are demonetized seem to be of one political type.

This is dangerous stu , no matter what emerges about Brand. If he’s guilty, he will pay for his crimes. But the preemptive destruction of his career makes for a truly ugly incentive structure. And it is now just one more reason for those who do have heterodox opinions to avoid speaking up.

Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+.

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

COLUMN | DENNIS PRAGER

SIDELINE REPORT

WNBA

Aces’ Wilson repeats as WNBA’s top defensive player

Henderson, Nev.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja

Wilson was honored as the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. The former Gamecocks star and Columbia, South Carolina, native is the eighth player to win the award multiple times. Wilson received 32 of 60 votes from a national media panel. Connecticut

Sun forward Alyssa Thomas was second with 24. Wilson also led the WNBA in defensive e ciency rating and blocked shots. She was third in defensive rebounds per game and 10th in steals and led the league in blocked shots for the third time in four years.

MLB

Neutral pitch clock operators will be used for baseball postseason

New York

Major League Baseball will have neutral clock operators in the rst postseason of pitch timers. MLB evaluated each team’s clock operators during the regular season and said it will select up to a dozen of the best performers for postseason games, which start Oct. 3. A clock operator cannot work a postseason game involving the team whose games the operator times during the regular season. In addition, each postseason series will have the same clock operator for all games of that series. The average time of a nine-inning game has been reduced to 2 hours, 40 minutes from 3:04.

NFL Raiders quarterback

Jimmy Garoppolo checked for concussion after loss to Steelers

Las Vegas

Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was evaluated for a concussion after Las Vegas’ 23-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night.

When Garoppolo was injured wasn’t clear because news of the concussion was announced after coach Josh McDaniels’ post-game news conference. Garoppolo was wobbly after a sack late in the rst half by T.J. Watt but also appeared to injure his ankle on that play. He passed for 324 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times.

TENNIS

Team World beats

Team Europe to claim back-to-back Laver

Cups

Vancouver, British Columbia

Team World has claimed its second straight Laver Cup title. Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe beat Hubert Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7), 7-6 (7) on Sunday at Rogers Arena. Team World won last year’s tournament, which also marked the end of Swiss star Roger Federer’s last professional appearance before retiring. Team World took a 10-2 lead in the tournament on Saturday to put itself in the driver’s seat.

Byron advances to round of 8 with win at Texas

It was the 300th overall victory for Hendrick

The Associated Press FORT WORTH, Texas — William Byron got a milestone victory for Rick Hendrick while advancing into the round of eight of NASCAR playo s. Bubba Wallace felt like he let one get away.

Byron took the lead for the rst time right after the nal restart with six laps left Sunday at Texas, staying in front after going underneath Wallace and Chase Briscoe, to win the opener of the second round of the playo s and get the 300th victory for Hendrick Motorsports.

“I choked ... I had my worst restart,” said Wallace, who after

just sneaking into the round of 12 started from the pole and led a career-high 111 laps. “This one is going to sting for a little bit.”

The top ve nishers were all playo contenders, with Ross Chastain second, ahead of Wallace, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin. Retiring driver Kevin Harvick was sixth and playo driver Brad Keselowski seventh.

“We’ve just been kind of steady Eddie through the rst three or four races and we haven’t shown any ashes, but today I thought we had a good car if we could have just get to the front,” Byron said. “At the end there we were really fast.”

Byron nished 1.863 seconds ahead of Chastain for his sixth win of the season, the most in the Cup series. He built on the points lead he had starting the second round.

Hamlin, Chris Buescher, Bell, Martin Truex Jr., Chastain, Keselowski and Kyle Larson round out the top eight of the playo standings behind Byron. Wallace moved up three spots to ninth, still one below the cuto line when this three-race round is done, with Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch behind him.

There are two more races in the round of 12, at Talladega next weekend and then the Roval at Charlotte.

After an earlier restart with 20 laps to go in the 267-lap race, when Larson and Wallace hadn’t taken fresh tires, they were sideby-side going into Turn 1 when Larson got loose on the inside.

Larson’s car went up the track and slammed hard into the wall to end his day.

But there was still one more

restart after six cars got caught up in an accident in the back of the eld, including playo contenders Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick, last year’s winner at Texas.

That is what set up the 25-year-old Byron in the No. 24 Chevrolet, instead of Larson, getting the milestone victory for Hendrick. It was Byron’s 10th career win.

Byron said he wasn’t sure he could put into words what it meant to get No. 300, expressing his thanks to “Mr. Hendrick for his investment in me, and telling me at 17 years old that he was going to take me to Cup racing. So just appreciate everything he’s done for me. This is awesome.”

Denny Hamlin was racing with damage to his right side after being hit by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs on pit road in the rst stage.

“Once we got the damage, (the car) just wasn’t as fast as it was before,” Hamlin said. “Still, considering how much damage it had, it was a top-three car. A bunch of carnage happened there in the end, and we avoided it, so we are in a better spot than when we entered.”

Panthers falls to 0-3 with 37-27 loss at Seattle

“As coaches and as players, if you have that many self-in icted things, it’s hard to overcome those,” Reich said.

The Associated Press

SEATTLE — Frank Reich has coached long enough to know his rebuilding and injury-depleted Carolina Panthers had a narrow margin for error while playing at Seattle.

After Carolina committed 13 penalties, had no running game and couldn’t get stops in the second half, it’s safe to say Reich’s team didn’t follow his formula for victory.

“I don’t think anybody feels like we’ve been outmanned in any game,” Reich said. “We just have beat ourselves. Just have to continue to get better.”

The Panthers dropped to 0-3 on Sunday, losing 37-27 to the Seahawks while constantly setting themselves back with penalties.

Carolina got a big day from veteran backup Andy Dalton, who threw for 367 yards, and held Seattle to eld goals early on. But the Seahawks eventually found the end zone and the Panthers were left to lament their mistakes in a frustrated locker room.

“It’s tough because you can’t put your nger on it,” said wide receiver DJ Chark Jr., who caught a 47-yard touchdown. “I don’t

feel like we are that far away, but when we end the game and we’re done and we lost, it’s tough.”

The Panthers started 0-3 for the fth time. They’ve never won more than eight games in any of those seasons.

“I’ve been on teams that started worse. To be honest, we just have to stay together and keep climbing,” linebacker Deion Jones said. “We all have to stay together, we all have to get better. Everybody has to take another step, and we all have to buy in. No one can veer o .”

Carolina played without No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young, who injured an ankle in last Monday night’s loss to New Orleans. His injury is one of many that have depleted an already thin roster. Linebacker Shaq Thompson and cornerback Jaycee Horn are hurt, too.

Nonetheless, the Panthers were within 22-20 after Miles Sanders scored on a 1-yard run on the rst play of the fourth quarter. But Seattle scored the next 15 points while Carolina made a series of miscues.

Eight of the Panthers’ penalties were false starts by o ensive linemen. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu moved early four times and right tackle Taylor Morton jumped twice. Left guard Chandler Zavala was caught once and linebacker Chandler Wooten moved early on a punt.

“I was obviously disappointed in the way I handled the noise today. It’s something that we prepared all week for and I came out here and I didn’t get it done today,” Ekwonu said.

Carolina faced third-and-4 while trailing 29-20 with 8:15 left. Morton and Zavala were agged on consecutive snaps, turning a possible easy conversion into a third-and-14 and an eventual punt.

The Panthers had their most penalties in a game since 2011.

“We got to nd a way to play clean football, especially presnap. You know you’re gonna have penalties post-snap, but it’s important for us to start drives the right way and play clean football and then if we get beat from there, so be it,” said Adam Thielen, who had 11 catches for 145 yards and a late touchdown. “But we got to nd a way to clean it up.”

Motorsports

Andy Dalton threw for 361 yards in place of the injured Bryce Young

AP PHOTO

Denny Hamlin celebrates his victory in Saturday night’s Cup Series playo race at Bristol.

AP PHOTO

Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen runs between Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and cornerback Artie Burns during Carolina’s 37-27 loss Sunday in Seattle.

Malik Watkins

Albemarle blanks Lake Norman Charter

North Stanly lost at Forest Hills in the only other county game

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

ALBEMARLE picked up right where it left o the week before, shutting out Lake Norman Charter 34-0 at home to get a second straight win.

The Bulldogs (2-4) — who beat Southwestern Randolph 32-6 last week following an 0-4 start to the season — enter conference play with momentum.

Albemarle, football

Malik Watkins is a senior on the Albemarle football team.

As he’s done all season long, Watkins did a little bit of everything in the Bulldogs’ 34-0 win over Lake Norman Charter on Friday. He had ve rushes for 30 yards and a touchdown, giving him three rushing scores on the year. He’s second on the team in rushing yards.

Watkins also starred on defense, however, forcing a fumble, recovering it and returning it 38 yards for a second touchdown. He currently leads Albemarle with six total touchdowns on the year, getting as many from his defense and special teams contributions as he does running the ball. Watkins leads the team with three forced fumbles, three recoveries and is third on the squad in tackles.

Southwestern Randolph’s

Owen Whelan rushes for a rst down against Albemarle during a game in Asheboro on Sept. 15.

River Conference play Oct. 6 with a road game at South Stanly.

Forest Hills 35, North Stanly 13

Unbeaten Forest Hills proved to be too much at home for North Stanly on Friday, breaking open the game in the second half for a 35-13 win.

66-6

Combined score of North Stanly’s last two games

Running back Kaine McLendon led Albemarle with 105 rushing yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, while quarterback Ander Artis had a touchdown pass to Ja’Zyion Geiger, who nished with a team-high 53 receiving yards.

While the Bulldogs’ rushing game set the pace for the home team, the Bulldogs’ defense and special teams also came up big against the Knights (3-2).

C hristian Harris returned a kicko for a touchdown in the second quarter, and that was quickly followed by Malik Watkins recovering a fumble and returning it for a score to give the Bulldogs a 22-0 halftime lead. Watkins also nished the game with a rushing touchdown.

The Bulldogs are o this week before starting Rocky

The Yellow Jackets (5-0) led 7-0 at the half but scored 21 points in the third quarter to take control.

Senior running back Jay Jackson paced the Comets (3-2) with 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.

North Stanly quarterback Chance Blake was limited to 90 yards of 8-of-23 passing attempts. Jordan Stewart and Jaylon McKoy had 51 and 56 receiving yards, respectively.

The Comets begin Yadkin Valley Conference play Friday when they hit the road to face Union Academy (1-4).

West Stanly — bye

The Colts (3-2) will host Piedmont (1-4) in their Rocky River Conference opener Friday.

South Stanly — bye

The Rebel Bulls (3-2) will travel to Mount Pleasant (3-2) on Friday for the start of Yadkin Valley Conference play.

General Assembly orders more oversight of NCHSAA

Legislation was passed

Friday that would give more power to the State Board of Education

The Associated Press RALEIGH — The General Assembly has ordered additional oversight of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, nalizing legislation Friday that seeks to leave more rule-making in the hands of state education leaders.

In separate House and Senate votes, the General Assembly passed a bill that for months had focused solely on changes to state insurance laws. But thenal measure negotiated by Republicans and unveiled Thurs-

day tacked on more than a dozen pages addressing high school athletics that largely came from a separate bill that passed the Senate earlier this year.

A 2021 law that sought more rigorous government supervision of interscholastic sports among public schools led the State Board of Education to enter a memorandum of understanding with the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCSHAA), which began in 1913.

That agreement laid out how the association, which serves more than 400 schools, would administer and enforce requirements for high school sports on behalf of the board. Republican lawmakers who say the association isn’t holding up its side

of the bargain — harming students and their families — said the group needs to be reined in further.

The new language “increases accountability and transparency for a private organization tasked with administering our children’s athletic experiences,” Sen. Vicki Sawyer, an Iredell County Republican, said in a news release after Friday’s votes in both chambers. The bill was sent to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk for consideration.

The approved bill makes clear with the beginning of the next school year that standards on student participation, health and safety rules, and student and school appeals must be set by the board, not the association. The association also would

have to comply with public record disclosures similar to those that government agencies must follow.

And the elected state superintendent of public instruction — currently Republican Catherine Truitt — would enter into the memorandum of understanding, not the board, of which the governor’s appointees hold a majority.

During House oor debate early Friday shortly after midnight, bill opponents argued its supporters were seeking to severely weaken the association because of animosity toward NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker and for adverse student eligibility outcomes.

“I don’t think that’s a reason to threaten the (association), but I

can certainly see it being nuked in the very near future,” said Rep. Amos Quick, a Guilford County Democrat.

In a news release Friday, the NCHSAA said it has acted in good faith with the State Board of Education since entering the agreement.

“This was a blindside tackle, and I am sorely disappointed in the actions of our state legislators,” Tucker said, adding that the bill would silence the voices of its member schools should it become law.

For years, NCHSAA critics complained about what they called the group’s oversized control over member schools, eligibility decisions and monetary penalties, even as the association has ush co ers.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Home sales fell again in August as homebuyers grapple with rising mortgage rates and prices

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell for the third month in a row in August, as higher mortgage rates, rising prices and a dearth of properties on the market shut out many would-be homebuyers.

Existing home sales fell 0.7% last month from July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.04 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. That’s below the 4.10 million pace that economists were expecting, according to FactSet.

Sales slumped 15.3% compared with the same month last year and are down 21% through the rst eight months of the year versus the same stretch in 2022.

Meanwhile, prices rose again last month, propped up by buyers competing for a near-record low inventory of homes on the market.

The national median sales price rose 3.9% from August last year to $407,100, marking the third month in a row that the median price remained above $400,000. Last month’s median sale price is also the fourth-highest on records going back to 1999.

“Home prices continue to march higher despite lower home sales,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist. “Supply needs to essentially double to moderate home price gains.”

Even as rising mortgage rates force many buyers to the sidelines, the shortage of homes for sale has kept the market competitive, driving bidding wars in many places, especially for the most a ordable homes.

Buyers snapped up homes last month typically within just 20 days after the properties hit the market, and about 31% of

homes sold for more than their list price.

“Sales are down, people are struggling to buy a home, but prices are going up,” Yun said.

All told, there were 1.1 million homes on the market by the end of last month, down 0.9% from July and 14.1% from August last year, the NAR said. That amounts to just a 3.3-month

supply, going by the current sales pace. In a more balanced market between buyers and sellers, there is a 4- to 5-month supply.

Would-be homebuyers are also seeing their purchasing power diminish as mortgage rates push higher.

The weekly average rate on a 30-year mortgage hovered just

below 7% in June and July, when many of the home sales that were nalized in August would have gone under contract. It has remained above 7% since, surging at one point last month to 7.23%, a 22-year high, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. This week, the average rate edged up to 7.19%.

High rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting how much they can a ord in a market already una ordable to many Americans. They also discourage homeowners who locked in those low rates two years ago from selling.

Mortgage rates have been echoing moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing loans. The yield has been climbing amid expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep shortterm interest rates higher for longer to ght in ation.

On Wednesday, Federal Reserve policymakers signaled that they expect to raise rates once more this year and envision their key rate staying higher in 2024 than most analysts had expected.

The 10-year Treasury yield surged to 4.46% in morning trading Thursday, up from 4.40% late Wednesday and from 0.50% three years ago. It’s now near its highest level since 2007.

“It’s possible mortgage rates may go up to 8% in the short run,” Yun said.

After leaving bipartisan voting information group, Virginia announces new data-sharing agreements

The Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. — Months after withdrawing from a data-sharing interstate compact to ght voter fraud, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration on Wednesday announced a series of recent steps it has taken to improve the accuracy of the state’s voter rolls.

Among them is the launch of new, individual data-sharing agreements with ve other states and Washington, D.C., the Virginia Department of Elections said in a news release. The six agreements will enable Virginia to “securely compare voter lists” with Washington, Georgia, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia and “identify potential voter fraud” and duplicate registrations, the Department of Elections said in a news release.

“Secure elections start with accurate voter lists,” Elections Commissioner Susan Beals said Wednesday, two days before the start of early voting in this year’s legislative elections. “Virginia now updates our voter list using data coming directly from one-to-one data sharing agreements with neighboring states and partnerships with state and federal agencies.”

While the department in its news release and a recent an-

nual report held the new agreements and other initiatives out as improvements from the work of past administrations, Democrats argued they were no substitute for participation in the bipartisan Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, which Virginia left in May.

“It’s undoubtedly not as good as ERIC. There’s just fewer states that are involved,” said Aaron Mukerjee, an attorney and the voter protection director for the

Democratic Party of Virginia. Virginia was one of the founding members when ERIC was formed in 2012, an e ort promoted by then-Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell. It’s a voluntary system that aims to help around two dozen member states maintain accurate lists of registered voters by sharing data that allows o cials to identify and remove people who have died or moved to other states.

ERIC has also found itself in

the crosshairs of conspiracy theories fueled by former President Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election.

Beals in May gave several reasons for the decision to end the state’s membership. They included recent departures by what was then seven other GOP-led states, cost concerns, incomplete participation by Virginia’s bordering states and “increasing concerns regarding stewardship, maintenance, privacy, and con dentiality” of voter information. She said Virginia would look for other ways to “partner with states in an apolitical fashion” on the issue.

Andrea Gaines, a spokeswoman for the department, said in response to questions from The Associated Press about the new data-sharing agreements that “the process for sharing voter lists between states is underway and meetings between these states’ IT teams have been occurring.” She did not respond to a question about the estimated annual cost of the new arrangement.

Neighboring states North Carolina and Maryland aren’t among those with which Virginia has reached a data-sharing agreement. But the department has reached out to all of its border states to initiate voter list

comparisons as required by state law, Gaines said.

In addition to the new agreements, the department said it had conducted, for “the rst time ever,” change of address mailings to voters who may have moved.

“The mailings took place in February and July 2023 and identi ed a record number of 260,653 inactive voters. ELECT promptly set these voters to inactive status, beginning the process of removing them from the voter list, as required under the National Voter Registration Act,” the news release said.

Inactive-status voters will still be able to cast a ballot in the upcoming elections but will be asked to update their registration, Gaines said.

“If a voter stays in inactive status for four years, they will be removed from the voter rolls according to federal law,” she wrote.

The department is also collecting license plate surrender data from “more states than ever before,” the news release said, and will use it to contact voters who may have left Virginia and o er information about how to cancel their voter registration.

The agency also said it had conducted a historical audit of death records dating back to 1960 and canceled the registrations of 77,348 dead voters over the past 12 months.

An “Under Contract” sign is posted in front of a home for sale in Charlotte.

AP PHOTO

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks prior to signing the budget at a ceremony, June 21, 2022, in Richmond, Va.

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

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

Alexander Payton Morton

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

January 9, 1990 - September 19, 2023

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

Alexander Payton Morton, of Albemarle, passed away on September 19. 2023 in Atrium Health Pineville.

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 Gar eld.

Born January 9, 1990 in Cabarrus County, NC, he was the son of Timothy “Tim” Floyd Morton of Rochester, MN and the late Mitzi Carpenter Morton. He was a graduate of North Stanly High School and was an inspector with AMT Engineering. He was an avid golfer and a big baseball and football fan. He loved his daughter, Delilah Rose Morton, greatly, and his German shepherd “Baby.”

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

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

MaKayla Gabriel Davis

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

2023

Jane Layok

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

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

Bette Del Monte

Ricky Allen

July 15, 2003 ~ September 14, 2023

MaKayla Davis of Albemarle, North Carolina passed away on Sep 14, 2023.

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 Sheri ’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 his father, Mr. Morton is survived by his daughter Delilah Rose Morton of New London, sister Lindsay Morton Meyer (Matthew) of Rochester, MN.

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.

Ruby "Ellen" Smith

July 29, 1925 — September 18, 2023

Mrs. Ruby Ellen Smith, 98, of New London, passed away Monday, September 18, 2023 at home in New London.

Mrs. Smith was born

July 29, 1925 in Troy, North Carolina to the late Daniel V. Dry and the late Mary Ellen Dry. She was preceded in death by husband, Chester Lee Smith; brothers, John Franklin, Esper Heath, James Dry and Ken Thomas; sisters, Bernice Dry, Ollie Green, and twin sister Helen Huneycutt. Survivors include daughter, Aivonia McDonald of New London, NC; granddaughter, Ta y A. McDonald and great-granddaughter, Angel McDonald.

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.

Gene Brock

February 25, 1937 ~ September 23, 2023

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.

Wade Eugene (Gene) Brock, 86, of Norwood, passed away on Saturday, September 23, 2023 at Trinity Place in Albemarle surrounded by his loving family.

Mr. Brock was born on February 25, 1937 in Stanly County to the late William Harden and Elsie Mae Eudy Brock. He was a retired Manager from Je eries and member at Norwood First Baptist Church. Gene had a love for vintage cars and spent his retirement years as curator for Sonny Beachum Classic Car Museum. Gene enjoyed traveling with his great friend Sonny Beachum around the country in search of classic automobiles made in the USA to ll the museum. Gene had a deep love for Norwood, the community and its people.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his wife, Bobbe Jernigan Brock, and brothers: Billy Brock and Ricky Brock.

He is survived by his daughter, Jennifer Brock McSwain and her husband, Jim; son Je ery Brock; sister Judy Hall and husband, Pat; sister Joann Hayman and husband Emory. Gene's extended family, Joy McSwain Swaringen, Chris and Jarrod.

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

November 20, 1946 — September 20, 2023

Jane Layok, 76, of Stan eld, NC, died peacefully at home surrounded by family on September 20, 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.

Jane was born November 20, 1946, in Montpelier, Vermont. In her early teens she moved to Danbury Connecticut, where she met the love of her life, James, and they were married in October 1968. After attending a vocational school she graduated with a nursing degree. Jane worked at Danbury Hospital in the ICU unit until 1989 when she moved to Stan eld, NC, and continued her career at Union Memorial in Monroe until she retired in 2006. She was an avid animal lover, owning many dogs, cats, and horses in her life.

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.

Jane is survived by her husband of 55 years, James, of Stan eld; her daughter Marnie and her husband Derek Pernesiglio of Kannapolis, NC, her son Je ery and his wife Linda Layok of Mt. Ulla, NC; granddaughters, Devon and her husband John Yanochik, as well as Mackenzie Welch; grandson JD and wife Mollie Layok; four great grandchildren, Olive, Violet, Dottie, and Howie.

Darrick Baldwin

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

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

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

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

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

April 10, 1927 ~ September 21, 2023

Bette Del Monte, 96, of Albemarle, passed away Thursday, September 21, 2023 at Forrest Oaks Healthcare Facility in Albemarle.

Bette was born April, 10, 1927 to the late Margaret and William Soule. She spent most of her working life as an executive assistant for Grumman.

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

When John purchased his rst 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 is preceded in death by her son, Mark Del Monte Jr.

She is survived by her daughter, Linda Muto (Bill) of Norwood, son, Ron Del Monte (Lily) of Colorado, grandchildren: Mark Schulman of Charlotte, Marcy Schulman (Park Urquhart) of Norwood, Mat Del Monte (Courtney) of Florida, and Joey Del Monte of California, greatgrandchildren: Mathew Del Monte of Oklahoma, Cayley Del Monte of Oklahoma, Nora Del Monte of Florida, and Jax Urquhart of Norwood.

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 Rich eld, NC John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; ve 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.

April 4, 1960 ~ September 21, 2023

Ricky Lane Allen, 63, of Norwood, passed away Thursday, September 21, 2023 at his home.

Ricky was born on April 4, 1960 in Stanly County to the late Robert Lance and Vernell Gilbert Allen, who survives. He received his masters degree from Pfei er University and was a manager and salesman for Fabcon and Je eries. He enjoyed shing and loved spending time with his family, especially his granddaughters. In addition to his mother, he is survived by his son, Caleb Lane Allen (Katrina) of Concord; granddaughters: Shea and Cora Allen; brother Tony Allen (Erin) of Concord; nieces and nephew: Jamie Stokes (John), Finley and Emery Stokes, Cary Allen, Anna Irvin (Matthew Reeves), Elizabeth Thacker (Matt), and Clayton Thacker.

Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, went home into God’s presence on January 10 after a sudden illness and a valiant week-long ght in ICU. Doris was born on October 11, 1944, in the mountains of Marion, NC while her father was away ghting in the US Navy during World War II. Raymond Jones was so proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Durham High School. She furthered her studies at Watts Hospital School of Nursing in Durham and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1966.

Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC. Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion. The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over 40 years of nursing.

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 sel ess, funny, smart, and sentimental. During her lifetime she was an active member of First Baptist Church of Durham, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Augusta, and Palestine United Methodist Church in Albemarle. She especially loved helping at church with older adults, youth, and children.

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

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

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

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

STATE & NATION

On the road again: Commuting makes a comeback as employers try to put pandemic in the rearview

The Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — If you think U.S. roads have gotten busier on your morning commute, you’re not alone.

The rate of workers driving to their jobs creeped upwards nationwide last year, as did those who carpool to work by car, truck or van. The mean commuting time jumped by almost a minute in 2022 from the previous year, as more businesses ended fulltime remote work, a sign that post-pandemic life edged closer in 2022 to what it was before COVID-19.

The rate of people working from home dropped from almost 18% in 2021 to 15.2% in 2022, according to new survey data on life in America released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey covers commuting times, internet access, family life, income, education levels, disabilities, military service, and employment, among other topics.

Mark Behrens, a human resources data analyst in Orlando working for a Fortune 500 company, started driving to his ofce in March 2022 after working from home for two years because of the pandemic. Managers now require employees to spend at least three days a week in the ofce. While most of his co-workers resented the order, Behrens was elated to see the in-person collaboration with his colleagues return to something that felt closer to normal.

“The advantage of coming into the o ce, even if it’s only hybrid, is not being isolated, having some social connections,” Behrens said. “You see people and you mention something you are working on and you start to talk about it more, and you can come

up with more solutions, and make more progress.”

The rate of people commuting to work alone in a vehicle climbed from 67.8% in 2021 to 68.7% in 2022, and it went from 7.8% to 8.6% for carpoolers. Public transportation usage rose from 2.5% to 3.1% year-overyear, and the time people spent traveling to work jumped almost a full minute to 26.4 minutes in 2022 compared to 25.6 minutes in 2021, according to the American Community Survey’s 1-year estimates.

Despite the signi cant decline

in working remotely from 2021 to 2022, it still was almost three times higher than before the pandemic in 2019, when it was only 5.7% and more than three-quarters of workers drove alone to work in a vehicle. The 2022 survey did not let participants say whether they work from home full-time or only some of the time.

Even though there were advantages to working from home, like throwing something into the crock pot during lunch breaks, Allison Graves was happy to return to her rst-grade classroom after teaching virtually for most

of the rst two years of the pandemic, which started in early 2020. With a renewed commute, she could catch up on podcasts she missed because she didn’t spend so much time in her car.

“Continuing virtually just wasn’t the same as teaching face-to-face,” said Graves, who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia. “People spent much of 2020 and 2021 not going places, and now people are expected to be back or doing hybrid.”

Earlier this week, the Census Bureau released national data on income, poverty and the rate of

Dallas mayor switches parties, making the city the nation’s largest with a GOP mayor

The Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas — Dallas

Mayor Eric Johnson announced Friday that he is switching to the Republican Party, making the city the largest in the U.S. to be led by a GOP mayor.

Although mayoral o ces in Texas are nonpartisan, the switch is a boost for Texas Republicans who have been losing ground around the state’s major cities for more than a decade. Johnson was elected mayor in 2019 after serving more than a decade as a Democrat in the Texas House of Representatives.

Making the announcement in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Johnson said he was never a favorite of Democrats in the Capitol and called on mayors to champion “law and order” and scal conservatism.

“This is hardly a red wave. But it is clear that the nation and its cities have reached a

time for choosing,” Johnson wrote. “And the overwhelming majority of Americans who call our cities home deserve to have real choices—not ‘progressive’ echo chambers—at city hall.”

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott quickly welcomed Johnson into the party. The mayor of neighboring Fort Worth, Mattie Parker, is also a Republican, giving Texas two of the nation’s largest cities with GOP leaders.

“Texas is getting more Red every day,” Abbott posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Johnson is in his second and nal term as mayor, which runs through 2027. As a state lawmaker, Johnson made headlines over his successful e orts to remove a plaque in the Texas Capitol that rejected slavery as

people without health insurance. American Community Survey data released Thursday showed what those rates were broken down by states and smaller geographies.

The District of Columbia and New Jersey had the highest median household income with $101,027 and $96,346, respectively, compared to more than $74,000 nationally. Mississippi’s $52,719 was the lowest of any state.

The rate of those lacking health insurance was lowest in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, respectively 2.4% and 2.9%, compared to the national average of 8%. It was highest in Texas at 16.6%.

Fewer people moved in 2022 compared to 2021, and the presence of a child in a household also dropped slightly. The average household size trended lower, going from 2.54 to 2.5 people, as did the average family size, going from 3.15 to 3.11 people.

The foreign born population inched up slightly to 13.9%, and the rate of people who spoke only English at home dropped slightly from the previous year to 78% in 2022.

Even though the back-in-ofce-three-days-a-week work schedule was mandated for Behrens’ o ce in 2022, few co-workers followed it, so his company decided not to renew its Orlando o ce lease. Now all 100 o ce employees will be working from home, something Behrens isn’t looking forward to when it starts at the end of the month.

“I won’t get to see anybody,” Behrens said. “It’s not ideal for me, though most people have no problem with this, whatsoever, and love it and don’t miss the commute.”

an underlying cause of the Civil War. His push at the time occasionally put Johnson and Abbott in con ict over discussions to remove the marker.

Texas Democratic Party expressed a lack of surprise in the switch.

“But the voters of Dallas deserved to know where he stood before he ran for reelection as Mayor,” the party said in a statement. “He wasn’t honest with his constituents, and knew he would lose to a Democrat if he ipped before the election.”

During his mayoral run, Johnson has embraced policies denounced by Democrats elsewhere in Texas, including using state troopers to police cities.

The move is the latest in a string of Democrats moving to the GOP.

In April, North Carolina state Rep. Tricia Cotham joined the Republican Party. That was followed by Georgia state Rep. Mesha Mainor, who would join Cotham at an event for state legislators in the summer.

AP PHOTO

Tra c passes through the toll plaza at the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

AP PHOTO

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson speaks to those congregated during the funeral Mass for Dallas Police O cer Jacob Arellano at St. Paul Catholic Church in Richardson, Texas.

Randolph record

Welcome home

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Budd co-sponsors bill to strengthen oversight of U.S.China science and technology agreements

On Monday, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) cosponsored S. 2894, the Science and Technology Enhanced Congressional Noti cation Act. This bill, if passed, will strengthen the oversight of science and technology agreements (STAs) between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China by requiring the Secretary of State to provide comprehensive details to Congress about any new, renewed, or extended agreement and by establishing a minimum 30-day Congressional review period. The bill was originally introduced by Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE). “In this new era of authoritarian aggression, it’s imperative that we do more to counter risks from the unfair economic practices and intellectual property theft being carried out by our adversaries like the Chinese Community Party,” said Budd in a press release. “I want to thank Senator Ricketts for his leadership in this e ort to ensure Congress has the tools needed to do our diligence in providing more oversight over these scienti c and technological agreements with China that could put our national security at risk.”

Two polling sites change in Asheboro

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — There will be two new polling sites in use for this fall’s municipal elections. Both will be at Asheboro locations.

The National Guard Armory on South Fayetteville Street and Asheboro Recreation Center on North Fayetteville Street are the new locations.

The municipal general election for Asheboro Board of Education, Asheboro, Franklinville,

High Point, Liberty, Ramseur, Randleman, Seagrove, Staley and Thomasville will be held Nov. 7.

The Asheboro South precinct will be the National Guard Armory instead of Teachey Elementary School. Asheboro Recreation Center is the new site for the Asheboro West precinct, replacing Sunset Avenue Church of God.

“We think this will make it better for some of the voters,” said Melissa Kirstner, the elections director for Randolph

REMC will host electric vehicle event at zoo

“More of our members are asking about the bene ts of EV ownership. Randolph Electric is dedicated to educating our members about how to power your home, your life and your vehicle.”

REMC’s Director of Innovative Energy Solutions Michael Trent

Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — An electric atmosphere is expected at the North Carolina Zoo this week, and the enthusiasm will be in the parking lot instead of the habitat areas. On Friday, September 30, Randolph Electric Membership Corporation will sponsor “It’s Electric,” a public education event showcasing electric vehicles. The outdoor event, planned during National Drive Electric Week hopes to draw attention to the positive aspects of driving all-electric and plug-in hybrid automobiles.

Vehicles from various automobile dealerships, an electric school bus and EV chargers will be on display for REMC members and guests of the Zoo. The rst 100 participants will receive a free gift. The event begins at 9 am and ends at noon.

“More of our members are asking about the bene ts of EV ownership,” said REMC’s Director of Innovative Energy Solutions Michael Trent. “Randolph Electric is dedicated to educating our members about how to power your home, your life and your vehicle.”

Randolph Electric has an Electric Vehicle Utility Program (REVUP) that o ers members of the cooperative a $500 rebate on a level 2 EV charger for their home. REMC also provides special time-of-use rates that encourage customers to charge during o -peak hours when energy is less expensive.

“It’s exciting to be part of the ‘It’s Electric’ celebration this year,” said Zoo Director and CEO Pat Simmons. “We welcome the opportunity to introduce our green eet to visitors and to reinforce our commitment to sustainable practices that reduce our impact on the natural world.”

There will also be an opportunity for local electric vehicle owners to showcase their vehicles at the event. The Zoo and REMC are encouraging car participants to register their attendance prior to the event through the nczoo. org website.

County. Voters at Asheboro Recreation Center should enter from Fayetteville Street.

The voting site at Franklinville United Methodist Church will remain as in the past in the fellowship hall on the grounds. In early July, a wall of the church sanctuary collapsed, and the rest of that building was demolished. The polling place is in a separate building.

“They’ve had it checked out, and it’s safe to use,” Kirstner said. “We’re very thankful. Peo -

ple were worried about that because they really like voting there.”

Aside from the new polling sites and Franklinville site, other voting locations are Central United Methodist Church in Asheboro, Balfour Elementary School in Asheboro, American Legion Post 81 in Liberty, Southeast Randolph Middle School in Ramseur, First United Methodist Church in Randleman, First Baptist Church of Seagrove, Sta-

See POLLING, page 2

Randolph County School System extends superintendent’s

Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The top executive of the Randolph County School System will be at the helm of the county’s largest public school system through at least the 2026-27 school year, following action from the Randolph County School Board this week. Dr. Stephen Gainey had his employment contract extended to June 30, 2027 — the maximum length allowed by state law.

“Over the last year, Dr. Gainey continued to work tirelessly to lead the Randolph County School System with great thoughtfulness and care,” said the Randolph County Board of Education in a joint statement.

The board highlighted Gainey’s encouragement of “teachers and principals to reach students in new ways” and his investment “in strategic opportunities for professional development for our educators.”

Gainey was recognized earlier this year by the Piedmont Triad Education Consortium as the Superintendent of the Year for the 2023-2024 school year.

“Dr. Gainey does an exceptional job of working with teachers, sta , and families and has an approachable, positive presence throughout the community,” said the board statement. “The Board encourages Dr. Gainey to continue to develop strong leaders who share in his vision for the school

contract

“Dr. Gainey does an exceptional job of working with teachers, sta , and families and has an approachable, positive presence throughout the community.”

Board statement

system. The nine-year plan Dr. Gainey has implemented to improve the facilities and infrastructure has been a great contribution to our school system over the years, and we have seen how well he has managed resources over the long term.”

Gainey was hired in 2013 as superintendent in Randolph County. He previously served as interim superintendent for the Wake County Public School System. He began his education career as a high school math teacher before moving to administration as an assistant principal and principal. $2.00

Aldrin Guess-Slatosky, Carrie Slatosky, Adalie Guess-Slatosky, Bob Heybrock (left to right) pose for a photo at the Level Cross Community Center after welcoming Jimmy Foecking back home. The Randleman man was injured in a small plane accident earlier this year in southern Guilford County.

SCOTT PELKEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

WEDNESDAY 9.27.23

Randolph Guide

The Randolph Guide is a quick look at what’s going on in Randolph County.

“Join the conversation”

New location for Triad Internal Medicine in Asheboro

Asheboro/Randolph Chamber members celebrate along with Dr. Lee and Dr. Siu Tong during the ribbon cutting at the second location of Triad Internal Medicine in Asheboro, on September 21.

RCC basks in high rankings

Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Randolph Community College has landed in some good rankings.

The two-year school announced that it held a top spot among community colleges in North Carolina, according to Niche listings.

Niche, a ranking and review website, placed RCC as 26th nationally.

Sept. 29

National Drive Electric Week at the NC Zoo

9am – 12pm

This free public event, hosted in the North America parking lot directly across from the Stedman building, will showcase the clean-air and cost-saving bene ts of driving all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid automobiles.

Red Cross Blood Drive

2pm – 6:30pm

statement. “Being recognized as a top institution re ects our commitment to providing quality education and fostering a supportive learning environment. It highlights the outstanding academic programs, resources, and opportunities that we o er to our students. These rankings a rm that we are on the right path in our mission to provide accessible and excellent education to our community.”

The consortium recently applied for funding and designation of central North Carolina as an Economic Development Administration “Tech Hub.” If successful, the proposed project — known as the Central Carolina Cleantech Hub (C3H) — will strengthen the region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy critical clean energy technologies.

Several university and workforce boards are also involved in the charter.

The Red Cross will be holding a blood drive at West Asheboro Baptist Church, which is located at 831 Uwharrie Street. Come out and donate!

Rock’n the Park –Natural Wonder

6pm – 10pm

Under a BestColleges list, RCC was placed 11th among community colleges in North Carolina. The school was rated fourth by BestColleges for online associate in Information Technology programs nationally.

RCC joins charter

“This achievement is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our faculty, sta , and students,” RCC president Dr. Shah Ardalan said in a

Ardalan took part in last week’s ceremony at Central Carolina Community College in Sanford for a signing event for the AdvanceNC charter. Nine other community colleges are among the partners. Gov. Roy Cooper participated as well.

Next week, RCC’s Allied Health Center on the Asheboro campus will be the site for a legislators’ appreciation reception with state Sens. Dave Craven Jr. and Amy Galey and Reps. Brian Biggs, Neal Jackson and Robert Reives II are slated to attend the event that’s open to the public.

The opening address will be given by Darrell Frye, chair of the Randolph County commissioners. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 6.

Come out to Bicentennial Park in Asheboro for live music by Natural Wonder, a Stevie Wonder tribute band! This show is free and open to the public. Food trucks will be onsite. Bring a lawn chair!

Sept. 30

Asheboro Farmers Market

7am – 1pm

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ley Fire Station and Hopewell Elementary School in Trinity. Registered voters who live within the boundaries of these municipalities and the Asheboro City Schools district may vote in the municipal election. Municipal contests may include the mayor and members of the municipality’s governing board.

New this year, voters will be asked to show photo ID. According to the Randolph County Board of Elections, all voters will be allowed to vote with or without ID. Vot-

CRIME LOG

Allred, Corey (M, 44), Arrested on charge of Driving While Impaired, Assault Gov Official/

Employee, Resisting Public Officer, Injury to Personal Property, Misdemeanor Poss Schedule VI CS, on 9/20, at 6102 Clint Caviness Rd.

Alvarez Soloranzo, Salvador (M, 47), Arrested on charge of Possess Drug

Paraphernalia, Identity Theft, Felony Possession of Cocaine, Possess Meth, on 9/20, at 1568 Interstate HWY 85. Cox, Austin (M, 28), Arrested on charge of Resisting Public Officer, on 9/20, at 5496 Uwharrie Rd.

Hussey, Wesley (M, 44), Arrested on charge of DV Protective Order Violation, Injury to Personal Property, Communicating Threats, on 9/19, at 5802 Waddells

ers who lack ID can get one for free from their county’s board of elections. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

One-stop early voting will be held from Oct.19-Nov. 4 at the Randolph County Board of Elections, 1457 North Fayetteville St., Asheboro. Those times are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays plus from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 4.

Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters who have requested them beginning Oct.

Ferry Rd. Nunez, Max (M, 31), Arrested on charge of Intoxicated and Disruptive, on 9/19, at 434 Callicut St. Vares, Justice (M, 35), Arrested on charge of Assault on a Female, on 9/19, at 3461 Macon Farm Rd. Brady, Ricky (M, 43), Arrested on charge of Identity Theft, Fictitious Info to Officer, Resisting Public Officer, Lareceny From the Person, Possession of Stolen Goods, on 9/18, at 160 S Asheboro St. Vestal, Richard (M, 39), Arrested on charge of Obtain Property False Pretense, on 9/18, at 811 New Century Dr. Williams, Aaron (M, 45), Arrested on charge of

6. The request must be received through the website or by the Randolph County Board of Elections by 5 p.m. Oct. 31.

The voter registration deadline for this election is 5 p.m. Oct. 13. Eligible individuals who are not registered by that deadline may register and vote at any early voting site during the early voting period. New registrants will be required to provide documentation of their residence.

There’s an Oct. 10 primary election for High Point. That involves three registered voters residing in Randolph County, Kirstner said.

AWDWIKISI, on 9/18, at 1481 N Fayetteville St. Burcham, Constance (F, 34), Arrested on charge of Simple Assault, Possess

Marijuana Paraphernalia, Possess Marijuana up to 1/2oz, Simple Possess Schedule III CS, Simple Possess Schedule IV CS, on 9/16, at 2041 Coltrane Mill Rd.

Crouch, Martavis (M, 30), Arrested on charge of Carrying Concealed

Weapon, Possess

Marijuana Paraphernalia, Resisting Public Officer, Possess Marijuana up to 1/2oz, on 9/17, at I 73/74 SB Exit Ramp, McDowell Rd.

Owens, Anna (F, 46), Arrested on charge of AWDW, Resisting Public Officer, on 9/15, at2184 Willow Springs Dr.

Come out to the Asheboro Downtown Farmers Market, located at 134 S. Church Street. This event is free and open to the public!

27th Annual NC Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame Annual Fly-in

9am – 4pm

Come out to the NC Aviation Museum, located at 2222 Pilots View Road in Asheboro, for a day lled with aviation history! Food vendors will be onsite for this casual familyfriendly event.

DEATH NOTICES

Melinda Henry Shuler, age 63 of Asheboro, died Friday, September 22, 2023, at her home.

Ruth E. Luther Powell, age 69 of Asheboro, died September 21, 2023 at High Point Medical Center.

Betsy Ann Grimsley Brandes, age 83 of Asheboro, died September 20, 2023.

Homer Carlton Munden, Jr., age 52 of Randleman, died Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at his home.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Defending your energy security

AS THE TREES in the Sandhills begin to show the rst signs of fall, we are reminded that colder weather is near. Like many of you, my family faced last winter’s high energy prices and I am left wondering how they will be this year—especially as costs continue to climb.

High energy costs continue to impact you and every family, and lowering them should not be a partisan issue.

Just like many states across the country, North Carolina is currently seeing another steep rise in the price of gas and energy. In the last month, energy prices have increased 5.6% and gas prices in North Carolina have spiked 16 cents higher per gallon than they were one year ago.

Washington Democrats’ overspending and war on American energy fueled this in ation crisis. However, House Republicans are working on policies to combat these high prices by passing bills, such as H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. This legislation will unleash American energy production, reverse President Joe Biden’s anti-energy policies, and lower energy costs that continue to burden your family’s pocketbook.

High energy costs continue to impact you and every family, and lowering them should not be a partisan issue. However, the Democrat-controlled Senate refuses to move forward on the Lower Energy Costs Act—common sense legislation which passed the House with bipartisan support.

Against the backdrop of historic energy costs, the Biden administration continues to push a rush-to-green agenda by attempting to give power to states to force people to buy expensive electric vehicles. These mandates are impractical and una ordable for the average family. In fact, the average price of an electric vehicle is $17,000 more than a gaspowered car and the lack of vehicle charging infrastructure— especially in rural communities—makes electric vehicles even more impractical.

You should be in the driver’s seat when it comes to choosing your car. That’s why last week, House Republicans took a

stand against Far Left bureaucrats and passed H.R. 1435, the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act. This bill stops the EPA from banning your gas car or truck and protects you and millions of Ameicans from big government overreach. Instead of focusing on the car in your garage, I continue urging President Biden and my colleagues to focus on the issues that matter most.

For example, after the power substation attacks in Moore County last December, I have been laser focused on nding solutions to strengthen our power grid. Earlier this summer, I brought members of the Energy and Commerce Committee to Moore County for a eld hearing on improving the security and resiliency of our nation’s energy grid.

Since that rst hearing, our Committee has held multiple others to continue discussions in Washington with expert witnesses. Their testimonies and insight help us move closer to nding tangible solutions to strengthen our power grid in order to prevent future energy infrastructure attacks. These are the kinds of solutions you should expect from Washington.

Over the past eight months, House Republicans have delivered on all fronts of our “Commitment to America” and have advanced legislation that will build an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a future built upon freedom, and a government that’s accountable to you. Although we have made signi cant progress, there is still a lot of work to be done. As your Congressman, I will never stop working to solve problems facing our nation and am committed to ghting for your family.

Richard Hudson is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House and represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. He currently serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

The YouTube un-personing of Russell Brand

THIS WEEK, The Times of London and Channel 4 issued a scathing expose about actor and comedian-turnedpodcaster Russell Brand. Brand began his career as a comedian and MTV host; in 2004, he joined “Big Brother’s Big Mouth” on Channel 4, and then transitioned into acting and voice-overs. In 2013, he went political; by 2020, he had launched a successful podcast, taking heterodox positions on matters ranging from COVID-19 to the Ukraine war.

So what changed? Brand did.

Over the course of this time, Brand also changed his personal behavior. He was a drug abuser in the early 2000s; by 2003, he was a self-declared sex addict; today, he is married with two young children.

The Times and Channel 4 report concerns behavior during the period 2006-2013. Those allegations come from ve women, four of them anonymous, who accuse Brand of behavior ranging from emotional abuse to sexual assault and rape. Metropolitan Police have urged any victims to come forward. Brand denies all of the allegations.

Full disclosure: I’ve interviewed Russell and been interviewed by him at length. I consider him a friend.

You can never truly know another person well enough to rule out vile, despicable, criminal behavior in their past; I didn’t know Russell during his most debauched period, and I assume that if I had, we wouldn’t have gotten along. And the allegations, as Brand himself says, are incredibly serious. Presumably we will nd out all the facts as time goes on.

There is a question worth asking here, aside from the obvious question about Brand’s alleged crimes: What prompted the media to begin digging into Brand? It was an open secret in Hollywood that Brand was a sexual degenerate throughout the 2000s; the media were utterly unconcerned about such matters. In fact, the same media outlets now investigating Brand were happy to make money

o of him as he engaged in overtly vile behavior he himself would now be ashamed of.

So what changed? Brand did. He began taking political positions that contradicted many of the most cherished assumptions of the media class. He spoke out on a variety of issues that were considered taboo. He abandoned his past embrace of debauchery and began promoting more honorable personal behavior.

This prompted an investigation that, if the allegations are true, should have happened more than a decade ago. That investigation has now been utilized as a predicate to unperson Brand before he even responds to the allegations in full. He has not been arrested and charged, let alone convicted of a crime. Yet YouTube announced on Tuesday that it would cancel all monetization of Brand’s videos on the site, preventing Brand from earning an income from any content posted on YouTube. “This decision applies to all channels that may be owned or operated by Russell Brand,” the social media service explained.

Allegations can now be utilized to erase unpleasant people from social media — presumably because of what they have done in the past, but really, because of what they say now. There are reams of allegations about a bevy of YouTube creators. But those who are demonetized seem to be of one political type.

This is dangerous stu , no matter what emerges about Brand. If he’s guilty, he will pay for his crimes. But the preemptive destruction of his career makes for a truly ugly incentive structure. And it is now just one more reason for those who do have heterodox opinions to avoid speaking up.

Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+.

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

SIDELINE REPORT

WNBA

Aces’ Wilson repeats as WNBA’s top defensive player

Henderson, Nev.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja

Wilson was honored as the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. The former Gamecocks star and Columbia, South Carolina, native is the eighth player to win the award multiple times. Wilson received 32 of 60 votes from a national media panel. Connecticut

Sun forward Alyssa Thomas was second with 24. Wilson also led the WNBA in defensive e ciency rating and blocked shots. She was third in defensive rebounds per game and 10th in steals and led the league in blocked shots for the third time in four years.

MLB

Neutral

pitch

clock operators will be used for baseball postseason

New York

Major League Baseball will have neutral clock operators in the rst postseason of pitch timers. MLB evaluated each team’s clock operators during the regular season and said it will select up to a dozen of the best performers for postseason games, which start Oct. 3. A clock operator cannot work a postseason game involving the team whose games the operator times during the regular season. In addition, each postseason series will have the same clock operator for all games of that series. The average time of a nine-inning game has been reduced to 2 hours, 40 minutes from 3:04.

NFL Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo checked for concussion after loss to Steelers

Las Vegas

Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was evaluated for a concussion after Las Vegas’ 23-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night.

When Garoppolo was injured wasn’t clear because news of the concussion was announced after coach Josh McDaniels’ post-game news conference. Garoppolo was wobbly after a sack late in the rst half by T.J. Watt but also appeared to injure his ankle on that play. He passed for 324 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times.

TENNIS

Team World beats

Team Europe to claim back-to-back Laver

Cups

Vancouver, British Columbia Team World has claimed its second straight Laver Cup title. Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe beat Hubert Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7), 7-6 (7) on Sunday at Rogers Arena. Team World won last year’s tournament, which also marked the end of Swiss star Roger Federer’s last professional appearance before retiring. Team World took a 10-2 lead in the tournament on Saturday to put itself in the driver’s seat.

Byron advances to round of 8 with win at Texas

It was the 300th overall victory for Hendrick Motorsports

The Associated Press FORT WORTH, Texas — William Byron got a milestone victory for Rick Hendrick while advancing into the round of eight of NASCAR playo s. Bubba Wallace felt like he let one get away.

Byron took the lead for the rst time right after the nal restart with six laps left Sunday at Texas, staying in front after going underneath Wallace and Chase Briscoe, to win the opener of the second round of the playo s and get the 300th victory for Hendrick Motorsports.

“I choked ... I had my worst restart,” said Wallace, who after

just sneaking into the round of 12 started from the pole and led a career-high 111 laps. “This one is going to sting for a little bit.”

The top ve nishers were all playo contenders, with Ross Chastain second, ahead of Wallace, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin. Retiring driver Kevin Harvick was sixth and playo driver Brad Keselowski seventh.

“We’ve just been kind of steady Eddie through the rst three or four races and we haven’t shown any ashes, but today I thought we had a good car if we could have just get to the front,” Byron said. “At the end there we were really fast.”

Byron nished 1.863 seconds ahead of Chastain for his sixth win of the season, the most in the Cup series. He built on the points lead he had starting the second round.

Hamlin, Chris Buescher, Bell, Martin Truex Jr., Chastain, Keselowski and Kyle Larson round out the top eight of the playo standings behind Byron. Wallace moved up three spots to ninth, still one below the cuto line when this three-race round is done, with Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch behind him.

There are two more races in the round of 12, at Talladega next weekend and then the Roval at Charlotte.

After an earlier restart with 20 laps to go in the 267-lap race, when Larson and Wallace hadn’t taken fresh tires, they were sideby-side going into Turn 1 when Larson got loose on the inside.

Larson’s car went up the track and slammed hard into the wall to end his day.

But there was still one more

restart after six cars got caught up in an accident in the back of the eld, including playo contenders Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick, last year’s winner at Texas.

That is what set up the 25-year-old Byron in the No. 24 Chevrolet, instead of Larson, getting the milestone victory for Hendrick. It was Byron’s 10th career win.

Byron said he wasn’t sure he could put into words what it meant to get No. 300, expressing his thanks to “Mr. Hendrick for his investment in me, and telling me at 17 years old that he was going to take me to Cup racing. So just appreciate everything he’s done for me. This is awesome.”

Denny Hamlin was racing with damage to his right side after being hit by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs on pit road in the rst stage.

“Once we got the damage, (the car) just wasn’t as fast as it was before,” Hamlin said. “Still, considering how much damage it had, it was a top-three car. A bunch of carnage happened there in the end, and we avoided it, so we are in a better spot than when we entered.”

Panthers falls to 0-3 with 37-27 loss at Seattle

“As coaches and as players, if you have that many self-in icted things, it’s hard to overcome those,” Reich said.

The Associated Press

SEATTLE — Frank Reich has coached long enough to know his rebuilding and injury-depleted Carolina Panthers had a narrow margin for error while playing at Seattle.

After Carolina committed 13 penalties, had no running game and couldn’t get stops in the second half, it’s safe to say Reich’s team didn’t follow his formula for victory.

“I don’t think anybody feels like we’ve been outmanned in any game,” Reich said. “We just have beat ourselves. Just have to continue to get better.”

The Panthers dropped to 0-3 on Sunday, losing 37-27 to the Seahawks while constantly setting themselves back with penalties.

Carolina got a big day from veteran backup Andy Dalton, who threw for 367 yards, and held Seattle to eld goals early on. But the Seahawks eventually found the end zone and the Panthers were left to lament their mistakes in a frustrated locker room.

“It’s tough because you can’t put your nger on it,” said wide receiver DJ Chark Jr., who caught a 47-yard touchdown. “I don’t

feel like we are that far away, but when we end the game and we’re done and we lost, it’s tough.”

The Panthers started 0-3 for the fth time. They’ve never won more than eight games in any of those seasons.

“I’ve been on teams that started worse. To be honest, we just have to stay together and keep climbing,” linebacker Deion Jones said. “We all have to stay together, we all have to get better. Everybody has to take another step, and we all have to buy in. No one can veer o .”

Carolina played without No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young, who injured an ankle in last Monday night’s loss to New Orleans. His injury is one of many that have depleted an already thin roster. Linebacker Shaq Thompson and cornerback Jaycee Horn are hurt, too.

Nonetheless, the Panthers were within 22-20 after Miles Sanders scored on a 1-yard run on the rst play of the fourth quarter. But Seattle scored the next 15 points while Carolina made a series of miscues.

Eight of the Panthers’ penalties were false starts by o ensive linemen. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu moved early four times and right tackle Taylor Morton jumped twice. Left guard Chandler Zavala was caught once and linebacker Chandler Wooten moved early on a punt.

“I was obviously disappointed in the way I handled the noise today. It’s something that we prepared all week for and I came out here and I didn’t get it done today,” Ekwonu said.

Carolina faced third-and-4 while trailing 29-20 with 8:15 left. Morton and Zavala were agged on consecutive snaps, turning a possible easy conversion into a third-and-14 and an eventual punt.

The Panthers had their most penalties in a game since 2011.

“We got to nd a way to play clean football, especially presnap. You know you’re gonna have penalties post-snap, but it’s important for us to start drives the right way and play clean football and then if we get beat from there, so be it,” said Adam Thielen, who had 11 catches for 145 yards and a late touchdown. “But we got to nd a way to clean it up.”

Andy Dalton threw for 361 yards in place of the injured Bryce Young

AP PHOTO

Denny Hamlin celebrates his victory in Saturday night’s Cup Series playo race at Bristol.

AP PHOTO

Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen runs between Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and cornerback Artie Burns during Carolina’s 37-27 loss Sunday in Seattle.

Randleman’s Christ Lopez (No. 7) and teammates Christian Lopez, left, Chris Ayala and Francisco Vences celebrate a goal against Southwestern Randolph last week. Kevin Garcia of the Cougars looks on.

Tigers take o on soccer rise

Randolph Record

RANDLEMAN SHOWED that it’s ready to be a force in Piedmont Athletic Conference boys’ soccer.

The Tigers did that in a big way.

First, they knocked o visiting Southwestern Randolph, which had put together a strong non-conference résumé. They then ripped through Uwharrie Charter Academy for an 8-2 road victory at Zoo City Sportsplex.

So less than halfway through the PAC schedule, Randleman was the lone team without a league blemish.

The Tigers averaged nearly six goals a goal in their rst four conference games, improving to 8-4 overall. Already, that’s the most victories for the Tigers in six seasons.

Nathan Murrillo had two goals and Christian Garcia and Chris Lopez each had a goal when Randleman halted Southwestern Randolph’s nine-game winning streak. Robert Barillas was credited with three assists.

Against UCA, Owen Leonard’s three goals and Francisco Vinces’ two goals and one assist led the way for Randleman.

** Southwestern Randolph bounced back from the loss at Randleman for a 4-0 home victory against Eastern Randolph. Fernando Herandez and David Dominquez both scored two goals for the Cougars.

** Wheatmore is having a rough season following a 19win record last year, but the Warriors received two goals from Laurel Suarez Ortiz in a 4-2 non-conference victory at Thomasville. That marked Wheatmore’s second triumph of the season.

** Trinity followed had a three-game winning streak end with a loss at Southwestern Randolph but responded by going 2-0-1 last week.

** Asheboro keeps rolling along after a 5-1 road victory against Cape Fear, with Diego Bustamante scoring three goals. That was the only game for the Blue Comets (9-1-1) in a two-week stretch.

Volleyball

Southwestern Randolph prevailed for a 25-12, 21-25, 25-23, 25-23 victory against visiting UCA in the season’s rst show-

Sarabeth Johnson

down between the teams in the PAC.

Raegan LeRoy provided 26 assists and 11 digs, Madelyn Smith posted 14 kills and 12 digs and Gracie Hodgin provided 17 kills for the Cougars.

Southwestern Randolph, which next swept visiting Providence Grove, has made it more than halfway through its PAC schedule without a league. Coley Shi et’s 17 digs and LeRoy’s 28 assists were among the highlights in the second match of the week.

UCA has just one setback. The teams meet again Oct. 12.

UCA was back on the winning path by topping host Richmond Senior in a three-set sweep behind Lizah Moore’s 10 kills and four blocks and Chloe Painter’s 19 assists and nine digs.

** Randleman recovered from a pair of losses to defeat host Eastern Randolph in three sets as Haley Hinshaw had 18 kills and eight digs, Camryn Vickery notched 37 assists and Camden Scott had 10 kills and 17 digs.

** Eastern Randolph went on the road for a non-conference victory at Asheboro in ve sets, with Addie Flinchum recording 22 kills and 13 service points, Kenly Whitaker supplying 44 assists and nine service points and Kaylie Courtemanche making 15 digs.

Asheboro’s Ellen Long had 17 kills and Sion Murrain had 16 kills and 12 digs.

The outcome evened the season series between the teams.

First-year Asheboro coach Kel-

Time to sort through conference possibilities

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

IT’S CONFERENCE TIME for football teams from Randolph County and there are numerous similarities to recent seasons.

Eastern Randolph goes for its third consecutive PAC championship.

The Wildcats’ biggest challenge might come from Randleman. Those teams conveniently meet in the regular-season nale Oct. 27 at Randleman.

There’s plenty to sort through prior to that potential showdown.

Just like last year, the Wildcats are riding a four-game winning streak with a 4-1 mark entering league play.

Randleman was last year’s PAC runner-up, while Providence Grove held that spot in 2021. Here are some other items of

PREP FOOTBALL — WEEK 7

Friday night’s games

Southwestern Randolph at Eastern Randolph Trinity at Providence Grove

Randleman at Wheatmore Asheboro at Oak Grove

note:

** Southwestern Randolph might be in the most interesting position. Like a season ago, the Cougars went 4-1 in non-conference games. Last year’s 6-4 overall mark wasn’t enough to put Southwestern Randolph into the state playo s, largely because of the strength of schedule.

Southwestern Randolph’s non-conference opponents were a combined 6-47 last year.

So far this season, the Cou-

ly Smith is a former Eastern Randolph standout.

** Asheboro won twice last week in Mid-Piedmont Conference action, winning at North Davidson and at home against Ledford. Murrain (12 kills) and Long (11 kills, 4 blocks) were clutch in the sweep of Ledford.

Cross country

At Trinity, Wheatmore’s Zach Hazelwood dominated on his home course in a Piedmont Athletic Conference meet last week. Hazelwood nished the 3.1mile race in 18:48 for a 51-second advantage on runner-up Chris White of Uwharrie Charter Academy. Team winner Providence Grove had Kelton Shoptaw (20:22) and Caleb Ward (21:10) in third and fourth place, respectively. The Patriots had a 25-point margin on runner-up UCA.

Laurel Bernhardt of Providence Grove was the girls’ winner with a 50-second lead on runner-up Jazmin Palma of UCA.

UCA was the girls’ team winner, with Providence Grove the only other school with a scoring team.

Girls’ tennis

Providence Grove is undefeated with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season. The Patriots’ success includes two victories against second-place Southwestern Randolph.

gars have played teams that have combined for an 11-16 record. While that’s not great, it’s already an upgrade when it comes to how the team’s power rating shapes up.

** Trinity and Wheatmore have been the bottom two teams ( ipping in those spots each of the last two seasons) in the PAC. Breaking out of those positions won’t be easy, but both teams might be lined up for a better chance to move up than last year.

O ense has been an issue for the Bulldogs and Warriors in PAC games. Wheatmore has averaged less than 12 points per game in conference action in each of the past two years and Trinity hasn’t been much better in those two seasons combined.

** Asheboro is 1-4, but there might not be an easy path to reach the two-win mark for the rst time since 2019.

Three of the other ve teams in the Mid-Piedmont Conference posted winning marks in non-league play. North Davidson checks in with a 1-4 mark entering conference games.

The Blue Comets open league play at defending champion Oak Grove.

Trinity, volleyball

Johnson has been a steady contributor for the Bulldogs during her senior season.

Trinity carried a six-match winning streak into action this week.

In last week’s ve-set conquering of Eastern Randolph, Johnson provided 18 digs, 17 kills and four aces.

Johnson, a captain who’s listed as an outside hitter and a setter, rates in the top two on the team in kills, digs and service aces.

She received all-PAC recognition in the spring as a jumper for Trinity’s track and eld team.

Season ends for Rockers in playo s

Randolph Record

HIGH POINT — Professional baseball for the season has ended in the Triad.

The High Point Rockers were eliminated in the Atlantic League’s South Division championship series Monday afternoon.

The Gastonia Honey Hunters defeated the Rockers 9-3 in Game 5 of the best-of-5 series at Truist Point.

The Honey Hunters scored in each of the last six innings. High Point led 2-1 through four innings.

“This is a tough game and it will rip your heart out sometimes, and that’s what it’s doing right now,” Rockers manager Jamie Keefe said.

“But at the end of the day, I’d go back to war with all 30 of these guys and play another 124 games. You spend 180 days with these guys and I can’t tell you just how special this team is.”

The Rockers posted the most wins in team history with a 78-46 regular-season record and reached the playoffs for the second year in a row. They were the South Division first-half champions and shared that distinction with Gastonia in the second half.

Beau Taylor’s solo home

run gave the Rockers a 1-0 lead in the second inning Monday. Gastonia’s Zach Jarrett homered in the fourth. Ryan Grotjohn homered for the second day in a row to put High Point back ahead.

The Honey Hunters tied the game in the fifth and went ahead in the sixth on Jason Rogers’ solo homer off Rockers starter Justin Nicolino. Rogers homered again in Gastonia’s four-run eighth. Starting pitcher Gunnar Kines was the winning pitcher, going six innings. Zach Mort, the Game 2 winner, worked four innings for the save and was named the Most Valuable Player of the series. Gastonia moves on to the Atlantic League championship series against the Lancaster Barnstormers, who won the North Division by sweeping the Long Island Ducks.

High Point and Gastonia split the first two games of the series in Gastonia. The Honey Hunters won Game 3 by 11-8 on Friday night before a postponement Saturday pushed Game 4 to Sunday.

The Rockers extended the series by winning 3-2 on Ben Aklinski’s run-scoring single with one out in the bottom of the ninth.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL Sarabeth Johnson of Trinity goes up at the net during a match against Wheatmore.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Southwestern Randolph’s Molly Smith sets the ball with Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Kenzie Hill looking on from near the net last week.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Robot knows way around Asheboro elds

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Everything is lining up just right for elds maintained by Asheboro City Schools.

A robot is used to paint lines on the elds.

“Once they came in and demo-ed for us, we saw it as a time saver and a cost saver,” said Jody

Cox, interim director of maintenance and facilities for the school system.

The robot is produced by Turf Tank, a Danish company that has taken the lead on lining elds around the country.

The Asheboro school district has been giving it a try with a one-year lease. Cox is the main operator of the robot, which has been given the nickname “Comet.”

The robot is programmed with a GPS sensor. A tripod is used to hold that programmed

device and then “Comet” does most of the rest.

In order to get the desired results, there’s a careful procedure to follow.

“The tripod has to be in the same spot every time,” Cox said. “Then click ‘Start.’ All we have to do is make sure we have paint.”

The robot needs paint re lls after about 45-60 minutes. So for a eld painting, it might take 2½ re lls of the ve-gallon tank, Cox said.

But now Cox can handle a eld painting in a half day. In

Cougars’ Ellis runs past Asheboro

Eastern Randolph adds to winning streak

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Southwestern Randolph got back in the groove in a hurry a week after its rst slip-up of the season.

The Cougars bene tted from ve touchdown runs from Nathan Ellis in Friday night’s 32-13 football victory at Asheboro.

Three Southwestern Randolph players rushed for 80 or more yards and that type of ball control kept Asheboro (1-4) o balance in the nal non-conference game for both teams.

Until the Cougars won at Lee J. Stone Stadium in 2021, they had never won a football game on Asheboro’s campus. Now they’ve done it in two consecutive visits.

Ellis had scoring runs of 13, 4, 2, 38 and 25 yards. By game’s end, he posted a game-high 99 yards on the ground.

Teammates Jentezen Cox (90 yards) and Owen Whelan

(81 yards) added to the Cougars’ ground attack.

Southwestern Randolph (4-1) lost at home a week earlier to Albemarle, which is the only team that Asheboro has defeated this year.

Asheboro’s points came on Elijah Woodle’s 62-yard pass play from Logan Laughlin and

on Quincy Lee’s 3-yard run. Lee nished with 65 rushing yards. Laughlin threw for 203 yards, with Woodle making three catches for 78 yards and Aidan Robinson’s ve receptions accounting for 73 yards.

Southwestern Randolph’s Asher Perkins intercepted a pass.

the past, there would be multiple workers spending pretty much a full day to paint the lines, Cox said.

As word has spread about the robot, there have been curiosity seekers checking out the process.

“Anybody who comes out to watch has questions,” Cox said.

For Asheboro schools, “Comet” is used for the stadium eld at the high school and a practice eld along with elds at the district’s two middle schools.

There is other painting to be

done. The end zones have “Blue” and “Comets” painted and there’s an “A” at mid eld. Those are still done by a grounds crew. Cox joined the school system in February. He said the process to obtain “Comet” was already in the works. An allotment of paint accompanies the lease.

“We’ve had no issues with it,” Cox said of operating the robot.

While Asheboro is believed to be the only school in Randolph County with the robot so far, others in the region are giving robot painting a try. For instance, Eastern Guilford uses a robot, while Burlington Williams and Eastern Alamance are sharing a Turf Tank this year.

Overall, the Cougars have defeated Asheboro in four consecutive meetings.

Eastern Randolph 43, Parkwood 0: At Monroe, Carter Revelle threw for four touchdowns as the visiting Wildcats rolled.

Eastern Randolph (4-1), which has won four games in a row,

Revelle completed 11 of 14 passes for 154 yards with an interception. Rayden West caught two of the scoring passes. Lucas Smith had a touchdown catch and a touchdown run. A’Donye Herbert had a touchdown run. Monroe (1-4) was shut out for the third time this season.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Left, a robot named “Comet” lines the stadium elds at Asheboro High School.

Right, Chris Scott prepares for a paint re ll for the robot lining elds.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Left, Southwestern Randolph’s Nathan Ellis runs away from Asheboro’s Luke Hughes, left, and Lance Everhart for a touchdown Friday night. Right, Southwestern Randolph’s Colton Law forces a fumble on Asheboro’s Quincy Lee as Noah Stills reaches for the ball during Friday night’s game.

Christine Brown Richardson

January 15, 1935 — September 21, 2023

Christine Brown Richardson, age 88, of Asheboro passed away on September 21, 2023, at GrayBrier Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

Mrs. Richardson was born in Lucama, NC on January 15, 1935, to Odell and Akline Bean Brown. Christine was an accomplished seamstress who sewed for family and friends. Christine was a very loving wife, mother and grandmother and was caregiver for her husband, Winfred, who passed away in 2019.

In addition to her parents, Christine was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Winfred Richardson, son, Randy Richardson, granddaughter, Kelly Richardson, grandson, Tim Briles, and sister, Allene Hicks.

She is survived by her son, Tony Richardson (Connie) of Asheboro; daughters, Sharon R. Walker (Mickey) of Randleman and Beverly R. Allman (Jimmy) of Asheboro; grandchildren, Chris Richardson, Christopher Armstrong (Amanda), Amy Ramos (Rene), Michelle Hamlett (Tony), Jason Allman (Nathalie), and Justin Allman (Julie); great grandchildren, Makenzie, Madison, Logan, Mason, Baylin, Madeline, Carissa, Nathan, Christopher, Sabrina, Hannah, Dylan, Eric, Olivia, and Ezra; brotherin-law, Roger Richardson (Maxine); and sister-inlaw, Yvonne Hurley Beane (Darrell).

Joann Curtis Grant Allred

June 29, 1938 — September 21, 2023

Joann Curtis Grant Allred, age 85, of Asheboro passed away on September 21, 2023 at her home.

Ms. Allred was born in the Handy Township of Davidson County on June 29, 1938 to Charlie and Kara Edwards Grant. Joann was employed with Elastex for 12 years and was of the Methodist faith. In addition to her parents, Joann was preceded in death by 1 brother and 1 sister.

She is survived by her sons, Je rey Curtis Allred (Melissa) of Asheboro and Michael Ray Allred of Asheboro; 5 grandchildren; 8 great grandchildren; and sister, Leona Plaster of Summer eld.

Patsy Diane Bowman Dabbs

February 17, 1945 — September 20, 2023

Patsy Bowman Dabbs, age 78 of Asheboro, passed away on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at Woodland Hills Rehabilitation Center.

Patsy was born in Asheboro on February 17, 1945 to William and Stella Chandler Bowman. Patsy worked as an o ce manager and a converter in the textile industry. She was a very smart and unique person. Patsy loved history and enjoyed compiling the genealogy for her family. She loved taking care of her yard, gardening her owers, and traveling with her family. In addition to her parents, Patsy is preceded in death by her nine siblings, William “Nuke” Bowman, James Bowman, Marie Beane, Lacy Bowman, Becky Bowman, Robert Bowman, A.C. “Bunnie” Bowman, Laura Adele Bowman, and Elizabeth Sue Bowman.

Patsy is survived by her sons, Nyal Dabbs of Timbers, MD, Kell Dabbs of Randleman; and her niece, Teal Bowman of Randleman.

Eric Sparks

September 23, 1984 - September 24, 2023

Rodney Eric Sparks, 39, of Asheboro, passed away Sunday, September 24, 2023 at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.

Eric was born September 23, 1984, in Randolph County, NC. He had worked as a handyman, loved playing baseball and drawing, and enjoyed helping people. He enjoyed eating and loved Dr. Pepper. Mostly Eric loved spending time with his family and was crazy about his kids.

In addition to his parents, Eric was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Billy and Annie Bullins, paternal grandparents, Bobby and Jean Sparks, and stepfather, Bobby Jarrell.

Frances Tesh

July 15, 1929 - September 18, 2023

Frances Lee Pierce Tesh, 94, of Asheboro, passed away Monday, September 18, 2023.

Mrs. Tesh was born July 15, 1929, in Randolph Co., NC, and was the daughter of the late Frank Melvin and Nancy Emily Peele Pierce. She was a wonderful, Godly mother and grandmother.

In addition to her parents

Mrs. Tesh was preceded in death by her husband, David "D.R." Tesh, Jr., her son Gary Tesh, her brothers, Raeford Pierce and Jack Pierce, and her sister, Allene Yow.

Mrs. Tesh is survived by her daughter, Patricia Tesh Norton (Ralph) of Asheboro; sons, Ronald Tesh (Lynn) of Asheboro, David Tesh (Karen) of Kernersville; sister, Ina Mae Hill of Thomasville; grandchildren, David Tesh, Sam Tesh, Jennifer Richardson, Amanda Cromartie, Amber Johnson, Jamie Johnston, Stephanie Norton, Courtney Wilson, Neil Tesh, Carlee Tesh, Pierce Tesh, MaryFrances Tesh, Mitchell Tesh, Jacob Tesh, Gabe Tesh, Miriam Tesh; 14 great grandchildren and two greatgreat grandchildren.

Sarah Sue "Sally" Clark Moore

November 4, 1930 — September 19, 2023

Sarah Sue “Sally” Clark Moore, of Asheboro, NC, formerly of Belmont, NC, died peacefully at Terra Bella Senior Living.

Sally, known as MomMoore to her family, was born November 4, 1930, in Asheville, NC to Susan (Hunt) and the Reverend Levi Spurgeon Clark. Sally went to Mt. Holly High School in Mt. Holly and then graduated from Meredith College, Raleigh, with a degree in Art in 1953. It was while she was at Meredith that she met her sweetheart, Tom Murphy Moore.

She and Tom married in July 1954 at Abee’s Grove Baptist Church, Valdese and moved to Roanoke Rapids, NC.

Tom died in 2009 after 55 years of marriage; later Sally moved to Clapps Mountain Top Independent living in Asheboro. In 2021 Sally moved into Terra Bella Senior Living, (then Elm Croft) in Asheboro, making friends wherever she lived.

Emma Jean McNabb Horcher Lambeth

January 29, 1936 — September 19, 2023

Emma Jean Lambeth, 87, passed away September 19, 2023 at home surrounded by her loved ones. She was born in High Point, NC on January 29, 1936 to William Bradford McNabb and Nettie Cardwell McNabb.

Emma was a devoted and loving mother and wife. She loved being with her family, and especially enjoyed traveling to the mountains together. Emma was known for always putting others rst.

Randy Carol Long Whit eld

December 26, 1946 — September 18, 2023

Randy Carol Long Whit eld, age 76, of Asheboro passed away on September 18, 2023, at Randolph Hospital.

Sally was preceded in death by her parents, Susan and Levi Spurgeon Clark, her sister, Laura Clark Gustafson and her husband, Richard Gustafson. Richard, by the way, called to talk to Sally every Saturday for years after Laura died. Sally was also preceded in death by her nephew, John Gustafson. Sally is survived by her children, Susan Moore Lockman (Keith), Clark “TC” Moore, and Virginia Louise Moore. Grandchildren: Rebekah, Benjamin, and Caroline Lockman; Ryan and Jessica “Ruby” Moore, and Levi and Paisley Phillips, as well as Gustafson nieces and nephews, Moore/Bilger/Wood nieces and nephews, and grand nieces, grand nephews on both sides.

Emma is survived by her children, Karen Marie Miller (Mark) of Sophia, William Martin Horcher (Linda) of Randleman, Michael Wayne Horcher (Wendy) of Welcome; grandchildren, Angelene, Andrew, Jonathan, Melody, Melissa, Je ; greatgrandchildren, Skyler, Natalie, Damari, Lane, Elizabeth, Harley, Hayden; brother, Kelly McNabb (Vern); sister, Anna Comer. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husbands, Wayne Horcher and Clay Lambeth, daughter, Sharon Horcher, 5 brothers, and 3 sisters.

Stephen Joseph Koppel III

November 14, 1934 — September 18, 2023

Survivors include his wife, Erica Sparks; daughter, Abigail McKenzie Sparks; sons, Nate Laughlin, R.J. Sparks, Axton Sparks; mother, Annie Jarrell; father, Mitchell Sparks (Fe); sister, Leslie Underwood (Jacob), Shaina Sparks, Elizabeth Sparks; brothers, Brent Sparks (Danielle Nance), Lorenze Sparks; grandson, Troy Laughlin; uncles, Billy Bullins, Jr., (Kim), Mike Sparks, Ed Sparks; aunts, Mary Sue Bullins, Cathy Hurley, Sandy Bailey; nieces, Roselyn Underwood, Rachel Underwood; and nephew, Josiah Underwood.

Dr. Whit eld was born in Durham on December 26, 1946, to Russell and Anne Hobbs Long. In addition to her parents, Randy was preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Whit” Whit eld.

Randy received her BS and MA in English-Reading from Appalachian State and her Educational Doctorate from UNCG. She had retired as the Associate Vice President of College and Career Readiness for Academic and Student Services at the NC Community College system o ce.

Randy and Whit loved traveling to many di erent places, but her heart was always at Harkers Island, where their ashes will soon return together.

Randy and Whit were avid runners and competed in marathons nationwide. But most of all, she loved to watch her grandchildren participate in many di erent sporting events.

She is survived by her son, Chad Branson (Stephanie) of Asheboro; daughters, Kellie Telarico (Mark) of Sophia, Carrie Coleman (Rusty) of Asheboro, and Leslie Shoaf (Chad) of Clayton; 6 grandchildren; and sister Becky Herndon (Larry) of Wilson, as well as many nieces and nephews of Wilson.

Raeford Harold Routh

February 19, 1924 — September 18, 2023

Raeford Harold Routh, age 99, of Randleman passed away on September 18,2023 at Randolph Hospital.

Mr. Routh was born in the Grays Chapel Community of Randolph County on February 19, 1924 to Clyde and Lillie Trogdon Routh. Raeford served his country in the U.S. Coast Guard during WWII and was employed as a truck driver for over 50 years.

In addition to his parents, Raeford was preceded in death by his wife of 74 years, Mary Lee Routh.

He is survived by his sons, Tony Routh (Valerie) of Greensboro and Mark Routh of Randleman; granddaughter, Ashlea Brewer of Asheboro; and brother, Winfred Routh of Lexington.

Stephen Joseph Koppel III, age 88, of Asheboro passed away on September 18, 2023 at his home.

Mr. Koppel was born in Harrisburg, PA on November 14, 1934 to Stephen Joseph Koppel, Jr. and Clara Shavolt Koppel and grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. Stephen was an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan and loved anything related to college football. He was a kind, generous man, who loved walking to Hop's Barbecue and drinking co ee. Stephen had a great sense of humor and enjoyed his independence despite his disabilities. He could not speak but spoke volumes. In addition to his parents, Stephen was preceded in death by his sister, Elizabeth York and brother-in-law, William York.

He is survived by his nieces, Dawn Stone (Wes) and Kathleen Lambe; nephew, Je rey York; great nieces and nephews, Autumn, Joshua, and Aurora Dugas, and John Cheek III (Harper).

STATE & NATION

On the road again: Commuting makes a comeback as employers try to put pandemic in the rearview

The Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — If you think U.S. roads have gotten busier on your morning commute, you’re not alone.

The rate of workers driving to their jobs creeped upwards nationwide last year, as did those who carpool to work by car, truck or van. The mean commuting time jumped by almost a minute in 2022 from the previous year, as more businesses ended fulltime remote work, a sign that post-pandemic life edged closer in 2022 to what it was before COVID-19.

The rate of people working from home dropped from almost 18% in 2021 to 15.2% in 2022, according to new survey data on life in America released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey covers commuting times, internet access, family life, income, education levels, disabilities, military service, and employment, among other topics.

Mark Behrens, a human resources data analyst in Orlando working for a Fortune 500 company, started driving to his ofce in March 2022 after working from home for two years because of the pandemic. Managers now require employees to spend at least three days a week in the ofce. While most of his co-workers resented the order, Behrens was elated to see the in-person collaboration with his colleagues return to something that felt closer to normal.

“The advantage of coming into the o ce, even if it’s only hybrid, is not being isolated, having some social connections,” Behrens said. “You see people and you mention something you are working on and you start to talk about it more, and you can come

up with more solutions, and make more progress.”

The rate of people commuting to work alone in a vehicle climbed from 67.8% in 2021 to 68.7% in 2022, and it went from 7.8% to 8.6% for carpoolers. Public transportation usage rose from 2.5% to 3.1% year-overyear, and the time people spent traveling to work jumped almost a full minute to 26.4 minutes in 2022 compared to 25.6 minutes in 2021, according to the American Community Survey’s 1-year estimates.

Despite the signi cant decline

in working remotely from 2021 to 2022, it still was almost three times higher than before the pandemic in 2019, when it was only 5.7% and more than three-quarters of workers drove alone to work in a vehicle. The 2022 survey did not let participants say whether they work from home full-time or only some of the time.

Even though there were advantages to working from home, like throwing something into the crock pot during lunch breaks, Allison Graves was happy to return to her rst-grade classroom after teaching virtually for most

of the rst two years of the pandemic, which started in early 2020. With a renewed commute, she could catch up on podcasts she missed because she didn’t spend so much time in her car.

“Continuing virtually just wasn’t the same as teaching face-to-face,” said Graves, who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia. “People spent much of 2020 and 2021 not going places, and now people are expected to be back or doing hybrid.”

Earlier this week, the Census Bureau released national data on income, poverty and the rate of

Dallas mayor switches parties, making the city the nation’s largest with a GOP mayor

The Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas — Dallas

Mayor Eric Johnson announced Friday that he is switching to the Republican Party, making the city the largest in the U.S. to be led by a GOP mayor.

Although mayoral o ces in Texas are nonpartisan, the switch is a boost for Texas Republicans who have been losing ground around the state’s major cities for more than a decade. Johnson was elected mayor in 2019 after serving more than a decade as a Democrat in the Texas House of Representatives.

Making the announcement in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Johnson said he was never a favorite of Democrats in the Capitol and called on mayors to champion “law and order” and scal conservatism.

“This is hardly a red wave. But it is clear that the nation and its cities have reached a

time for choosing,” Johnson wrote. “And the overwhelming majority of Americans who call our cities home deserve to have real choices—not ‘progressive’ echo chambers—at city hall.”

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott quickly welcomed Johnson into the party. The mayor of neighboring Fort Worth, Mattie Parker, is also a Republican, giving Texas two of the nation’s largest cities with GOP leaders.

“Texas is getting more Red every day,” Abbott posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Johnson is in his second and nal term as mayor, which runs through 2027. As a state lawmaker, Johnson made headlines over his successful e orts to remove a plaque in the Texas Capitol that rejected slavery as

people without health insurance. American Community Survey data released Thursday showed what those rates were broken down by states and smaller geographies.

The District of Columbia and New Jersey had the highest median household income with $101,027 and $96,346, respectively, compared to more than $74,000 nationally. Mississippi’s $52,719 was the lowest of any state.

The rate of those lacking health insurance was lowest in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, respectively 2.4% and 2.9%, compared to the national average of 8%. It was highest in Texas at 16.6%.

Fewer people moved in 2022 compared to 2021, and the presence of a child in a household also dropped slightly. The average household size trended lower, going from 2.54 to 2.5 people, as did the average family size, going from 3.15 to 3.11 people.

The foreign born population inched up slightly to 13.9%, and the rate of people who spoke only English at home dropped slightly from the previous year to 78% in 2022.

Even though the back-in-ofce-three-days-a-week work schedule was mandated for Behrens’ o ce in 2022, few co-workers followed it, so his company decided not to renew its Orlando o ce lease. Now all 100 o ce employees will be working from home, something Behrens isn’t looking forward to when it starts at the end of the month.

“I won’t get to see anybody,” Behrens said. “It’s not ideal for me, though most people have no problem with this, whatsoever, and love it and don’t miss the commute.”

an underlying cause of the Civil War. His push at the time occasionally put Johnson and Abbott in con ict over discussions to remove the marker.

Texas Democratic Party expressed a lack of surprise in the switch.

“But the voters of Dallas deserved to know where he stood before he ran for reelection as Mayor,” the party said in a statement. “He wasn’t honest with his constituents, and knew he would lose to a Democrat if he ipped before the election.”

During his mayoral run, Johnson has embraced policies denounced by Democrats elsewhere in Texas, including using state troopers to police cities.

The move is the latest in a string of Democrats moving to the GOP.

In April, North Carolina state Rep. Tricia Cotham joined the Republican Party. That was followed by Georgia state Rep. Mesha Mainor, who would join Cotham at an event for state legislators in the summer.

AP PHOTO

Tra c passes through the toll plaza at the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

AP PHOTO

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson speaks to those congregated during the funeral Mass for Dallas Police O cer Jacob Arellano at St. Paul Catholic Church in Richardson, Texas.

Shoestring tackle

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Budd co-sponsors bill to strengthen oversight of U.S.China science and technology agreements

On Monday, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) cosponsored S. 2894, the Science and Technology Enhanced Congressional Noti cation Act. This bill, if passed, will strengthen the oversight of science and technology agreements (STAs) between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China by requiring the Secretary of State to provide comprehensive details to Congress about any new, renewed, or extended agreement and by establishing a minimum 30-day Congressional review period. The bill was originally introduced by Senator Pete Ricketts (RNE). “In this new era of authoritarian aggression, it’s imperative that we do more to counter risks from the unfair economic practices and intellectual property theft being carried out by our adversaries like the Chinese Community Party,” said Budd in a press release. “I want to thank Senator Ricketts for his leadership in this e ort to ensure Congress has the tools needed to do our diligence in providing more oversight over these scienti c and technological agreements with China that could put our national security at risk.”

Pierce one of 5 Democrats vote for state budget

North State Journal

RAEFORD — Hoke County’s state Rep. Garland Pierce was one of ve Democrats in the North Carolina House of Representatives to vote for the state budget last week. The budget, which has been held up as discussions between House and Senate leadership tussled over a number of issues, was presented to Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday, Sept. 22. In a statement,

Cooper said he would allow the measure to become law after 10 days, noting he strongly disagreed with many portions but believed Medicaid expansion was too important to not veto the spending bill. Pierce touted projects that were funded in the Republican-led budget, saying in a statement while signing the conference committee report on Wednesday, Sept. 20, “nearly $40 million is on the way for

economic development, com-

munity programs, and emergency personnel. This is what bipartisanship looks like for Southeastern NC.”

A 10-term veteran of the chamber, Pierce has sided with Republicans on various issues and this term received a subcommittee chair appointment from House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain). Hoke County’s state Sen., Danny Britt of Lumberton, joined his Republican colleagues in both chambers supporting the budget.

Google sued for negligence after man drove o collapsed bridge while following map directions

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — The family of a North Carolina man who died after driving his car o a collapsed bridge while following Google Maps directions is suing the technology giant for negligence, claiming it had been informed of the collapse but failed to update its navigation system.

Philip Paxson, a medical device salesman and father of two, drowned Sept. 30, 2022, after his Jeep Gladiator plunged into Snow Creek in Hickory, according to a lawsuit led Tuesday in Wake County Superior Court. Paxson was driving home from his daughter’s ninth birthday party through an unfamiliar

neighborhood when Google Maps allegedly directed him to cross a bridge that had collapsed nine years prior and was never repaired.

“Our girls ask how and why their daddy died, and I’m at a loss for words they can understand because, as an adult, I still can’t understand how those responsible for the GPS directions and the bridge could have acted with so little regard for human life,” his wife, Alicia Paxson, said.

State troopers who found Paxton’s body in his overturned and partially submerged truck had said there were no barriers or warning signs along the washedout roadway. He had driven o

an unguarded edge and crashed about 20 feet below, according to the lawsuit.

The North Carolina State Patrol had said the bridge was not maintained by local or state ofcials, and the original developer’s company had dissolved. The lawsuit names several private property management companies that it claims are responsible for the bridge and the adjoining land.

Multiple people had noti ed Google Maps about the collapse in the years leading up to Paxson’s death and had urged the company to update its route information, according to the lawsuit.

The Tuesday court ling in-

cludes email records from another Hickory resident who had used the map’s “suggest an edit” feature in September 2020 to alert the company that it was directing drivers over the collapsed bridge. A November 2020 email con rmation from Google con rms the company received her report and was reviewing the suggested change, but the lawsuit claims Google took no further actions.

“We have the deepest sympathies for the Paxson family,” Google spokesperson José Castañeda told The Associated Press. “Our goal is to provide accurate routing information in Maps and we are reviewing this lawsuit.”

2 Sta members taken to hospital following ght at HCHS

North State Journal

ON MONDAY, a ght broke out among students at Hoke County High School, which resulted in two sta members being taken to the hospital.

According to a statement from the school, several students were involved in the ght which took place on the school’s

campus that morning.

Administrators, sta and the School Resources O cer were all called to break up the ght. Two of the sta members who got involved in the situation sustained minor injuries and were taken to the hospital as a precaution. Further updates on their conditions have not been provided.

At this time, administrators and Hoke County law enforcement are investigating the incident and determining whether legal action should be taken.

One concerned parent noted the apparent frequent occurrence of ghting taking place at the school, stating, “Fights at school are becoming a norm. How can parents expect their

kids will be safe while this continues.”

Rep. Garland Pierce (D)

Jacob Williams makes the tackle on Lee County QB Jack Martin. Lee County beat Hoke 26-7 in Sanford. Hoke now 2-4 on season will play at home this Friday night against Richmond. The Raiders are 1-5 overall and coming o a 12-20 loss against Pinecrest.

CRIME

WEEKLY

Mcarn, Alexander (B/M/62), Habitual Felon, 09/25/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

Murchison, Michael Paul (B/M/45), Non Support of Child, 09/25/2023, Hoke County

Sheriff’s Office

Beck, Steve Allen (W/M/51), DWI, 09/23/2023, Hoke County

Sheriff’s Office

Dixon, Sammy Alan (W/M/61), DV Protective Order Violation, 09/23/2023, Hoke County

Sheriff’s Office

Morton, Na’Tilynn Zarion (B/M/18), Murder - First Degree, 09/23/2023, Hoke County

Sheriff’s Office

Hernandez, Rafeal Marquez (W/M/29), Possession Schedule II CS, 09/22/2023, Hoke County

Sheriff’s Office

Graham, Aaron (W/M/36), Possession Schedule II CS, 09/21/2023, Hoke County

Sheriff’s Office

McMillan, Talija Muhammad (B/M/36), Hit and Run, 09/21/2023, Hoke County

Sheriff’s Office

Shipp, Kevin Oneal (B/M/34), Flee/Elude Arrest w/ MV, 09/20/2023, Hoke County

Sheriff’s Office

DiVersion

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Defending your energy security

AS THE TREES in the Sandhills begin to show the rst signs of fall, we are reminded that colder weather is near. Like many of you, my family faced last winter’s high energy prices and I am left wondering how they will be this year—especially as costs continue to climb.

High energy costs continue to impact you and every family, and lowering them should not be a partisan issue.

Just like many states across the country, North Carolina is currently seeing another steep rise in the price of gas and energy. In the last month, energy prices have increased 5.6% and gas prices in North Carolina have spiked 16 cents higher per gallon than they were one year ago.

Washington Democrats’ overspending and war on American energy fueled this in ation crisis. However, House Republicans are working on policies to combat these high prices by passing bills, such as H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. This legislation will unleash American energy production, reverse President Joe Biden’s anti-energy policies, and lower energy costs that continue to burden your family’s pocketbook.

High energy costs continue to impact you and every family, and lowering them should not be a partisan issue. However, the Democrat-controlled Senate refuses to move forward on the Lower Energy Costs Act—common sense legislation which passed the House with bipartisan support.

Against the backdrop of historic energy costs, the Biden administration continues to push a rush-to-green agenda by attempting to give power to states to force people to buy expensive electric vehicles. These mandates are impractical and una ordable for the average family. In fact, the average price of an electric vehicle is $17,000 more than a gaspowered car and the lack of vehicle charging infrastructure— especially in rural communities—makes electric vehicles even more impractical.

You should be in the driver’s seat when it comes to choosing your car. That’s why last week, House Republicans took a

stand against Far Left bureaucrats and passed H.R. 1435, the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act. This bill stops the EPA from banning your gas car or truck and protects you and millions of Ameicans from big government overreach. Instead of focusing on the car in your garage, I continue urging President Biden and my colleagues to focus on the issues that matter most.

For example, after the power substation attacks in Moore County last December, I have been laser focused on nding solutions to strengthen our power grid. Earlier this summer, I brought members of the Energy and Commerce Committee to Moore County for a eld hearing on improving the security and resiliency of our nation’s energy grid.

Since that rst hearing, our Committee has held multiple others to continue discussions in Washington with expert witnesses. Their testimonies and insight help us move closer to nding tangible solutions to strengthen our power grid in order to prevent future energy infrastructure attacks. These are the kinds of solutions you should expect from Washington.

Over the past eight months, House Republicans have delivered on all fronts of our “Commitment to America” and have advanced legislation that will build an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a future built upon freedom, and a government that’s accountable to you. Although we have made signi cant progress, there is still a lot of work to be done. As your Congressman, I will never stop working to solve problems facing our nation and am committed to ghting for your family.

Richard Hudson is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House and represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. He currently serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

The YouTube un-personing of Russell Brand

THIS WEEK, The Times of London and Channel 4 issued a scathing expose about actor and comedian-turnedpodcaster Russell Brand. Brand began his career as a comedian and MTV host; in 2004, he joined “Big Brother’s Big Mouth” on Channel 4, and then transitioned into acting and voice-overs. In 2013, he went political; by 2020, he had launched a successful podcast, taking heterodox positions on matters ranging from COVID-19 to the Ukraine war.

So what changed? Brand did.

Over the course of this time, Brand also changed his personal behavior. He was a drug abuser in the early 2000s; by 2003, he was a self-declared sex addict; today, he is married with two young children.

The Times and Channel 4 report concerns behavior during the period 2006-2013. Those allegations come from ve women, four of them anonymous, who accuse Brand of behavior ranging from emotional abuse to sexual assault and rape. Metropolitan Police have urged any victims to come forward. Brand denies all of the allegations.

Full disclosure: I’ve interviewed Russell and been interviewed by him at length. I consider him a friend.

You can never truly know another person well enough to rule out vile, despicable, criminal behavior in their past; I didn’t know Russell during his most debauched period, and I assume that if I had, we wouldn’t have gotten along. And the allegations, as Brand himself says, are incredibly serious. Presumably we will nd out all the facts as time goes on.

There is a question worth asking here, aside from the obvious question about Brand’s alleged crimes: What prompted the media to begin digging into Brand? It was an open secret in Hollywood that Brand was a sexual degenerate throughout the 2000s; the media were utterly unconcerned about such matters. In fact, the same media outlets now investigating Brand were happy to make money

o of him as he engaged in overtly vile behavior he himself would now be ashamed of.

So what changed? Brand did. He began taking political positions that contradicted many of the most cherished assumptions of the media class. He spoke out on a variety of issues that were considered taboo. He abandoned his past embrace of debauchery and began promoting more honorable personal behavior.

This prompted an investigation that, if the allegations are true, should have happened more than a decade ago. That investigation has now been utilized as a predicate to unperson Brand before he even responds to the allegations in full. He has not been arrested and charged, let alone convicted of a crime. Yet YouTube announced on Tuesday that it would cancel all monetization of Brand’s videos on the site, preventing Brand from earning an income from any content posted on YouTube. “This decision applies to all channels that may be owned or operated by Russell Brand,” the social media service explained.

Allegations can now be utilized to erase unpleasant people from social media — presumably because of what they have done in the past, but really, because of what they say now. There are reams of allegations about a bevy of YouTube creators. But those who are demonetized seem to be of one political type.

This is dangerous stu , no matter what emerges about Brand. If he’s guilty, he will pay for his crimes. But the preemptive destruction of his career makes for a truly ugly incentive structure. And it is now just one more reason for those who do have heterodox opinions to avoid speaking up.

Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+.

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

SIDELINE REPORT

WNBA

Aces’ Wilson repeats as WNBA’s top defensive player

Henderson, Nev.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja

Wilson was honored as the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. The former Gamecocks star and Columbia, South Carolina, native is the eighth player to win the award multiple times. Wilson received 32 of 60 votes from a national media panel.

Connecticut Sun forward

Alyssa Thomas was second with 24. Wilson also led the WNBA in defensive e ciency rating and blocked shots. She was third in defensive rebounds per game and 10th in steals and led the league in blocked shots for the third time in four years.

MLB

Neutral pitch clock operators will be used for baseball postseason

New York

Major League Baseball will have neutral clock operators in the rst postseason of pitch timers. MLB evaluated each team’s clock operators during the regular season and said it will select up to a dozen of the best performers for postseason games, which start Oct. 3. A clock operator cannot work a postseason game involving the team whose games the operator times during the regular season. In addition, each postseason series will have the same clock operator for all games of that series. The average time of a nineinning game has been reduced to 2 hours, 40 minutes from 3:04.

NFL Raiders quarterback

Jimmy

Garoppolo

checked for concussion

after loss to Steelers

Las Vegas

Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was evaluated for a concussion after Las Vegas’ 23-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night.

When Garoppolo was injured wasn’t clear because news of the concussion was announced after coach Josh McDaniels’ post-game news conference. Garoppolo was wobbly after a sack late in the rst half by T.J. Watt but also appeared to injure his ankle on that play. He passed for 324 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times.

Byron advances to round of 8 with win at Texas

It was the 300th overall

victory for Hendrick Motorsports

The Associated Press FORT WORTH, Texas — William Byron got a milestone victory for Rick Hendrick while advancing into the round of eight of NASCAR playo s.

Bubba Wallace felt like he let one get away.

Byron took the lead for the rst time right after the nal restart with six laps left Sunday at Texas, staying in front after going underneath Wallace and Chase Briscoe, to win the opener of the second round of the playo s and get the 300th victory for Hendrick Motorsports.

“I choked ... I had my worst restart,” said Wallace, who after

just sneaking into the round of 12 started from the pole and led a career-high 111 laps. “This one is going to sting for a little bit.”

The top ve nishers were all playo contenders, with Ross Chastain second, ahead of Wallace, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin. Retiring driver Kevin Harvick was sixth and playo driver Brad Keselowski seventh.

“We’ve just been kind of steady Eddie through the rst three or four races and we haven’t shown any ashes, but today I thought we had a good car if we could have just get to the front,” Byron said. “At the end there we were really fast.”

Byron nished 1.863 seconds ahead of Chastain for his sixth win of the season, the most in the Cup series. He built on the points lead he had starting the second round.

Hamlin, Chris Buescher, Bell, Martin Truex Jr., Chastain, Keselowski and Kyle Larson round out the top eight of the playo standings behind Byron. Wallace moved up three spots to ninth, still one below the cuto line when this three-race round is done, with Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch behind him.

There are two more races in the round of 12, at Talladega next weekend and then the Roval at Charlotte.

After an earlier restart with 20 laps to go in the 267-lap race, when Larson and Wallace hadn’t taken fresh tires, they were sideby-side going into Turn 1 when Larson got loose on the inside.

Larson’s car went up the track and slammed hard into the wall to end his day.

But there was still one more

restart after six cars got caught up in an accident in the back of the eld, including playo contenders Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick, last year’s winner at Texas.

That is what set up the 25-year-old Byron in the No. 24 Chevrolet, instead of Larson, getting the milestone victory for Hendrick. It was Byron’s 10th career win.

Byron said he wasn’t sure he could put into words what it meant to get No. 300, expressing his thanks to “Mr. Hendrick for his investment in me, and telling me at 17 years old that he was going to take me to Cup racing. So just appreciate everything he’s done for me. This is awesome.”

Denny Hamlin was racing with damage to his right side after being hit by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs on pit road in the rst stage.

“Once we got the damage, (the car) just wasn’t as fast as it was before,” Hamlin said. “Still, considering how much damage it had, it was a top-three car. A bunch of carnage happened there in the end, and we avoided it, so we are in a better spot than when we entered.”

AP PHOTO

William Byron does a burnout following his win Sunday in the NASCAR Cup Series playo race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Hoke County drops third straight in loss to Lee County

North State Journal

HOKE COUNTY dropped its third straight game with a 26-7 loss at Lee County in Sanford on a wet Friday night.

With a steady rain falling, the Hoke o ense wasn’t able to get anything started. Lee County, meanwhile, scored the game’s rst 20 points and cruised to victory. Bradley Brown Jr. had 120 yards on 21 carries, scor-

ing one touchdown. He also had three catches for 19 yards and a score through the air.

The Yellow Jackets improved to 4-2 on the year, 1-1 in the Sandhills Conference, while Hoke fell to 2-4, 0-2 in conference.

Hoke will try to get back on a winning track this week at home against Richmond. The Raiders are 1-5 on the year and 1-1 in conference. They have

yet to win a road game this year. They’ve had one common opponent, both losing to Seventh-First. Hoke lost in Fayetteville, 38-0, while Richmond lost at home in the opener, 41-13.

The Bucks will be trying to snap an 11-game losing streak to the Raiders. Their last win in the series was in the 2011 season, and they’ve lost by an average score of 47-12 since.

Hoke County, men’s soccer

Mohamed Diallo is a senior on the Hoke County men’s soccer team.

Diallo, shown here maneuvering around Union Pines’ Brady Jordan, scored a goal in the Bucks’ 4-0 win over the Vikings.

Hoke County Bucks QB Brandon Saunders could not get much going last Friday night as the Bucks lost their fourth game of the season 26-7 at Lee County.

Diallo has two goals, ve assists and eight steals on the year for Hoke, who is 9-4-1 overall and 3-3 in conference play. Hoke plays at Terry Sanford and Scotland County this week.

General Assembly orders more oversight of NCHSAA

Legislation was passed Friday that would give more power to the State Board of Education

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — The General Assembly has ordered additional oversight of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, nalizing legislation Friday that seeks to leave more rule-making in the hands of state education leaders.

In separate House and Senate votes, the General Assembly passed a bill that for months had focused solely on changes to state insurance laws. But thenal measure negotiated by Republicans and unveiled Thursday tacked on more than a dozen pages addressing high school athletics that largely came from a separate bill that passed the Senate earlier this year.

A 2021 law that sought more rigorous government supervision of interscholastic sports among public schools led the State Board of Education to enter a memorandum of understanding with the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCSHAA), which began in 1913.

That agreement laid out how the association, which serves more than 400 schools, would administer and enforce requirements for high school sports on behalf of the board. Republican lawmakers who say the associa-

tion isn’t holding up its side of the bargain — harming students and their families — said the group needs to be reined in further.

The new language “increases accountability and transparency for a private organization tasked with administering our chil-

dren’s athletic experiences,” Sen. Vicki Sawyer, an Iredell County Republican, said in a news release after Friday’s votes in both chambers. The bill was sent to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk for consideration.

The approved bill makes clear

AP PHOTO

with the beginning of the next school year that standards on student participation, health and safety rules, and student and school appeals must be set by the board, not the association. The association also would have to comply with public record dis-

closures similar to those that government agencies must follow.

And the elected state superintendent of public instruction — currently Republican Catherine Truitt — would enter into the memorandum of understanding, not the board, of which the governor’s appointees hold a majority.

During House oor debate early Friday shortly after midnight, bill opponents argued its supporters were seeking to severely weaken the association because of animosity toward NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker and for adverse student eligibility outcomes.

“I don’t think that’s a reason to threaten the (association), but I can certainly see it being nuked in the very near future,” said Rep. Amos Quick, a Guilford County Democrat.

In a news release Friday, the NCHSAA said it has acted in good faith with the State Board of Education since entering the agreement.

“This was a blindside tackle, and I am sorely disappointed in the actions of our state legislators,” Tucker said, adding that the bill would silence the voices of its member schools should it become law.

For years, NCHSAA critics complained about what they called the group’s oversized control over member schools, eligibility decisions and monetary penalties, even as the association has ush co ers.

PHOTO BY DAVID FERNANDEZ, FERNANDEZ STUDIO.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Southwestern Randolph’s Owen Whelan rushes for a rst down against Albemarle during a game in Asheboro on Sept. 15.

Home sales fell again in August as homebuyers grapple with rising mortgage rates and prices

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell for the third month in a row in August, as higher mortgage rates, rising prices and a dearth of properties on the market shut out many would-be homebuyers.

Existing home sales fell 0.7% last month from July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.04 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. That’s below the 4.10 million pace that economists were expecting, according to FactSet.

Sales slumped 15.3% compared with the same month last year and are down 21% through the rst eight months of the year versus the same stretch in 2022.

Meanwhile, prices rose again last month, propped up by buyers competing for a near-record low inventory of homes on the market.

The national median sales price rose 3.9% from August last year to $407,100, marking the third month in a row that the median price remained above $400,000. Last month’s

median sale price is also the fourth-highest on records going back to 1999.

“Home prices continue to march higher despite lower home sales,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist. “Supply needs to essentially double to moderate home price gains.”

Even as rising mortgage rates force many buyers to the sidelines, the shortage of homes for sale has kept the market competitive, driving bidding wars in many places, especially for the most a ordable homes.

Buyers snapped up homes last month typically within just 20 days after the properties hit

the market, and about 31% of homes sold for more than their list price.

“Sales are down, people are struggling to buy a home, but prices are going up,” Yun said.

All told, there were 1.1 million homes on the market by the end of last month, down 0.9% from July and 14.1% from August last year, the NAR said. That amounts to just a 3.3-month supply, going by the current sales pace. In a more balanced market between buyers and sellers, there is a 4- to 5-month supply.

Would-be homebuyers are also seeing their purchasing power diminish as mortgage rates push higher.

The weekly average rate on a 30-year mortgage hovered just below 7% in June and July, when many of the home sales that were nalized in August would have gone under contract. It has remained above 7% since, surging at one point last month to 7.23%, a 22-year high, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. This week, the average rate edged up to 7.19%.

High rates can add hundreds

of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting how much they can a ord in a market already una ordable to many Americans. They also discourage homeowners who locked in those low rates two years ago from selling.

Mortgage rates have been echoing moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing loans.

The yield has been climbing amid expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep shortterm interest rates higher for longer to ght in ation.

On Wednesday, Federal Reserve policymakers signaled that they expect to raise rates once more this year and envision their key rate staying higher in 2024 than most analysts had expected.

The 10-year Treasury yield surged to 4.46% in morning trading Thursday, up from 4.40% late Wednesday and from 0.50% three years ago. It’s now near its highest level since 2007.

“It’s possible mortgage rates may go up to 8% in the short run,” Yun said.

After leaving bipartisan voting information group, Virginia announces new data-sharing agreements

The Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. — Months after withdrawing from a data-sharing interstate compact to ght voter fraud, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration on Wednesday announced a series of recent steps it has taken to improve the accuracy of the state’s voter rolls.

Among them is the launch of new, individual data-sharing agreements with ve other states and Washington, D.C., the Virginia Department of Elections said in a news release. The six agreements will enable Virginia to “securely compare voter lists” with Washington, Georgia, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia and “identify potential voter fraud” and duplicate registrations, the Department of Elections said in a news release.

“Secure elections start with accurate voter lists,” Elections Commissioner Susan Beals said Wednesday, two days before the start of early voting in this year’s legislative elections. “Virginia now updates our voter list using data coming directly from one-to-one data sharing agreements with neighboring states and partnerships with state and federal agencies.”

While the department in its news release and a recent an-

nual report held the new agreements and other initiatives out as improvements from the work of past administrations, Democrats argued they were no substitute for participation in the bipartisan Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, which Virginia left in May.

“It’s undoubtedly not as good as ERIC. There’s just fewer states that are involved,” said Aaron Mukerjee, an attorney and the voter protection director for the

Democratic Party of Virginia.

Virginia was one of the founding members when ERIC was formed in 2012, an e ort promoted by then-Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell. It’s a voluntary system that aims to help around two dozen member states maintain accurate lists of registered voters by sharing data that allows o cials to identify and remove people who have died or moved to other states. ERIC has also found itself in

the crosshairs of conspiracy theories fueled by former President Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election.

Beals in May gave several reasons for the decision to end the state’s membership. They included recent departures by what was then seven other GOP-led states, cost concerns, incomplete participation by Virginia’s bordering states and “increasing concerns regarding stewardship, maintenance, privacy, and con dentiality” of voter information. She said Virginia would look for other ways to “partner with states in an apolitical fashion” on the issue.

Andrea Gaines, a spokeswoman for the department, said in response to questions from The Associated Press about the new data-sharing agreements that “the process for sharing voter lists between states is underway and meetings between these states’ IT teams have been occurring.”

She did not respond to a question about the estimated annual cost of the new arrangement.

Neighboring states North Carolina and Maryland aren’t among those with which Virginia has reached a data-sharing agreement. But the department has reached out to all of its border states to initiate voter list

comparisons as required by state law, Gaines said.

In addition to the new agreements, the department said it had conducted, for “the rst time ever,” change of address mailings to voters who may have moved.

“The mailings took place in February and July 2023 and identi ed a record number of 260,653 inactive voters. ELECT promptly set these voters to inactive status, beginning the process of removing them from the voter list, as required under the National Voter Registration Act,” the news release said.

Inactive-status voters will still be able to cast a ballot in the upcoming elections but will be asked to update their registration, Gaines said.

“If a voter stays in inactive status for four years, they will be removed from the voter rolls according to federal law,” she wrote.

The department is also collecting license plate surrender data from “more states than ever before,” the news release said, and will use it to contact voters who may have left Virginia and o er information about how to cancel their voter registration.

The agency also said it had conducted a historical audit of death records dating back to 1960 and canceled the registrations of 77,348 dead voters over the past 12 months.

AP PHOTO

An “Under Contract” sign is posted in front of a home for sale in Charlotte.

AP PHOTO

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks prior to signing the budget at a ceremony, June 21, 2022, in Richmond, Va.

Noah Alfred Hendrix

September 7, 1935 ~ September 23, 2023

Mr. Noah Alfred Hendrix, Sr., of Raeford, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, September 23, 2023, in his home at the age of 88.

Noah was born in Hoke County on September 07, 1935, to the late Charlie and Delia Hendrix.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by son Noah A. Hendrix, Jr.; grandchildren Keltys Jimmerson, Jr., Audrey Nicole Jimmerson, Austin Curtis Jimmerson; two sons-in-law, Kel Jimmerson, and Keith Grantham; sister Mamie Rockholt, brothers Bill, Bobby, Howard, Bennie, and Lonnie Hendrix.

Noah worked at Milliken and Company until the plant closed. He then went to work at McCain where he retired, but retirement didn’t stop him, he worked at HCC Pharmacy delivering supplies to patients.

Noah loved to garden and share with the neighborhood. He loved shing and eating them too.

He was a member of Foursquare Gospel Church where he did some substitute pastoring. He transferred membership to Raeford EMC where he was currently a member.

Noah loved the Lord, Audrey his wife, and his children, grandchildren, and greatgrands. He was sometimes a hard man, but a fair man. He will be greatly missed and remembered with love.

He is survived by his wife Audrey Morton Hendrix; two daughters Brenda Jimmerson and Debbie Grantham; nine grandchildren, Michael Hendrix, Brandon Hendrix (Amanda), Denise Lee (John), Noah Jimmerson (Kasey), Christina Williams (Adrian), Nolan Hendrix, Ashley Jimmerson (Andrew), Keith Grantham, Jr. (Jamie), Jordan Hendrix, and fourteen great grans.

Carrie Renee (Gardner) Bounds

September 9, 1975 ~ September 20, 2023

Carrie G. Bounds, 48, went to be with her Lord and Savior on September 20, 2023. She was born on September 9, 1975, in Fayetteville NC, to the late Allen W. Gardner and Deborah L. Gardner. Carrie was a loving mother, survived by her daughters Madison Rentas (McKelly Rentas) and Allie Bounds, and her son Jackson Bounds. She is also survived by her sisters Christi Beasley (Billy Beasley) and Amy Lunsford (Joshua Lunsford), as well as her Nieces Brittany Archer (Micah Archer), Hannah Beasley, and Emma Lunsford.

Carrie spent most of her career working at Open Arms Retirement Center. She started with the retirement home as a CNA, spent some time as a med tech, and eventually worked her way up to a supervisor. She was known for her kind and nurturing nature, and her dedication to her work was evident in her interactions with her patients.

Outside of her profession, Carrie had a variety of interests and hobbies. She enjoyed writing and journaling, spending time at the beach, taking long walks, and the occasional retail therapy. These activities brought her joy and allowed her to express her creativity and enjoy the beauty of the world around her.

Carrie was a member of Parker United Methodist Church for many years. Although she wasn’t active with the church, her faith was an important aspect of her life, and she found comfort and strength in her religious beliefs.

William Hollingsworth II

September 28, 1973 ~ September 22, 2023

Mr. William Earvett Hollingsworth II age, 49 transitioned from earth to glory on September 22, 2023.

He leaves to cherish his loving memories his son, William Earvett Hollingsworth III, parents: Vera and William Earvett Hollingsworth; siblings: Tammie Vanessa Hollingsworth, Constance Sabrina Hollingsworth Pierce, Jermy Lewis Hollingsworth; aunts: Carolyn Novak, Janet R. Hollingsworth; uncles: Nicola Hollingsworth, Daries Hollingsworth, Wilbert Morris, Kenneth Morris along with a host of other family and friends. William will be greatly missed.

Melvin Virgil

June 16, 1948 ~ September 21, 2023

Mr. Melvin Virgil age, 75 went home to rest with his heavenly father on September 21, 2023. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mack and Ollie Mae Virgil. He leaves to cherish his loving memories his wife, Sheler Virgil; children: Travis Virgil, Keitran Virgil, Keysher Virgil, Corey Virgil, Emond Virgil; brothers: John Virgil, Walter Virgil, Larry Virgil; seven grandchildren along with a host of other family and friends. Melvin will be greatly missed.

Mary Magdeline Horne

April 26, 1937 ~ September 18, 2023

Mary Magdeline Horne, of Parkton, NC, was born on April 25, 1937 to the late John F. & Florence Gray Horne. Ms. Horne passed away on September 18, 2023 in Hoke County, NC.

In addition to her parents, Ms. Horne was preceded in death by one brother, Luther Horne; four sisters: Christine Phillips, Grace Turner, Hazel Wise, and Margaret Guiton; a special niece, April Lynn Phillips; and a special friend, Paul “Frankie” Jernigan.

Ms. Horne is survived by the family of Frankie Jernigan and a host of friends. Mary spent her life caring for others and will be greatly missed.

Gladys McLean

May 24, 1935 ~ September 21, 2023

Mrs. Gladys McLean age, 88 went home to rest with her heavenly father on September 21, 2023. She was preceded in death by her parents, Johny and Jessie Ree Parker.

Gladys leaves to cherish her loving memories her husband, Samuel McLean; children: William Dukes, Kathy Dukes, Leonard Dukes, Anthony Dukes; brother, Johnny McLaughlin; eight grandchildren, seven great grandchildren along with a host of other family and friends. Gladys will be greatly missed.

Melvin McLauchlin

June 25, 1951 ~ September 17, 2023

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Mr. Melvin McLauchlin. Mr. McLaughlin departed this life September 17, 2023.

Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Revelations 21:4

STATE & NATION

On the road again: Commuting makes a comeback as employers try to put pandemic in the rearview

The Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. — If you think U.S. roads have gotten busier on your morning commute, you’re not alone.

The rate of workers driving to their jobs creeped upwards nationwide last year, as did those who carpool to work by car, truck or van. The mean commuting time jumped by almost a minute in 2022 from the previous year, as more businesses ended fulltime remote work, a sign that post-pandemic life edged closer in 2022 to what it was before COVID-19.

The rate of people working from home dropped from almost 18% in 2021 to 15.2% in 2022, according to new survey data on life in America released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey covers commuting times, internet access, family life, income, education levels, disabilities, military service, and employment, among other topics.

Mark Behrens, a human resources data analyst in Orlando working for a Fortune 500 company, started driving to his ofce in March 2022 after working from home for two years because of the pandemic. Managers now require employees to spend at least three days a week in the ofce. While most of his co-workers resented the order, Behrens was elated to see the in-person collaboration with his colleagues return to something that felt closer to normal.

“The advantage of coming into the o ce, even if it’s only hybrid, is not being isolated, having some social connections,” Behrens said. “You see people and you mention something you are working on and you start to talk about it more, and you can come

up with more solutions, and make more progress.”

The rate of people commuting to work alone in a vehicle climbed from 67.8% in 2021 to 68.7% in 2022, and it went from 7.8% to 8.6% for carpoolers. Public transportation usage rose from 2.5% to 3.1% year-overyear, and the time people spent traveling to work jumped almost a full minute to 26.4 minutes in 2022 compared to 25.6 minutes in 2021, according to the American Community Survey’s 1-year estimates.

Despite the signi cant decline

in working remotely from 2021 to 2022, it still was almost three times higher than before the pandemic in 2019, when it was only 5.7% and more than three-quarters of workers drove alone to work in a vehicle. The 2022 survey did not let participants say whether they work from home full-time or only some of the time.

Even though there were advantages to working from home, like throwing something into the crock pot during lunch breaks, Allison Graves was happy to return to her rst-grade classroom after teaching virtually for most

of the rst two years of the pandemic, which started in early 2020. With a renewed commute, she could catch up on podcasts she missed because she didn’t spend so much time in her car.

“Continuing virtually just wasn’t the same as teaching face-to-face,” said Graves, who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia. “People spent much of 2020 and 2021 not going places, and now people are expected to be back or doing hybrid.”

Earlier this week, the Census Bureau released national data on income, poverty and the rate of

Dallas mayor switches parties, making the city the nation’s largest with a GOP mayor

The Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas — Dallas

Mayor Eric Johnson announced Friday that he is switching to the Republican Party, making the city the largest in the U.S. to be led by a GOP mayor.

Although mayoral o ces in Texas are nonpartisan, the switch is a boost for Texas Republicans who have been losing ground around the state’s major cities for more than a decade. Johnson was elected mayor in 2019 after serving more than a decade as a Democrat in the Texas House of Representatives.

Making the announcement in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Johnson said he was never a favorite of Democrats in the Capitol and called on mayors to champion “law and order” and scal conservatism.

“This is hardly a red wave. But it is clear that the nation and its cities have reached a

time for choosing,” Johnson wrote. “And the overwhelming majority of Americans who call our cities home deserve to have real choices—not ‘progressive’ echo chambers—at city hall.”

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott quickly welcomed Johnson into the party. The mayor of neighboring Fort Worth, Mattie Parker, is also a Republican, giving Texas two of the nation’s largest cities with GOP leaders.

“Texas is getting more Red every day,” Abbott posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Johnson is in his second and nal term as mayor, which runs through 2027. As a state lawmaker, Johnson made headlines over his successful e orts to remove a plaque in the Texas Capitol that rejected slavery as

people without health insurance. American Community Survey data released Thursday showed what those rates were broken down by states and smaller geographies.

The District of Columbia and New Jersey had the highest median household income with $101,027 and $96,346, respectively, compared to more than $74,000 nationally. Mississippi’s $52,719 was the lowest of any state.

The rate of those lacking health insurance was lowest in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, respectively 2.4% and 2.9%, compared to the national average of 8%. It was highest in Texas at 16.6%.

Fewer people moved in 2022 compared to 2021, and the presence of a child in a household also dropped slightly. The average household size trended lower, going from 2.54 to 2.5 people, as did the average family size, going from 3.15 to 3.11 people.

The foreign born population inched up slightly to 13.9%, and the rate of people who spoke only English at home dropped slightly from the previous year to 78% in 2022.

Even though the back-in-ofce-three-days-a-week work schedule was mandated for Behrens’ o ce in 2022, few co-workers followed it, so his company decided not to renew its Orlando o ce lease. Now all 100 o ce employees will be working from home, something Behrens isn’t looking forward to when it starts at the end of the month.

“I won’t get to see anybody,” Behrens said. “It’s not ideal for me, though most people have no problem with this, whatsoever, and love it and don’t miss the commute.”

an underlying cause of the Civil War. His push at the time occasionally put Johnson and Abbott in con ict over discussions to remove the marker.

Texas Democratic Party expressed a lack of surprise in the switch.

“But the voters of Dallas deserved to know where he stood before he ran for reelection as Mayor,” the party said in a statement. “He wasn’t honest with his constituents, and knew he would lose to a Democrat if he ipped before the election.”

During his mayoral run, Johnson has embraced policies denounced by Democrats elsewhere in Texas, including using state troopers to police cities.

The move is the latest in a string of Democrats moving to the GOP.

In April, North Carolina state Rep. Tricia Cotham joined the Republican Party. That was followed by Georgia state Rep. Mesha Mainor, who would join Cotham at an event for state legislators in the summer.

AP PHOTO

Tra c passes through the toll plaza at the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

AP PHOTO

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson speaks to those congregated during the funeral Mass for Dallas Police O cer Jacob Arellano at St. Paul Catholic Church in Richardson, Texas.

Cowboy up

The Carolina Cowboys compete in the PBR Camping World Team Series at the Greensboro Coliseum. The team, owned by Richard Childress and managed by NASCAR driver Austin Dillon, is the only NC-based team in the series. The team came up short over the weekend, falling to the Oklahoma Freedom by two scores.

COUNTY NEWS

UNC Greensboro supports College

Lift at Forsyth Tech Community College

On September 5, UNC Greensboro

o cially announced scholarships for College Lift students at Forsyth Technical Community College. The College Lift program is aimed at providing essential support to students from Title I schools, facilitating their journey toward post-secondary success. This expansion sees the inclusion of UNC Greensboro as a scholarship partner, further enhancing the opportunities available to College Lift students.

To commemorate this milestone, an o cial signing event was held between Forsyth Tech and UNCG on Saturday, September 16, thus marking a collaboration between the two institutions.

Under the terms of the MOU, UNCG has committed to o ering 20 scholarships annually exclusively to College Lift students.

“We are thrilled to partner with UNCG to further strengthen the impact of the College Lift,” said Dr. Janet Spriggs, President of Forsyth Tech. “This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission of empowering students to achieve their dreams. Together, we are creating pathways to success for those who need it most.”

Google sued for negligence after man drove o collapsed bridge while following map directions

The Associated Press RALEIGH — The family of a North Carolina man who died after driving his car o a collapsed bridge while following Google Maps directions is suing the technology giant for negligence, claiming it had been informed of the collapse but failed to update its navigation system.

Philip Paxson, a medical device salesman and father of two, drowned Sept. 30, 2022, after his Jeep Gladiator plunged into Snow Creek in Hickory, according to a lawsuit led Tuesday in Wake County Superior Court. Paxson was driving home from his daughter’s ninth birthday party through an unfamiliar neighborhood when Google Maps allegedly directed him to cross a bridge that had collapsed nine years prior and was never

repaired.

“Our girls ask how and why their daddy died, and I’m at a loss for words they can understand because, as an adult, I still can’t understand how those responsible for the GPS directions and the bridge could have acted with so little regard for human life,” his wife, Alicia Paxson, said.

State troopers who found Paxton’s body in his overturned and partially submerged truck had said there were no barriers or warning signs along the washedout roadway. He had driven o an unguarded edge and crashed about 20 feet below, according to the lawsuit.

The North Carolina State Patrol had said the bridge was not maintained by local or state ofcials, and the original developer’s company had dissolved. The

“We have the deepest sympathies for the Paxson family. Our goal is to provide accurate routing information in Maps and we are reviewing this lawsuit.”

Google spokesperson José

Castañeda

lawsuit names several private property management companies that it claims are responsible for the bridge and the adjoining land.

Multiple people had noti ed Google Maps about the collapse in the years leading up to Paxson’s death and had urged the

company to update its route information, according to the lawsuit.

The Tuesday court ling includes email records from another Hickory resident who had used the map’s “suggest an edit” feature in September 2020 to alert the company that it was directing drivers over the collapsed bridge. A November 2020 email con rmation from Google con rms the company received her report and was reviewing the suggested change, but the lawsuit claims Google took no further actions.

“We have the deepest sympathies for the Paxson family,” Google spokesperson José Castañeda told The Associated Press. “Our goal is to provide accurate routing information in Maps and we are reviewing this lawsuit.”

full-time employees and recently completed a 75,000 square foot cold storage expansion, however due to expansion and growth, they’re looking to relocate their headquarters and facilities.

Board approves economic incentive package for Purple Crow

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

WINSTON-SALEM – The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners met Thursday, Sept. 21 with multiple hearings on the agenda.

The board rst held two public hearings, with the rst being a request to rezone 13.04 acres of property located on the northside of Old Hollow Road between Baux Mountain Road and Phelps Drive from RS40 to RS20-S.

“The property is in the North-

ern Area Rural Policy Guide, which recommends the subject property be low-density, residential and rural in character,” said City/County Planning Director Chris Murphy. “The 13-acre site will yield, under the existing RS40 zoning, 14 residential lots. The request is for an RS20-S rezoning because we’re dealing with lot size and lot width. The number of lots proposed with this RS20-S request is 15, so one additional lot. The main purpose behind the request is that six lots do not meet the lot width requirements and are less than 30,000 square feet in size.”

However, following the hearing, the board voted to delay its decision until its October 5 meet-

ing so as to allow all commissioners to be present, as Commissioner David Plyler was absent.

The second hearing was to consider the expenditure of county general funds for an economic development project for Purple Crow Investments, LLC.

“This is a hispanic food distributor located here in Winston-Salem and they serve large markets not only here in Forsyth County but also in the mid-Atlantic region. Purple Crow has been located here since 1995 and they currently have operations on Lowry Street.” Community and

Economic Development Program Administrator Hasani Mitchell

According to Mitchell, Purple Crow currently employs 250

Purple Crow is committed to a $50 million in total capital investment – $31 million in real property and $19 million in machinery and equipment – and the expansion will create 199 additional full-time jobs with average salary of $72,635.

According to Mitchell, the veyear incentive package includes a maximum incentive not to exceed

See COMMISSIONERS, page 2

Commissioners approve pay increases for deputy sheri s, detention o cers

The YouTube un-personing of Russell Brand

So what changed? Brand did.

THIS WEEK, The Times of London and Channel 4 issued a scathing expose about actor and comedian-turned-podcaster Russell Brand. Brand began his career as a comedian and MTV host; in 2004, he joined “Big Brother’s Big Mouth” on Channel 4, and then transitioned into acting and voice-overs. In 2013, he went political; by 2020, he had launched a successful podcast, taking heterodox positions on matters ranging from COVID-19 to the Ukraine war.

Over the course of this time, Brand also changed his personal behavior. He was a drug abuser in the early 2000s; by 2003, he was a selfdeclared sex addict; today, he is married with two young children.

The Times and Channel 4 report concerns behavior during the period 2006-2013. Those allegations come from ve women, four of them anonymous, who accuse Brand of behavior ranging from emotional abuse to sexual assault and rape. Metropolitan Police have urged any victims to come forward. Brand denies all of the allegations.

Full disclosure: I’ve interviewed Russell and been interviewed by him at length. I consider him a friend. You can never truly know another person well enough to rule out vile, despicable, criminal behavior in their past; I didn’t know Russell during his most debauched period, and I assume that if I had, we wouldn’t have gotten along. And the allegations, as Brand himself says, are incredibly serious. Presumably we will nd out all the facts as time goes on.

There is a question worth asking here, aside from the obvious question about Brand’s alleged crimes: What prompted the media to begin digging into Brand? It was an open secret in Hollywood that Brand was a sexual degenerate throughout the 2000s; the media were utterly unconcerned about such matters. In fact, the same media outlets now investigating Brand

were happy to make money o of him as he engaged in overtly vile behavior he himself would now be ashamed of.

So what changed? Brand did. He began taking political positions that contradicted many of the most cherished assumptions of the media class. He spoke out on a variety of issues that were considered taboo. He abandoned his past embrace of debauchery and began promoting more honorable personal behavior.

This prompted an investigation that, if the allegations are true, should have happened more than a decade ago. That investigation has now been utilized as a predicate to unperson Brand before he even responds to the allegations in full. He has not been arrested and charged, let alone convicted of a crime. Yet YouTube announced on Tuesday that it would cancel all monetization of Brand’s videos on the site, preventing Brand from earning an income from any content posted on YouTube. “This decision applies to all channels that may be owned or operated by Russell Brand,” the social media service explained.

Allegations can now be utilized to erase unpleasant people from social media — presumably because of what they have done in the past, but really, because of what they say now. There are reams of allegations about a bevy of YouTube creators. But those who are demonetized seem to be of one political type.

This is dangerous stu , no matter what emerges about Brand. If he’s guilty, he will pay for his crimes. But the preemptive destruction of his career makes for a truly ugly incentive structure. And it is now just one more reason for those who do have heterodox opinions to avoid speaking up.

Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+.

Free prescription discount cards from GoodRx — What’s the catch?

The Associated Press AMERICANS SPEND more than $420 billion per year at pharmacies for prescription drugs, according to a 2022 report from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Prescription discount cards help people save money on prescription drugs by o ering savings at participating pharmacies. One popular company, GoodRx, o ers discounts of up to 80% on prescription drugs at over 70,000 U.S. pharmacies with its prescription savings program. And according to the company’s website, “there’s absolutely no cost and no catch.”

But earlier this year, GoodRx was penalized by the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, for disclosing patients’ personal health information without their consent. And using GoodRx’s discounts isn’t always easy or predictable.

Here are four potential catches the federal government, pharmacists, researchers and the company itself say you should know about before using GoodRx.

1. DEDUCTIBLES

“Keep in mind you cannot use GoodRx and insurance at the

COMMISSIONERS from page 1 $711,927 and with the $50 million capital investment, it would generate $2.8 million in taxes over 10 years which the county would retain 75% of.

Following the hearing, the board approved the request.

The board also approved a resolution ratifying the amended Forsyth County pay plan in order to appropriate fund balance to

same time,” the company’s website says. It encourages users to pay for prescriptions as a “cash” payment with a GoodRx coupon.

(In this context, paying “cash” means you’re paying out of pocket — without insurance.)

Using GoodRx rather than insurance means your insurance doesn’t have to reimburse you or count your spending toward your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.

Whether this matters to you depends on your coverage and what you expect to spend on prescription drugs each year.

“Who cares if it’s not going to count toward your deductible if you were never going to spend so much that you’re going to hit your deductible anyway,” says pharmacist Shannon Rotolo, who recently left the University of Chicago for a new position at the University of Rochester.

But if you know that you’ll spend enough to hit an out-ofpocket maximum or Medicare

Part D catastrophic coverage, Rotolo recommends having it count toward your deductible. “Get the lower prices from your insurance plan sooner in the year,” she says.

2. PRIVACY VIOLATIONS

GoodRx’s “not-so-good privacy

increase the pay of various positions and adjust the number of positions in the Forsyth County Sheri ’s O ce.

The move adjusts deputy sheri s’ pay by three pay grades and detention o cers by two based on a market study the county had done.

Commissioner Dan Besse presented a motion to increase detention o cers pay by three pay grades as well.

practices” made it the rst-ever company penalized for violating the FTC’s Health Breach Noti cation Rule, according to a post by senior attorney Lesley Fair on the agency’s business blog.

“In our complaint, we alleged that GoodRx violated the FTC Act (which prohibits unfair and deceptive practices in the marketplace) by sharing sensitive personal health information for years with advertising companies and platforms — contrary to its privacy promises that it would not do so,” FTC spokesperson Juliana Gruenwald Henderson wrote in an email.

The FTC imposed a $1.5 million civil penalty on GoodRx. (For context, that’s about 0.2% of the company’s 2022 annual revenue of $766.6 million.)

The FTC also prohibited GoodRx from sharing any of its users’ health data with third parties for advertising, and the company must obtain consent before sharing data for any non-advertising purpose.

When asked whether and to whom GoodRx sells or shares patient data today, a company representative referred in an email to a February 2023 “ GoodRx Response to FTC Settlement.”

“We clearly have a severe hiring and retention problem with the detention facility,” said Commissioner Dan Besse. “Whereas I’m aware that pay is not the only issue involved here, I suspect it’s always an issue. This is clearly a tight market for detention o cers even more so than deputies. I feel this is a wise investment.”

However, the motion failed to move forward as the vote ended in a 3-3 tie with Commissioners

“The settlement with the FTC focuses on an old issue that was proactively addressed almost three years ago, before the FTC inquiry began,” the GoodRx statement says. The company disagrees with the FTC’s allegations and does not admit wrongdoing.

GoodRx says in its statement that “privacy and security are paramount to us and an essential part of how we conduct our business,” and it encourages customers with questions to review the company’s privacy policies.

3. UNPREDICTABILITY

GoodRx’s prices “ uctuate frequently,” the company’s website says. So it might be hard to predict what you’ll pay and where you’ll have to go for your medications.

“If you’re really trying to nd the lowest price with GoodRx, you can end up spending as much in gas money driving to a pharmacy across town one month, and then the next month, you’re driving to a pharmacy in the other direction or the adjacent town,” Rotolo says.

Prices for common generic medications on GoodRx can change by hundreds of dollars

Tonya McDaniel and Shai Woodbury joining Besse in approval and Board Chair Don Martin, Vice Chair Gloria Whisenhunt and Commissioner Richard Linville voting against the motion, citing they needed to trust the study they had done.

Sheri Bobby Kimbrough Jr., who was present at the meeting, vocalized his disappointment with the failure to increase detention o cer pay by more, notably

per ll over just six months, according to research published in 2022 by Rotolo and colleagues in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer.

4. PHARMACY CHOICE

To get the lowest price with GoodRx, you may have to use a speci c pharmacy — probably a large chain.

“A lot of (independent) pharmacies won’t even accept the GoodRx card,” says pharmacist Jessica Robinson, assistant professor at East Tennessee State University’s Gatton College of Pharmacy.

Smaller pharmacies might not be able to a ord it.

“What happened was independent pharmacies were very excited to help patients any way they can, and then found out that a lot of the price negotiations are reimbursing below the cost of the drug,” Robinson says.

Pharmacies don’t get to negotiate with GoodRx, Robinson says, but “they are usually willing to sell a medication to a cash-paying patient at cost.” So while an independent pharmacy might not take GoodRx, they may have other options to help you a ord medications.

frustrated at the process. “I stood in here six months ago and pleaded with you all for a raise for our detention o cers,” Kimbrough said. “Pay is relevant. It is relevant in every aspect of life. Money is relevant. It’s relevant, it’s relevant, it’s relevant. We’re in a crisis and money is relevant.”

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will next meet Sept. 28.

SPORTS

SIDELINE REPORT

WNBA

Aces’ Wilson repeats as WNBA’s top defensive player

Henderson, Nev.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson was honored as the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. The former Gamecocks star and Columbia, South Carolina, native is the eighth player to win the award multiple times. Wilson received 32 of 60 votes from a national media panel. Connecticut

Sun forward Alyssa Thomas was second with 24. Wilson also led the WNBA in defensive e ciency rating and blocked shots. She was third in defensive rebounds per game and 10th in steals and led the league in blocked shots for the third time in four years.

MLB

Neutral pitch clock operators will be used for baseball postseason

New York

Major League Baseball will have neutral clock operators in the rst postseason of pitch timers. MLB evaluated each team’s clock operators during the regular season and said it will select up to a dozen of the best performers for postseason games, which start Oct. 3. A clock operator cannot work a postseason game involving the team whose games the operator times during the regular season. In addition, each postseason series will have the same clock operator for all games of that series. The average time of a nine-inning game has been reduced to 2 hours, 40 minutes from 3:04.

NFL Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo checked for concussion after loss to Steelers

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was evaluated for a concussion after Las Vegas’ 23-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. When Garoppolo was injured wasn’t clear because news of the concussion was announced after coach Josh McDaniels’ post-game news conference. Garoppolo was wobbly after a sack late in the rst half by T.J. Watt but also appeared to injure his ankle on that play. He passed for 324 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times.

TENNIS

Team World beats Team Europe to claim back-to-back Laver Cup

Vancouver, British Columbia Team World has claimed its second straight Laver Cup title. Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe beat Hubert Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7), 7-6 (7) on Sunday at Rogers Arena. Team World won last year’s tournament, which also marked the end of Swiss star Roger Federer’s last professional appearance before retiring. Team World took a 10-2 lead in the tournament on Saturday to put itself in the driver’s seat.

Byron advances to round of 8 with win at Texas

the

The Associated Press FORT WORTH, Texas — William Byron got a milestone victory for Rick Hendrick while advancing into the round of eight of NASCAR playo s. Bubba Wallace felt like he let one get away.

Byron took the lead for the rst time right after the nal restart with six laps left Sunday at Texas, staying in front after going underneath Wallace and Chase Briscoe, to win the opener of the second round of the playo s and get the 300th victory for Hendrick Motorsports.

“I choked ... I had my worst restart,” said Wallace, who after

just sneaking into the round of 12 started from the pole and led a career-high 111 laps. “This one is going to sting for a little bit.”

The top ve nishers were all playo contenders, with Ross Chastain second, ahead of Wallace, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin. Retiring driver Kevin Harvick was sixth and playo driver Brad Keselowski seventh.

“We’ve just been kind of steady Eddie through the rst three or four races and we haven’t shown any ashes, but today I thought we had a good car if we could have just get to the front,” Byron said. “At the end there we were really fast.”

Byron nished 1.863 seconds ahead of Chastain for his sixth win of the season, the most in the Cup series. He built on the points lead he had starting the second round.

Hamlin, Chris Buescher, Bell, Martin Truex Jr., Chastain, Keselowski and Kyle Larson round out the top eight of the playo standings behind Byron. Wallace moved up three spots to ninth, still one below the cuto line when this three-race round is done, with Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch behind him.

There are two more races in the round of 12, at Talladega next weekend and then the Roval at Charlotte.

After an earlier restart with 20 laps to go in the 267-lap race, when Larson and Wallace hadn’t taken fresh tires, they were sideby-side going into Turn 1 when Larson got loose on the inside.

Larson’s car went up the track and slammed hard into the wall to end his day.

But there was still one more

SPONSORED BY the better part of the ing to earn acceptance stitutions,” Ural said, don’t know what we’re now.” The outbreak has for millions of students, taking virtual tours while also dealing about tuition payments

restart after six cars got caught up in an accident in the back of the eld, including playo contenders Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick, last year’s winner at Texas.

That is what set up the 25-year-old Byron in the No. 24 Chevrolet, instead of Larson, getting the milestone victory for Hendrick. It was Byron’s 10th career win.

Byron said he wasn’t sure he could put into words what it meant to get No. 300, expressing his thanks to “Mr. Hendrick for his investment in me, and telling me at 17 years old that he was going to take me to Cup racing. So just appreciate everything he’s done for me. This is awesome.”

Denny Hamlin was racing with damage to his right side after being hit by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs on pit road in the rst stage.

“Once we got the damage, (the car) just wasn’t as fast as it was before,” Hamlin said. “Still, considering how much damage it had, it was a top-three car. A bunch of carnage happened there in the end, and we avoided it, so we are in a better spot than when we entered.”

Panthers falls to 0-3 with 37-27 loss at Seattle

“As coaches and as players, if you have that many self-in icted things, it’s hard to overcome those,” Reich said.

The Associated Press

SEATTLE — Frank Reich has coached long enough to know his rebuilding and injury-depleted Carolina Panthers had a narrow margin for error while playing at Seattle.

After Carolina committed 13 penalties, had no running game and couldn’t get stops in the second half, it’s safe to say Reich’s team didn’t follow his formula for victory.

“I don’t think anybody feels like we’ve been outmanned in any game,” Reich said. “We just have beat ourselves. Just have to continue to get better.”

The Panthers dropped to 0-3 on Sunday, losing 37-27 to the Seahawks while constantly setting themselves back with penalties.

Carolina got a big day from veteran backup Andy Dalton, who threw for 367 yards, and held Seattle to eld goals early on. But the Seahawks eventually found the end zone and the Panthers were left to lament their mistakes in a frustrated locker room.

“It’s tough because you can’t put your nger on it,” said wide receiver DJ Chark Jr., who caught a 47-yard touchdown. “I don’t

feel like we are that far away, but when we end the game and we’re done and we lost, it’s tough.”

The Panthers started 0-3 for the fth time. They’ve never won more than eight games in any of those seasons.

“I’ve been on teams that started worse. To be honest, we just have to stay together and keep climbing,” linebacker Deion Jones said. “We all have to stay together, we all have to get better. Everybody has to take another step, and we all have to buy in. No one can veer o .”

Carolina played without No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young, who injured an ankle in last Monday night’s loss to New Orleans. His injury is one of many that have depleted an already thin roster. Linebacker Shaq Thompson and cornerback Jaycee Horn are hurt, too.

Nonetheless, the Panthers were within 22-20 after Miles Sanders scored on a 1-yard run on the rst play of the fourth quarter. But Seattle scored the next 15 points while Carolina made a series of miscues.

Eight of the Panthers’ penalties were false starts by o ensive linemen. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu moved early four times and right tackle Taylor Morton jumped twice. Left guard Chandler Zavala was caught once and linebacker Chandler Wooten moved early on a punt.

“I was obviously disappointed in the way I handled the noise today. It’s something that we prepared all week for and I came out here and I didn’t get it done today,” Ekwonu said.

Carolina faced third-and-4 while trailing 29-20 with 8:15 left. Morton and Zavala were agged on consecutive snaps, turning a possible easy conversion into a third-and-14 and an eventual punt.

The Panthers had their most penalties in a game since 2011.

“We got to nd a way to play clean football, especially presnap. You know you’re gonna have penalties post-snap, but it’s important for us to start drives the right way and play clean football and then if we get beat from there, so be it,” said Adam Thielen, who had 11 catches for 145 yards and a late touchdown. “But we got to nd a way to clean it up.”

It was

300th overall victory for Hendrick Motorsports

Andy Dalton threw for 361 yards in place of the injured Bryce Young

Denny Hamlin celebrates his victory in Saturday night’s Cup Series playo race at Bristol.

AP PHOTO

Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen runs between Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and cornerback Artie Burns during Carolina’s 37-27 loss Sunday in Seattle.

STATE & NATION

On the road again: Commuting makes a comeback as employers try to put pandemic in the rearview

The Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — If you think U.S. roads have gotten busier on your morning commute, you’re not alone.

The rate of workers driving to their jobs creeped upwards nationwide last year, as did those who carpool to work by car, truck or van. The mean commuting time jumped by almost a minute in 2022 from the previous year, as more businesses ended fulltime remote work, a sign that post-pandemic life edged closer in 2022 to what it was before COVID-19.

The rate of people working from home dropped from almost 18% in 2021 to 15.2% in 2022, according to new survey data on life in America released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey covers commuting times, internet access, family life, income, education levels, disabilities, military service, and employment, among other topics.

Mark Behrens, a human resources data analyst in Orlando working for a Fortune 500 company, started driving to his ofce in March 2022 after working from home for two years because of the pandemic. Managers now require employees to spend at least three days a week in the ofce. While most of his co-workers resented the order, Behrens was elated to see the in-person collaboration with his colleagues return to something that felt closer to normal.

“The advantage of coming into the o ce, even if it’s only hybrid, is not being isolated, having some social connections,” Behrens said. “You see people and you mention something you are working on and you start to talk about it more, and you can come

up with more solutions, and make more progress.”

The rate of people commuting to work alone in a vehicle climbed from 67.8% in 2021 to 68.7% in 2022, and it went from 7.8% to 8.6% for carpoolers. Public transportation usage rose from 2.5% to 3.1% year-overyear, and the time people spent traveling to work jumped almost a full minute to 26.4 minutes in 2022 compared to 25.6 minutes in 2021, according to the American Community Survey’s 1-year estimates.

Despite the signi cant decline

in working remotely from 2021 to 2022, it still was almost three times higher than before the pandemic in 2019, when it was only 5.7% and more than three-quarters of workers drove alone to work in a vehicle. The 2022 survey did not let participants say whether they work from home full-time or only some of the time.

Even though there were advantages to working from home, like throwing something into the crock pot during lunch breaks, Allison Graves was happy to return to her rst-grade classroom after teaching virtually for most

of the rst two years of the pandemic, which started in early 2020. With a renewed commute, she could catch up on podcasts she missed because she didn’t spend so much time in her car.

“Continuing virtually just wasn’t the same as teaching face-to-face,” said Graves, who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia. “People spent much of 2020 and 2021 not going places, and now people are expected to be back or doing hybrid.”

Earlier this week, the Census Bureau released national data on income, poverty and the rate of

Dallas mayor switches parties, making the city the nation’s largest with a GOP mayor

The Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas — Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced Friday that he is switching to the Republican Party, making the city the largest in the U.S. to be led by a GOP mayor.

Although mayoral o ces in Texas are nonpartisan, the switch is a boost for Texas Republicans who have been losing ground around the state’s major cities for more than a decade. Johnson was elected mayor in 2019 after serving more than a decade as a Democrat in the Texas House of Representatives.

Making the announcement in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Johnson said he was never a favorite of Democrats in the Capitol and called on mayors to champion “law and order” and scal conservatism.

“This is hardly a red wave. But it is clear that the nation and its cities have reached a

time for choosing,” Johnson wrote. “And the overwhelming majority of Americans who call our cities home deserve to have real choices—not ‘progressive’ echo chambers—at city hall.”

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott quickly welcomed Johnson into the party. The mayor of neighboring Fort Worth, Mattie Parker, is also a Republican, giving Texas two of the nation’s largest cities with GOP leaders.

“Texas is getting more Red every day,” Abbott posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Johnson is in his second and nal term as mayor, which runs through 2027. As a state lawmaker, Johnson made headlines over his successful e orts to remove a plaque in the Texas Capitol that rejected slavery as

people without health insurance. American Community Survey data released Thursday showed what those rates were broken down by states and smaller geographies.

The District of Columbia and New Jersey had the highest median household income with $101,027 and $96,346, respectively, compared to more than $74,000 nationally. Mississippi’s $52,719 was the lowest of any state.

The rate of those lacking health insurance was lowest in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, respectively 2.4% and 2.9%, compared to the national average of 8%. It was highest in Texas at 16.6%.

Fewer people moved in 2022 compared to 2021, and the presence of a child in a household also dropped slightly. The average household size trended lower, going from 2.54 to 2.5 people, as did the average family size, going from 3.15 to 3.11 people.

The foreign born population inched up slightly to 13.9%, and the rate of people who spoke only English at home dropped slightly from the previous year to 78% in 2022.

Even though the back-in-ofce-three-days-a-week work schedule was mandated for Behrens’ o ce in 2022, few co-workers followed it, so his company decided not to renew its Orlando o ce lease. Now all 100 o ce employees will be working from home, something Behrens isn’t looking forward to when it starts at the end of the month.

“I won’t get to see anybody,” Behrens said. “It’s not ideal for me, though most people have no problem with this, whatsoever, and love it and don’t miss the commute.”

an underlying cause of the Civil War. His push at the time occasionally put Johnson and Abbott in con ict over discussions to remove the marker.

Texas Democratic Party expressed a lack of surprise in the switch.

“But the voters of Dallas deserved to know where he stood before he ran for reelection as Mayor,” the party said in a statement. “He wasn’t honest with his constituents, and knew he would lose to a Democrat if he ipped before the election.”

During his mayoral run, Johnson has embraced policies denounced by Democrats elsewhere in Texas, including using state troopers to police cities.

The move is the latest in a string of Democrats moving to the GOP.

In April, North Carolina state Rep. Tricia Cotham joined the Republican Party. That was followed by Georgia state Rep. Mesha Mainor, who would join Cotham at an event for state legislators in the summer.

AP PHOTO

Tra c passes through the toll plaza at the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

AP PHOTO

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson speaks to those congregated during the funeral Mass for Dallas Police O cer Jacob Arellano at St. Paul Catholic Church in Richardson, Texas.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Budd co-sponsors bill to strengthen oversight of U.S.China science and technology agreements

On Monday, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) cosponsored S. 2894, the Science and Technology Enhanced Congressional Noti cation Act. This bill, if passed, will strengthen the oversight of science and technology agreements (STAs) between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China by requiring the Secretary of State to provide comprehensive details to Congress about any new, renewed, or extended agreement and by establishing a minimum 30-day Congressional review period. The bill was originally introduced by Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE). “In this new era of authoritarian aggression, it’s imperative that we do more to counter risks from the unfair economic practices and intellectual property theft being carried out by our adversaries like the Chinese Community Party,” said Budd in a press release. “I want to thank Senator Ricketts for his leadership in this e ort to ensure Congress has the tools needed to do our diligence in providing more oversight over these scienti c and technological agreements with China that could put our national security at risk.”

MOORE COUNTY

And the winners are

Four new Miss Moore County and Miss Sandhills were crowned at Bradshaw Performing Arts Center at Sandhills Community College on Saturday, Sept. 23. The new Miss Moore County is Calli McIntyre (former Miss Moore Teen and state second runner-up), Miss Moore Teen McKenzie Baddour, Miss Sandhills Sarah Beth Howard and Miss Sandhills Teen Keely Deal.

Board of Education approves hiring of two virtual teachers at Crain’s Creek

School uniform survey to be distributed to parents and guardians

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

ABERDEEN — The Moore County Schools Board of Education met Monday, September 11, with various policy and contract discussions on the agenda.

The board rst approved the second reading of revisions to 15 new policies that had already previously been approved.

“Most of them are essentially dictated by the state school board association, which tells

us about the new laws, and we revised our policies to be consistent with those,” said Board Chair Robert Levy. “Although we do look at our policies. We don’t just blindly rubber stamp these from the state school board association.”

There were two policies that some board members had objections to, those being Policy 5525 - Reading Requirements for Promotions, which adds in a requirement for students to complete two book reports per semester and was opposed by board members David Hensley and Stacey Caldwell and Policy 6401 H. Rules of Conduct - Rule 1.2: Dress Code, which makes

“We don’t just blindly rubber stamp these from the state school board association.”

Board Chair Robert Levy

MCS existing dress code stricter which was opposed by just Caldwell. The rest of the policy changes received unanimous approval following some slight text modications.

New Pinehurst council member sworn in

Hennie to serve out remainder of late Jane Hogeman’s term

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday, Sept. 12, with the meeting being the rst for its new member.

To start the meeting, new council member Tom Hennie undertook the oath of o ce.

Hennie replaces the late Jane Hogeman, who passed away suddenly in July and will serve out the remainder of her term, which expires in November.

“We welcome Tom to the Village Council to ful ll the term of Jane Hogeman, and although that’s a period of only a couple of months, we know that your contribution here and interest in the Village is strong,” said Mayor John Strickland. “We look forward to your comments and participation in all of our decisions.”

Hennie was selected by unanimous vote at a special called meeting on August 21. He was one of four applicants, including Kevin Drum, Brandon Lankford and Brett Anthony.

“I just want to say that I am really, deeply honored and very grateful just to be here,” Hennie said. “Something totally unexpected fell in my lap, so I will do the best that I can for everyone. Thank you very much.”

The council also approved the

appointment of Thomas Schroeder as the Chairperson to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

The council also approved the updated statewide mutual aid agreement.

“The mutual aid system was developed following Hurricane Fran in 1996, at which time, there was no uniform agreement among North Carolina’s cities and counties so that they could help one another during and after a disaster,” said Fire Chief Carlton Cole. “With no policies and procedures to address those logistical concerns, deployment compensation and liability issues, intra-state cooperation was limited and inefcient.”

“By participating, it opens up avenues for us to have the ability to request specialized tools, equipment or personnel from jurisdictions,” Carlton said. “The Village currently participates in the agreement, and that agreement was updated by the State of North Carolina Emergency Management through feedback from county and municipal management partners. The most signicant change to the agreement is the ability for us as a municipality to make a direct request for assistance such as specialized tools, equipment or personnel from other governmental entities during times of disaster or emergency.

Previous versions of the agreement required that there be an emergency declared by the mayor for us to be able to make that

“We welcome Tom to the Village Council to ful ll the term of Jane Hogeman, and although that’s a period of only a couple of months, we know that your contribution here and interest in the Village is strong.”

Mayor John Strickland

request, and we also had to route it through the county to be able to get assistance.”

The council was also given an update on the Village’s FY 2023 nancial statements for Q4.

“In FY23, we had a very favorable year,” said Financial Services Director Dana Van Nostrand.

“We added $5.1 million to our general fund fund-balance, which even just out of our operating revenues and expenditures, we basically broke even. This year, where we had budgeted more capital with the anticipation of the $5 million of ARPA funds being received into the general fund, we still basically had enough tax and other revenues to cover the expenditures that we had.

“Therefore, that allowed us to add those funds from the ARPA funding. We were able to contrib-

The board then approved the purchase of the iReady Teacher Toolbox for Schools.

“iReady has our diagnostic platform and has our myPath, which is an electronic platform that di erentiates for students,” said Director of Curriculum and Instruction Donna Gephart. “In addition to myPath, there is an entire set of tools that are printable materials that our teachers can utilize to ensure that we are di erentiating and focusing on the on-grade level standard and the skills within that. What it helps our teachers with is intervention and remediation for

See BOE page 2

ute $1 million to the library capital project fund and add to our fund balance. So we ended FY23 with over $20 million in our general fund fund-balance.”

According to Van Nostrand, the extra revenue can be attributed to reduced personnel costs.

“The primary reason is due to our personnel expenses,” Van Nostrand said. “So almost half of that, about $1 million, was unspent salaries and bene t funds. This is really related to lapsed salaries for vacant positions. Police and re are the two largest contributors to that. While this is favorable nancially, it’s not ideal operationally. This is not where we want to be seeing a massive amount of savings.”

Due to the higher revenues than projected, however, the Village is projected to have a bit more of a nancial cushion for the upcoming years.

“In the original FY24 SOP, with what we had projected at the time, we were ending right at our policy minimum for fund balance, but now we are projected to end over 5% higher, which gives us a bit more cushion built into this plan which will be very helpful to execute our ve-year plan,” Van Nostrand said.

PHOTOS BY DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

CRIME LOG

our kids while also providing our teachers with another set of tools to work with students and give them di erent learning experiences.”

Select schools have been using the iReady Teacher Toolbox that they had purchased through their available instructional money already, but now the district will be paying for every school, which is a total cost of $139,506.60 through Title IV grant funding.

The board was then presented with a contract to hire two virtual math teachers for Crain’s Creek Middle School through Fullmind Virtual Teachers.

“This is probably not a recommendation I’d make ve years ago, but it is one based on our current sta ng needs, needing to be creative and needing to think outside the box in how we’re supporting situations where we have high needs,” said Superintendent Tim Locklair.

“This is a company that provides virtual teachers that are synchronous instructors, which means they are live in the classrooms. The reason we recommend this vendor over others is the live instructors. They will use our district standards and curriculum, they participate in professional development, sta meetings, professional learning team meetings and they can also

communicate with parents.”

The total cost for two teachers will be $138,843, and in addition to the virtual teachers, the contract also states that two teacher assistants will be hired, at a cost of $87,000, who will be in-person and essentially serve as classroom supervisors.

The contracts can also be voided, with a 30-day notice, if the positions are lled by an in-person hire.

However, not all board members were in favor of the proposal.

“We’ve gotta protect our teachers,” Hensley said. “Once we start down the slippery slope of having virtual teachers, we could just outsource all of our teaching jobs to India because there are a whole lot of people in India who will go through the North Carolina teacher certication process and work from India for very low wages as a virtual teacher. I see this as an extraordinarily dangerous, slippery slope towards outsourcing teachers.”

While the board was overall not necessarily in favor of the idea, most recognized this as a necessary evil.

“We have to be innovative and creative right now because there are no teachers,” Caldwell said. “I personally, and I know many parents, would rather have a teacher in place versus a substitute in place. A teacher knows

the curriculum and is certi ed, versus a substitute who doesn’t know the curriculum as well. I don’t think this is going to take away any teaching positions; in fact, I think this is more like a band-aid until we nd a permanent solution.”

The board voted in favor of the proposal 5-1, with Hensley being the lone dissent.

“We’re two weeks into the school year, and we need to get teachers into the classroom, and if this is the best way to do that, then fantastic,” Levy said.

The board also voted to approve the circulation of a survey in order to gauge public interest in the idea of implementing a district-wide student uniform policy.

“This is just a survey that will go out to the public starting tomorrow (September 12) through November 3,” said Vice Chair Shannon Davis. “As we venture forth with this over the next couple of months, the community feedback is most important to me in how we want to proceed with things and at what rate or if at all.”

Hensley was again the lone dissent as he viewed the survey as a potential waste of administrative time and that the new, stricter dress code would work just as well.

The Moore County Schools Board of Education will next meet October 10.

MOORE COUNTY

of Goods

FREEMAN, COLBY CLARK, 22, W,

M, 9/24/2023, Robbins PD, Simple Assault, Misdemeanor Larceny, Possess Methamphetamine, Obstructing Justice, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, Resisting Public Officer, Misdemeanor Child Abuse (x3)

MOYER, ROXANNE DANIELLE, 32, W, F, 9/23/2023, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Assault on a Female

PINKERTON, SHAUNA MARIE, 46, W, F, 9/22/2023, Moore County Sheriff’s

Office, Possess Schedule I CS, Simple

Possession Schedule III CS, Possess

Drug Paraphernalia (x2)

KEGLER, JAHMEL RAEMONE, 25, B, M, 9/22/2023, Moore County Sheriff’s

Office, Harboring Fugitive, Fail to Return

Rental Property

HINSON, JAMES MICHAEL, 41, W, M, 9/22/2023, Pinehurst PD, Identity

Theft, Insurance Fraud, Non Support of Child (x2)

HILDERBRAND, SAMUEL LEE, 26, B, M, 9/22/2023, Southern Pines PD, Misdemeanor Larceny, Second Degree Trespass, Probation Violation (x2)

Defending your energy security

AS THE TREES in the Sandhills begin to show the rst signs of fall, we are reminded that colder weather is near. Like many of you, my family faced last winter’s high energy prices and I am left wondering how they will be this year—especially as costs continue to climb.

Just like many states across the country, North Carolina is currently seeing another steep rise in the price of gas and energy. In the last month, energy prices have increased 5.6% and gas prices in North Carolina have spiked 16 cents higher per gallon than they were one year ago.

moore happening

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Moore County:

Sept. 28

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.

Thursday Night Music Bingo

7pm

Come out to James Creek Cider House for Music Bingo with Lauren! James Creek is located at 172 US Hwy 1 Bus. in Cameron. A food truck will be on site at 8!

Sept. 29

Carthage Farmers Market

2pm – 6pm

Come out and support your local farmers at the brand-new farmers market in Carthage! The market features fresh produce, meats, eggs, and handmade goods! The market will be set up on S. Ray Street in the parking lot across from the post o ce.

Sept. 30

Moore County Farmers Market

8am – 12pm

Enjoy the Moore County Farmers Market at the Downtown Park, which is located at 145 SE Broad Street in Southern Pines! Buy local and fresh seasonal produce and products every Saturday morning from 8am until 12pm!

Sandhills Farmers Market

10am – 1pm

Come out for the Sandhills Farmers Market in the heart of the Village of Pinehurst! The market features many wonderful farms, nurseries, bakeries, meat and egg providers, cheesemakers, and specialty food producers in the area.

High energy costs continue to impact you and every family, and lowering them should not be a partisan issue.

Washington Democrats’ overspending and war on American energy fueled this in ation crisis. However, House Republicans are working on policies to combat these high prices by passing bills, such as H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. This legislation will unleash American energy production, reverse President Joe Biden’s anti-energy policies, and lower energy costs that continue to burden your family’s pocketbook.

High energy costs continue to impact you and every family, and lowering them should not be a partisan issue. However, the Democratcontrolled Senate refuses to move forward on the Lower Energy Costs Act—common sense legislation which passed the House with bipartisan support.

Against the backdrop of historic energy costs, the Biden administration continues to push a rush-to-green agenda by attempting to give power to states to force people to buy expensive electric vehicles. These mandates are impractical and una ordable for the average family. In fact, the average price of an electric vehicle is $17,000 more than a gas-powered car and the lack of vehicle charging infrastructure—especially in rural communities—makes electric vehicles even more impractical.

You should be in the driver’s seat when it comes to choosing your car.

That’s why last week, House Republicans took a stand against Far Left bureaucrats and passed H.R. 1435, the Preserving Choice in Vehicle

Purchases Act. This bill stops the EPA from banning your gas car or truck and protects you and millions of Ameicans from big government overreach. Instead of focusing on the car in your garage, I continue urging President Biden and my colleagues to focus on the issues that matter most.

For example, after the power substation attacks in Moore County last December, I have been laser focused on nding solutions to strengthen our power grid. Earlier this summer, I brought members of the Energy and Commerce Committee to Moore County for a eld hearing on improving the security and resiliency of our nation’s energy grid.

Since that rst hearing, our Committee has held multiple others to continue discussions in Washington with expert witnesses. Their testimonies and insight help us move closer to nding tangible solutions to strengthen our power grid in order to prevent future energy infrastructure attacks. These are the kinds of solutions you should expect from Washington.

Over the past eight months, House Republicans have delivered on all fronts of our “Commitment to America” and have advanced legislation that will build an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a future built upon freedom, and a government that’s accountable to you. Although we have made signi cant progress, there is still a lot of work to be done. As your Congressman, I will never stop working to solve problems facing our nation and am committed to ghting for your family.

Richard Hudson is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House and represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. He currently serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Tyne Ross

All three county teams post football wins

North State Journal

Bye weeks are over for the schools in Moore County and all three teams were back in action on a rainy Friday.

Union Pines, Pinecrest and North Moore all posted wins in a successful night of football for the county.

Pinecrest 20, Richmond 12: The Patriots improved to 5-0 on the season and won their conference opener with their rst win in Richmond since 2008.

With bad weather threatening, Pinecrest jumped out to an early lead on touchdown runs by Jaylin Morgan and Zymire Spencer. Morgan rushed 10 times for 38 yards in the game, while Spencer had 106 yards on 17 carries. With less than two minutes remaining, and Richmond looking to get in position for a game-winning score, down two points, Isaiah Shearin intercepted a Domonic Tillman pass and ran it back 28 yards for a game-clinching pick six.

In addition to his rushing score, Morgan also had three tackles for loss and two sacks on defense.

Pinecrest returns home to face Southern Lee on Friday.

Union Pines 40, Lee County 33, 2OT: Austin Mooring scored from two yards out to get the go-ahead

touchdown in the second overtime, then Union Pines got a sack to end Lee County’s possession and clinch a win in a game of runs at Lee County.

The Yellowjackets scored the game’s rst two touchdowns, both on rushes, as Lee County racked up 194 ground yards for the game, scoring all ve touchdowns on runs.

Union Pines rallied, scoring 27 straight points. The Vikings got a boost from the defense, who recovered two fumbles in the second quarter and also saw linebacker Jeremiah Womack return an interception nearly 40 yards for a score.

Quarterback Anthony Goswick threw for nearly 130 yards on 14-of-24 passing, including a 24-yard pass to Hayes Tobias for the team’s rst score and a one-yard run for the team’s second. He hooked up with Tobias for a 33-yard score later in the game.

The Vikings, 2-3 on the year and 1-0 in conference, enjoy a week o before facing Scotland in Laurinburg on Sept. 29.

North Moore 55, Jordan-Matthews 7: North Moore got back above .500 in a big way, blowing out Jordan-Matthews, 55-7, in a lopsided road win.

Jakarey Gillis rushed for 136 yards for scoring two touchdowns and leading a North Moore ground attack that

PREP FOOTBALL — WEEK 7

Friday Sept. 29, 7:30 PM, Pinecrest Patriots (5-0, 1-0) home vs. Southern Lee Cavaliers (3-3, 0-2) *Conference Game*

Friday Sept. 29, 7:30 PM, North Moore Mustangs (3-2, 2-1) at Bartlett Yancey Buccaneers (2-4,2-2) *Conference Game

Friday Sept. 29, 7:30 PM, Union Pines Vikings (2-3, 1-0) at Scotland Scots (6-0, 2-0) *Conference Game*

racked up 417 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Kolby Ritchie had 87 yards and a score, while Nathan Rogers added 97 and a touchdown of his own. Colby Pennington caught all three of quarterback Nathaniel Dyer’s completions and turned two of them into touchdowns. The Mustangs will try to keep things rolling on Friday with a road game at Bartlett Yancey. North Moore will be looking to beat the Bucs for the third straight year. Union Pines returns to the eld after a bye week last Friday. The Vikings will face a tough test with a road game at Scotland, who is a perfect 6-0, 2-0 on the season.

Union Pines, volleyball, tennis

Tyne Ross is a two-sport senior for Union Pines, and that’s just in the fall.

Ross is pulling double duty on the Vikings Volleyball and Women’s Tennis teams.

Last week, she had 26 kills, 3 blocks and 25 digs in Union Pines’ loss to Pinecrest. That was Tuesday. Wednesday night, she won rst singles, 6-0, in Union Pines’ 6-0 tennis win over Scotland. Thursday, she had to choose between sports, since both teams had a game. She went with the tennis team and posted a straight sets win in rst singles, 6-0, 6-3, in a 7-2 loss to Seaforth. For the year, Ross, who is committed to NC A&T to play volleyball, is 9-0 in tennis singles and 6-0 in doubles. She also leads the volleyball team in kills, digs and hitting percentage.

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Isaiah Shearin (5) celebrates with his Pinecrest teammates after making a game-clinching interception.

COURTESY PHOTO

Gayle Gri th Garner

September 20, 1953 - September 20, 2023

Gayle Gri th Garner passed away on September 20, 2023. It was her 70th birthday.

She was born in Moore County, NC to William P. “Buddy” and Violet Miller Gri th. The child of a Naval Chief Petty O cer, she lived in Key West, Charleston, Norfolk, St. Petersburg, and Cherry Point but had the fondest memories of growing up and attending school in Aberdeen. She loved to tell stories about growing up in Aberdeen with the best of friends, several of whom were her cousins. She graduated from Pinecrest High School in 1971, a member of the Future Homemakers of America and having earned a certi cation in cosmetology. She was creative, sewing many clothes for herself, her children, and her daughter’s baby dolls.

She married Mitchell Garner in 1972 and became a homemaker until her children were in high school. She went back to work at the Home Bazaar for many years, eventually being promoted to manager. She ended her career in customer service working for Pinehurst Surgical. She cherished the friendships that she made in all areas of her life.

She loved to dance, the Beatles, cats, books, birdwatching, and a good old Hallmark Christmas in July movie marathon. She loved her family, and her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She and her sisters have a bond that will transcend all eternity. Her sweet spirit and contagious laugh will be remembered always.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, William Mitchell Garner, and her parents.

She is survived by her daughter, Denise Grandolfo of Eastwood; son, William Mitchell Garner, Jr. of Eastwood; sisters, Sherry Gri th Miller of Fort Worth, Texas and Susie Gri th Greene of Aberdeen; granddaughters, Shelby Grandolfo of Aberdeen and Madison Grandolfo of Eastwood; a sister-in-law, Diane Aldridge and husband Danny of Eastwood; brotherin-law, Wade Garner of Eastwood, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family that she loved so very much. Also her cat, Jack.

Walter Je erson Weeks, Jr.

November 29, 1949 - September 21, 2023

Walt passed away peacefully on September 21 2023, after a brief battle with cancer. He was predeceased by his parents, Walter and Bernita. He is survived by his loving wife of 30 years, Rita, as well as sons William (Kirstin), Walter III, and Michael (Jessica) and grandchildren Emily Young (Andrew), Natalie, Jacob, and Sophia Weeks. He is also survived by brothers Charles (Debbie) and Joseph (MaryEllen).

Walt was born in Atlantic City and spent most of his life in South Jersey. He earned his MS in Management from Thomas Edison University and worked for Atlantic Electric for 36 years. He was devoted to health and tness and was active in a variety of sports. He was a Black Belt in karate and enjoyed life at the shore, shing, cycling, and kayaking. But his true passion was golf!

He began gol ng at the age of 10, becoming a xture at the AC Country Club and serving as caddy for the winner of Women’s US Open in 1965 and the runner up in 1975. A testament to the adage, “practice makes perfect”, he scored 3 holes in one. Lucky for Walt, Rita liked golf too so they moved to Pinehurst, NC, to live on the golf course, and became members of Pinehurst Country Club. They also shared a love of travel, which notably included biking together across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Walt was an ordinary guy who loved a good story and the people that shared them, most of all his sons and grandchildren. Even golf took a back seat to their recitals, soccer games, graduations, and weddings. “Poppy” made his devotion to his family known by being there for them, by sharing his wisdom, his time, and with that little twinkle in his eye, his sense of humor.

Frances Whitaker McNeill

June 30, 1925 - September 20, 2023

Frances Whitaker McNeill, 98, passed away on September 20, 2023 at FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst, NC.

She was born in Surry County, NC on June 30, 1925 to James Sanford Whitaker and Ida Nicholson Whitaker. The family later relocated to Moore County, NC.

When someone asked her “do you want to go,” she was always ready and traveled to many places with her many friends and family as long as she could.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack McNeill; brothers, Robert Whitaker of Florala, AL, James “Willie” Whitaker, of Carthage, NC, and grandson, Bill Ray Luck, Jr.

She is survived by her only son, Bill Ray Luck (Margaret) of Aberdeen, NC; sister, Gladys Frye of Carthage, NC; granddaughters, Frances Young (Eric) of Washington, DC, Brenda Luck of Aberdeen, NC, Glenda Chisholm (Andy) of Aberdeen, NC, and Linda Biby, of Aberdeen, NC; as well as 6 great-grandchildren.

Ronald McGaughey

February 12, 1936 - September 20, 2023

Ron McGaughey, 87 of Seven Lakes - The Man, The Myth, The Legend, has left this world to be with his loving wife of 64 years, Dita. He leaves behind 2 children, three grandchildren, and one great grandson.

Ron was born in Litch eld, IL. Graduated from Bradley University, served in the Air Force and National Guard. Ultimately, he retired from PepsiCo Corp. as a V.P. of Marketing Equipment/ Systems Development. Never one to remain idle for too long, during his retirement years he devoted his time to serving the community. Ron was an avid sherman and the Co-founder of Lake Auman Sports Club and served as President for three years. He was devoted to enhancing the value of Lake Auman to the residents by providing programs that promoted more enjoyment from shing and other sports.

Rutger "Rudy" Van Zanten

June 18, 1932 - September 22, 2023

Rudy “Rudy” Van Zanten, 91, of Pinehurst passed way from complications of Covid on September 22, 2023. He was born in Hillegom, Holland June 18, 1932. He immigrated to the USA through Ellis Island, NY with his parents in 1937.

Rudy and Carol Van Zanten moved to Pinehurst 41 years ago from Chadds Ford, PA. As a member of Pinehurst Country Club he was very active in the tennis and pickle ball programs. He was a member of Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church, Southern Pines. He is survived by his wife of 69 years Carol, daughter Stacey Van Zanten, son, Scott and Lori Van Zanten, granddaughter’s Brittany and Carly and great grandchildren Harry, Claire, Simmons. A celebration of life service will be announced at a future date.

Harry Meeth, III

July 19, 1940 - September 19, 2023

Harry Meeth III, 83, of Pinehurst, passed away on Tuesday, September 19, 2023.

He was born on July 19, 1940 in Baltimore, MD to the late Harry Meeth, Jr. and Anna May Podlick Meeth.

Harry is survived by his children Dave Meeth (Joni), LuAnn Vergolini, Scott Meeth (Suzo) and Kelly Meeth Bennardo (John); grandchildren Jake Meeth, Eley Meeth, Catie Meeth, Derrick Vergolini, Shelby Vergolini, Emily Vergolini; and their father Je Vergolini. .

In addition to his parents, Harry was preceded in death by his loving wife of 60 years, Virginia Anne Broderick Meeth, and by both of his siblings, Jane (Connor) and Anna Mae (French).

Mark Doyle Bearden

June 28, 1960 - September 19, 2023

Mark Doyle Bearden, age 63, of Monroe, NC passed away at Hospice of Union County on September 19, 2023. Mark was born in Columbus, OH June 28, 1960 to Doyle Bearden and Marilyn Rose Kemble Bearden. Mark’s love of travel began as a young man, when he was a volunteer, then sta member, for Teen Missions International. Mark is survived by his sister, Cheryl Bearden Hawkins; nephew, Daniel Preston Hawkins (Laura); niece, Kara Ann Hawkins (Maleah); great nephews; Huck and Theo Hawkins. Mark was preceded in death by his parents and niece, Meghan Rose Hawkins.